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📖 The Last Match

7th Grade reading comprehension · Realistic fiction · Read the passage, then circle the best answer.

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Coach Ramirez called it the most important game of the season, but Daniel barely heard her. He had missed two penalty kicks in a row in practice, and the memory replayed in his head like a song on loop.

With one minute left and the score tied, the referee pointed to the spot. Penalty. Every teammate turned to Daniel, the team’s best shooter. He wanted to disappear.

Then Marcus, the quietest player on the team, jogged over. “You don’t have to be perfect,” he said. “Just pick a corner and trust it.” Daniel nodded, took a breath and fixed his eyes on the lower left corner.

The ball skimmed the grass and slipped past the goalkeeper’s glove. As the team piled on top of him, Daniel realized that the hardest part had not been the kick at all. It had been quieting the voice in his own head.

Words to know: replay: to play or think about again · skim: to move quickly just over a surface

  1. Why was Daniel nervous?
    1. He was new.
    2. He had missed penalty kicks in practice.
    3. He was injured.
  2. What does “like a song on loop” show?
    1. He loved music.
    2. The stadium played music.
    3. He could not stop thinking about his mistakes.
  3. What role does Marcus play?
    1. He gives Daniel the calm advice he needs.
    2. He takes the kick.
    3. He creates conflict.
  4. What is the central idea?
    1. Overcoming self-doubt can be harder than the task itself.
    2. Practice is pointless.
    3. Coaches are always right.
✂ Answer key: fold or cut along the line

1. B (detail)   2. C (inference)   3. A (inference)   4. A (main idea)

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