Today, you will read a story titled “Our New Old House.
” As you
read, think about how the character describes his house. Then
answer the questions that follow.
Read the passage titled “Our New Old House” Then answer questions 1
through 4.
Our New Old House
1 Boom!
2 A clap of thunder made the old house shake. Ramon huddled under the covers of his
bed. A jagged streak of lightning lit up the room.
3 I hate this house, Ramon thought. It was his first night in his new home. The house
had belonged to his grandma. It was very, very old. Paint peeled off of the walls. The
wood boards of the floor creaked when you walked on them.
4 The house looked really creepy at night, Ramon thought. The trees outside his
windows looked like monsters in the dark. Their branches looked like long arms. They
waved when the wind blew. The storm made everything extra creepy. Ramon hated
storms anyway. But it somehow seemed worse in the old house.
5 Ramon pulled the covers off of his head. The thunder became quieter. Ramon drifted
off to sleep. When he woke up, sun was streaming through his window. Ramon
yawned and climbed out of bed.
6 The trees outside didn’t look like monsters anymore. The branches had nice green
leaves growing on them. Ramon could see a bird sitting on one of the branches. It
chirped a happy song.
7 Ramon walked to the window and looked outside. It looked pretty nice in the daylight.
A bubbling stream cut across the yard. A tire swing hung from one of the trees. A
garden of flowers grew next to the tree. Butterflies flew around the flowers. “Maybe
living here won’t be so bad after all,” Ramon said.
1 Part A
What does the word huddled mean as it is used in paragraph 2?
gather tightly together
move away
get up
make up
A: Gather tightly together
Part B
Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
“A clap of thunder made the old house shake.”
“…under the covers of his bed.”
“A jagged streak of lightning lit up the room.”
“The house had belonged to his grandma.”
B: under the covers of his bed
2
Read this sentence from the passage.
They (the trees) waved when the wind blew.”
In paragraph 4, what does the author mean when he says the trees “waved when
the wind blew.”?
The tree branches turned into an ocean wave when the wind blew.
The tree branches were waving in the wind.
The tree branches moved in the wind.
The tree branches looked like waves in an ocean.
B: the tree branches were waving in the wind
3
Who is the main character of the passage?
Ramon
The trees
The house
Ramon’s mother
Ramon
4 Part A
What is the setting of the story?
The park
Ramon’s bedroom
The front yard
Ramon’s sister’s house
Ramons bedroom
Part B
Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
“A tire swing hung from one of the trees.”
“The branches looked like long arms.”
“Ramon huddled under the covers of his bed.”
“The storm made everything extra creepy.”
Ramon huddled under the covers of hid bed
Ramon moved into his grandmother’s house.
Write an essay (5 paragraphs) that explains why he calls it his new, old house. Use what
you learned about Ramon and his grandmother’s house to support your essay. Use the
outline below to complete your writing:
Essay Outline
Hook: The term "new home" usually makes you think about fresh paint and
Intro
modern appliances, but for Ramon, his new house is anything but new, it's old,
and a little scary.
Thesis: Ramon calls his grandmother's house "Our New Old House" because it is
a old house with a history belonging to his family, but it also represents a brand-
new start and a new perspective for him.
Body Paragraph 1 Body Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence: The house is old, Topic Sentence: The house quickly
characterized by its state and the becomes new in Ramon's mind as the
negative feelings Ramon at first has with daytime shows its beauty which he
it. didn’t see at first and gives him a new,
Supporting Detail 1: The house is positive outlook.
physically old "Paint peeled off the Supporting Detail 1: When Ramon
walls," wood boards "creaked," and it wakes up, the house looks "pretty
had "belonged to his grandma." nice in the daylight," showing him a
completely different side of the
Supporting Detail 2: During the night, house.
the storm makes the old house feel
Body
creepy, which confirms Ramon's feeling Supporting Detail 2: The terrifying
of fear and dislike. "monster" trees of the night
transform into friendly, green trees
and a bird chirp happily.
Supporting Detail 3: Ramon at first hates
the house because of its age and Supporting Detail 3: Ramon changes
appearance, viewing it as a scary place his perspective, realizing the house
where he is forced to live. has positive features like the tire
swing, stream, and garden, saying,
"Maybe living here won't be so bad
after all."
Thesis, restated: At last, the title "Our New Old House" shows Ramon's
Conclusion
experience, showing the property's age and history while also symbolizing his
own new beginning and change in attitude.
Ending: Ramon's story shows that a place can be both familiar and brand-new,
proving that sometimes all it takes is a sunny morning to transform fear into
hope for the future.