NEW
Font size
WorksheetsTheme Practice
Total questions: 12
Worksheet time: 2hrs 44mins
Tryouts
Kayla tried to ignore her sore throat and stuffy nose. She was trying out for the soccer team, and Coach Markham would pick only the twenty best players.
Kayla sipped from her water bottle while she waited to do practice drills. She sneezed, and then Coach Markham signaled her to start. First, Kayla had to run across the field as fast as she could. She took off, but her stuffy nose made it hard to breathe. When she reached the end of the field, she felt dizzy and her head was swimming a little. She hoped the coach hadn't noticed.
Next, she and another girl had to compete for control of the soccer ball. The other girl quickly stole the ball from Kayla. Kayla was surprised. She was usually good at this. For the first time, she worried that she might not make the team.
Kayla struggled through the other drills, too. At the end of the tryout, she felt terrible and left as soon as she could.
A few days later, Kayla had recovered from her cold. She was still worried about her performance at the tryout, but maybe it wasn't too late to do something about it.
Kayla went to see Coach Markham. She explained that she hadn't done her best because of her cold. Coach Markham listened patiently and agreed to let Kayla join the team for the first practice.
That was all Kayla wanted. She knew she would be a valuable member of the team. She just needed a chance to prove it.
No one likes to hear excuses.
Sometimes it pays to ask for a second chance.
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?
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"?
Read the following passage from a story.
Wind whipped at Vanessa, Mo and Jaime's faces as they trudged up the mountain. "Do you have the ice samples?" Vanessa questioned Mo again."Why don't you carry them the rest of the way?" he responded irritably. Mo was digging into his backpack to retrieve the samples when suddenly, a gust of wind snatched them out of his hands, sending them tumbling down the mountain."
If we lose those, this was all for nothing!" Vanessa cried. The wind roared angrily, churning flakes of snow that had newly begun to fall. How far had the samples gone? The three scientists stared at each other in horrified silence."
I'll go back for them," Jaime spoke up quietly.
Vanessa and Mo looked at Jaime. He was the smallest and youngest of the group, barely strong enough to carry his large backpack.
"I'll go," he said louder.
Which sentence from the passage provides the best clue that a theme of the story is "Courage can be found in the people you least expect it"?
What is plot?
the main character in a story
the message about life that an author expresses
the sequence of events in a story
Read the following sentence.
A toad and a lizard learn to get along while on a journey through the wilderness.
The sentence above is an example of a
plot summary
character
theme
Read the following sentence.
Friendship helps people get through hard times.
The sentence above is an example of a
plot
character
theme
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?
"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?
