ANSWER KEY

Name ___________________________________________________________ Date ________________________________

Reading Comprehension
Answer the questions about “The Adventure Begins.” Sample answers

1. How did the family in the story come to be in South Dakota? 7a. What is different about Serena’s attitude at the end of
the story?
A. They won a drawing in a vacation sweepstakes.
By the end of the story, Serena is more
________________________________________________
B. They pulled the state’s name out of a hat.
excited about her trip and thinks it could be a
________________________________________________
C. They are visiting friends who moved there.
real adventure.
________________________________________________
D. They are lost because the RV’s GPS failed.
________________________________________________
2. Describe Serena’s attitude toward the trip in the first half of
the story. Cite specific text evidence to support your answer. 7b. What two things in the story help bring about Serena’s
Serena is not excited about the trip. She change of attitude?
________________________________________________
Tony’s excited description of the Badlands
1. __________________________________________
“scoffed” at the idea of it being an adventure,
________________________________________________
Seeing the herd of bison along the road
2. __________________________________________
and she is “disappointed” they are in South
________________________________________________
Dakota.
________________________________________________
8. In paragraphs 11 and 12, the author incorporates
nonfiction elements into this fictional story. What effect
3. How does Serena’s perception of her friends’ vacations might this have on the reader?
affect her view of her own? Including specific, interesting facts about the
________________________________________________
She thinks the pictures of their vacations are
________________________________________________ Badlands can make readers more interested in
________________________________________________
much more exciting and adventurous than a
________________________________________________ the setting and help them better understand
________________________________________________
boring road trip through South Dakota.
________________________________________________ why Serena changes her mind about her
________________________________________________
family vacation.
________________________________________________
4. What is the meaning of envisioned as it is used in
paragraph 3?
9. Which two statements best capture the themes of
“Envisioned” means imagined or pictured.
________________________________________________ the story?
________________________________________________ A. Adventure can be found in unexpected places.
B. Everything in life eventually passes away.
5. List three things from the first half of the story that Serena
C. Seeing through others’ eyes can affect your own
would consider “real adventures.”
perspective.
Rafting through the Grand Canyon
1. __________________________________________
D. Nothing is as important as the people you love.
Exploring beaches in Florida
2. __________________________________________
Going on a safari in Africa
3. __________________________________________ 10. Summarize the development of one of the themes you
selected above.
6. Select three of the following words that best describe Theme C: Serena was letting her friends’
________________________________________________
Tony’s personality based on his actions in the story. pictures affect how she saw her own vacation.
________________________________________________
A. envious E. encouraging Then seeing how excited Tony was about
________________________________________________
B. creative F. impatient their experience helped her change how she
________________________________________________
C. optimistic G. responsible thought about their family adventure.
________________________________________________
D. eager H. nosy
________________________________________________

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