Making Inferences and Decoding Author's Technique

A True Friend

Lena held her notebook tightly as she stood outside the café. She had been waiting for this moment, but now that it was here, she felt nervous. Across the street, Sam sat at their usual table, stirring his drink and looking deep in thought.

Lena took a deep breath and walked over. She sat down across from him. “Hi,” she said quietly.

Sam looked up, surprised. “Oh, hey,” he said. His voice was calm, but he seemed unsure.

Lena hesitated before placing the notebook on the table. “I finished it,” she said. “Our story.”

Sam looked at the notebook, then picked it up slowly. He ran his fingers over the cover and smiled a little. “You actually did it.”

Lena laughed. “Yep! But it wasn’t just me. This is about both of us—our fun times, our hard times. Everything.”

The café was busy, filled with the smell of fresh bread and coffee. The warm light of the evening sun made everything feel peaceful.

Sam flipped through the pages and stopped at a drawing of the two of them from a long time ago. They were laughing under the stars. “I forgot about this night,” he said softly.

“I never did,” Lena said.

They sat in silence for a moment, remembering all the times they had shared. Finally, Sam closed the notebook and looked at her.

“This is really special,” he said. “Not just the story—the friendship behind it.”

Lena smiled. “So, we’re still best friends?”

Sam grinned. “Yeah. Always.”

Lena felt happy as they sat together, knowing their friendship was strong. Some stories weren’t just written on paper—they were written in the heart.

How can you tell that Lena is nervous at the beginning of the story?

• She walks into the café with a big smile.

• She holds her notebook tightly and hesitates before speaking.

• She excitedly waves at Sam.

• She quickly hands Sam the notebook without saying anything.

What does Sam’s reaction to the notebook suggest about how he feels?

• He doesn’t care about the notebook.

• He is annoyed that Lena wrote the story.

• He is touched and happy about the memories inside.

• He is confused and doesn’t know what it is.

What does Lena’s statement, "I never did," tell us about her character?

• She has a bad memory.

• She values their friendship and remembers important moments.

• She prefers writing over making friends.

• She likes keeping secrets from Sam.

What does Sam’s final response, "Yeah. Always," reveal about their friendship?

• He is unsure about their friendship.

• He only likes the story, not the friendship

• He wants to stop being friends with Lena.

• Their friendship is strong and will continue

Why is the last sentence, "Some stories weren’t just written on paper—they were written in the heart," important to the story?

• 
  It means Lena wants to write another book.
  

• It suggests that Sam didn’t like the story.

• It shows that their friendship is more important than the notebook.

• It shows that stories should only be written in a notebook.

How does the author use dialogue to show the characters’ emotions?

• The author makes the characters explain their feelings directly.

• The author shows emotions through short, meaningful conversations.

• The author only uses long descriptions instead of dialogue.

• The author makes the characters tell jokes instead of talking about their feelings.

What effect does the setting (the café with warm light and good smells) have on the story?

• It makes the café seem like a scary place.

• It has no effect on the story.

• It makes the characters feel rushed and uncomfortable.

• It creates a warm and peaceful mood that matches the story’s theme.

Why does the author describe Sam’s small smile when he first sees the notebook?

• To show that Sam is angry at Lena.

• To show that Sam is happy but also a little surprised.

• To make the story more confusing.

• To tell the reader that Sam doesn’t like books.

What literary device is used in the sentence, "Some stories weren’t just written on paper—they were written in the heart"?

• A simile comparing hearts to paper.

• A joke about notebooks.

• A fact about how people write stories.

• A metaphor comparing stories to emotions.

How does the author show that friendship is an important theme in the story?

• By making them argue about the notebook.

• By having Sam throw the notebook away.

• By focusing on how Lena and Sam support and understand each other.

• By showing that Lena only cares about writing books.