Question

thursday
the mouse & the weasel
aesop adaptation
a little hungry mouse found his way one day into a basket of corn. he had to squeeze himself a good deal to get through the narrow opening between the strips of the basket. but the corn was tempting, and the mouse was determined to get in. when at last he had succeeded, he gorged himself until he felt like bursting. indeed he became about three times as big around the middle as he was when he went in.
at last he felt satisfied and dragged himself to the opening to get out again. but the best he could do was to get his head out. so there he sat groaning and moaning, both from the discomfort inside him and his anxiety to escape from the basket. just then a weasel came by. he understood the mouses situation quickly. “my friend,” the weasel said, “i know what youve been doing. youve been devouring all the corn in the basket. thats what you get. you will have to stay there until you feel just like you did when you went in. good night, and good luck to you.” the weasel explained. and that was all the sympathy the poor mouse got, and the mouse waited hours before he was able to get out of the basket.
what is the central message of the passage?
① being greedy will have consequences
② dont lie to others or you will not be trusted
③ never give up
what happened after the mouse ate all he could?
① the mouse fell asleep
② the mouse grew big in the middle from eating
③ the mouse found his way into a basket of corn
part a
what is the meaning of the word gorged?
① emptied
② completed
③ stuffed
part b
which detail supports your answer to part a?
① my friend,” the weasel said, “i know what youve been doing. ② youve been devouring all the corn in the basket. ③ thats what you get. ④ you will have to stay there until you feel just like you did when you went in

Explanation:

• For the central - message question: The mouse over - ate the corn due to greed and then couldn't get out of the basket, showing that being greedy has consequences.
• For "what happened after the mouse ate all he could": The text mentions that the mouse became about three times as big around in the middle from eating.
• For Part A (meaning of "gorged"): "Gorged" means to eat greedily or to fill oneself to capacity, which is similar to "stuffed".
• For Part B: The detail "You've been devouring all the corn in the basket" shows that the mouse has been eating a large amount of corn, supporting the meaning of "gorged" as "stuffed".

Answer:

• What is the central message of the passage? A. Being greedy will have consequences
• What happened after the mouse ate all he could? B. the mouse grew big in the middle from eating
• Part A: What is the meaning of the word gorged? C. Stuffed
• Part B: Which detail supports your answer to Part A? B. You've been devouring all the corn in the basket