Inferences Worksheet 5 | Reading Activity - Free Printable

Let’s go through each question one by one, using clues from the text to make logical inferences.

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Question 1: What happened to Jenna's apartment?

Looking at the passage:
- The couch has long rips.
- A lamp is shattered on the floor.
- Picture frames are crooked or fallen.
- The cat’s travel cage door was open — but she thought it was locked.
- Feathers are on the floor (from a birdcage?).
- Then she hears the cat meowing in the bedroom — and sees the cat playing with her shoe.
- She yells, “That’s it! I’m done with this.”
- She throws the cat back into its cage and tries to lock it — but the lock won’t catch. So she grabs duct tape.

→ It looks like the cat caused all the mess — not burglars. The feathers suggest maybe there was also a bird that got out? But the main culprit seems to be the cat.

But wait — the question asks what happened to the apartment. Based on the evidence, it appears the cat made a huge mess while Jenna was away.

Also note: Jenna initially thought someone broke in and stole the cat — but then found the cat alive and guilty-looking.

So inference: The cat escaped and trashed the apartment.

How do we know? Because the cat was found in the bedroom, the cage was open, feathers were on the floor (maybe from a pet bird?), and the damage matches something small and clawed moving around wildly.

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Question 2: Why is there an empty birdcage in Jenna's apartment?

Text says:
> “the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor.”

And earlier:
> “some of them [picture frames] had fallen off the wall and the door to her cat's travel cage was open.”

Wait — actually, re-read carefully:

It says:
> “...and the door to her cat's travel cage was open. Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor.”

So both cages were opened — cat’s AND bird’s.

Feathers on the floor = bird got out.

Birdcage is now empty → because the bird flew out or escaped when the door was left open.

Inference: The bird escaped from the cage.

How do we know? Because the cage door was swinging and there were feathers on the floor — signs the bird is no longer inside.

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Question 3: What is Jenna going to do with the cat?

She says:
> “That’s it!” Jenna yelled. "I'm done with this." She threw the cat back into its travel cage and tried to shut the door, but the lock wouldn't catch. Jenna huffed and then grabbed some duct tape.

→ She’s frustrated. She can’t lock the cage properly, so she uses duct tape instead.

Inference: She will use duct tape to secure the cat in its cage.

How do we know? Because after failing to lock the cage, she immediately grabs duct tape — implying she’ll tape it shut.

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Question 4: What did Gail find on the receipt?

Passage says:
> As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt from the grocery store. It was dated from that morning. What she saw was both disappointing and unsurprising.

Earlier context:
- Earl claimed he caught salmon during his fishing trip.
- He showed perfectly filleted salmon steaks.
- When asked how he learned to fillet fish, he said, “Jeff taught me how.”
- Gail looked suspicious.

Now, if the receipt is from the grocery store — and it’s dated *that morning* — that means Earl didn’t catch the fish himself; he bought them.

Inference: Gail found a receipt for buying the salmon steaks at the grocery store.

How do we know? Because the receipt is from the grocery store and dated the same day Earl returned — meaning he didn’t catch the fish during his two-week trip.

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Question 5: Why was Gail disappointed and unsurprised with what she saw?

Disappointed: Because Earl lied about catching the fish — he didn’t really go fishing successfully.

Unsurprised: Because earlier it says, “knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman” — so she expected him to fail or lie.

Inference: She was disappointed because Earl lied about catching the fish, but unsurprised because she already knew he wasn’t a good fisherman.

How do we know? Text explicitly says she knew he wasn’t good at fishing, and finding the grocery receipt confirmed he bought the fish instead of catching them.

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Final Answers:

1. Jenna’s apartment was trashed by her cat (and possibly a bird).
How do you know this? The cat was found loose in the bedroom, the cages were open, feathers were on the floor, and the damage matched animal activity — plus Jenna realized the cat was responsible.

2. There is an empty birdcage because the bird escaped.
How do you know this? The cage door was swinging and feathers were on the floor — clear signs the bird is gone.

3. Jenna is going to use duct tape to keep the cat in its cage.
How do you know this? After failing to lock the cage, she grabbed duct tape — showing her next step.

4. Gail found a receipt for buying salmon steaks at the grocery store.
How do you know this? The receipt was from the grocery store and dated that morning — proving Earl didn’t catch the fish himself.

5. Gail was disappointed because Earl lied about catching the fish, but unsurprised because she already knew he wasn’t a good fisherman.
How do you know this? The text says she knew he wasn’t good at fishing, and the grocery receipt proved he bought the fish instead.

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Final Answer:
1. The cat (and possibly a bird) escaped and made a mess. Evidence: open cages, feathers, cat found in bedroom, damage consistent with animals.
2. The bird escaped. Evidence: cage door swinging, feathers on floor.
3. Use duct tape to secure the cat in its cage. Evidence: she grabbed duct tape after the lock failed.
4. A grocery store receipt for salmon steaks purchased that morning. Evidence: receipt date and location prove purchase, not catch.
5. Disappointed because Earl lied; unsurprised because she knew he wasn’t a good fisherman. Evidence: prior knowledge stated in text + receipt confirmation.