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Grade 3 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me
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Two Versions of the Ant and the Grasshopper
Story 1: The Ant and the Grasshopper (an old fable)
All summer long, Ant worked in the hot fields. She carried grain, one piece at a time, to her home under a rock. Her back ached, but she did not stop.
Grasshopper lay in the tall grass and sang. "Why work so hard?" he asked. "Come and sing with me. There is plenty of food everywhere!"
"Winter is coming," Ant said. "I am getting ready." Grasshopper just laughed and kept singing.
Then the cold winds came. Snow covered the fields, and the food was gone. Grasshopper was cold and hungry. He knocked on Ant's door and asked for some grain.
"What did you do all summer?" Ant asked.
"I sang," said Grasshopper.
"Then you should have planned ahead," said Ant, and she closed the door. Grasshopper went away sad. The next summer, he worked hard and saved his own food.
Story 2: Cricket's Gift (a new version)
All summer long, the ants worked in the fields. They carried grain to their home under a rock. Cricket did not carry grain. Instead, he played his fiddle and sang. His songs were about sunshine, rain, and friends.
Some ants grumbled. "Cricket is lazy," they said. But the oldest ant, Mira, listened to the songs. She noticed that the workers marched faster when Cricket played.
When winter came, Cricket knocked on the ants' door. He was cold and hungry. The young ants wanted to send him away. "He did not work," they said.
"Wait," said Mira. "Cricket gave us something, too. His music made our work feel lighter."
The ants let Cricket in and shared their grain. All winter, while snow fell outside, Cricket played the songs they loved best. The long, dark days felt shorter. When spring came, the ants agreed. Food fills your belly, but music fills your heart. Everyone has something to give.
How are the lessons of the two stories different?
- Both stories say that singing is a waste of time.
- Story 1 says to plan ahead; Story 2 says everyone has something to give.
- Both stories say that you should never share your food.
- Story 1 says everyone has something to give; Story 2 says to plan ahead.
What is the same about the plots of both stories?
- A singer saves grain all summer long.
- A singer asks the ants for food in winter.
- The ants send everyone away in winter.
- The ants learn how to play music.
How is the ending of Story 1 different from the ending of Story 2?
- Both singers are let inside for the winter.
- Both stories end with the singers moving far away.
- Ant closes the door, but the ants let Cricket in.
- Ant lets Grasshopper in, but the ants send Cricket away.
Which character in Story 2 changes the other ants' minds?
- Mira, the oldest ant
- Cricket, the singer
- the youngest ant
- Ant, the hard worker
What does Mira notice that the other ants do not?
- The grain was running out by fall.
- Cricket was saving his own grain.
- The workers marched faster when Cricket played.
- Snow was coming earlier this year.
How is Grasshopper different from Cricket?
- Cricket laughs at the ants, but Grasshopper helps them.
- Grasshopper plays a fiddle, but Cricket only sings.
- Grasshopper saves grain, but Cricket does not save any.
- Cricket's music helps the ants, but Grasshopper's singing does not.
Some ants grumbled about Cricket. What does grumbled mean?
- worked very quickly
- complained in an unhappy way
- whispered a secret
- sang a cheerful song
What does Grasshopper do the next summer in Story 1?
- He lies in the grass and sings again.
- He works hard and saves his own food.
- He plays music for the ants all day.
- He moves into Ant's home under the rock.
What is the same about the settings of both stories?
- Both happen inside the ants' home all year.
- Both happen in a city during the spring.
- Story 1 is only in summer, and Story 2 is only in winter.
- Both happen in fields over summer and winter.
In Story 2, what does 'music fills your heart' mean?
- Music makes your heart beat faster.
- Music is loud enough to fill a room.
- Music is a kind of food to eat.
- Music makes people feel happy inside.