Read a story, a poem and a play about starting in a new home.
Answer Key
Read the story, the poem and the play
All three texts are about moving to a new place. Read each one carefully.
The Last Box (a story)
1On moving day, Dev carried his last box into the new apartment. The hallway smelled like fresh paint, and every sound echoed. He missed his old street, where he knew every crack in the sidewalk.
2Dev set the box down in his new room and opened it. On top was his soccer ball, scuffed and gray from years of kicks.
3Then he heard a ball bouncing in the courtyard below. A girl with a braid was kicking a ball against the wall. Dev took a deep breath, tucked his ball under his arm, and hurried down the stairs. "Want a partner?" he asked. The girl grinned. "I'm Lucia. You're on my team."
Box Mountain (a poem)
1Boxes stacked up, tall and square, a cardboard mountain everywhere. I climb the pile and look around. The whole house waits without a sound.
2Soon books are shelved, a lamp is lit, and the mountain shrinks, bit by bit. My shoes sit waiting by the door. This place feels like home a little more.
The Welcome Sign (a play)
Characters: Pia, a girl who lives on Maple Row; Mr. Reyes, a new neighbor
Setting: A front yard on a windy morning. Boxes are stacked by the gate.
PIA:(shyly) Hi, I'm Pia. I live in the blue house. I made you a welcome sign.
MR. REYES:(looking at the sign) Thank you, Pia! But I have no tape, and the wind is strong.
PIA:(thinking) Wait! I have an idea. (She pulls a ribbon from her pocket.) We can tie it to the fence.
MR. REYES:(laughing) What a clever plan! (They tie the ribbon together.) Now everyone on Maple Row will see it.
PIA:(smiling) And now they will all say hello to you.
The story
Answer the questions about "The Last Box."
1.
What does Dev miss at the start of the story?
○A.His soccer team from last year
●B.The street where he used to live
○C.The quiet of the empty hallway
○D.The color of his old bedroom
2.
In paragraph 1, the story says that "every sound echoed." What does echoed mean?
●A.bounced off the walls and came back
○B.faded away until no one could hear
○C.was drowned out by the painters
○D.came only from the hallway floor
3.
Sort each event by when it happens in the story.
Lucia says Dev is on her teamDev carries his last box into the apartmentDev finds his soccer ball in the boxDev asks Lucia if she wants a partnerDev hears a ball bouncing in the courtyard
Before Dev goes down the stairs
After Dev goes down the stairs
Dev carries his last box into the apartment
Dev finds his soccer ball in the box
Dev hears a ball bouncing in the courtyard
Lucia says Dev is on her team
Dev asks Lucia if she wants a partner
4.
Read paragraph 3. Underline the sentence that tells how Dev got to the courtyard.
Then he heard a ball bouncing in the courtyard below.A girl with a braid was kicking a ball against the wall.Dev took a deep breath, tucked his ball under his arm, and hurried down the stairs."Want a partner?" he asked.The girl grinned.
The poem
A poem is written in lines. Groups of lines are called stanzas. Answer the questions about "Box Mountain."
5.
How many stanzas does "Box Mountain" have? Write the number.
2 stanzas
6.
In stanza 1, which word at the end of a line rhymes with square? Write the word.
everywhere
7.
What is the "cardboard mountain" in the poem?
○A.A real hill behind the new house
○B.A model the speaker built from paper
●C.A tall pile of boxes from the move
○D.A stack of the speaker's old books
8.
How does the speaker feel at the end of the poem?
○A.Bored with the lamp and the books
○B.Sorry that the boxes are all gone
○C.Worried about packing the boxes up
●D.More at home in the new place
The play and all three texts
Answer the questions about "The Welcome Sign." Then think about all three texts.
9.
Read the setting of the play. Write the word that completes the sentence.
The play takes place in a front yard.
10.
Words in parentheses are stage directions. What does "(shyly)" tell the actor who plays Pia?
○A.to speak in a loud way
●B.to speak in a shy way
○C.to speak in an angry way
○D.to speak in a bored way
11.
How do Pia and Mr. Reyes fix the problem with the sign?
●A.They tie the sign to the fence.
○B.They tape the sign to the door.
○C.They hold the sign up in the wind.
○D.They put the sign away in a box.
12.
Sort each feature by the kind of text on this page that has it.
Words at the ends of some lines rhymeSentences are grouped into paragraphsA narrator tells what the character doesA character's name comes before the words he or she saysLines are grouped into stanzasStage directions tell the actors what to do
Story
Poem
Play
Sentences are grouped into paragraphs
A narrator tells what the character does
Words at the ends of some lines rhyme
Lines are grouped into stanzas
A character's name comes before the words he or she says
Stage directions tell the actors what to do
13.
How do Dev's feelings change from the start of "The Last Box" to the end? Use details from the story.
At the start, Dev misses his old street and the new hallway echoes. At the end, he takes a deep breath, goes down to meet Lucia, and feels happy to be on her team.