Reading comprehension worksheet for children about a new girl in the neighborhood.

Let’s solve this step by step.

We are given a short story titled “The New Girl” and two multiple-choice questions based on it.

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First Question:
> What is the main idea? Circle the correct answer.
> A. Fiona takes the bus to school.
> B. There is a new family in the neighborhood.
> C. Fiona is a very friendly girl.

Let’s look at the story:

- It starts with: “There was a new family in the neighborhood.” → This sets up the whole story.
- Then it talks about Fiona meeting Rona, who is from that new family.
- The rest of the story describes how Fiona and Rona become friends — playing together, inviting each other over, etc.
- So while Fiona being friendly (C) and taking the bus (A) are mentioned, they are *details*, not the main point.
- The big picture is: a new family moved in, and Fiona made a friend from that family.

So the best choice for the *main idea* is B. There is a new family in the neighborhood.

Wait — let’s double-check. Is the main idea really just “there’s a new family”? Or is it more about Fiona making a new friend?

Actually, re-reading: The title is “The New Girl,” and most of the story focuses on Fiona interacting with Rona — the new girl. But the first sentence says “There was a new family...” which introduces why Rona is there.

In reading comprehension, the “main idea” is usually what the whole passage is mostly about. Here, the passage is about Fiona meeting and becoming friends with the new girl (Rona), who came because her family moved in.

But looking at the options again:

- A is too narrow (just about the bus).
- C is true but still a detail — it doesn’t cover the whole story.
- B covers the reason everything happened — the new family arrived, leading to the new girl, leading to friendship.

However, sometimes test makers consider the central event or theme. Let’s see the second question to help confirm our thinking.

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Second Question:
> Which of the following is a supporting idea?
> A. Fiona smiles and says hello.
> B. The family has a girl about Fiona’s age.
> C. There is a new family in the neighborhood.

Supporting ideas are details that back up the main idea.

If we decided the main idea is B (“There is a new family...”), then supporting ideas would be things like:
- The family has a girl Fiona’s age → explains why Fiona can make a friend.
- Fiona smiles and says hello → shows how she acts toward the new girl.
- They play together, invite each other over → further support the friendship developing.

Now, option C here is “There is a new family in the neighborhood.” That’s actually the same as option B in the first question — which we thought might be the main idea.

So if C in question 2 is the *same* as the main idea, then it cannot be a *supporting* idea — supporting ideas support the main idea; they aren’t the main idea themselves.

Therefore, for question 2, C is likely NOT the correct answer, because it’s probably the main idea.

That means between A and B for question 2:

- A: “Fiona smiles and says hello.” → This is an action showing kindness — supports the idea that Fiona is friendly and helps build the friendship.
- B: “The family has a girl about Fiona’s age.” → This explains *why* Fiona and Rona could become friends — it’s a key detail supporting the development of their relationship.

Both A and B are supporting ideas — but which one is listed as correct? We need to pick the best one.

Looking back at the story:

> “Fiona noticed that the new girl had red hair and was about her age. She smiled and said hello.”

So both facts are presented early. But “the family has a girl about Fiona’s age” is important because it makes the friendship possible — without someone her age, maybe no friendship happens.

Also, note: In question 1, if we choose B as main idea, then in question 2, C is repeating the main idea — so it’s wrong for “supporting idea.”

Between A and B — both are good, but B gives context for why the interaction matters. However, let’s check standard test logic.

Often, “supporting idea” refers to specific actions or events that illustrate the main point.

Main idea: New family moves in → leads to new friendship.

Supporting ideas:
- Fiona sees the new girl → notices she’s her age → smiles and says hi → they talk → play together → become friends.

So “Fiona smiles and says hello” is a concrete action that supports the idea that she’s friendly and starts the friendship.

“The family has a girl about Fiona’s age” is also supporting — it explains compatibility.

But perhaps the test expects A as the supporting idea because it’s an active behavior shown in the text.

Wait — let’s read the exact wording of the story again (from memory):

> “Fiona noticed that the new girl had red hair and was about her age. She smiled and said hello.”

Then later: “They talked about French fries and ice cream…”

So “smiles and says hello” is directly stated as part of the interaction.

But also, “was about her age” is critical — otherwise, why would they connect?

Actually, looking at typical elementary-level tests, when they ask for a “supporting idea,” they often want a detail that backs up the main idea — and since the main idea is “new family / new girl / friendship forming,” then either A or B works.

But here’s the catch: In question 1, if you pick B (“There is a new family”) as main idea, then in question 2, C is the same thing — so it can’t be a supporting idea. So C is out.

Now between A and B — which is better?

Let me think differently. Maybe the main idea isn’t B — maybe it’s C: “Fiona is a very friendly girl.”

Because the whole story shows Fiona being friendly: smiling, saying hello, talking, playing, inviting over.

And the new family is just the setup.

Title: “The New Girl” — focus is on the girl (Rona) and how Fiona treats her.

So perhaps main idea is C: Fiona is friendly.

Then supporting ideas would include:
- She smiles and says hello → direct evidence of friendliness.
- She invites Rona over → another example.
- The family has a girl her age → enables the friendship, but not direct proof of Fiona’s friendliness.

Ah! That makes sense.

If main idea is “Fiona is a very friendly girl,” then:

- Supporting idea: “Fiona smiles and says hello” → proves she’s friendly.
- “The family has a girl about Fiona’s age” → explains opportunity, not Fiona’s trait.
- “There is a new family” → background, not about Fiona’s character.

So for question 1: Main idea = C. Fiona is a very friendly girl.

For question 2: Supporting idea = A. Fiona smiles and says hello. → because it directly shows her friendliness.

This fits better with the story’s emphasis on Fiona’s actions.

Also, the title “The New Girl” might refer to Rona, but the story is told from Fiona’s perspective and highlights her behavior.

Moreover, in many such stories, the moral or main idea is about the protagonist’s positive trait.

So revising:

Question 1: Main idea → C. Fiona is a very friendly girl.

Question 2: Supporting idea → A. Fiona smiles and says hello.

Yes, this feels right.

Final verification:

Story summary:
- New family arrives → introduces Rona.
- Fiona notices her, smiles, says hello → initiates contact.
- They talk, find common interests.
- Play together, invite each other over → deepen friendship.

All these show Fiona’s friendliness. The new family is the catalyst, but the focus is on Fiona’s response.

Thus:

→ Main idea: Fiona is friendly (C)

→ Supporting idea: Her action of smiling and saying hello (A)

Perfect.

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Final Answer:
First question: C
Second question: A