Practice Florida Grade 5 B.E.S.T. reading skills one original question at a time, with hints, explanations and a skill selector.
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0 of 26 questions reviewed in this skill selection. This is practice, with no official score.
Question 1 of 26 · ELA.5.R.1.1
The Longer Road — Original Story
Mara wanted to be first to deliver the class's seedlings to the community garden. She tucked the small plants into a cart and hurried toward the footbridge across the creek. Ben followed with a watering can. The garden lay just beyond the bridge, and Mara imagined finishing before the other teams arrived.
At the bridge, one plank had broken. A rope blocked the crossing, and a sign said to use the road instead. Mara looked at the seedlings and then at the narrow gaps between the remaining planks. 'We must keep these safe,' Ben said. 'We can take the cart around by the road.' It was longer, but Mara knew that trying the blocked bridge would put the plants and the children at risk.
Mara had a choice: stay beside the bridge, upset about the delay, or follow the longer road. She adapted, choosing a new route to fit the unexpected problem. As they walked, she held the cart steady over rough ground. Where her thoughts had raced like the creek, they now reached a quiet bend. She noticed Ben moving a loose stone from their path and waited while he did it.
The other teams were already at the garden when they arrived. Mara checked the seedlings upright in their containers and helped Ben set them in a sheltered place. She smiled. Being quick had seemed so important at the start, but now being first was not the point. Arriving with healthy plants was.
How does the condition of the footbridge shape the main sequence of events in 'The Longer Road'?