Understanding the Orb

How does Margie feel about entering the Orb?

• Angry

• Stubborn

• Nervous

• Excited

What is the purpose of the Orb?

• It helps people make good decisions.

• It tricks people into making bad choices.

• It makes choices for the people who enter.

• It encourages children to be good citizens.

What happens inside the Orb?

• Margie tries to speak to the Orb.

• Margie feels excited about all the choices she has.

• Margie does not go down any pathway.

• Margie follows the blue pathway.

What will happen to Margie?

• She will get to decide her own future.

• She will need to go back into the Orb.

• She is taking the place of the First Minister.

• She is in trouble for breaking the rules.

How does Margie feel at the end of the story?

• Uneasy

• Empowered

• Sneaky

• Confused

Which statement BEST expresses a theme of the story?

• It is dangerous to take risks.

• Always tell the truth to your family.

• Keeping track of time is important.

• Be true to yourself, no matter what.

Which detail from the text BEST shows that Margie's world is not like ours?

• "Margie shook her head and hoped nobody could hear her heart pounding." (Paragraph 11)

• "Her mother exhaled quietly, slipped her hand out of Margie's, and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze." (Paragraph 7)

• "First Minister Chao pressed her palm against a sensor on the Orb's surface." (Paragraph 8)

• "He'd made it in his workshop with his own hands, with both their names engraved on the underside." (Paragraph 11)

Reread this sentence from paragraph 13: "When her mother had stepped out to let her finish changing in private, the almost inaudible ticking proved too much of a temptation." In this sentence, what does "temptation" suggest about Margie?

• She is determined to tell time correctly.

• She is going to take her father's watch.

• She is excited to enter the Orb.

• She is upset that her mother is so strict.

Which character trait describes both Margie and her father in the story?

• free-thinking

• honest

• timid

• thoughtful

Why is the watch important to the story?

• It lets Margie feel confident in her ability to tell time.

• It makes Margie happy because it reminds her of her mother.

• It allows Margie to feel excited about entering the Orb.

• It gives Margie the strength to choose her own path.