Lonely (ReadWorks)

When the bell rings for lunch, where does Jessica take her lunchbox?

• To the library

• To the gym

• To the playground

• To the cafeteria

WHEN do the events of the story take place?

• On Jessica’s first day of school

• On the first day Jessica returns from winter vacation

• The day before Jessica leaves on winter vacation

• During the two weeks that make up Jessicas winter vacation.

Jessica feels lonely. What evidence from the text supports this?

• “She turned around and saw that the pink and orange, four-foot-tall, stuffed dragon that had lived in that exact corner of the library ever since she had started at the school (almost six years ago) was stretching its wings and yawning.”

• “Jessica turned around slowly. The dragon was standing in front of her, one claw on the scaly area near what would be its waist, smiling and blinking. The dragon looked confused.”

• “The first days back after winter vacation were the hardest. Jessica had spent the last two weeks talking to people all day, and today she had barely said two words to her homeroom teacher.”

• “In the hallway outside the library, a girl from Jessica’s homeroom class was crouched on the floor, picking up pens, pencils, and highlighters that had clearly just dropped out of her empty pencil case, open beside her.”

Why might Jessica have told the dragon that she is not lonely?

• Jessica doesn’t feel lonely.

• Jessica does not want to admit she is lonely.

• Jessica doesn’t like the dragon very much.

• Jessica doesn’t have time to talk to the dragon

What does lonely mean?

• Wanting to be left alone.

• When a person is a loner.

• Sad because you have no money.

• Sad because you have no friends or company