The Mystery of the Disappearing Lunches
Lexile: 875 | Grade: 5
Passage
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.
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Questions
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
- A. Liam and Zoe enjoy eating lunch together.
- B. A squirrel was stealing students' lunches.
- C. The students were angry about missing lunches.
- D. Liam forgot his lunch at home.
Q2: Why did Liam and Zoe decide to set a trap?
- A. They wanted to catch the lunch thief in the act.
- B. They wanted to scare the students who were stealing food.
- C. They thought their classmates were playing a prank.
- D. They wanted to prove their teacher was stealing the food.
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'?
- A. Was stolen
- B. Disappeared suddenly
- C. Got squished
- D. Fell on the ground
Q4: What can be inferred about Liam and Zoe based on the passage?
- A. They enjoy solving mysteries and working together.
- B. They are afraid of animals.
- C. They often forget their lunches at home.
- D. They dislike eating outside at the picnic tables.
Q5: How did the students react when they learned a squirrel was taking the lunches?
- A. They were angry and tried to chase the squirrel away.
- B. They ignored it and moved their lunches inside.
- C. They decided to leave food for the squirrel instead of being upset.
- D. They reported the squirrel to the principal.
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Answers & Reasoning
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.
Printable Comprehension Practice
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