The Secret City of Inti WaƱuna


The Secret City of Inti WaƱuna
Deep in the Andes Mountains, where the air is thin and the peaks touch the sky, lived a young girl named Sofia. Sofia wasn't like the other children in her village. While they played games in the fields, Sofia dreamed of adventure, poring over old maps and listening to stories of lost civilizations.
One day, while exploring a hidden cave behind a waterfall, Sofia stumbled upon a crumbling stone tablet. It was covered in ancient symbols, and although she couldn't read them, she felt a strange pull, a connection to something long forgotten. Determined to unlock its secrets, Sofia spent weeks copying the symbols, comparing them to drawings in her grandfather's dusty books.
Finally, after much research, Sofia realized what the tablet revealed: a map to Inti WaƱuna, the legendary 'City of the Sun's Resting Place.' Legend said it was a city built by the Incas and hidden away to protect its treasures from invaders.
With a backpack full of supplies and the stone tablet as her guide, Sofia set off into the mountains. The journey was long and arduous. She climbed steep slopes, navigated dense forests, and crossed rushing rivers. Several times, she almost gave up, but the thought of Inti WaƱuna spurred her on.
- Arduous:
- Difficult and tiring.
- Civilizations:
- Organized human societies.
- Plundered:
- To steal goods by force.
- intricate:
- Having many detailed and complicated parts.
- vibrant:
- Very bright, colorful, and full of life.
- astronomy:
- The scientific study of stars, planets, and outer space.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts ā all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Language & Tone
Interpret nonliteral language and analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.

Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What was Sofia like compared to other children in her village?
- 2What did Sofia find behind a waterfall?
Where this passage belongs
You Might Also Like
About this fiction passage for Upper Elementary
āThe Secret City of Inti WaƱunaā is a fiction reading passage about Hidden City, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (416 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.


