Canopy of Nature

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“Canopy of Nature”
Reading Comprehension – Short Stories
Directions: Read the story. Then answer the questions below.
Dad decided last Sunday that we should all go on a camping trip.
He read an article in the Sunday paper about camping and how it “brings families
together under the canopy of nature.”
“Overrated,” I joked. “What about the canopy of television or the canopy of

restaurant food?”
“This will be good for us,” Dad said, sliding the magazine across the coffee table.
“Let’s go next week-end.”
I shot a quick look over at my little brother, Paul. He gave me a slow eyebrow
raise which meant, “This will probably not go off completely as planned.”
My smile back said, "But it will surely be fun."
I started to think back. Once Dad decided “we should all learn how to canoe.” We
borrowed two canoes from our friends, hoisted them on the van and drove for
three hours to a secluded lake in Virginia. Once we got there, we discovered
that we had forgotten the paddles.
Paul and I got in a canoe with Dad, and our two younger sisters got in a canoe
with Mom. We floated aimlessly around the lake for hours. Then we all jumped in
with our life jackets on. We pushed the canoes back to shore. It was a fantastic
trip.
Another time, Dad decided “we should all learn how to ski.” All of us hate the cold
so we spent the week-end huddled by the fire, drinking hot cocoa in the ski lodge
and playing board games. It was great. We had a blast.
When I stopped daydreaming, Mom was saying, “Sweetheart, we don’t have a

tent.”
“We don’t need one!” Dad said happily. “We’ll take all the seats out the van when
we get to the campsite and put in an air mattress.”
I don't know what the punch line will be on this excursion, but I am sure with
Mom, Dad and the four of us kids scrunched in a van at some national park, we
are bound to have a good time.
Questions:
1) Which other title fits this passage 2) What literary term best describes
best? the narrator's daydreams?
A. “No Paddles” A. foreshadowing, meaning the use

B. “Never as Planned” of hints to suggest what is to
C. "Hot Cocoa by the Fire" come
D. "Van Camping for Beginners" B. irony, meaning a contrast
between what is stated and what
is really meant
C. flashback, meaning a scene that
interrupts the action to show
what happened at an earlier time
D. metaphor, meaning the
comparison of two unlike things
with the intent of giving added
meaning to one of them
3) Which of the following could be 4) What lesson does the narrator's

described as secluded ? family seem to live by?
▼Check all that are correct.
A. Camping is an adventure.
B. Danger is only in the
A. □ a deserted island imagination.
B. □ an amusement park C. Things don't need to go as
C. □ a hiking trail known only to a planned to have fun.
D. Reading newspapers is a
few
D. □ a popular beach on the prescription for trouble.
California coast
5) Which is the best synonym

for excursion?
A. evolution
B. exodus
C. expedition
D. hiatus
Questions (continued):
6) "Then we all jumped in with our life jackets on. We pushed the canoes back
to shore."
▼Which is the best way to combine the above sentences?
A. We all jumped in with our life jackets on as we pushed the canoes back to
shore.
B. Then we all jumped in with our life jackets on, pushing the canoes back to
shore.
C. We pushed the canoes back to shore while we all jumped in with our life
jackets on.
D. After we all jumped in with our life jackets on, we pushed the canoes back
to shore.
7) Which best describes the narrator's 8) Why might the narrator say that the
tone? camping trip will have a punch line?
A. condescending A. He feels the trip will be

B. sarcastic expensive.
C. jovial B. He feels the trip will have
D. annoyed difficulties.
C. He feels the trip will have a
funny ending.
D. He feels the sleeping in such
close quarters will cause
fighting.
Do you like to go on excursions? Explain.
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●●●ReadTheory.

Org © 2010 Name________________

Dad decided last Sunday that we should all go on a camping trip.

“Overrated,” I joked. “What about the canopy of television or the canopy of

My smile back said, "But it will surely be fun."

When I stopped daydreaming, Mom was saying, “Sweetheart, we don’t have a

A. “No Paddles” A. foreshadowing, meaning the use

3) Which of the following could be 4) What lesson does the narrator's

5) Which is the best synonym

▼Which is the best way to combine the above sentences?

A. condescending A. He feels the trip will be

Do you like to go on excursions? Explain.

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