Halloween Math & Reading — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A bat catches 6 moths every hour for 14 hours. It catches 84 moths total.
6 × 14 = 84. Split as (6 × 10) + (6 × 4) = 60 + 24 = 84.
2. An extreme exaggeration used for effect is called hyperbole.
Hyperbole is a big exaggeration not meant to be taken literally, like 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse'. Writers use it for humor or emphasis.
3. A ghost distributes 216 candy bars equally to 8 houses. Each house gets 27 bars.
216 ÷ 8 = 27. Check: 8 × 27 = 216, from (8 × 20) + (8 × 7) = 160 + 56 = 216.
4. The time and place where a spooky story happens is the setting.
Setting covers both the WHERE (place) and WHEN (time) of a story. Both work together to build the scene.
5. Five cauldrons each hold 34 potions. Together they hold 170 potions.
5 × 34 = 170. Split as (5 × 30) + (5 × 4) = 150 + 20 = 170.
6. When a story jumps back in time to show an earlier event, it uses a flashback.
A flashback interrupts the main story to show something that happened before. It helps readers understand a character's history.
7. A pumpkin farmer packs 378 pumpkins into 9 crates. Each crate holds 42 pumpkins.
378 ÷ 9 = 42. Check: 9 × 42 = 378, from (9 × 40) + (9 × 2) = 360 + 18 = 378.
8. The main character in a Halloween story is called the protagonist.
The protagonist is the main character that the story follows. Their opposite is the antagonist, who works against them.
9. Eight spider webs each trap 19 flies. Together they trap 152 flies.
8 × 19 = 152. A quick way: (8 × 20) - 8 = 160 - 8 = 152.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
cause
→ the reason something happens
a short retelling of the key events
effect
→ what happens as a result
what happens as a result
main idea
→ the most important point of a passage
the most important point of a passage
summary
→ a short retelling of the key events
the reason something happens
Cause and effect are a pair: cause is the reason, effect is the result. Main idea is the most important point, and a summary briefly retells the key events.