Read this poetry passage, then answer six questions about details, word meanings, inferences and purpose.
Before you read
Read once for the main idea, then look back for details. You can use the passage while answering.
The playground wears a silver coat; The chalk lines fade away. A leaf becomes a little boat And sails across the grey.
The drain drinks down the racing stream; A twig turns at the grate. I watch the water’s swirling seam While Mum waits by the gate.
The clouds pull back. A sparrow lands Upon the dripping rail. I lift my bag with both my hands And leave the leaf to sail.
Download the original passage, six questions and a separate answer section. The PDF includes links back to this page and the free diagnostic.
Download Rain after school PDF6 questions. Keep the passage open above and look back for evidence. This practice score stays on this page until you leave or restart. It is not an exam grade or a saved assessment.
A leaf: The first stanza says a leaf becomes a little boat.
Mum: The second stanza names Mum as the person waiting.
It moves round and round: Swirling describes a turning or circling movement.
Rainwater shining across the playground: The surrounding lines describe rainwater, fading chalk and a floating leaf; the coat is an image for the wet surface.
The clouds begin to clear: “The clouds pull back” suggests the sky is beginning to clear.
To give its movement a living quality: The drain is given an action associated with living things, making the water’s disappearance vivid.
An original passage written for Trace Learn. Authored 2026-09-30. These are teaching questions, not a school entrance paper.
No. Answers are checked on this page. They are not sent to an assessment service or saved to a learner profile. Restarting or leaving clears the practice score.
Yes. Find the words that support your answer. For an inference, explain how the details suggest your idea.
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