English Comprehension T3

I had my backpack on my back and a leash in my hand. It was “Bring Your Pet to School” day! My dog Jax was happily trotting beside me as we walked to the bus stop. The other kids in my neighborhood had their pets, too. Josie had a fish bowl with her goldfish. John had a crate with his cat, Maxie, inside. Paula had a bird cage with her parakeet, Gerald, perched on a little swing. We were all excited to have our pets with us.

Which animals are mentioned in this paragraph?

• A dog, a goldfish, a cat and a lovebird.

• A goldfish, a cat, a parakeet and a dog.

• A dog, a fish, a kitten and a parakeet.

• A dog and a cat only.

Once we got on the bus, though, things started to go downhill. The bus was so noisy! In addition to the normal chatter of the kids, the animals would not use their inside voices. And the smell was terrible! Jax's nose was trying to sniff all the new smells, and it was hard to get her to follow me into a seat. When we were seated, another dog rushed up to us with a leash trailing behind her. She and Jax started to sniff each other curiously, and started to play.

How did things start "to go downhill"?

• The bus started to get very noisy and the smell was terrible.

• The bus started driving downhill.

• The two dogs were running under the seats.

• There were a lot of hills outside.

“Fluffy! Get back here!” I heard one of the third graders shout. The dog ran towards the voice. The bus driver’s voice came over the speaker, “Please hold on to your pets! It is dangerous to have them running all over the bus!”

Why did the bus driver want them to hold on to their pets?

• The pets were afraid and needed somebody to cuddle them.

• The dogs were dirtying the bus.

• It was dangerous to have the pets running all over the bus.

• The children were feeling cold and needed to hug their pets.

Finally, we were at school. As we were walking off the bus, I stepped in a small puddle. “Ugh, someone’s pet made a mess…” I said to myself. I wiped my shoes in the grass once I was off the bus. Then, I looked at the schoolyard.

Why did I need to wipe my shoes in the grass when I got off the bus?

• He wanted to make his shoes shiny.

• His shoes were dirty from the mess done by the pets in the bus.

• He wanted to feel the grass.

• He just wanted to step on the grass.

It looked like a zoo! There were animals everywhere! Dogs of all shapes and sizes. Colourful birds in cages. Rabbits, chinchillas, and hedgehogs in little carrying cases. And… some animals running free through the grass and on the sidewalks, with kids chasing them in every direction!

Which of these statements is true? (You can tick more than one).

• The schoolyard looked like a zoo because there were wild dogs and birds in cages.

• The schoolyard looked like a zoo because there were animals everywhere.

• Not all the animals were in their cages. Some animals were running freely.

They were making a mess. Their food and bedding was strewn over the grass. Some kids weren’t cleaning up after their dogs went to the bathroom. Fur was floating through the air. If it looks like this outside, I don’t want to see what it looks like inside, I thought.

What definition best describes the word strewn mean?

• laid neatly

• scattered untidily

They were making a mess. Their food and bedding was strewn over the grass. Some kids weren’t cleaning up after their dogs went to the bathroom. Fur was floating through the air. If it looks like this outside, I don’t want to see what it looks like inside, I thought.

Why do you think he says: "If it looks like this outside, I don't want to see what it looks like inside"?

• Probably inside it was even messier.

• Probably it was dark inside.

• Probably there were no animals inside.

• Probably it was very hot inside.

Then, something crazy caught my eye. I saw a kangaroo hopping in the grass! And a peacock strutting up the stairs! I didn’t know people could have them as pets…

I walked into the building to my classroom. The corridors smelled worse than the bus. There were still animals running wild and messes everywhere. My classroom was no better. Mrs. Doltyn looked frazzled as she instructed us to keep our pets in their cages, or keep the leashes tied to our desks during class. As she was talking, she slowly started to turn into a parrot…

What things were strange in this passage? (You can mark more than one).

• The teacher was in the classroom.

• Normally people do not keep kangaroos and peacocks as pets.

• The corridors led to the classroom.

• The teacher turned into a parrot while she was talking.

And I woke up, snug in my bed. Wow, no wonder our school doesn’t have a “Bring Your Pet to School” day! I thought. As much as I love Jax, I was really glad I wouldn’t have to worry about him or his messes all day at school.

Click the phrase which is true.

• This was all a dream.

• They have dormitories at their school.

• They could sleep in class.

And I woke up, snug in my bed. Wow, no wonder our school doesn’t have a “Bring Your Pet to School” day! I thought. As much as I love Jax, I was really glad I wouldn’t have to worry about him or his messes all day at school.

Why was the author thankful that they did not have a "Bring Your Pet to School" day?

• He would have to worry about his dog and will have to clean after him all day.

• He was afraid of all those animals.

• He worries that the animals will fight.

• He worried because he did not have any pets.