A Day on the Tea Plantation
A Day on the Tea Plantation
The sun peeked over the lush green hills of Sri Lanka, waking eight-year-old Nila. Her home, a small cottage with a tin roof, sat at the edge of the sprawling tea plantation. Today was like any other day; she would help her mother pick tea leaves.
Early Start
Nila quickly ate a breakfast of rice and lentils. Then, she grabbed her woven basket and followed her mother into the fields. The air was cool and damp, and the tea bushes glistened with dew. Rows and rows of green stretched as far as she could see. Other women, their faces covered with scarves to protect them from the sun, were already hard at work.
Picking Tea
Nila's small fingers moved quickly, plucking the newest, greenest leaves from the bushes. She had learned from her mother how to pick only the best leaves – "two leaves and a bud," her mother always said. The leaves went into her basket, which grew heavier with each passing hour. Her back started to ache, but she kept going.
A Moment's Rest
- Plantation:
- A large farm where crops like tea are grown.
- Lentils:
- Small, round beans often used in soups and stews.
- Roti:
- A type of flatbread common in South Asia.
- Bud:
- A small growth on a plant that can turn into a leaf or flower.
- glistened:
- Shined or sparkled with a soft light, especially from being wet.
- accomplishment:
- A feeling of pride or satisfaction that comes from successfully finishing a difficult task.
One passage, many ways to practice
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Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
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Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Language & Tone
Interpret nonliteral language and analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning.
Writing Prompts
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where does Nila live?
- 2What does Nila do to help her family?
Where this passage belongs
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About this fiction passage for Upper Elementary
“A Day on the Tea Plantation” is a fiction reading passage about Tea Plantation Life, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (415 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.