Reading Theme

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?

• If it is too hot outside to work in the lawn, ask to do something inside.

• If you are faithful with small tasks, you will be entrusted with greater ones.

• If you don't like your chore, wait until a better one comes along.

• If your brother is already completing a task, you shouldn't bother him

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?

• Mariana tried to avoid hitting the cat that jumped out in front of her, and she fell down. When she fell, she skinned her knees.

• Mariana's dad helped her learn how to ride a two-wheeled bike. Mariana took off down the street but fell down when she could not stop.

• Mariana asked her dad to teach her how to ride a two-wheeled bike, and he said yes. A cat got in her way, and her dad was scared.

• Mariana wanted her dad to let go, but he was not sure she was ready to ride on her own. Mariana said, "Daddy, let go! I can do this."

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?

• A young girl feels proud of her neighborhood in the springtime.

• A young girl rides her bike down the street and notices some trouble.

• An elderly neighbor falls down and cannot move for the whole winter.

• A young girl rallies her neighborhood to help an older neighbor.

Which lesson can be learned from this story?

• Group assignments are hard.

• Group assignments are hard.

• Show off for the principal.

• Hard work will be rewarded.

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

• T.J. finds his baseball cards with E.J.'s help.

• T.J. becomes worried about being caught.

• E.J. tells T.J. how to keep valuables safe.

• T.J. warns E.J. to dig the dirt more swiftly.

Which two themes can be found in the passage?

• Working hard is better than feeling bad about getting poor grades.

• It is better to accept one's siblings as they are because no one is perfect.

• Blaming one's friends for personal difficulties is neither fair nor kind.

• Losing one's calm and getting upset is never the solution to a problem.

• A positive attitude can help one make the best of a bad situation.

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"?

• Ants are not as smart as butterflies.

• Butterflies are very beautiful.

• Appearances can be deceiving.

• Your home is where your heart is

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?

• an actress in a play does not learn her lines until the day the play opens

• a teacher discovers that a student cheated on a social studies test

• a grocery store owner orders the wrong item for one of his customers

• a basketball player overcomes a serious ankle injury to play in a big game

Choose the best response to each question about the text. PART A What is the conflict that Garvey faces?

• He is embarrassed that Joe will see his new lunchbox.

• He is sorry that he does not know how to talk to Grandpa.

• He is not interested in the things that Dad wants him to like.

• He is worried that Angela heard him singing in the chorus.

In line 75, why does Garvey “leap inside” when Dad smiles?

• He wants to dance.

• He feels proud and accepted.

• He is going to play football with his dad.

• He is glad he is like his dad and grandpa.