Retrieve Information from a Piece of Descriptive Text

If reading the text is the first step, what comes next? 

Well, then we need to be able to find the answers in the text to show we've understood it!

After reading a text, the first questions we are given tend to be retrieval questions.

Retrieval questions are where we have to find, or fetch, key information from a text.

This is why some dogs are called retrievers as they like to fetch things.

Read the passage below and we'll have a go at retrieving some answers. 

In a garden adorned with emerald leaves and blossoming trees, four friends, Lily, Max, Mia, and Jake, stumbled upon a wounded bird. Its delicate feathers, which were once a tapestry of white and gold, were now ruffled and faded. Its chirps echoed like a tiny orchestra, the notes trembling with fear.

With hearts pounding like drums, the children gently cradled the fragile creature, its heartbeat was a galloping horse in their hands. The four children looked at each other. They knew they must get this flightless bird to a rescue centre as soon as possible.

Where is the story set?

The first sentence tells us the children are in a garden.

The answers to retrieval questions are always in the text. We just need to go and find them. 

You can often get clues from the question to help you think about where to look. For example, this one is about where it is set. It's likely that's something mentioned earlier in the text, so you might start looking there for this one. 

In this activity, you’ll be answering retrieval questions about a text.

Have a read of the text below and when you are ready, let's answer some questions! Remember, you can look at the text any time you need by clicking on the red help button on the screen.

The Rain

On a rainy day, the world seems to hush. It is as if nature itself is taking a deep breath. The clouds gather, turning the sky into a canvas of shifting shades of grey. Then, the rain begins, at first with a soft patter against windows and rooftops, then gradually building into a steady downpour.

The air becomes cool and crisp, carrying the earthy scent of wet soil and greenery. Each raindrop creates ripples in puddles, reflecting the sombre beauty of the sky above. Leaves shimmer with droplets, and flowers bow gracefully under the weight of the rain.

As people move about, they carry colourful umbrellas, adding splashes of brightness against the muted backdrop of the day. The city streets take on a different character, with the sounds of cars dulled by the rain, and the occasional splash as pedestrians navigate through puddles.

Indoors, the atmosphere is cosy, with the sound of rain creating a soothing background melody. It's a time for curling up with a book, sipping on a warm drink, or simply gazing out the window at the tranquil scene outside.

Despite the melancholy that often accompanies rainy days, there's a certain magic in the air. It's a time for reflection and introspection, for finding beauty in the ordinary, and for appreciating the simple joy of being alive. So, as the rain continues to fall, there's a sense of peace that settles over everything, reminding us to slow down and savour the moment.