Inferences Worksheet 1 -5
5. What was Mom planning on doing today?
Name: ____________________
Course: ____________________
Schedule: MTh, 8:55AM-10:25AM
WS No. 1
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps
of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so
far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and
threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage
bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way
in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing
machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was
instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was
“presentable,” as Alice had often said.
1. What type of job does Paul do?
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How do you know this?
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2. Describe Alice:
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What in the text supports your description?
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3. What relationship do Paul and Alice have?
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Why do you feel this way?
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Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out
the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the
weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his
hand, Max broke out into full sobs. His mother comforted him,
“There, there, Max. We’ll just find something else to do.” She
began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and
offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, “I don’t wanna sand-
mich!” A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom!
Mom sighed.
4. Why is Max upset?
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How do you know this?
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What in the text supports your description?
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“Tommy!” Mom called out as she walked in the front door.
“Tommy,” she continued shouting, “I sure could use some help
with these groceries. There was still no reply. Mom walked into
the kitchen to put the grocery bags down on the counter when she
noticed shattered glass from the picture window all over the
living room floor and a baseball not far from there. “I’m going to
kill you, Tommy!” Mom yelled to herself as she realized that
Tommy’s shoes were gone.
6. What happened to the window?
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How do you know this?
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7. Why did Tommy leave?
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What in the text supports your description?
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Today was a special day in Ms. Smith’s class. Some of the
children were walking around the room, some of them were
standing in small groups, and some of them were at their desks,
putting finishing touches on cardboard mailboxes. After coloring
a cool flame on the side of his racecar mailbox, Johnny hopped
off his chair, strutted over to Veronica’s desk, and dropped a
small white envelope into her princess castle mailbox. Veronica
blushed and played with her hair. While this was happening,
Bartleby was frantically trying to put a small white envelope into
everyone’s mailbox. After giving one to Ms. Smith, Bartleby
pulled out a medium-sized red envelope from his pocket. He
blushed and tried to put it in Veronica’s mailbox, but it wouldn’t
quite fit. Bartleby struggled with it for a few seconds and then
ran off with the envelope. Veronica rolled her eyes and popped
her gum.
8. Why is today a special day?
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What in the text supports your idea?
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9. Which boy does Veronica like?
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What in the text supports your idea?
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10. Why did Bartleby run?
What in the text supports your idea?
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WS #2
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Kyle ran into his house, slamming the door behind him. He
threw his book bag on the floor and plopped onto the couch.
After six hours of playing Grand Larceny VII, he ate some pizza
and fell asleep with a slice on his stomach and his feet on his
book bag. When Kyle came home from school the next day, he
was noticeably distraught. He balled up his report card and
placed it inside a soup can in the garbage. He then flipped the
soup can upside down in the garbage can and arranged loose
pieces of trash over it. As he plopped down on the couch, he let
out a sigh and picked up his controller.
1. Why is Kyle distraught?
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How do you know this?
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2. Why does Kyle put the report card in a soup can?
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How do you know this?
3. Was Kyle’s report card good or bad and why was it like that?
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How do you know this?
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Anastasia sat by the fountain in the park with her head in her
palms. She was weeping mournfully and her clothing was
disheveled. In between gasps and sobs, Anastasia cried out a
name: “Oh... John…” And then her cell phone beeped. Her
hand ran into her purse and her heart fluttered. The text message
was from John. She opened up the message and read the few
bare words, “I need to get my jacket back from you.” Anastasia
threw her head into her arms and continued sobbing.
4. What relationship do John and Anastasia have?
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Why do you feel this way?
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5. Why is Anastasia sad?
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How do you know this?
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Cassie rolled over in her bed as she felt the sunlight hit her face.
The beams were warming the back of her neck when she slowly
realized that it was a Thursday, and she felt a little too good for a
Thursday. Struggling to open her eyes, she looked up at the
clock. “9:48,” she shouted, “Holy cow!” Cassie jumped out of
bed, threw on the first outfit that she grabbed, brushed her teeth
in two swipes, threw her books into her backpack, and then ran
out the door.
6. What problem is Cassie having?
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How do you know this?
7. Where is Cassie going?
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How do you know this?
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Kelvin was waiting in front of the corner store at 3:56. His
muscles were tense and he was sweating a bit more than usual.
The other kids gathered in front of the little storefront were much
more relaxed, even playful. They joked back and forth lightly to
each other but for Kelvin, time slowed. 3:57. “Don’t worry,
Kelvin. He ain’t even gonna show up.” Kelvin hoped that he
wouldn’t. A black fourdoor Camry with tinted windows pulled
up and parked across the street. Kelvin gulped. 3:58. A group of
teenagers piled out of the car. James was in the front. “Hi-ya,
Kelvin. Glad you could make it,” James said. Kelvin felt
smaller.
8. Why is Kelvin waiting at the corner store?
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How do you know this?
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9. Are James and Kelvin friends?
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What in the text supports your idea?
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10. Why is Kelvin so nervous?
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What in the text supports your idea?
____________________________________________________
WS # 3
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Ryan was looking forward to sleeping over at his friend Robert's
house. Though they had been classmates for a while, the two had
only recently become good friends. Ryan packed up his sleeping
bag, a pillow, and a few of his favorite toys and games, and then
his mom dropped him off at Robert's. Robert met Ryan on the
porch and the two did their secret handshake and started playing
right away. First they played pirates in Robert's tree fort. Next
they played ninjas in the driveway. Then it started getting dark
and they went inside of Robert's house. As soon as they walked
in the house, Ryan's eyes starting getting red and itchy. He saw a
big orange cat sitting on the couch. Then he started sneezing
uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Robert. It's been a lot of fun, but I
have to call my mom."
1. Why do Ryan's eyes get red and itchy when he walks into
Robert's house?
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How do you know this?
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2. Why does Ryan want to call his mother?
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How do you know this?
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"William, don't forget your towel!" Mom shouted as she applied
sunblock on the baby. William threw the folding chairs in the
back of the minivan and shouted through the garage door, "OK
Mom!" He then ran up and grabbed his towel. "Georgie!"
William shouted. There was no response. Mom packed the baby
up into the car seat. "William, can you help me with his
umbrella?" William ran down the stairs, almost tripping over a
chew toy, and then he helped his mother load the large umbrella
in the minivan. "Mom, I can't find Georgie," William said. His
mother shrugged and replied, "That's OK, William. He probably
shouldn't come with us anyway."
3. Where are Mom and William going?
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How do you know this?
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4. Who is Georgie?
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How do you know this?
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As the teacher brought the class back from the washroom, he
noticed that Alvin and Elijah were nowhere to be seen. He asked
the class, "Has anyone seen Alvin or Elijah?" Most of the
students confirmed that they had not seen them, except for
Rodney, who remained silent while tapping his foot on the floor
anxiously. The teacher noticed this. "Rodney, do you happen to
know where your best buddies Alvin and Elijah went?" Rodney
looked away and said, "Nah, I haven't seen them." The teacher
notified the office of the missing students. An announcement was
made over the PA system and a few minutes later, Alvin and
Elijah returned to class. Both of them were very sweaty and
Elijah was carrying a basketball. "Sorry we took so long. We had
to use the bathroom," said Elijah. "Yeah," chimed in Alvin, "it
took longer than we thought."
5. What were Alvin and Elijah doing while they were gone?
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How do you know this?
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6. Why was Rodney acting so strangely?
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How do you know this?
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7. Will the teacher believe Alvin and Elijah's story?
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How do you know this?
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Tony walked out of the shopping mall with his arms full of bags
and the sun shining on him. As he approached his car, he started
awkwardly feeling around his pockets with his arm full of bags.
He did not find what he was looking for so he transferred the
bags on one arm to the other arm, which already had bags. Tony
had a lot of bags on one arm. He still couldn't find what he was
looking for. Now he dropped the bags and plunged both hands
desperately into all of the pockets on his jeans. With a look of
despair, Tony ran to his car. He tried to open the door, but it was
locked. Then he saw something on the passenger seat of the car.
He stopped looking and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
8. Why does Tony get so frantic?
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How do you know this?
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9. What does Tony see on the passenger seat?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
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10. Why is Tony getting on the phone?
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How do you know this?
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WS #4
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text. Mr.
Thomas sat on the front porch of his house in a bathrobe and
bunny slippers with his head in his hands. He was holding the
daily newspaper. The sun shined brightly in the sky. His
neighbors were coming out of their houses and getting in their
cars. Mr. Thomas sighed. His neighbor Mr. Rosencrantz stepped
out on his porch and saw Mr. Thomas. "Did it again, huh?" said
Mr. Rosencrantz. Mr. Thomas replied, "Yep." Mr. Rosencrantz
chuckled and said, "Here, Mr. Thomas, you can use my cell
phone. I could even keep a key over here if you wanted." Tom
thankfully grabbed the cell phone and called his wife. "Honey, I
did it again." Mr. Rosencrantz heard Mrs. Thomas yelling at Mr.
Thomas in a distorted high-pitched squeal. "Yes, dear. I'm so
sorry. I'll see you soon," Mr. Thomas returned the phone, sighed
deeply, and ran his fingers through his hair.
1. What is the thing that Mr. Thomas "did again"?
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How do you know this?
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2. Why will Mr. Thomas see Mrs. Thomas soon?
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How do you know this?
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Mr. Ericson was a manager at a small insurance company in
Minnesota. One cold winter day, April McKenzie, one of his
employees, approached him about some time off from work.
"This job is very important to me, Mr. Ericson, but I've been
called into jury duty. When my government asks for my help, I
have to answer the call." Mr. Ericson rubbed his forehead. "We
really need you here, April, but the government needs you more.
Take the time. We'll be alright." Mr. Ericson had thought that
they needed her there at the office, but they managed fine without
her. When April returned a week later, Mr. Ericson noticed that
most of her skin was bright shade of red except for around her
eyes. Pale white circles ran from the top of her eyebrows to the
bottom of her cheeks. These pale circles were surrounded by
sunburned flesh. That's when Mr. Ericson knew. "April, step into
my office. There are some things we need to discuss," Mr.
Ericson said ominously.
3. Where was April?
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How do you know this?
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4. What does Mr. Ericson want to talk about with April?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
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5. Why does April have white circles around her eyes?
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How do you know this?
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Gloria was driving around the neighborhood in her pajamas.
Every block or so she'd stop the car, hold her head out of the
door, whistle, and call out "Candy! Candy! Come here girl!"
Then she'd start the car again and slowly drive another block or
two, looking around from left to right. Curtis sat in the passenger
seat. He was looking around too, but he held his head low. "How
many times have I told you to make sure that you shut and lock
the door after you come in?" Gloria reprimanded Curtis. Curtis
sighed. He felt bad enough without her finger-wagging.
6. Who is Candy and what are Gloria and Curtis doing?
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How do you know this?
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7. How did Candy get out?
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How do you know this?
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8. Why does Curtis feel bad?
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How do you know this?
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Justin came running down the stairs wearing his Tatakai Ninjas
pajamas. He did a karate kick off of the last step and shouted
"Kiya!" He slipped on the floor and almost fell as he landed,
which didn't stop him from continuing to practice his ninja strikes
on his way to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth with his Tatakai
Ninjas toothbrush and rinsed his mouth out with water from a
Tatakai Ninjas cup. "Moooooom, Daaaaad! It's time to open my
present!" After his parents came downstairs and poured
themselves coffee, Justin began to open his present. His fingers
were tense with excitement. Then they were still. It was six pairs
of plain white socks. Justin checked in the box for something
else. There was nothing. He looked at his parents and said, "Oh,
socks. Just what I needed. Thank you so much," and then he
sighed.
9. Is Justin happy with the socks?
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How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
10. What present would have made Justin happier?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
WS # 5
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Jenna was shocked when she opened the door to her apartment.
There were long rips in the couch, as though someone had run
knives down the front of it. A lamp was shattered on the floor.
Some picture frames were hanging crookedly, some of them had
fallen off the wall and the door to her cat's travel cage was open.
Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and
forth and there were feathers on the floor. She could have sworn
that she had locked her cat in the travel cage before she left for
work. At first Jenna thought it might have been burglars. Oh no,
she thought. Someone broke into my apartment, trashed the
place, and stole my cat! Then she heard the cat meowing in her
bedroom. She ran to the bedroom and saw the cat patting one of
Jenna's favorite shoes with its claws. "That's it!" Jenna yelled.
"I'm done with this." She threw the cat back into its travel cage
and tried to shut the door, but the lock wouldn't catch. Jenna
huffed and then grabbed some duct tape.
1. What happened to Jenna's apartment?
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How do you know this?
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2. Why is there an empty birdcage in Jenna's apartment?
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How do you know this?
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3. What is Jenna going to do with the cat?
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How do you know this?
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"I'm home!" Earl shouted as he walked in the door. His wife Gail
came bounding down the stairs. She hadn't seen him since he had
left to go on his silly fishing trip two weeks ago. "I missed you,
Husband. Did you catch anything?" Gail reluctantly asked,
knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman. Earl scratched
his head and responded, "You're not going to believe what I'm
bringing home." Earl unzipped a cooler and pulled out several
perfectly filleted salmon steaks. "Wow, Earl, I didn't know that
you could fillet a fish like that." Earl looked around the room a
little bit and scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, Jeff taught me how."
Gail looked at him suspiciously. "Well, let me help you unpack."
As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt
from the grocery store. It was dated from that morning. What she
saw was both disappointing and unsurprising.
4. What did Gail find on the receipt?
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How do you know this?
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5. Why was Gail disappointed and unsurprised with what she
saw?
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How do you know this?
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"Gus, I need to see you in my office," said Mr. Matthews. Gus
nervously shut the door to Mr. Matthews' office behind him and
took a seat. Mr. Matthews' office was so high up that Gus had to
angle his chair awkwardly so that he couldn't see out of the
window. Mr. Matthews pointed his finger at Gus and began
talking, "You have been fitting in great over here, and that's one
of the most important things you can do in this company." Gus let
out a sigh of relief. Mr. Matthews continued speaking. "Gus, I
want to invite you on a company trip. We will be taking a private
jet to Colorado." Gus's eyes widened and his heart began
thumping rapidly. "Wow, Mr. Matthews! I don't know what to
say," Gus replied honestly. Mr. Matthews continued, "Then we
will be climbing up a mountain to a private cabin." Gus loosened
his tie a bit a gulped. He was hoping that it would be over but Mr.
Matthews continued, "After completing some team building
activities, we will take a hot air balloon ride over the mountains!"
Gus's heart was now pounding so hard that he was worried that
Mr. Matthews might see it thumping through his shirt. He was
sweating excessively. Mr. Matthews slapped him on the shoulder,
"So what do you say Gus?" Gus did not know what to say.
6. Why does the view from Mr. Matthews' office make Gus
uncomfortable?
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How do you know this?
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7. How does Gus really feel about his boss's invitation?
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Why does he feel this way?
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How do you know this?
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8. Why is Gus reluctant to tell Mr. Matthews how he truly feels?
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How do you know this?
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Mike got out of the driver seat of the classic car. He looked at the
mailbox and then at the bumper. The mailbox was smashed and
bent. The shiny chrome bumper had a dent about the size of a
football around the passenger side. Mike shook his head and got
back in the driver seat. He knew what he had to do. He didn't
want to do it, but he had to. He drove back home and sat in the
driveway for a few minutes, holding his head in his hands. Mike's
dad came out of the house carrying a black garbage bag. He
smiled and waved at Mike as he passed the driver side of the car.
Then he looked again as he walked past the passenger side of the
vehicle. His mouth dropped open and he let go of the garbage
bag.
9. In the text it says, "[Mike] knew what he had to do." What did
Mike have to do?
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How do you know this?
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10. What is Mike going to tell his father and how will his father
react?
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How do you know this?
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Inferences Worksheet 6 - 10
Name: ____________________
Course: ____________________
Schedule: MTh, 10:30AM-12:00NN
WS # 6
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Miya came out of the bathroom with tears in her eyes. She ran
down to the cafeteria and asked the staff if they had any rice.
Fortunately for Miya, Ms. Lucille did. Ms. Lucille filled a red
plastic cup about half way with white rice grains and handed it to
Miya. Miya pulled a damp phone from out of her back pocket
and pushed it into the dry rice grains inside of the plastic cup. She
sincerely thanked Ms. Lucille and then went back to class. She
felt relieved, but she was still a little worried.
1. Why is Miya upset at the beginning of the passage?
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How do you know this?
2. Why does Miya put her phone in the cup of rice?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
3. Why is Miya relieved but still worried at the end of the text?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
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Otto stuffed another candy bar in his mouth. He lay sprawled on
the floor with his back against his bed. Candy wrappers
surrounded him. His shirt was caught in the folds of his belly and
he had melted chocolate all over his face and hands. "Ugh…" he
groaned weakly as he struggled to finish chewing. Suddenly, the
front door opened. "Otto, I'm home!" It was his mom. Otto rolled
almost gracefully from his sprawled position and began kicking
the candy wrappers under his bed. As she walked slowly up the
stairs to his room, he managed to get all of the wrappers under
the bed and then he threw a blanket over them. She opened the
door, took one look at his face, and knew.
4. Why does Otto act guiltily when his mom comes home?
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How do you know this?
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5. How did Otto's mom know what he was doing?
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How do you know this?
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Shawn sat in his seat as the morning bell rang and released a big
yawn. He rubbed his eyes and could feel how baggy they were.
He stretched as the teacher went to the front of the class and
began talking, "Good morning, students! I'll take attendance
while you start working on that test that I promised you." The
class let out a collective groan, but Shawn's eyes widened. He
began rummaging through his backpack and pulled out a
crumpled notebook with part of the cover torn off it. He
frantically rifled through the pages, many of which were filled
with just a few words or doodles. The teacher looked directly at
Shawn as he said, "OK, class, put your notes away and clear off
your desks. It's test time." Shawn began looking around the room
frantically. He saw Cassie sitting next to him. Shawn whispered,
"Psst... Cassie." She turned to him with a scowl. His eyes pleaded
with hers. "Not gonna happen, Shawn," Cassie said loudly. This
startled Shawn and he jumped in his seat. The teacher looked at
Shawn again, "No more talking class."
6. Was Shawn up late last night studying for the test?
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How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
7. Why does Shawn suddenly liven up when the teacher
announces the test?
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How do you know this?
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8. What did Shawn want from Cassie?
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How do you know this?
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Michael was the star quarterback of the football team and he was
dating Amanda Barnes, the captain of the cheerleading squad.
Everything was going perfectly for them until Michael was
seriously injured during one of the last games of the season. The
doctors told him that he would probably never play football again
and that he would have to wear a large cast on his leg for several
months. Amanda stayed really close with Michael immediately
after the injury, but then she started to change. She would not
visit him often. She would not wait by his locker or help him
carry his books to class anymore. Also, he noticed that she was
talking more and more with Ken Madsen, the new quarterback.
This upset Michael greatly. Then one day Amanda told him that
she and Michael needed to have a talk after school. Michael did
not like the sound of that.
9. What does Amanda want to talk about with Michael?
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How do you know this?
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10. Why does Amanda want to have this talk?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
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WS # 7
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Screech! Karen stomped on the gas pedal the moment the light
turned green. She looked over her left shoulder and zigged past a
semi-truck. She zoomed ahead and looked over her right shoulder
and then zagged past a motorbike. She glanced at the clock on the
console and darted into the parking lot. Whipping into a parking
spot, she grabbed her suitcase and ran through the lot, up the
escalator, and into the terminal. Her heavy suitcase was bumping
and bouncing the whole way. Just as she entered the terminal, she
heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "Final boarding
call for flight 205 to JFK..." Karen looked at her ticket and then
at the line to get through the security checkpoint, which wrapped
around several turnstiles and slithered like a lethargic snake.
Karen sighed and then slowly walked to the customer service
desk.
1. Why is Karen in a hurry?
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How do you know this?
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2. Why does she start walking slowly at the end of the passage?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
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3. What is Karen going to do at the customer service desk?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
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Brenda reached for the box of tissue. She blew her nose with a
thunderous force and then tried breathing through it again. It was
still clogged. She stood up and got a head rush that almost
knocked her back down to the bed, but she regained her balance.
As she tottered over to the phone on her dresser, all of her
muscles ached. She located the contact labeled "Work" and
pressed send. A couple of rings later, a familiar voice answered
the phone, "Happy Fun Land, this is Deidra speaking. How can I
help you have a happy fun day?" Brenda moaned, "Oh, Deidra,
it's Brenda." Deidra responded with pep, "Hey, Brenda! I can't
wait to see you this afternoon." Brenda grunted and replied,
"Yeah, well, actually, I need to talk to the manager."
4. Why is Brenda moving so slowly?
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How do you know this?
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5. What is Brenda going to talk about with the manager?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
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"Shh…" Dale whispered to his friend Jim. Jim stopped talking
mid-sentence and looked at Dale. Dale was dressed in a
fluorescent orange sweater with the hood up and a camouflage
vest over the sweater. He saw Dale point his rifle at the horizon
and squint, and then Jim looked where the barrel was aimed. A
large 10-point buck trotted about thirty meters from the bushes
behind which Jim and Dale were positioned.
6. What are Jim and Dale doing in the bushes?
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How do you know this?
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7. Why does Dale shush Jim?
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How do you know this?
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8. What event is most likely to occur next?
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How do you know this?
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Troy moved the cloth in a circular direction on his car's fender.
Troy loved this car. It wasn't a racecar, but he took really good
care of it. Next he wiped down the trunk with the chamois and
then the bumper. He put the chamois down and took a step back,
putting his hands on his hips and admiring his work. The chrome
bumper shined dazzlingly. Suddenly, Troy felt a cool breeze. He
heard a distant crack of thunder and noticed a storm cloud rolling
in from the west. Troy kicked the water bucket over and said,
"Doggone it!"
9. What is Troy doing?
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How do you know this?
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10. Why does Troy get mad at the end of the passage?
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How do you know this?
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WS # 8
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Mr. Johnson looked up at the sky. It was clear as far as the eye
could see, except for the cruel sun. The insatiable sun drained the
land of all moisture. He cursed the sun. Mr. Johnson ran his
fingers through one of the rows of dirt and grabbed a handful. It
was bone dry, almost powdery. He let the dirt sift through his
fingers and it turned to dust in the wind. Mr. Johnson put his
hands on his hips and surveyed the field. It was well seeded, that
he knew. He had seeded it himself, yet nothing sprang from the
dirt. "Well, there's only one thing left to do," he said to himself.
Mr. Johnson headed to church.
1. What does Mr. Johnson do for a living?
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How do you know this?
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2. Why is Mr. Johnson cursing the sun?
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How do you know this?
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3. Why does Mr. Johnson go to church at the end of the passage?
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How do you know this?
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Warren pushed the back door open with his elbow. He was
dragging a heavy black plastic sack behind him. Thud, thud, thud.
The bag thumped each stair Warren descended. Thud, thud, rip,
drip, drip. The bag had gotten caught on a nail and a foul,
odorous juice poured out, splashing Warren's leg. "Ew... gross!"
Warren shouted as he adjusted the bag. He walked out to the
alley and deposited the bag in a large plastic container, closing
the lid behind him as he left, still muttering about his pants.
4. What is Warren doing?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
5. Why does Warren get so angry when the bag spills on his leg?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
Pablo slowly got off the ground and wiped the dust from his
pants. There were several tears in both legs. He could see blood
through the holes. He picked the gravel from his wounds, wiped
off the dust and looked at the motorbike. The bike was on its
side, the front wheel was turned around, and the wheel was
spinning. Pablo's elbow and shoulder hurt as he struggled to pull
the heavy bike upright once again. He got back on his seat and
headed once more for home. When he got there, he quickly
grabbed the hose and sprayed the motorbike. He wiped it down
with a rag from his father's garage and then parked it against the
wall. He walked into his house where his mother was shocked to
see him. "Oh my! By heavens, what happened to you, Pablo?"
Pablo did not even hesitate, "I got attacked by a dog after school
by Jalen's house. It was one of his neighbor's dogs."
6. How did Pablo injure himself?
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How do you know this?
7. Why does Pablo wash his bike off when he gets home?
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How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
8. Why does Pablo tell his mother the story about the dog?
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How do you know this?
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Virgil slammed his fist against the locker. The hallway had been
packed one minute ago, but now most of the students had filed
into their classes. The bell would ring shortly. Virgil looked
around urgently but saw no friendly faces. He faced the locker
again and started spinning the lock, first right, then left, then
right. He took a deep breath and pulled the lock. It held tight.
Virgil cursed under his breath at the exact moment that the bell
rang. Virgil grabbed the handle of the locker and yanked it
repeatedly in a fit of frustration. Then he threw his arms against
the locker and burrowed his head into his arms. Finally, he
pushed himself off of the locker and went to look for a custodian.
9. Why is Virgil upset?
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How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
10. Why did Virgil go to look for a custodian at the end of the
passage?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
WS # 9
Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the questions.
Each question will ask you to make a logical inference based on
textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the text.
Emilio took the cap off his head, dropped the baseball bat, and
rested his elbows on the fence. It wasn't that he couldn't find the
ball. It was sitting right in the middle of the lawn, just beyond the
fence. The fence was not very high either. Emilio could probably
get a running start, grab the top of the fence, and flip right over it.
But there was a dog, a large Rottweiler with a spiked collar. He
sat under an awning a few feet away from the ball. He looked at
Emilio and let out a menacing growl. Archie, Scotty, and Dutch
ran up to Emilio and surveyed the situation. Archie was the first
to speak, "So, are you going to do it, Emilio?"
1. What were the boys doing right before the text begins?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
2. What problem is Emilio facing?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
3. Why is this problem Emilio's instead of Archie's, Scotty's, or
Dutch's?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
"Honey, I'm home!" Valentino shouted as he crossed the
threshold. He walked into the kitchen and put his coat and bag on
a counter stool, careful not to damage the flowers that he was
carrying. "Where are you, honey?" Valentino asked. "I'm
upstairs, dearest!" Dulce shouted as she finished wrapping the tie.
Valentino held the flowers behind his back and crept up the
stairs. Dulce tied the bow and concealed the package behind her
back as she stepped into the hallway. Their eyes met and
Valentino and Dulce smiled at one another.
4. What is Valentino's relationship to Dulce?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
5. What event is likely to occur next?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
6. Why is today significant for Valentino and Dulce?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
"Nico!" Erin shouted at the top of her lungs as she bounded
through the meadow, "Come back, Nico!" She was nearly out of
breath but she kept running through the tall grass. "Nico, come
on, boy! It's time to go home!" Erin continued shouting, her voice
hoarse from shouting similar expressions all day. Then she
stumbled over the leash that she was carrying, "Whoa… Come on
Nico!" Erin shouted, regaining her balance.
7. Who is Nico?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
8. Where did Nico go?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
9. Why has Erin been "shouting similar expressions all day"?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
"Argh!" Amber exclaimed as she pulled off her sweater and
threw it into a multicolored pile of clothes. She walked into her
closet and swept her hand recklessly through the rows of hanging
garments, her face reflecting her dissatisfaction. She huffed and
grabbed a silver dress. She held it up to the mirror against her
body for a moment, sighed, and then stepped into the dress. She
gazed into the mirror, and then scowled and threw her fists down
in disappointment. She heard her mother's voice through the
door, "Amber, Scott's here. Are you almost ready?" Amber
groaned, "OK, just tell him I'll be down in two minutes!" She slid
the silver dress back off and threw it onto the ever-growing
multicolored pile of clothes.
10. What problem is Amber having?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
11. Will Amber be ready to meet Scott in two minutes? Why or
why not?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
WS #10 Directions: Read each passage and then respond to the
questions. Each question will ask you to make a logical inference
based on textual details. Explain your answer by referencing the
text.
Gina looked in the mirror at the bright red pustule on her nose.
She poked at it carefully, afraid that it might burst on her dress. It
was large and painful. The more she prodded it, the larger it got.
This is not how it was supposed to go! Gina thought to herself.
Then she began crying. Her mother yelled up the stairs, "Gina!
Eric is here!" This news made Gina even more distraught. Now
her makeup was running and just as she feared, some of it got on
her dress. "Why me? Why today?" Gina lamented to herself
between sobs and gasps.
1. Why is Gina upset at the beginning of the passage?
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How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
2. Who is Eric?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
Iggy squinted as he tried to see through the holes in the ski mask.
He could make out the large bag on the counter. The frightened
woman who put it there now had both hands raised. As he took
the bag off of the counter, Iggy tipped an imaginary hat to the
woman. The jest did not brighten her demeanor. Iggy exited the
first set of doors but stopped in the vestibule. Soon the windows
of the building pulsated with blue and red lights. Iggy hurriedly
walked back into the building.
3. What is Iggy doing in this building?
___________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
4. Why does Iggy tip "an imaginary hat to the woman"?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
5. Why does Iggy return inside of the building after having left?
_____________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
Missy looked at her brother Kirk with burning eyes. Her hatred
seared through him. Sensing this, Kirk turned toward her and
they met eyes. Kirk knew Missy well, but he had never seen this
particular expression on her face before and it startled him. He
said, "Look, there's no use wasting a bunch of energy fighting.
Let's look for it. Where does it go anyway?" Missy fumed at his
nonchalance. She replied, "Look at the puzzle, Kirk. You can't
miss it." Kurt looked at the jigsaw representation of the Statue of
Liberty that lay on the table. It was composed of 2,500 tiny
pieces, well, only 2,499 really. The red and yellow piece that
went in the center of the torch flame was mysteriously absent.
Missy sneered at him and said in a vitriolic tone, "I told you not
to move the puzzle pieces, but you insisted. You said that you
had to have a better seat. Well, I hope you're happy, Kirk." Kirk
ran his index finger along the inside of his shirt collar. "Gee,
Missy… I'm sorry," he murmured.
scowled at her and made another check on his clipboard. He said
dryly, "Turn right here." Sweat beads gathered on Pam's brow.
She timidly exited the parking lot. Now she was on a
thoroughfare and was travelling 15 MPH below the speed limit.
Traffic accumulated behind her. The man made a few more
checks on his clipboard and wrote a comment. "Turn left at this
stop sign," he said. Pam slowly turned left, but she did not stop.
Several cars honked, and then she ran over a curb and bumped
into a newspaper vending machine. The man hurriedly made
several more checks on his clipboard and said, "OK, we're done
here. Please get in the passenger seat. I will drive back to the
facility."
8. What is Pam doing?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
9. Who is the man with Pam?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
10. What information is the man putting on his clipboard?
____________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________

6. Why is Missy in such a bad mood?

___________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________
7. Why is Missy specifically mad at Kirk?
________________________________________________
How do you know this?
____________________________________________________

Pam clutched the steering wheel awkwardly. The man in the

passenger seat looked at her from behind wireframe glasses and
then looked back at his clipboard and made some checks. Pam
attempted to pull out from the parking spot slowly, but her foot
slipped and she pressed on the gas too hard. The car jerked back
suddenly and she almost crashed into a parked van. The man