Worksheet

Beyond the Stopwatch

Read an original cross-country story and cite precise evidence to support direct statements and inferences about a runner.

Grade 6ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRL.6.1

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What’s included

Single worksheet
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1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
13 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 6
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students cite story details to support what a text states directly.
Students support inferences about characters with precise textual evidence.
Students distinguish relevant evidence from details that do not support a claim.

How to use

Have students read and annotate the story independently. For each paired question, ask them to identify the claim before choosing its supporting evidence.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RL.6.1

Cite evidence from the text to support what it says directly and what can be inferred from it.

Preview

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Name Date

Beyond the Stopwatch

Support direct statements and inferences with precise story evidence.

Read the Story

Notice what Suri says, what she does, and how her choices change.

Beyond the Stopwatch

1Three weeks before her first cross-country race, Suri taped a course map above her desk. Beside it, she wrote one goal: run the entire course without walking. Every afternoon, she recorded her practice time in a notebook. She drew a box around each faster time, leaving the slower ones small and bare.

2On Tuesday, the team practiced the long hill behind the school. Suri sprinted after the oldest runners, but halfway up, her legs felt heavy. She stopped beside a course marker. When Coach Vega approached, Suri bent to tighten a lace that was already secure. Her notebook stayed zipped inside her bag that afternoon.

3At Thursday's practice, Coach Vega asked everyone to run the first loop at a pace that allowed conversation. Suri nearly followed the runners pulling ahead. Then she noticed Elena, another new runner, moving steadily beside her. Suri stayed with Elena and answered her questions about the course. At the hilltop, Suri was breathing hard, but she was still running.

4Her time that day was slower than Tuesday's first loop. At home, Suri started to close the notebook without writing. Instead, she opened to a fresh page and added a column labeled “How the run felt.” Under Thursday, she wrote, “Could keep going.” Before Friday's practice, she asked Coach Vega how to choose a starting pace.

5The evening before the race, Elena sent a message: “What if I'm last?” Suri typed, “Just run faster,” then deleted it. She looked at the small, bare numbers in her notebook. Finally, she wrote, “I'll start beside you. We can save something for the hill.” She set out her shoes and checked the course map once more.

6At the starting signal, several runners rushed past. Suri's hand moved toward her watch, then dropped. She stayed beside Elena until they reached the hill. Damp leaves covered the bend near the top, so Suri shortened her steps there. Elena fell a few strides behind, and Suri called, “Steady to the marker!”

7Suri crossed the finish line well behind the leaders, still running. She caught her breath, then turned toward the course and called Elena's name. Later, she wrote her race time without drawing a box around it. In the new column, she added, “Ran the whole course. Had enough left to cheer.” She left the notebook open on her desk.

Claims and Evidence

Choose one answer for each multiple-choice question. For underline questions, select one complete sentence. Return to the story to check your evidence.

What goal does Suri directly state before her first race?

A. Finish ahead of the oldest runners.
B. Run the whole course without walking.
C. Keep beside Elena for the whole race.
D. Record a faster time at every practice.

Which sentence from paragraph 1 directly supports the answer to question 1? Underline one sentence.

Three weeks before her first cross-country race, Suri taped a course map above her desk.Beside it, she wrote one goal: run the entire course without walking.Every afternoon, she recorded her practice time in a notebook.She drew a box around each faster time, leaving the slower ones small and bare.

What can readers most reasonably infer about Suri when Coach Vega approaches in paragraph 2?

A. She wants the coach to explain the course markers.
B. She believes her shoes caused her legs to tire.
C. She hopes the coach will end practice early.
D. She wants to hide her difficulty with the hill.

Which detail from paragraph 2 best supports the inference in question 3?

A. Suri tightens a lace even though it is already secure.
B. The team practices on the long hill behind the school.
C. Suri sprints after the oldest runners on the team.
D. Suri stops running beside one of the course markers.

What does Suri's behavior in paragraph 4 suggest about her approach to training?

A. She decides that recording practice results is distracting.
B. She expects Elena to choose all her training goals.
C. She begins valuing endurance as well as faster times.
D. She thinks a slower time means she should practice less.

Which pair of details from paragraph 4 best supports the inference in question 5?

A. Her time is slower, and she starts to close her notebook.
B. She adds a feelings column and writes, “Could keep going.”
C. She is at home, and she opens to a fresh notebook page.
D. She compares two loops and attends practice on Friday.

What does Suri's change to her message in paragraph 5 most strongly suggest?

A. She recognizes that Elena needs support, not a quick command.
B. She believes Elena should stop worrying about the course.
C. She wants Elena to promise they will finish together.
D. She thinks Elena needs to study the course map again.

Which sentence from paragraph 5 best supports the inference in question 7? Underline one sentence.

Suri typed, “Just run faster,” then deleted it.She looked at the small, bare numbers in her notebook.She set out her shoes and checked the course map once more.

Which inference about Suri at the end of the story is best supported?

A. She considers the race disappointing because she trails the leaders.
B. She plans to replace her running goal with a cheering role.
C. She cares more about Elena's result than about her own progress.
D. She recognizes personal progress even without a leading finish.

10.

Which detail from paragraph 7 best supports the inference in question 9?

A. Suri crosses the finish line well behind the leading runners.
B. Suri turns toward the course after catching her breath.
C. Suri records, “Ran the whole course. Had enough left to cheer.”
D. Suri leaves her notebook open on top of her desk.

Evaluate and Explain

Use specific evidence, not guesses about events outside the story. In written answers, identify paragraphs and explain how the details support your thinking.

11.

A reader claims, “Suri adjusts her running to the condition of the course.” Which sentence provides the most precise evidence?

A. “She stayed beside Elena until they reached the hill.”
B. “Damp leaves covered the bend near the top, so Suri shortened her steps there.”
C. “At the starting signal, several runners rushed past.”
D. “Elena fell a few strides behind, and Suri called, ‘Steady to the marker!’”

12.

How does Suri's willingness to seek coaching change? Cite one detail from paragraph 2 and one from paragraph 4, and explain what the contrast suggests.

13.

A reader says, “Suri stops caring about running well by the end of the story.” Explain why this claim is not supported. Cite two details from different paragraphs that show she still cares about improving or reaching her goal.