How words relate
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
The First Test Ride (story)
[1] Tala spent three weekends restoring an old bicycle that the repair shop had called a lost cause. [2] Mrs. Lund was captivated, and she stayed all afternoon handing Tala tools. [3] The mail carrier, who was indifferent, walked past the open garage without even turning his head toward the bicycle. [4] Mr. Ito was intrigued, so he stopped for a minute to ask how the old chain had come off the rusty gears.
[5] On the first test ride, Tala braked early at every corner and stopped twice to check the chain. [6] Jun said “cautious” to Tala's face, grinned, and handed over a clean cloth. [7] Esme muttered “timid” while scrubbing grease off the garage floor, and Tala's smile faded. [8] By the next weekend, Tala was riding the long hill without touching the brakes. [9] Esme admitted that the first rides had been sensible, and Jun just laughed and wheeled the bicycle back into the garage for a final check.
Ari ranks the neighbors' interest in [2], [3] and [4] from least to most. Which order is right?
- intrigued, indifferent, captivated
- indifferent, intrigued, captivated
- indifferent, captivated, intrigued
- captivated, intrigued, indifferent
Bo writes an award line praising Tala's first test ride in [5]. Which sentence has the right positive tone?
- Tala's cautious first ride kept the rebuilt bicycle safe at every corner.
- Tala's daring first ride flew around every corner without a single worry.
- Tala rode the rebuilt bicycle around every corner and stopped twice.
- Tala's timid first ride crept around every corner and stopped twice for nothing.
Luz explains how “cautious” and “timid” in [6] and [7] are related. Which explanation is best?
- They describe the same careful behavior, but “cautious” sounds sensible and “timid” sounds fearful.
- “Timid” is a stronger form of “cautious,” and both words sound equally admiring.
- They are opposites, because “cautious” praises Tala and “timid” blames Tala for the same ride.
- They mean the same thing, so either word can replace the other in any sentence about Tala.
Kira completes the analogy. persistent : obstinate :: economical : ?
- extravagant
- miserly
- thrifty
- prosperous
The Windy Fireworks Show (story)
[1] The fireworks show in the field was almost ready when the wind began to pick up. [2] Noah was apprehensive, glancing at the launch area again and again and gripping the edge of the blanket. [3] Milo was concerned, frowned at the flags, and asked whether the wind was safe.
[4] When the first rocket whistled overhead, Noah became panic-stricken, dropped to the ground, covered both ears and ran toward the car. [5] Meanwhile, a crowd of parents asked Ms. Reyes, the organizer, whether the show would start late. [6] She thanked each parent by name, said she understood their worry, and promised news as soon as the crew finished checking the wind. [7] Jun nodded and called the answer “diplomatic,” but Esme whispered “evasive” because the organizer never named a time. [8] The show began right on schedule. [9] Esme laughed and said that “diplomatic” might have been fair after all.
Luz writes a line about Ms. Reyes's answer in [6]. Which sentence has a positive tone?
- Ms. Reyes gave a diplomatic answer that calmed the worried parents.
- Ms. Reyes gave an evasive answer that dodged the worried parents.
- Ms. Reyes gave a flawless answer that ended the worry in the field.
- Ms. Reyes answered the parents who asked about the start time.
Ren explains how “apprehensive” in [2] and “panic-stricken” in [4] are related. Which explanation is best?
- They mean the same thing, so Noah's feeling did not change.
- Both describe fear, but “panic-stricken” is far more intense than “apprehensive.”
- “Apprehensive” is a stronger form of “panic-stricken,” so Noah was more upset at first.
- They are opposites, because one describes fear and the other describes calm.
In the Woodshop (story)
[1] In the school woodshop, Ms. Silva's class built three projects for the new reading corner of the school library. [2] The workbench was substantial, so it took two students to lift it onto the rug. [3] The cabinet was enormous, wider than the doorway, so the class had to build it inside the room. [4] The stool was modest, small enough for one student to carry with a single hand.
[5] Noah took charge of the cabinet job. [6] Noah told each student which board to cut, and once took a clamp out of Esme's hand to show how. [7] Ms. Silva nodded and called Noah's style “assertive,” but Esme sighed and called it “pushy.” [8] The next day, Noah asked Esme which clamp worked best for the curved back panel and used Esme's idea for the back panel. [9] By Friday afternoon, the finished cabinet stood against the wall, and the reading corner was ready for the first students.
Jun ranks the three projects in [2], [3] and [4] from smallest to largest. Which order is right?
- modest, substantial, enormous
- modest, enormous, substantial
- enormous, substantial, modest
- substantial, modest, enormous
Kira writes a line about Noah leading the cabinet job in [5] to [8]. Which sentence has the right positive tone?
- Noah was a brilliant commander who built the whole cabinet alone.
- Noah told the students which boards to cut for the cabinet.
- Noah was assertive and gave clear directions that kept the cabinet job moving.
- Noah was pushy and grabbed tools out of other students' hands.
Zee explains how “assertive” and “pushy” in [7] are related. Which explanation is best?
- They mean the same thing in any sentence, with exactly the same feeling attached.
- Both describe taking charge, but “assertive” sounds confident and fair, while “pushy” sounds forceful and rude.
- They are opposites, because “assertive” means taking charge and “pushy” means letting others lead.
- “Pushy” is a stronger form of “assertive,” and both words sound equally admiring.
Ari completes the analogy. negligence : accident :: diligence : ?
- failure
- effort
- workbench
- progress