Identifying Theme

It broke Mina's heart that so many adorable dogs in the world needed homes. That's why she started to volunteer at the dog shelter on Saturdays. And with her deep love of dogs, she knew she could persuade people to adopt them. On her first morning, a family with two young boys came in. The boys smiled and waved at the dogs behind the glass. "Is that brown dog good with children?" their mother asked. "Um, she's friendly with me," said Mina, "but I'll have to ask about that. She loves to play ball. And look at those big eyes." "What breed is she?" Mina didn't know. "Where's she from?" Mina hesitated. "Let me check," she said. "She's so cute though, isn't she?" All day long Mina was asked questions that she didn't have the answers to. When the shelter closed in the afternoon, not one dog had a new home. Mina sighed. Before she left, she wrote down each dog's breed. The next time she volunteered, she interviewed the shelter employees about each dog's background and temperament. At home, Mina did some more research online.

The following Saturday, a man walked into the shelter in the morning. He was looking for a young dog with a lot of energy to take on hikes with him and his grandkids. "I have just the dog for you," Mina said. She introduced him to Mabel, a two-year-old vizsla. She explained that the vizsla breed is known to love hiking and is good with families. Mina had all the information the man wanted, and her heart soared when he asked for an adoption application.

Which of the following best describes the main theme of the story?

• Knowledge is the key to persuasion

• Volunteer work can really make a difference

• If you're too pushy, you can turn people off

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is: "Knowledge is the key to persuasion"

• And with her deep love of dogs, she knew she could persuade people to adopt them

• Mina had all the information the man wanted, and her heart soared when he asked for an adoption application

• When the shelter closed in the afternoon, not one dog had a new home

Tags

9-10.RC.2

For the final exam, instead of a written test, everyone will be required to give a ten-minute presentation on one of the science topics we covered this year, Mr. Marx announced. Angela felt her stomach twist into anxious knots. When Mr. Marx passed around a sign-up sheet, Angela chose the topic of tadpoles, but also made sure she picked the very last time slot for presentation days. She wanted to put as much distance as possible between now and the moment she would have to speak in front of the class. Angela began having trouble sleeping at night. She dreamed of failing the final exam not because she didn't know the material, but because she froze and forgot her speech. Every classmate's presentation she watched meant she was one step closer to having to present herself. When the day arrived, Angela couldn't eat breakfast, and she had to get through math and history before science. She couldn't concentrate at all. Her heart pounded as Mr. Marx called her name. She gathered her notecards with shaking hands and slowly walked to the front of the room. "Tadpoles," she began, "are frogs or toads at the beginning of their life cycle." Whew, she thought. The first sentence came out.

Then, something happened that she did not expect at all. She relaxed. Once she began, the words flowed out. She could see Mr. Marx start to smile and nod encouragingly. After weeks of dreading this moment, she couldn't believe how quickly the presentation passed. "So," she said brightly, after her presentation concluded. "Does anyone have any questions about tadpoles?"

Which of the following best describes the main theme of the story?

• Waiting to do something can be worse than actually doing it

• Thoroughly preparing for a challenge can make it seem less scary

• Knowing the truth about something can be freeing

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is: "Waiting to do something can be worse than actually doing it."

• When the day arrived, Angela couldn't eat breakfast, and she had to get through math and history before science

• She gathered her notecards with shaking hands and slowly walked to the front of the room

• After weeks of dreading this moment, she couldn't believe how quickly the presentation passed

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Luis's whole family gathered every June to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Before everyone sat down to eat, each person had to recite a personal story they had about Grandpa. Some family members told the same story year after year. Luis, for example, had his usual story about the time Grandpa taught him how to take care of a vegetable garden. The stories were a tradition, and now that most of the grandchildren were old enough to participate, the tradition could go on for quite a while. Last year, it took three hours. Luis battled the need to yawn as he listened to all the familiar old tales. This year, Uncle Frank and Aunt Teresa had dinner ready early and called everyone to eat. "What about the stories?" Luis asked. "There's just not enough time this year, with so many people," Uncle Frank said. As he sat down at the long dining room table, Luis was relieved. Yet he also felt a pang of disappointment. In the absence of the tradition, Grandpa's birthday felt like any other holiday the family shared. Luis eyed the platter of chiles rellenos. "You know, I wouldn't know how to pick a pepper right if it wasn't for Grandpa," he mused. "I wouldn't know how to drive a car," said Aunt Teresa. "I wouldn't have known how to turn a paperclip into a safety pin," added Uncle Felix. "That sure saved the day at Edna's wedding!" Everyone laughed and smiled at each other at the reminder of that well-known family story. It was a pleasant birthday. Conversations flowed like water, and the food was superb. But something told Luis that next year, the tradition of telling stories would return.

Which of the following best describes the main theme of the story?

• People should treat each other the way they themselves want to be treated

• Traditions can bring people together in unique ways

• A person cannot control the way traditions come and go over time

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is: "Traditions can bring people together in unique ways."

• Everyone laughed and smiled at each other at the reminder of that well-known family story

• Luis, for example, had his usual story about the time Grandpa taught him how to take care of a vegetable garden

• Luis battled the need to yawn as he listened to the familiar old tales

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Joe owned a few businesses in Penfield, and he was a thoughtful business owner. The windows of his art gallery were made of special glass that protected the art from sun damage. And he bought a new delivery van for his flower shop when the old one kept breaking down, because no one should receive withered flowers. He was especially proud on the day his restaurant opened. A restaurant was a brand-new venture for Joe. He'd picked out beautiful plates and glasses. They were costly, but he wanted to give his customers the best dining experience he could. He was thrilled when the restaurant filled up for lunch, but disheartened when he heard a glass break in the kitchen. "Please be more careful," he told the dishwasher.

Not much later, a child shattered a plate on the dining room floor. After that, a man waved Joe to his table, where he pointed out a chip in the rim of his water glass. It would have to be thrown away. In the kitchen that night, Joe counted the remaining plates and glasses. "Owning this place is going to cost a lot more than I thought," he told the chef. "You know, there's a restaurant supply store in Ridgemont. It sells dishes and glassware, and you buy them in bulk, so they're cheap," the chef said. "Good point," said Joe. "In this business, sooner or later everything breaks." That weekend, Joe and his chef drove to the store in Ridgemont. The next day, Joe watched contentedly as the restaurant filled up again. When a server dropped one of the new plates, Joe didn't get upset. A new one was taken from a large box, where there were plenty more replacements at the ready.

Which of the following best describes the main theme of the story?

• People don't always respect the property of others

• If you want something to last a long time, invest in quality

• Some things in life are not worth spending a lot of money on

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is: "Some things in life are not worth spending a lot of money on."

• "Please be more careful," he told the dishwasher.

• "Good point," said Joe. "In this business, sooner or later everything breaks.

• They were costly, but he wanted to give his customers the best dining experience he could.

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Alia was dismayed to find herself in the drawing studio. She had been sick with the flu during the week when everyone else got to pick their classes. She had hoped for Astronomy or Marine Biology, but they were full by the time she got to choose. She loved everything about science, from the way it used facts and formulas to how it revealed the basic nature of things. But art was so . . .un-scientific. The first class project was self-portraits. Some students were drawing self-portraits using mirrors. Others were working from photographs. Alia glanced at the incomplete sketches, feeling like a cat in a dog show. The teacher came up to Alia's easel and sat next to her. "Every portrait begins with a circle," he said. "Then you create a series of lines." To demonstrate, he drew a group of small, quick portraits. He began each one with a circle, some straight lines, and a triangle to determine where the eyes, nose, and chin should go. Alia had never thought about it, but the features of everyone's face were in the same spots. Hesitantly, Alia began her own self-portrait. She drew the basic form of a head, the way she had been shown. From there, she used lines to plot the features of her face. The process took patience and precision. She had to take note of each detail. One wrong measurement could throw off the whole portrait. Alia was surprised by the structure and discipline involved in drawing a portrait. Measuring, studying details, revealing the basic nature of something—it reminded her of what she loved about science.

Which of the following best describes the main theme of the story?

• Keep trying even if you fail the first time

• It's important to know what your strengths are

• Don't assume you won't like something until you try it

Tags

9-10.RC.2

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is: "Don't assume you won't like something until you try it."

• Alia was surprised by the structure and discipline involved in drawing a portrait

• "Every portrait begins with a circle," he said. "Then you create a series of lines."

• She loved everything about science, from the way it used facts and formulas to how it revealed the basic nature of things

Tags

9-10.RC.2