Passage 5 - The Rescue
Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions that follow.
Inside the neat, small cottage, dinner had been over for some time. The dinner table had been cleared. Now, the oldest child, Jenny, was standing by the kitchen sink scrubbing the dishes while her younger brother Joey wiped them dry. Up in the boys’ bedroom, their mother was reading a story to young Jason, whose eyelids were getting heavier as the seconds passed. Jason loved stories and looked forward to this bedtime routine.
As he listened, the sound of his mother’s voice grew more distant, and soon he had slipped into the world of dreams. He found himself knee-deep in a field of thick green grass and huge mushrooms. He walked towards a rainbow on the distant horizon until he became weary and decided to take a rest. Looking around, he saw a large flat rock surrounded by the sea of grass. Not only did it look comfortable, it also felt comfortable as he rested himself on its smooth surface.
Just then, an army of ants caught his attention. They were carrying, with some difficulty, the huge Huntsman spider that they had captured. The spider was struggling to free itself, but without success. The ants dragged their prisoner closer and closer to their nest, where a feast on the spider would surely take place. The creature seemed about to give up its struggle.
Feeling sorry for the spider, Jason carefully picked it up with a stick. He blew away the angry ants still crawling over it – reluctant to give up their prey. Gently, Jason placed the spider on the warm rock. The creature did not attempt to scurry away. It sat looking at him with its large, strong eyes, almost begging him to take it home. Jason’s eyes scanned the ground, looking for a suitable container. Soon, he spied a jar. He placed it sideways on the rock. Without any coaxing, the spider crawled inside.
Jason’s dream came to an abrupt end when he was woken by his older brother. “Come on, Jason,” urged Joey. “It’s time to get dressed for school.”
Reluctantly, Jason got out of bed. ‘What a strange dream’, he thought as he dressed hurriedly. He was putting on his shoes when Jenny entered the bedroom.
“Mum said to hurry or you’ll miss the school bus,” she said. “I like your spider-friend, Jason. I’ve never seen such a large Huntsman spider. Where did you find it?”
To Jason’s great astonishment, there, in a jar on his desk, was the spider from his dream. “I rescued it from some ants,” explained Jason. It was the only explanation he could give. Throughout the bus ride to school, Jason could not wrap his head around the fact that, somehow, the spider of his dreams was now sitting in his room, in the jar into which he had put it. He felt goosebumps all over his body. ‘Is this also part of my dream?’ he wondered.
Questions
Write your answers on the lines provided.
- Which two words in the first paragraph tell you that Jason’s mother read to him every night?
- Where was Jason in his dream?
- How did Jason anger the ants?
- Why did Jason decide to take the spider home?
- What is strange about the ending of his story?
- What is the meaning of ‘wrap his head around’ in the last paragraph? Choose the letter of the correct answer and write it in the space given.
a. Understand
b. Accept
c. Believe
d. like
Sample Answer – in italicized and bold
- Which two words in the first paragraph tell you that Jason’s mother read to him every night?
The 2 words “bedtime routine” tells me that Jason’s mother reads to him every night. - Where was Jason in his dream?
Jason was knee-deep in a field of thick green grass and huge mushrooms. - How did Jason anger the ants?
Jason angered the ants by taking away their prey. - Why did Jason decide to take the spider home?
He decided to take the spider because it looked like it was almost begging him to take him home. - What is strange about the ending of his story?
It is that he found the spider from his dream in a jar on his desk. - What is the meaning of ‘wrap his head around’ in the last paragraph? Choose the letter of the correct answer and write it in the space given.
Correct answer: b. Accept
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