Reading Worksheets | Fifth Grade Reading Worksheets - Free Printable

Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet: "The Otter Family"

Let's go through the story and answer each question based on the text.

---

#### 1. What was Tom doing at five o'clock in the morning?

Answer:
Tom was examining the traps set for weasels, stoats, and other vermin.

Explanation:
The first sentence of the story states: *"About five o'clock one fine morning in May, Tom, the gamekeeper's son, was examining the traps set for weasels, stoats, and other vermin."* This clearly tells us what Tom was doing at that time.

---

#### 2. What did Tom hear?

Answer:
Tom heard a strange whistling noise.

Explanation:
The story says: *"as he came near it he heard a strange whistling noise."* Later, it is explained that this cry came from an otter parent fishing with their young ones.

---

#### 3. Did Tom know the home of the otters?

Answer:
Yes, Tom knew the home of the otters.

Explanation:
The text mentions: *"Now Tom knew that this hole was the home of some otters."* This shows that Tom had prior knowledge about where the otters lived.

---

#### 4. What were otters doing?

Answer:
The otters were swimming, fishing, eating fish, and playing.

Explanation:
From the passage:
- They were swimming smoothly along the river.
- They were fishing and bringing fish to the island.
- They ate the fish by holding them with their front feet and eating from the head down.
- The young otters were playing and twisting about.

---

#### 5. What did otters eat and how?

Answer:
The otters ate fish. They held the fish with their front feet and began eating just behind the head, eating until they nearly reached the tail and then left that part.

Explanation:
The passage states: *"Then they each took hold of their fish with their front feet, and began to eat just behind the head. They ate on till they nearly reached the tail and then left that."*

---

#### 6. How did Tom give the description of the otter?

Answer:
Tom described the otters based on what he observed while watching them quietly from the grass. He noticed their physical features such as long bending bodies, broad flat heads, short and broad mouths and noses, webbed feet with sharp claws, soft brown fur, and thick strong tails.

Explanation:
After hiding in the grass and watching them closely, Tom describes their appearance in detail: *"They had long bending bodies, and broad, flat heads, and their mouths and noses were short and broad. Their feet were webbed like duck's feet, but each foot had very sharp claws at the end. Their fur was a lovely soft brown. Their tails were thick and strong."* This shows he used direct observation to describe them.

---

✔ Summary of Answers:

1. Examining traps for weasels, stoats, and other vermin.
2. A strange whistling noise.
3. Yes, he knew the otters' home.
4. Swimming, fishing, eating fish, and playing.
5. They ate fish by holding them with their front feet and eating from the head to nearly the tail.
6. By observing them closely while hidden in the grass; he described their body shape, fur, feet, and behavior.

---

This worksheet helps students practice reading comprehension skills such as identifying details, making inferences, and understanding descriptions.