The Case of the Missing Sandwich

Lexile: 570 | Grade: 3

Passage

Leo opened his lunchbox and gasped. His sandwich was gone!

He looked around the cafeteria. “I packed it this morning,” he said to his friend Maya. “Peanut butter and jelly. It was right here.”

Maya raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you didn’t eat it already?”

Leo shook his head. “I only ate my carrots.”

Just then, they heard a crunch under the table. Maya peeked down. Leo’s dog, Buster, was sitting there with peanut butter on his nose!

“Buster!” Leo said, laughing. “How did you even get in here?”

The school doors had been left open for recess, and Buster had followed Leo inside without anyone noticing.

The mystery was solved. Leo shared his crackers with Maya and gave Buster a pat. “Next time,” he said, “I’m packing you your own lunch.”

Questions

Q1: What is this story mostly about?

  • A. A student who forgets his lunch at home.
  • B. A dog who solves a mystery at school.
  • C. A boy who finds out his dog ate his sandwich.
  • D. A girl who shares her lunch with her friend.

Q2: What clue helped solve the mystery?

  • A. The peanut butter on Buster’s nose
  • B. Maya’s missing lunchbox
  • C. The empty cafeteria
  • D. A note from Leo’s mom

Q3: What happened first in the story?

  • A. Maya saw Buster under the table.
  • B. Buster walked into the school.
  • C. Leo opened his lunchbox and noticed the sandwich was gone.
  • D. Leo gave crackers to Maya.

Q4: What does the word 'gasped' mean in the sentence: 'Leo opened his lunchbox and gasped'?

  • A. Laughed loudly
  • B. Shouted in anger
  • C. Took a quick breath in surprise
  • D. Sneezed from the smell

Q5: What can you tell about Leo from this story?

  • A. He gets angry when things go wrong.
  • B. He doesn’t like to share his food.
  • C. He cares about his dog and finds the situation funny.
  • D. He always forgets to pack lunch.

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Answers & Reasoning

Q1: What is this story mostly about?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The story centers on Leo discovering that his missing sandwich was eaten by his dog, Buster.

Q2: What clue helped solve the mystery?

✅ Correct Answer: A

💡 Reasoning: Peanut butter on the dog’s nose was the clue that revealed who took the sandwich.

Q3: What happened first in the story?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The story begins with Leo realizing his sandwich is missing when he opens his lunchbox.

Q4: What does the word 'gasped' mean in the sentence: 'Leo opened his lunchbox and gasped'?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: Gasped means he was surprised or shocked, which makes sense when he finds his sandwich missing.

Q5: What can you tell about Leo from this story?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: Leo laughs when he finds Buster and even offers to pack him a lunch next time, showing kindness and humor.