Mara's family lived next door to a very grumpy old lady named Mrs. Olson. Mrs. Olson was always yelling at Mara's family for making too much noise, or leaving toys in the driveway, or letting their grass grow too long.

One day, Mara was playing in the front yard when Mrs. Olson dropped a whole bag of groceries on her porch. Mara rushed to help. Despite Mrs. Olson's objections, Mara helped her to bring the groceries inside and to clean up the broken jar of applesauce.

The next day, Mrs. Olson called Mara over to her house. At first, Mara was a little scared. But Mrs. Olson just wanted her to help get some boxes down from the attic. After that, Mara started helping Mrs. Olson around the house a few times a week. Sometimes, Mrs. Olson would offer her tea and the two of them would sit at Mrs. Olson's big kitchen table and drink their tea and chat.

The years passed and Mara grew up and went to college, but whenever she came home, she always made sure to visit Mrs. Olson. One day, Mara got a letter from a lawyer.

Mrs. Olson had died in her sleep. Mara was sad, but also surprised. The letter said that Mrs. Olson had thousands of dollars in the bank and she left it all to Mara.

Cassie was having a great time at summer camp. Her counselor was really nice and she had made friends with all of the girls in her cabin.

One day, a package arrived for Cassie. All the girls in her cabin watched as she opened it. It was a box of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Cassie's mother made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world! Cassie took one out of the box and was just about to take a bite when one of the other girls asked if she could have a cookie. Then all the girls were asking. Cassie counted the cookies in the box. There were exactly twelve of them. There were ten girls in the cabin. If she gave a cookie to each girl, there would only be two left for herself. Cassie knew that if she shared with one girl, she would have to share with everyone, so she decided not to share at all.

Cassie got to eat all of the cookies herself, but from

then on the other girls hardly talked to her at all and no one wanted to be her friend anymore.

Kevin wasn't worried about his book report. He had

three whole weeks to get it done. There was no reason to get started right away, especially when he had just gotten a new video game!

The next day, Kevin thought about going to the library to pick out a book for his report, but decided to play with his friends instead. He could go to the library on the weekend. The weekend came and instead of going to the library, Kevin spent the whole weekend at his cousin's farm. He didn't go to the library the next week either; there was always something fun to do instead.

Two weeks passed and Kevin still hadn't picked out a book. By the time he finally got to the library, there was not enough time to read the book and write the report. Kevin tried to write the report without reading the whole book, but

it did not go very well. Kevin failed the assignment.

Sarah didn't play with the new girl in her class, Laila,

at recess. No one did. Laila had come to their school after

winter break. She wore strange clothes and she spoke with an accent.

Then one day, the teacher put Sarah and the Laila together as partners on a class project. At first Sarah was nervous about working with someone so different, but then they began to talk. She found out that Laila had a little brother just like she did. Not only that, they both loved to draw and they both collected sea shells.

Sarah invited Laila over after school to work on the project and see her shell collection. The girls worked well together and before she left, Sarah gave Laila one of her best shells to take home for her collection.

The next day, Laila invited Sarah over dinner. The food was really different than what Sarah was used to, but it was also really good. Laila's parents were nice too.

The girls got an A on their project, but even better,

they became good friends.

Mr. Jones decided to take his family camping. It was a beautiful weekend and the family was excited about the trip. So he packed up the car and away they went.

At first they had trouble finding an empty campsite. Most of the other campers had made reservations ahead of time. When they finally found one, Dad asked the kids, Tim and Katie, to pitch the tent. It wasn't long before Tim reported that he could not find the tent stakes. Sure enough, they were nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, mom was trying to light the portable stove, but Dad had forgotten the matches. Not only that, they did not have a can opener to open the can of spaghetti sauce they had brought for dinner or a pot big enough to cook the noodles. Then Katie discovered that they had forgotten to bring the sleeping bags!

It soon became clear that camping was not going to happen.

Grumpily, Dad packed everything back into the car and they drove back to the city. They picked up a pizza on the way home and everyone slept in their own beds that night.

Benny and Danny were twins. Each week, they each

got five dollars in allowance. Benny always spent all of his allowance on candy and small toys. Every so often, Danny bought some candy, but he saved most of his money in a piggy bank that he kept on his nightstand by his bed. Sometimes, Danny did extra chores around the house to earn more money. He always put his earnings into his bank.

The months passed and soon school was out for summer. One day, Danny asked his parents to take him to the bike store. He had saved enough money for a new bike! Danny picked out a red bike with blue handlebars. His parents were so impressed with how much he had saved that they bought him a helmet and a bike lock.

Danny spent the summer riding his new bike around

the neighborhood with his friends. Since he did not

have a bike, Benny spent most of his summer alone

at home.

Lucy never put anything away. When she made her

breakfast in the morning, she left the cereal and the milk out on the counter, and she left her dirty bowl on the table.

When she got home from school, she tossed her coat and her backpack on the floor where her mother often tripped on them when she came in from work.

One day, Lucy and her friend Amelia decided to color pictures outside under the big oak tree. Lucy had just gotten a brand new box of 108 crayons and she wanted to try them out. They sat under the tree, happily coloring until it was time for Amelia to go home. "Want me to help clean up?" Amelia asked before she left.

"Nah, I'll do it later," Lucy replied as she headed inside to watch TV. Lucy watched three shows and forgot about the crayons. The next day, when Lucy went outside to play, she found that the sun had melted her new crayons

into a big, goopy mess.

One day Michael's new friend, Brice, invited him over for dinner. Brice's family had a lot of money and Michael was amazed at how big their house was. His family's whole apartment would probably fit in Brice's living room!

Michael's amazement turned to envy when he saw Brice's bedroom. Brice had his own computer, a big screen TV, and about every video game that was ever made! Michael had to share his tiny room with his brother and all they had was a shelf full of books.

When it was time for dinner, the boys went down to the dining room and sat at a long, fancy table. No one else came to sit with them. A woman served them their dinner and cleaned up after they were done.

"Is that your mom?" Michael asked.

"No, that's Ana, our maid." Brice replied. "My parents always work late. I almost never see them before I go to bed."

Brice thought about how his own family always ate dinner together. He thought about how his dad helped him with his homework and how his mom always came in to say goodnight to him at bedtime. Suddenly, he didn't feel so envious of Brice anymore.

Ethan had never learned to swim. He hadn't really

needed to in the city where he had lived. But then his family moved to a new town. The town was on a lake and it soon became clear that everyone hung out down by the lake all summer long.

Ethan's family had moved in the spring and Ethan had made some great new friends at the end of the school year. But now he had a big problem. Everyone just assumed he could swim and he was too embarrassed to set them straight. So far, no one had really noticed that he never went into the water.

Then one day his friends decided they wanted to sit on the dock instead of on the beach. Ethan knew it would look strange if he did not come along, so he followed them out onto the dock. When they got past the shallow part of the lake, the boys started to horse around, and pretty soon they were pushing each other into the water. Suddenly, Ethan felt hands on his back. He lost his balance and plunged into the cold water. Down, down he sunk. Fortunately, the lifeguard was paying attention and was able to save Ethan from drowning.

Sam had wanted to be a writer for as long as he could remember. He was always writing stories. In fifth grade his school had a short story contest. Sam worked on his entry for weeks. When he won first prize, which came with a check for $100, his classmates kept saying how lucky he was.

Sam continued to write through middle school. In high school he took every English and writing class that he could. He even took a special writing class over the summer. Sam applied for three writing scholarships for college and got two of them! His brother, who had not applied for any scholarships, said that he was really lucky.

Sam worked hard in college. He became the editor of the college newspaper and started posting his stories on the internet. Toward the end of his senior year, one of his writing instructors told his class about well-known magazine that was looking to hire a junior writer.

Hundreds of students applied for the job, including Sam. Sam worked for hours on his application letter. When he was selected for an interview, he spent days getting ready.

Sam impressed the editors and got the job. "Man, how did you get so lucky?" asked one of his classmates.

"Luck has nothing to do with it." replied Sam.

Cody had not studied for the big math test. When he got his test, he quickly realized that he had no idea how to solve the problems. Luckily, Cody sat right behind Emily.

Emily was the best math student in the class and he could see her paper. Cody copied all of Emily's answers.

The next day when Mrs. Jenkins passed back the graded tests, she told that class that only two students had gotten A's. Since these two students had done so well, she would have them explain some of the more challenging problems to the class.

Emily was first. Mrs. Jenkins wrote a problem on the board. Emily solved it easily and explained each step to the class. Then it was Cody's turn. Again, Mrs. Jenkins wrote a problem on the board. Of course, Cody did not know how to solve the problem. A long moment passed as Cody stood in front of the board trying to figure out what to do. Some of his classmates started to whisper and snicker.

"Can you solve this problem?" Mrs. Jenkins finally asked. Humiliated, Cody just shook his head. Now everyone knew he had cheated and he was in big trouble.

Maria had never been so bored in all her life. Staying at her cousin Carina’s house in the country was not her idea of a good time. She missed the big city with its shopping malls, movie theaters, and restaurants.

“Nothing ever happens here,” Maria complained. “You can’t even get cell phone service!”

Carina smiled. “Life in the country can be exciting, I promise,” she said.

The two girls took a walk through the forest next to Carina’s house. They stopped beside a rushing stream where a beaver was building a dam.

Maria was impressed. “The only dams I’ve seen are the man-made ones,” she said.

A second later, Maria turned at the sound of branches cracking. No more than ten feet away was a bear cub.

Maria screamed. The bear cub turned and fled.

Maria was trembling with fear, but when she turned to look at her cousin, Carina started laughing hysterically. “You should have seen your face!” Carina said.

“Very funny,” Maria said smiling. “I guess maybe it’s a little too exciting out here for me!”

Marcy wanted to ride the Jet Ski, but her father insisted on taking the canoe instead. "It's a more peaceful way to travel," he said.

There was no breeze, and the surface of the lake was so calm it looked like a mirror of the sky. Marcy noticed how their canoe skimmed the surface, almost like they were floating above the water.

After fifteen minutes of paddling, the rough wood of the paddle handle started to give her a blister on her thumb. Fortunately, her father was prepared. He had a bandage in his pocket. Marcy accepted it from him gratefully and unwrapped it. Without thinking, she dropped the paper packaging into the lake.

"Marcy!" her father scolded. "What have I always told you? You should leave nature cleaner than it was when you arrived."

He fished the package from the lake with the end of his paddle. As he did this, Marcy noticed a water bug using its thin legs to move itself across the water. The bug was so lightweight that it left no mark on the water. Watching the bug, she realized why her father preferred the canoe to the Jet Ski.

Rabbit’s Big Dinner

Characters

BEAVER

RABBIT

OTHER ANIMALS

[Inside an underground rabbit hole, the places at the dining table are set for a large party. Rabbit sits alone, crying. There is a knock on the door and Beaver enters. He is holding something behind his back, just out of view.]

BEAVER: Rabbit? Are you all right?

RABBIT: (drying his eyes) No! The big dinner is off. My entire family cannot come due to the bad weather.

BEAVER: Well, I warned you not to plan a dinner in the dead of winter, didn’t I? Perhaps I can stay and keep you company?

RABBIT: I’m afraid I would rather be alone. Oh, I miss my family terribly! My mother was going to bring her famous apple pie!

BEAVER: (revealing the bottle that was concealed behind his back) Perhaps this apple cider will cheer you up?

RABBIT: Gee, Beaver. That is awfully kind . . .

BEAVER: What are friends for?

RABBIT: I suppose I will have to reschedule my dinner for spring.

BEAVER: (uncorking the apple cider) Not so fast! Wait until you see what’s outside!

[Suddenly, Rabbit’s door bursts open and all the animals of the forest enter with steaming plates of food and beverages.]

RABBIT: My goodness!

BEAVER: Don’t look so surprised! Didn’t you know you could count on your friends?

[Curtain.]

Mariana wanted to ride her bike without training wheels. She asked her dad to teach her how to ride a bike. Mariana was doing very well. She thought riding on two wheels was easy.

"Daddy, let go! I can do this," Mariana said.

"Are you sure?" Dad asked.

"Yes! I'm fine," she said.

Dad let go and Mariana raced off down the street. She was so excited to be riding her big-kid bike. Suddenly, a cat jumped in front of her bike. Mariana realized she didn't know how to stop! She swerved around the cat and hit the curb with her bike. Mariana fell off the bike and skinned her knees. Dad came rushing over.

"Mariana! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Dad asked.

"I think I'm okay, Daddy," Mariana said. "But maybe I should learn how to stop before I learn how to go."

Which of the following best summarizes the story?

Discovery in the Yard

Jake was playing in the front yard with his friends Nina and Paulo. They ran all over the yard and kicked a soccer ball back and forth. Then, Nina saw something moving in the grass.

"Guys, there's a frog in the yard! Come see," Nina called.

Jake and Paulo raced over. All three kids thought frogs were really cool.

"I'm going to get a box and put the frog in it. I can take him home," Nina said.

Jake shook his head. "The frog is in my yard. I should get to keep it!"

Just then, Jake's mom came outside. "Hi kids, you ready for a snack?"

"Mom, look what we found!" Jake said, picking up the frog. "We're going to put it in a box. I'm going to keep it because it's from our yard."

Jake's mom walked over to the kids, "Sorry," she replied. "But the frog belongs out here—not in a box and not in our house."

Paulo looked closely at the frog. "That makes sense to me," he said.

"Me too," said Jake and Nina in unison. And with that, Jake put the frog down and it hopped away into the tall grass.

Karmina is writing a summary of "Discovery in the Yard" Which words in the passage should she highlight as being important for her summary?

Nora sped along the sidewalk on her bike. The sweet smell of spring was in the air. That meant school would be out in two months. Nora could hardly wait. She rounded the corner and glanced into Mrs. Bob's front yard. Her name wasn't really Mrs. Bob. Her husband's name was Bob, and everyone called him that. Mrs. Bob became her nickname since their last name was impossible to say, let alone remember. Mrs. Bob was an amazing gardener. Her front yard was positively blooming in the spring. Nora always enjoyed peeking her nose through the front gate to smell the beauty. This time, though, Nora noticed that something was wrong.

Mrs. Bob's garden was a mess. Dead leaves and small branches littered the walkway. The grass was overgrown, and the hedges were in need of a trim. Nora hesitated. Then she went boldly up to the front door and knocked. Mr. Bob came to the door. Answering Nora's questions, he explained that Mrs. Bob had taken a bad fall that winter. She had broken her hip and was still recovering.

"The gardens would have to wait," he said, sighing sadly.

Nora had a plan. She talked with her parents and rallied the neighbors. The next Saturday, they descended on Mrs. Bob's front yard. They raked and hoed and weeded. They bought all of Mrs. Bob's favorite flowers and spent the afternoon planting. Neighbors who had barely seen each other all winter were chatting and laughing together. Mrs. Bob herself even came to the front window, astonished. She waved and laughed. Mr. Bob said he hadn't seen her smile like that in months. Nora was so proud of her neighborhood that day.

Which summary of the selection is correct?

Marvin loved his dog Sarah, and he loved to feed Sarah doggie treats. One day, Marvin fed Sarah human treats. Sarah's stomach grumbled. Sarah felt very sick from all of those extra human treats. She did not want to play, which worried Marvin very much.

"Mom!" Marvin called. "Sarah is sick! What do we do?"

"We will take Sarah to Dr. Woods, the veterinarian," Mom said. "Load Sarah in the car."

Marvin worried about Sarah the whole way to the vet. He petted her stomach hoping it would make her feel better. When they got to the vet's office, Dr. Woods gave Sarah some medicine. It helped her feel much better. She was ready to play! Marvin promised his mom he would not feed Sarah human treats again.

Which of the following best summarizes the story?

Drew was so happy! He finally got a puppy for his birthday. He named the puppy Skip because he looked like he was skipping when he ran.

Skip was very cute, but he was not a very good puppy. In fact, he was very naughty! He chewed on everything from clothing to people. He really liked Mom's shoes. Every time Skip did something bad, Drew got in trouble. Mom said Drew had to train Skip or he could not keep him.

Drew started training Skip right away. He did not want to lose his dog. He worked really hard with Skip. Slowly, Skip started getting better. He stopped chewing on things, and he even learned to sit and fetch. Drew was very proud of Skip. He was a good dog now!

Which of the following best summarizes the story?

Passage 1

Annie and the Bike Race

During a trial bike race with her friend, Mike, Annie is left in the dust and becomes discouraged. As she's resting, she thinks about the story of "The Tortoise and the Hare." Annie hops back on her bike and beats Mike, who has been wasting his time along the bike trail.

Passage 2

The Tortoise and the Hare

When a determined tortoise challenges a boastful hare to a race, the hare is sure he will win. As the race begins, the hare is so confident that he takes his time. In fact, he naps along the way. The tortoise plods along, slow and steady, and beats the hare to the finish line.

adapted from "The Tortoise and the Hare" by Aesop

What do the hare and Mike have in common in these stories?

"Tommy, your history teacher says you are failing this quarter," Coach Snead said. Tommy Blake was his star running back. "That's the third time he's told me. He says you aren't doing your homework."

"Ah, coach, I've got too much to do," Tommy replied. "We've got that big game with Hamden. I do a lot of stuff with my community. I'm helping my little brother with his model train. I've got other classes, too. History takes a lot of time."

Coach Snead put his hand on Tommy's shoulder. "I can see you've got too much on your plate, so I'm cutting you from the squad as of now. That way you'll have plenty of time to take care of your school work and your community responsibilities."

Tommy laughed as he said, "Right; you're going to cut the league-leading running back before the biggest game of the season."

"That's right, son, that's what I'm going to do."

"You'll lose the game."

"You are much more important to me than a game," Coach Snead said. "Besides I've got six guys out there that would love to start the biggest game of the year."

"What do you mean 'you are much more important than a game'?"

"We're a team, Tommy, and teams have rules. One of our rules is that everybody has to be passing all their classes during the season. You're not doing that, despite having several chances to bring up your grades. If I let you off just because there's a big game, then you and everybody else on the team will learn that my rules don't matter. At least they don't matter for special people, like league-leading running backs. If I let you get away with this, you'd learn the wrong lesson, and that would hurt you in the future."

Which lesson can be learned from this story?

Lawn Honors

Mr. Brooks took pride in having the nicest lawn in the neighborhood. When he purchased a new riding lawnmower, even his sons wanted to take part in the beautification of the family's property. After all, with the new mower, yard work was fun.

Much to their dismay, their father was too particular and didn't let anyone mow. He did request, however, that his two sons keep the trash and broken limbs picked up out of the yard. Raymond was faithful to the task. Every day after school, he took great care in ensuring that the lawn was perfectly clean. This pleased his father very much.

Jason, on the other hand, wasn't concerned with his father's request. He chose to wait until his father would finally let him use the riding lawnmower. Then, he would contribute to lawn care.

Mr. Brooks began to notice the commitment Raymond had to keeping the lawn in its very best shape. He realized they shared a common goal. Because of his hard work, his father would now entrust the riding lawnmower to Raymond. At last, he had earned the great honor of mowing the grass.

What is the theme of this passage?

Student of the Week

Sandra looked over her note cards and practiced her speech in her head one last time. She had to give a presentation to her class about Abraham Lincoln. Her project partner, Joey, was sitting calmly next to her. He didn't care about the project at all. He had barely helped her do the research at the library. Now, she was going to have to give the presentation all by herself. Joey was just going to show the class the poster Sandra had made.

As Sandra and Joey walked to the front of the room, the door to the classroom opened, and the principal walked in. All the students smiled at Mrs. Peters. Everyone thought she was a great principal. She had arrived to observe the class's activities for the day.

Sandra gave the presentation with the principal watching. The principal seemed impressed with how well Sandra knew the information. Then, Joey showed the class the poster. He tried to explain what the pictures meant, but he did not know the information well. When the other students asked a question about Lincoln, Joey just shrugged his shoulders. Sandra was able to give the answer from memory of what she read.

At the end of class, the principal went to Sandra's desk. "I'm very impressed with how hard you worked on your project," she said. "I'd like to make you Student of the Week."

Which lesson can be learned from this story?

A Team that Works

CHARACTERS:

E.J., teenage boy

T.J., E.J.'s younger brother

Stage Set: Outdoors in a backyard at nighttime

(E.J. is digging in a garden with a small shovel. T.J. is holding a flashlight.)

E.J.:Hold the light still.

T.J.:Hurry up! Someone might see us.

(T.J. shines the light on a back porch a few feet away.)

E.J.:You should have thought of that before you buried Grandpa's baseball cards in the backyard.

T.J.:They're worth a lot of money. I never thought that we would move to a new house.

E.J.:Next time, buy a safe and keep your valuables indoors.

(E.J. continues to dig around the flowers until he hears a clanking sound.)

T.J.:You found it! Thanks.

(T.J. kneels and uncovers a small metal box.)

T.J.:It was nice coming over here. We got to spend time together in the old backyard one last time.

E.J.:I spent most of my time working. (frowning and shaking dirt from his shoes)

T.J.:(smiling) I was the lookout. We make a good team.

E.J.:(putting his arm around

T.J.) I guess that's why it's called teamwork.

The theme of this drama is that teamwork can be a rewarding experience. Which of the following events best supports this theme?

"Tommy, your history teacher says you are failing this quarter," Coach Snead said. Tommy Blake was his star running back. "That's the third time he's told me. He says you aren't doing your homework."

"Ah, coach, I've got too much to do," Tommy replied. "We've got that big game with Hamden. I do a lot of stuff with my community. I'm helping my little brother with his model train. I've got other classes, too. History takes a lot of time."

Coach Snead put his hand on Tommy's shoulder. "I can see you've got too much on your plate, so I'm cutting you from the squad as of now. That way you'll have plenty of time to take care of your school work and your community responsibilities."

Tommy laughed as he said, "Right; you're going to cut the league-leading running back before the biggest game of the season."

"That's right, son, that's what I'm going to do."

"You'll lose the game."

"You are much more important to me than a game," Coach Snead said. "Besides I've got six guys out there that would love to start the biggest game of the year."

"What do you mean 'you are much more important than a game'?"

"We're a team, Tommy, and teams have rules. One of our rules is that everybody has to be passing all their classes during the season. You're not doing that, despite having several chances to bring up your grades. If I let you off just because there's a big game, then you and everybody else on the team will learn that my rules don't matter. At least they don't matter for special people, like league-leading running backs. If I let you get away with this, you'd learn the wrong lesson, and that would hurt you in the future."

Which lesson can be learned from this story?

A Messy Mistake

Chloe sat at the table with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. Cayden could see her jaw moving slightly and knew she was grinding her teeth again. He took the towel and tried to blot the juice that was seeping onto her homework paper.

"I told you not to put that cup so close to your hand," she barked. "Sometimes, you drive me up the wall."

Cayden's eyes stung with hot tears, but he quickly blinked them away. He was not going let his sister upset him this time. It was an honest mistake that anyone could make; that's what Mom would say.

"I don't know why you're so angry since I'm the one who doesn't have a drink now. That was the last of the juice." Cayden finished cleaning up his mess and went to put the dishrag in the kitchen sink. His nose was starting to run, and he sniffed loudly. Chloe put her pencil down with a sigh, walked into the kitchen behind him, and then opened the refrigerator. She peered through the refrigerated contents, moving bottles, bags, and packages.

"Well, there's no use crying over spilt milk," she said, rummaging through the vegetable bin, "even if it is juice. We have some lemons. How about I make lemonade?"

Cayden smiled and said, "Sure." As Chloe began pulling out a pitcher and the necessary ingredients, she frowned at Cayden, who was leaning against the sink with his arms leisurely crossed. "Hey, you want to give me a hand here?" she snapped, causing Cayden to jump at her sharp tone.

"What is wrong with you?" he snapped back. "Why are you so impatient with me today?"

Chloe set the sugar bowl on the counter and took a deep breath. "I have been very impatient. I'm sorry, but I'm still upset over a grade I received on my math test today, and I think I'm giving you all my frustration."

Cayden sliced a lemon in half and began to squeeze it into the pitcher. "Well, you know what Mom always says."

"When life gives you lemons," Chloe said.

They both giggled and said, "Make lemonade!"

Select ALL the correct answers.

Which two themes can be found in the passage?

The Ant and the Cocoon

On a sunny day, an ant was searching for food and came across a cocoon that was about to change. At the end of the cocoon, the ant could see a tail moving. The movement attracted the ant who then saw that there was something alive and said, "I pity such a creature that has to live inside such a thing, while I can move freely about at my pleasure. If I want I can climb a tree, while you lie inside in a shell. You can only move a little bit of your tail!"

The creature in the cocoon heard every word but said nothing. A few days later, the ant happened by the same place. It noticed the cocoon and inspected it. There was nothing inside. "I wonder what happened to the poor creature inside," the ant said.

At that moment the ant felt a cool breeze as shade covered him. He looked up and saw a beautiful butterfly. "Who are you?" asked the ant.

"Don't you recognize me?" said the butterfly. "I am the creature you pitied because I was locked inside the cocoon. You may boast of your ability to run freely, but I won't listen very long." With that, the butterfly flapped its wings and rose up until it caught a breath of wind and was soon out of the ant's sight.

adapted from The Ant and the Chrysalis by Aesop

What is the theme of "The Ant and the Cocoon"?

Jimmy had a big problem: he had waited till the last minute to do his research paper. Although his teacher had given the class a full six weeks to get it done, Jimmy had played with his friends every afternoon. He never cracked a book or even did an online search of the subject. Now, he had two days to get it done.

When he asked his mother for help, she asked how long he'd known about the assignment. He considered lying to her and blaming his teacher for not giving them enough time. He decided against that strategy because he knew his mother would call Mrs. Ransom and ask. She'd done that before, and he had gotten grounded for lying.

"I've had six weeks," he answered.

"You know Jimmy, it's not really my job to save you from your own bad decisions," she said. "You're going to have to do this on your own. I think that's the only way you're ever going to learn not to put things off. Haven't you ever heard the saying 'don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today'?"

"Oh, Mom, I can do it in two days if you'll help me."

"Sorry, son, I've got other things to do," she said. "You're on your own."

Which of the following might be a story with a similar theme to this one?

Waldo McWillerbee: Magician

Waldo McWillerbee wanted to be a magician. With a funny name like Waldo McWillerbee, what else could he be besides a magician? A banker? Certainly not a banker! With a name like Waldo McWillerbee, he was meant to entertain the world, and he was determined to do just that with his wondrous, wonderful magic.

For his first trick, he would make his mother's prized antique vase float in the air. The vase was simply beautiful! It was over a hundred years old, and it had tiny blue and gold flowers painted all over it. He covered the vase in his magical handkerchief. He took the vase in his hands—one hand holding the top, and the other hand supporting the bottom. He chanted, "Scmoozy, Foozy, Kitten Hairy! Make this vase float in the air-y!" He released the vase. BAM! Tiny glass pieces with blue and gold flowers showered the floor.

Then Waldo McWillerbee knew he must perform a magician's most important trick of all: make himself disappear! Off Waldo McWillerbee ran to hide under the bed!

Which of these best summarizes the second paragraph?

Maria had never been so bored in all her life. Staying at her cousin Carina’s house in the country was not her idea of a good time. She missed the big city with its shopping malls, movie theaters, and restaurants.

“Nothing ever happens here,” Maria complained. “You can’t even get cell phone service!”

Carina smiled. “Life in the country can be exciting, I promise,” she said.

The two girls took a walk through the forest next to Carina’s house. They stopped beside a rushing stream where a beaver was building a dam.

Maria was impressed. “The only dams I’ve seen are the manmade ones,” she said.

A second later, Maria turned at the sound of branches cracking. No more than ten feet away was a bear cub.

Maria screamed. The bear cub turned and fled.

Maria was trembling with fear, but when she turned to look at her cousin, Carina started laughing hysterically. “You should have seen your face!” Carina said.

“Very funny,” Maria said smiling. “I guess maybe it’s a little too exciting out here for me!”

Question: The theme of this passage is

Maria had never been so bored in all her life. Staying at her cousin Carina’s house in the country was not her idea of a good time. She missed the big city with its shopping malls, movie theaters, and restaurants.

“Nothing ever happens here,” Maria complained. “You can’t even get cell phone service!”

Carina smiled. “Life in the country can be exciting, I promise,” she said.

The two girls took a walk through the forest next to Carina’s house. They stopped beside a rushing stream where a beaver was building a dam.

Maria was impressed. “The only dams I’ve seen are the manmade ones,” she said.

A second later, Maria turned at the sound of branches cracking. No more than ten feet away was a bear cub.

Maria screamed. The bear cub turned and fled.

Maria was trembling with fear, but when she turned to look at her cousin, Carina started laughing hysterically. “You should have seen your face!” Carina said.

“Very funny,” Maria said smiling. “I guess maybe it’s a little too exciting out here for me!”

Question: Maria’s reaction to the beaver dam supports the theme because it

From the hot air balloon, Stanley could see all his favorite places, but everything looked so tiny and distant. Below him was the court where he played tennis with John every weekend, and beyond that was the public pool where he and his friends swam in the summer.

"Isn't it fantastic?" the balloon pilot shouted.

Stanley nodded and smiled. However, he wished that his friends were here with him.

"Where do you want to go next?" the pilot asked.

"Maybe a bit lower," Stanley asked.

The pilot frowned. "Lower? Why?" he asked.

"It's a better view down there," Stanley said.

Stanley realized this probably didn't make sense to the pilot. Still, he was tired of being so far from everything he loved. He wanted a closer look at his neighborhood. He wanted to be able to wave at his friends playing in their backyards. He wanted to see his mom and dad, who were probably cooking dinner at that very moment.

As the balloon swooped down, people on the streets came into focus.

"How is that?" the pilot asked him.

"Much better!" Stanley said.

Question: Stanley's request to go "a bit lower" connects to the theme by

Kaoru was walking with her friend Hiroshi when she saw a twenty-dollar bill lying on the street.

“I can’t believe this!” she exclaimed, picking up the money. “Earlier today, I was telling my mom about a pair of shoes I wanted to buy. Now here is the twenty dollars I need to buy those shoes!”

Hiroshi nodded his head, but he seemed distracted.

“What’s the matter?” Kaoru asked him.

Hiroshi pointed to a little boy across the street. The little boy had a worried look on his face and was searching frantically through a trash can.

Kaoru hesitated, but she knew what she had to do. She called out to the boy, and he came running toward her.

“Did you lose something, by chance?” Kaoru asked.

“Twenty dollars!” the boy said.

Kaoru produced the twenty-dollar bill, and the boy’s mouth fell open. He was so grateful that Kaoru forgot all about the shoes.

Question: Kaoru’s forgetting about buying the shoes supports the theme by suggesting that

What are some other words that also mean "theme"? Please check all that apply.

What is the definition of conflict?

My best friend was having a party Friday night, but I also had a baseball game. This was going to be a tough decision. If I do not go to the game, I will let my team down.

Jim was stacking boxes at work.  There was a certain height he had to reach.  He stretched his body, but could not reach to place the final box at the top.  Bill happened to see Jim struggling and came to his rescue, since he was a foot taller.

What would be the best theme for this story?

The girls were coloring when Mike wanted to join along.  One girl moved the crayons closer to them.  The other girl proceeded to take the other crayon boxes.  Mike had no crayons to use.  One girl remarked, "These crayons are ours.  Find your own."

What would be the best theme for this story?

The theme of a story is the

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

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

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

Read the following 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?

When would you most likely summarize a book?

A summary should

You should write your summary

What can you summarize?

The article "The Three Men Who Invented the Telephone" is about three different men who contributed to the invention of the telephone. Which of the following should you include in a summary of this article?

Which of the following is NOT an example of a theme?

When Curtis transferred to our high school from some fancy private school, I was assigned the job of showing him around our building. First, I showed him our trophy case. Our school has done put together some quality teams and programs over the years, so our trophy case was pretty full. Curtis was not impressed. He claimed that the trophy case at his old school was at least twice as big as ours and much more crowded. Next I showed him our swimming pool. Not every high school has a swimming pool, so we were proud of ours, but Curtis couldn't care less. "The swimming pool at my old school is bigger and more modern. This one looks kind of dirty," he said with disdain. I continued to guide Curtis around the school, showing him our cafeteria, gymnasium, and even our garden, but Curtis seemed disappointed with everything that he saw. He'd quickly compare it to his old school, which in his words was superior to ours in every way. The last thing I showed Curtis was the front door. I told him that he would like this one best because he could walk through it and go back to his old school.

What is the theme of the story?

Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave.

What is the theme of the story?

Three flies notice an overturned honey pot. Two of the flies decide to land in the honey and start eating it. But the oldest fly stays back. The two flies tease the older fly, but then get stuck in the honey.

What is the theme of this story?

Matt was always mean to the other younger kids on the school bus. He would make fun of them and put sticky stuff in their seat. He was the oldest and “coolest” kid on the bus. After this year, Matt would be going to high school. He would not have to ride with these little “rug rats” anymore. The summer had passed and Matt was headed to high school. He was a little nervous getting on the bus. When he walked on, he could feel the older kids laughing at him. When he got into his seat there was chocolate sauce smeared all over his seat. What is the theme?

George and Brent were brothers, but you would never know it. They did not really get along. George loved sports, and Brent loved to read. They were complete opposites., but the one thing they had in common was they were both failing a subject. George was failing reading and Brent was failing Math. Their mom would not be happy. They decided to help each other in their failing subjects. By the time the report card came home, they were both passing reading and math. What is the theme?

Mark had so many toys, but he would not share with his sister. He hid all his toys in his closet so she could not play with them. When his mother came looking for Mark and his sister, she could only find his sister. She handed her a plate of cookies to enjoy. Mark was sure his sister would not share the cookies since he was not sharing his toys. But his sister knew the right thing to do was to share. Mark was so happy that his sister gave him a cookie, that he shared his toys with her. What is the theme?

What is theme?

Which of the following is an example of theme?

One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by working hard to store food for the winter. “Come and sing with me instead of working so hard,” said the Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.” “I must store food for the winter,” said the Ant,“ and I advise you to do the same.” “Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away,” said the Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued to work. When winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and humbly begged for something to eat. “If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go without supper,” and he closed the door.

What is the theme?

Lucy is a superhero. There is an evil villain approaching Lucy's small-town of Gray. Lucy hears of this news, and she instantly begins training so she can defeat him.

What theme can we take away from this summary of a story?

Math Drama

In math class, Mr. Carico handed the students their graded tests. Nicole showed her friend Maura the score she had gotten. It was bad. Maura, on the other hand, had gotten an A.

On the bus ride home, Nicole and Maura were talking about the math homework for that night. "I just don't get this stuff," Nicole said. "I guess I'll bomb the next test, too."

"Look, let's do the math homework together. I can help you," said Maura.

Nicole shook her head. "No, I'll figure it out."

Maura shrugged. "Okay," she said.

That evening, Maura called Nicole. "I'm bored. What are you up to?" Maura asked.

Nicole had been struggling with the math homework but didn't want to say so. Clearly, Maura had already finished. "Just getting ready for bed. I'm beat," Nicole lied.

"It's not even nine!"

Nicole bristled. "Well I'm tired, okay? It's not my fault you're bored."

Maura was silent for a moment. Then she quietly said she had to go. Nicole hung up, too, and grabbed her pencil again. But the longer she stared at her worksheet, the more the problems looked like a jumble of meaningless symbols. She took a deep breath and reached for her phone.

"Yeah?" Maura answered.

Nicole told her the truth. "I'm sorry I was a jerk earlier. I was in a bad mood because I was stuck on the homework. I guess I was feeling resentful that you finished already."

Maura said she understood.

"Do you think . . . would you still be willing to help me?" Nicole asked meekly.

"Of course," Maura said. "Like I said, I'm bored. I need something to do."

On the next math test, Nicole got an A.

The theme of this passage is- Don't let pride keep you from asking for help.

What line best supports this theme?