Inside and outside story conflicts
Grade 6 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
First Chair (story)
[1] Milo had practiced the solo until the notes felt like part of the room, and the audition for first chair was on Tuesday. [2] Kira, who played the same instrument, had been in the band a year longer and had won the seat twice. [3] In the hallway before the audition, Kira told a joke about the solo, and a few players laughed. [4] Milo laughed too, though the tune of the solo kept running through Milo's head in the wrong order. [5] During the audition, Milo played every note correctly except for the high one near the end, which cracked. [6] Kira played next, and the high note rang clear. [7] The director posted the results on Wednesday: Kira in first chair, Milo in second. [8] At rehearsal, Milo carried the music stand to the back and said nothing about the results. [9] When the director asked for the cymbal part to move earlier, Milo noticed that the new page break would hide the cue for second chair. [10] Milo thought about letting it go; the change was the director's idea, and objecting meant speaking up in front of Kira. [11] After a long pause, Milo raised a hand and described the problem, pointing at the page. [12] The director studied the page and agreed, and Kira leaned over to mark the cue on the second-chair copy.
Milo reads the story. In [1]–[2], which conflict sets up the audition?
- Outside: Kira has been in the band a year longer and plays the same instrument.
- Inside: Milo practices the solo until the notes feel like part of the room.
- Outside: Milo and Kira are competing for the same first-chair seat.
- Inside: Milo worries that practicing will not be enough to win.
Noah reads the story. In [3]–[4], Milo laughs at the joke while the solo runs through Milo's head. What is the conflict?
- Outside: Milo and Kira are competing for the same seat in the band.
- Inside: Milo hides nerves behind a laugh while worrying about the audition.
- Outside: Kira's joke makes the other players doubt Milo's skill before the audition even begins.
- Inside: Milo laughs along with the other players in the hallway.
Pia reads the story. How does the result in [7] shape what Milo does in [8]?
- The director posted the results on Wednesday, one day after the audition.
- The result makes Milo angry at the director, so Milo refuses to play.
- Milo chooses second chair on purpose to avoid competing with Kira.
- The result disappoints Milo, who moves the stand to the back without a word.
Tala reads the story. How is the problem with the page break settled in [11]–[12]?
- Kira apologizes for the joke and gives up first chair to Milo.
- Milo explains the problem, the director agrees, and Kira helps mark the cue.
- Milo raises a hand after a long pause and points at the page.
- The director gives Milo first chair for noticing the problem with the page break.
Zee reads the story. Which statement best explains how the audition (outside) affects the choice in [10] (inside)?
- The audition is outside Milo, so it cannot shape an inside choice like the one in [10].
- Losing the audition makes speaking up in front of Kira feel riskier for Milo.
- Milo speaks up to show the director was wrong to give Kira the first chair.
- Milo speaks up because Kira asked Milo to describe the problem.
The Blank Wall (story)
[1] The long wall behind the community center had been plain gray for as long as Tala could remember. [2] When the neighborhood council announced a mural contest, Tala sketched a design of tall sunflowers in one evening. [3] Jun, who lived across the street, liked the colors but thought the sunflowers would be hard to paint on rough brick. [4] Tala said the design was finished and folded the drawing into a pocket. [5] The council's rules, posted on the door, required that every design fit within the wall's seven-foot height. [6] Tala measured the sketch twice, and the sunflowers were nearly nine feet tall. [7] That night, Tala sat at the kitchen table with an eraser and did not use it. [8] The next day Jun brought a small chip of the wall, and it crumbled in Tala's hand. [9] Tala studied the crumbs, then asked Jun whether shorter flowers would show up better on the brick. [10] Jun smiled and said that bold, simple shapes would, and offered to help redraw the stems. [11] They finished the new design on Saturday: wide sunflowers with thick petals, none taller than seven feet. [12] When the council announced the winner, the wall was Tala's, and the first person Tala thanked was Jun.
Ari reads the story. In [5]–[6], which conflict does Tala's design face?
- Outside: the council's height rule does not fit the tall sunflowers.
- Inside: Tala measures the sketch twice with a ruler.
- Outside: the council's rules are posted on the door of the community center.
- Inside: Tala cannot decide how tall the sunflowers should be on the community center wall.
Bo reads the story. In [4] and [7], Tala folds the drawing away and sits with an eraser but does not use it. What is Tala's conflict?
- Outside: Jun is forcing Tala to stop working on the sunflowers.
- Inside: Tala folds the drawing into a pocket and sits at the kitchen table.
- Inside: Tala is attached to the first design and reluctant to change it.
- Outside: the sunflowers are too tall for the council's height rule.
Jun reads the story. How do Jun's and Tala's attitudes toward the design differ in [3]–[4]?
- Jun dislikes the sunflowers; Tala dislikes the brick on the wall.
- Jun treats the design as finished; Tala sees a practical problem with the brick.
- Jun worries about the height rule; Tala worries about the colors.
- Jun sees a practical problem with the brick; Tala treats the design as finished.
Kira reads the story. How is the conflict about the design settled in [9]–[11]?
- The council changes the rules so that the tall sunflowers can stay.
- Tala redraws the design with Jun's help to suit both the brick and the height limit.
- Jun paints the whole wall alone while Tala watches from across the street and takes no part.
- Jun brings a small chip of the wall to show Tala the crumbling brick.
Luz reads the story. Which statement best explains how the inside conflict is settled by the end?
- Tala learns to accept help and thanks Jun first when the wall is won.
- Tala wins because the council prefers shorter flowers to tall ones.
- Tala decides that rules do not matter in a contest and ignores the limits.
- The inside conflict ends when the council announces the winner of the contest.
