Reading Comprehension: How to Get a Goldfish
Let's go through the story and solve the problem step by step. The main task here is to understand what Evan did to get a goldfish without spending money, and how he managed it cleverly.
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Summary of the Story
Evan wants a pet but his family has allergies or fears:
- Allergic to dogs (Evan)
- Allergic to cats (mother)
- Afraid of rodents (father)
- Afraid of reptiles (little sister)
So, Evan suggests a
goldfish, which none of them are allergic to or afraid of.
His father says: *"You can have a goldfish, if you can figure out how to get one without costing me any money."*
This sets up the challenge:
Get a goldfish without spending money.
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How Did Evan Solve the Problem?
1.
He traded headphones for a fishbowl
- Evan had two pairs of headphones as birthday gifts.
- He offered them to his friend Tony in exchange for a fishbowl.
- Tony accepted the trade.
2.
He sold his favorite shirt to Kevin
- Evan took his favorite shirt (one Kevin admired) and offered to sell it for $20.
- Kevin only paid $10, but that was enough for Evan’s goal.
3.
Used the $10 to buy a goldfish and food
- With the $10 from Kevin, Evan went to the pet store and bought:
- One goldfish
- A small packet of food
4.
Set up the fishbowl at home
- He cleaned the bowl, filled it with water, and placed the goldfish inside.
- He sprinkled food on the surface.
- The goldfish ate — success!
5.
No one knew it was his
- His parents didn’t know he got the goldfish.
- He didn’t spend any of his own money — everything was traded or earned.
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Answer to the Question: "How did Evan get a goldfish without spending money?"
✔ Evan used a series of trades and sales to get a goldfish without using his own money.
Here’s the breakdown:
-
Traded headphones → got a
fishbowl (no cost)
-
Sold his favorite shirt → earned
$10
- Used the
$10 to buy a
goldfish and food at the pet store
Thus, he
didn’t spend any of his own money — he used
bartering and selling to achieve his goal.
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Key Skills Demonstrated
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Problem-solving: Evan thought creatively instead of giving up.
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Bartering/trading: He used items he already had to get what he needed.
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Resourcefulness: He turned things others wanted into value.
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Persistence: He didn’t give up when his family said no.
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Final Answer
> Evan got a goldfish by trading his extra headphones for a fishbowl and selling his favorite shirt for $10, which he used to buy a goldfish and food. He never spent any of his own money, so he successfully met his father’s condition.
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Let me know if you'd like questions based on this passage (e.g., comprehension questions, vocabulary, or inference practice)!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of grade 6 reading comprehension worksheet.
