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Year 4 comprehension: The night bakery

Read this poetry passage, then answer six questions about details, word meanings, inferences and purpose.

Before you read

Read once for the main idea, then look back for details. You can use the passage while answering.

The night bakery

Before the town has opened eyes, A light shines down our street. Behind the bakery’s window rise The smells of something sweet.

The baker lifts a tray of rolls; Warm flour dusts her sleeve. She checks the timer, wipes the bowls, Then folds the dough with care.

A bicycle leans by the wall; The first bus hums nearby. She turns the sign towards us all As morning fills the sky.

I buy a roll, still warm to hold, And tuck it in my hand. The street wakes slowly from the cold; Her working day is planned.

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Download the original passage, six questions and a separate answer section. The PDF includes links back to this page and the free diagnostic.

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Practise reading

Check your understanding

6 questions. Keep the passage open above and look back for evidence. This practice score stays on this page until you leave or restart. It is not an exam grade or a saved assessment.

Read all questions and answers

  1. 1. What does the baker lift?

    • A. A bicycle
    • B. A bag of coals
    • C. A tray of rolls
    • D. A street sign
    Show answer 1

    A tray of rolls: The second stanza says the baker lifts a tray of rolls.

  2. 2. What does the speaker buy?

    • A. A bicycle
    • B. A timer
    • C. A sleeve
    • D. A warm roll
    Show answer 2

    A warm roll: The final stanza begins with the speaker buying a roll.

  3. 3. What does “hums” suggest about the bus?

    • A. It makes a low steady sound
    • B. It plays a loud trumpet
    • C. It stops working completely
    • D. It moves without any sound
    Show answer 3

    It makes a low steady sound: A hum is a low, steady sound, used here for the bus engine.

  4. 4. What does the first line suggest?

    • A. The town is an actual sleeping person
    • B. The baker starts work before most people wake
    • C. Nobody lives on the street
    • D. The bakery opens only at midnight
    Show answer 4

    The baker starts work before most people wake: The town opening its eyes is an image for people beginning their day, after the bakery is already active.

  5. 5. Why does the baker turn the sign towards the street?

    • A. To keep the dough warm
    • B. To show arriving customers that the shop is ready
    • C. To repair the bicycle
    • D. To hide the window
    Show answer 5

    To show arriving customers that the shop is ready: The sign turns towards people as morning arrives, suggesting the shop is ready for customers.

  6. 6. Which contrast is important in the poem?

    • A. The quiet waking street and the baker already at work
    • B. The speaker’s old and new bicycles
    • C. A sunny beach and a snowy mountain
    • D. Two bakers arguing about a recipe
    Show answer 6

    The quiet waking street and the baker already at work: The opening and ending describe a town waking gradually while the baker is already working.

Explore comprehension skills

An original passage written for Trace Learn. Authored 2026-09-30. These are teaching questions, not a school entrance paper.

Questions parents ask

Does this practice save a score?

No. Answers are checked on this page. They are not sent to an assessment service or saved to a learner profile. Restarting or leaving clears the practice score.

Should I look back at the passage?

Yes. Find the words that support your answer. For an inference, explain how the details suggest your idea.

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