Reading Comprehension Passages

People do not really use music to charm snakes. Snakes have no ears, so the snake can't hear a flute. The snake charmer startles the snake by waving a hand near it. The snake lifts its head to look around. The charmer then says back and forth or moves the flute. The snake moves its head to keep an eye on the movement. This paragraph mainly tells:

• why flute music charms snakes

• why snakes can't hear sounds

• how people really charm snakes

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions Ever since he was six years old, Nick had wanted to get a puppy. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. “You have no idea how much work a puppy is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the puppy, train the puppy to obey you, and groom it, too.” “And then there’s taking the puppy to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a puppy. But a puppy takes up a lot of time.” Nick couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a puppy. Then, he got an idea. “If I volunteer at the animal shelter,” he thought, “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will see that I’m ready to take care of a puppy!” Which word tells a reader most about the text while previewing it?

• obey

• groom

• idea

• puppy

What is the problem in the text?

• Nick’s parents think that he is not capable of taking care of a puppy

• Nick is allergic to puppies.

• Nick’s parents think that puppies are not a lot of work.

• Nick’s parents think that the family should get a puppy right away.

Theme is the author's 

• story

• message

• characters

• setting

My family went to the circus. We saw the funny clowns. We watched the lion act. We ate a lot of treats and popcorn.  This story is about __________.

• eating treats and popcorn

• clowns

• going to the circus

• lions

Read and answer the questions! Water comes in three forms: liquid, solid, and gas. Water can be a liquid. It flows. It has no shape of its own. A liquid takes the shape of its container. Water can be a solid. Solids have their own shape. Water in its solid form is called ice. Water can be a gas. Gas has no shape. Water in its gas form is called vapor. Based on the text, which sentence is TRUE?

• If I put ice in a new container, it will change to a new shape.

• If I put vapor into a new container, it will keep the same shape.

• If I put liquid water into a new container, it will change to a new shape.

• Ice and liquid water will both flow if I put them in new containers.

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions Ever since he was six years old, Nick had wanted to get a puppy. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. “You have no idea how much work a puppy is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the puppy, train the puppy to obey you, and groom it, too.” “And then there’s taking the puppy to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a puppy. But a puppy takes up a lot of time.” Nick couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a puppy. Then, he got an idea. “If I volunteer at the animal shelter,” he thought, “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will see that I’m ready to take care of a puppy!” Which word tells a reader what the passage is mostly about?

• obey

• groom

• idea

• puppy

The theme is the author's 

• main idea

• message or lesson

• characters

• setting or place

What is the main purpose of a reading comprehension passage?

• To entertain the reader

• To test the reader's understanding

• To confuse the reader

• To provide factual information

Which of the following is a key strategy for understanding reading comprehension passages?

• Ignoring unfamiliar words

• Reading the passage quickly

• Summarizing the main ideas

• Skipping the questions