Fiction · Level 1 · 121 words

The Blue Thread

Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.

Mara repaired coats in a narrow shop near the bus stop. When a loose button or small tear took only a minute, she charged nothing. Before returning the coat, she added one blue stitch where the repair ended. Most people never noticed it.

One rainy morning, Tomas brought in an old green jacket. Mara fixed its pocket and added her blue thread. Tomas stared at the stitch. He had seen the same mark inside his daughter's school coat and on a neighbor's work shirt. At last, he understood how many quiet favors Mara had given. The next week, a jar appeared on her counter. Its label said, “Repairs for someone else.” By evening, it held enough coins for several larger jobs.

Comprehension questions

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4 questions
1. What is the main idea of the story?

Show answer for question 1

A. A tiny blue stitch reveals a tailor's hidden pattern of kindness and inspires others to continue it.
Tomas connects the repeated blue marks with Mara's free repairs, then the donation jar extends that kindness.

2. Why does Tomas place the jar on Mara's counter?

Show answer for question 2

B. He wants other customers to help pay for repairs for people who need them.
The jar is labeled “Repairs for someone else,” so its purpose is to carry Mara's generosity forward.

3. In the passage, what does “narrow” mean?

Show answer for question 3

C. not wide
The word describes the physical shape of Mara's shop, so “not wide” fits the context.

4. What repair does Mara make to Tomas's jacket?

Show answer for question 4

D. She fixes its pocket.
The second paragraph directly says that Mara fixed the jacket's pocket.

Source: Written for Fluency. Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.