Chariot of the Sun

Reading Comprehension

Read "Chariot of the Sun" carefully and answer the comprehension questions.

Chariot of the Sun

A boy named Phaethon lived with his mother Clymene, who told him that his father was the god of the sun, Helios. Helios drove the Chariot of the Sun across the sky every day to provide light and warmth to the Earth.

At school, however, Phaethon was teased by his classmates, who didn’t believe his father was a god. They wanted him to prove he was the son of a god. He went to his mother, who said that if he needed proof, he must ask his father.

Multiple Choice

Clymene tells Phaethon his father is __________.

• the god of the water, Poseidon

• a carpenter

• a fireman

• the god of the sun, Helios

Multiple Choice

Why do Phaethon's classmates tease him?

• He has a funny shaped head.

• His mother Clymene is mean.

• They don't believe him when he says he is the son of a god.

• Phaethon always stares directly into the sun.

Multiple Choice

What must Phaethon do to prove his father is the god of the sun?

• Fly into the sun.

• Speak to Helios.

• Fight his classmates.

• Speak to his mother.

Multiple Choice

Who is the main character in this text?

• Phaethon

• Clymene

• Helios

• The horses

So, he travelled to the Palace of the Sun, a beautiful place glittering with gold and gems. Phaethon walked up to his father Helios and said, “Give me some proof that I am your son.”

Multiple Choice

Where does Phaethon travel?

• to the Palace of the Sun

• to the Land of Gods

• to the Castle of Doom

• to the Tower of Light

Multiple Choice

In the sentence "So, he travelled to the Palace of the Sun, a beautiful place glittering with gold and gems," what does the word "glittering" most likely mean?

• far away

• shining with a shimmering or sparkling light

• in the sky

• musical

Phaethon's Request

Helios replied, “My son, what your mother told you is true. As proof, ask me for a gift and it will be yours.” Right away, Phaethon request to drive the Chariot of the Sun for just one day.

Helios did not think this was a good idea. He said, “I have spoken too quickly. Your request is not safe for you because you have never driven the chariot before and it is very difficult to control. But I made a promise, and it must be kept.” Even though his father warned him, Phaethon was sure that he wanted to drive the Chariot of the Sun.

Multiple Choice

What was Phaethon's request?

• to take his father's job as the god of the sun.

• for Helios to tell Phaethon's classmates that he really was his son

• to speak quickly

• to drive the Chariot of the Sun for just one day.

Multiple Choice

What promise did Helios make to Phaethon?

• to take Phaethon on a trip in his chariot.

• to give Phaethon his crown.

• to give Phaethon any gift he asks for.

• to keep Phaethon safe.

Multiple Choice

What does Helios mean when he says, "I have spoken too quickly."?

• He spoke very fast, so Phaethon could not understand him.

• He did not think before speaking.

• He interrupted Phaethon.

• He spoke at a very young age.

Learning to Drive

Helios told Phaethon to hold tight and steer straight. He must only travel from the east to the west, and not go too high or too low to keep the people of Earth safe.

The morning came and it was time for Phaethon to cross the sky in the Chariot of the Sun. The horses pulling the chariot started their trip, but they could tell that their driver was inexperienced and had never driven before.

Multiple Choice

Based on the heading of this page, what is the page mostly going to be about?

• What the Chariot of the Sun is made out of.

• How the sun travels around the Earth.

• What horses like to eat.

• What Phaethon learns about how to drive the Chariot of the Sun.

Multiple Choice

In which direction must Phaethon drive the chariot to keep the people of Earth safe?

• from the west to the east

• from the north to the south

• from the east to the north

• from the east to the west

Multiple Choice

How do we know Phaethon is "inexperienced"?

• He gets picked on by his classmates.

• His father made him a promise.

• He has never driven a chariot before.

• He must hold tight and steer straight.

They turned to the right and to the left. Phaethon tried his best to make the Chariot of the Sun straight, but he could not control the horses and they flew down closer and closer to the Earth.

The heat of the sun was so intense it dried up large pieces of land that became deserts. The people of Earth were suffering because of Phaethon’s mistake, so they called to the sun god Helios to save them.

Multiple Choice

Why did the Chariot of the Sun get too close to the Earth?

• The horses wanted to take a bath.

• Phaethon could not control the horses.

• One of the wheels broke off of the chariot.

• The Earth got larger while Phaethon was driving.

Multiple Choice

According to this myth, where did deserts come from?

• Gods made it rain sand on the Earth.

• A huge sandstorm came from the Palace of the Sun.

• The heat of the sun was so intense, it dried up large pieces of land.

• Thousands of horses ate all of the plants and stomped on the Earth until it was dry.

Multiple Choice

In this myth, what did the people of Earth do because they were suffering?

• They called to the sun god Helios to save them.

• They had a big celebration.

• They shot down the chariot with magical arrows.

• They rode together in a chariot across the sky.

Helios Saves the Earth

Helios, the god of the sun, was very disappointed when he heard about all of the destruction his son Phaethon had caused. He loved his son, but he knew he had to take care of the people on Earth and keep them safe. So, Helios flew down from his palace and kicked Phaethon out of his chariot before he could do any more harm to Earth.

Multiple Choice

Based on how it is used on this page, what is another word for "destruction"?

• sadness

• construction

• solutions

• harm

Lesson Learned

Phaethon’s classmates watched him fall to the earth with amazement. Now they had proof that he really was the son of a god, so they never teased him again. Phaethon learned that only his father can control the Chariot of the Sun.

Multiple Choice

All of these words are synonyms for "amazement," EXCEPT __________.

• astonishment

• shock

• shyness

• surprise

Multiple Select

Myths are fictional stories that people in the past used to explain the natural world. Which two things about nature did this myth explain? CHOOSE TWO (2) CORRECT ANSWERS.

• How the sun came to be.

• Why the Earth is round.

• Why deserts became dry.

• Why the moon is bright in the night sky.