Let's solve the reading comprehension questions based on the story
"Jasper and the Race". Here’s a step-by-step explanation for each question, followed by complete sentence answers.
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Story Summary:
- Jasper is an excellent long-distance runner who trains every day after school.
- He hopes to win a gold medal at the
Junior Athletics Meet in September.
- When September arrives, his grandma has to go to the hospital, which makes Jasper sad and unmotivated to run.
- However, when he visits her, she smiles and encourages him to compete.
- Inspired by her support, Jasper decides to give the race a try.
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Question 1: What did Jasper hope to do in September?
Answer:
Jasper hoped to win a gold medal at the Junior Athletics Meet in September.
Explanation:
The first sentence of the story clearly states: *"Jasper hoped to win a gold medal at the Junior Athletics Meet in September."* So, this is directly stated in the passage.
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Question 2: Why did Jasper not feel like running when September came along?
Answer:
Jasper did not feel like running because his grandma had to go to the hospital, and he was very sad.
Explanation:
The story says: *"When September came, Jasper's grandma had to go to hospital. Jasper was very sad and didn't feel like running at the meet."* His sadness due to his grandma’s illness made him lose motivation.
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Question 3: Why did Jasper decide to compete in the meet?
Answer:
Jasper decided to compete because his grandma smiled at him and encouraged him to run.
Explanation:
After visiting his grandma, the story says: *"However, when Jasper visited his grandma, she smiled and encouraged him to compete."* Her support gave him the courage to participate.
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Question 4: What place do you think Jasper came in the race? How do you know?
Answer:
I think Jasper came in first place (won the gold medal) because he was an excellent long-distance runner and he trained every day after school. Also, he was motivated by his grandma’s encouragement, which likely helped him perform well.
Explanation:
This question asks for
inference — it’s not directly stated what place he got. But we can infer:
- He is described as an "excellent long-distance runner."
- He trained daily with his coach.
- He was inspired and decided to give it a try.
- The story emphasizes his dedication and emotional boost.
These clues suggest he likely performed well. While we don’t know for sure, it’s reasonable to believe he won, especially since the story highlights his preparation and determination.
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✔ Final Answers:
1) Jasper hoped to win a gold medal at the Junior Athletics Meet in September.
2) Jasper did not feel like running because his grandma had to go to the hospital, and he was very sad.
3) Jasper decided to compete because his grandma smiled and encouraged him to run.
4) I think Jasper came in first place because he was an excellent runner who trained hard every day, and his grandma’s encouragement gave him the motivation to do his best.
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Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of second grade reading comprehension worksheet free.
