No one noticed the locker for years. It was locker 302, squeezed between two others at the far end of the eighth-grade hallway. Faded gray, dented near the handle, it had blended into the background like a forgotten shadow.
Then one Monday morning, it changed. The door was no longer dull. It was painted—bright orange with swirling vines in purple and green. In the center, a quote had been stenciled in white: 'Be your own kind of beautiful.'
By lunchtime, students were whispering. By dismissal, photos had made their way to social media. Teachers discussed it behind closed doors. The next morning, a note appeared on the locker: 'Repaint immediately. School property is not for personal use.'
But no one stepped forward to repaint it. Days passed, and still, the locker remained, glowing like a campfire at the end of the hall. Something about it felt untouchable.
Some said it was Maya. She was quiet, always sketching during lunch. Others guessed Emilio, who loved art but never followed the rules. But no one knew for sure, and no one confessed.
Eventually, the principal stopped mentioning the locker. Students started walking past it more slowly. Some even decorated their notebooks with similar vines or added quotes to their backpacks.
The locker had stopped being a mystery. It had become something else—a statement, a mirror, maybe even a spark.
Q1: Which sentence best expresses the central theme of the passage?
Q2: What is the function of the sentence: 'Something about it felt untouchable' in paragraph 4?
Q3: How does the author use mystery to develop the plot?
Q4: What abstract concept does the locker most likely represent?
Q5: What effect does the ending have on the reader?
Printable Comprehension Practice
Visit us at https://readbuddies.com to practice interactively, track your progress, and explore more comprehension passages.
Q1: Which sentence best expresses the central theme of the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The quote painted on the locker directly represents the theme of individuality and self-expression that echoes through the passage.
Q2: What is the function of the sentence: 'Something about it felt untouchable' in paragraph 4?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: This sentence shows that the locker had taken on symbolic meaning, making people hesitate to alter or erase it.
Q3: How does the author use mystery to develop the plot?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The author keeps the identity of the artist unknown, which creates suspense and drives student curiosity within the story.
Q4: What abstract concept does the locker most likely represent?
✅ Correct Answer: D
💡 Reasoning: The locker symbolizes someone expressing their identity in a quiet, bold way without seeking credit—making it a metaphor for personal expression.
Q5: What effect does the ending have on the reader?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The final paragraph moves the story from ‘who did it’ to ‘what it meant,’ emphasizing the cultural shift the locker sparked.