Message in a bottle Reading Comprehension Questions

While sailing with his parents on a boat called The Peggy Sue, Michael is washed overboard, ending up on a remote Pacific island with his dog, Stella. He makes friends with the only other inhabitant, an old man named Kensuke, who has lived on the island for over forty years. Kensuke does not want either of them to leave the island. However, Michael wants to send home a message in a bottle…

For some days, I kept the Coke bottle buried under the sand whilst I wrestled with my conscience or, rather, justified what I wanted to do. It wouldn’t really be a betrayal*, not as such, I told myself. Even if the bottle was found, no one would know where it would come from, they’d just know I was alive. I made up my mind to do it, and do it as soon as I could.

Kensuke had gone off octopus fishing. I had stayed behind to finish a shell painting – or so I had told him. I found an old bed sheet at the bottom of one of his chests and tore away a small corner of it. Then I knelt down at the table, stretched it out and painted my message on it in octopus ink.

To: The Peggy Sue. Fareham. England.

Dear Mum and Dad

I am alive. I am well. I live on an island. I do not know where. Come and find me.

Love

Michael

I ran the entire length of the island, keeping always to the forest, so that there was no chance Kensuke could see where I was going or what I was up to. The gibbons* howled their accusations at me all the way, the entire forest cackling and screeching its condemnation*. I just hoped Stella would not bark back at them, would not betray where I was. Fortunately, she didn’t.

At last, I reached the rocks under Watch Hill. I leaped from rock to rock until I was standing right at the very end of the island, the waves washing over my feet. I looked around me. Stella was the only witness. I hurled the bottle as far out to sea as I possibly could. Then I stood and watched it as it bobbed away and out to sea. It was on its way.

I did not touch my fish soup that night. Kensuke thought I was ill. I could hardly talk to him. I couldn’t look him in the eye. I lay all night in deep torment, racked* by guilt, yet at the same time still hoping against hope that my bottle would be picked up.

Kensuke and I were at our painting the next afternoon when Stella came padding into the cave. She had the Coke bottle in her mouth. She dropped it and looked up at me, panting and pleased with herself.

Kensuke laughed and reached down to pick it up. I think he was about to hand it to me when he noticed there was something inside it. By the way he looked at me I was quite sure he knew at once what it was.

There fell between us a long and aching silence. Kensuke never once reproached* me for what I had done. He was not angry or sullen with me. But I knew I had hurt him to the soul. It wasn’t that we didn’t speak – we did – but we no longer talked to one another as we had before. We lived, each of us, in our separate cocoons, quite civil, always polite, but not together any more.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.9

What are two things that are true about the story?

Michael misses his family.

Someone finds the message in the bottle.

Michael does not want to upset Kensuke.

Michael tells Stella to go away when he throws the bottle in the water.

Michael writes the message on paper.

Answer explanation

Michael misses his family.

Michael does not want to upset Kensuke.

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How long does Michael take to make up his mind about sending the message?

Answer explanation

it took Michael a few days to decide. Definitely more than a few days because at the start of the second paragraph, it says that for some days he kept the coke bottle buried. So, after that 'some days' then he decided to do it. That means it might be close to a week, but at the very least he took more than a few days.

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CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

At first, Michael hides the Coke bottle. Why?

Answer explanation

Because he doesn't want to betray Kensuke but he really wants to send a message home.

It's not just that he doesn't want Kensuke to find out. He used the word 'betrayal' which tells us he doesn't want to betray. Another part of it is also that he wants to send a message home and afraid Kensuke will stop him by destroying the bottle.

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CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

What lie does Michael tell Kensuke?

Answer explanation

Michael lied that he stayed behind to finish a shell painting.

This can be found in the third paragraph.

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When Michael is on his way to send the message, does he meet Kensuke? Give a reason from the passage to support your answer.

Answer explanation

He didn't meet Kensuke. It is because he kept to the forest, using the trees and the bushes to hide him from Kensuke's sight.

This information can be found in paragraph 4 (after the letter) "I ran the entire length of the island, keeping always to the forest,..."

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CCSS.RI.2.1

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Why does Michael hurl the bottle out to sea?

Answer explanation

because he throws it far into the sea. I know this because he used the word 'hurl' in a sentence that says as far out to sea as possible, which indicates distance.

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Does Michael have mixed feelings after he has sent the message? Explain your answer in your own words using evidence in the passage to support your answer. 

Answer explanation

Yes. Because in the text, he didn't have an appetite, he was quiet and he couldn't even face Kensuke during dinner. The text also used the word deep torment and guilt, showing that he was not happy with what he did.

On the other hand, he also wanted the bottle to be found by someone. We can see this when he said, 'yet at the same time'. That phrase has the same meaning as 'but' and we use 'but' when we want to show the opposite of something. This opposite is about his guilty feeling, which means he feels okay with his action. He also said that he is hopeful, which tells me that he really wants the message to be found.

If your answer contains words like he feels guilty but hopeful, then it is correct. As long as your explanation makes sense, it should be okay.

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Stella returns with the Coke bottle. Why is she ‘pleased with herself’?

Answer explanation

Because Stella is a pet dog and she might think that they are playing fetch since Michael was running with her and threw the bottle that she might think of as a stick.

Since she was able to retrieve the bottle and bring it back to Michael, it seems like she is happy or proud of what she had done.

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CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

Does Kensuke know what is in the bottle? Select evidence from the passage to support your answer.

Answer explanation

No, he doesn't.

Evidence:

Kensuke laughed and reached down to pick it up. I think he was about to hand it to me when he noticed there was something inside it.

The important sentence to use as evidence is:

I think he was about to hand it to me when he noticed there was something inside it.

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CCSS.RI.1.1

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