Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Read the short story. Then answer each question.
A Ship in a Storm
Did you ever go far out in to the great ocean? Ho w beau ti ful it is to be ou t
at sea w hen the se a is sm ooth and stil l!
When a storm approaches , the scene changes. The heavy, bl ack cl ouds
appe ar in the distance and throw a deep, l ong shade over the worl d of
waters. The cap tain and sail ors soon see in the cl ouds the dark signs. Al l
hands are then se t to w ork to take in s ail .
The hoarse no tes o f the captain , spe ak ing through h is trum pet, are
echoed across the ship. They’l l be happy if al l is m ade snug before the
gal e strikes the vessel .
At l ast, the gal e com es l ike a vast m oving m ountain o f air. It strikes the
ship. The vessel heaves and groans under the dreadful weight and
struggl es to escape through the fo am ing waters. If she is far out at se a,
she wil l be l ikel y to ride out the storm in safe ty. But i f the wind is driving
her upon the shore , the poor sh ip m ay hit the rocks.
Once there was a shi p in a storm . Some of her m asts were al ready
broken , and her sail s l ost. Whil e the wind was raging , and the
bil l ows were dashing agains t her , the c ry was heard, “ A m an
has fal l en overboard!”
The rescue boat was l owered quickl y, and it w as
soon seen bounding on i ts way over th e
m ountain o f waves. At one m om ent,
the bo at seem ed l ifted
to the skies , and the nex t,
it san k down and
appe ared to be l ost
beneath the w aves!
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Final l y, the m an was found. He had al m ost drowned, but he w as taken on
board, and now they m ade for the shi p. The shi p rol l ed so dreadful l y that
it seem ed certain the b oat woul dn’t m ake it to the ship. No w , what
shoul d they do?
The captain tol d one of the m en to go al oft and throw down a ro pe. Th is
was tied fas t to the bo at, and when th e sea was som ewhat cal m , the
rescue boat w as hois ted and l anded on the ship wi th a dreadful crash. It
was a desperate way o f getting on bo ard, bu t for tun atel y everyone was
safe.
On the dangerous po ints al ong our seacoast are l ighthouses which can
be seen far ou t at sea and serve as guides to ships. Som etim es the fog is
so dense that these l ights cannot be seen, bu t m ost l ighthouses have
great fog bel l s or fog horns; som e of the l atter are m ade to sound by
steam and can be heard for a l on g distance. These bel l s and horns keep
sounding as l ong as the fog l asts.
There are al so m any l ife -saving station s al ong the coast where tr ained
m en are ready with l ifeboats. When a ship is driven ashore they at once
go to the rescue of those on board , an d this way m any val uabl e l ives are
saved.
A sail or’s l ife is a very hard one. Our young friends owe a debt o f
grati tude to those wh ose hom e is upon the great waters , and who bri ng
them the l uxuries of other countries.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Questions:
1. Based on the shor t story, wh at is a gal e?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do l ighthouses use fog bel l s?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Why is i t safer for a ship to be i n a stor m when it is far ou t at sea?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Give an exam pl e about why, as the passage says, “ A s ail or’s l ife is a
hard one.”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Answers:
1. Based on the shor t story, wh at is a gal e?
A gal e is a strong wind.
2. Why do l ighthouses use fog bel l s?
Lighthouses use fog bel l s because their l ights canno t be seen in the
fog.
3. Why is i t safer for a ship to be i n a stor m when it is far ou t at sea?
It is safer for a shi p to be far ou t at sea in a storm as there are no
rocks or shorel ine for the shi p to crash i nto.
4. Give an exam pl e about why, as the passage says, “ A s ail or’s l ife is a
hard one.”
(Answers w il l vary) for exam pl e: A sail or’s l ife is hard, bec ause they
sail through dangerous storm s.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Read the short story. Then answer each question.
I Will Think About It
“I wil l think abou t i t.” It is easy to say this, but do you know wh at great
things h ave com e from thinking? We canno t see our though ts , or hear , or
tas te , or feel them , and yet what m ighty power our though ts have!
Sir Isaac Newton was s eated in his gar de n on a sum m er’ s evening when
he saw an appl e fal l from a tree. He began to thin k, and, i n trying to find
out why the ap pl e fel l , discovered how the ear th , sun , m oon, and stars
are kept in the ir pl aces.
A boy nam ed Jam es Watt sat quie tl y by the fireside w atching the l id of
the te a kettl e as it m oved up and down. He began to th ink ; he wanted to
find out w hy the ste am in the kettl e m oved the heavy l id. From that tim e,
he went on think ing and th inki ng, and when he becam e a m an, he
im proved the steam engine s o m uch that i t coul d do the work of m any
horses with the greatest e ase.
When you see a s team boat, a s team
m il l or a l ocom otive, rem em ber that i t
woul d never have been buil t if it h ad
not been for the h ard thin king o f
som eone.
A m an nam ed Gal il eo was once
standing i n the cathedral of Pisa when
he saw a chandel ier swaying to and
fro. This se t him thinking , and i t l ed to
the invention o f the pe ndul um .
Jam es Ferguson was a poor Scottish
shepherd boy. Once, seeing the inside
of a w atch , he w as fil l ed with wonder.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
“I shoul d m ake a watch ,” he though t. But ho w was he to get the m aterial s
to m ake the wheel s and the m ainsprin g? He soon found ou t how to get
them . He m ade the m ainspring out o f a piece of w hal ebone. He then
m ade a woode n cl ock which kept good tim e. He began, al so, to copy
pictures w ith a pen and portr ai ts wi th oil col ors.
In a few years, w hil e stil l a sm al l boy, he earned enough m oney to support
his father. When he becam e a m an, he went to London to l ive. Som e of
the wises t m en in Engl and, and the kin g him sel f, used to attend his
l ectures. His m otto was , “I wil l think of i t,” and he m ade his thoughts useful
to him sel f and the worl d.
When you h ave a difficul t l esson to l earn, don’ t feel discouraged, and ask
som eone to hel p you before hel ping yoursel ves. By thinking you wil l l earn
how to thin k to som e purpose.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Questions:
1. Wh ich best describes J am es Ferguson?
a. rich
b. gives up easil y
c. cl um sy
d. curious
2. Wh at is the shor t story trying to te ach you?
a. Though ts are no t im portan t since we can see or touch them .
b. It is im portant to try a chal l enge on your own.
c. Ask for hel p right away when thi ngs get hard.
d. Great pe opl e have great teachers.
3. Wh ich idea from the short story is an o pinio n?
a. Isaac Newton discovered how the ear th, sun , m oon, and stars
are kept in the ir pl aces.
b. It is easy to say , “I wil l think abou t th is.”
c. The king attended the l ectures of Jam es Ferguson.
d. Jam es Watt im proved the steam engine.
4. How do you thin k the author feel s about the peopl e he describes ?
a. bored
b. sad
c. confused
d. im pressed
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Answers:
1. Wh ich best describes J am es Ferguson?
d. curious
2. Wh at is the shor t story trying to te ach you?
b. It is im portant to try a chal l enge on your own.
3. Wh ich idea from the short story is an o pinio n?
b. It is easy to say , “I wil l think abou t th is.”
4. How do you thin k the author feel s about the peopl e he describes?
d. im pressed
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Level Y-Z Reader
aquarium anticipation contemplating
phobia worrisome apprehension
Friends Over Fears
For as long as Mia could remember, she had been terrified of
snakes. She had skipped the class field trip to the zoo, and on the
day James had brought his pet snake into their seventh -grade math
class, Mia had run into the hallway, tears pooling in her eyes. With
every passing year, Mia’s fear of snakes seemed to be getting
worse. Recently, she had started to avoid
playing in the local park because
sometimes there were small
garden snakes in the grass.
Jess had been Mia’s best friend
since kindergarten. Jess wasn’t afraid of snakes or anything else that
crawled or slithered. I n grade 5, she had hung a huge poster of a
boa constrictor on her bedroom wall, but she took it down because
it bothered Mia so much. Jess knew all about Mia’s snake phobia,
and she used to find it funny, but now it had grown worrisome. If
Mia’s irrational fears kept getting worse, how long would it be
before she was afraid to even leave her own house?
One day, Mia went to visit Jess. The new video game, Green Ghosts
Gone Wild, had just been released, and Jess had bought it. Mia was
stoked. Playin g a new game, especially one as epic as Green Ghosts
Gone Wild, was a major event.
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 72
Level Y-Z Reader
As Mia stepped into Jess’ room, she froze. “What’s that?” Over Jess’s
shoulder, she could see a massive glass tank. Judging by its size, it
probably wasn’t built for a small creature, and there was no water in
the tank, so it wouldn’t contain fish. Logs, leaves, and stones were
scattered along the bottom of the aquarium. Suddenly, a scaly tail
flashed out from beneath some leaves; Mia jumped and let out a
shriek, instantly bo unding back into the hallway.
“What’s wrong?” Jess asked, looking both concerned and a little
guilty. “Does the snake really bother you that much?”
Mia nodded, her eyes darting back and forth between Jess and the
distant glass tank. She felt betrayed. Ho w could Jess bring a snake
into her house, knowing how Mia felt?
“Tiger is totally contained in the tank, Mia. She can’t escape,” Jess
offered weakly. “Come on – I know how badly you want to play
Green Ghosts Gone Wild . It’s just a few steps around Tiger’ s home to
get to my computer.”
“You don’t understand how scary that is for
me,” Mia snapped. She felt a hot tear roll
down her cheek, and, turning her back on
Jess, she stomped out of the house, plopping
herself down on the steps outside of Jess’
front door. When she felt Jess’ hand on her
shoulder, she shrugged it off, still angry at her
friend and contemplating going home where
it was safe.
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 73
Level Y-Z Reader
Jess sat down silently beside her friend. A few minutes passed. “I’m
sorry for scaring you, Mia,” Jess said, attem pting to console her
friend.
As Mia breathed in the fresh outside air, her panic slowly turned into
embarrassment. She gave Jess a weak smile. She wanted to be
playing the game, not fighting with her best friend . She knew the
snake couldn’t escape the tan k; maybe if she avoided looking at
the tank, she could control her emotions while in the room. Mia
decided to be brave. “I’m going to try, but don’t let me go
anywhere near Tiger.”
Jess nodded solemnly and the girls re -entered the house.
Mia stayed close to Jess as they cautiously
crept into Jess’s room. Mia purposely
stared at the wall opposite the tank as
she found her way to Jess’s monitor.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jess
grinned.
Mia scowled; she didn’t agree, but she kept quiet. One look at the
slithery reptile was enough to send chills down her spine.
The next day, Mia took her bike over to Jess’ house for another bout
of Green Ghosts Gone Wild ; however, her enthusiasm to play the
game was mixed in with apprehension about being in the same
room as the snake.
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 74
Level Y-Z Reader
The closer she got to Jess’ house, the more Mia obsessed about the
snake. She was just getting off her bike when Jess’
front door flew open, followed by a small hand
waving rapidly in her face.
“Hey Mia! Come on in - let’s get started, ” Jess shouted excitedly.
Mia scowled slightly as she wearily stepped into Jess’ house. Jess
could be so insensitive. It was as if she had forgotten about Mia’s
fear, or didn’t care at all for her feelings.
Throwing Mia an animated grin, Jess led her friend into the bedroom.
Mia glanced uneasily at Tiger’s cage. It took all of her courage, but
she managed to make it to Jess’s computer in a few quick leaps.
Mia glared at Jess as she caught her breath. “Can we play the
game now? I don’t want to spend any more time thinking about that
oversized worm.”
Jess laughed, and started the game.
The girls played until it was time for Mia to return home. Mia was
exhausted, and she yawned sleepily as she got up. “Goodnight,
Jess,” she said, before turning her attention for the first time towards
the snake on the other side of the room. Tiger made her way from
one side of the aquarium to the other, occasionally lifting her head
to let her tongue dart out. Mia didn’ t enjoy the sight, but she was
mesmerized by how easily she writhed over leaves and around
branches. Finally snapping back to reality, Mia decided she had
been in Tiger’s presence for far too long.
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 75
Level Y-Z Reader
“Goodnight to you too, I guess,” she mumbled, making her way to
the front door and closing it firmly behind her.
The girls played the video game every day after school that week.
Mia was still bothered by the snake, but at least her stomach wasn’t
churning anymore when she thought about it. On Friday, both girls
hurried into the computer room to finish the last segment of the
game.
“That was so cool,” Jess said as the girls watched the end credits roll
off of the screen. “I never expected the Green Ghosts to vaporize
the motorcycle gang!”
“Don’t mess with Green G hosts, I guess,” replied Mia . The girls
laughed and sipped their lemonade. Mia felt relaxed and happy.
“Close your eyes, I have a surprise for you!” Jess said, jumping up.
Mia closed her eyes, rocking back and forth in anticipation.
“You can open them n ow.”
When Mia opened her eyes, she wanted nothing more
than to close them again. There before her was Tiger,
squirming around in Jess’ arms. “Look!” Jess smiled
broadly. “She’s very gentle - see how calm she is?”
Mia studied Tiger nervously as she slither ed around
slowly and curiously. She was almost kind of cute, or at least her
face was.
Carefully, Jess inquired, “Would you like to hold her?”
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 76
Level Y-Z Reader
Mia’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t thrilled by the idea of
holding Tiger at all, but Jess’ bright ey es were so enthusiastic that
she couldn’t refuse. Mia watched, petrified, as Jess lowered Tiger
into her arms. Her hands were shaking, but Tiger didn’t seem to
mind. She looked curiously at Mia with bright, beady eyes.
Jess watched Mia carefully and saw h ow she gradually became less
rigid. She told Mia all about Tiger: what type of snake she was, her
diet, and more. Meanwhile, Tiger investigated what was in Mia’s
pocket, and managed to pull out her bus pass.
“Maybe she wants to take the bus to the zoo an d find a boyfriend,”
joked Mia as she passed Tiger back to Jess, looking her in the eye.
“To be honest, Jess, I felt betrayed when you bought Tiger because
you know how snakes terrify me,” Mia said, in a soft but slightly
reproachful voice.
Jess carefully replied. “When
you first told me about your fear
of snakes, I did everything I
could to keep them away from
you. Whenever there was an
event at school involving
snakes, or if someone brought in
their pet snake, I would let you know. But when you started to avoid
the park, I realized that I wasn’t being a good friend by letting your
fears get so out of control. I knew I needed to help you conquer
them. So, I started researching snakes, and I searched for the
smallest, most harmless one that I could bring hom e. When I finally
chose Tiger, the purchase wasn’t for me. It was for you.”
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 77
Level Y-Z Reader
“Me?” Mia’s eyes darted towards Jess.
“I knew you’d be angry with me at first, but after you spent more
time in Tiger’s vicinity, you started to get more comfortable. Now
look at you two! You’re practically best friends.”
As Jess placed Tiger back in her tank, Mia felt a surge of gratitude.
She had misunderstood Jess, assuming that Jess was being selfish
when she bought the snake, when in reality she had sacrificed her
time and energy to help her. Mia threw her backpack over her
shoulder and wrapped her arms around Jess in a big thank -you hug.
“Well, we’re best friends, but I’m not sure yet about Tiger.”
On her way out, Mia made a detour to say adios to Tiger. When she
approached Tiger’s aquarium, she felt no fear. Another high five
with Jess, and she was out the door, feeling proud of herself and her
friend.
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 78
Level Y-Z Reader
Friends Over Fears (exercises)
1. New Words
Below are sentences from the story. In your own words,
describe what the underlined words mean.
Jess knew all about Mia’s snake phobia, and she used to find it
funny but now it had grown worrisome .
__________________________________________________________________
If Mia’s irrational fears kept getting worse, how long would it be
before she was afraid to even leave her own house?
__________________________________________________________________
“To be honest, Jess, I felt betrayed when you bought Tiger,
because you knew how much snak es terrified me,” Mia said, in
a soft but slightly reproachful voice.
__________________________________________________________________
2. True or False
__________ Snakes are highly dangerous in all circumstances .
__________ Sometimes fears can be real and sometimes they
can be irrational .
__________ If fears are irrational, it is easy to overcome them .
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 79
Level Y-Z Reader
3. Describe an irrational fear that someone might have, and what
they might do to overcome that fear.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 80
Level Y-Z Reader
Friends Over Fears (answers)
1. New Words
Jess knew all about Mia’s snake phobia, and she used to find it
funny but now it had grown worrisome.
A phobia is an unfounded fear of something.
If Mia’s irrational fears kept getting worse, how long would it be
before she was afraid to even leave h er own house?
Irrational means not logical or unreasonable.
“To be honest, Jess, I felt betrayed when you bought Tiger,
because you knew how much snakes terrified me,” Mia said, in
a soft but slightly reproachful voice.
Betrayed means to have violated someone’s trust.
2. True or False
False Snakes are highly dangerous in all circumstances .
True Sometimes fears can be real and sometimes they
can be irrational .
False If fears are irrational, it is easy to overcome them .
3. Describe an irrational fear that someone might have, and what
they might do to overcome that fear.
Answers will vary.
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 81
Facts and details
Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Practice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The main idea of a story is what the whole story is mostly about.
Facts and details are small pieces of information that make the
story more interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you read this story, think about what the whole story is mostly about.
The Scientific Method
In ancient times, people tried to explain the world around them based on
what they saw. People in ancient times saw that the sun came up from one side
of the earth, moved across the sky, and went down on the other side. Based on
this observation, they believed that the sun travels around the earth. Going
directly from observation to conclusion is called non-scientific thinking.
Here is an example of non-scientific thinking. Maybe you had a sick
stomach, and ate a candy bar. An hour later, you observed that you felt much
better. You might conclude that it was the candy bar that made you feel better.
But there are other possible explanations for the observation. Maybe you had
taken some medicine an hour earlier, and it took a while to work. Maybe
enough time had passed, and you would have felt better without eating the
candy bar. Non-scientific thinking happens all the time.
The scientific method is a way of thinking that helps you to avoid drawing
incorrect conclusions. It helps you to avoid non-scientific thinking. It reminds
you to treat your first conclusion as one of several possible conclusions. It
reminds you to gather evidence to support your conclusion.
The five steps in the scientific method begin by questioning an observation,
and end with a conclusion that is based on evidence. Step 1 in the scientific
method is to ask a question about your observation, such as, “What makes a
sick stomach feel better?” Step 2 is to state a possible answer to the question,
or a hypothesis, such as, “A candy bar makes a sick stomach feel better.” Step
3 is to test the hypothesis. This can be done in many different ways. You could
wait until you have a sick stomach again, eat a candy bar, and see what
happens. You could ask a lot of people if eating a candy bar had ever made a
sick stomach feel better. Figuring out how to test a hypothesis is what makes
science challenging. Step 4 is to think about the findings—think about what
happened when you tested the hypothesis. Step 5 is to draw a conclusion—
and share it with the rest of the world.
Online reading & math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
1. What is this whole story mostly about?
A. Going directly from observation to conclusion is called non-scientific
thinking.
B. The scientific method is a way of thinking that helps you to avoid drawing
incorrect conclusions.
C. Non-scientific thinking happens all the time.
2. Which of these is a small piece of information from the story that makes the
story more interesting?
A. People in ancient times believed that the sun travels around the earth.
B. People in ancient times knew that the earth was round.
C. People in ancient times didn’t try to explain the world around them.
3. Which of these is a small piece of information from the story that makes the
story more interesting?
A. In the example, observation proved that eating a candy bar made a sick
stomach feel better.
B. In the example, there could be several reasons your sick stomach felt
better after you ate a candy bar.
C. In the example, there is only one explanation for why a sick stomach
would feel better after you ate a candy bar.
4. Which of these is a small piece of information from the story that makes the
story more interesting?
A. In the example, you could test your hypothesis by not eating a candy bar
the next time you have a sick stomach.
B. In the example, you could test your hypothesis by eating a different kind of
candy bar the next time you have a sick stomach.
C. In the example, you could test your hypothesis by eating a candy bar the
next time you have a sick stomach.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. What is another small piece of information from the story that makes the
story more interesting?
Online reading & math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Answer Key
1. B
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. Accept any reasonable response, such as, a hypothesis is a possible answer to a
question.
Online reading & math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Fact and opinion
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
As you read Marco’s letter from Uncle Ben, think about what parts are fact and what parts are
opinion.
If something is true, or it really happened, it is a fact.
If something is what someone thinks or believes, it is an opinion.
Marco got a letter from his Uncle Ben, the airplane pilot.
Dear Marco,
This is my third time visiting Paris, and I think it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Paris, as I’m sure you know, is the capital of France. Today I walked along the Avenue des
Champs-Elysees, which is the most famous street in Paris. I think it may be the most famous
street in the world. It is lined with beautiful trees, fountains, and flowers. There are shops,
theaters, and restaurants, and many sidewalk cafes.
I had a wonderful lunch at one of the sidewalk cafes. The pastry I had for dessert was
especially delicious. Paris is known for its fine French cooking. I noticed on the café menu that
they serve one of the most popular French dishes, which is escargot. Snails, in other words! I
don’t think I’ll be trying that while I am here, though.
When you think of Paris, you probably think of the Eiffel Tower. Anyone visiting Paris has to see
the Eiffel Tower. You can see the top of the Eiffel Tower from anywhere in the city. It is almost
1000 feet tall. When it was built, it was the tallest building in the world. You can walk up the
stairs to the top, or you can take an elevator. From the top you can look out across all of Paris.
It is an amazing sight!
Tomorrow I am going to the Louvre Museum. It is one of the largest museums in the world. Once
it was the French King’s palace. Now, it is home to some of the most famous artworks in the
world. I look forward to seeing the “Mona Lisa” painting. Have you seen pictures of it? It was
painted over 500 years ago! There have been many poems and songs written about this
painting. The woman in the painting has a little half-smile. To me, that makes it seem like she
has a secret that she isn’t going to tell.
Yours truly,
Uncle Ben
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Here are some things Uncle Ben said in his letter. Which ones are facts and which are Uncle
Ben’s opinions? Circle the word “fact” or the word “opinion.”
1. This is Uncle Ben’s third time visiting Paris. fact opinion
2. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. fact opinion
3. Paris is the capital city of France. fact opinion
4. The Avenue des Champs-Elysees may be the most famous street in fact opinion
the world.
5. On the Champs-Elysees, there are shops, theaters, and restaurants. fact opinion
6. Uncle Ben had lunch at a sidewalk café. fact opinion
7. The pastry that Uncle Ben had for dessert was especially delicious. fact opinion
8. Uncle Ben doesn’t think he will try the escargot. fact opinion
9. When people think of Paris, they probably think of the Eiffel Tower. fact opinion
10. Anyone visiting Paris has to see the Eiffel Tower. fact opinion
11. When the Eiffel Tower was built, it was the tallest building in the fact opinion
world.
12. The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower is an amazing sight. fact opinion
13. The Louvre Museum was once the French King’s palace. fact opinion
14. The Mona Lisa was painted over 500 years ago. fact opinion
15. Many poems and songs have been written about the Mona Lisa. fact opinion
16. What is one other fact from Uncle Ben’s letter about Paris?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Answers
1. fact
2. opinion
3. fact
4. opinion
5. fact
6. fact
7. opinion
8. opinion
9. opinion
10. opinion
11. fact
12. opinion
13. fact
14. fact
15. fact
16. Accept any reasonable response.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Read the short story. Then answer each question.
Bruce and the Spider
There was once a k ing of Sco tl and whose nam e was Robert Bruce. He
needed to be both brave and wise be cause the tim es in which he l ived
were wil d and rude. The K ing of Engl and was at w ar wi th him and had l ed
a great arm y into Scotl and to drive him out of the l and.
Battl e after b attl e had been fought. Si x tim es Bruce had l ed his brave
l ittl e arm y against h is foes and six tim es his m en had been beaten and
driven into fl ight. At l ast his arm y was scattered, and he was forced to
hide in the woods and in l onel y pl aces am ong the m ountains.
One rainy day, Bruce l ay on the ground under a crude shed l istening to
the patter of the drops on the roof above him . He was
tired and unhap py. He was re ady to gi ve up al l hope. It
seem ed to him that there w as no use for
him to try to do any thing m ore.
As he l ay thinking , he saw a spider over his
head m aking ready to weave her web.
He watched her as she toil ed sl owl y
and with gre at care. Si x tim es she
tried to throw her frail thread from
one beam to another , and six tim es it
fel l short.
“Poor th ing ,” said Bruce: “you, too , kn ow
what it is to fail .”
But the spider did not l ose hope with t he sixth fail ure.
Wi th s til l m ore care, she m ade ready to try for the seventh tim e. Bruce
al m ost forgot his o wn tr oubl es as he watched her swing hersel f out upon
the sl ender l ine. Woul d she fail again? No! The thre ad was carried safel y
to the beam and fastened there.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
“I, too , w il l try a seventh tim e!” cried Bruce.
He arose and cal l ed his m en together. He tol d them of his pl ans and sent
them out with m essages of cheer to his disheartened peopl e. Soon there
was an arm y of brave Scotchm en around him . Another b attl e was fought,
and the King o f Engl and was retreated to his own coun try.
After that day , no one by the n am e of Bruce woul d ever hurt a spider. The
l esson which the l ittl e creature had taught the k ing was never forg otten.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Questions:
1. Wh at did the s pider teach Ro bert Bruce?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. How did Robert Bruce show he was both brave and wise?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Wh at does the word crude m ean in th e sentence “Bruce l ay on the
ground under a crude shed?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. How does the Ki ng of Engl and show he is differen t from Robert
Bruce?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Answers:
1. Wh at did the s pider teach Ro bert Bruce?
The spider taugh t Rober t Bruce no t to give up.
2. How did Robert Bruce show he was both brave and wise?
Robert Bruce showed he was bo th brave and wise by cal l ing
toge ther his m en and sending m essages of cheer to his
disheartened peopl e. He was further brave by battl ing the Engl ish
arm y and m aking them re treat to Engl and.
3. Wh at does the word crude m ean in th e sentence “Bruce l ay on the
ground under a crude shed?”
Crude m eans m ade in a sim pl e or rough way.
4. How does the Ki ng of Engl and show he is differen t from Robert
Bruce?
The king o f Engl and is d ifferent from Robert Bruce in th at he
retreated to his ow n country after bein g defeated once by the
Scottish arm y.
Reading and Math for K-5 © www.k5learning.com
