What an object in a story stands for

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The River Stone (story)

   [1] When Tala's family moved to the city in January, Tala packed a smooth gray stone from the river behind the old house. [2] The stone fit exactly into a closed hand, and over the years it had grown warm from being carried. [3] At the new school, Tala kept it in a coat pocket and rubbed it with a thumb during lunch, when the cafeteria seemed too loud. [4] Kira, who sat at the end of the table, noticed the habit but did not ask about it.

   [5] In March, the class had to give a speech about a place that mattered. [6] Tala wrote about the river and read the whole speech with one hand in a pocket. [7] The words about the old house came out smoothly, but when Tala reached the last paragraph about the new city, the pages shook. [8] Afterward, Kira said that the stone must be heavy to carry every day. [9] Tala said it weighed almost nothing and set it on the desk, where it rolled slowly toward the edge. [10] Kira caught it before it fell and handed it back. [11] That afternoon, Tala left the stone in the pocket of the coat and hung the coat on the hook by the classroom door.

2. 1.

   Pia swaps the stone for another object. Which swap keeps the story's meaning with the fewest changes to its clues?

   • A school ID card that Tala keeps clipped to a coat so it is easy to find each morning.
   • A heavy brick from the old river, carried in a backpack through each school day.
   • A worn wooden bead from a bracelet at the old house, rubbed with a thumb at lunch.
   • A shiny new coin earned at the new school, held in a pocket during lunch break.
3. 2.

   Zee studies [2]: the stone “had grown warm from being carried.” What does “warm” add to the stone's meaning?

   • It tells the reader that the stone sat in the sun before Tala picked it up from the river bank.
   • It suggests that years of being carried have given the stone a comforting, living quality.
   • It shows that Tala wears the coat because the weather in the new city is cold in the winter months.
   • It suggests that the stone is dangerous to hold and that Tala is nervous about it at school.
4. 3.

   Esme asks what Tala's rubbing the stone at lunch shows about Tala. Which statement is best supported?

   • Tala is confident in the new school and rubs the stone out of a harmless habit.
   • Tala dislikes the new city and plans to move back to the old house before the school year ends.
   • Tala feels out of place in the loud new cafeteria and holds on to something from the old home.
   • Tala keeps the stone in a coat pocket at school, where Kira can see the stone.

5. The Slow Clock (story)

   [1] In the front hall of Pia's grandfather's house stood a tall wooden clock that ran exactly five minutes slow. [2] Visitors sometimes pointed this out, and the grandfather always replied that he knew. [3] Every few years a repairman offered to fix it, and every few years the grandfather thanked him and said the clock was fine.

   [4] Pia once decided to help by moving the minute hand forward while the grandfather was in the garden. [5] When the grandfather came in, the grandfather glanced at the clock, looked at Pia for a moment, and moved the hand back without a word. [6] When Pia's family left after each visit, the grandfather walked everyone to the door only when the clock showed the hour. [7] Because the clock was slow, there were always five more minutes on the porch, with the car running and a hand on the gate. [8] The last time Pia visited, the grandfather's hands shook as the clock was wound. [9] Pia offered to help, and the two of them turned the key together. [10] On the drive home, Pia noticed that every other clock in the car, the phone and the dashboard, was five minutes ahead.

6. 4.

   Ari compares two readings of the slow clock: stubbornness about change, or giving people more time. Which choice judges them best?

   • Giving people time: the clock is tall and wooden and stands in the front hall of the house.
   • Giving people time: the grandfather walks guests out by the slow clock, which adds five more minutes.
   • Stubbornness: the grandfather turns down each repair offer, so the clock shows that he rejects change.
   • Both fit equally well, because the clock is wrong on purpose and the grandfather will not fix it.
7. 5.

   Bo swaps the clock for another object. Which swap keeps the story's meaning with the fewest changes to its clues?

   • A fast watch that the grandfather wears so that he can hurry guests along to the car after dinner.
   • A calendar on the wall that lists each birthday in the family for the whole year ahead.
   • A broken clock that shows the wrong hour all day and is not wound by anyone in the house.
   • A kettle that the grandfather keeps simmering, so guests always stay for one more cup before leaving.
8. 6.

   Luz looks at [1]: the clock ran “exactly five minutes slow.” What does “exactly” add to the clock's meaning?

   • It tells the reader that the clock was built in a factory with a precise setting, like a machine.
   • It suggests that the grandfather is careless about time and lets the clock drift further each year.
   • It shows that Pia is skilled at telling time and found the exact error with a watch.
   • It shows that the slowness is steady and chosen, not a breakdown, which matters to the meaning.
9. 7.

   Milo asks what the grandfather's repeated reply, that the clock is fine, shows about the grandfather. Which statement is best supported?

   • The grandfather is angry at visitors for mentioning the clock and wants them to leave soon.
   • The grandfather has been offered a repair by a repairman again and again over the years.
   • The grandfather values the extra minutes and will not give them up for the sake of convenience.
   • The grandfather does not notice that the clock is wrong and trusts it without thinking about it.

10. The Hand-Me-Down Jacket (story)

    [1] The week before the season began, the retiring coach handed Zee a faded green team jacket with the name Parker stitched over the pocket. [2] The sleeves covered Zee's knuckles, and the hem hung nearly to Zee's knees. [3] "It will fit by the end of the year," the coach said, and walked away before Zee could answer. [4] Zee folded the cuffs twice and wore it to the first practice anyway.

    [5] Teammates noticed the name over the pocket, and a few of them smirked. [6] Bo said that the jacket belonged to someone who had won three championships and left big shoes to fill. [7] Zee kept quiet but arrived early the next day to help set out cones. [8] Through the winter, Zee stayed after practice to collect the balls and learned the names of the younger players. [9] By the final match, the cuffs sat unrolled at Zee's wrists, though the hem still hung low. [10] After the match, a first-year player asked how to tie cleats, and Zee knelt down to show, the long sleeves pushed back.

11. 8.

    Kira compares two readings of the jacket: a heavy expectation, or a role to grow into. Which choice judges them best?

    • Both fit equally well, since the story shows pressure from teammates and effort from Zee together.
    • A role to grow into: Zee unrolls the cuffs by the final match and kneels to help a younger player.
    • A heavy expectation: Bo says the jacket belonged to a champion, so it crushes Zee from the start.
    • A role to grow into: the jacket is faded and green and has the name Parker stitched over the pocket.
12. 9.

    Tala swaps the jacket for another object. Which swap keeps the story's meaning with the fewest changes to its clues?

    • A captain's armband that is too large and slips down Zee's arm until the final match.
    • A borrowed umbrella that Zee returns on the day the rain stops during the season.
    • A trophy for the league champions that Zee keeps in the bedroom window for the season.
    • A new jacket that fits perfectly on the first day and needs no rolled cuffs.
13. 10.

    Noah asks what Zee's folding the cuffs and wearing the jacket anyway shows about Zee. Which statement is best supported?

    • Zee is willing to take on the role before feeling ready for it.
    • Zee puts on a faded green team jacket for the first practice of the season.
    • Zee plans to replace the retiring coach as head coach by the next season.
    • Zee is certain that the jacket fits and that the new role will be easy.