The Bowl on the Windowsill
Written by Studio AM.
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After Sora brought soup to her new neighbor, the bowl did not return for several days. She worried that the gesture had felt intrusive. Then she found the clean bowl on her windowsill. Inside it grew a small basil plant.
Sora moved the basil into a plant pot, washed the bowl, and pinched three leaves for dinner. The next morning, she left the bowl outside with two fresh rolls. It returned holding paper flowers folded from a grocery receipt. Soon the bowl traveled back and forth with a lemon, a borrowed pencil, and short notes about the weather.
Weeks passed before Sora and her neighbor, Mr. Imani, met on the stairs. Both began to apologize for being shy, then laughed. The bowl had already carried the difficult first conversation in smaller pieces. They took it downstairs together and filled it with soup for the building's night guard.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the main idea of the story?
The answer is A: A returned soup bowl becomes a gentle exchange that helps two shy neighbors build a connection and share kindness.
The bowl carries a series of reciprocal gifts before the neighbors meet and extend the practice to another person.
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Question 2 of 4
Why do Sora and Mr. Imani laugh on the stairs?
The answer is B: They learn that both were shy even though their quiet exchange had connected them.
Their matching apologies show that they shared the same worry, even though the quiet exchange had worked.
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Question 3 of 4
What does “intrusive” mean in the first paragraph?
The answer is C: entering another person's space in an unwelcome way
Sora worries that an unsolicited neighborly gesture may have crossed a boundary.
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Question 4 of 4
What is growing in the returned bowl?
The answer is D: a basil plant
The first paragraph says the clean bowl returns with a small basil plant inside.
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