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Vocabulary and Inference Worksheet

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Vocabulary and Inference Worksheet

Read the story carefully. Use clues in the sentences to work out unfamiliar words and make inferences. When you explain an inference, include the words or details that helped you decide.

The Cove at Low Tide

On Saturday morning, Maia and her cousin Theo walked down to Kōwhai Cove with their auntie. A notice at the track entrance explained that the local hapū had placed a rāhui on gathering shellfish in part of the bay. The rāhui was a temporary restriction intended to give the shellfish time to recover. Visitors could still walk along the shore and enjoy the water. Maia spotted a line of small flags near the rocks. “That must be the edge of the area,” she said. Theo leaned forward to look at a cluster of pāua shells, but he did not touch them. Their auntie reminded them that the rāhui was not just a rule to obey; it was a way of caring for a place and thinking about people who would come after them. At first, Theo felt disappointed. He had hoped to collect a few empty shells for a school project. Then he noticed tiny shellfish tucked between the rocks and several larger ones farther out. “If everyone took some, there might be fewer next year,” he said. Maia nodded. The bay seemed less like a place to take things from and more like a living community that needed time and care. Before they left, Maia wrote down a question to ask at the community information centre: “How will people know when the shellfish have recovered?” She wanted to understand how the decision would be made. Theo still had no shells for his project, but he suggested drawing the cove instead. On the walk back, they kept to the track and talked about how a pause now might help the bay in the future.

Vocabulary clues

Use the story’s wording to explain how you worked out each meaning.

1.In the story, a rāhui is described as a “temporary restriction” on gathering shellfish. What does temporary mean here?

It lasts for a limited time.
It applies only to visitors.
It is difficult to understand.
It happens every Saturday.

2.The story says the rāhui was intended to give shellfish time to “recover”. What does recover most likely mean in this sentence? Give one clue from the story.

3.Choose the best meaning of cluster as it is used in “a cluster of pāua shells”.

A group close together
A shell with a sharp edge
A path beside the sea
A place far from shore

4.What does the phrase “a living community” suggest about how Maia sees the bay? Explain using one detail from the story.

Make and support inferences

An inference is a sensible idea based on clues, even when the story does not state it directly.

5.At first, how does Theo feel about the rāhui, and what changes his thinking?

6.Why does Theo avoid touching the pāua shells? Support your inference with a detail from the story.

7.What can you infer about Maia from the question she writes down before leaving? Use evidence from the story.

8.Which statement best describes one message of the story?

Taking a pause from gathering can help protect a place for the future.
Visitors should never walk beside the sea.
A school project is more important than local rules.
Shellfish always grow back quickly.

9.Theo suggests drawing the cove instead of collecting shells. What does this choice show about how he has responded to the visit?

10.The story does not say exactly when the rāhui will end. Why might the people who made the decision wait for signs that shellfish have recovered before ending it?