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Story Summarising Practice Worksheet

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Story Summarising Practice Worksheet

Read each story. Find its main idea and key details using who, what, when, where, why and how. Then write a brief summary in your own words, keeping only the most important information.

Story 1: A Garden for the Neighbourhood

When the school holidays began, Maia and her cousin Ngaio noticed that the garden outside their local library was dry and untidy. They asked the librarian if they could help. With permission, they pulled out weeds, loosened the soil and planted seedlings of lettuce, peas and herbs. Each afternoon, they returned with a watering can. A week later, several neighbours joined in, bringing spare plants and garden tools. By the end of the month, the patch was full of fresh greens. The librarian invited the helpers to pick some leaves for a shared lunch, and the group agreed to keep looking after the garden.

1.In “A Garden for the Neighbourhood”, who first took action to improve the library garden?

2.What did Maia and Ngaio do to improve the garden outside the library?

3.When did Maia and Ngaio begin working on the garden?

4.Where was the garden that Maia and Ngaio worked on?

5.Why did Maia and Ngaio start working in the library garden?

6.How did the garden project grow beyond Maia and Ngaio’s efforts?

7.Write a two- or three-sentence summary of “A Garden for the Neighbourhood”. Include the main problem, the important actions and the result.

Story 2: The Lighthouse Signal

On a cold evening, Charlotte and his aunt were walking along the coastal track near their town. They spotted a small fishing boat bobbing close to the rocks. Its lights were off, and the wind was growing stronger. Charlotte’s aunt used her phone to contact the coastguard while Charlotte watched the boat from a safe place on shore. The coastguard asked them to shine a torch in a steady pattern so the boat crew could see where the land was. Soon, a rescue boat arrived and guided the fishing boat into the harbour. The crew thanked Charlotte and his aunt for staying calm and calling for help. The next day, Charlotte learned that the boat’s battery had failed.

8.In “The Lighthouse Signal”, who noticed the fishing boat near the rocks?

9.What danger did Charlotte and his aunt notice near the coast?

10.When did Charlotte and his aunt see the fishing boat?

11.Where were Charlotte and his aunt when they spotted the boat?

12.Why did Charlotte’s aunt contact the coastguard?

13.How did Charlotte and his aunt help the boat reach safety?

14.Write a two- or three-sentence summary of “The Lighthouse Signal”. Include the problem, how help was given and how the story ended.

Story 3: The Unexpected Team

During the final week of term, Aria’s class was preparing for a community sports afternoon. The class had planned relay races, but a downpour left the playing field unsuitable for running. Rather than cancel the event, the students met in the school hall and suggested activities they could do indoors. They settled on a knowledge contest, a flying-paper competition and a cooperative brainteaser. Aria helped make a timetable so every group could try each activity. At first, some students worried that the afternoon would feel disappointing without the races. By the end, everyone was cheering as teams solved the last puzzle together. The class raised money from the afternoon’s entry donations and chose to give it to the local food bank.

15.In “The Unexpected Team”, who helped organise the indoor activities?

16.What activities did the class arrange for the sports afternoon?

17.When was Aria’s class preparing for the community sports afternoon?

18.Where did the class hold the activities after the weather changed their plans?

19.Why could the class not hold the relay races on the field?

20.How did the class turn the cancelled outdoor event into a successful afternoon?

21.Write a two- or three-sentence summary of “The Unexpected Team”. Include the change of plan, what the class did and the result.

22.Which stories end with people working together to make a shared place or event better, and what did they achieve?