📚 Part 1: Reading Comprehension

1. What does Marinka light candles in to beckon the dead?

Lanterns

Skulls

Windows

Mirrors

2. Who does Marinka live with?

Her mother

Baba Yaga

Her grandmother

She lives alone

3. What is Marinka's role regarding the dead?

To frighten them away

To guide them through The Gate

To bring them back to life

To hide from them

4. Which of these foods are mentioned in the text? (Tick all that apply)

Kvass

Borsch

Bread

Trost

📝 Part 2: Vocabulary and Understanding

5. Using context clues from the text, what do you think 'kvass' and 'borsch' are?

6. The word 'Yaga' appears in the text. Based on your reading, what type of character do you think this refers to?

7. Explain what you think 'The Gate' represents in this story and why it might be important.

8. How does Marinka seem to feel about her relationship with the dead? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

✨ Part 3: Creative Response

9. Imagine you are Marinka, the Guardian who guides the dead. Write a diary entry describing one night when you helped a spirit pass through The Gate. Include your thoughts and feelings about this responsibility.

10. What themes do you think this story explores? Consider Marinka's role, her relationship with Baba, and her connection to both the living and the dead.