Comprehension Questions- Magic Tree House #16 Hour of the Olympics

Hour of the Olympics

By Mary Pope Osborne

Grades 3-5; Genre - Historical Fiction with Fantastical Elements; GRL M; AR pts: 1.0

Jack and Annie get to travel to Greece at the time of the ancient Olympics.  They recover a lost poem written by a young woman, meet Plato the philosopher and get to go to the Olympics.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. Where are Jack and Annie going on this adventure? Ancient Greece   p. 4
  2. What are Jack and Annie gathering on these missions? Lost stories   p. 7
  3. Tell me some things Morgan wants them to remember.   Ask the ancient story for help in their darkest hour, research book will guide them, show their secret library cards to the wisest person they meet    p. 8

Chapter 2

  1. What great event was taking place when Jack and Annie got to Greece? The Olympics    p.12
  2. What did Annie notice about the people around her? There were no other girls.  p. 13
  3. Who was playing the woman on stage? A boy   p. 16
  4. Why was a boy playing a woman? Women weren't allowed to act.    p. 16

Chapter 3

  1. What is a philosopher? a person who loves to think and has wisdom  p. 18
  2. Who did Jack and Annie show their Master Librarian cards to? Plato   p. 19
  3. Did Plato know the story Jack and Annie needed to find?  yes   p. 20
  4. Who wrote the story?  a woman/ secret poet   p. 20

Chapter 4

  1. Who is the poet? a young woman    p. 24
  2. Why can't the poem be read in their land? it was written by a woman   p. 25
  3. Where do Jack and Plato go? To watch the Olympics  p. 29
  4. Where does Annie go? Back to the outdoor theater     p. 29

Chapter 5

  1. Where do athletes train for the Olympics? A gymnasium   p. 31
  2. What do the winners of the Olympics get to wear? crowns made from olive branches   p. 32
  3. What Greek God do the Olympians play for? Zeus  p. 35
  4. What two things do the Olympians promise to Zeus before they compete? that they had trained for 10 months and  they would obey the rules of the games  p. 36

Chapter 6

  1. What kinds of things were in the Olympic parade? musicians and athletes   p. 38
  2. Name some of the sports the athletes compete in. Boxing, wrestling, running      p. 38
  3. What type of race is the greatest honor to win?  Chariot racing  p. 41
  4. Who is the short soldier?  Annie   p. 42

Chapter 7

  1. Why was Jack angry at Annie?  He didn't want her to get caught.    p. 43
  2. What happened when Annie took off her helmet? Someone shouted for the guards.   p. 47
  3. Did Annie realize she'd been noticed?    No   p. 47
  4. What was Annie doing?   Cheering   p. 47

Chapter 8

  1. Was Jack able to get to Annie when the guards had her?    No   p. 50
  2. What did the crowd want the guards to do to Annie?  Arrest her   p. 50
  3. What did Jack pull out to save Annie? The poet's scroll   p. 50
  4. What came to save Annie?  white horse pulling an empty chariot   p. 51

Chapter 9

  1. Why did Jack close his eyes as he rode in the chariot? He was scared.   p. 54
  2. Where did the horse pull the chariot after he grew giant feathery wings?  Into the sky.   p. 58
  3. How did Jack feel after he got out of the chariot? That it was the best ride of his life  p. 58
  4. How did Annie feel about leaving the horse?  Sad   p. 58

Chapter 10

  1. What story did Jack and Annie bring to Morgan? Pegasus   p. 62
  2. What did Morgan mean when she said, "your friends are in the night sky"? they are named after the stars/ constellations   p. 65
  3. So what are all of the people in the stories they brought to Morgan? Constellations   p. 65