Comprehending Fiction: Ages 8-10 by Teacher Superstore

Comprehending Fiction Middle

By Murray Brennan

http://www.ricgroup.com.au RIC-0221 4.6/207

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COMPREHENDING FICTION MIDDLE PRIMARY

Written by Murray Brennan Illustrated by Cliff Derksen Comprehending Fiction (Middle Primary) comprises a series of twenty narratives written for middle primary school students. The comprehension questions following the story are mainly inferential; however, other question types have been used. Coded answers to these questions are at the back of the book. The key to this code appears below and will enable teachers to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in individual students and identify class trends. The questions are designed to make students think carefully about the clues given in the text. Teachers are advised to adopt the teaching strategy that they feel most comfortable with; however, it is suggested that the story be covered in two sessions. The stories have been sequenced in difficulty.

INFERENTIAL QUESTIONS IN-1 Inferring supporting details IN-2 Inferring main idea IN-3 Inferring sequence of events IN-4 Inferring comparisons IN-5 Inferring cause and effect IN-6 Inferring character traits IN-7 Inferring outcomes IN-8 Inferring from figurative language

LITERAL QUESTIONS L-1 Recognising detail L-2 Recognising main idea L-3 Recognising sequence of events L-4 Recognising comparisons between situations L-5 Recognising cause and effect relationships L-6 Recognising character traits L-7 Recognising the difference between fact and fiction L-8 Recognising both specific and general fact L-9 Recognising inconsistencies in statements

EVALUATIVE QUESTIONS E-1 Making judgements about reality or fantasy E-2 Making judgements about fact or opinion E-3 Making judgements about validity E-4 Making judgements about appropriateness E-5 Making judgements about acceptability

CONTENTS 1. 3. 5. 7. 9. 11. 13. 15. 17. 19.

The Go-kart Terry the Tugboat A Family Get-Together Lounging Around The Circus Comes to Town The Wreck The Attack of the Bees The Rescue Gone Crabbing The Lighthouse

21. 23. 25. 27. 29. 31. 33. 35. 37. 39.

The Foal Kanga's Nightmare Tommy Tadpole Changing House The School Bus Larry's Lucky Escape The Old Farmhouse The Cubbyhouse Busy Susan The Thorne Family

The Go-kart

A car sped by the old house, leaving a trail of dust behind it. Some of the dust gathered on Jane, who was standing on the swinging front gate. Nearby, her sister Mary sat quietly in her pram, watching the family cat playing hideand-seek with her kittens who, were now about three weeks old. The sound of two boys having a conversation could be heard coming from a tin shed close by. They were standing near a go-kart which they had just finished putting together. 'I'll paint the wheels red after you have finished painting the seat with the blue paint,' said Tony to his friend, Greg. 'Okay, but first I think we should take our go-kart for a test drive to see if it works,' said Greg.

It wasn't long before the boys were standing at the top of a steep hill. Tony sat behind the steering wheel while Greg gave the go-kart a gentle push. Tony screamed excitedly as he found himself rushing down the hill at breakneck speed. Suddenly, the go-kart hit a hump of dirt. The four wheels lifted off the ground and Tony was sent flying out of the kart. Luckily, he landed in some thick grass before rolling over three times. Picking himself up, he brushed the grass from his clothing and then called back to Greg at the top of the hill to tell him he wasn't hurt. After taking the hump of dirt away, the boys spent the rest of the afternoon painting their go-kart.

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1. Who was going to paint the wheels? 2. How many days old were the kittens?

3. What caused the four wheels of the go-kart to lift off the ground?

4. What might the word 'conversation' mean? Choose the best answer from the following – eating, walk, bath, talk, sleep. Answer 5. The wheels would be painted before the seat was painted – TRUE / FALSE / WE ARE NOT TOLD? 6. Order the following events as they happened in the story. Tony rolled over three times. The go-kart hit a hump of dirt. Tony told Greg that he wasn't hurt. Greg gave the go-kart a gentle push.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons How oldf do you think Mary was? Choose and underline theo best answer from the • o r r e v i e w p u r p o s e s n l y • following – 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15. Tony brushed the grass from his clothing.

8. Give proof from the story to support your answer to number 7.

9. The family cat was a female –␣ TRUE / FALSE / WE ARE NOT TOLD.

10. A car sped by the old house. How do we know it was travelling on a dirt road rather than a bitumen road?

11. Who had a ride in the go-kart? 12. How do we know the front gate was not shut?

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Terry the Tugboat

Umbrellas of all colours covered the sandy beach not far from the port of Fremantle in Western Australia. Away in the distance, little Terry the Tugboat was hard at work as he helped a large ship into the safer water of the port. Thick black smoke billowed from Terry's funnel as he chugged past the lighthouse that stood near the entrance to Fremantle Harbour. The bearded face of the lighthouse keeper could be seen at the lighthouse window, staring out at the passing ships.

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On went Terry Tugboat, passing a group of three children who were sitting at the end of a small jetty with their legs dangling over the side. Most of them were boys and they were waiting quietly for a bite on the end of their lines. Soon Terry Tugboat had pulled the ship into the port, where it was tied up with two strong ropes, one at each end of the ship. It would stay in Fremantle for one week and two days to take on board three hundred and twenty people who were going on a holiday cruise to England. With his job now done, Terry Tugboat went back past the lighthouse to the rough ocean water outside the port. Soon more ships would come and once again Terry Tugboat would be called on to get them safely into Fremantle.

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How many days did the ship stay in Fremantle Harbour?

Give another word for 'billowed'. Choose and underline the best answer from the following –␣ cigar, poured, hid, caught, slipped.

The lighthouse keeper was a lady –␣ TRUE/FALSE/MAYBE.

How do we know there were people on the sandy beach?

Give another word for 'funnel'. Choose and underline the best answer from the following – ship, deck, rope, wood, chimney.

How do we know the three children at the end of the jetty were sitting?

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 3. 10.

This story took place in the country called England –␣ true or false?

There were three children at the end of a small jetty. How many of these children were boys?

– passenger ship, warship, oil tanker, tugboat, submarine. 6.

Place the following events into their correct order :

12.

Terry Tugboat helped a large ship into the safer water of the port? Why do you think the water in the port was safer than the water outside the port?

13.

The children at the end of the jetty were fishing –␣ TRUE/FALSE/MAYBE.

The lighthouse keeper stared at the passing ships. Terry Tugboat went back to the rough ocean water outside the port. Terry Tugboat went past a group of three children. The ship was tied up with two strong ropes.

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A Family Get-Together

Out on the veranda, dozens of insects hovered around the light burning brightly away as it lit up the darkness. Inside the house, the Turner family was getting ready to go out to a restaurant to celebrate Mr Turner's fiftieth birthday. 'Hurry up and take the plug out and dry yourself,' called Mrs Turner to her teenage daughter, Kate. Meanwhile, Kate's older brother, Peter, was looking at the 1990 calendar which hung above the refrigerator. Peter noticed that the next day would be Friday, 20 March. On this day he would drive to the train station to meet his friend who was coming to stay for a week. The time had now arrived for the Turners to make their way to the restaurant. Mr and Mrs Turner sat in the front seat of the family car while Kate and Peter sat in the back seat. Off along the busy highway they went. Thirty minutes later they were all enjoying a tasty feast at the 'Hwang Ho' Chinese restaurant.

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How many people are there in the Turner family?

On which day did Mr Turner turn fifty years old?

What might the word 'hovered' mean? Choose the best answer from the following –␣ ate, flew, growled, walked, slipped. ␣ Answer –

Mr Turner was driving the family car –␣ TRUE/FALSE/STORY DOES NOT TELL US. Answer –

In which year was Mr Turner born?

What might the word 'feast' mean? Choose the best answer from the following – hamburger, chair, taste, meal, plate. Answer –

In which month did Mr Turner have his birthday?

Which word in the story tells us there were lots of cars on the highway?

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons At what time of day did this story Choose best answer from following – •f or r e v i e whappen? pur pothe se s on l ythe• early in the morning, at lunchtime, in the afternoon, at night. Answer –

10.

Give proof from the story for your answer to number 9.

11.

Kate was about six years old –␣ YES/NO/PERHAPS?

12.

In which room of the house do you think Peter was looking at the calendar? Choose the best answer from the following –␣ the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, the lounge room. Answer –

13.

Kate was in the bathroom washing herself. Was she having a shower or a bath? (Choose the correct one.)

14.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 13.

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Lounging Around The orange flames of the lounge fire crackled happily away in the corner of the room. Not far away, six eyes watched the newsreader carefully as she explained that tomorrow's weather would be fine and warm. Jane's mother got up from her seat and walked across to the fireplace to put another piece of jarrah on the fire. Meanwhile, her daughter sat quietly as she sipped the hot chocolate that she had made for herself. There were stains on the dress that she was wearing – ten minutes earlier she had spilt some of the hot drink all over herself, making Mum very angry. On the carpeted floor lay David, who was busily finding pieces for his Mickey Mouse jigsaw puzzle that had been given to him on his birthday the day before. Suddenly, their peaceful Sunday afternoon was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. Mother quickly turned down the volume of the newsreader and went across to answer the call.

It was her sister ringing from Perth, far away on the other side of Australia. Just then, Father entered the room on the way to the laundry where he would take off his raincoat and hang it to dry. He had spent the past thirty minutes bringing the horses into their stable for their afternoon meal of freshly-cut hay.

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1. How many people were in the lounge room when the story began? 2. On what day of the week did David have his birthday? 3. What was the weather like outside? 4. Give proof from the story for your answer to number 3.

5. Who probably was the oldest of the children named in the story? 6. Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 5.

7. What might the word 'jarrah' mean? Choose from – grass, wood, pipe, plastic. 8. The lounge fire was in the middle of the lounge room – TRUE / FALSE / STORY DOES NOT TELL US?

9. Was the newsreader a male or a female? 10.

11. Why do you think Mother turned down the volume of the newsreader before she answered the telephone call?

12. The people in the lounge room were listening to the newsreader on the radio – TRUE / FALSE / THE STORY DOES NOT TELL US?

13. Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 12.

14. The newsreader forecast fine and warm weather for which day of the week?

15. This story took place at about 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m. Underline the best answer. R.I.C. Publications

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✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭ The Circus Comes to Town Sally sat quietly on the kitchen chair as she carefully studied the calendar on the wall. It was now the third week of 1994. One day from now, the circus would be in town and Sally couldn't wait. She remembered back to last year's circus and how the clown had picked her out of the audience to help with his act. She remembered his funny tricks and the sea of smiling faces looking back at her and the clown. Sally went into the lounge room and peered out at the raindrops trickling down the windowpane. She watched the sun sinking slowly below the horizon where the sky met the rolling waves of the ocean.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• As the colourful sunset took place, Sally thought about the next day, when the circus would arrive in town early in the afternoon and make camp on the town oval. When school finished, Sally and some of her friends would pedal their way to the oval as quickly as they could. They would then spend their time wandering around and looking at the many circus animals or watching the men set up the huge red and white marquee in which the crowd of spectators would sit and enjoy the circus show.

✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭ R.I.C. Publications

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1. Where in the town was the circus set up?

8. Write the words from the story which tell us that the weather was not fine.

2. In which year did Sally get picked by the clown to help with the act?

9. What might the word 'marquee' mean? Choose from the following words – picture, car, tent, class room, cage. Answer –

3. The clown was a female clown – TRUE/FALSE/MAYBE?

4. What might the word peered mean? Choose from the following words – careful, hurried, growled, remembered, looked.

10. At what time of day did Sally move into the lounge room? Choose the best answer from the following – 8 a.m., 10 p.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. Answer –

Answer –

Why couldn't Sally and her friends © R. I . C.Pub11. l i c at i oday ns spend all wandering around the town oval as they looked at the Sally lived near the sea – YES/NO/ f o r r evi ew pur po sesonl y• circus? WE• ARE NOT TOLD?

6. In which month of the year did this story take place? 12. Who were the 'sea of smiling faces'? 7. Put the following events into their correct order: Sally moved into the lounge room. Sally and her friends wandered around looking at the circus animals. Sally studied the calendar on the wall. The circus arrived in town. R.I.C. Publications

13. Which word in the story tells us that Sally and her friends rode their bicycles from the school to the town oval? Answer – 14. The calendar hung on the lounge room wall – TRUE or FALSE?

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The Wreck

The many colours of a beautiful rainbow stretched across the ocean. With the wind suddenly picking up, the biggest sail on the yacht ballooned out to full size and soon the three boys were zooming over the water in search of adventure. It was now the middle of the afternoon and the boys were talking of their plans for the weekend, which started the following day. Fifteen minutes later they dropped the anchor near some reefs and the yacht came to a standstill. The boys shared some chewing gum as they put on their diving gear. First over the side and into the cool water was Steven, followed soon after by his two classmates. Down they swam for nearly ten metres until they met up with the ocean floor. From here they travelled west, passing a grey nurse shark and a forest of seaweed as they went.

© R. I . C. Pubthey l i c at nass Suddenly, came toi ao stop the ghostly shape of a shipwreck loomed up out of the deep water of them. Just then a school ofl nearly fifty tiny •f orr evi ewahead p u r p o s e s o n y • fish swam close by before disappearing into a hole

in the side of the wreck. The boys decided to follow them and soon they found themselves deep inside a strange new world.

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1. What caused the sail to balloon out to full size?

2. What word in the story is used to describe a group of fish? Answer – a

of fish.

3. This story happened probably on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Underline the best answer. 4. The three boys in the story were probably the same age – TRUE or FALSE? 5. Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 4.

6. This story happened at what time of day? Underline the best answer from the following – 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. 7. Give another word to replace the word 'standstill'. Choose and underline one of the following –␣ lake, stop, afternoon, fish, sinking.

8. The three boys had to turn off the engine before they dropped the anchor – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE? 9. Which word in the story tells us it had probably been raining recently? 10. Place the following events into their correct order. The anchor was dropped into the ocean. The boys put on their diving gear. Some fish swam inside the wreck. The boys came to a forest of seaweed. 11. Who was the first boy to go into the water? 12. There was more than one sail on the yacht – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE? 13. What danger did the boys find when they went diving to the ocean floor?

14. What were the boys doing as they put on their diving gear?

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The Attack of the Bees

The young boy pedalled slowly along the grass-lined track on his way to school. Tomorrow was the start of a weekend and he was busy daydreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. In the back of his mind he could hear a strange noise. Suddenly, Andy came to a stop and looked up to the heavens. What he saw both shocked and terrified him.

A huge swarm of bees filled the sky, buzzing their way angrily towards him. With no time to waste he sped off in the opposite direction, not knowing where he was going or what he was doing. On a nearby hill he could see smoke wafting slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home and he decided to make a 'beeline' straight towards it. Andy raced over the wooden bridge that crossed the dry riverbed.

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He was travelling at 20 kilometres an hour but the bees were still slowly catching up with him. As he began to work his way up the hill towards the house, the bees were able to catch up to him and he felt sharp pricks like needles entering his uncovered arms. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a well used by Mr Nelson to irrigate his orchard and vegetable garden. Into the cool water he hurried, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed that the bees had moved on. Dragging himself out of the well, he struggled up the remainder of the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs Nelson took him inside and placed some soothing cream on his swollen arms. Some ten minutes later his mother arrived and took him home for a well-earned rest.

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1. What might the strange noise be that Andy heard?

2. On what day of the week did this story take place?

3. What caused Andy's arms to be swollen?

9. Why do you think Andy disappeared below the surface of the water?

10. To make a 'beeline' means to (hide away, make a noise, catch a bee, go straight towards something).

4. Andy had been walking along the track when he first saw the bees – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

8. This story took place at about 8.30 a.m., 9.30 a.m., 11.00 a.m., 1 p.m., 2.30 p.m., 3.30 p.m.

11. How do we know there had been very little rainfall recently?

Andy was probably wearing a longsleeved shirt –␣ TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

7. Besides the fact that the bees were travelling faster than Andy, what else helped them to catch up to him?

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Mr Nelson grew vegetables and

13. When he first noticed the bees, Andy had a plan worked out to help him to escape from them. TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

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The Rescue Just then his attention was caught by an army of ants working at the bottom of the forest floor. They were struggling with a large spider which had been captured while searching for a meal of insects. Closer and closer the ants dragged their prisoner towards the ant nest, where the meal would begin. Feeling sorry for the spider, Jason left his rock and wandered across to where all the action was taking place. He carefully picked up the spider with a stick and blew away the angry ants on the end of it. Back to the rock he went, where he gently placed the spider. To his surprise, the spider could speak, and it thanked him over and over again for his help. The spider granted Jason two wishes in return for his good deed. Jason thought carefully before telling the spider that he wished for a chocolate bar to eat and a cosy bed where he could rest his sore feet.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons Outside the farmhouse the moon lit up the cloudy sky, •f ordancing r evover i ew ptops ur o sesonl y• sending moonbeams the roof ofp the tin sheds. Peeping out through the cracked window to the sheds close by, Jenny scrubbed the dishes while her younger brother Joey wiped them. Down the hallway their mother was busily reading a story to young Jason, whose eyelids were getting heavier as each second passed by. He was staring at the movement of the ceiling fans as his mother came to the part in the story where the handsome prince discovered whose foot fitted the glass slipper. Suddenly, his eyes closed and off he went into the world of dreams. He soon found himself knee-deep in thick green grass, surrounded by fields of wildflowers and huge mushrooms. As he walked on towards a rainbow on the distant horizon, he became weary and decided to take a rest. Looking around, he discovered a large flat rock jutting up from the sea of tall grass. Not only did it look comfortable, it also felt comfortable as he rested his legs upon its smooth surface.

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Just then he was woken by his older brother, Joey, who had come to tell Jason it was time to get up and get dressed for school. As Joey left the room, Jason felt something in his pyjama pocket. He looked and to his surprise pulled out the paper wrapping from a chocolate bar. He sat quietly at the end of his bed with a puzzled look on his face, while up in the corner of his room a large spider sat in its web, waiting for its next meal to arrive.

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1. How many people are there in this story? 2. Why did the spider give Jason two wishes?

3. Give the name of the story that you think Jason was listening to.

4. Jason took the spider away from the ants because he didn't like ants –␣ TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

5. Give a reason why Jason used a stick to pick up the spider –

6. Underline the word which means the same as 'weary' (do not use a dictionary) choose from - terrible, excited, angry, worried or tired. 7. Jason lived in a town –␣ TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE. 8. What do spiders eat?

9. Jason was probably about 1, 3, 6 or 14 years old? 10.

11. Give proof for your answer to question 10.

12. Jenny and Joey were doing the dishes at about 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. or 8 p.m.

13. Give proof for your answer to question 12.

14. Of the three children, who was

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(a)

the youngest?

(b)

the oldest?

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The sound of barking could be heard coming from outside Tim's bedroom window. Lifting his head from the pillow, he quickly changed out of his pyjamas and raced outside. The sun had only just come up over the ocean, but there was no time to waste.

Gone Crabbing

As he jogged along the side of the road, Tim was followed by his hairy pet which he had named 'Spotty'. It wasn't long before they came to the sand dunes that led down to the water's edge. On one of these sand dunes, Tim kept his little fishing boat, that he used on weekends when he wasn't at secondary school. Tim dragged the boat into the surf, then lifted Spotty on board before rowing out towards a small island. Three buoys bobbing up and down on top of the ocean told Tim where his drop nets were hiding. Rowing from buoy to buoy, he pulled each net to the surface and emptied his catch into a bucket. Four large crabs were caught in one drop net and the other nets had trapped one crab each. Tim felt very happy –␣ he could sell each crab for 50c and this money would then go towards buying birthday presents for his mum and dad.

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1. What would Tim buy with the money he got from selling crabs?

2. What was Tim doing when the story began? 3. How old do you think Tim was? Underline the best answer from the following – 3, 7, 14, 18 or 25. 4. How many crabs did Tim catch altogether? 5. How much money did Tim get altogether after selling all the crabs he had caught?

6. Where did Tim keep his fishing boat? 7. What might the word 'surf' mean? Choose one of the following words and do not use a dictionary – sand, shed, island, water or lifesaver. Answer – 8. This story probably took place on which day of the week? – Choose from –␣ Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Answer – 9.

10. Order the following – Tim tipped the crabs into a bucket. Spotty followed Tim along the road. Tim changed out of his pyjamas. Spotty was lifted into the little fishing boat. 11. What do you think caused the buoys to bob up and down on top of the ocean?

12. This story began at about what time of day? Underline the best answer from the following – 3 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. 13. Who do you think woke Tim up? 14. Tim sailed his boat out to the buoys – TRUE/FALSE/WE ARE NOT TOLD? 15. Why did Tim put the buoys on top of the ocean?

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The Lighthouse

Inside the lighthouse, old Ted Piper sat at his desk, watching the waves crash onto the reefs below. Around his legs purred Samantha, his faithful pet for many years. Together they kept each other company, talking to each other in different languages.

the telephone rang downstairs, so Ted put down his book to answer the call. Exactly half way down the stairs, he lost his footing and tumbled down until his body crashed into the carpet of the kitchen area below. Blood appeared from a cut to his head as he lay unconscious at the foot of the stairs.

had they seen the light on at this time of the day. 'Something must be wrong with old Ted' said Mr Rudland to his wife. 'I think I'll ring the police and get them to go and have a look' she replied.

At ground level the lighthouse was used as a kitchen and sleeping area. Above this, the staircase led upwards for forty winding steps until it reached the lookout and powerful light where Ted would sit on guard. Each evening at six o'clock he would flick the switch to set the light in action and then, when the sun rose the following morning, off would go the switch.

Samantha meowed loudly, but Ted heard nothing. Just then, Samantha thought of an idea that might get help for Ted. Racing back up the steps, Samantha put a paw on the switch and pushed down hard. Soon the light came on, brightening up the dull day outside the lighthouse.

It was now late in the afternoon and Samantha sat quietly on the desk top, watching the seagulls having trouble flying in the blustery weather outside. Suddenly,

Some distance away, Mr and Mrs Rudland were sitting on their front porch as they relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful ocean views around the island. Suddenly, they saw the light coming from the lighthouse. Never before

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road that led to the lighthouse. After finding Ted, he telephoned for an ambulance. An hour later, Ted was feeling much better as he rested in a hospital room with Samantha curled up on the end of his bed. 'I wonder who saved your life by switching on that light?' asked Ted's doctor. Samantha lifted her head and meowed softly. 'I think I know the answer to your question, but you probably won't believe me' said old Ted.

Who rang for the police?

Write the words from the story which tell us that the ocean was not calm.

What was Ted doing when the telephone rang?

Write two words from the story which describe the sounds that cats make.

Was the cat in the story male or female?

Give proof for your answer to question number 5.

How many steps down the staircase had Ted taken before he fell?

Give another word to take the place of 'foot'.

It was a windy day –␣ TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

10.

Give proof for your answer to question number 9.

11.

12.

Place the following events into the correct order as they happened in the story. Ted heard the telephone ringing. Ted was taken to hospital. Samantha pushed her paw down onto the switch.

A policeman drove out to the lighthouse. Mr and Mrs Rudland saw the lighthouse light.

13.

The lighthouse light was only switched on by Ted in the night-time. Explain in your own words why.

14.

Ted fell down the stairs at about –␣ 10 a.m., 12.00 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. Choose the best answer and underline it.

15.

The switch would go off at about 11 p.m., 3 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. Choose the best answer and underline it.

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The Foal The chiming of the old grandfather clock echoed through the quiet house. Shirley began to stir from her sleep as the sixth and last chime of the clock rang in her ears. She quickly changed into her weekend clothes before going downstairs for something to eat. Shirley was hungry and it didn't take her long to devour a plate of cereal and three pieces of toast, followed by a cup of warm milk. Now it was time to check the stable to see if old Sputnik had given birth to a new foal. Five years ago, Sputnik had been a champion racehorse, winning seven races from only a dozen starts before a leg injury forced her to retire from the racetrack. As Shirley made her way from the house to the sheds, she played a game of hopscotch with the puddles of rainwater that were in her path. Soon she entered the stables where Sputnik was locked away. There, on a bed of hay, lay a lovely baby filly, just two hours old. Above her and standing proudly on guard was the grey Sputnik. Shirley jumped for joy before spinning around and charging back to the house to tell the others the good news. She wiped her feet carefully on the doormat before going down the hallway that led to the kitchen. Mother looked up from the kitchen table at Shirley's happy face. 'Well, tell us, Shirley, is it a filly or a colt?' she asked. 'It's a filly the same colour as her mum,' replied an excited Shirley. Before long, Shirley was off to the study room where all her homework was done. Taking her diary down from the bookshelf, she wrote 'Born on the tenth day of the tenth month, a little filly with wobbly legs –␣ I think I'll call her “Legs Go”'.

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1. Sputnik raced twelve times on the racetrack – TRUE or FALSE? 2. What might have caused Shirley to wake up? 3. Choose the best answer. This story probably happened on – Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. Answer – 4. Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 3.

5. In which month of the year was the foal born? 6. Shirley was probably about 2, 4, 5 or 7 years old? Answer – 7. Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 6.

8. What might the word 'devour' mean? Choose the best answer from the following – wash, eat, quickly, own, heat.

9. 10.

her feet?

11. What colour was the foal? 12. Find a word in the story that describes: (a) a female horse

(b) a male horse

13. The foal was born at about 4 a.m., 6 a.m., 8 a.m. or 10 a.m.? 14. Which word in the story tells us that Shirley probably lived in a two-storey home?

16. Place the following events into their correct order: Shirley wiped her feet on the doormat. Shirley had a cup of warm milk. Shirley played hopscotch. R.I.C. Publications

Mother asked Shirley about the foal. Shirley devoured three pieces of toast.

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

Kanga's Nightmare Rays of early morning sunshine spread their way through the clearing fog. Some distance away, high up on a hill, the tin blades of a windmill spun quietly around in a clockwise direction. The sound of a kookaburra laughing at his own jokes could be heard as it echoed its way around the forest. An old owl, tired from hunting for food all night, disappeared into his home in a tree to catch up on some sleep as the daylight creatures came out to take their turn at searching for food. At the water's edge fifty metres away, Kanga the kangaroo was investigating freshly-made tracks that he had stumbled across. The tracks were in pairs, with five toes on each footprint. Suddenly, the breeze coming through the trees brought a smell to Kanga's nostrils – a smell that frightened him greatly. He became alert, worried and tense. He remembered his sister was feeding in the forest clearing nearby and he sent a warning to her with his chattering teeth. Too late –␣ a gunshot broke the sounds of nature, echoing its way through the woods to its target.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons On fence• lines could bee seen thousands ofu f o r r v i e w p r posesonl y• spider webs, glistening with dewdrops in the sunlight. Tiny spiders sat quietly close by, like fishermen waiting for a catch in their fishing nets. Not far away stood the ageing, one-lane bridge that straddled the river below. Underneath the bridge, the wooden beams made a perfect nesting place for birds. Keeping them company, little lizards darted to and fro. Sometimes they even ventured up to the railings of the bridge where they would soak up the warming rays of sunshine.

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No longer would Kanga have a sister –␣ her heart stopped beating, while, huddled in her pouch below, her baby's heart was beating faster than it had ever done before. A second shot was heard and another pregnant kangaroo lay dead as well. Kanga could do nothing but flee as he bounded off in the opposite direction. By mid-afternoon, the forest had returned to its peaceful self, the two dead kangaroos lying still in the clearing. Kanga was crying, tears running down his red face. For him, the forest that he loved would never be the same again.

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

In which season did this story most probably take place? –␣ choose from autumn, winter, spring or summer.

Give proof for your answer to question number 1.

The hunter with a gun shot the kanga roos for their meat –␣ TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

10.

Give a reason why you think the baby's heart was beating very fast.

11.

On what part of Kanga's body were his nostrils?

The hunter with a gun was wearing shoes – TRUE / FALSE / WE ARE NOT TOLD.

Give a reason for your answer to question number 4.

Besides the breeze carrying a smell to Kanga's nostrils, name one other part from the story that tells us that the air was moving.

What might the word 'straddled' mean? (Do not use a dictionary)

13.

Give proof for your answer to question number 12.

14.

Why are spiders like fishermen?

15.

Which word in the story tells us that Kanga dreamt the whole thing?

What do you think the smell was that frightened Kanga?

What might the word 'flee' mean? (Do not use a dictionary.)

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Tommy Tadpole

Little David Harris was already stirring from his sleep as his pet rooster welcomed the beginning of another day. He always woke up earlier on weekends when he knew he didn't have to go to school to do his Year 4 lessons. Two hours later he was off out the front door, carrying with him a plastic bucket and some flywire netting.

with nineteen other children, were lined up outside room number seven. Their teacher, a rather tall person, was wearing blue shorts which partly covered up a pair of hairy legs. The ten girls were told to enter the classroom first, followed by the boys. Soon after, David and three other students were asked to come to the front of the classroom to give a talk about the animals they had brought along. Most, but not all of these four students, were wearing their school uniforms. They gave talks about a lizard, a cat which was feeding two kittens, a worm and, of course, Tommy Tadpole.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons • f or evi e wp r posesonl y• Across the paddocks her wandered, kicking theu early morning dew from the blades of grass as he went. It wasn't long before he came to a small ditch filled with rainwater, weeds, rocks and mud. Scooping the bottom of the pool, he hit the jackpot as he brought to the surface a rather large tadpole, which was given the name of Tommy. For the next few days, Tommy was looked after like a king, being fed the very best of food scraps. Four days after his capture, Tommy was ready to be shown off at school to David's school mates. Tommy peeped out from inside a plastic bag filled with water. He saw strange faces looking back at him and he felt frightened and all alone in his new surroundings at school. Suddenly, Tommy heard a strange sound and saw lots of children hurrying into lines outside their classrooms. David and Tommy, along

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Tommy was then placed on the nature table at the back of the room. He was taken from the plastic bag and put into a large tray containing water and rocks. He felt lonely and homesick, especially at night when the classroom was deserted and dark. Another week passed and Tommy noticed that changes were taking place to his body –␣ he now had legs to jump with and he found himself spending more time on top of the rocks rather than swimming around his tray. A plan formed in his mind –␣ tomorrow he would jump out of his tray, follow David home from school and then return to his ditch in the paddock. Sure enough, that's exactly what he did.

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

What do you think was the strange sound that Tommy heard?

Why did David take a plastic bucket with him?

The cat was a MALE / FEMALE / WE ARE NOT TOLD.

How many boys were there in the room 7 class?

Why did David take flywire netting with him?

Underline the best answer –␣ David was about 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 or 15 years old.

Was David's teacher male or female?

10.

Give proof for your answer to question number 9.

11.

Why do you think Tommy was spending more time on top of rocks rather than swimming in the tray?

What might the word 'deserted' mean? (Do not use a dictionary.) Choose one of the following answers – angry, empty, wet, large, shallow. Answer:

13.

Who do you think were the strange faces looking at Tommy when he was inside the plastic bag?

14.

Which day of the week did David take Tommy to school to show his classmates? Underline the best answer –␣ Friday, Saturday, Monday or Wednesday.

15.

How many people and animals were in room 7 altogether?

Order these events as they happened in the story: Tommy was put into a plastic bag and taken to school. Tommy was put on the nature table. David gave the class a talk about Tommy the Tadpole. Tommy followed David home from school. David scooped into a ditch of water in a paddock.

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Changing House

Sitting on an empty matchbox, Sally relaxed by reading the newspaper. It had been a long, hard day and she had been busy since dawn, shifting her house to higher ground. She yawned for several seconds before returning to the weather page of the Daily Mouse newspaper. There she read about the local flooding and the gloomy forecast of more rain continuing until the weekend, which was still three days away. Just then there was a knock on the door and Sally got up to see who it was. As she opened the door, she was greeted by the sad face of her friend, Amanda. 'What's wrong?' asked Sally. 'I have no home to go to. My home by the river will be underwater in another few hours,' replied Amanda. 'Don't worry, you can move into my home and stay with me,' answered Sally. 'That would be great. I'll hurry back home and collect my belongings,' replied Amanda. 'Wait a minute while I put my overcoat on and I'll come and help you,' said Sally.

© R. I . C.Pu bl i cat i ons Five minutes later the two friends were off down the their journey. On the way they passed Farmer •f orr evi ew phill uonr p osesonl y• Jones's house and the old windmill spinning around near the entrance to the hay sheds. Amanda and Sally ducked for cover as they noticed an old tomcat on guard near the bales of hay. Onwards they sneaked under the cover of tall grass until finally they reached Amanda's home. They gathered as much food, clothes and sleeping gear as they could possibly carry. The trip back to Sally's house would certainly take more time than their first journey. A few hours later, they arrived back at Sally's home and, not long after, they were both fast asleep in beds of warm, comfortable straw.

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1. Which word in the story tells us that Sally was feeling tired?

2. This story probably took place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday? Underline the best answer.

3. What were the belongings that Amanda had to get?

4. `

What sort of creatures do you think Sally and Amanda were?

9. Match the following words from the story with their meanings (do not use a diction ary). Choose from these answers – very painful, things that are owned by somebody, stormy weather, a type of machine, a place where somebody is travelling to. (a) destination –

(b) belongings –

10. Which words in the story tell us that Sally was feeling cold?

5. Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 4.

Why would the trip home to Sally's house © R. I . C.Pub11. l i c at i ons take longer than the first trip that Amanda and Sally made? •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

6. What caused Sally to shift house?

12. This story probably took place in the morning, around lunchtime, late in the afternoon? Underline the best answer.

13. Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 12.

7. Why did the tomcat probably not see Amanda and Sally?

8. Which words in the story tell us that the weather was windy?

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14. Why was Sally's house on top of a hill?

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Beep! Beep! The bus driver sounded the horn as she sat quietly behind the steering wheel. Suddenly, a door in the nearby house burst open and out of it scrambled the three Evans children. They sprinted towards the empty bus, gulping down the last bits of toast from their breakfast as they went.

The School Bus

Today was Wednesday, which meant sport day at school and Ryan Evans was proudly wearing the new basketball shoes that he had been given on his birthday, three days ago. He climbed aboard the waiting bus, followed closely behind by his two sisters, who sat together towards the back of the bus. Shari Evans sat down, took off her warm gloves, placed them in her school bag and then took out her favourite book to read, which was titled Alice in Wonderland. She read silently to herself while her younger sister, Holly, looked out from her window seat at the passing countryside and thought about her birthday party, which would take place in one week's time. Meanwhile, Ryan sat chatting to the bus driver as they stared out the front window at the windshield wipers, which were hard at work.

After travelling for some fifty minutes, the bus was now nearly full, with a load of twenty students. The bus driver navigated the bus around a sharp bend in the road before coming to the top of a high hill. From this point, the driver allowed the vehicle to roll down the other side as it followed the winding road into the town of Stockden. Most of the passengers, including Shari and Holly, got off the bus at Stockden Primary School, leaving Ryan and six other children to continue the trip to Stockden Senior High School.

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1. What type of sport do you think Ryan played at school on Wednesday?

Using context clues, give another word for 'titled'.

On what day of the week did Ryan have his birthday?

The weather on Wednesday was fine – TRUE or FALSE?

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 4.

11.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 10.

12.

How many children got off at Stockden Primary School?

13.

Using context clues, give another word for 'navigated'. Choose one of the follow ing answers – spread, wrapped, sped, climbed, steered.

14.

Next to the names of the three Evans children, place the numbers which would best match their ages. The numbers to choose from are 7, 9 and 14. Ryan and Shari Holly

15.

The town of Stockden was built on a hill – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

Using context clues, give another word for 'vehicle'.

ride took place –␣ TRUE or FALSE? 7.

10.

This story took place at about what time of day. Underline one of the following answers – 5.30 a.m., 7.30 a.m., 10.00 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3.30 p.m.␣

17.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 16.

18.

The bus driver was a woman – TRUE or FALSE?

19.

Write the word from the story which gave you the answer to question number 18.

20.

How many days apart were the birth days of Ryan and Holly?

On what day of the week would Holly have her birthday?

The Evans children were the first children to get on the bus – YES / NO / PERHAPS?

Ryan sat near the back of the bus – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

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❦❦❦❦❦

Larry's Lucky Escape Along the bush track staggered the tomcat as he headed back home. Part of his left ear was missing and he had cuts to his face from last night's fight with another cat. He didn't notice the fog lifting from the valley or the hairy spider sitting quietly on her web, waiting for breakfast to arrive. Not far away was a large log on the ground with a hole through the middle of it. Inside this hole lay Possum Pam, snoring away loudly. On top of the log above her sat Larry Lizard, soaking up the rays of sunshine coming through the trees above. He closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed. Now was the perfect time for the hungry hawk to attack. Suddenly, Larry heard the powerful flapping of wings and opened his eyes just in time to see the danger above him. Larry's little feet dashed as fast as they could across the bumpy log. He felt a swish of air past him and at the same time he screamed as he felt sudden pain. Turning around, he saw the hawk disappearing upwards. It had part of Larry's tail hanging from its claws as it flew away into the distance. Possum Pam looked out from the log to see what was happening. 'Don't worry about your tail Larry, we'll get you a brand new one. Hop up on my back and hang on,' she said. Down the track they went, passing the old tomcat on the way. Soon after, Possum Pam came to a stop outside a tree, which had a hole in its trunk. A sign on the trunk read 'Second-hand Tails for Sale'.

Pam and Larry climbed into the hole where Ollie Owl lived. Rows of shelves stood before them. On each shelf was a variety of tails – fat tails, skinny tails, long tails, short tails –␣ there were hundreds of them. 'I think a size seven tail might fit you,' said Ollie from behind his shop counter. 'Hold still now while I glue it on.' Five minutes later, Larry was able to try out his short, skinny tail for the first time. 'It fits beautifully. I feel like Cinderella at the ball,' said an excited Larry. He paid Ollie three dollars and bade him farewell. Together, Possum Pam and Larry Lizard returned to the log to talk about their adventure over a nice hot cup of tea.

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Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

The spider was a male spider – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

Which word in the story tells us that this story probably didn't happen in summer?

Why do you think the tomcat was staggering along the bush track?

The tail that Larry bought from Ollie was a long, skinny tail – TRUE or FALSE.

What might have caused Possum Pam to wake from her sleep inside the log?

Place the following events into the correct order that they happened in the story. Larry gave Ollie three dollars. Pam and Larry passed the tomcat. Larry relaxed and closed his eyes.

Larry and Pam had a cup of tea. Possum Pam was asleep inside the log. The hawk attacked Larry Lizard.

This story probably took place at about what time of day? Choose the best answer from the following –␣ 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. or 9 p.m.

Which word tells us that Pam was asleep inside the log?

10.

Why did the hawk attack Larry?

11.

Larry bought a brand new tail to replace the tail that was taken by the hawk – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

12.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 11.

13.

Explain in your own words why Larry felt like he was 'Cinderella at the ball.'

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The Old Farmhouse From behind the house where several wildflowers were growing, there came a buzzing noise – once, long ago, a vegetable patch had been cared for in this very same spot. Down from a cloudless sky swooped a swallow as it flew into the house to return to its mud-like nest. There, high up in one corner of what was once the children's bedroom, three small chicks slept peacefully as they huddled together to try to keep warm.

Alone on the hill the old house stood, overlooking the beautiful valley below. A rusty front gate squeaked and danced in time to the movement of the wind as it whistled its way through the leaves of the two large willow trees standing nearby. The garden area, now full of weeds, lay between the picket fence and the wide veranda which ran around the front and sides of the house.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur p osesonl y• Seventy metres away stood the remains of a tin-roofed shed. On one side of the shed, where termites were busy at work, a harness hung on the wall. Many years ago, farmer Johnson had used the harness to hitch the old mare to a cart to transport the children to the small, one-teacher, bush school for their daily lessons.

A spider sat quietly on its web that covered up the broken corner of a windowpane. Suddenly, the peace of the early morning was broken by the sound of a tiny mouse scuttling across the faded floorboards of the veranda. Just as suddenly, it disappeared into the blackness of a hole, much to the anger and frustration of an old tomcat that had been following close behind.

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What might a swallow be?

10.

The farmhouse was located on flat land – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE?

The veranda went all the way around the house – YES / NO / WE ARE NOT TOLD.

11.

What was making the front gate squeak and dance?

What animal might have been making the noise near the wildflowers?

12.

The old house was not lived in any more by people. Give two facts about the house that suggest this is so.

Explain how you worked out the answer to number 3. 13.

How do we know the weather was cold when this story took place?

Give another word which means the same as' scuttling'. (Do not use a dictionary.)

This story took place at what time of day? Underline the best answer from the following – 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m.

15.

16.

Give proof for your answer to question number 15.

17.

Was the cat male or female?

18.

Explain how you worked out the answer to number 17.

What do you think the side of the shed where the harness was hanging was made of?

8. Explain how you worked out the answer to number 7.

Farmer Johnson had lived alone on the farm –␣ YES / NO / WE ARE NOT TOLD.

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The front gate of the old house was probably made of

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

The

Cubbyhouse

Along the edge of the stream wandered the four friends, carrying their backpacks. The bright afternoon sunshine filtered through the trees on its downward journey to the grassy slopes of the creek banks below. Birds chirped merrily in time with the swaying to and fro of tree branches. To the east a tractor could be heard rumbling away. A cloud of dust followed close behind as it dragged a plough over the paddocks. In two hours time the sun would disappear over the horizon and so the children hurried on with not a moment to spare. Soon they came to a rock crossing which bridged one side of the creek to the other. Carefully, the children balanced their way across until at last they reached the other creek bank, safe and dry.

Around a bend in the creek they came to a huge white gum with strong looking branches. It was here, amid several forks in the branches, that the children had built their pride and joy, a large cubbyhouse. Tim, the oldest, led the way up the rope ladder that went up to the cubby entrance. The sides of the cubby were painted red and made of planks of wood nailed together. A piece of carpet covered the floor and a hole cut in the roof allowed some sunlight to enter and brighten the single room.

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Ten-year-old Jenny checked the Tilly lamp to make sure it was working, while Ross and Renae Campbell unpacked the food supplies. The Campbells were twins, having been born on the same day twelve and a half years ago. By now the first stars were appearing in the sky and Tim was busy setting out sleeping bags and pillows in their correct places. Later, following their meal, the children would enjoy a game of cards with hot chocolate and biscuits. This would be followed by the usual pillow fights and jokes, before the Tilly lamp was turned off, close to midnight. The sandman would soon arrive, making eyelids heavy and replacing the sounds of talk and laughter with heavy snoring.

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

It was a windy day – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 1.

The Tilly lamp was turned off at about 8.30 p.m., 9.30 p.m., 10.30 p.m. or 11.30 p.m.

What might a 'white gum' be?

Give proof from the story to suggest there had been very little rainfall recently.

What might 'to and fro' mean? (Do not use a dictionary.) Choose one of the following answers: – (a) correctly (b) backwards and forwards (c) savagely (d) courage (e) carefully

Tim was probably about 8, 10, 12 or 14 years old.

Give proof from the story to suggest that this story took place in a farming area.

What might 'amid' mean? (Do not use a dictionary.) Choose one of the following answers: – (a) many (b) clean (c) high (d) built (e) among

10.

Who was the youngest of the four children?

11.

Give another word to replace the word 'bridged' as it is used in the story.

12.

What clue in the story tells us it was nearly night-time as Tim set out the sleeping bags and pillows?

13.

Copy the sentence from the story which tells us there was probably water in the creek.

14.

The children crossed the creek at about 11 a.m., 1.30 p.m., 2.30 p.m., 4.00 p.m., 7.30 p.m.?

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Busy Susan The chimes of the bell rang out over the quiet playground to signal the end of another school day. Children rushed out of classrooms like angry ants from a disturbed ants' nest. With Christmas just five days away, Susan was in a hurry to get home so that she could go with her mother to buy presents for the rest of the Simpson family. Today was Monday, which meant that Susan would be getting a ride home with her neighbour, whose name was Sally Mitchell. Mrs Mitchell was waiting outside the main gate of the school and soon the three of them were off down the road. Along the way, for something to do, Susan and Sally counted the white lines that went down the middle of the road.

Some ten minutes later, Susan was dropped off at the front fence to her family's farm. She opened the large entrance gate, carefully making sure to shut it behind her. As Susan walked along the path that led to the farmhouse, she was joined by Clarence the horse, Kimba the pet kangaroo and Larry the pet lamb. All three animals would have to be fed before Susan would be allowed to go shopping. After a bite to eat, she hurried outside to do her chores. Sheeba's tasty bone was placed in her kennel, Clarence's water trough was filled and half a dozen eggs were collected. These eggs would come in handy to make a cake for Susan's classroom break-up party to be held the next day. The students of Susan's room 5, Year 2 class, would celebrate the end of another school year with a picnic lunch on the school oval. With Mum tooting the car horn it was time for Susan to join her and depart for the shopping centre in the nearby town of Shadow Lane.

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Give a reason why Susan carefully shut the gate behind her.

(c)

(b)

This story took place at about what time of day? Choose the best answer from the following –␣ 8.30 a.m., 10.30a.m., 12.00 noon, 3.30 p.m., 5.30 p.m.

11.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 10.

12.

What type of animal might Sheeba be?

13.

Sally was in the same class as Susan – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

(e)

(d)

This story took place in which month of the year?

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 3.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons 14. Mrs Mitchell drove along a bitumen/ • f o r r e v i e w p u r po sesonl y• dirt road after picking up the children Susan collected twelve eggs – from school. (Underline the best answer.)

TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

Why were Susan and her mother buying presents for the rest of the family?

10. Name the five types of animals that lived on Susan's farm:

(a)

15.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 14.

16.

Susan was about seven years old – TRUE / FALSE / MAYBE.

17.

Give proof from the story for your answer to question number 16.

18.

On what day of the week would the school term finish?

On what day of the week would Christmas Day fall?

The bell rang out over a quiet playground. Why do you think the play ground was so quiet?

What was Susan's surname?

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The Thorne Family

The bright car lights lit up the picket fence that stood close to the entrance to the wooden cottage. Behind the steering wheel sat Dean Thorne, a picture of concentration by now as he guided the car carefully into the garage, some fifty metres from the house. Popping up his umbrella, he left the garage and made a dash for the shelter and warmth of home.

He was humming a song to himself as he thought about his birthday, now only two weeks and three days away. Setting the table was only one of many chores he had to do in order to earn his weekly pocket money of five dollars. Dwayne was saving his money to buy a pair of roller skates, which were priced at twenty dollars at a sports shop in the nearby town of Seaton Hall.

Opening the front door, he

Tomorrow would be the first

was greeted by the sight of orange flames dancing to and fro in a log fire and the smell of a roast cooking in the kitchen, under the watchful eye of his younger sister, Belinda. The sounds of cutlery being laid on the dining room table could be heard faintly above the din of the television set.

day of October. On the first day of each month, Mrs Thorne had to drive to Seaton Hall, seven minutes away, to attend a meeting of the hobby club to which she belonged. For tomorrow's trip to town she would take the farm ute rather than the family car so that she could pick up the new fivespeed bicycle which would be Dwayne's surprise birthday present.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Little Dwayne, the youngest in the family, was hard at work, setting a knife and fork on the table in front of each of the six chairs that surrounded the eating area.

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Dean Thorne was probably about 5, 10, 15 or 20 years old?

Give proof for your answer to question number 1.

9. 3.

How much pocket money would Dwayne earn in five weeks?

Give proof from the story for your answer to question 6.

14.

How many people were going to eat at the table?

15.

Dwayne's birthday would take place on about the 1st, 9th, 17th, 24th or 29th of October.

16.

Use context clues to give another word for 'chores'.

17.

Order the names of the three children in the story from youngest to oldest.

Using context clues, give another word for 'din'.

How many weeks of chores would Dwayne have to do before he could buy a pair of roller skates?

Give proof from the story which tells us that the Thorne family probably lived on a farm.

10.

While this story took place, it was probably raining. Support this sentence with proof from the story.

18.

Give two examples of cutlery.

11.

How many days did Dwayne have to wait for his birthday?

12.

How many meetings did the hobby club of Seaton Hall have each year?

13.

Give the name of the room in houses where people often eat their meals. (Read the story for the answer.)

and

This story probably took place at nighttime –true or false?

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Why was Dean concentrating?

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The Go-kart 1. IN-1 2. IN-1 or IN-4 3. IN-5 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

IN-4 E-2 IN-3 E-4 IN-1

9. 10.

E-2 IN-1

11. 12.

L-1 IN-5

Terry the Tugboat 1. IN-1 2. IN-4 3. E-4 4. E-4 5. 6. 7.

IN-1 IN-3 IN-1

8. 9.

IN-4 IN-5

Tony. 21 days. The go kart hit a hump of dirt. Talk. False. 3, 2, 5, 1, 4. Three. Mary was sitting in a pram. True. The car left a trail of dust behind it. Tony. Jane was standing on the front gate, which was swinging.

Nine days. Poured. False. The lighthouse keeper had a bearded face. Two. 1, 3, 4, 2. There were umbrellas on the beach. Chimney. They had their legs dangling over the side. False. Passenger ship. The water in the port is protected from wind and so it is calmer than the unprotected water outside the port. True.

Lounging Around 1. IN-1 2. IN-1 3. IN-1 4. IN-5 5. 6.

IN-6 IN-1

7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

IN-4 E-2 IN-1 IN-6 IN-5

12. 13.

E-2 IN-1

14. 15.

IN-1 E-4

Three. Saturday. Rainy (wet). Father took off and hung his raincoat to dry. Jane. David was finding pieces for his Mickey Mouse jigsaw puzzle that had been given to him on his birthday the day before. Wood. False. Female. As she explained. So she could hear the person talking on the telephone clearly. False. Not far away, six eyes watched the newsreader. Monday. 3 p.m.

The Circus Comes to Town 1. L-1 On the town oval. 2. IN-1 1993. 3. IN-6 False. 4. IN-4 Looked. 5. E-2 Yes. 6. IN-1 January. 7. IN-3 2, 4, 1, 3. 8. IN-5 The raindrops trickling down the window pane. 9. IN-4 Tent. 10. E-4 6 p.m. 11. IN-2 They had to go to school. 12. IN-1 The audience. 13. IN-1 Pedal. 14. E-2 False.

10. 11. 12.

L-1 IN-1 or E-4 IN-5

IN-1

A Family Get-Together 1. IN-1 Four. 2. IN-1 Thursday. 3. IN-4 Flew. 4. E-2 Story does not tell us. 5. IN-1 1940. 6. IN-4 Meal. 7. IN-1 March. 8. IN-5 Busy. 9. IN-1 At night. 10. IN-1 Dozens of insects hovered around the light burning brightly away as it lit up the darkness. 11. E-4 No. 12. IN-1 The kitchen. 13. IN-1 A bath. 14. IN-1 Mrs Turner told Kate to take the plug out.

R.I.C.

Publications

The Wreck 1. IN-5

2. 3. 4. 5.

L-1 E-4 E-2 IN-1

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

E-4 IN-4 E-2 IN-1 IN-3 L-1 E-2 IN-1 L-1

The wind suddenly picked up and was caught by the sail. School. Friday. True. Steven and the other two boys were classmates. 3 p.m. Stop. False (it was a sailboat). Rainbow. 1, 2, 4, 3. Steven. True. A grey nurse shark. Sharing some chewing gum.

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

The Attack of the Bees 1. IN-1 The buzzing of the bees. 2. IN-1 Friday. 3. IN-5 The bee stings. 4. IN-1 False. 5. E-4 22 kph 6. E-4 False. 7. IN-5 He was riding up a hill. 8. E-4 8.30 a.m. 9. IN-5 So the bees could not sting him. 10. IN-4 Go straight towards something. 11. IN-1 Andy raced across the wooden bridge that passed over the dry riverbed. 12. IN-1 Fruit. 13. IN-1 False. The Rescue 1. IN-1 2. L-1 3. IN-1 4. E-2 5. IN-5

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

IN-4 E-2 L-1 E-4 E-2 IN-5

12. 13. 14.

E-4 IN-1 IN-1

Four. For saving the spider's life. Cinderella. False. So the ants could not bite him OR so he could blow away the ants. Tired. False. Insects. 6. True. Jason was staring at the movement of the ceiling fan. 8 p.m. The moon was out. (a) Jason (b) Jenny.

The Lighthouse 1. IN-6 2. IN-1 3. 4. 5. 6.

IN-1 L-6 E-4 IN-6

7. 8. 9. 10.

IN-1 IN-4 E-3 IN-5

11. 12. 13.

E-3 IN-3 IN-2

14. 15.

E-4 IN-1

The Foal 1. E-2 2. IN-5 3. E-4 4. IN-1 into

Mrs Rudland. Watching the waves crash onto the reefs below. Reading. Meowed and purred. Female. Samantha is a name for a female OR Samantha lifted her head and meowed softly. Twenty. Bottom, end, etc. True. The seagulls were having trouble flying in the blustery weather outside. False. 1, 5, 2, 4, 3. At night it is dark and the lighthouse can help to show ships where there is danger. In the daytime, these dangers can be seen without the help of a lighthouse. 4 p.m. 6 a.m.

True. The chiming of the clock. Sunday. Shirley quickly changed

Gone Crabbing 1. L-1 2.

IN-1

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

E-4 IN-1 IN-1 L-1 IN-4 E-4 IN-4 IN-3 IN-5

12. 13. 14. 15.

E-4 IN-1 E-2 IN-1

R.I.C.

Birthday presents for his mum and dad. Resting or sleeping on a pillow. Fourteen. Six. $3.00. On a sand dune. Water. Saturday. Ran. 4, 2, 1, 3. The movement of the ocean or water. 6 a.m. 'Spotty'. False. To tell Tim where his dropnets were.

Publications

5. 6. 7.

IN-1 E-4 IN-1

8. 9. 10.

IN-4 IN-1 IN-5

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

IN-6 IN-4 E-4 IN-1 IN-3

her weekend clothes. October. Seven. Shirley was off to the study room where all her homework was done. Eat. 6 o'clock. To get the mud off her shoes. Grey. (a) filly (b) colt. 4 a.m. Downstairs. 4, 2, 3, 5, 1.

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

Kanga's Nightmare 1. E-4 2. IN-1 3. IN-4 4. E-4 5. IN-1

Winter. Fog and dew on the grass. Jumped, went over, etc. False. The tracks were in pairs with five toes on each

foot6. 7. 8.

IN-1 IN-4 IN-5

9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

IN-1 IN-5 IN-1 E-4 IN-1

14.

IN-4

15.

L-1

Tommy Tadpole 1. IN 5 or IN 1 2.

IN-1

3. 4. 5.

E-4 IN-1 IN-1

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

IN-4 IN-3 E-4 E-4 IN-6

11.

IN-2

12. 13. 14. 15.

IN-1 IN-1 E-4 IN-1

print. The smell of the hunter. Run away, hurry off etc. The tin blades of the windmill spun quietly around. False. The baby was frightened. His head OR his nose. Yes. A second shot was heard and soon after a pregnant kangaroo lay dead. They both set a type of net to catch food. Nightmare.

The school bell or the school siren. To carry the animals that were caught from the ditch. Female. Ten. To catch the animals living in the ditch. Empty. 2, 4, 3, 5, 1. Nine. Male. The teacher had a pair of hairy legs. Tommy was changing from a tadpole into a frog and frogs don't sit in water as much as tadpoles do. Three. School children. Wednesday. Twenty seven.

Changing House contd. 8. IN-1 The old windmill spinning around. 9. IN-4 (a) destination - a place where somebody is travel ling to. (b) belongings - things that are owned by somebody. 10. IN-5 Wait a minute while I put on my overcoat. 11. E-4 Because they could be carrying home the heavy belongings OR they were going uphill on the way back home. 12. IN-1 Late in the afternoon. 13. IN-5 It had been a long, hard day. 14. IN-5 So it couldn't be flooded by heavy rainfall. The School Bus 1. IN-1 Basketball. 2. IN-4 Called, named, etc. 3. IN-1 Sunday. 4. E-3 False. 5. IN-1 The windshield wipers of the bus were hard at work. 6. IN-4 Bus. 7. E-4 7.30 a.m. 8. IN-1 Wednesday. 9. E-3 Yes. 10. E-3 False. 11. IN-1 Ryan was chatting to the bus driver who sits at the front of the bus. 12. IN-1 Thirteen children. 13. IN-4 Steered. 14. IN-1 (a) Ryan – 14, (b) Holly –␣ 7, (c) Shari –␣ 9. 15. E-4 False. 16. E-3 True. 17. IN-1 Shari was wearing gloves. 18. E-3 True. 19. IN-1 She. 20. IN-1 Ten days.

Changing House 1. IN-6 2. E-4 3. IN-1 4. IN-1 5. IN-6 'Daily

Yawned. Wednesday. Food, clothes, sleeping gear. Mice. Sally was reading the Mouse' newspaper OR they went to sleep in a bed of warm comfortable straw

IN-5

IN-2

R.I.C.

Publications

they ducked for cover as they noticed an old tomcat. The local flooding OR the rising water caused by rainfall. They were hidden by the tall grass.

Larry's Lucky Escape 1. E-3 False. 2. IN-1 or IN-6 Fog. 3. IN-5 The cat was feeling sore and tired from last night's fight. 4. E-3 False. 5. IN-5 The sounds of wings flapping OR the sound of feet dashing across the log OR the sound of Larry screaming in pain. 6. IN-3 5 6 4 1 2 3 7. E-4 8 a.m. 8. IN-5 The hawk moving very close to him. 9. IN-5 Snored 10. IN-5 The hawk was hungry.

Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au

Larry's Lucky Escape contd. 11. E-3 False. 12. IN-1 The sign on the tree trunk read 'Secondhand Tails for Sale'. 13. IN-4 Both Larry and Cinderella lost something and then got it back again. The Old Farmhouse 1. IN-6 2. E-2 3. IN-6 4. IN-5 5. IN-4 6. E-4 7. IN-1 8. IN-6

9. 10. 11. 12.

13.

E-2 E-3 IN-5 IN-5

IN-5

A bird. No. Bees. Bees make a buzzing sound. Running, racing etc. 9 a.m. Wood. Termites were busy at work and they always work in places made of wood. No. False. The movement of the wind. It had a broken windowpane and a swallow had made a nest inside the house OR the gate was rusty OR the garden area was full of weeds. The three small chicks were huddled together to try to keep warm. Female. Iron or steel. Gates made of iron or steel often become rusty as they get old. Male. The cat was a tomcat.

14.

E-4

Busy Susan 1. IN-7 2.

IN-1

3. 4.

IN-1 IN-1

5. 6. 7.

E-2 IN-1 IN-5

8. 9.

IN-1 IN-5

10. 11.

E-4 IN-1

12. 13. 14. 15.

IN-6 E-2 E-4 IN-1

16. 17.

E-3 IN-1

4.00 p.m.

So the animals would not escape. (a) horse (b) kangaroo (c) lamb (d) dog (3) hens December. Christmas was only five days away and Christmas is in December. False. Saturday. The school children were all inside their classrooms. Simpson. To celebrate Christmas time. 3.30 p.m. The bell had just rung for the end of another school day. Dog. Maybe. Bitumen road. The road had white lines down the middle. True. Susan was in a Year 2 class at school. Tuesday.

14. 15. 16.

IN-6 IN-1 IN-6

17. 18.

IN-6 IN-6

18.

IN-1

The Thorne Family 1. E-4 2. IN-1 3. 4.

IN-1 IN-1

The Cubbyhouse 1. E-2 2. IN-5

Twenty. He was old enough to drive the car. Twenty-five dollars. Mrs Thorne would pick up Dwayne's birthday present in the farm ute. Knife and fork or spoon. True. Dean had the car lights on. Noise etc. Four weeks. Dean popped up his umbrella as he left the garage and made a dash for shelter. Seventeen. Twelve. Dining room. Six. 17th of October. Jobs, things, etc. (a) Dwayne (b) Belinda (c) Dean So he could steer the car into the garage.

5. L-1 True. 6. E-2 The swaying of tree 7. IN-5 branches. 8. IN-4 3. E-4 11.30 p.m. 9. IN-1 4. IN-1 A tree. 10. L-5 5. IN-5 A cloud of dust followed close behind as it dragged a plough over the hilly 11. IN-1 paddocks. 12. IN-1 6. IN-4 Backwards and forwards. 13. E-4 7. E-4 14 years old. 14. IN-1 8. IN-5 Tractor or plough. 15. E-4 9. IN-4 Among. 16. IN-4 10. IN-1 Jenny. 17. IN-1 11. IN-4 Joined or something similar. 18. IN-1 12. IN-5 The first stars were appearing in the sky. 13. IN-1 Carefully the children balanced their way across until at last they reached the other creek bank, safe and dry. R.I.C. Publications Comprehending Fiction - Middle www.ricgroup.com.au