Here’s the solution to the reading comprehension worksheet “The Cheeky Mouse,” with clear explanations for each question:
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1. What does despise mean?
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Answer: To hate or strongly dislike.
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Explanation: In the story, it says, “The lady living in the house *despised* mice.” This means she had a very strong negative feeling toward them — she didn’t just dislike them a little; she hated them and wanted to get rid of all of them. “Despise” is a stronger word than “dislike.”
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2. How did the lady feel about mice?
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Answer: She despised them (hated them) and wanted to get rid of them all.
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Explanation: The text directly states: “The lady living in the house despised mice, and wanted to get rid of them all.” This shows her feelings were not just mild annoyance — they were intense dislike and active effort to eliminate them.
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3. How did the mouse feel about his plan?
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Answer: He felt proud of himself.
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Explanation: The story says: “The little cheeky mouse was so proud of himself for fooling the old lady.” He thought he was clever and successful at tricking her by putting toy mice in the traps instead of real ones.
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4. Choose one word to describe the mouse and explain why.
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Possible Answer 1: Clever
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> *Why?* Because he figured out how to trick the lady by putting toy mice in the traps. He knew she had poor eyesight and used that to his advantage.
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Possible Answer 2: Cheeky
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> *Why?* The title calls him “The Cheeky Mouse,” and he acted boldly and playfully, even bragging to himself about fooling the lady — which shows a mischievous, bold personality.
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Possible Answer 3: Overconfident
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> *Why?* He was so proud of his trick that he let his guard down, which led to him getting caught in the end. His overconfidence caused his downfall.
> *(Any of these are acceptable — choose one and explain based on evidence from the text.)*
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5. Do you feel sorry for the mouse? Why or why not?
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Sample Answer (Yes):
> Yes, I feel sorry for the mouse because he thought he was winning and being clever, but he got caught in the end. He didn’t expect to be tricked himself — it was a sad ending for someone who was just trying to survive.
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Sample Answer (No):
> No, I don’t feel sorry for him because he was sneaky and took advantage of the lady’s poor eyesight. He ate all the food he could find and thought he was smarter than her — so he got what he deserved when he finally stepped into a real trap.
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Note: This is an opinion question. There’s no single right answer — as long as the student gives a reason that connects to the story, it’s correct.
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✔ Final Tip for Students: Always look back at the text to find evidence for your answers — this is called “text-based evidence.” For example, if you say the mouse was “clever,” point to the part where he tricks the lady with toy mice.
Let me know if you’d like a printable version or help turning this into a classroom activity!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of basic reading skills worksheet.
