Worksheet

Reading Between the Goals

Interpret unfamiliar words using sentence clues and word function in an original report about a girls’ soccer final.

Grade 7ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toL.7.4.a

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

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 7
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students infer word meanings from definitions, contrasts, and examples in a sports report.
Students use a word’s position and function in a sentence to determine its meaning.
Students explain how specific context clues support a word meaning.

How to use

Have students read the report independently, then answer without a dictionary. Discuss how substituting a meaning into a sentence can test an inference.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

L.7.4.a

Use context, such as the meaning of the whole sentence or a word's position or function, as a clue to what a word means.

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Name Date

Reading Between the Goals

Use sentence meaning and word function to interpret a sports report.

Read the report

Read the complete report before answering. Look for explanations, contrasts, and actions that reveal word meanings.

A Final Decided in the Details

1Before Saturday’s girls’ soccer final, the kickoff time on the board was provisional. Officials had penciled in two o’clock, but they could change it after inspecting a loose goal net. Players from Westfield and Cedar Vale warmed up along opposite sidelines. Once the net was secured, the referee confirmed the start time and called both captains forward.

2Westfield attacked quickly, sending passes toward forward Samira Bell. Cedar Vale stifled those early attacks. Its defenders blocked passing lanes and forced Westfield to send the ball backward instead of toward the goal. From the press area, the match looked less like a race than a puzzle, with each team searching for a space the other had overlooked.

3At halftime, neither team had scored, and Westfield’s substitutes leaned forward to hear coach Inez Cho. Her instructions were measured, not a rush of angry commands. She spoke slowly, paused between points, and asked players to describe what they were seeing. Midfielder Tessa Rios suggested wider passes, which could draw Cedar Vale’s defenders away from the center.

4That adjustment produced a goal when Rios sent the ball wide and Bell finished the return pass. A second Westfield goal later provided a cushion. With a two-goal advantage, Westfield could allow one goal without losing its lead. Cedar Vale responded by moving another player forward, while its goalkeeper called reminders across the field.

5The extra attacker helped Cedar Vale score with several minutes remaining. Westfield then had to weather a series of attacks: its defenders stayed organized and held their position under repeated pressure. Bell, who had spent much of the match chasing passes, dropped back to help. When the final whistle sounded, Westfield had won by a single goal.

6Afterward, Cedar Vale captain Nadiya Cruz offered a concession: Westfield had used the open spaces more effectively. She acknowledged her opponent’s strength rather than blaming the officials for the result. Westfield’s players posed for photographs, then carried equipment toward the gate. The score would fit in one short headline; explaining how it happened would take considerably more room.

Interpret words in context

Choose one answer for each multiple-choice question. For evidence questions, underline one complete sentence. Base written explanations on the report.

In paragraph 1, what does “provisional” mean?

A. Approved by both team captains
B. Earlier than originally expected
C. Planned but subject to change
D. Delayed until another afternoon

Underline the sentence from paragraph 1 that most directly explains why “provisional” means planned but subject to change.

Before Saturday’s girls’ soccer final, the kickoff time on the board was provisional.Officials had penciled in two o’clock, but they could change it after inspecting a loose goal net.Players from Westfield and Cedar Vale warmed up along opposite sidelines.Once the net was secured, the referee confirmed the start time and called both captains forward.

Which meaning of “stifled” best fits Cedar Vale’s actions in paragraph 2?

A. Made more complicated
B. Copied with equal success
C. Watched from a distance
D. Prevented from developing

Underline the sentence from paragraph 2 that shows the specific actions meant by “stifled.”

Westfield attacked quickly, sending passes toward forward Samira Bell.Cedar Vale stifled those early attacks.Its defenders blocked passing lanes and forced Westfield to send the ball backward instead of toward the goal.From the press area, the match looked less like a race than a puzzle, with each team searching for a space the other had overlooked.

In paragraph 3, which meaning of “measured” describes the coach’s instructions?

A. Timed to last a fixed number of seconds
B. Focused on the distances between players
C. Repeated until the players remembered them
D. Delivered in a calm and deliberate way

Which phrase from paragraph 3 provides a contrast that helps explain “measured”?

A. “neither team had scored”
B. “not a rush of angry commands”
C. “away from the center”
D. “leaned forward to hear”

In paragraph 4, what does the noun “cushion” mean?

A. An advantage that leaves room for a setback
B. An agreement to reduce pressure on opponents
C. A soft landing after attempting a shot
D. A chance to take a break from playing

Underline the sentence from paragraph 4 that explains how the lead served as a “cushion.”

That adjustment produced a goal when Rios sent the ball wide and Bell finished the return pass.A second Westfield goal later provided a cushion.With a two-goal advantage, Westfield could allow one goal without losing its lead.Cedar Vale responded by moving another player forward, while its goalkeeper called reminders across the field.

Which meaning of “concession” fits paragraph 6?

A. An explanation that excuses a team’s mistakes
B. A prediction about a future competition
C. An admission that gives credit to an opponent
D. A request to change a referee’s decision

10.

Underline the sentence from paragraph 6 that restates Cruz’s “concession” as an acknowledgment rather than an excuse.

Afterward, Cedar Vale captain Nadiya Cruz offered a concession: Westfield had used the open spaces more effectively.She acknowledged her opponent’s strength rather than blaming the officials for the result.Westfield’s players posed for photographs, then carried equipment toward the gate.The score would fit in one short headline; explaining how it happened would take considerably more room.

11.

Read this sentence from paragraph 5: “Westfield then had to weather a series of attacks: its defenders stayed organized and held their position under repeated pressure.” How does the word’s function help explain “weather”?

A. It follows “had to” as an action, so it means endure the attacks.
B. It names a condition, so it refers to the air around the field.
C. It describes the defenders, so it means they were experienced.
D. It describes the attacks, so it means they arrived unexpectedly.

12.

A reader says “finished” in paragraph 4 means Bell stopped playing. Which explanation best corrects this mistake?

A. The sentence says the ball went wide, so Bell let it travel out of bounds.
B. The sentence says the play produced a goal, so Bell completed it by scoring.
C. The sentence mentions a return pass, so Bell sent the ball back to her goalkeeper.
D. The sentence describes an adjustment, so Bell ended her team’s new passing plan.

13.

In paragraph 5, Bell “dropped back to help.” Explain what “dropped back” means here. Use Bell’s earlier role and the situation late in the match as context clues.

14.

In paragraph 2, the match looks “less like a race than a puzzle.” Explain what “puzzle” suggests about the game. Identify a nearby detail that supports your meaning.