Show:
Inference 1
Inference 2
Inference 3
Inference 4
Inference 5
100

Iggy squinted as he tried to see through the holes in the ski mask. He could make out the large bag on the counter. The frightened woman who put it there now had both hands raised. As he took the bag off of the counter, Iggy tipped an imaginary hat to the woman. The jest did not brighten her demeanor. Iggy exited the first set of doors but stopped in the vestibule. Soon the windows of the building pulsated with blue and red lights. Iggy hurriedly walked back into the building.

What is Iggy doing in this building?

Iggy is trying to steal from them. 

100

Gina looked in the mirror at the bright red pustule on her nose. She poked at it carefully, afraid that it might burst on her dress. It was large and painful. The more she prodded it, the larger it got. This is not how it was supposed to go! Gina thought to herself. Then she began crying. Her mother yelled up the stairs, "Gina! Eric is here!" This news made Gina even more distraught. Now her makeup was running and just as she feared, some of it got on her dress. "Why me? Why today?" Gina lamented to herself between sobs and gasps.


1. Why is Gina upset at the beginning of the passage?

Gina has a pimple.
100

Missy looked at her brother Kirk with burning eyes. Her hatred seared through him. Sensing this, Kirk turned toward her and they met eyes. Kirk knew Missy well, but he had never seen this particular expression on her face before and it startled him. He said, "Look, there's no use wasting a bunch of energy fighting. Let's look for it. Where does it go anyway?" Missy fumed at his nonchalance. She replied, "Look at the puzzle, Kirk. You can't miss it." Kurt looked at the jigsaw representation of the Statue of Liberty that lay on the table. It was composed of 2,500 tiny pieces, well, only 2,499 really. The red and yellow piece that went in the center of the torch flame was mysteriously absent. Missy sneered at him and said in a vitriolic tone, "I told you not to move the puzzle pieces, but you insisted. You said that you had to have a better seat. Well, I hope you're happy, Kirk." Kirk ran his index finger along the inside of his shirt collar. "Gee, Missy… I'm sorry," he murmured.

Why is Missy specifically mad at Kirk?

Because they are missing a piece of the puzzle.

100

Pam clutched the steering wheel awkwardly. The man in the passenger seat looked at her from behind wireframe glasses and then looked back at his clipboard and made some checks. Pam attempted to pull out from the parking spot slowly, but her foot slipped and she pressed on the gas too hard. The car jerked back suddenly and she almost crashed into a parked van. The man scowled at her and made another check on his clipboard. He said dryly, "Turn right here." Sweat beads gathered on Pam's brow. She timidly exited the parking lot. Now she was on a thoroughfare and was travelling 15 MPH below the speed limit. Traffic accumulated behind her. The man made a few more checks on his clipboard and wrote a comment. "Turn left at this stop sign," he said. Pam slowly turned left, but she did not stop. Several cars honked, and then she ran over a curb and bumped into a newspaper vending machine. The man hurriedly made several more checks on his clipboard and said, "OK, we're done here. Please get in the passenger seat. I will drive back to the facility."


8. What is Pam doing? 

She is taking her driving test.

100
Kelvin was waiting in front of the corner store at 3:56. His muscles were tense and he was sweating a bit more than usual. The other kids gathered in front of the little storefront were much more relaxed, even playful. They joked back and forth lightly to each other but for Kelvin, time slowed. 3:57. "Don't worry, Kelvin. He ain't even gonna show up." Kelvin hoped that he wouldn't. A black four-door Camry with tinted windows pulled up and parked across the street. Kelvin gulped. 3:58. A group of teenagers piled out of the car. James was in the front. "Hi-ya, Kelvin. Glad you could make it," James said. Kelvin felt smaller. Are James and Kelvin friends?
No.
200
very day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said. Describe Alice.
Alice is a very clean person with a good deal of control over the household.
200
Kyle ran into his house, slamming the door behind him. He threw his book bag on the floor and plopped on the couch. After six hours of playing Grand Larceny VII, he ate some pizza and fell asleep with a slice in on his belly and his feet on his book bag. When Kyle came home from school the next day, he was noticeably distraught. He balled up his report card and placed it inside of a soup can in the garbage. He then flipped the soup can upside down and relocated garbage from other parts of the can, arranging over the soup can. He then plopped down on the couch and picked up his controller. Why does Kyle put the report card in a soup can?
He is trying to dispose of the evidence. He doesn't want anyone to find out.
200
Anastasia sat by the fountain in the park with her head in her palms. She was weeping mournfully and wearing all black. In between gasps and sobs, Anastasia cried out a name: "Oh... John..." And then her cell phone beeped. Her hand ran into her purse and her heart fluttered. The text message was from John. She opened up the message and read the few bare words, "I need to get my jacket back from you." Anastasia threw her head into her arms and continued sobbing. Why is Anastasia sad?
John is breaking up with her.
200
Kelvin was waiting in front of the corner store at 3:56. His muscles were tense and he was sweating a bit more than usual. The other kids gathered in front of the little storefront were much more relaxed, even playful. They joked back and forth lightly to each other but for Kelvin, time slowed. 3:57. "Don't worry, Kelvin. He ain't even gonna show up." Kelvin hoped that he wouldn't. A black four-door Camry with tinted windows pulled up and parked across the street. Kelvin gulped. 3:58. A group of teenagers piled out of the car. James was in the front. "Hi-ya, Kelvin. Glad you could make it," James said. Kelvin felt smaller. Why is Kelvin waiting at the corner store?
Kelvin is going to fight James.
200
As the teacher brought the class back from the washroom, he noticed that Alvin and Elijah were nowhere to be seen. He asked the class, "Has anyone seen Alvin or Elijah?" Most of the students confirmed that they had not seen them, except for Rodney, who remained silent while tapping his foot on the floor anxiously. The teacher noticed this. "Rodney, do you happen to know where your best buddies Alvin and Elijah went?" Rodney looked away and said, "Nah, I haven't seen them." The teacher notified the office of the missing students. An announcement was made over the PA system and a few minutes later, Alvin and Elijah returned to class. Both of them were very sweaty and Elijah was carrying a basketball. "Sorry we took so long. We had to use the bathroom," said Elijah. "Yeah," chimed in Alvin, "it took longer than we thought." What were Alvin and Elijah doing while they were gone?
Alvin and Elijah were probably playing basketball in the gym or somewhere else.
300

Mr. Johnson looked up at the sky. It was clear as far as the eye could see, except for the cruel sun. The insatiable sun drained the land of all moisture. He cursed the sun. Mr. Johnson ran his fingers through one of the rows of dirt and grabbed a handful. It was bone dry, almost powdery. He let the dirt sift through his fingers and it turned to dust in the wind. Mr. Johnson put his hands on his hips and surveyed the field. It was well seeded, that he knew. He had seeded it himself, yet nothing sprang from the dirt. "Well, there's only one thing left to do," he said to himself. Mr. Johnson headed to church.

Why is Mr. Johnson cursing the sun?

Because it has not rained and it is drying out his fields.

300

Iggy squinted as he tried to see through the holes in the ski mask. He could make out the large bag on the counter. The frightened woman who put it there now had both hands raised. As he took the bag off of the counter, Iggy tipped an imaginary hat to the woman. The jest did not brighten her demeanor. Iggy exited the first set of doors but stopped in the vestibule. Soon the windows of the building pulsated with blue and red lights. Iggy hurriedly walked back into the building.

Why does Iggy tip "an imaginary hat to the woman"?

Tipping a hat is usually a sign of respect. Iggy is "acting" respectful. He is mocking being respectful

300

Mr. Johnson looked up at the sky. It was clear as far as the eye could see, except for the cruel sun. The insatiable sun drained the land of all moisture. He cursed the sun. Mr. Johnson ran his fingers through one of the rows of dirt and grabbed a handful. It was bone dry, almost powdery. He let the dirt sift through his fingers and it turned to dust in the wind. Mr. Johnson put his hands on his hips and surveyed the field. It was well seeded, that he knew. He had seeded it himself, yet nothing sprang from the dirt. "Well, there's only one thing left to do," he said to himself. Mr. Johnson headed to church.


1. What does Mr. Johnson do for a living? 


He is a farmer.

300
Kelvin was waiting in front of the corner store at 3:56. His muscles were tense and he was sweating a bit more than usual. The other kids gathered in front of the little storefront were much more relaxed, even playful. They joked back and forth lightly to each other but for Kelvin, time slowed. 3:57. "Don't worry, Kelvin. He ain't even gonna show up." Kelvin hoped that he wouldn't. A black four-door Camry with tinted windows pulled up and parked across the street. Kelvin gulped. 3:58. A group of teenagers piled out of the car. James was in the front. "Hi-ya, Kelvin. Glad you could make it," James said. Kelvin felt smaller. Why is Kelvin so nervous?
Kelvin doesn't want to fight or is worried about the fight.
300
Today was a special day in Ms. Smith's class. Some of the children were walking around the room, some of them were standing in small groups, and some of them were at their desks, putting finishing touches on cardboard mailboxes. After coloring a cool flame on the side of his racecar mailbox, Johnny hopped out of his chair, strutted over to Veronica's desk, and dropped a small white envelope into her princess castle mailbox. Veronica blushed and played with her hair. While this was happening, Bartleby was frantically trying to put a small white envelope into everyone's mailbox. After giving one to Ms. Smith, Bartleby pulled out a medium-sized red envelope from his pocket. He blushed and tried to put it in Veronica's mailbox, but it wouldn't quite fit. Bartleby struggled with it for a few seconds and then ran off with the envelope. Veronica rolled her eyes and popped her gum. Why is today a special day?
Today is Valentine's Day and the children are allowed to distribute cards.
400
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max. We'll just find something else to do." She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!" A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed. Why is Max upset?
It is raining and he cannot go outside to play.
400
Free points for the OPPOSITE team :(
400
Ryan was looking forward to sleeping over at his friend Robert's house. Though they had been classmates for a while, the two had only recently become good friends. Ryan packed up his sleeping bag, a pillow, and a few of his favorite toys and games, and then his mom dropped him off at Robert's. Robert met Ryan on the porch and the two did their secret handshake and started playing right away. First they played pirates in Robert's tree fort. Next they played ninjas in the driveway. Then it started getting dark and they went inside of Robert's house. As soon as they walked in the house, Ryan's eyes starting getting red and itchy. He saw a big orange cat sitting on the couch. Then he started sneezing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Robert. It's been a lot of fun, but I have to call my mom." Why do Ryan's eyes get red and itchy when he walks into Robert's house?
Ryan is allergic to cats.
400

FREE POINTS!!!

400

Pablo slowly got off the ground and wiped the dust from his pants. There were several tears in both legs. He could see blood through the holes. He picked the gravel from his wounds, wiped off the dust and looked at the motorbike. The bike was on its side, the front wheel was turned around, and the wheel was spinning. Pablo's elbow and shoulder hurt as he struggled to pull the heavy bike upright once again. He got back on his seat and headed once more for home. When he got there, he quickly grabbed the hose and sprayed the motorbike. He wiped it down with a rag from his father's garage and then parked it against the wall. He walked into his house where his mother was shocked to see him. "Oh my! By heavens, what happened to you, Pablo?" Pablo did not even hesitate, "I got attacked by a dog after school by Jalen's house. It was one of his neighbor's dogs."

Why does Pablo wash his bike off when he gets home?  

He is trying to cover up the accident

500
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max. We'll just find something else to do." She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!" A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed. What was Mom planning on doing today?
She was going to take Max on a picnic.
500
"Tommy!" Mom called out as she walked in the front door. "Tommy," she continued shouting, "I sure could use some help with these groceries. There was still no reply. Mom walked into the kitchen to put the grocery bags down on the counter when she noticed shattered glass from the picture window all over the living room floor and a baseball not far from there. "I'm going to kill you, Tommy!" Mom yelled to herself as she realized that Tommy's shoes were gone. Why did Tommy leave?
Tommy is scared of his mother.
500
Ryan was looking forward to sleeping over at his friend Robert's house. Though they had been classmates for a while, the two had only recently become good friends. Ryan packed up his sleeping bag, a pillow, and a few of his favorite toys and games, and then his mom dropped him off at Robert's. Robert met Ryan on the porch and the two did their secret handshake and started playing right away. First they played pirates in Robert's tree fort. Next they played ninjas in the driveway. Then it started getting dark and they went inside of Robert's house. As soon as they walked in the house, Ryan's eyes starting getting red and itchy. He saw a big orange cat sitting on the couch. Then he started sneezing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Robert. It's been a lot of fun, but I have to call my mom." Why does Ryan want to call his mother?
He wants to call his mother so that he can go home.
500
"William, don't forget your towel!" Mom shouted as she applied sunblock on the baby. William threw the folding chairs in the back of the minivan and shouted through the garage door, "OK Mom!" He then ran up and grabbed his towel. "Georgie!" William shouted. There was no response. Mom packed the baby up into the car seat. "William, can you help me with his umbrella?" William ran down the stairs, almost tripping over a chew toy, and then he helped his mother load the large umbrella in the minivan. "Mom, I can't find Georgie," William said. His mother shrugged and replied, "That's OK, William. He probably shouldn't come with us anyway." Where are Mom and William going?
They are going to the beach.
500
"William, don't forget your towel!" Mom shouted as she applied sunblock on the baby. William threw the folding chairs in the back of the minivan and shouted through the garage door, "OK Mom!" He then ran up and grabbed his towel. "Georgie!" William shouted. There was no response. Mom packed the baby up into the car seat. "William, can you help me with his umbrella?" William ran down the stairs, almost tripping over a chew toy, and then he helped his mother load the large umbrella in the minivan. "Mom, I can't find Georgie," William said. His mother shrugged and replied, "That's OK, William. He probably shouldn't come with us anyway." Who is Georgie and how do you know?
Georgie is a dog.