The Mysterious Package
Read the story carefully, then answer the questions below.
Maya was sitting at the kitchen table doing her maths homework when she heard a loud thud at the front door. She rushed to see what had happened and found a peculiar brown package on the doorstep. There was no address label, no stamps, and no sign of a delivery person anywhere on the street.
"Mum! There's a strange parcel here!" Maya called out, picking up the surprisingly light box.
Her mother appeared from the laundry, wiping her hands on a tea towel. "How odd," she said, examining the package. "Perhaps it's for the neighbours and was delivered to the wrong house."
Maya noticed something her mum had missed – a small symbol drawn in the corner of the box. It was a shooting star, exactly like the one she'd drawn on her science project about constellations last week.
With trembling fingers, Maya carefully opened the package. Inside, wrapped in purple tissue paper, was a beautiful telescope with a note that read: "For the young astronomer who dreams of the stars. Keep looking up! – Mr Chen."
Maya gasped. Mr Chen was her science teacher who had retired last month. He must have remembered how fascinated she was during their astronomy unit. Tears of joy filled her eyes as she held the telescope carefully in her hands.
"What a wonderful surprise!" her mother said, reading the note over Maya's shoulder. "Mr Chen always saw something special in you."
That night, Maya set up her new telescope in the backyard and spent hours exploring the night sky, feeling grateful for a teacher who believed in her dreams.
Circle the correct answer for each question:
1. What was Maya doing when she heard the thud?
a) Reading a book
b) Doing her maths homework
c) Watching television
d) Eating dinner
2. What was unusual about the package?
a) It was very heavy
b) It was covered in stickers
c) It had no address label or stamps
d) It was wrapped in newspaper
3. What symbol did Maya notice on the box?
a) A moon
b) A planet
c) A shooting star
d) A rocket ship
4. Who sent the package to Maya?
a) Her neighbour
b) Her grandmother
c) Mr Chen, her science teacher
d) Her best friend
5. What was inside the package?
a) A book about stars
b) A telescope
c) A poster of constellations
d) A science project
6. How did Maya feel when she saw what was in the package?
a) Confused and worried
b) Angry and upset
c) Joyful and grateful
d) Scared and nervous
7. What did Maya do that same night?
a) Wrote a thank-you letter
b) Showed the telescope to her friends
c) Used the telescope to explore the night sky
d) Put the telescope away for safekeeping
8. What is the main theme of this story?
a) The importance of doing homework
b) A teacher's lasting impact and kindness
c) Being careful with packages
d) Learning about astronomy