How two characters see the same thing

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Trophy Shelf (original story)

   [1] My older sibling Noah kept the swimming trophies on the top shelf of our shared bedroom, and every night Noah rearranged them. [2] I figured Noah was showing off, because Noah always turned the biggest cup so it faced my side of the room. [3] “Don't touch them,” Noah said one evening, without even turning around. [4] I rolled my eyes and flopped onto my bed with a comic book, determined to ignore the whole routine. [5] Noah's meet on Saturday was supposed to be the last one before Noah moved up to the high school team. [6] At dinner, Mom asked whether Noah was excited, and Noah answered, “It's fine,” in a voice so flat that I nearly dropped my fork.

   [7] Later I heard the shelf creak as Noah moved the cups yet again, one at a time and with great care. [8] I thought, here we go again, polishing Noah's pride. [9] But the next morning I found the biggest cup tucked in my school bag, with a note in Noah's handwriting that said, “For luck. Bring it to the pool.” [10] I stared at it for a long time, feeling unexpectedly embarrassed. [11] Maybe Noah had not been showing off at all. [12] Maybe Noah had been checking that each cup was still there, the way you check a door you are afraid to leave.

2. 1.

   Bo reads the story. Which two sentences show Noah's real feelings in a way the narrator misreads?

   • Sentences [11] and [12]: the narrator wonders if Noah was showing off, and compares Noah to someone checking a door.
   • Sentences [2] and [8]: the narrator calls Noah a show-off, and thinks Noah is polishing pride.
   • Sentences [1] and [5]: Noah rearranges the trophies, and the last meet before high school.
   • Sentences [6] and [7]: Noah's flat “It's fine”, and the cups moved yet again.
3. 2.

   Esme reads the story. What does the gap between the narrator's guess in [8] and the truth in [12] add to the story?

   • It shows that older siblings usually hide their feelings from younger ones.
   • It adds suspense about who will win the meet on Saturday.
   • It shows how easily a quick judgment can hide what a person really feels.
   • It shows that the narrator and Noah both want the same thing from the meet.
4. 3.

   Jun reads the story. How does the note in sentence [9] change the narrator's view of the trophy shelf?

   • The shelf stops looking like a show of pride and starts looking like a worry.
   • The note confirms that Noah was showing off, because the biggest cup is in the bag.
   • The note shows that Noah does not care about the trophies anymore.
   • The shelf stops looking like a worry and starts looking like a show of pride.
5. 4.

   Kira reads the story. Why can readers sense Noah's nerves before the narrator does?

   • Because the narrator reports Noah's flat voice and moving cups before misreading them.
   • Because Noah writes to the reader about nerves in a letter.
   • Because Mom asks Noah a question at dinner, which explains Noah's feelings.
   • Because the narrator knows Noah is nervous and hides it from the reader until the very last page.
6. 5.

   Luz reads the story. How do sentences [11] and [12] build the story's idea about judging other people?

   • The narrator's questions show a new, kinder way of reading Noah's actions.
   • The narrator decides Noah was showing off from the start.
   • The narrator still thinks Noah is bragging, but feels sorry for Noah at the end.
   • The narrator plans to ask Noah to stop moving the trophies at night.

7. The New Fence (original story)

   [1] When Mr. Alvarez built a tall wooden fence along his garden, he believed he was finally giving his tomato plants some peace. [2] For three summers, the neighbors' soccer balls had landed among the vines with a crunch. [3] Ms. Tran, next door, watched the fence rise plank by plank and felt the afternoon light disappear from her kitchen window. [4] She had always loved watching the tomatoes ripen from that window, and now she saw only a wall. [5] On Saturday, she knocked on his gate holding a plate of dumplings. [6] Mr. Alvarez, expecting a complaint, opened the gate halfway.

   [7] “I'm sorry about the balls,” Ms. Tran began, “but I miss the garden.” [8] He blinked, because he had not imagined that anyone could miss a view he had spent years protecting. [9] She looked past him and saw the vines still climbing, safe and green. [10] By dusk, the two of them were measuring one section of the fence to replace with a low trellis. [11] Mr. Alvarez would lose fewer tomatoes, and Ms. Tran would regain her window. [12] Neither had won exactly what each had wanted, but both of them smiled at the new gap.

8. 6.

   Milo reads the story. How do Mr. Alvarez's and Ms. Tran's views of the fence differ at first, in sentences [1] and [4]?

   • Mr. Alvarez wants to annoy the neighbors; Ms. Tran wants to tear the fence down.
   • Mr. Alvarez sees a wall that blocks his view; Ms. Tran sees protection for her tomatoes.
   • Mr. Alvarez sees protection for his tomatoes; Ms. Tran sees a wall that blocks her view.
   • Mr. Alvarez builds a wooden fence; Ms. Tran brings dumplings to his gate.
9. 7.

   Noah reads the story. In sentence [6], Mr. Alvarez opens the gate halfway. What does this detail show about what he expects from Ms. Tran?

   • He expects her to agree with the fence, so he welcomes her.
   • He expects an argument and is ready to rebuild the fence.
   • He expects a complaint, so he has not yet imagined her missing the garden.
   • He is nervous about the soccer balls and wants to check the vines.
10. 8.

    Pia reads the story. What does the plate of dumplings in sentence [5] add to the contrast between the two neighbors?

    • It shows Ms. Tran is trying to trick Mr. Alvarez into taking the fence down.
    • It shows the story is about cooking more than about fences.
    • It shows Mr. Alvarez has already accepted that the fence is a mistake.
    • It shows Ms. Tran comes to share her view kindly, not to start a fight.
11. 9.

    Ren reads the story. How do the two views move toward each other in sentences [10]–[12]?

    • Neither view changes; the neighbors just pretend to agree.
    • Ms. Tran convinces Mr. Alvarez to remove the whole fence.
    • Each gives a little: Mr. Alvarez replaces part of the fence, and Ms. Tran accepts a low trellis.
    • Mr. Alvarez agrees because the soccer balls stop coming.
12. 10.

    Tala reads the story. In sentence [9], Ms. Tran sees the vines still climbing. What does she now understand about Mr. Alvarez's view?

    • She understands his reason for the fence, because the vines are safe and green.
    • She notices the vines climbing and nothing else.
    • She realizes Mr. Alvarez misses the old view more than she does.
    • She decides the fence was cruel, because it blocked her view of the vines.