Theme Pre-Test

Identify the theme of the passage below.

Even though they were sisters, Suzie and June were nothing alike. If Suzie wanted to jump rope, June wanted to play hopscotch. If June wanted to watch soap operas, Suzie wanted to watch talk shows. Tensions rose to the point that the girls could no longer stand one another's company. It seemed that they had nothing in common, until the day that progress reports came out. While riding the bus home from school, the girls�startled by how upset the other looked�realized that they were both failing a subject. Suzie was failing math and June was failing reading. Since both girls wanted to pass their classes, they got to talking and agreed to help one another. So everyday after school for the next few weeks, Suzie tutored June in reading and then June tutored Suzie in math. By the time report cards came were distributed, Suzie and June were passing all of their classes. The girls were delighted, but their mother was happiest of all. Not just because her daughters passed their classes, but because they had learned to be good sisters.

Identify the theme of the excerpt below.

1. Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, but Katie Clean had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean's white bedspread without asking, and Messy Missy is a sloppy eater, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy's sloppy behavior, but then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone. Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she spilled grape soda all over her assignment.

A stories theme and topic are the same thing.

What is a theme?

Which statement best expresses the theme of the excerpt below?

And even when I can't
I try
'cause she believes in me.

Select the items below that are recurring themes.

List where a reader can look to infer the theme of the text.

A story may have more than one theme.

Identify the theme of the excerpt below.

The little grey mouse that lived in my wall prospered for many days on nibbles of my lunch. I'd pack a meal before bed and, while I slept, he would take small bites of my lunch, which I left on the counter. He'd take a cracker crumble here, and a bread crumb there, but he wouldn't take too much and he'd always clean up after himself. Things were going quite well for him and I didn't even know he existed, until he got sloppy. One night while I slept, he ate all of my chips and left behind a big mess. When I awoke to this sight, I knew what had happened to my chips. So the next night when he returned for another snack, he found a nice, delicious piece of cheese... lightly balanced on a mouse trap. Now I don't have to share my chips anymore.

Identify the theme of the story below.

All Victor ever wanted to do with his life was be a singer. He didn't pay attention in school and he spent all of his time at home watching music videos online and impersonating his idols. His mother tried to teach him the value of getting an education and having a backup plan, but Victor would respond the same way every time, "Mom, I won't need to know any of that boring old stuff when I'm famous. You'll see." But there was one major problem with Victor's plan: he wasn't any good at singing. Victor wanted to be a singer so badly, that he didn't notice the pained look on the faces of those who endured his singing. Because he wanted to be a singer so badly, when honest people told him to find something else to do with his life, he accused them of being "jealous haters" and ignored their advice. After Victor dropped out of high school to focus on his music career, the years passed and the doors never opened.