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What the Challenge Was is a free printable Grade 2 English worksheet on linking a character's action to the problem they faced, aligned to Common Core standard RL.2.3. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions, 24 of them with different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 10 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. 24 of these 25 sets ask different questions — this skill does not have 25 questions to give. The rest reorder them, so no two pupils have the same paper in front of them.

What the Challenge Was

RL.2.3

NameDate

Read the story, then answer the questions.

1.Read the text, then answer the questions.

The Kite in the Elm

Sami's kite caught in the top of the elm on the very first day. He tried throwing a ball at it. He tried a long stick. He tried shaking the trunk with both arms. The kite stayed exactly where it was. His sister Rana came out with a bucket and a length of washing line. She tied the line to the bucket handle, threw the bucket over the branch, and pulled. The branch bent. The kite slid off and dropped into the grass. "How did you know that would work?" said Sami. "I didn't," said Rana.

  1. 1. What does Rana's last line tell you about her?
  2. 2. How does Sami respond to the kite being stuck?
  3. 3. Why did throwing the bucket over the branch work?
2.Read the text, then answer the questions.

The Lion and the Mouse

A lion lay sleeping in the sun. A mouse ran across his paw and woke him. The lion caught the mouse in one hand. "Please let me go," said the mouse. "One day I may help you." The lion laughed. How could a mouse help a lion? But he opened his hand. Weeks later the lion walked into a hunter's net. He roared and pulled, and the ropes only tightened. The mouse heard him. She came at once and gnawed the ropes, one strand at a time, until the lion could step free.

  1. 1. Why did the lion open his hand?
  2. 2. How does the lion respond when the mouse asks to be let go?
  3. 3. What does the mouse do that shows what she is like?

LessonPrint · RL.2.3 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — What the Challenge Was

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. She is honest — she admits she was not sure it would work. 2. He tries three different things one after another. 3. The weight of the bucket on the line bent the branch, so the kite slid off.
  2. 2.1. The story does not say, but he had laughed at the mouse and let her go anyway. 2. He laughs at the idea, but he opens his hand anyway. 3. She keeps her promise and comes at once to help.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.2.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.