Let’s go through each question one by one, using the story to find the answers.
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1. What does “despise” mean?
In the story, it says: *“The lady living in the house despised mice, and wanted to get rid of them all.”*
If she wants to get rid of them all, that means she really doesn’t like them — maybe even hates them.
So, “despise” means to hate or strongly dislike something.
✔ Answer: To hate or strongly dislike.
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2. How did the lady feel about mice?
Again, from the first sentence: *“The lady... despised mice, and wanted to get rid of them all.”*
She didn’t just dislike them — she hated them so much she set traps everywhere.
✔ Answer: She hated mice and wanted to get rid of them all.
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3. How did the mouse feel about his plan?
The story says: *“He knew the lady had poor eye sight and would be tricked. The little cheeky mouse was so proud of himself for fooling the old lady.”*
He thought he was smart and successful — until the end!
✔ Answer: He felt proud and happy because he thought he was tricking the lady.
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4. Choose one word to describe the mouse and explain why.
We can pick a word like
clever,
cheeky, or
overconfident.
Let’s choose
clever — because he figured out how to avoid the traps by moving other mice into them. That’s smart thinking!
But we could also say
overconfident — because he got too proud and didn’t realize the lady might have been smarter than he thought.
Either is okay — let’s go with
clever since it’s positive and fits most of the story.
✔ Answer: Clever — because he found a way to avoid the traps by tricking the lady (until the very end).
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5. Do you feel sorry for the mouse? Why or why not?
This is your opinion — but here’s how to think about it:
- You might feel sorry because he worked hard, felt proud, and then suddenly got caught.
- Or you might NOT feel sorry because he was stealing food and putting other mice in danger.
Both are okay! Just give a reason.
✔ Example answer: Yes, I feel sorry for him because he thought he was winning, but then got caught anyway. It’s sad when someone tries hard and still fails.
OR
✔ Another example: No, I don’t feel sorry because he was stealing food and hurting other mice by putting them in traps. He deserved what happened.
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Final Answer:
1. To hate or strongly dislike.
2. She hated mice and wanted to get rid of them all.
3. He felt proud and happy because he thought he was tricking the lady.
4. Clever — because he found a way to avoid the traps by tricking the lady (until the very end).
5. Yes, I feel sorry for him because he thought he was winning, but then got caught anyway. It’s sad when someone tries hard and still fails.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of reading and comprehension worksheet for grade 5.
