What is the main idea of the story?

Mei uses a simple test to trace a hidden leak and confirm that the repair works. (The paper and chalk identify one wet corner, and the dry papers in the later storm confirm that its seal was the source.)

Why does Mei put paper under all three windows?

She does not yet know which window allows the water inside. (All three windows stand above the floor patch and look tight, so Mei must test each possible source under the same storm.)

What is a “sill” in this story?

The ledge along the bottom of a window (Mei lays paper on each sill to catch water coming through a window, so the sill is the window’s bottom ledge.)

What does Mei find beside the wet corner?

A loose window seal (The story directly says Mei finds a loose seal beside the corner where the paper softens and the chalk runs.)

The Blue Chalk Test: Level 1 Reading Comprehension Questions

Rain left a dark patch on the community room floor. Mei dried it, but she could not see where the water entered. Three windows stood above the patch. Each frame looked tight.

Before the next storm, Mei drew a blue chalk line under every window. She also laid a strip of dry paper on each sill. Then she waited. The rain began after lunch. Two papers stayed crisp. The third grew soft at one corner, and the chalk below it ran in a thin trail.

Mei found a loose seal beside that corner. She pressed it back and asked the caretaker to repair it. During the following storm, all three papers remained dry. The floor stayed clean, and Mei saved the chalk marks in her notebook. Her small test had turned a hidden leak into a clear path.

Comprehension questions