Two texts, two shapes: what the order adds

Grade 8 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Two Tellings of a Birthday (paired stories)

   Text A: “The Gym Door”
   [1] Behind the gym door, twenty classmates crouched in the dark, clutching balloons and trying hard not to giggle. [2] They were waiting for Zee, whose birthday it was, and who suspected nothing at all. [3] Out in the hallway, Zee grumbled to Milo that the day had been the dullest one of the entire school year. [4] Milo kept glancing at the clock above the water fountain and hiding a smile behind one hand. [5] “Let's just look in the gym for a minute,” Milo said, in the offhand voice of someone who had rehearsed the line. [6] Zee shrugged, pushed the heavy door open, and the lights flashed on all at once.

   Text B: “A Dull Birthday”
   [7] Zee's birthday had been dull from the very first bell, and by lunchtime Zee had stopped expecting anything better. [8] Nobody had mentioned the birthday at breakfast, and nobody mentioned it in the hallway or in the cafeteria. [9] Milo kept glancing at the clock above the water fountain and smiling at nothing in particular. [10] “Let's just look in the gym for a minute,” Milo said, in the offhand voice of someone who had rehearsed the line. [11] Zee shrugged, pushed the heavy door open, and the lights flashed on to reveal twenty classmates clutching balloons. [12] For a full minute, Zee stood in the doorway without being able to say a single word.

2. 1.

   Noah looks at Text A. What does opening with the hidden classmates do to the way a reader takes in the hallway scene?

   • The reader knows about the surprise early, so Zee's grumbling and Milo's smiles build anticipation.
   • The reader worries that the classmates are in danger in the dark and that something will go wrong.
   • The reader learns how many classmates came to the party, which adds detail to the scene inside the gym.
   • The reader feels as surprised as Zee does when the lights come on, because nothing was hinted earlier.
3. 2.

   Ren reads both texts. How does the reader's experience of the final moment differ between Text A and Text B?

   • In Text A the reader waits for Zee to catch up, while in Text B the reader discovers the surprise along with Zee.
   • Both readers are surprised at the same moment, because both texts end with the lights flashing on.
   • In Text A the reader feels sorry for Zee, while in Text B the reader dislikes Milo.
   • In Text B the reader waits for Zee to catch up, while in Text A the reader discovers the surprise along with Zee.
4. 3.

   Esme thinks about tone. How does the order of information change the tone of each text?

   • Both texts sound the same, because they use the same events and nearly the same last sentence and the same hallway.
   • Text A sounds cruel because the classmates tease Zee, while Text B sounds sad from the first bell to the end.
   • Text A sounds playful and expectant because the reader is in on the joke, while Text B sounds flat at first and then startled.
   • Text A sounds flat and bored, while Text B sounds playful because the reader is in on the joke from the first line.

5. Two Tellings of a Late Train (paired stories)

   Text A: “The Long Platform”
   [1] The train was late. [2] Luz sat on the cold iron bench at the far end of the platform and watched the big clock above the ticket window, whose minute hand seemed to be stuck in place. [3] The train was late. [4] A man with a violin case paced past again and again, and a pigeon pecked at a crumb near the edge of the track as though the delay meant nothing to it. [5] The train was late. [6] Minute by minute, the platform filled with coats and umbrellas and long sighs, until the crowd moved like one large, impatient animal. [7] Then the engine glided in with a sound like a long breath let out, and at last the train was here.

   Text B: “Waiting for the Train”
   [8] The train was late, and Luz sat on the cold iron bench at the far end of the platform, watching the big clock above the ticket window. [9] A man with a violin case paced past, and a pigeon pecked at a crumb near the edge of the track as though the delay meant nothing to it. [10] Minute by minute, the platform filled with coats and umbrellas and long sighs, until the crowd moved like one large, impatient animal. [11] Then the engine glided in with a sound like a long breath let out. [12] Luz stood, picked up the bag, and stepped aboard without looking back at the empty bench.

6. 4.

   Kira looks at Text A. What does repeating “The train was late” do for the reader?

   • It gives a new reason why the train was late each time it appears, so the delay seems to change each time.
   • It makes the waiting feel long and slow, and the change in the last line shows that the wait is over.
   • It shows that each passenger on the platform is angry about the delay and wants to complain.
   • It makes the time seem to pass quickly, so the wait feels short and the platform feels calm.
7. 5.

   Pia looks at Text A. How does the last sentence, “and at last the train was here,” work against the pattern of the first lines?

   • It continues the pattern, so the reader feels that the waiting goes on and on.
   • It works just like the earlier lines, repeating the same fact in the same words as before.
   • It shows that the train came because Luz waited patiently on the bench for so long.
   • It breaks the pattern of the repeated line, so the changed wording marks the change from waiting to arriving.

8. Two Tellings of a Kayak Story (paired stories)

   Text A: “On the Porch Step”
   [1] “Tell the one about the kayak,” Jun said, settling onto the top porch step with a glass of lemonade. [2] Mr. Okoye smiled and leaned back in the old wooden chair, which creaked as it always did. [3] “Well,” he began, “the summer I turned twelve, I borrowed a kayak from the boathouse without asking anybody.” [4] “You didn't,” Jun said, eyes wide. [5] “I did,” said Mr. Okoye. “The current carried me past the dock before I understood how to steer, and the shore went by faster than I liked.” [6] “What happened then?” Jun asked. [7] “A fisherman towed me back, and I carried that kayak home on my shoulders, apologizing to every neighbor along the way.” [8] Jun laughed so hard that the lemonade nearly spilled. [9] “So you learned your lesson,” Jun said, wiping both eyes. [10] “I learned to ask first,” said Mr. Okoye, “and to learn how to steer before I ever left the dock.”

   Text B: “The Borrowed Kayak”
   [11] The summer Mr. Okoye turned twelve, he borrowed a kayak from the boathouse without asking anybody. [12] The current carried him past the dock before he understood how to steer, and the shore went by faster than he liked. [13] A fisherman towed him back, and Mr. Okoye carried the kayak home on his shoulders, apologizing to every neighbor along the way. [14] He learned to ask first, and to learn how to steer before he ever left the dock.

9. 6.

   Ari reads both versions. How does the conversation around the story in Text A change its style compared with Text B?

   • Text B sounds like spoken storytelling, shaped by the listener's reactions, while Text A sounds like a plain report of events.
   • Text A sounds like spoken storytelling, shaped by the listener's reactions, while Text B sounds like a plain report of events.
   • Text A tells about a borrowed kayak, while Text B tells about a kayak that was borrowed and returned.
   • Both texts sound like spoken storytelling, because both tell the same story about the kayak.
10. 7.

    Bo looks at Text A. Why might the writer place Mr. Okoye's story inside a scene with Jun?

    • It hints that Jun is about to borrow a kayak too, since Jun asked so eagerly for the story.
    • It shows the story being passed on and lets the reader hear the lesson through Jun's reactions.
    • It adds the name of the porch where the story was told and the kind of drink Jun is holding.
    • It makes the story seem less personal to Mr. Okoye, as if the story belonged to someone else entirely.
11. 8.

    Zee reads both texts. Which choice compares what the reader gains from Text A and from Text B?

    • Text A gains a fisherman who rescues the kayak, while Text B gains the apology on the long walk home.
    • Text A gains a listener and a sense of a story shared, while Text B gains speed and a direct focus on the events.
    • Text A gains a listener and a sense of a story shared, while Text B gains a second character who reacts to the events.
    • Text B gains a listener and a sense of a story shared, while Text A gains speed and a direct focus on the events.

12. Two Texts About a Flood (paired texts)

    Text A: “Why the Creek Flooded”
    [1] In October, heavy rain fell on the hills above Alder Creek for three days in a row, soaking the ground until it could hold no more. [2] Because the hills had been cleared of trees years earlier, the soil could not hold the water, and it ran quickly downhill toward the town. [3] The rush of water filled the creek beyond its banks, so by the third night the creek had spread into the streets of the lower town. [4] Basements filled with muddy water, which forced about forty families to leave their homes and move into the school gym. [5] Cleanup took weeks of shoveling and scrubbing, and the town later planted new trees on the hills to slow the next flood.

    Text B: “Alder Creek Flood: The Facts”
    [6] Rain: Three days of heavy rain in October, falling on ground that was already soaked. [7] Hills: Cleared of trees years earlier, which left the soil loose and bare. [8] Creek: Rose over its banks and spread into the streets of the lower town on the third night. [9] Homes: Basements filled in dozens of houses, and many families lost furniture and papers. [10] People: About forty families stayed in the school gym for several weeks. [11] Recovery: Cleanup lasted weeks, and new trees were planted on the hills to hold the soil.

13. 9.

    Kira compares style. How does Text B's use of labeled lines change its style compared with Text A?

    • Text B sounds slow and flowing, because each label ties one fact tightly to the next.
    • Text B sounds brisk and factual and is easy to scan, but it leaves the reader to work out how the facts connect.
    • Text A sounds brisk and factual and is easy to scan, but it leaves the reader to work out how the facts connect.
    • Text B sounds the same as Text A, because it contains the same facts.
14. 10.

    Milo compares what readers gain. Which choice is right?

    • Text A explains why the flood happened, while Text B gives a quick reference for what happened.
    • Text A explains why the flood happened, while Text B explains why the town planted new trees.
    • Text A shows the flood could have been prevented, while Text B shows that no one was hurt.
    • Text B explains why the flood happened, while Text A gives a quick reference for what happened.