Halloween Math & Reading — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A witch buys 7 cauldrons at $36 each and uses a $50 coupon. How much does she pay?
A) $192
B) $202
C) $212
D) $252
First multiply: 7 × $36 = $252. Then subtract the coupon: $252 - $50 = $202.
2. Which sentence contains alliteration?
A) The ghost floated through the wall.
B) Peter's purple pumpkin sat on the porch.
C) The moon was as bright as a lamp.
D) Bats flew out of the cave.
Four words (Peter's, purple, pumpkin, porch) all start with the /p/ sound. Repeating the same starting sound in nearby words is alliteration.
3. A candy factory makes 576 pieces in 8 hours. How many pieces does it make in 5 hours?
A) 340
B) 350
C) 360
D) 370
First find the hourly rate: 576 ÷ 8 = 72 per hour. Then multiply: 72 × 5 = 360 in 5 hours.
4. In the sentence "The tombstones stood like silent soldiers," what figurative language is used?
A) metaphor
B) simile
C) personification
D) hyperbole
The word 'like' compares tombstones to soldiers. That is the clue that this is a simile.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Nine trick-or-treaters each collect $28 worth of candy. Together they collect $252.
9 × $28 = $252. Split as (9 × 30) - (9 × 2) = 270 - 18 = 252.
2. A mummy divides 468 wrappings equally among 6 tombs. Each tomb gets 78 wrappings.
468 ÷ 6 = 78. Check: 6 × 78 = 468, from (6 × 70) + (6 × 8) = 420 + 48 = 468.
3. Repeating the same beginning sound in nearby words is called alliteration.
Alliteration repeats starting sounds in close-together words, like 'slithering snakes' or 'big black bat'. It makes writing sound musical.
4. A scarecrow stands in 11 fields for 8 nights each. He stands for 88 nights total.
11 × 8 = 88. Split as (10 × 8) + 8 = 80 + 8 = 88.
5. The feeling a reader gets from a spooky Halloween passage is called the mood.
Mood is the emotional feeling a story creates in readers, like scary, joyful, or sad. Writers build mood through setting and word choice.