Leo's Loud Subway Ride
Leo held Mom’s hand very tight.
They walked down the stairs into the deep ground.
It was dark and busy.
Many people walked fast.
"Is the train coming?" Leo asked.
He looked at the long tracks.
Mom smiled and nodded.
"Yes, it is on the way."
Soon, Leo felt the floor shake.
A big wind blew his hair.
A loud rumble came from the dark tunnel.
It sounded like a giant growl.
Leo hid behind Mom’s coat.
The noise was very big.
"Do not fear," Mom said.
"That is just the train!"
Two bright lights shone in the dark.
A shiny silver train rolled into the station.
The train went screech and stopped.
The metal doors slid open.
Leo stepped inside with Mom.
The seats were bright blue.
They sat down by a big glass window.
Ding-dong! went the doors as they shut.
The train started to move.
It went fast, then faster.
Clack-clack, clack-clack! went the wheels on the tracks.
The train swayed left and right.
Leo held onto the metal pole.
He felt like he was on a roller coaster.
He looked out the window.
Dark walls zipped past them.
Then, the train flew into a bright new station.
Leo laughed with joy.
"This is so much fun!" Leo said.
He did not want the ride to end.
- Rumble:
- A low, heavy, rolling sound.
- Tunnel:
- An underground passage for trains or cars to go through.
- Screech:
- A high, squealing sound made when metal rubs against metal.
- Swayed:
- Moved gently from side to side.
- station:
- A place where trains stop for people to get on or off.
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Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
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
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
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.
Writing Prompts
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Whose hand did Leo hold very tight at the beginning of the story?
- 2Where did Leo and his mom walk down the stairs to?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“Leo's Loud Subway Ride” is a short story reading passage about Subway Adventure, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 1 minute to read (220 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.