Summarize a story fairly, without opinions

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Referee's Call (story)

   [1] My whole team agreed that the referee, Mr. Hale, had it in for us from the first inning of the kickball game against Room 14. [2] In the third inning I caught a high fly ball, and Mr. Hale called the runner safe, even though I would have bet anything my foot touched the base line. [3] Noah, our pitcher, groaned and kicked the dirt. [4] Two innings later, a runner from Room 14 was called out when the ball bounced off a shoulder, which proved to me that Mr. Hale was making up rules as he went.

   [5] We lost by two runs, and I stomped to the bleachers. [6] Pia, who had filmed the game on a tablet for gym class, offered to replay the third inning. [7] In slow motion, my foot landed a full step beyond the line, and the runner's shoe was clearly on the base. [8] I told everyone the camera angle made the base look closer. [9] Noah quietly said that the shoulder rule was printed on the first page of the rule sheet, and nobody answered.

2. 1.

   Ren summarizes the story from the narrator's account. Which summary reports what happened without taking the narrator's side?

   • A referee makes unfair calls against a kickball team throughout the game, and the team loses by two runs because the referee invents rules.
   • A kickball team loses a close game after the referee calls one runner safe and another runner out on a shoulder hit, which seems odd.
   • After watching the replay, the narrator admits the referee was right and apologizes to the whole team for the argument.
   • The narrator's team calls the referee unfair, but a replay shows the narrator's foot past the line, and the narrator argues with it.
3. 2.

   Esme tests statements against the story. Which statement does the story itself contradict?

   • The narrator's team lost to Room 14 by two runs at the end of the game.
   • Pia recorded the game on a tablet because it was for gym class.
   • Noah showed frustration after the third-inning call by kicking the dirt.
   • Mr. Hale made up the shoulder rule in the middle of the game.
4. 3.

   Kira writes one neutral sentence with the dispute, the evidence and the narrator's response. Which sentence does?

   • After a kickball loss, the narrator blames the referee, and Pia's replay leads the team to file a formal complaint about the referee with the principal.
   • A biased referee cheats a kickball team throughout the game, and the narrator tries to show it with a replay that shows nothing.
   • After a kickball loss, the narrator blames the referee, but a replay shows the narrator's foot past the line, and the narrator blames the camera angle.
   • After a kickball loss, the narrator blames the referee, but a replay shows the narrator's foot landing past the line on the third-inning play.

5. The Banner in the Art Room (story)

   [1] On Monday, Luz walked past my cafeteria table without a glance, and I decided that Luz had found better friends. [2] On Tuesday, Luz hurried out of the library the moment I walked in, clutching a paper bag. [3] I spent Wednesday ignoring Luz on purpose, which seemed fair to me. [4] At lunch on Thursday, Ari mentioned that Luz had been staying in the art room every afternoon to finish a long banner.

   [5] I rolled my eyes and said that nobody could be that busy. [6] Ari answered that the banner was for Saturday's cross-country meet, where I was running my first race. [7] On Saturday, the banner stretched across the finish line, painted with my name in green letters. [8] Luz stood beside it holding the same paper bag, which turned out to hold a box of fresh markers. [9] I told Luz that I had never really been upset, and Luz nodded without arguing.

6. 4.

   Milo tests statements against the story. Which statement do the later events show to be false?

   • The narrator ignored Luz on purpose on Wednesday and called it fair.
   • Luz was carrying a paper bag when Luz hurried out of the library on Tuesday.
   • Ari told the narrator that Luz had been finishing a long banner in the art room.
   • Luz had found better friends and no longer wanted the narrator's company.
7. 5.

   Tala writes one sentence with the misunderstanding, the narrator's response and what really happened. Which sentence is objective?

   • Luz hurries away from the narrator on Monday and Tuesday while painting a banner for the narrator's first cross-country race at the school.
   • Believing that Luz has dropped the friendship, the narrator ignores Luz for a day, then runs the race faster because of the banner on the course.
   • Believing that Luz has dropped the friendship, the narrator ignores Luz for a day, then learns that Luz had been painting a banner for the race.
   • A narrator throws away a friendship over nothing, then is humiliated by a banner that Luz spent a whole week painting in the art room.
8. 6.

   Pia separates summary from commentary. Which sentence only reports an event, without judging or guessing?

   • The narrator's final claim shows that pride matters more to the narrator than the friendship does.
   • Luz probably kept the banner secret so that the narrator would feel guilty about the week.
   • Ari's explanation at lunch is the most important moment because it ends the misunderstanding.
   • The narrator tells Luz that the narrator had never really been upset.

9. Whose Marker Was It? (story)

   [1] When the hiking club reached the fork in Cedar Trail, the orange marker that normally pointed left was lying in the dirt. [2] Bo said that Kira had knocked it over that morning while swinging a backpack. [3] Kira said Bo had pulled it up to use as a walking stick on the last hike. [4] Neither could remember exactly, and the guide, Ms. Okafor, said only that the group had to decide which way to go.

   [5] Bo wanted to follow the left path, because the map in the guide's pocket showed the lookout in that direction. [6] Kira pointed out that the right fork was wider and had fresh boot prints. [7] Ms. Okafor checked the map and confirmed the lookout was to the left, though the right path also reached the lookout after two extra miles. [8] The group went left, and Ms. Okafor pressed the marker back into the ground. [9] At the lookout, Kira photographed the view while Bo wrote down the date and the time the group arrived. [10] On the walk back, neither mentioned the marker again.

10. 7.

    Ari summarizes the dispute at the fork. Which description stays neutral about who moved the marker?

    • Bo's account is more likely, since Kira's story about a walking stick sounds like an excuse.
    • Kira knocked the marker over with a swinging backpack and then blamed Bo to avoid getting into trouble.
    • Bo says Kira knocked the marker over, Kira says Bo pulled it up, and neither can remember exactly.
    • Bo says Kira knocked the marker over, and the guide says the group has to decide which way to go.
11. 8.

    Luz tests statements against the story. Which statement goes beyond what the story supports?

    • Kira noticed that the right fork was wider and had fresh boot prints.
    • The group learned that Kira was the one who knocked the marker down.
    • Bo and Kira remembered the marker incident differently, and neither was sure.
    • The right path also reached the lookout, but after two extra miles.
12. 9.

    Noah writes one sentence with the problem, the guide's response and the outcome. Which sentence is objective?

    • Bo and Kira wasted time arguing over a marker, and the guide had to rescue the group by checking the map at the fork on the trail.
    • At a fork where a marker was down, Bo and Kira each blamed the other, and neither remembered exactly what had happened on the last hike.
    • At a fork where a marker was down, Kira admitted knocking it over, and the guide led the group to the lookout along the left path.
    • At a fork where a marker was down, Bo and Kira each blamed the other, and the guide checked the map, so the group took the left path.
13. 10.

    Ren separates summary from commentary. Which sentence only reports an event, without judging or guessing?

    • Ms. Okafor checks the map and confirms that the lookout lies to the left.
    • The fresh boot prints on the right fork are weaker evidence than the guide's map.
    • Ms. Okafor handled the disagreement better than Bo and Kira did.
    • Kira probably knocked the marker over, because Kira argued for the right fork afterward.