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.

   Ari reads the story. How does the narrator's view of Noah change between sentence [2] and sentence [11]?

   • The narrator's view stays the same: Noah is still showing off.
   • From understanding to annoyance: the narrator first sees nerves, then sees bragging.
   • From thinking Noah is bragging to seeing that Noah may be nervous.
   • From thinking Noah is bragging to being sure Noah will win on Saturday.
3. 2.

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

   • Sentences [2] and [8]: the narrator calls Noah a show-off, and thinks Noah is polishing pride.
   • Sentences [11] and [12]: the narrator wonders if Noah was showing off, and compares Noah to someone checking a door.
   • 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.
4. 3.

   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 how easily a quick judgment can hide what a person really feels.
   • It adds suspense about who will win the meet on Saturday.
   • It shows that the narrator and Noah both want the same thing from the meet.
   • It shows that older siblings usually hide their feelings from younger ones.
5. 4.

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

   • 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 show of pride and starts looking like a worry.
   • The shelf stops looking like a worry and starts looking like a show of pride.
6. 5.

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

   • 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.
   • 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.
7. 6.

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

   • The narrator still thinks Noah is bragging, but feels sorry for Noah at the end.
   • 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 plans to ask Noah to stop moving the trophies at night.

8. 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.

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 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.
   • He expects her to agree with the fence, so he welcomes her.
   • He expects an argument and is ready to rebuild the fence.
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 Ms. Tran comes to share her view kindly, not to start a fight.
    • It shows Mr. Alvarez has already accepted that the fence is a mistake.
    • It shows the story is about cooking more than about fences.
11. 9.

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

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

    Zee reads the story. What idea about disagreements does the ending in sentence [12] support?

    • The person who builds first should decide what happens.
    • People with different views can reach a fair middle without either one fully winning.
    • A fair ending happens when the narrator takes Ms. Tran's side.
    • Good neighbors agree before they make changes.