Passage 1: “The Locked Room” (Mystery)

Maya stood in front of the attic door, her torch flickering in the dim light. The house had
been her grandfather’s, and now that he was gone, it was hers to explore. She had always
been told to stay out of the attic, and the door had always been locked. But earlier that day,
while sorting through his study, she had found a small brass key with a label: “For the
truth.”

Her heart beat faster as she turned the key in the lock. The door creaked open slowly,
revealing dust-covered boxes, old paintings, and one large trunk in the corner. Maya
stepped in, coughing slightly at the musty air. She made her way to the trunk, knelt down,
and opened it.

Inside were stacks of letters, a faded photograph of a woman she didn’t recognize, and a
leather-bound journal with her grandfather’s initials. As she flipped through the pages, she
realized this was his secret past—stories of a life in another country, of a sister he had never
mentioned, and of choices he had deeply regretted.

Maya sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, reading by torchlight. Somehow, she felt closer
to her grandfather than ever before.

Fact Retrieval Questions

1. Where did Maya find the key?

2. What was written on the key’s label?
3. What did Maya find inside the trunk?
4. What was unusual about the attic?
5. What was on the photograph?

Inference Questions

1. Why do you think the attic was always locked?

2. How might Maya have felt when she found the journal?
3. Why was the journal described as “his secret past”?
4. What clues tell us the grandfather lived a hidden life?
5. Why did Maya feel closer to her grandfather after reading?

Passage 2: “Under the Surface” (Adventure/Sci-Fi)

The submarine sank deeper into the dark waters of the unexplored trench. Commander
Elena kept her eyes on the glowing screen, where strange shapes flickered just out of range.
The rest of her crew sat in tense silence, listening to the soft hum of the engines.

They had been chosen for this mission because they were the best—marine scientists,
engineers, explorers. Their goal: to uncover the truth about the “pulse,” a mysterious signal
detected deep beneath the ocean floor.
As they reached the recorded coordinates, the lights outside the sub flickered—and then,
suddenly, the trench lit up in pulses of blue. Elena gasped. A massive, jellyfish-like creature
drifted into view, its body glowing with patterns like stars. It was sending the signal. Not just
random noise—but a rhythm.

“I think... it’s communicating,” whispered Dr. Chen.

The crew stared in awe, realizing they had made contact—not with aliens from the sky, but
with a mind from the depths of Earth.

Fact Retrieval Questions

1. What type of vehicle were they in?

2. What was the goal of the mission?
3. Who was the commander?
4. What did the creature resemble?
5. Who suggested the creature was communicating?

Inference Questions

1. Why was the team chosen carefully for the mission?

2. How did the crew feel during the descent?
3. What does the glowing pattern suggest about the creature?
4. Why is it significant that the creature came from Earth, not space?
5. What might this discovery mean for science?
6. Why do you think the story is told mostly through quiet moments?

Passage 3: “The Whispering Wall” (Fantasy)

In the oldest part of the school grounds, hidden behind overgrown vines, stood a cracked
stone wall. Students walked past it every day, unaware that it whispered secrets to anyone
who truly listened.

Lena had heard the stories—how students who were kind-hearted and curious could hear
the wall speak. Most thought it was nonsense, but Lena wasn’t sure. She had always been
drawn to the wall, and one cold afternoon, she stayed behind to listen.

At first, there was only wind. But then came a voice, faint and melodic: “The answers lie
where the shadows sleep.”

Startled, Lena stepped back, but her curiosity won. She returned the next day and listened
again. More clues came—poetic riddles, directions, warnings. Over time, Lena began to
uncover a hidden history of the school—of past students who had solved mysteries,
discovered hidden rooms, and kept the truth alive.

But she also realized the wall didn’t speak to everyone. Only those who were ready to
believe.
Fact Retrieval Questions

1. Where was the wall located?

2. What did the wall say to Lena the first time?
3. What time of day did Lena first hear the wall?
4. What were the messages like?
5. Who did the wall speak to?

Inference Questions

1. Why did Lena believe the wall could talk?

2. What does the phrase “shadows sleep” suggest?
3. Why didn’t other students hear the wall?
4. How does Lena’s character help her uncover secrets?
5. What might the wall truly be?
6. What could “the truth” mean in this story?

Passage 4: “The Empty House” (Realistic Fiction)

When Ravi’s family moved into the new neighborhood, the house next door was already
falling apart. The garden was overgrown, shutters hung loose, and no one ever came in or
out.

The other kids whispered stories—about ghosts, strange noises, and someone who vanished
years ago. Ravi didn’t believe any of it. But he was curious.

One evening, while walking his dog, he noticed a flicker of light in the window. It
disappeared quickly, but it was enough. The next day, he knocked on the door. No answer.

Then, just as he turned to leave, the door creaked open. An old man stood there, pale but
smiling.

“No one visits anymore,” the man said softly. Over the next few weeks, Ravi would return to
talk. He learned the man’s name was Mr. Arlo, a retired teacher who had become lonely
after his wife died.

Ravi told the others. Slowly, the stories faded, and instead of fear, there was warmth—kids
bringing food, helping clean the garden, and listening to Mr. Arlo’s stories.

Fact Retrieval Questions

1. What was unusual about the house?

2. What did Ravi see in the window?
3. Who lived in the house?
4. What was Mr. Arlo’s job before retirement?
5. How did the neighborhood change?

Inference Questions
 1. Why did other kids tell scary stories about the house?
2. What made Ravi different from the others?
3. What does Mr. Arlo’s reaction to Ravi show?
4. Why did the stories disappear after the truth came out?
5. How does this story show the importance of kindness?
6. What do you think Mr. Arlo taught Ravi in return?

Passage 5: “The Message in the Ice” (Historical Fiction)

During the harsh winter of 1912, explorer Amelia Hart found herself stranded with her team
in the Arctic. Supplies were low, and the radio had gone silent days ago. Snow whipped
across the ice like sandpaper, and hope was thinning.

But Amelia never gave up.

One morning, while searching for shelter, she noticed something odd—a glint beneath the
ice. Digging carefully, she uncovered a metal capsule. Inside was a map, a journal, and a
note written in French: “Help those who come after.”

It was from a lost expedition decades earlier.

Reading the journal, Amelia found details of a hidden supply cache marked with an X. It was
a long shot—but it was all they had.

With the new coordinates, the team trudged through the ice. Days later, they found the
cache: food, tools, blankets. Enough to survive.

Later, when they were rescued, Amelia left her own message in the capsule, adding to the
legacy of survival and hope.

Fact Retrieval Questions

1. Where was Amelia stranded?

2. What did she find under the ice?
3. What language was the original note in?
4. What did the journal lead her to?
5. What did she leave behind?

Inference Questions

1. What does the phrase “hope was thinning” mean?

2. Why was the capsule so important?
3. What does Amelia’s decision to add her own note tell us about her?
4. How do you think the team felt upon finding the cache?
5. Why might explorers choose to leave messages behind?
6. What theme connects both expeditions in the story?