Fiction · Level 2 · 158 words

The Line the Rain Drew

Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.

Eren marked a straight path through the community garden with string. By evening, the route looked clean and simple. The next morning, a narrow ribbon of sand crossed it. Rain had run down the slope, slipped under the string, and gathered beside the lowest vegetable bed.

Eren almost brushed the sand away. Instead, she followed its curve to a blocked drain near the gate. That small discovery changed her plan. She cleared the leaves, then moved the path a few steps uphill. At the crossing point, she added a shallow stone channel so later water could reach the drain.

Some gardeners disliked the bend until the next heavy shower. Water followed the channel, while the new path stayed firm and the low bed did not fill. Eren rolled up the original string. Her straight line had shown where she wanted people to walk; the rain had shown where water already traveled. The finished garden made room for both.

Comprehension questions

Choose an answer, then check your work. Nothing is saved or sent.

4 questions
1. Which sentence best summarizes the story?

Show answer for question 1

A. Eren treats a rain-made sand line as evidence, then changes her path and drainage plan so people and water both have routes.
Eren follows the sand instead of erasing it, discovers the blocked drain, and redesigns both path and channel. The next shower shows that both routes work.

2. Why does Eren follow the sand instead of brushing it away?

Show answer for question 2

B. She realizes the sand may record where rainwater traveled and reveal a problem.
Following the ribbon leads Eren to the blocked drain and changes her plan. Her action treats the sand's curve as evidence left by moving rainwater.

3. What does "route" mean in the first paragraph?

Show answer for question 3

C. A planned way or path from one place to another
Route refers back to the straight path Eren marked with string. It means the planned way through the garden.

4. What does Eren find near the gate?

Show answer for question 4

D. A drain blocked by leaves
The middle paragraph says that Eren follows the sand's curve to a blocked drain near the gate, then clears its leaves.

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