Liam and his friends were excited for lunch. Every day, they gathered at the picnic tables behind the school, sharing their favorite snacks and trading sandwiches. But lately, something strange had been happening—some students’ lunches were mysteriously disappearing!
At first, everyone thought it was just bad luck. Maybe someone forgot their lunch at home, or maybe they accidentally dropped it on the way to school. But when Liam’s own lunch vanished from his backpack, he knew something was wrong.
Determined to solve the mystery, Liam and his best friend, Zoe, decided to set a trap. They placed a peanut butter sandwich inside a lunchbox and left it slightly open on the bench. Then, they hid behind a tree and waited.
Minutes passed, and then—a rustling sound came from the bushes. A small brown squirrel scurried up to the lunchbox, sniffed the air, and quickly grabbed the sandwich! Liam and Zoe couldn’t believe it. The lunch thief wasn’t a student at all—it was a hungry squirrel!
The next day, they told their classmates what they had discovered. Instead of being upset, the students decided to leave some extra food for the little squirrel in a special box near the tree. From that day on, there were no more missing lunches—just a well-fed and happy squirrel.
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
Q2: Why did Liam and Zoe decide to set a trap?
Q3: What does the word 'vanished' most likely mean in the sentence: 'But when Liam’s own lunch vanished from his backpack, he knew something was wrong'?
Q4: What can be inferred about Liam and Zoe based on the passage?
Q5: How did the students react when they learned a squirrel was taking the lunches?
Printable Comprehension Practice
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Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The story focuses on Liam and Zoe trying to solve the mystery of the disappearing lunches, which they discover was caused by a hungry squirrel.
Q2: Why did Liam and Zoe decide to set a trap?
✅ Correct Answer: A
💡 Reasoning: Liam and Zoe placed a sandwich in a lunchbox and hid to see who was taking the food, showing they wanted to catch the thief in the act.
Q3: What does the word 'vanished' most likely mean in the sentence: 'But when Liam’s own lunch vanished from his backpack, he knew something was wrong'?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: In the context of the passage, 'vanished' means that the lunch disappeared unexpectedly, without explanation.
Q4: What can be inferred about Liam and Zoe based on the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: A
💡 Reasoning: Liam and Zoe took action to investigate the missing lunches, showing they are curious and enjoy solving mysteries together.
Q5: How did the students react when they learned a squirrel was taking the lunches?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: Instead of getting upset, the students showed kindness by leaving food for the hungry squirrel in a special box near the tree.