Irony: what you expect and what happens

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Tidy Talk (original story)

   [1] Jun was the proudest member of the Neat Desk Club, so the club asked Jun to give a short talk called “How to Never Lose Anything.” [2] Jun practiced for a week, using color-coded index cards that listed every tip in order. [3] On the morning of the talk, Jun carried the cards to school in a special folder, sure that nothing could go wrong.

   [4] In the gym, forty classmates sat on the bleachers while Milo introduced Jun with a loud cheer. [5] Jun stepped forward, reached into the folder, and found it completely empty. [6] The cards were still sitting on the kitchen table at home. [7] Jun stared at the blank folder for a long moment, and the gym fell silent. [8] Milo leaned over and whispered, “Nice work staying so organized.” [9] Jun laughed, took a deep breath, and began the talk from memory. [10] The first tip was to check your bag twice before leaving the house. [11] The audience laughed kindly, then clapped when Jun finished the last tip. [12] That night, Jun hung a long checklist beside the front door as a reminder for every morning.

2. 1.

   Pia reads about Jun's talk. Which choice tells what Jun expected and what really happened?

   • Expected a loud cheer from Milo; happened that Milo whispered.
   • Expected an empty folder; happened that the cards were in order.
   • Expected loud applause; happened that Milo forgot the introduction and left the gym early.
   • Expected a smooth talk with the cards in order; happened that the folder was empty.
3. 2.

   Ren reads sentences [1] and [5] together. Which kind of irony do they create?

   • Dramatic irony: the reader knows the cards are at home while Jun thinks they are packed.
   • No irony: forgetting something at home happens to everyone.
   • Verbal irony: Jun says one thing about the cards and means the opposite.
   • Situational irony: a talk on never losing anything begins with Jun's cards missing.
4. 3.

   Tala needs two sentences that prove the situational irony of Jun's talk. Which two work best?

   • Sentences [2] and [3]: Jun practices for a week and feels sure nothing can go wrong.
   • Sentences [5] and [9]: the folder is empty, then Jun begins from memory.
   • Sentences [1] and [5]: the talk is about never losing anything, then the folder is empty.
   • Sentences [8] and [11]: Milo whispers a joke, then the audience claps.
5. 4.

   Zee reads Milo's whisper in sentence [8]: “Nice work staying so organized.” Which kind of irony is that?

   • Verbal irony: Milo says organized, but the empty folder shows the opposite meaning.
   • Dramatic irony: the reader knows the folder is empty, but Milo does not, since Milo is outside.
   • Situational irony: Milo planned a cheer, but the gym fell silent.
   • No irony: Milo is kindly praising Jun for staying calm.
6. 5.

   Ari wants one sentence that shows what Jun expected and one that shows what happened. Which pair is it?

   • Expected in [10]; happened in [12].
   • Expected in [4]; happened in [7].
   • Expected in [3]; happened in [5].
   • Expected in [5]; happened in [3].
7. 6.

   Bo needs two sentences that prove Milo's whisper is verbal irony. Which two sentences work best?

   • Sentences [5] and [7]: the folder is empty, and the gym falls silent.
   • Sentences [5] and [8]: the folder is empty, and Milo praises how organized Jun is.
   • Sentences [2] and [8]: Jun practices with index cards, and Milo praises how organized Jun is.
   • Sentences [4] and [8]: Milo cheers loudly, and Milo praises how organized Jun is.

8. The Wrong Jar (original story)

   [1] The Garden Club bake sale started at noon, and Ren had promised to bring a lemon cake. [2] That morning, Ren mixed the batter in the school kitchen while the other volunteers set up tables outside. [3] The sugar jar and the salt jar looked exactly alike, and each one had a paper label on the front. [4] While Ren searched the cupboards for a baking pan, Kira wiped the counter and peeled both labels off to clean them. [5] Kira pressed the labels back on in a hurry, and each label ended up on the wrong jar. [6] Neither Ren nor Kira noticed the mistake, because both of them were thinking about the busy afternoon ahead.

   [7] Ren came back with the pan and read the label on the jar nearest the bowl: SUGAR. [8] “This will be the best cake at the sale,” Ren said with a grin. [9] Kira, carrying a stack of napkins toward the door, called back, “I can already taste how sweet it will be.” [10] Ren filled a big cup from the jar marked SUGAR and held it over the bowl.

9. 7.

   Luz reads about the bake sale. Which choice tells what Ren expects and what the reader knows?

   • Ren expects a busy sale; the reader knows the sale starts at noon.
   • Ren expects the cupboard to hold a pan; the reader knows Kira hid it.
   • Ren expects sugar in the jar marked SUGAR; the reader knows the labels are on the wrong jars.
   • Ren expects salt in the jar marked SUGAR; the reader knows the jar holds sugar.
10. 8.

    Noah reads Kira's line in sentence [9]: “I can already taste how sweet it will be.” Which kind of irony is that?

    • Verbal irony: Kira says sweet but means that the cake will be awful.
    • Situational irony: Kira expects a sweet cake, and the cake turns out salty.
    • Dramatic irony: Kira means the words, but the reader knows the cake will not be sweet.
    • No irony: Kira is being friendly about the baking.
11. 9.

    Zee wants the sentence that tells the reader something Ren does not know. Which sentence is it?

    • Sentence [10], where Ren fills a big cup from the jar.
    • Sentence [5], where each label ends up on the wrong jar.
    • Sentence [8], where Ren boasts about the cake.
    • Sentence [7], where Ren reads the label SUGAR.
12. 10.

    Jun needs two sentences that show Ren believes the jar holds sugar. Which two work best?

    • Sentences [7] and [8]: Ren trusts the SUGAR label and expects the best cake.
    • Sentences [5] and [6]: the labels land on the wrong jars, and neither baker notices.
    • Sentences [9] and [10]: Kira says it will be sweet, and Ren fills a cup from the jar.
    • Sentences [3] and [4]: the jars look alike, and Kira peels off both labels.