Sports
Liam had been practicing soccer drills in his backyard all week because his team was playing in the finals on Saturday. He wanted to score the winning goal to make his dad proud. During the game, he saw an open shot and kicked as hard as he could. But he slipped on the wet grass, and the ball rolled past the goal. His teammates encouraged him not to give up. So Liam kept playing and passed to others instead of trying to score himself. Then, in the last few minutes, he got another chance—and this time he scored, winning the game.
What was the problem in the story? OR What does encouraged mean?
Liam slipped on the wet grass and missed the goal.
Cheered on.
Ella wanted to bake chocolate chip cookies for her friends’ sleepover. She carefully followed her mom’s recipe, but she got distracted watching TV. When she checked the oven, the cookies were burnt and black on the bottom. So she felt disappointed and wanted to give up. But her mom helped her start over and reminded her to set a timer. Then the second batch came out perfect, and her friends loved them.
What did Ella & her mom do to solve the problem in the story? OR What does disappointed mean?
They started over and made sure to set a timer.
Upset with the outcome.
Noah went to the mall with his sister because he wanted to buy new sneakers. But when he reached the checkout, he realized his wallet was missing. He panicked and retraced his steps through the store. So he asked the clerk if anyone had turned in a wallet. Then a kind shopper returned it, and Noah finally bought his sneakers.
What was the problem in the story? OR What does retraced mean?
Noah lost his wallet in the mall.
To go back where you were before.
Ava wanted to get an A on her science project about volcanoes. She worked on it all week but forgot to print her report the night before. When she got to school, the printer in the library wasn’t working. So she explained the situation to her teacher. Then the teacher let her email the report instead and praised her hard work.
What did Ava want in the story? OR What does explained mean?
Ava wanted to get an A on her science project.
To give reasons why for something.
Lucas wanted to finish the last level of his favorite adventure game. He had been playing for hours and was almost done. But right before he beat the final boss, the power went out. So he had to start over from the beginning. Then he realized he could use what he learned to beat the level even faster.
What did Luca want in the story? OR What does favorite mean?
Luca wanted to finish the last level of his video game.
The thing you like the most.
Maya had always dreamed of being the star pitcher for her softball team. She wanted to help her team win the championship. But when she saw the big crowd cheering, her hands started shaking, and she threw two wild pitches. Her coach called timeout and told her to take deep breaths and focus on one pitch at a time. So she tried to calm herself down and throw slowly. Then she struck out the batter and led her team to victory.
What did Maya do to solve the problem in the story? OR What does victory mean?
She took deep breaths to calm herself down and threw slowly.
To win.
Marcus wanted to cook dinner for his family to surprise them. He found a recipe for chili online but didn’t realize how spicy it would be. When everyone took a bite, they started coughing and reaching for water. So Marcus quickly added more beans and tomatoes to cool it down. Then his family laughed about it and told him they were proud of his effort anyway.
What did Marcus want in the story? OR What does realize mean?
To surprise his family by cooking dinner for them.
To know/be aware of.
Lily had been saving her allowance for weeks to buy a new jacket. She wanted to get it while it was still on sale. But when she got to the store, the sale had ended the day before. So she decided to check another store nearby. Then she found an even better jacket for the same price.
What did Lily do to solve the problem in the story? OR What does nearby mean?
Lily checked if another store had the jacket she wanted on sale.
Close.
Caleb wanted everyone in his group to help with their history project. But two of his teammates didn’t do their parts. So Caleb stayed late after school to finish everything by himself. Then his teacher noticed his effort and reminded the class that teamwork means sharing the work.
What did Caleb's teacher notice at the end of the story that solved his problem? OR What does by himself mean?
Caleb's teacher noticed that he was putting a lot of effort into his project.
Alone, without anyone else.
Nina wanted to play a new racing game with her brother. But her controller kept disconnecting. She got frustrated and almost quit. So her brother helped her find a new battery pack. Then they played together for hours and laughed the whole time.
What was the problem in the story? OR What does frustrated mean?
Nina's controller kept disconnecting from the game.
Annoyed and angry.
Eli trained every morning before school for the track meet. He wanted to prove to himself that his hard work would pay off. But halfway through the race, the sole of his running shoe tore apart. Everyone gasped as he stumbled. So Eli kicked off the broken shoe and kept running with just one. Then he finished second, and everyone cheered for his determination.
What did Eli want in the story? OR What does determination mean?
Eli wanted his hard work to pay off in his track race.
Effort/not giving up.
Tia wanted to bake cupcakes for the school fundraiser. But halfway through mixing the batter, she realized she was out of sugar. She didn’t want to go to the store because it was raining. So she asked her neighbor, Mrs. Lee, if she had some sugar to borrow. Then Tia finished her cupcakes just in time and raised money for her class trip.
How did Tia solve the problem in the story? OR What does borrow mean?
Tia borrowed sugar from Mrs. Lee and finished her cupcakes just in time.
To use something that belongs to someone else.
Sam wanted to buy a new video game on release day. But when he got to the store, the line stretched around the building. He waited for an hour and started getting impatient. So he decided to check online instead. Then he found the game on sale and got it delivered faster than expected.
What happened at the end of the story that solved the problem? OR What does impatient mean?
Sam found the game on sale and had it delivered to him.
Not patient.
Sophie studied hard because she wanted to win the school spelling bee. But when it was her turn, she got nervous and misspelled the word “chocolate.” She felt embarrassed and wanted to cry. So she clapped for her friend who won instead. Then her teacher told her she showed great sportsmanship.
What was the problem in this story? OR What does misspelled mean?
Sophie did not spell chocolate correctly.
To spell wrong.
Carlos wanted his online team to win their first tournament. But one teammate quit in the middle of the game. So the rest of the team had to work twice as hard to make up for it. Then they lost by only a few points but promised to practice and try again.
What did Carlos's team promise at the end of the story? OR What does tournament mean?
The team promised that they would practice more and try again.
A competition with many teams.
Jordan had just moved to a new town and joined the local basketball team. He wanted to show he was a good player. But the other kids rarely passed him the ball because they didn’t know him yet. During practice, he stayed positive and helped others improve their shots. So the team started trusting him more. Then, in the next game, he made the winning basket and earned everyone’s respect.
How did Jordan's problem get solved at the end of the story? OR What does local mean?
Jordan made the winning basket at the next game and earned his teammates' respect.
Nearby/close.
Owen wanted to make a turkey sandwich for lunch. But he grabbed the wrong container and spread spicy mustard instead of mayo. When he took a bite, his mouth burned, and he almost spit it out. So he added extra lettuce and cheese to cool it down. Then he discovered he actually liked it better that way.
What was the problem in the story? OR What does discovered mean?
Owen put spicy mayo on his sandwich instead of mustard.
To find out.
Mila wanted to use her birthday money to buy a doll she had been wanting for months. But when she got home and opened the box, the doll’s arm was broken. So she and her dad went back to the store to exchange it. Then the clerk gave her a new doll plus a free accessory for the trouble.
What did Mila want in the story? OR What does exchange mean?
Mila wanted to buy a doll she had been wanting.
To swap something for another thing.
Ben wanted to eat lunch with his friends in the cafeteria. But when he opened his backpack, he realized he had left his lunch on the counter at home. So he told the lunch staff what happened. Then they gave him a peanut butter sandwich and an apple, and his friends shared their snacks.
What was the solution at the end of the story? OR What does shared mean?
The lunch staff gave Ben a peanut butter sandwich.
To give to other people.
Riley wanted to play his favorite building game after school. But when he logged in, there was a huge update, and his old world was gone. He felt disappointed because he had spent weeks on it. So he decided to start a new world with cooler designs. Then he realized he liked his new version even more.
What was the problem in the story? OR What does disappointed mean?
Riley's video game updated and his old world was gone.
Sad/upset.
Sophie loved playing soccer, even in bad weather. She wanted to play well enough for the coach to make her team captain. But during one rainy game, the field was muddy, and she kept slipping. She felt embarrassed after falling in front of everyone. So she focused on defense instead of scoring. Then the coach praised her for her smart plays and teamwork after the game.
What was the problem in the story? OR What does praised mean?
Sophie kept slipping and felt embarrassed.
To say positive things about something.
Hannah entered the school’s cooking contest because she wanted to win a prize for her homemade soup. But when she arrived, she realized she had left her main ingredient—carrots—at home. So she quickly improvised with potatoes instead. Then the judges said her soup was creative and gave her second place.
How was the problem solved at the end of the story? OR What does improvised mean?
The judges gave Hannah's soup 2nd place.
Quickly problem solved/changed plans.
Ethan wanted to help his mom save money on groceries. But when they checked out, he realized he had left the coupons at home. His mom smiled and said it was okay. So they decided to look for items on sale instead. Then Ethan promised to be more organized next time.
What did Ethan say at the end of the story to solve the problem? OR What does organized mean?
Ethan said that he would be more organized in the future.
To have things in order.
Jada wanted to win the school art contest with her painting of a sunset. But when she was carrying it to school, she tripped and tore the corner of the paper. She was upset and thought about quitting. So she taped it carefully and added clouds to cover the rip. Then the judges said her painting showed creativity and gave her first place.
What did Jada do to solve the problem in the story? OR What does carefully mean?
Jada taped the paper back together and covered the rip.
With care, slowly, gently.
Emma wanted to record a video of her gaming skills to post online. But the game kept glitching, and her character froze in funny poses. So she edited the video to make it into a comedy instead. Then it got more views than she expected, and people loved it.
What was the solution to the problem at the end of the story? OR What does expected mean?
Emma's video got more views than she thought it would.
What you thought was going to happen.