Read the story and answer the questions below.

MEDUSA   

    Once upon a time, said the ancient Greeks, there were three terrible monster sisters. The most terrible was called Medusa. She was shaped like a person. But she had powerful wings and sharp claws. Worst of all, her hair was a mass of hissing snakes. Medusa was very ugly and very frightening. Anyone who looked at her turned to stone.

    A young hero named Perseus was sent by an evil king to cut off Medusa's head. The task seemed impossible. Luckily, the gods took pity on Perseus. They gave him magical gifts. A special cap made him invisible. A shiny shield let him see things without looking right at them. Sandals with wings gave him speed. And a sharp sword was his weapon.

        Perseus set out for the African desert where Medusa lived. After a long search, he found her cave. Nearby he saw the people and animals that she had turned to stone. From inside the cave, he heard a terrible hissing sound. He was careful to keep his eyes turned away.

    Perseus waited until night fell. Finally, Medusa slept. Perseus crept slowly toward her. He used his shield to watch her. When he was close enough, he took out his magic sword and cut off her head. Then he covered the horrible prize and flew swiftly home.

The evil king wanted to see the gift he had ordered. So Perseus showed him the head. When the king looked at it, he immediately turned to stone. With the help of the gods, Perseus had outsmarted all his enemies.

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

1. People who looked at Medusa turned to stone because she:
a. was so beautiful                   c. was horribly ugly
b. used magic                          d. was a god

 

2. The word hissing means:

a. yelling                                                c. deadly

b. making an "SSSSSSS" sound      d. whispering

3. Medusa did not live in:
a. Africa                     c. a cave
b. the desert               d. Greece

4. When did Perseus set out for Africa?
a. before Medusa had killed anyone
b. before the gods gave him gifts
c. after an evil king ordered him to go
d. after he cut off Medusa's head

5. The gods gave Perseus gifts because:
a. he was so brave
b. they knew he needed help
c. they were afraid of him
d. they didn't like Medusa

6. The gods did not give Perseus a:
a. sword
b. task
c. cap
d. shield

7. The shield helped Perseus see Medusa because:

a. he could hide behind it

b. he could see through it

c. it was like a mirror
d. he could cover his eyes with it

8. With his special cap, Perseus:

a. could not be killed

b. could talk to the gods

c. could not be seen
d. was cool even in the hot desert

9. Which meaning does the word sound have in paragraph 3?
a. healthy
b. firm
c. a body of water
d. a noise

10. Perseus was clever because he:
a. outsmarted Medusa and the king
b. knew exactly where to find Medusa
c. didn't need help to kill Medusa
d. tricked the gods into helping him