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Year 5 comprehension: A room after music

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.

A room after music

The final note has left the air; The chairs stand crooked in a row. A scarf lies folded on a chair, Where one small lamp still makes a glow.

The drummer shuts a battered case; The singer rolls her music tight. Their voices filled this narrow place, Then slipped away into the night.

I stack the cups beside the sink And close the window on the rain. The quiet gives me time to think Of words I hope to hear again.

No song remains upon the floor, No chorus hangs against the wall. Yet when I reach to lock the door, I pause, remembering them all.

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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 drummer shut?

    • A. The window
    • B. The door
    • C. A music book
    • D. A battered case
    Show answer 1

    A battered case: The second stanza says the drummer shuts a battered case.

  2. 2. What does the speaker stack?

    • A. Chairs against the wall
    • B. Scarves by the door
    • C. Music cases beneath the lamp
    • D. Cups beside the sink
    Show answer 2

    Cups beside the sink: The third stanza describes stacking cups beside the sink.

  3. 3. What does “battered” suggest about the case?

    • A. It is newly painted
    • B. It is completely empty
    • C. It is much too small
    • D. It is worn from use
    Show answer 3

    It is worn from use: Battered describes an object that is worn or marked, suggesting use over time.

  4. 4. Why does the speaker hope to hear the words again?

    • A. The singer has asked for the window to be shut
    • B. The speaker values the music and the evening
    • C. The speaker did not hear any singing
    • D. The words are written on the cups
    Show answer 4

    The speaker values the music and the evening: The wish to hear them again and the final memories suggest the evening mattered to the speaker.

  5. 5. What is the effect of saying no chorus hangs against the wall?

    • A. It contrasts an empty room with a lasting memory
    • B. It explains where the music sheets were stored
    • C. It shows that a wall decoration fell down
    • D. It claims sound can be kept on a hook
    Show answer 5

    It contrasts an empty room with a lasting memory: The song leaves no physical object behind, yet the speaker still remembers it.

  6. 6. Which idea best describes the poem?

    • A. A room must be cleaned before any music begins
    • B. The speaker wishes the musicians had never visited
    • C. Music can only be enjoyed in a large hall
    • D. An experience can remain in memory after a place becomes quiet
    Show answer 6

    An experience can remain in memory after a place becomes quiet: The poem moves from clearing a quiet room to remembering the people and music.

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

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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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