The Soccer Tryouts

1 “Are you trying out for the soccer team this year?” asked Liam as he tossed the ball into the air.
2 “I think so,” said Aria. “But I’m also thinking about joining the drama club. They’re performing a big play this year, and it sounds fun.”
3 Liam stopped juggling the ball. “Drama club? But we’ve always played soccer together! Remember last season when we scored the winning goal in the semifinals?”
4 Aria smiled. “Of course I remember. That was amazing. But I also like acting. I’ve been practicing lines at home.”
5 “Yeah, but we’ve been teammates since second grade,” Liam said, kicking the ball softly. “It won’t feel the same without you.”
6 Aria sighed. “I don’t want to let you down, but I need to follow what makes me happy.”
7 That evening, Aria sat in her room staring at the soccer ball in the corner. She loved the game, but the thought of standing on stage and performing made her heart race with excitement. She dreaded having to tell Liam her choice.
8 Finally, she called him. “Liam, I’ve decided to join the drama club this year,” she said carefully.
9 Silence hung on the line. “Liam, are you there?” Aria asked nervously.
10 “Yeah, I’m here,” Liam said at last. “I’ll really miss having you on the team, but I get it. You’ve always been brave about trying new things. I’ll cheer for you at the play.”
11 Aria felt a wave of relief. “Thanks, Liam. And I’ll come to your games to cheer for you, too. We’ll still support each other.”
12 “Deal,” Liam said with a grin in his voice. “Best friends don’t quit on each other—just on the same team.”

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Questions

1. The word dreaded in paragraph 7 shows that Aria felt —
A. nervous
B. excited
C. angry
D. confused

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2. The details in paragraphs 10–12 support the idea that Aria and Liam —
A. both decide to join the drama club
B. realize they can stay friends even with different interests
C. want to play on separate soccer teams
D. think soccer is more fun than drama

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3. What is the most likely reason the author includes paragraph 3?
A. To show why Liam cares about playing soccer with Aria
B. To explain how the soccer team won the championship
C. To describe why Aria is nervous about soccer tryouts
D. To show how Aria first became interested in drama

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4. Read this sentence from paragraph 10.
“I’ll really miss having you on the team, but I get it.”
This supports the theme of the story by showing that —
A. friends respect each other’s choices
B. soccer is more important than acting
C. traditions should never change
D. friends must always do the same activities

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5. Why does the author use the phrase “Silence hung on the line” in paragraph 9?
A. To show Liam was thinking before responding
B. To suggest the phone was broken
C. To show that Aria was distracted
D. To suggest Liam was angry

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6. The use of third-person point of view helps the reader understand —
A. why Liam enjoys playing soccer
B. how Aria feels while making her decision
C. what will happen in the drama club
D. how the soccer team plays in games

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7. Why did Liam want Aria to play soccer with him in the past?
(Short Answer)

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8. How does Aria and Liam’s friendship change by the end of the story?
A. They decide to quit both activities to spend time together
B. They realize they can support each other even while doing different things
C. They both decide to act in the play instead of soccer
D. They learn that being teammates is more important than friendship

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Answer Key

1. A (nervous)
2. B (realize they can stay friends even with different interests)
3. A (to show why Liam cares about playing soccer with Aria)
4. A (friends respect each other’s choices)
5. A (to show Liam was thinking before responding)
6. B (how Aria feels while making her decision)
7. Because they had always been teammates and shared great memories, like winning the semifinals together.
8. B (They realize they can support each other even while doing different things)