Theme Practice

Read the following passage from a story.

Rohan triumphantly lifted the trophy above his head. Despite all the obstacles, he had won. Beneath his cheerful exterior, he felt a twinge of the constant pain he’d learned to live with. Almost unconsciously, Rohan removed one hand from the trophy and rubbed the thin red scar that snaked around his ankle. He thought back to the surgery and the weeks spent lying in his bed, unable to compete. The months of exercises to strengthen his leg. “Rohan!” he heard the crowd scream, as if in slow motion. A smile broke across Rohan’s face, shattering his thoughts. He returned his hand to his trophy, firmly grasping it.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• 
  Some goals are too hard to achieve even if you try many times.

• Through determination, you can overcome big challenges.

• 
  You need the support of your family to overcome challenges.

• 
  When you achieve a goal, you shouldn’t brag about it.

Themes are about universal topics. For example, a topic could be compassion, relationships or fate. A theme is often stated as a judgment about one of these topics. For example, a theme about the topic of relationships could be "relationships teach you important lessons."

Which of the following could be the theme of a story?

• You can never turn your back on your family.

• A young girl returns to her family after moving far away.

• Most people have at least one brother or sister.

• 
  “I’ll never speak to you again,” she said quietly to her mother.

Read the following passage from a story.

Eriene gazed across the field, noticing how peaceful Creature's Cove seemed now. The only evidence of the battle were the scorched patches of earth dotting the landscape like a sunburn. Eriene clasped the jade pendant that dangled heavily under her robe. Her great-aunt's words echoed in her head. "This necklace has always belonged to the protector of what is good and just in the kingdom. Now, it belongs to you."

Eriene had passed her first test, the dragon no longer a threat to the kingdom's way of life. Wisps of smoke drifted up from the land that its poisonous breath had burned. Soon, new grass would poke through, and memories of the battle would recede into the past. But Eriene knew this was not the end. This dragon lay slain in the Yonderland. But its spirit would return again and again in different forms.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• 
  Evil can easily be defeated.

• Good people are difficult to find.

• Good and evil always exist together in the world.

• People often forget the things they don't want to remember.

Read the following passage from a story.

Marta was stumped. She had turned the details of the case over and over in her head, trying to figure out the answer. The suspect had somehow entered the store, stolen the artwork and exited without leaving any trace or fingerprints. Marta paced, her movements matching her storm of thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the new technological device she had been given to use, which she'd been avoiding like the plague. "I wonder…" she thought.

Hesitantly, Marta typed the details of the case into the device's keyboard. It whirred and spat out a list of similar cases and how they'd been solved. Reading through the information, Marta was amazed. She had been pondering for hours, but 30 seconds with this device, and she could find answer! With new respect, she rushed off.

Which detail from the passage provides the best clue that a theme of the story is "technology can have good effects"?

• 
  "The suspect had somehow entered the store, stolen the artwork and exited without any trace or fingerprints."

• "Marta paced, her movements matching her storm of thoughts."

• 
  "Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the new technological device she had been given to use, which she'd been avoiding like the plague."

• "She had been pondering for hours, but 30 seconds with this device, and she could find her answer!"

The theme of a story is the

• main character.

• 
  message about life that the author expresses.

• sequence of events.

• short summary of what the story is about.

Which of the following could be the theme of a story?

• 
  Fear is more dangerous than any beast.

• A brave young girl pretends to be a man and takes her father's place in the army.

• a fear of heights

• "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too."

Which of the following could be a theme of a story?

• 
  a 35-year-old woman named Essie and her brother

• 
  a small apartment in Marfa, Texas

• 
  Telling the truth may cause pain, but in the end, it's better than lying.

• Essie lied to her brother about her identity for two years, but she finally decided to tell him the truth.

Which of the following could be a theme of a story?

• 
  Your past does not define you.

• returning home after a long time

• A man sees a group of people he used to work with a long time ago.

• an old man who used to be a farmer

Read the following passage from a story.

As Tai strummed the guitar, Charlesa looked at her with pride. For so long, Tai's fingers had clumsily tripped over the strings, but now she played the song with ease. Getting to this point hadn't been easy for Charlesa, either. She sighed, trying to bury the memories of all the screaming tantrums Tai had thrown. Once, she nearly threw her guitar against a wall. But now when Tai smiled, and the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama" floated out of the instrument, Charlesa smiled, too. It had been worth it.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• Playing a musical instrument is too much work.

• Hard work can bring great rewards.

• Friends shouldn't try to teach each other new things.

• 
  It's OK to give up on yourself.

Read the following passage from a story.

"Ajit is so excited to see you," he heard his mother shout into the phone. She always spoke louder on long-distance calls, as if raising her voice would help it travel across the Atlantic. "Aren't you, Ajit?" she demanded.

Ajit slumped in his chair, pushing wrinkled peas around his plate. His suitcases stood at attention in the hallway, holding eight weeks worth of shirts, pants and socks. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded.

"Patches!" his mother shrieked.

In the hallway, Patches the cat stood next to an overturned suitcase and the remnants of a shattered vase. As Ajit's mother rushed to assess the damage, Patches sidled up to Ajit, rubbing his face against Ajit's leg. Ajit reached down to stroke him, and Patches looked up, blinking his green eyes. He stared at Ajit with his knowing look—a look that seemed to offer so much and ask for so little in return.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• Friendship is worth more than material goods.

• You must confront your past.

• Pets are more trouble than they're worth.

• The love of a pet is unlike any other.