Reading Comprehension Skills Quiz

Part I: Understanding Details: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage:
The Great Wall of China was built over several dynasties to protect Chinese territories from invasions. While sections of the wall date back to the 7th century BC, most of what remains today was constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The wall stretches over 13,000 miles and includes watchtowers and fortifications.

What was the primary purpose of the Great Wall of China?

• To serve as a trade route

• To protect against invasions

• To separate China into regions

• To house government officials

Part I: Understanding Details: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage:
The Great Wall of China was built over several dynasties to protect Chinese territories from invasions. While sections of the wall date back to the 7th century BC, most of what remains today was constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The wall stretches over 13,000 miles and includes watchtowers and fortifications.

Which dynasty constructed most of the existing sections of the Great Wall?

• Tang Dynasty

• Qing Dynasty

• Ming Dynasty

• Han Dynasty

Part I: Understanding Details: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage:
The Great Wall of China was built over several dynasties to protect Chinese territories from invasions. While sections of the wall date back to the 7th century BC, most of what remains today was constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The wall stretches over 13,000 miles and includes watchtowers and fortifications.

Approximately how long is the Great Wall of China?

• 5,000 miles

• 10,000 miles

• 13,000 miles

• 15,000 miles

Part I: Understanding Details: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage:
The Great Wall of China was built over several dynasties to protect Chinese territories from invasions. While sections of the wall date back to the 7th century BC, most of what remains today was constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The wall stretches over 13,000 miles and includes watchtowers and fortifications.

Based on the passage, what additional structures were included in the Great Wall?

• Palaces

• Watchtowers and fortifications

• Bridges

• Rivers

Part II: Recognizing Paraphrases:

Original: Many historians believe that the Great Wall of China is one of the greatest architectural feats in history.

• Historians consider the Great Wall of China a significant architectural achievement.

• Historians think that the Great Wall was built too long ago to be relevant today.

• The Great Wall of China is famous, but not all historians agree on its importance.

• Historians ignore the Great Wall when discussing architectural history.

Part II: Recognizing Paraphrases:

Original: The printing press revolutionized the spread of knowledge in the 15th century.

• Books were created faster after the printing press was invented.

• The invention of the printing press made knowledge more accessible.

• Printing presses were first used in China and later in Europe.

• Many books were burned after the printing press was created.

Part III: Identifying Restated Information

Paragraph: The Amazon rainforest is home to an estimated 390 billion trees. These trees absorb carbon dioxide, making the rainforest a crucial factor in regulating the planet’s climate. Deforestation in the Amazon could significantly impact global temperatures.

• Cutting down trees in the Amazon may lead to higher global temperatures.

• Deforestation in the Amazon is increasing oxygen production.

• Fewer trees in the Amazon will make no difference to the climate.

• The Amazon rainforest has no effect on the Earth’s temperature.

Part III: Identifying Restated Information

Paragraph: Scientists believe that sleep is essential for memory formation. People who do not get enough sleep may struggle with remembering new information.

• Lack of sleep can make it harder to retain new information.

• People who sleep more always have better memories.

• Sleep has no connection to memory.

• Memory function is only affected by diet, not sleep.

Part IV: Understanding Exceptions

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of mammals?

• They give birth to live young.

• They produce milk to feed their young.

• They lay eggs.

• They have fur or hair.

Part IV: Understanding Exceptions

Which of the following is NOT a reason for deforestation?

• Expanding urban areas

• Preserving wildlife

• Agricultural expansion

• Logging