Inferences Worksheet 5 featuring two short stories with comprehension questions requiring logical inference.

Let’s go step by step through each question based on the story about Jenna and her cat.

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Question 1: What happened to Jenna's apartment?

From the text:
- The couch had long rips.
- A lamp was shattered.
- Picture frames were crooked or fallen.
- The cat’s travel cage door was open.
- There were feathers on the floor.
- The birdcage door was swinging.
- The cat was found playing with a shoe, not locked up.

All these signs point to chaos — things broken, scattered, and animals loose. But then we learn the cat was the one causing it — scratching shoes, probably getting out of its cage and messing things up.

So, what really happened?
→ The cat got out of its cage and made a mess while Jenna was at work.

How do you know this?
→ The text says the cat was “patting one of Jenna’s favorite shoes with its claws” after Jenna found it in the bedroom. Also, there were feathers (maybe from a toy?) and the birdcage was open — maybe the cat played with the bird? Or maybe the cat knocked things over trying to get out or play. Either way, the cat is the culprit.

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

The text doesn’t say there’s a bird — only that the birdcage door was open and swinging, and there were feathers on the floor.

But here’s the key: the cat was locked in a *travel cage*, and now it’s out. The birdcage being open and feathers on the floor suggest the cat might have gotten into the birdcage — maybe scared the bird away, or the bird flew out, or the cat knocked it over.

Wait — actually, rereading: “the door to her cat’s travel cage was open... but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor.”

This suggests the cat got out of its travel cage, then went to the birdcage, opened it (or knocked it), and the bird flew away or was scared. The feathers are left behind.

So why is the birdcage empty?
→ Because the bird flew out or was let out by the cat.

How do you know this?
→ The text mentions feathers on the floor and the birdcage door swinging — signs the bird is no longer inside. And since the cat was loose and causing trouble, it likely caused the bird to escape.

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

Text says:
> 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.

So she’s trying to keep the cat locked up — even if she has to use duct tape because the lock is broken.

What is she going to do?
→ She’s going to tape the cage shut so the cat can’t get out again.

How do you know this?
→ The last sentence says she grabbed duct tape after the lock wouldn’t catch — meaning she’s using it as a fix to keep the cage closed.

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Now, let’s move to the second story about Earl and Gail.

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Question 4: What did Gail find on the receipt?

Text 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.

Also earlier:
> Earl unzipped a cooler and pulled out several perfectly filleted salmon steaks.
> Gail asked, “Did you catch anything?”
> Earl said, “Jeff taught me how [to fillet fish].”

But then he scratched his head — nervous. And the receipt is from the grocery store — not a fishing store or bait shop.

So what’s on the receipt?
→ Probably the salmon steaks — meaning he didn’t catch them; he bought them.

How do you know this?
→ The receipt is from the grocery store, dated that morning — same day he came home. And he brought home “perfectly filleted salmon steaks” — which a beginner fisherman wouldn’t be able to do. Plus, Gail already knew he wasn’t a good fisherman. So the receipt proves he bought the fish instead of catching it.

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

Disappointed — because she hoped he actually caught fish, but he didn’t.
Unsurprised — because she already knew he wasn’t a good fisherman (“knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman”).

So she’s not shocked — she expected him to lie or fake it. And she’s disappointed because he didn’t even try to be honest.

Why was she disappointed and unsurprised?
→ Disappointed because he didn’t catch fish — he bought them. Unsurprised because she knew he wasn’t good at fishing and probably wouldn’t succeed.

How do you know this?
→ The text says she “reluctantly asked” if he caught anything, knowing he wasn’t good. Then when she sees the receipt, she’s “disappointing and unsurprising” — meaning she expected this outcome.

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Final Answers:

1. Jenna’s apartment was made a mess by her cat, who got out of its cage and caused chaos while she was at work.
→ How do you know this? The cat was found playing with a shoe, and there were rips in the couch, broken lamp, and feathers on the floor — all signs the cat was loose and causing trouble.

2. The birdcage is empty because the bird flew out or escaped when the cat got into it.
→ How do you know this? The birdcage door was swinging and there were feathers on the floor — meaning the bird is no longer inside, and the cat likely caused it.

3. Jenna is going to use duct tape to keep the cat locked in its cage because the lock is broken.
→ How do you know this? The text says she grabbed duct tape after the lock wouldn’t catch — showing she’s using it to secure the cage.

4. Gail found that Earl bought the salmon steaks at the grocery store — he didn’t catch them.
→ How do you know this? The receipt was from the grocery store, dated that morning, and Earl couldn’t have filleted fish himself since he’s not a good fisherman.

5. Gail was disappointed because Earl lied about catching fish, but unsurprised because she already knew he wasn’t good at fishing.
→ How do you know this? The text says she “reluctantly asked” if he caught anything, knowing he wasn’t good — so she expected him to fail or lie.

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Final Answer:

1. The cat got out of its cage and made a mess.
2. The bird flew out or escaped because the cat got into the cage.
3. She will use duct tape to keep the cat locked in the cage.
4. She found that Earl bought the salmon at the grocery store.
5. She was disappointed he didn’t catch fish, but unsurprised because she knew he wasn’t good at fishing.