Analyze Story Elements and Impact on Plot

We were already late for school when Dad discovered he didn't have the car keys. Mom didn't know where they were either, so we all spread out and looked for them. Actually, almost all of us looked—baby Belinda didn't help at all. She was only eight months old and mostly just crawled. While the rest of us searched, she played and rattled things around in her room.

I looked under the table while one brother checked the car and the other searched the bathroom. Mom made sure Dad hadn't left them hanging in the lock to the front door. Dad emptied out the garbage to see if he had dropped them there. Then, Dad got a job he liked even less.

"Baby Belinda needs changing, and it's your turn," Mom said. "I'll call for a taxi."

Dad sighed and said, "I don't think today could get any worse." Still, he took a fresh diaper to my stinky baby sister so he could change her in her room.

We were waiting for the taxi when Dad shouted, "Everyone in the van! I found the keys, but I have to wash them first."

Question: What happens while they are waiting for the taxi?

• They look under the table and in the bathroom.

• Dad changes the baby and finds the keys in the diaper.

• They search the car and the front door.

• Dad plays with the baby in her room.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RF.4.4C

CCSS.RF.5.4C

Adele wanted to take her new goldfish with her when she visited her dad for the weekend. She thought her stepsister Lucy would enjoy them, and she wanted to share them with her.

"Superfish and Wonderfish should stay here," her mother insisted. "It's not safe for the fish to travel back and forth."

"I travel back and forth between your house and Dad's house, and it's safe for me," Adele reminded her.

Adele's mother said she was right and agreed to let the fish visit Lucy and her dad. Her only condition was that they had to figure out a good way to get them there safely in the car.

First, they tried covering the bowl with plastic wrap, but when Adele moved the bowl from side to side, water splashed out. They attempted to tape the plastic down, but the tape wouldn't stick to the wet bowl. Next, they tried putting the fish in a plastic bag, but the bag wasn't large enough.

"I have an idea!" Adele said, getting a headband from her bedroom. It fit perfectly around the mouth of the bowl and the plastic wrap, and it kept the water in. Problem solved!

Question: Which item does Adele use most to try and find a solution to her problem?

• A headband

• A plastic bag

• Tape

• Plastic wrap

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.3.3

Adele wanted to take her new goldfish with her when she visited her dad for the weekend. She thought her stepsister Lucy would enjoy them, and she wanted to share them with her.

"Superfish and Wonderfish should stay here," her mother insisted. "It's not safe for the fish to travel back and forth."

"I travel back and forth between your house and Dad's house, and it's safe for me," Adele reminded her.

Adele's mother said she was right and agreed to let the fish visit Lucy and her dad. Her only condition was that they had to figure out a good way to get them there safely in the car.

First, they tried covering the bowl with plastic wrap, but when Adele moved the bowl from side to side, water splashed out. They attempted to tape the plastic down, but the tape wouldn't stick to the wet bowl. Next, they tried putting the fish in a plastic bag, but the bag wasn't large enough.

"I have an idea!" Adele said, getting a headband from her bedroom. It fit perfectly around the mouth of the bowl and the plastic wrap, and it kept the water in. Problem solved!

The problem of getting the fish to Dad's safely is fixed by using

• plastic wrap by itself.

• a headband and plastic wrap.

• tape and plastic wrap.

• a plastic bag.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RL.4.10

CCSS.RL.4.6

CCSS.RL.5.10

CCSS.RL.5.6

Adele wanted to take her new goldfish with her when she visited her dad for the weekend. She thought her stepsister Lucy would enjoy them, and she wanted to share them with her.

"Superfish and Wonderfish should stay here," her mother insisted. "It's not safe for the fish to travel back and forth."

"I travel back and forth between your house and Dad's house, and it's safe for me," Adele reminded her.

Adele's mother said she was right and agreed to let the fish visit Lucy and her dad. Her only condition was that they had to figure out a good way to get them there safely in the car.

First, they tried covering the bowl with plastic wrap, but when Adele moved the bowl from side to side, water splashed out. They attempted to tape the plastic down, but the tape wouldn't stick to the wet bowl. Next, they tried putting the fish in a plastic bag, but the bag wasn't large enough.

"I have an idea!" Adele said, getting a headband from her bedroom. It fit perfectly around the mouth of the bowl and the plastic wrap, and it kept the water in. Problem solved!

Question: Choose the best summary of the passage.

• A girl wants to convince her mother to buy her another pair of fish.

• A girl wants to visit her stepsister but can't go without her fish.

• A girl has problems in the car getting her fish to her dad's house.

• A girl has to figure out how to transport her fish to her dad's house.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Adele wanted to take her new goldfish with her when she visited her dad for the weekend. She thought her stepsister Lucy would enjoy them, and she wanted to share them with her.

"Superfish and Wonderfish should stay here," her mother insisted. "It's not safe for the fish to travel back and forth."

"I travel back and forth between your house and Dad's house, and it's safe for me," Adele reminded her.

Adele's mother said she was right and agreed to let the fish visit Lucy and her dad. Her only condition was that they had to figure out a good way to get them there safely in the car.

First, they tried covering the bowl with plastic wrap, but when Adele moved the bowl from side to side, water splashed out. They attempted to tape the plastic down, but the tape wouldn't stick to the wet bowl. Next, they tried putting the fish in a plastic bag, but the bag wasn't large enough.

"I have an idea!" Adele said, getting a headband from her bedroom. It fit perfectly around the mouth of the bowl and the plastic wrap, and it kept the water in. Problem solved!

Question: _________________ travel safely between the two homes at the end of the story.

• Adele and Lucy

• The goldfish and Lucy

• The goldfish and the mother

• Adele and the goldfish

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.2.1

The three hikers rounded a bend to the sight of Mt. Baker. Snow on the peak was colored by the purple-pink light of the setting sun.

“Just a few more miles up, and we’ll be standing right there,” Will said. He pointed with a trembling finger at the snowy peak. He looked determined, as if his life depended on reaching the top.

His two companions, Jesse and Cleo, looked at one another. Cleo shook her head. “No way,” she said. “I’m exhausted.”

Will’s mouth fell open. “Are you kidding? We’ve come too far. Turning around is not an option.”

Jesse sighed. His companions had been arguing like this all day, and he knew it was up to him to make a decision. So he quickly dug through his backpack and checked for gear. He knew that hiking after dark would be less dangerous if they had all the right equipment. However, that wasn’t the case: their flashlight batteries were low, and they did not have an emergency blanket.

“Hold on, you two,” Jesse said. “Quit arguing. We don’t have the right kind of supplies to continue, so we’ll have to come back tomorrow when it’s light out.”

Will and Cleo stared at Jesse, saying nothing. They both realized that without supplies, there was no sense in arguing about whether to continue.

The three of them turned around and headed home.

Which word best describes Will at the end of the passage?

• Foolish

• Cautious

• Determined

• Stubborn

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.3.3

The three hikers rounded a bend to the sight of Mt. Baker. Snow on the peak was colored by the purple-pink light of the setting sun.

“Just a few more miles up, and we’ll be standing right there,” Will said. He pointed with a trembling finger at the snowy peak. He looked determined, as if his life depended on reaching the top.

His two companions, Jesse and Cleo, looked at one another. Cleo shook her head. “No way,” she said. “I’m exhausted.”

Will’s mouth fell open. “Are you kidding? We’ve come too far. Turning around is not an option.”

Jesse sighed. His companions had been arguing like this all day, and he knew it was up to him to make a decision. So he quickly dug through his backpack and checked for gear. He knew that hiking after dark would be less dangerous if they had all the right equipment. However, that wasn’t the case: their flashlight batteries were low, and they did not have an emergency blanket.

“Hold on, you two,” Jesse said. “Quit arguing. We don’t have the right kind of supplies to continue, so we’ll have to come back tomorrow when it’s light out.”

Will and Cleo stared at Jesse, saying nothing. They both realized that without supplies, there was no sense in arguing about whether to continue.

The three of them turned around and headed home.

Unlike his two companions, Jesse

• really wants to hike to the peak.

• does not bring the right supplies.

• decides to hike when it is light out.

• thinks before he starts arguing.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

The three hikers rounded a bend to the sight of Mt. Baker. Snow on the peak was colored by the purple-pink light of the setting sun.

“Just a few more miles up, and we’ll be standing right there,” Will said. He pointed with a trembling finger at the snowy peak. He looked determined, as if his life depended on reaching the top.

His two companions, Jesse and Cleo, looked at one another. Cleo shook her head. “No way,” she said. “I’m exhausted.”

Will’s mouth fell open. “Are you kidding? We’ve come too far. Turning around is not an option.”

Jesse sighed. His companions had been arguing like this all day, and he knew it was up to him to make a decision. So he quickly dug through his backpack and checked for gear. He knew that hiking after dark would be less dangerous if they had all the right equipment. However, that wasn’t the case: their flashlight batteries were low, and they did not have an emergency blanket.

“Hold on, you two,” Jesse said. “Quit arguing. We don’t have the right kind of supplies to continue, so we’ll have to come back tomorrow when it’s light out.”

Will and Cleo stared at Jesse, saying nothing. They both realized that without supplies, there was no sense in arguing about whether to continue.

The three of them turned around and headed home.

Will and Cleo agree that they should

• hike even when it is dark.

• bring supplies on a hike.

• stop when they feel tired.

• reach the peak immediately.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

Corbin wasn’t happy when his parents told him they were moving. His dad found a new job, so his family moved from Brooklyn, New York, to a town outside Seattle, Washington two weeks ago.

On his first day at his new middle school, Corbin stopped and stared in amazement at the doorway of the school gym. He remembered how he used to play basketball on his school’s outdoor court every Saturday. Grass grew in the cracks in the cement. The net was old and torn, but he played every week. Through the open metal doors of the gym, Corbin nearly had to shield his eyes from the glaring light of the newly waxed floors. The nets looked brand new and bleachers lined the sides of the room.

As his homeroom teacher reviewed the class schedule, Corbin’s memory of the sour, moldy smell of his old school mixed in with the scent of fresh paint in the classroom. He couldn’t help but wish he were back in Brooklyn. Nothing about this school was familiar to him.

Question: Which of the following is true about Corbin’s school in Seattle?

• It has more students than his school in Brooklyn.

• It is nicer than his school in Brooklyn.

• It smells worse than his school in Brooklyn.

• It feels more familiar to him than his school in Brooklyn.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

Corbin wasn’t happy when his parents told him they were moving. His dad found a new job, so his family moved from Brooklyn, New York, to a town outside Seattle, Washington two weeks ago.

On his first day at his new middle school, Corbin stopped and stared in amazement at the doorway of the school gym. He remembered how he used to play basketball on his school’s outdoor court every Saturday. Grass grew in the cracks in the cement. The net was old and torn, but he played every week. Through the open metal doors of the gym, Corbin nearly had to shield his eyes from the glaring light of the newly waxed floors. The nets looked brand new and bleachers lined the sides of the room.

As his homeroom teacher reviewed the class schedule, Corbin’s memory of the sour, moldy smell of his old school mixed in with the scent of fresh paint in the classroom. He couldn’t help but wish he were back in Brooklyn. Nothing about this school was familiar to him.

Compared to his old school, Corbin’s new school makes him feel

• more comfortable.

• lonelier.

• less popular.

• happier.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6