How a story builds its message
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
The Bookshelf Project (story)
[1] Milo wanted to build a bookshelf for the reading corner without any help, so three Saturdays in a row Milo measured boards, sawed them to length and sanded every edge in the garage. [2] When Luz offered to hold a board steady, Milo said that the job was nearly done and that the work would go faster alone. [3] On the fourth Saturday, Milo stacked the first row of books, and the frame leaned to one side with a groan that echoed through the garage. [4] Milo stared at the crooked shelf for a long time, unable to see which joint had failed. [5] Then Milo unscrewed the pieces one by one and laid them in rows on the cold floor.
[6] The next morning, Luz came back with a level and a bag of screws, and Milo did not say that the job was nearly done. [7] Luz held each board in position while Milo drove the screws, and by noon the frame stood perfectly straight. [8] They carried the shelf to school and filled it with the class's books, arranging them by color until the top row looked like a rainbow. [9] When a kindergartener asked who had built it, the whole room seemed to wait for Milo's answer. [10] Milo glanced at Luz and said, "We did," and Luz grinned and nudged a stray book into line.
Ari reads “The Bookshelf Project.” Which statement best expresses its theme?
- A story about building a bookshelf in a garage over several Saturdays for the reading corner.
- Work goes better when a person is willing to accept help instead of doing everything alone.
- A person should finish a project that was started without help, however long it takes to build.
- Milo builds a shelf, the shelf leans and falls apart, and then Milo rebuilds it with some help.
Bo looks for the turning point. Which moment turns the story toward its theme?
- The shelf leans to one side under the first row of books, and Milo takes it apart.
- Luz offers to hold a board steady, and Milo says that the job is nearly done.
- A kindergartener asks who built the shelf after it is set up in the reading corner.
- The shelf is carried to school and filled with the class's books by the end of the day.
Esme wants two sentences that together show how Milo changes. Which pair does?
- [2] Milo turns down Luz's offer of help; [8] They carry the shelf to school and fill it with books.
- [8] They fill the shelf with the class's books; [10] Milo answers, “We did,” and Luz grins.
- [2] Milo turns down Luz's offer of help; [10] Milo answers, “We did.”
- [1] Milo spends three Saturdays measuring and sawing; [2] Milo says that the job is nearly done.
Kira asks what paragraph two adds to the theme that paragraph one does not. Which choice is best?
- It shows what time of day the shelf is finished and which books are put onto it first.
- It shows that the kindergartener learns how to build a shelf and plans to build one too.
- It shows the result of accepting help: the frame stands straight and the credit is shared.
- It shows again that Milo wants to build the whole shelf alone without any help from friends.
The Sourdough Starter (story)
[1] Esme's aunt gave Esme a jar of sourdough starter along with a note that told Esme to feed it each morning and then simply to wait. [2] After three days of feeding, the jar still held nothing but a flat gray paste that smelled faintly of flour. [3] Esme read the note again, shook the jar hard, and asked the baking club whether the starter might be broken. [4] Pia answered that a starter sometimes takes two weeks to wake up and that stirring it too often could slow it down. [5] Esme kept feeding the jar each morning but stopped stirring it, even though doing nothing felt like a mistake.
[6] On the ninth day, a few bubbles appeared along the glass, so small that Esme needed a flashlight to be sure of them. [7] On the twelfth day, the paste had doubled in size and smelled sharp and sour, the way the aunt's kitchen had always smelled. [8] Esme baked a first loaf that came out dense and pale, and the baking club ate it anyway while offering suggestions. [9] The second loaf rose a little higher, and the third came out of the oven with a crisp, golden crust. [10] Esme wrote the date on the lid of the jar and fed the starter again before school the next morning.
Ren reads “The Sourdough Starter.” Which statement best expresses its theme?
- Esme feeds a starter for twelve days, bakes three loaves, and each loaf comes out better than the one before.
- A story about a jar of sourdough starter and the baking club that eats a loaf made from it.
- A person should ask a club for advice whenever something looks broken and will not seem to work.
- Good results can need steady care and time, even when nothing seems to be happening.
Tala looks for the turning point. Which moment turns the story toward its theme?
- Esme shakes the jar after three days and wonders whether the starter is broken.
- The first loaf comes out dense and pale, and the baking club eats it anyway.
- Pia tells Esme that a starter can take two weeks, and Esme stops stirring it.
- Esme writes the date on the lid of the jar and feeds the starter again before school.
Zee wants two sentences that together show how the starter changes. Which pair does?
- [1] Esme's aunt gives Esme the jar and a note; [2] the jar holds a flat gray paste after three days.
- [2] After three days the jar holds a flat gray paste; [10] Esme writes the date on the lid of the jar.
- [8] The first loaf is dense and pale; [9] the second loaf rises a little higher than the first one.
- [2] After three days the jar holds a flat gray paste; [7] by the twelfth day the paste has doubled.
Noah asks what paragraph two adds to the theme that paragraph one does not. Which choice is best?
- It shows that Esme becomes a professional baker who sells loaves to shops around the town.
- It shows the waiting paying off in small, countable steps instead of all at once.
- It shows again that the starter looks flat and gray after the first three days of feeding.
- It shows which days of the month the baking club meets and how many members attend.
The Ribbon at the Science Fair (story)
[1] Bo and Ren worked together on a model water filter for the science fair, and Bo designed the layers of sand and gravel that would clean the muddy water. [2] Ren spent two weeks building the clear plastic tower and washing each piece of stone so that the water would run through without clouding. [3] At the fair, a judge walked up to their table and asked which of them had made the filter. [4] Bo said, "I did," before Ren could answer. [5] Ren looked down at the table and said nothing, though the tower had taken hours of careful work.
[6] The judges gave the filter a blue ribbon, and Bo hung it proudly on the front of the tower. [7] That afternoon, Bo noticed that Ren had stopped talking and was packing the sand into a bag without looking up. [8] The next morning, Bo went to the judges' table and explained that Ren had built the tower while Bo had planned the layers. [9] The judges wrote both names on the card and thanked Bo for coming back to correct it. [10] Bo moved the ribbon so that it hung between the two names, and Ren smiled for the first time that week.
Kira wants two sentences that together show how Bo changes. Which pair does?
- [6] The judges give the filter a blue ribbon; [9] The judges write both names on the card and thank Bo for coming back.
- [1] Bo designs the layers of sand and gravel; [2] Ren builds the clear plastic tower for the model.
- [4] Bo says, “I did”; [5] Ren looks down at the table and says nothing.
- [4] Bo says, “I did”; [10] Bo moves the ribbon so that it hangs between the two names.
Jun asks what paragraph two adds to the theme that paragraph one does not. Which choice is best?
- It shows again that Bo planned the layers and Ren built the tower for the science fair.
- It shows Bo noticing the harm and choosing to fix it, which the first paragraph only set up.
- It shows that the filter is packed with sand and gravel for the display table afterward.
- It shows that the judges decide to change the rules of the science fair for next year.