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 23 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
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 New Boy
A new boy called Iosif joined the class in November. He did not speak much English yet.
At playtime he stood by the wall. Some children waved. He looked away.
Marta noticed he was watching the football. She rolled the ball to him. He stopped it neatly and rolled it back.
They passed it for ten minutes without saying a word. When the bell went, Iosif said one word: "Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow," said Marta.
1. How does Iosif respond at first when children wave?
2. Why did passing the ball work when waving did not?
3. What does Marta do that the others do not?
2.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. What does Rana's last line tell you about her?
2. How does Sami respond to the kite being stuck?
3. Why did throwing the bucket over the branch work?
LessonPrint · RL.2.3 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — What the Challenge Was
Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. He looks away. 2. Passing needed no words, so Iosif could join in without speaking English. 3. She rolls him the ball instead of waving.
2.1. 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.
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.2.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.