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Pepper's First Week: A Diary

4th grade reading

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Pepper's First Week: A Diary

Saturday. Today we collected Pepper from the rescue centre. She is a skinny brown dog with one floppy ear and one ear that stands straight up. In the car, she shook the whole way home, and I held her blanket so she could smell it. I felt nervous too. Sunday. Pepper hid behind the sofa all day. Mum says rescue dogs sometimes need time to trust people because they do not know what is going to happen next. I lay on the floor and read my comic out loud so she could get used to my voice. Tuesday. A breakthrough! When I got back from school, Pepper crept out and sniffed my shoes. Then she licked my hand. I stayed completely still, although I wanted to cheer. Thursday. We went to the park on her lead. A bicycle rang its bell, and Pepper jumped behind my legs. I knelt down and talked to her calmly until her tail started wagging again. Friday. Tonight Pepper fell asleep with her head on my foot. I didn't move for an hour, even though my foot went numb. I think she has decided she lives here now.

1
Question 1
Read "Pepper's First Week: A Diary". Where did the family get Pepper?
- A. from a rescue centre
- B. from a neighbour
- C. from the park
- D. from a pet shop
2
Question 2
Read "Pepper's First Week: A Diary". Is this diary a first-hand or a second-hand account?
- A. first-hand: the writer was there and shares their own feelings
- B. second-hand: the writer only heard about it
- C. second-hand: it was copied from a book
- D. neither: it is a poem
3
Question 3
Read "Pepper's First Week: A Diary". Which word best describes the writer?
- A. bossy
- B. impatient
- C. careless
- D. patient
4
Question 4
Read "Pepper's First Week: A Diary". On Tuesday the writer says, "A breakthrough!" What does breakthrough mean here?
- A. something that broke
- B. an important step forward after waiting
- C. a hole in a wall
- D. a bad surprise
5
Question 5
Read "Pepper's First Week: A Diary". Why did Pepper jump behind the writer's legs in the park?
- A. The bicycle bell frightened her.
- B. She was tired.
- C. She wanted to play hide-and-seek.
- D. She saw another dog.
6
Question 6
Read "Pepper's First Week: A Diary". Which is the best summary of the diary?
- A. A dog goes to the park and hears a bell.
- B. Over a week, a scared rescue dog slowly learns to trust her new family.
- C. Pepper has one floppy ear.
- D. Dogs are better pets than cats.

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Answer key: Pepper's First Week: A Diary

1. A. from a rescue centre
- The answer is stated directly in the text.
- Saturday's entry says, 'we collected Pepper from the rescue centre.'
- So the answer is: from a rescue centre
2. A. first-hand: the writer was there and shares their own feelings
- Point of view is who tells the story and how much they know.
- The writer uses I and describes what they saw and felt each day.
- So the answer is: first-hand: the writer was there and shares their own feelings
3. D. patient
- A character's words and actions reveal what they are like and what they want.
- The writer reads aloud to Pepper, stays still and does not move for an hour so as not to disturb her.
- So the answer is: patient
4. B. an important step forward after waiting
- The words around an unfamiliar word help show its meaning.
- After days of hiding, Pepper finally comes out and licks the writer's hand: a big step forward.
- So the answer is: an important step forward after waiting
5. A. The bicycle bell frightened her.
- An inference combines clues in the text with what you know.
- The bell rang and Pepper jumped behind the writer, who then calmed her down.
- So the answer is: The bicycle bell frightened her.
6. B. Over a week, a scared rescue dog slowly learns to trust her new family.
- The main idea covers the whole text; details only cover a part.
- The diary follows Pepper from shaking and hiding to falling asleep on the writer's foot.
- So the answer is: Over a week, a scared rescue dog slowly learns to trust her new family.