Free Christmas Reading Comprehension KS2 with Answers (Printable)

A complete comprehension to use today: an original funny story, seven questions for Years 3 and 4, three harder questions for Years 5 and 6, and every answer. Tap Answer to check each one. Printing this page leaves out the answers and notes, so children can answer in their books.

The Great Mince Pie Mix-up

1 Grandad Frank was famous for two things: his enormous moustache and his mince pies. Every Christmas, he baked forty-eight of them for the village carol concert, and every Christmas, people said they were the best mince pies in Bramblecombe.

2 This year, Grandad had a cold. "You'll have to bake them, Priya," he croaked from his armchair, wrapped in three blankets. "The recipe is on the card in the tin. Follow it exactly."

3 Priya had baked fairy cakes before, so how hard could mince pies be? She found the recipe card, which was splattered with years of old butter, and set to work. She rubbed the butter into the flour, rolled out the pastry and filled each case with a spoonful of mincemeat. Then she squinted at the card. The last line said: Sprinkle the tops with sugar. On the shelf stood two glass jars that looked exactly the same, one marked with a faded S and the other with nothing at all. Priya chose the one with the S.

4 The pies came out of the oven golden and perfect. The whole kitchen smelled of warm spice. Priya packed them into tins, feeling very proud, and carried them up the hill to the church hall.

5 The first person to try one was the vicar. He took a big bite, smiled, and then stopped smiling. His eyes began to water. "Very... unusual," he said, reaching for a cup of tea. Then the choir leader tried one. Then the mayor. Soon there was a queue at the tea urn, and nobody was talking about how wonderful the mince pies were.

6 Priya's cheeks burned. She broke a pie in half and tasted the crumbly top. It was not sweet at all. It was salty, as salty as the sea.

7 When she got home, Grandad listened to the whole sad story. Then he laughed so hard that his moustache shook. "The S is for salt," he wheezed. "The sugar is the one with no label. Everyone knows that!"

8 "Everyone except me," said Priya. The next morning, she made a brand-new label for the sugar jar in big, bold letters. Then she baked one more batch, just for Grandad and her. They were perfect.

Questions for Years 3 and 4

1. What two things was Grandad Frank famous for? (1 mark)
   Answer

   His enormous moustache and his mince pies (both needed).
2. Why couldn't Grandad bake the mince pies this year? (1 mark)
   Answer

   He had a cold.
3. "Priya squinted at the card." Does this mean she (a) looked closely with her eyes half shut, (b) threw it away, (c) read it out loud or (d) wiped it clean? (1 mark)
   Answer

   (a) Looked closely with her eyes half shut.
4. Put these in story order: the vicar tries a mince pie; Priya makes a new label; Priya rolls out the pastry; Grandad laughs until his moustache shakes. (1 mark)
   Answer

   Priya rolls out the pastry; the vicar tries a mince pie; Grandad laughs until his moustache shakes; Priya makes a new label.
5. How can you tell that the vicar did not enjoy his mince pie? Give two clues. (2 marks)
   Answer

   Any two: he stopped smiling; his eyes watered; he reached for a cup of tea; he said "Very... unusual".
6. Why do you think there was a queue at the tea urn? (1 mark)
   Answer

   People needed a drink to get rid of the salty taste.
7. "Priya's cheeks burned." How was Priya feeling? (1 mark)
   Answer

   Embarrassed (accept ashamed or upset).

Harder questions for Years 5 and 6

1. Find and copy a simile from paragraph 6. (1 mark)
   Answer

   as salty as the sea
2. "Very... unusual," he said. Why do you think the vicar pauses and chooses the word "unusual"? (2 marks)
   Answer

   He did not like it (1 mark) but wanted to be polite and not hurt anyone's feelings (1 mark).
3. Whose fault was the mix-up? Explain your opinion using the text. (2 marks)
   Answer

   Any reasoned opinion with evidence, e.g. Grandad's, because the sugar had no label, or Priya's, because she guessed instead of asking (1 mark for the opinion, 1 mark for the evidence).