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Daily 
Warm-Up
5
Fiction: Mystery/Suspense/Adventure
Island of Mystery
Christopher hesitated before descending the steps to 
the tarmac, uncertain as to what—or who—they might 
find on this isolated but inhabited island. His parents 
had sent him to visit his grandparents for summer 
vacation, and they were known for embarking on 
unusual adventures, this being the latest. Sometimes 
Christopher wondered when his grandparents would 
give up their wild travels and be content to stay at home, 
reliving their adventures through pictures or videos.
“We’re here,” he announced, to no one in particular.
“Now what?”
Grandpa Earl ruffled Christopher’s hair and grinned.
“Let’s go find some mystery.”
Christopher raised his eyebrows. “Huh? I thought we 
were here to sightsee.”
“You could call it that,” his grandmother’s soft voice 
didn’t match her spirit of fun and adventure. “We plan 
to visit historical sites to learn more about the stories 
behind the statues.”
“Statues? We flew all this way to see hunks of rock?”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Christopher grabbed 
Grandma’s carry-on and followed Grandpa into the 
terminal. He gazed at the low-lying hills in the distance 
covered with vegetation and wondered how his 
grandparents had been able to afford this trip.
“Imagine that, two thousand miles from anywhere, on 
an island with a few people and a lot of statues.”
Grandpa Earl chuckled. “For years scientists presumed 
there weren’t enough people with the skills or tools to 
build the statues. So how did the massive icons get here?” 
Christopher humored his grandfather. “And why?
And who built them?” He glanced around to make sure 
they still had Grandma Margie in tow.
Oblivious to Christopher’s concerns, Grandpa continued 
on, assuming Grandma could take care of herself. “They 
have a few clues: signs of horrendous warfare, a 
population that dwindled from several thousand to just 
over one hundred, statutes toppled and in disrepair.
Archaeologists have more questions than answers, but 
now they’re talking with the island’s inhabitants.”
Text Questions
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 1 . Which question is still unanswered about the island?
a. who is visiting it
b. what the geography is like
c. why it has statues
d. whether it is inhabited
 2 . How do the scientists hope to learn more about the mystery?
a. by visiting the historical sites with statues
b. by taking pictures and videos
c. by researching the facts about the population
d. by talking to the inhabitants
 3 . What does the word presume mean as it is used in the text?
a. to plan to do something without authority
b. to take for granted
c. to consider the possibilities
d. to assume something is true based on evidence
 4 . What is the main idea of the text?
a. spending summer vacation with grandparents
b. going on an island adventure
c. learning about mysterious statues on an island
d. what Christopher might find on the island
 5 . Based on the evidence in the story, what might be one possible explanation for the current state of the statues?
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#3658 Daily Warm-Ups: Reading 
140 
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