Name: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Read the excerpt from chapter 22 of Holes by Louis Sachar and answer the
questions:
He printed a capital A, and then Zero copied it on his sheet of paper. The
paper wasn't lined, which made it more difficult, but Zero's A wasn't bad, just a little
big. Stanley told him he needed to write smaller, or else they'd run out of paper real
quick. Zero printed it smaller.
"Actually, there are two ways to write each letter," Stanley said, as he
realized this was going to be even harder than he thought. "That's a capital A. But
usually you'll see a small a. You only have capitals at the beginning of a word, and
only if it's the start of a sentence, or if it's a proper noun, like a name."
Zero nodded as if he understood, but Stanley knew he had made very little
sense.
He printed a lowercase a, and Zero copied it.
"So there are fifty-two," said Zero.
Stanley didn't know what he was talking about.
"Instead of twenty-six letters. There are really fifty-two."
Stanley looked at him, surprised. "I guess that's right.
How'd you figure that out?" he asked.
Zero said nothing.
Part 1: Basic reading comprehension questions
1. What did Zero copy on his sheet of paper?
a) A lowercase a
b) A capital A
c) A proper noun
d) A sentence
2. Why was it difficult for Zero to write on the paper?
a) The paper was too small.
b) The paper wasn't lined.
c) The paper was too slippery.
3. What did Stanley tell Zero about his writing?
a) He needed to write bigger.
b) He needed to write smaller.
c) He needed to use a different color.
4. When do you use capital letters?
a) Only at the beginning of a word
b) Only in the middle of a word
c) Only for proper nouns and at the beginning of a sentence
5. How did Zero respond when Stanley explained the different ways to write each letter?
a) He nodded and understood.
b) He asked for more examples.
c) He looked confused.
d) He disagreed with Stanley.
6. How did Stanley react when Zero said there were fifty-two letters?
a) He was surprised and asked how Zero figured it out.
b) He corrected Zero and said there were only 26 letters.
c) He agreed with Zero and said there were indeed fifty-two letters.
d) He ignored Zero's comment and moved on.
Part 2: Deeper meaning questions
1. Why did Stanley say that writing smaller was important?
a) It saves paper.
b) It makes the writing neater.
c) It's a rule of grammar.
d) It's easier to read.
2. Why did Stanley mention that there are usually lowercase letters in addition to capital
letters?
a) To confuse Zero.
b) To show off his knowledge.
c) To explain the rules of writing.
d) To emphasize the importance of proper nouns.
3. How did Stanley feel when Zero nodded as if he understood?
a) Relieved
b) Impressed
c) Frustrated
d) Amused
4. Why did Zero think there were fifty-two letters instead of twenty-six?
a) He misunderstood Stanley's explanation.
b) He was trying to show off his math skills.
c) He had learned a different alphabet system.
d) He was intentionally trying to confuse Stanley.
5. How did Stanley respond to Zero's claim that there were fifty-two letters?
a) He agreed with Zero's reasoning.
b) He dismissed Zero's statement.
c) He asked Zero to explain his reasoning.
d) He laughed and said Zero was wrong.
6. What does Zero's silence after Stanley's question suggest?
a) He didn't know the answer.
b) He was being stubborn.
c) He didn't want to share his thoughts.
d) He was trying to be mysterious.
7. What can be inferred about Zero's understanding of the different ways to write each
letter?
a) He understood the concept completely.
b) He was confused and didn't fully grasp it.
c) He was pretending to understand.
d) He needed more practice to get it right.
Part 3: Vocabulary
1. What does the word "copied" mean in the context of the passage?
a) Repeatedly written
b) Duplicated
c) Erased
d) Pasted
2. What does the word "lined" mean as used in the passage?
a) Having visible lines on the paper
b) Divided into sections
c) Having a decorative border
d) Stained or marked
3. What does the word "capital" mean in the context of letters?
a) Money or wealth
b) Upper case or larger form of a letter
c) Principal or central
d) Government or political power
4. What does the word "proper noun" mean?
a) A name given to a specific person, place, or thing
b) A word used in a formal setting
c) A noun that is grammatically correct
d) A noun used to describe proper behavior
5. What does the word "real" mean in the context of the passage?
a) Genuine or authentic
b) Large or significant
c) Existing in reality
d) Sincere or heartfelt
6. What does the word "figured" mean in the passage?
a) Calculated or determined
b) Shaped or formed
c) Understood or comprehended
d) Imagined or envisioned
Part 1 Answer Key:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
b) A capital A
c) The paper wasn't lined.
b) He needed to write smaller.
d) Only for proper nouns and at the beginning of a sentence
c) He looked confused.
a) He was surprised and asked how Zero figured it out.
Part 2 Answer Key:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
a) It saves paper.
c) To explain the rules of writing.
c) Frustrated
a) He misunderstood Stanley's explanation.
c) He asked Zero to explain his reasoning.
c) He didn't want to share his thoughts.
b) He was confused and didn't fully grasp it.
Part 3 Answer Key:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
b) Duplicated
a) Having visible lines on the paper
b) Upper case or larger form of a letter
a) A name given to a specific person, place, or thing
a) Genuine or authentic
a) Calculated or determined