Year 5 English Comprehension: The Magical Adventure of Benny the Brave

The Story

Once upon a time, in a small village named Willowdale, there lived a brave boy named Benny. Benny was 10 years old and loved to explore. Every day after school, he would wander into the nearby woods, dreaming of adventures and treasures.

One sunny afternoon, Benny found a shiny, golden key lying on the ground. He picked it up and wondered, “What does this key open?” Excited, he rushed home to find out more.

That night, Benny studied the key under his bedroom lamp. It was old and covered in tiny symbols. “Maybe it opens a treasure chest!” he thought. Benny decided he would search for what the key belonged to the next day.

The next morning, he packed a small backpack with a sandwich, a bottle of water, and his trusty flashlight. Off he went into the woods, feeling like a real adventurer!

As Benny walked deeper into the forest, he noticed something sparkling in the bushes. Curious, he pushed the branches aside and discovered a tiny door! It was hidden behind the trees and looked just the right size for his golden key.

Benny’s heart raced with excitement. He inserted the key into the lock, and with a gentle turn, the door creaked open. Inside, he found a magical land filled with colourful flowers, talking animals, and shimmering streams.

“Welcome, Benny!” chirped a cheerful bird. “We’ve been waiting for you!” Benny was amazed. He met a wise old owl who told him that the key unlocked the entrance to this magical world. “You are chosen to help us,” the owl said. “An evil creature has taken our magic crystal, and without it, our land will fade away.”

Benny didn’t hesitate. He wanted to help! The owl gave him a map that showed where the creature lived. It was a steep mountain far away. “Be brave, Benny, and remember to believe in yourself,” the owl advised.

Benny set off on his journey, climbing the mountain with determination. Along the way, he faced challenges like crossing a wobbly bridge and solving a tricky riddle from a clever fox. But Benny was brave and clever, and he overcame every obstacle.

At last, Benny reached the top of the mountain. There, he found the evil creature guarding the magic crystal. It was a big, scary monster! But Benny stood tall and shouted, “You must return the crystal! It belongs to the magical land!”

To his surprise, the creature stopped and looked puzzled. “Why should I?” it growled. Benny thought quickly and replied, “Because sharing is better than being lonely. You could have friends here!” The monster looked thoughtful. It had never considered that.

After a moment, the creature sighed and handed over the crystal. “I suppose you’re right,” it said. Benny cheered and returned to the magical land, the crystal shining brightly in his hands.

The animals celebrated, and the wise old owl thanked Benny. “You have saved our home! You are truly brave.” Benny felt proud. He knew that bravery isn’t just about being strong; it’s about having a kind heart and believing in yourself.

From that day on, Benny visited the magical land often, always ready for a new adventure with his friends.

Questions to Check Understanding

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What did Benny find in the woods?
3. What did Benny think the key would open?
4. What did Benny pack in his backpack?
5. What did Benny discover when he pushed the branches aside?
6. Who welcomed Benny to the magical land?
7. What did the wise old owl tell Benny?
8. What was taken from the magical land?
9. What did Benny use to help him on his journey?
10. What challenges did Benny face?
11. What did Benny find at the top of the mountain?
12. How did Benny convince the creature to return the crystal?
13. What lesson did Benny learn from his adventure?
14. How did the animals react when Benny returned with the crystal?
15. What does Benny’s adventure teach us about bravery?
16. Why did Benny feel proud at the end of the story?
17. What type of character is Benny?
18. What does the magical land represent?
19. How did the wise old owl assist Benny?
20. What might happen next in Benny’s adventures?

Questions to Check Vocabulary

1. What does “brave” mean?
2. What does “adventure” mean?
3. Define “treasure.”
4. What is a “crystal”?
5. What does “magical” describe?
6. What is a “map”?
7. What does “determination” mean?
8. Define “obstacle.”
9. What does “celebrate” mean?
10. What does “kind” mean?
11. What is a “wobbly” bridge?
12. What does “wise” mean?
13. Define “cheer.”
14. What does “puzzled” mean?
15. What does “lonely” mean?
16. What does “return” mean?
17. What does “thoughtful” mean?
18. Define “creature.”
19. What does “excited” mean?
20. What does “wonder” mean?

Questions to Check Grammar

1. What is the main verb in this sentence: “Benny found a golden key”?
2. Identify the subject in the sentence: “The wise old owl told him.”
3. How would you change “Benny’s heart raced with excitement” to the past tense?
4. Find the adjective in the sentence: “There was a big, scary monster.”
5. What is the plural form of “crystal”?
6. Change the sentence “Benny set off” to include an adverb.
7. Identify the pronoun in the sentence: “He didn’t hesitate.”
8. What is the past tense of “climb”?
9. Change “Benny is brave” to a question.
10. Identify the conjunction in the sentence: “Benny was brave and clever.”
11. What is the opposite of “happy”?
12. Change “The animals celebrated” to the future tense.
13. Identify the preposition in the sentence: “He climbed the mountain.”
14. What is the verb in the sentence: “The door creaked open”?
15. Change “Benny is 10 years old” to the past tense.
16. Identify the adverb in the sentence: “Benny walked quickly.”
17. What is the singular form of “animals”?
18. Change “The creature growled” to the present tense.
19. What is the subject in the sentence: “Benny faced many challenges”?
20. Identify the object in the sentence: “The wise owl gave him a map.”

Questions to Check Punctuation

1. Where does the story take place?
2. What punctuation mark ends a question?
3. Where should a comma be placed in this sentence: “Benny found a key and he ran home”?
4. Identify the exclamation mark in the story.
5. How do we show possession, for example with Benny’s name?
6. What is the correct way to write “Benny said hello”?
7. Where should the full stop be in the sentence: “The creature was scary”?
8. What punctuation is used to indicate a pause?
9. How do we format dialogue correctly?
10. Where does the quotation mark go in this sentence: “Benny thought Maybe it opens a treasure chest”?
11. Where would you place a comma in this sentence: “Benny, who was brave, helped the animals”?
12. What punctuation is needed before the conjunction “and” in a list?
13. How would you write “He said I will help” correctly?
14. Where do we place the question mark in this sentence: “What does the key open”?
15. How do we show a quote from a character?
16. What is the punctuation for a list of items?
17. How do we indicate an abbreviation?
18. Where does the apostrophe go in “the owls nest”?
19. What punctuation do we use at the end of a sentence?
20. How do we correct “Benny said Lets go” for proper punctuation?

Answers

Answers to Questions to Check Understanding

1. Benny
2. A shiny, golden key
3. A treasure chest
4. A sandwich, a bottle of water, and a flashlight
5. A tiny door
6. A cheerful bird
7. That the key unlocked the entrance to the magical world
8. The magic crystal
9. A map
10. Crossing a bridge and solving a riddle
11. The evil creature with the magic crystal
12. He told the creature it could make friends
13. That being brave means helping others
14. They celebrated happily
15. It shows that bravery can also be kindness
16. He saved the magical land
17. He is adventurous and kind
18. It represents imagination and dreams
19. It guided him to the creature
20. He might have even more adventures.

Answers to Questions to Check Vocabulary

1. Brave means being courageous or ready to face danger.
2. Adventure means an exciting experience or journey.
3. Treasure is something valuable that is hidden or stored.
4. A crystal is a clear, shiny mineral.
5. Magical describes something that has magical powers or is enchanting.
6. A map shows directions or locations.
7. Determination means having a strong will to achieve something.
8. An obstacle is something that gets in the way.
9. Celebrate means to have a party or enjoy something special.
10. Kind means being friendly and helpful.
11. Wobbly means not steady or shaky.
12. Wise means having knowledge and good judgment.
13. Cheer means to shout for joy or encouragement.
14. Puzzled means confused or unsure.
15. Lonely means feeling sad because one has no friends.
16. Return means to go back to a place.
17. Thoughtful means considering others’ feelings.
18. A creature is a living being, often an animal.
19. Excited means feeling very happy or enthusiastic.
20. Wonder means to feel curiosity or amazement.

Answers to Questions to Check Grammar

1. Found
2. The wise old owl
3. Benny’s heart raced with excitement → Benny’s heart raced with excitement.
4. Big, scary
5. Crystals
6. Benny set off quickly.
7. He
8. Climbed
9. Is Benny brave?
10. And
11. Sad
12. The animals will celebrate.
13. Climbed
14. Creaked
15. Benny was 10 years old.
16. Quickly
17. Animal
18. The creature growls.
19. Benny
20. A map

Answers to Questions to Check Punctuation

1. In Willowdale
2. Question mark (?)
3. Benny found a key, and he ran home.
4. “Welcome, Benny!”
5. By using an apostrophe (Benny’s).
6. Benny said, “Hello.”
7. At the end of “scary.”
8. Comma (,)
9. By using quotation marks.
10. “Benny thought, ‘Maybe it opens a treasure chest.’”
11. Benny, who was brave, helped the animals.
12. A comma before ‘and’ in a list.
13. He said, “I will help.”
14. What does the key open?
15. By using quotation marks.
16. By using commas.
17. By using a full stop (e.g., Dr. for Doctor).
18. The owl’s nest.
19. Full stop (.)
20. Benny said, “Let’s go.”