The Treasure Hunt: A Lesson in Text Evidence
Sixth-grader Jack was more than surprised when he discovered an old, cryptic note hidden inside a dusty book from his grandfather's attic. The note hinted towards a hidden treasure, but the clues were wrapped in puzzling riddles. "Hmmm..." Jack mumbled, squinting at the words. The first riddle read: "Under the gaze of the moon, where the shadow of the lone pine falls." At first, Jack thought it pointed towards the old Pine tree at the park. But then, he remembered the "gaze of the moon." He revisited the riddle and realized he had missed the importance of moonlight. Jack decided to wait until the moon shone brightly to see the exact location of the pine's shadow. Later, under the moonlight, the shadow of the Pine tree pointed directly at his grandfather's old tool shed. The next day, Jack discovered an old chest inside the shed, just as the note had hinted! Excited, Jack realized the importance of closely reading the text and using text evidence to interpret its meaning.
Question 1
What did Jack discover inside his grandfather's old tool shed?
A cryptic note
Moonlight
An old Pine tree
An old chest
A shiny tool
Question 2
What helped Jack to figure out where the pine's shadow falls?
Sunlight
An old book
Moonlight
The cryptic note
His grandfather's hints
Question 3
What does the term 'cryptic' in the context of the passage mean?
Ancient
Puzzling
Bright
Funny
Loud
Question 4
What is the central idea of the passage?
The importance of moonlight
How to find old books
The significance of understanding and interpreting text closely
The mystery of Pine trees
The fun of playing in the park
Question 5
What is the author's purpose in the sentence 'He revisited the riddle and realized he had missed the importance of moonlight'?
To show that Jack is forgetful
To indicate that Jack can't read
To show that Jack is good at solving puzzles
To illustrate the importance of reading closely and understanding the text
To indicate that Jack loves moonlight
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Assign the ReadTheory pretest to determine students' reading levels.
