A Gift from Nature

Which words from paragraph 14 best help the reader understand what cradled means?

• at her classmates

• down the trail

• with the tour guide

• gently in her hands

The details in paragraph 1 are important to the plot of the story because they help the reader understand that Layla —

• is easy to please

• enjoys being alone

• loves and respects nature

• has been to a forest on another field trip

What is the theme or main message of the story?

• People do not always learn from their mistakes.

• Spending time outdoors can be rewarding.

• Rules are made for the safety of everyone.

• Making the right choice can be difficult.

Which of these events leads to Layla finding the geode?

• She stops to take a photograph.

• She listens to what Cooper tells her.

• She remembers the tour guide’s words.

• She starts to jog toward her classmates.

Read this sentence from paragraph 10.

But Layla could not ignore the heavy feeling that had settled in her heart.

The imagery in this sentence suggests that Layla feels —

• angry, because she doesn’t like what she is thinking to herself

• uncomfortable, because she knows that she is making a mistake

• curious, because she wants to study the rock and learn more about it

• proud, because she realizes that she is the one who found an unusual rock

Read paragraph 11.

Take only pictures. Leave only footprints. The tour guide’s words played over and over in Layla’s mind.

What do these sentences show about Layla?

• She wants to take pictures of the geode.

• She is good at recalling important ideas.

• She is not sure what the tour guide meant.

• She is considering what she should do with the geode.

What is the most likely reason Layla decides against taking the geode home?

• She cannot think of a way to make the rock useful.

• She realizes that the rock should stay in its natural surroundings.

• She is afraid of what others might say if she keeps it.

• She is worried that Cooper will try to take it away from her.

What can the reader tell about how Layla feels toward the tour guide?

• Layla wishes the tour guide had selected a more interesting path for the group to walk in the park.

• Layla thinks the tour guide is boring.

• Layla thinks the tour guide saw the geode near the trail and forgot to talk about it.

• Layla respects the tour guide’s knowledge.

The imagery in the first sentence of the story helps the reader understand that Layla is — A B C D

• tired from doing schoolwork

• excited about being on a field trip

• concerned about hiking in a national park

• curious about where her class will go next

Read this sentence from paragraph 13.

She smiled when the sunlight bounced off the crystals, sending the rays in a thousand directions at once.

The author uses this description to suggest that —

• the geode looks beautiful as it shines

• Layla really wants to keep the geode

• the forest has many other hidden geodes

• Layla is wondering how the geode formed