Small changes in the neighborhood
A seed-sharing shelf and a repair table give learners two everyday situations to read about. Practice finding a main idea, checking details and making a supported inference. Questions mix four and five choices.
These fictional practice materials were created for Paper Harbor. They are not an official exam or a certified reading-level assessment. Preview the vocabulary and length for your class.
Use these 6 questions in the quiz maker →A library of seeds
On Monday, Maple Library opened a small seed library beside its front desk. Visitors can take one packet of vegetable or flower seeds without paying. Each packet has planting instructions. Unlike books, the seeds do not have a return date. The library hopes that people will collect seeds from their own plants and bring some back in the fall, but this is optional. Mina, a volunteer, checks the shelf every Friday. She puts the newest packets at the back so that visitors take the older ones first. Next month, she plans to offer a short class for people who have never grown a plant.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
- To announce a new book-return rule
- To explain a library’s seed-sharing project
- To compare the prices of vegetables
- To describe a flower competition
What must a visitor do when taking seeds?
- Pay for the packet
- Promise to return seeds in the fall
- Take no more than one packet
- Attend Mina’s class first
- Bring a library book
Why does Mina put the newest packets at the back?
- To help visitors use older packets first
- To hide them until next month
- To reserve them for volunteers
- To separate flowers from vegetables
The Saturday repair table
For three Saturdays, a neighborhood center has hosted a repair table. Residents bring small broken household items, and volunteers help them look for simple repairs. The service is free, but visitors pay for any replacement parts they need. Last Saturday, Leo brought a desk lamp. A volunteer found a loose wire and fixed it while Leo watched. Another visitor brought a toaster that the team could not safely repair. They suggested a professional repair shop instead. The center originally planned to close the table at noon. Because several people were still waiting, the volunteers stayed until one. Next week, visitors will be asked to book a time before coming.
What may visitors need to pay for?
- Watching a repair
- Entering the center
- Booking a time
- Replacement parts
What happened to the toaster?
- Leo repaired it at home
- The volunteers suggested a professional shop
- It was repaired at no cost
- The center bought a new one
- Its loose wire was fixed
Why will visitors probably need to book a time next week?
- The center will stop offering repairs
- Replacement parts will become free
- The center wants to manage the waiting line
- Only lamps will be accepted
Answer key with explanations
These letters match the order on this page and in the original CSV. If you shuffle choices in the quiz maker, use the answer key from that saved exam.
Show all 6 answers and explanations
- B. To explain a library’s seed-sharing project
The passage introduces the seed library and explains how visitors can use it. The book comparison explains one rule; it is not the main topic.
- C. Take no more than one packet
Visitors can take one packet. Payment is not required, returning seeds is optional, and the class is a future plan.
- A. To help visitors use older packets first
The passage gives this reason directly: visitors take the older packets first. Nothing says the new packets are hidden or reserved.
- D. Replacement parts
The service is free, but the passage explicitly says visitors pay for replacement parts when needed.
- B. The volunteers suggested a professional shop
The team could not safely repair the toaster and suggested a professional shop. The loose wire belonged to Leo’s lamp.
- C. The center wants to manage the waiting line
People were still waiting at the planned closing time, so booking is likely intended to organize arrivals. This is an inference from the sequence of events.
Make a student paper and a matching key
- Choose Use these 6 questions in the quiz maker. The sample opens in the column review screen. Your saved workspace is not changed just by opening it.
- Click Review import, check that all six questions are usable, then choose Import 6 usable questions. This replaces the active question bank; saved exams stay intact. Export your workspace first if you want to keep the current bank too.
- Set the number of questions to 6 and leave all unit and type filters empty. Turn choice shuffling off to keep the letters shown here, or leave it on for a new order.
- Select the questions, review them and choose Confirm & save.
- Print Questions for students. Then switch to Answer key and print separately. Choose A4 or Letter and check every page in print preview. Your browser can also save a PDF.
The shared reading prints once per selected group. To reuse this exact version, reopen it under Saved exams. Read the printing guide for backups and long passages.
Use it in a lesson
First ask learners to read without looking at the answers. Then have them underline the sentence supporting each choice. For the final question, discuss why the waiting line supports the inference about booking and why the other choices are unsupported.
For a shorter activity, select only Reading 1 or Reading 2 in the quiz maker and request three questions. To write a follow-up, download the CSV and change the passages, questions, choices and numeric answers in a spreadsheet. Review the updated key before using it.
You may print, copy and adapt these fictional sample passages and questions for your lessons or personal practice.
Make a printable version →