2.3 Basic Reading (Questions within Passage)

Is Math Dumb?

By Ashleigh Lichtenwalner

​“Why? ?” Dani cried out. Her mother stopped mixing the salad. She looked at Dani, who was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework.

“What now, mi hija?” Dani’s mother asked.

“I am tired of my math homework. ‘How much is 2 + 3 + 4 + 9?’ This is dumb. Math is dumb.”

Dani’s mom laughed. “It sounds like you could use a break. Let’s go to the store. I need to buy avocados for the salad.”

Multiple Choice

What homework is Dani doing at the beginning of this text?

• math homework

• social studies homework

• English homework

​They walked to the supermarket and went to the vegetables section. Dani picked out two avocados. Mom and daughter got in line to pay.

“Today you are going to pay,” Dani’s mother told her. Dani was surprised. She had never paid for groceries before.

Her mom gave her a $5 bill. “The avocados are $1.50 each. How much will two cost?”

Dani thought. “Three dollars?”

“Right,” said her mom.

When it was their turn, the cashier rang up the avocados. “Three dollars, please,” she said, looking at Dani’s mom. But Dani’s mother shook her head and nodded to her daughter. Dani gave the woman the money. The cashier put the $5 bill inside the register and gave a bill to Dani.

Multiple Choice

Where do Dani and her mom walk to?

• the playground

• school

• the supermarket

Multiple Choice

Read the following sentences from the text.

“Her mom gave her a $5 bill. ‘The avocados are $1.50 each. How much will two cost?’

Dani thought. ‘Three dollars?’

‘Right,’ said her mom.”

What do you know about Dani based on this information?

• Dani doesn’t know how to figure out the cost of the avocados.

• Dani has to use math to figure out how much the avocados cost.

• Dani thinks the avocados aren’t ripe enough for their salad.

​“Did you get the right amount back?” Dani’s mom asked.

Dani looked at the single dollar in her hand. “No, mami,” she responded. “I should have two dollars.”

“That’s right,” said her mom, and smiled at the cashier.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” the woman replied. She reached into the still-open register, took out another dollar, and gave it to Dani.

Dani gave both dollars to her mother. Dani did not see the cashier wink at her mother.

“See what you just did?” her mom asked as they walked out of the store. “Sometimes math is not so dumb.”

“Okay. Sometimes. Maybe.” Dani smiled at her mom and they walked back home.

Multiple Choice

Dani has never paid for groceries at the supermarket before. Why does her mom want her to pay this time?

• so that she can use her math skills

• so that she understands the supermarket better

• so that she can pick out the food herself

Multiple Choice

What is this story about?

• Dani loves avocados and is excited to help her mom make an avocado salad with their dinner.

• Sometimes, Dani’s mom helps her with her math homework, but other times she has to do it alone.

• Dani thinks her math homework is dumb, but her mom helps her understand why math can be important.

Multiple Choice

“The cashier put the $5 bill inside the register and gave a bill to Dani. ‘Did you get the right amount back?’ Dani’s mom asked. Dani looked at the single dollar in her hand. ‘No, mami,’ she responded. ‘I should have two dollars.’”

What does the word amount mean as it’s used in this sentence?

• a number of dollar bills

• a feeling of happiness

• a perfectly ripe avocado

Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes this sentence.

At first, Dani thinks math is dumb. _____, she thinks math can be important.

• Later

• Because

• Although