Reading Passage and Comprehension Questions (Upper Elementary)

Sample Curriculum and Assessment Writing

Standards Alignment (Kentucky Academic Standards – ELA)
RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3
This sample assesses main idea, inference, and character development in narrative text.

Reading Passage: The Map in the Trunk

Eli had opened the trunk many times before, but he had never noticed the folded paper tucked beneath the old books.

At first, he thought it was just another piece of junk, something his grandfather had forgotten to throw away. But when he pulled it out and unfolded it carefully, he saw lines drawn in dark ink, a rough shape of an island, and a single X marked near the edge.

“What is that?” his sister Nora asked, peering over his shoulder.

“I think it is a map,” Eli said. “A treasure map.”

Nora laughed. “Or it is just something someone made up.”

Eli did not answer. He traced the lines with his finger, trying to make sense of them. The island was not neat or even, and it looked wild, like a place no one had carefully planned.

“Let’s find it,” he said.

Nora raised an eyebrow. “Find it? You do not even know where it is.”

Eli hesitated. She was right, and the map could be nothing more than an old drawing forgotten in a trunk. But something about it made it feel important, as if it had been waiting to be found.

“We will not know unless we try,” he said.

Nora studied the map again, and this time she did not laugh.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “But if we are doing this, we need a plan.”

Eli grinned. The map might not lead to treasure, and it might not lead anywhere at all.

And for Eli, that was enough.

Questions

  1. What is the main idea of the passage?
    A. Eli finds an old trunk filled with his grandfather’s belongings
    B. Eli discovers a map and decides it is worth following, even without certainty
    C. Nora convinces Eli that the map is not real
    D. Eli and Nora argue about what to do with the map

  2. Why does Nora doubt the map at first?
    A. She does not understand what the map shows
    B. She thinks the map might not be real
    C. She does not want to explore the island
    D. She believes Eli is joking

  3. Which detail best shows a change in Nora’s thinking?
    A. She laughs at the idea of the map
    B. She asks Eli what the map is
    C. She studies the map again and agrees they need a plan
    D. She watches Eli open the trunk

  4. What does the phrase “as if it had been waiting to be found” suggest about Eli’s thinking?

  5. What idea is suggested by the ending of the passage?

Answer Key

  1. B — The passage focuses on Eli’s decision to follow the map despite uncertainty.

  2. B — Nora questions whether the map is real.

  3. C — She shifts from doubt to engagement by agreeing to make a plan.

  4. What does the phrase “as if it had been waiting to be found” suggest about Eli’s thinking? Use evidence from the text.

  5. What idea is suggested by the ending of the passage? Explain your answer.

Designed to assess comprehension, inference, and character development.