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Reading Comprehension

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 57mins

Name

Class

Date

Situation

Daughter: Mom, I'm going shopping with my friends at Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Mother: Beware of pickpockets. There are a lot of people there.

Daughter: Thank you, mom.

The mother says that because _____?

she wants her daughter to take good care of her purse

she doesn't want her daughter to go there

she doesn't want to let her daughter go there alone

READING COMPREHENSION
Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor's dramatic performance is primary, and the music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.

It is pointed out in the reading that opera ----.

has developed under the influence of musical theater

is a drama sung with the accompaniment of an orchestra

is not a high-budget production

is often performed in Europe

Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their society is more complex than people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do. Some scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more probable that they communicate with each other without needing words. Could any of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly the most common argument in favor of man's superiority over them that we can kill them more easily than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior
It is clear from the passage that dolphins ----.

don't want to be with us as much as we want to be with them

are proven to be less intelligent than once thought

have a reputation for being friendly to humans

are the most powerful creatures that live in the oceans

Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never have happened. It was well designed and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However, there were an unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and why so many survivors were men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children and the elderly.
One can understand from the reading that ---

the lifesaving equipment did not work well and lifeboats could not be
lowered

design faults and incompetent crew contributed to the sinking of the
Estonia ferry

naval architects claimed that the Estonia was unsinkable

most victims were trapped inside the boat as they were in their cabins

Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water has been a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the nineteenth century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were damaged by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has accelerated due to new demands placed on the land by heavy crop production. In the years ahead, soil erosion and the pollution problems it causes are likely to replace petroleum scarcity as the nation's most critical natural resource problem.
As we understand from the reading, today, soil erosion in America ----.

causes humans to place new demands on the land

is worse than it was in the nineteenth century

happens so slowly that it is hardly noticed

is the most critical problem that the nation faces

In the 16th century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king's favor. After he was dismissed from service by the king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain. 1.
The 16th century was an age of great ______ exploration.

A. cosmic

B. land

C. mental

D. common man

In the 16th century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king's favor. After he was dismissed from service by the king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain.
2. Magellan lost the favor of the king of Portugal when he became involved in a political

A. entanglement

B. discussion

C. negotiation

D. problem

A papal decree of 1493 had assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W longitude to Spain and all the land east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to prove that the East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships was exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near 50 degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan.
3. The Pope divided New World lands between Spain and Portugal according to their location on one side or the other of an imaginary geographical line 50 degrees west of Greenwich that extends in a _________ direction.

A. north and south

B. crosswise

C. easterly

D. south east

More than a year later, one of these ships was exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near 50 degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan.
4. One of Magellan's ships explored the _________ of South America for a passage across the continent.

A. coastline

B. mountain range

C. physical features

D. islands

10.

This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near 50 degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan.
5. Four of the ships sought a passage along a southern ______.

A. coast

B. inland

C. body of land with water on three sides

D. border

11.

Finally they found the passage they sought near 50 degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan.
6. The passage was found near 50 degrees S of ________.

A. Greenwich

B. The equator

C. Spain

D. Portugal

12.

One ship deserted while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were privileged to gaze at that first panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained crossed the meridian now known as the International Date Line in the early spring of 1521 after 98 days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many of Magellan's men died of starvation and disease.
7. In the spring of 1521, the ships crossed the _______ now called the International Date Line.

A. imaginary circle passing through the poles

B. imaginary line parallel to the equator

C. area

D. land mass

13.

Most of the world's volcanoes are part of the "The Ring of Fire." This is a ring of volcanoes that form a circle around the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of volcanoes make up "The Ring of Fire." These volcanoes formed the sea floor and many underwater mountains.

There are thousands of volcanoes in the world.

Most volcanoes are part of the "Ring of Fire."

Some underwater mountains are volcanoes.

14.

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

Weekends are times to travel.

The author enjoys spending time with her family.

The author's grandparents live far away.

The author is sad to leave her cousins.

15.

Do you ever wonder how you taste things? You owe your sense of taste to your taste buds. We have 9,000 taste buds just on the tongue alone. There are also taste buds on the roof of your mouth. You even have taste buds on the back of your throat.
What does the author want you to learn from the passage?

Why we can taste only certain things.

That we taste through our noses

Where taste buds are found

We have taste buds on our tongues

16.

The earth's surface is constantly changing. All over the world everyday there are earthquakes, floods and volcanoes that quickly change our world. Some changes are too small to see. Others cause tremendous damage and costs millions of dollars to clean up.
What is the main idea?

It is expensive to clean up the damage

Sometimes we can't see the changes.

The Earth's surface is always changing.

17.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was teaching gym at the YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was raining, and Dr. Naismith was trying to keep his students active. He wanted them playing a rough game that would keep them moving. He didn't like a few ideas that were too rough. Then Naismith had his breakthrough. He wrote out the rules for a game with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith's students played against one another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling wasn't a part of the original game. Also it took a while to realize that the game would run more smoothly if the bottoms of the baskets were removed. But this game grew to be one of the most popular sports in America today. Can you guess which one?

The most popular sport in America

Dr. James Naismith's career in teaching

The invention of Basketball

How to get students active

18.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.

The origins of Halloween

The New Celtic Year

Primitive traditions

Why the skeleton costume is the best for Halloween

19.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308 feet.

Why to visit Wyoming

Yellowstone Park's beautiful water falls

The continental Divide of North America

Physical features of the Yellowstone Park

20.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Sir Isaac Newton was contemplating the universe in his garden one day in 1665 when he noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered to himself, “Why should the apple always fall to the ground? Why does it not go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth’s center?” After much contemplation Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth through a force that he called gravity, which means heaviness in Latin. On July 5th, 1687 Newton formally expressed his law of universal gravitation in series of books called The Principia.

The life of Issac Newton

Issac Newton studies the Earth's forces

A falling apple inspired Newton to think about gravity

What do you get when you contemplate the universe.

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Reading Comprehension

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 57mins

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