4th-Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets | Games4esl - Free Printable

Problem Analysis:

The story describes a situation where Mrs. Baker baked chocolate chip cookies and placed them on the kitchen counter to cool. She warned her three children—Ben, Emily, and Sam—not to eat the cookies until after dinner. However, when she returned from the garden, the plate of cookies was empty. Each child provided an alibi for their whereabouts:

1. Ben: Claimed he was too busy reading a book.
2. Emily: Said she was playing with her dolls.
3. Sam: Insisted he was drawing a picture.

The task is to determine who ate the cookies based on the given information.

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Solution Approach:

To solve this mystery, let's analyze the clues and use logical reasoning:

#### 1. Clue: The Children Were in the Living Room
- When Mrs. Baker asked about the missing cookies, all three children were in the living room. This suggests that none of them were in the kitchen at the time the cookies disappeared.

#### 2. Clue: Crumbs Around Their Mouths
- Mrs. Baker noticed crumbs around the children's mouths. This indicates that at least one of them had recently eaten something, likely the cookies.

#### 3. Alibis Provided by Each Child
- Ben: Claimed he was reading a book. Reading does not require being in the kitchen, so this alibi seems plausible.
- Emily: Said she was playing with her dolls. Playing with dolls also does not require being in the kitchen, so this alibi seems plausible.
- Sam: Insisted he was drawing a picture. Drawing does not require being in the kitchen, so this alibi seems plausible as well.

#### 4. Logical Deduction
- All three children were in the living room when Mrs. Baker returned, which means none of them could have been alone in the kitchen to eat the cookies.
- However, the presence of crumbs around their mouths strongly suggests that at least one of them ate the cookies.
- Since all three children were together in the living room, it is highly likely that they collaborated or shared the cookies collectively rather than one person eating them alone.

#### 5. Conclusion
- Given that all three children were in the same location (the living room) and none of their activities required them to be in the kitchen, it is reasonable to conclude that all three children ate the cookies together. This explains why there are crumbs around their mouths and why no single child can be definitively identified as the sole culprit.

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Final Answer:

$$
\boxed{\text{All three children ate the cookies.}}
$$

This solution is based on the fact that the children were together in the living room and the presence of crumbs around their mouths, suggesting collective involvement.