Non-fiction: Archaeologists Hit a Homer Run
Archaeologists Hit a Homer Run
A blood thirsty Cyclops traps
Odysseus and his soldiers in a cave.
Thinking fast, the hero stabs the
monster in the eye, blinding it. He
and the soldiers escape unharmed.
That scene is one of the most
action-packed passages in the
Odyssey, an epic, or long poem, by
the Greek poet Homer. It’s also the
decoration on a rare 2,500-year-old
sarcophagus1 that was recently
found in Asia.
Leigh Haeger
Map of Cyprus
The coffin features a vivid color
illustration of Odysseus’s brave act. Odysseus is one of the most
famous fighters in Greek mythology.
Construction workers found the sarcophagus in a tomb in western
Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. The tomb had already
been looted of other valuables.
Only two similar coffins have been found in Cyprus. One is housed at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the second is in
a London museum. The colors on those coffins have faded and are not
as vibrant2 as the paintings on the newly discovered sarcophagus,
experts say.
The coffin might have held a soldier. "Maybe this represents...a
warrior," Pavlos Flourentzos, a Cyprus official, told reporters.
1
2
sarcophagus: stone coffin
vibrant: bright and lively
1
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Article: Copyright © 2007 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved.
Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Used by permission.
Questions: Archeologists Hit a Homer Run
_____________ Date: _______________________
Name:
1. Where did construction workers find the sarcophagus?
A
B
C
D
in a tomb in western Cyprus
buried under a museum in Greece
floating in the Mediterranean Sea
in a cave in upstate New York
2. Read this paragraph from the passage: “The coffin features a vivid color illustration of
Odysseus’s brave act. Odysseus is one of the most famous fighters in Greek mythology.”
What is the purpose of this paragraph?
A
B
C
D
to
to
to
to
explain how Odysseus’s problem was solved
describe the appearance of the coffin
compare the coffin to the work of the Greek poet Homer
show the effect of finding an ancient coffin
3. Which of the following can you conclude will most likely happen next to the
sarcophagus?
A
B
C
D
It
It
It
It
will
will
will
will
be repainted and taken apart so scientists can learn how it was made.
eventually be placed back into the tomb where it was found.
be presented to the Greek poet Homer to honor his work.
most likely be housed at a museum for people to see.
4. Read this sentence from the passage: “The tomb had already been looted of other
valuables.” Based on the text, the word looted means
A
B
C
D
swollen
beaten
forgotten
robbed
5. Which statement best describes the central idea of this passage?
A
B
C
D
A sarcophagus was found in Cyprus depicting a scene from the Odyssey.
Homer was a famous Greek poet who wrote an epic poem called the Odyssey.
Many people enjoy reading Greek mythology and visiting art museums.
Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea where many coffins have been
found.
1
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Archeologists Hit a Homer Run
6. Who is Odysseus?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. Why is the newly discovered sarcophagus important? How do you know? Give specific
examples from the article that support your answer.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes
the sentence.
In the Odyssey, Odysseus ______ his soldiers become trapped in a cave with a
bloodthirsty Cyclops.
A
B
C
D
or
and
but
yet
2
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Archeologists Hit a Homer Run
9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.
Construction workers recently discovered a rare sarcophagus in Asia depicting a scene
from the Odyssey.
Who? construction workers
(did) What? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ________________________________________________________________
When? ________________________________________________________________
10. Vocabulary Word: vibrant: bright and lively.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Teacher Guide & Answers: Archeologists Hit a Homer Run
Teacher Guide and Answers
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 960
Featured Text Structure: Descriptive – the writer explains, defines, or illustrates a concept or topic
Passage Summary: “Archeologists Hit a Homer Run” describes how construction workers recently found
a 2,500-year-old sarcophagus in a tomb in Asia. The coffin features a color illustration of a scene from the
Odyssey by the Greek poet Homer.
1. Where did construction workers find the sarcophagus?
A
B
C
D
in a tomb in western Cyprus
buried under a museum in Greece
floating in the Mediterranean Sea
in a cave in upstate New York
2. Read this paragraph from the passage: “The coffin features a vivid color illustration of Odysseus’s brave
act. Odysseus is one of the most famous fighters in Greek mythology.”
What is the purpose of this paragraph?
A
B
C
D
to explain how Odysseus’s problem was solved
to describe the appearance of the coffin
to compare the coffin to the work of the Greek poet Homer
to show the effect of finding an ancient coffin
3. Which of the following can you conclude will most likely happen next to the sarcophagus?
A
B
C
D
It will be repainted and taken apart so scientists can learn how it was made.
It will eventually be placed back into the tomb where it was found.
It will be presented to the Greek poet Homer to honor his work.
It will most likely be housed at a museum for people to see.
4. Read this sentence from the passage: “The tomb had already been looted of other valuables.” Based on the text, the word looted means
A
B
C
D
swollen
beaten
forgotten
robbed
5. Which statement best describes the central idea of this passage?
A
B
C
D
A sarcophagus was found in Cyprus depicting a scene from the Odyssey.
Homer was a famous Greek poet who wrote an epic poem called the Odyssey.
Many people enjoy reading Greek mythology and visiting art museums.
Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea where many coffins have been found.
1
© 2012 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Teacher Guide & Answers: Archeologists Hit a Homer Run
6. Who is Odysseus?
Suggested answer: Odysseus is one of the most famous fighters in Greek mythology. [paragraph 3]
7. Why is the newly discovered sarcophagus important? How do you know? Give specific examples from
the article that support your answer.
Suggested answer: The sarcophagus is rare. [paragraph 1] Only two similar coffins have been found in
Cyprus, and they are not nearly as vibrant as the paintings in the newly discovered coffin. [paragraph 4]
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence.
In the Odyssey, Odysseus ______ his soldiers become trapped in a cave with a bloodthirsty Cyclops.
A
B
C
D
or
and
but
yet
9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.
Construction workers recently discovered a rare sarcophagus in Asia depicting a scene from the Odyssey.
Who? construction workers
(did) What? discovered a rare sarcophagus depicting a scene from the Odyssey
Where? in Asia
When? recently
10. Vocabulary Word: vibrant: bright and lively.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: answers may vary.
2
© 2012 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: EXPLICIT INFORMATION 6th GRADE UNIT
Reading Passage
Archaeologists Hit a Homer Run
A blood thirsty Cyclops traps
Odysseus and his soldiers in a cave.
Thinking fast, the hero stabs the
monster in the eye, blinding it. He
and the soldiers escape unharmed.
That scene is one of the most
action-packed passages in the
Odyssey, an epic, or long poem, by
the Greek poet Homer. It’s also the
decoration on a rare 2,500-year-old
sarcophagus1 that was recently
found in Asia.
Leigh Haeger
Map of Cyprus
The coffin features a vivid color
illustration of Odysseus’s brave act. Odysseus is one of the most
famous fighters in Greek mythology.
Construction workers found the sarcophagus in a tomb in western
Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. The tomb had already
been looted of other valuables.
Only two similar coffins have been found in Cyprus. One is housed at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the second is in
a London museum. The colors on those coffins have faded and are not
as vibrant2 as the paintings on the newly discovered sarcophagus,
experts say.
The coffin might have held a soldier. "Maybe this represents...a
warrior," Pavlos Flourentzos, a Cyprus official, told reporters.
1
2
sarcophagus: stone coffin
vibrant: bright and lively
1
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Article: Copyright © 2007 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved.
Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Used by permission.
CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: EXPLICIT INFORMATION 6th GRADE UNIT
Question Sheet
Name:
Date:
“Archeologists Hit a Homer Run” Questions
1. The big difference between this sarcophagus and the two that were
found earlier is
a. the story scene it illustrates.
b. the place where it was found.
c. how colorful it is.
d. who was buried in it.
2. Even though the title of the passage mentions archaeologists, the
people who actually found the sarcophagus were
a. construction workers.
b. farmers.
c. story-tellers.
d. archaeologists.
3. The title compares the archaeologists who first identified the sarcophagus
to baseball players hitting a home run, because
a. of the kind of equipment they use.
b. they did a rare, successful thing.
c. of the way they look.
d. of when they work.
4. Both the map and the passage show that Cyprus is
a. in the Aegean Sea.
b. an island.
c. a Greek country.
d. near Turkey.
5. Retell in your own words what Odysseus did to Cyclops. Name the
poem and its author.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
© 2010 Urban Education Exchange. All rights reserved
.
CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: EXPLICIT INFORMATION 6th GRADE UNIT
Question Sheet
Name:
Date:
“Archeologists Hit a Homer Run” Answer Sheet
Co/Co 1. The big difference between this sarcophagus and the two that were
found earlier is
a. the story scene it illustrates.
b. the place where it was found.
c. how colorful it is.
d. who was buried in it.
EI
2. Even though the title of the passage mentions archaeologists, the
people who actually found the sarcophagus were
a. construction workers.
b. farmers.
c. story-tellers.
d. archaeologists.
FL
3. The title compares the archaeologists who first identified the
sarcophagus to baseball players hitting a home run, because
a. of the kind of equipment they use.
b. they did a rare, successful thing.
c. of the way they look.
d. of when they work.
EI
4. Both the map and the passage show that Cyprus is
a. in the Aegean Sea.
b. an island.
c. a Greek country.
d. near Turkey.
EI
5. Retell in your own words what Odysseus did to Cyclops. Name the
poem and its author.
Answers will vary. Odysseus stabbed Cyclops in the eye, blinding him.
The poem is the Odyssey by Homer.
Additional Suggested Vocabulary: decoration, vivid, looted
© 2010 Urban Education Exchange. All rights reserved
.