Unit Checkpoint: Making Inferences
Instructions
This checkpoint tests everything you learned about making inferences. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions.
Reading Passage: "The Big Game"
Mia's hands were shaking as she tied her cleats. Today was the championship soccer game, and she had never played in front of so many people before. She could hear the crowd cheering outside the locker room.
"You've got this," said Coach Kim, putting a hand on Mia's shoulder. "Remember everything we practiced."
Mia nodded but didn't say anything. Her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. She took a deep breath and walked onto the field.
In the second half, the score was tied 1-1. Mia got the ball near the goal. Without thinking, she kicked it exactly the way she had practiced a hundred times. The ball flew past the goalie and into the net!
Her teammates rushed over and lifted her up on their shoulders. Mia's face hurt from smiling so much. When she looked into the stands, she saw her dad wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
Questions
1. What can you infer about how Mia felt at the beginning of the passage?
A) Confident and relaxed
B) Nervous and anxious
C) Angry and upset
D) Bored and tired
Answer
B) Nervous and anxious - Her hands were shaking, her stomach had butterflies, and she didn't speak.
2. Which clue from the text best shows Mia was nervous?
A) "Today was the championship game"
B) "Her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies"
C) "She kicked it exactly the way she had practiced"
D) "Her teammates rushed over"
Answer
B) - "Butterflies in stomach" is a common way to describe nervousness.
3. What can you infer about why Mia's kick went in?
A) She was lucky
B) The goalie wasn't paying attention
C) She had practiced the kick many times
D) Coach Kim helped her
Answer
C) - The text says "she kicked it exactly the way she had practiced a hundred times."
4. Why was Mia's dad wiping his eyes?
A) He was sad
B) He was proud and emotional
C) Something was in his eye
D) He was tired
Answer
B) - Parents often cry happy tears when proud of their children's achievements.
5. What does "Her face hurt from smiling so much" tell you about Mia?
A) She was injured
B) She was extremely happy
C) She was pretending to be happy
D) She was in pain
Answer
B) - Smiling so much your face hurts means you're very, very happy.
6. Which is the best TEE response about Mia's feelings at the end?
A) "Mia scored a goal."
B) "Mia was on the soccer team and she scored."
C) "I can infer Mia felt proud and joyful because her teammates lifted her up and her face hurt from smiling. These details show she was celebrating a big achievement."
D) "Mia smiled."
Answer
C) - This has Topic (inference), Evidence (lifted up, smiling), and Explanation (celebrating achievement).
7. What can you infer about Coach Kim?
A) She doesn't care about Mia
B) She is supportive and believes in Mia
C) She is nervous too
D) She doesn't like soccer
Answer
B) - She puts her hand on Mia's shoulder and says encouraging words.
8. Fix this response: "i can infer mia was happy"
A) "I can infer Mia was happy."
B) "i can Infer mia was Happy."
C) "I Can Infer Mia Was Happy."
D) "I can infer mia was happy"
Answer
A) - Capitalize "I" at beginning and "Mia" (proper noun), add period at end.
9. What evidence would NOT support the inference that Mia was nervous?
A) Her hands were shaking
B) Her stomach felt like butterflies
C) Her teammates lifted her up
D) She didn't say anything
Answer
C) - Being lifted up by teammates shows celebration, not nervousness.
10. An inference is:
A) Copying exactly what the text says
B) Making a guess without any clues
C) Using clues to figure out something the author doesn't say directly
D) Writing a summary
Answer
C) - Inference = clues + thinking to understand what's not stated directly.
How Did You Do?
- 9-10 correct: Excellent! You're an inference expert!
- 7-8 correct: Good job! Review the questions you missed.
- 5-6 correct: Keep practicing! Review the lessons in this unit.
- Below 5: Go back and review all the lessons before moving on.
Next Steps
- Review any questions you got wrong
- Practice making inferences when you read
- Continue to the next ELA unit: Text Features