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Possum in the Roof — Reading Comprehension — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 4 reading comprehension comprehension exercise.

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Year 4 · English · Reading Comprehension

Possum in the Roof — Reading Comprehension — Answers

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Part A — Right there in the text

Find each answer in the story.

1.What time did the scratching begin every night?[1 mark]

Answer: Nine o'clock.

2.Who thought the noise was a monster?[1 mark]
  1. AMia
  2. BJack
  3. CDad
  4. DNan

Answer: Jack

Jack whispered 'It's a monster' to Mia.

3.What kind of possum did Mia say it was?[1 mark]

Answer: A brushtail possum.

4.Where did Jack see the possum?[1 mark]
  1. Aon the roof
  2. Bin the wardrobe
  3. Cin the lemon tree
  4. Din the gum tree

Answer: in the lemon tree

The possum was on 'a branch of the lemon tree'.

5.What two things did Dad do to fix the problem?[2 marks]

Answer: He put a possum box in the gum tree and blocked the hole under the roof tiles with wire.

Part B — Reading between the lines

Use clues from the story to explain your answers in a full sentence.

6.Why did Jack wait with a torch under the blanket?[2 marks]

Answer: He wanted to see what was making the noise and prove whether it was a monster or a possum.

7.Why did Jack laugh so loudly?[2 marks]

Answer: He was relieved and amused. The scary 'monster' was just a possum calmly chewing a leaf.

8.Why did Dad block the hole under the roof tiles?[2 marks]

Answer: So the possum could not get back into the roof and would use the new possum box instead.

9.How do you know Mia likes to feel clever? Find a clue in the story.[2 marks]

Answer: The story says she was 'ten and knew everything', and she says 'See?' when she is proved right.

Part C — Word meanings

10.The noise scuttled across the ceiling. Scuttled means...[1 mark]
  1. Amoved quickly with small steps
  2. Bsang loudly
  3. Cstayed still
  4. Drolled slowly

Answer: moved quickly with small steps

Scuttle means to move quickly with short, quick steps, like a crab or a possum.

11.The possum calmly picked a leaf. This tells us the possum was...[1 mark]
  1. Afrightened
  2. Bangry
  3. Crelaxed and not worried
  4. Dhungry and fast

Answer: relaxed and not worried

Calmly means in a relaxed, peaceful way.

12.Find a word in the story that means 'moved quietly and carefully'.[1 mark]

Answer: crept

Part D — Extended response

13.Describe how Jack's feelings change from the beginning of the story to the end. Use evidence from the story to support your answer.[5 marks]

Model answer: At the start Jack is scared because he thinks the noise is a monster and he whispers to Mia. In the middle he is brave enough to look with his torch, and then he laughs when he sees it is only a possum. By the end he likes the possum and waves to it every night, so he feels happy and friendly instead of frightened.

Success criteria:

  • Describes Jack's feelings at the beginning
  • Describes Jack's feelings at the end
  • Uses at least two pieces of evidence from the story
  • Written in full sentences with correct punctuation
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Marking tips

  • Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
  • For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
  • Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.

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