Story Pairing (First Day/New Kid)

The description of the setting in paragraphs 1–2 of “The First Day of School” shows that  
John —

• has enjoyed the long summer days

• likes the routine of school

• is reluctant to see the end of summer

• is usually late to school 

In “The First Day of School,” the main way that readers learn that this day is different from other days is through — 

• John’s actions 

• Audrey’s dress 

• dialogue between John and Audrey 

• dialogue between John and his mother 

Read the thesaurus entry. 

lingered 
v: remained, dawdled, hung around, remained alive 

Which synonym best matches the meaning of the word lingered as it is used in paragraph 25 of “The First Day of School”? 

• Remained 

• Dawdled 

• Hung around 

• Remained alive 

The flashback in paragraphs 27–28 of “The First Day of School” affects the story by — 

• reflecting John’s fear of what is to come 

• telling how Audrey feels toward John 

• showing that John’s mother gives wise advice 

• explaining why John disagrees with his mother 

Read the sentence. 

As Jordan thought about his grandfather’s words, he came to see them as a metaphor meant to help him adjust. 

Which phrase correctly punctuates the underlined section of the sentence? 

• about his grandfather’s words he came to see them, as a metaphor meant to help  
  him adjust 

• about his grandfather’s words, he came to see, them as a metaphor meant to help  
  him adjust. 

• about his grandfather’s words he came to see, them as a metaphor meant to help  
  him adjust 

• correct as is 

Which conflict is at the center of “The First Day of School”? 

• John vs. nature 

• John vs. Audrey 

• John vs. his fears 

• John vs. his mother 

In New Kid, what is the conflict that Jordan describes? 

• His new friends aren’t friends with each other. 

• His interests are different from those of his classmates. 

• He does not get his way when he plays with his classmates. 

• He has a high opinion of himself that his classmates don’t agree with. 

In New Kid, Jordan’s conversation with his grandfather makes him feel more comfortable with his friends at his new school by — 

• making him more sympathetic to his friends 

• inspiring him to find out more about his friends’ interests 

• stopping him from worrying about whether he and his friends are different 

• helping him to see how to introduce his grandfather and parents to his friends 

The author of New Kid reveals which city the story takes place in by including — 

• a caption saying exactly where they live 

• recognizable landmarks in the drawings 

• a note establishing the setting at the bottom of a frame 

• dialogue in which a character mentions city features 

Which statement describes a theme of New Kid? 

• It is difficult to overcome fear. 

• You can learn a lot from games. 

• Competition is good for friendship. 

• Making friends is an important part of growing up.