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Language & Literature · Unit 4

Reading a Story

Characters, setting and what happens next

Reading comprehension is not decoding. A child can read every word of a page aloud and take nothing from it, and the difference is what this unit addresses.

The unit covers characters, setting, beginning, middle and end, reading the pictures, and titles and authors.

This unit breaks down into 21 short steps and 125 questions, starting at difficulty 1 and building to 2. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps
21
Questions
125
Difficulty
1-2

What this unit covers

  • Beginning, Middle and End
  • Titles and Authors
  • Characters
  • Where and When
  • Reading the Pictures

Where this fits

Follows Sentences. Story Elements is the formal version.

Where people slip

Pictures in a picture book carry story the words do not. Reading them is part of reading the book rather than a substitute for it.

How the unit is structured

Reading a Story runs as 21 short steps that unlock in order. 15 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 1 and climb to 2 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 21 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 125 in the unit altogether.

Beginning, Middle and End

  • Fact or fibLevel 1

    1. A story's problem is usually solved at the very beginning.

    Answer: False

    A story's problem is usually solved near the end, after it has been introduced.

  • Fill the blankLevel 1

    2. The very first part of a story is called the ____.

    • beginningcorrect
    • middle
    • end
    • cover

    The beginning is the first part of a story.

  • Multiple choiceLevel 1

    3. Which part of a story usually introduces the characters and setting?

    • The beginningcorrect
    • The middle
    • The end
    • The glossary

    The beginning of a story is where readers first meet the characters and setting.

  • Odd one outLevel 1

    4. Which of these is NOT one of the three main parts of a story?

    • Illustrationcorrect
    • Beginning
    • Middle
    • End

    Illustration is a picture in a book, not one of the three main story parts.

  • Build the sentenceLevel 2

    5. Build a sentence about how a story starts.

    Answer: First the story begins

    This sentence tells us the story is only just starting.

  • Guess the numberLevel 2

    6. How many main parts does a story usually have: beginning, middle, and end?

    Answer: 3 parts

    Most stories are made of three main parts.

Characters

  • Choose all that applyLevel 1

    7. Which of these could be characters in a story? Pick all that apply.

    • A talking catcorrect
    • A kind kingcorrect
    • A rainy sky
    • A wooden table

    A talking cat and a kind king could both be characters, since characters can be people or animals.

  • Fact or fibLevel 1

    8. In 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', Goldilocks is a fox.

    Answer: False

    Goldilocks is a young girl, not a fox, who wanders into the bears' house.

  • Fill the blankLevel 1

    9. In a story, the bad character who causes trouble is called the ____.

    • villaincorrect
    • hero
    • author
    • setting

    The villain is the character who causes problems for the hero.

  • Build the sentenceLevel 2

    10. Build a sentence describing a character.

    Answer: The fox was clever and brave

    This sentence describes a character using two describing words.

  • Match the pairsLevel 2

    11. Match each kind of character to what they usually do in a story.

    Answer: Hero = Solves the problem; Villain = Causes trouble; Narrator = Tells the story; Sidekick = Helps the hero

    Different characters play different jobs in a story.

  • Multiple choiceLevel 2

    12. What do we call a character who tries to stop the hero?

    • Villaincorrect
    • Narrator
    • Author
    • Setting

    A villain causes trouble for the hero in a story.

Reading the Pictures

  • Choose all that applyLevel 1

    13. What can pictures in a story show you? Pick all that apply.

    • How a character feelscorrect
    • Where the story happenscorrect
    • The author's home address
    • The book's price

    Pictures can show how characters feel and where a story takes place.

  • Fact or fibLevel 1

    14. Pictures in a story book are never useful for understanding the story.

    Answer: False

    Pictures are often very useful for understanding what is happening in a story.

  • Guess the numberLevel 1

    15. About how many main pictures are usually shown on one page of a simple picture book?

    Answer: 1 pictures

    Simple picture books usually show just one main picture per page to match the story.

  • Build the sentenceLevel 2

    16. Build a sentence about what the pictures show.

    Answer: The pictures show a sunny day in the forest

    This sentence describes a picture that gives clues about the weather and setting.

  • Fill the blankLevel 2

    17. A picture that shows what is happening in a story is called an ____.

    • illustrationcorrect
    • index
    • glossary
    • chapter

    An illustration is a picture that shows a moment or event from the story.

  • Match the pairsLevel 2

    18. Match each picture clue to what it might mean.

    Answer: Dark clouds = Bad weather coming; A smiling face = A happy character; A castle in the background = A royal setting; Torn clothes = A character in trouble

    Small details in a picture can give clues about the story.

Titles and Authors

  • Choose all that applyLevel 1

    19. Which of these are book titles? Pick all that apply.

    • Peter Rabbitcorrect
    • Charlotte's Webcorrect
    • Wilbur
    • Beatrix Potter

    'Peter Rabbit' and 'Charlotte's Web' are book titles, while Wilbur is a character and Beatrix Potter is an author.

  • Fact or fibLevel 1

    20. The author of a book is the same person as a character in the book.

    Answer: False

    The author is the real person who wrote the book, not a character inside the story.

  • Fill the blankLevel 1

    21. The person who draws the pictures in a picture book is called the ____.

    • illustratorcorrect
    • author
    • character
    • reader

    The illustrator is the person who draws the pictures in a book.

  • Match the pairsLevel 1

    22. Match each word to what it means.

    Answer: Title = The name of the book; Author = The person who wrote it; Illustrator = The person who drew the pictures; Cover = The outside of the book

    Knowing these words helps you talk about any book.

  • Multiple choiceLevel 1

    23. What do we call the person who wrote a book?

    • Authorcorrect
    • Reader
    • Character
    • Illustrator

    The person who writes a book is called the author.

  • Build the sentenceLevel 2

    24. Build a sentence about who wrote a book.

    Answer: Eric Carle wrote the story

    This sentence tells us that Eric Carle is the author of the story.

Where and When

  • Choose all that applyLevel 1

    25. Which of these could be a story's setting? Pick all that apply.

    • A sunny beachcorrect
    • A quiet librarycorrect
    • A happy puppy
    • A tall giant

    A sunny beach and a quiet library are both places, so they can be settings.

  • Fact or fibLevel 1

    26. The words 'once upon a time' are often used to show when a fairy tale happens.

    Answer: True

    'Once upon a time' is a classic way to begin a story and set it long ago.

  • Fill the blankLevel 1

    27. A story that happens in a snowy forest at night has that forest as its ____.

    • settingcorrect
    • character
    • author
    • title

    The place where a story happens is called the setting.

  • Odd one outLevel 1

    28. Which one tells you WHERE a story happens, not who?

    • A sandy beachcorrect
    • A brave boy
    • A wise owl
    • A friendly dragon

    A sandy beach describes a place, so it is part of the setting.

  • Build the sentenceLevel 2

    29. Build a sentence describing a setting.

    Answer: The story happens in a dark forest

    This sentence tells us where the story happens.

  • Multiple choiceLevel 2

    30. Where does a story usually take place?

    • The settingcorrect
    • The theme
    • The plot twist
    • The moral

    The setting is where and when a story happens.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 14 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

  • Build the sentence
  • Choose all that apply
  • Fact or fib
  • Fill the blank
  • Guess the number
  • Match the pairs
  • Multiple choice
  • Odd one out
  • Picture question
  • Put in order
  • Sort into groups
  • Spell it
  • True or false
  • Type the answer

Practise Reading a Story

125 questions across 21 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

More units in Language & Literature

See all 18 units in Language & Literature →