How word choice sets the tone

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Prize Pumpkin (original story)

   [1] Every October, Teodor Brandt wheeled his pumpkin to the county fair as if escorting royalty. [2] The pumpkin, a bulging orange monument, had consumed most of his summer and a startling quantity of his garden hose. [3] He polished it with a soft cloth, murmuring encouragement that the pumpkin received without comment. [4] Neighbors strolled past, offering the polite nods people give to someone else's trophy. [5] “Magnificent,” Teodor announced to nobody in particular, and he straightened a ribbon that had not moved.

   [6] When the judge finally arrived, Teodor held his breath so tightly that his ears turned pink. [7] The judge tapped the pumpkin twice, scribbled a note, and moved on to a squash. [8] Teodor's shoulders sagged, and the ribbon lay unclaimed. [9] Then a small child tugged Teodor's sleeve and asked whether the pumpkin could be a carriage. [10] Teodor blinked, considered the question with enormous dignity, and began to smile. [11] That evening, the great orange monument rolled home on a wagon, carrying two children and an excellent amount of glory.

2. 1.

   Ari reads the story. What attitude toward Teodor do “escorting royalty” in [1] and “bulging orange monument” in [2] show?

   • Affectionate amusement: the grand words tease Teodor's pride while staying kind.
   • Deep admiration: the grand words show the narrator truly believes the pumpkin is royal.
   • Harsh mockery: the grand words show the narrator thinks Teodor is foolish.
   • Plain reporting: the narrator just tells what Teodor does, with no attitude.
3. 2.

   Bo reads the story. In sentences [6]–[8], Teodor's feelings change. Which choice separates Teodor's feelings from the narrator's tone?

   • Teodor feels amused; the narrator sounds gently humorous.
   • Teodor feels anxious, then crushed; the narrator sounds plain and serious.
   • Teodor feels anxious, then crushed; the narrator sounds gently humorous.
   • Teodor feels anxious, then crushed; the narrator sounds anxious and crushed too.
4. 3.

   Jun reads the story. What attitude toward Teodor do the polite nods in [4] and the ribbon “that had not moved” in [5] show?

   • Plain description: the narrator just reports how neighbors and ribbons behave.
   • Cruel mockery: the narrator wants readers to laugh at Teodor's failure.
   • Gentle teasing: the narrator smiles at how much Teodor fusses over a prize.
   • Shared worry: the narrator is as anxious as Teodor about the judge.
5. 4.

   Kira reads the story. If “enormous dignity” in sentence [10] became “care”, how would the tone and its link to “escorting royalty” in [1] change?

   • It would stay the same: “care” and “enormous dignity” both show Teodor thinking.
   • It would sound more royal: “care” suggests Teodor treats the question like a king.
   • It would lose mock-seriousness: the royal image in [1] would no longer return in [10].
   • It would lose mock-seriousness in [10], but its link to [1] would stay strong.
6. 5.

   Luz reads the story. Sentence [11] ends with “an excellent amount of glory.” Which choice separates what Teodor feels from the narrator's tone?

   • Teodor feels pleased and surprised; the narrator sounds pleased and surprised too.
   • Teodor feels warmly amused; the narrator sounds pleased and surprised.
   • Teodor feels pleased and surprised; the narrator sounds warmly amused.
   • Teodor feels pleased and surprised; the narrator sounds bitter about the lost prize.

7. Thunder Day (original poem)

   Stanza 1
   [1] The sky cracks open, crash on crash,
   [2] and rain comes rattling, rough and rude;
   [3] the windows shudder, the gutters gush,
   [4] and the whole house holds its breath.

   Stanza 2
   [5] Then thunder trips and tumbles off
   [6] beyond the hills, beyond the hush,
   [7] and what was clatter turns to drip,
   [8] and what was drip turns slow and soft.

   Stanza 3
   [9] A puddle holds the passing light.
   [10] A robin tests one trembling note.
   [11] The yard breathes out, the day grows bright,
   [12] and I, at the window, breathe out too.

8. 6.

   Milo reads the poem. What do the hard sounds in “cracks”, “crash” and “rattling” add to the tone of lines [1]–[2]?

   • Harsh: the sharp, clattering sounds make the storm feel loud and rough.
   • Gentle: the repeated sounds are smooth and soothe the reader.
   • Consonance: the repeated k and r sounds appear in several words.
   • Violent: the sounds show the storm is going to destroy the house and the barn behind it.
9. 7.

   Noah reads the poem. If “rattling” in line [2] became “falling”, how would the tone and its link to “clatter” in line [7] change?

   • It would stay the same: “falling” and “rattling” both describe rain moving.
   • It would gain noisy harshness: “falling” would make the rain sound louder.
   • It would lose noisy harshness: “clatter” in line 7 would no longer echo line 2.
   • It would lose noisy harshness in line 2, but “clatter” would still echo it.
10. 8.

    Pia reads the poem. What attitude does the speaker show toward the ending storm in lines [10]–[12]?

    • Wild celebration: the speaker bursts out dancing at the window.
    • Peaceful relief: the speaker breathes out with the yard, robin and all.
    • Calm observing: the speaker only lists what the yard looks like.
    • Lingering fear: the speaker is still shaking like the “trembling note”.
11. 9.

    Tala reads the poem. Line [2] calls the rain “rough and rude.” Which choice separates the storm's behavior from the speaker's attitude?

    • The storm is loud and rough; the speaker sounds furious, blaming the rain for ruining the day.
    • The storm is loud and rough; the speaker sounds loud and rough too, matching the storm.
    • The storm is loud and rough; the speaker sounds playful, treating the rain like a rude guest.
    • The storm is polite and quiet; the speaker sounds playful, treating the rain like a guest.
12. 10.

    Zee reads the poem. What does the repeated “breathe out” in lines [11] and [12] add, compared with line [4]?

    • Tension: the repeated phrase builds toward more thunder.
    • Release: the repeated “breath” in line 4 shows the storm calming.
    • Release: the repeated phrase answers the held breath in line 4 and calms the poem.
    • Repetition: the same phrase appears in two lines.