Ticket 1 only

Fiction and Vocabulary Exit Tickets

Classroom copy · 1 October 2026

Ticket 1 of 8 · The Cardboard Step

Read this fictional excerpt. Explain the target word’s meaning, give all clues requested in the task, and explain how they support your meaning. Use extra paper or your usual response method if needed.

Original fictional excerpt.

The Cardboard Step

When the makers’ club needed someone to test its new cardboard step, Nia volunteered to build it but paused when the group asked her to climb on. She pressed one corner with a finger. “What if it folds?” she asked, keeping both shoes on the floor. The others offered to brace the sides. Nia watched them add two strips of tape, then set one foot on the edge. After it held, she climbed up and grinned. At first, she had been reluctant to try the step.

Target word

reluctant

Exit-ticket task

What does reluctant mean in this excerpt? Name two actions that helped you infer the meaning, and explain how they support it.

Meaning, context clue, and how they connect:

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