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Worksheets

Reading Comprehension

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 35mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which answer BEST conveys the central idea of the passage?


On that second day, however, I learned that it was all a question of money. Someone told me about this, and then I watched closely and saw that it was true. Throughout the day, while some of the guards confronted the crowds, a few others lounged over to the side. People approached them quietly. Money changed hands, and the guards then let those people quietly through a small door to the side.

a)

Money changed hands.

b)

People approached the lounging guards quietly.

c)

People were able to cross the border by bribing the guards.

d)

The terrain around the border was extremely dangerous to cross.

2.

Which answer best conveys the central idea of the passage?


That Ghulam Ali was certainly a good man, so patient with us and so compassionate. He had never seen us before, and yet when he met us, he said, "I will help you." That's the thing about life. You never know when and where you will encounter a spot of human decency. I have felt alone in this world at times; I have known long periods of being no one. But then, without warning, a person like Ghulam Ali just turns up and says, "I see you. I am on your side." Strangers have been kind to me when it mattered most. That sustains a person's hope and faith.

a)

Ghulam Ali is a good person.

b)

Ghulam Ali was a stranger to the narrator.

c)

The narrator feels lonely.

d)

The kindness of others can save a person in dark times.

3.

What is the central idea of the passage?


In 1981, a new television channel was introduced to showcase musicians performing their songs in music videos. This channel was called MTV, or Music Television. Since the channel first went on the air, viewership has increased, and the channel has expanded to countries all over the world. Today, MTV not only shows music videos, but a variety of other television programming as well.

a)

MTV has been a ground-breaking TV channel

b)

MTV offers interesting videos

c)

Watching MTV is a great way to see musicians

d)

MTV is a channel that is broadcasted around the world

4.

What is the central idea of this passage?


Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business

a)

Being a clown isn't all fun and games.

b)

Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

c)

Rodeos are exciting.

d)

Clowns are good at riding bulls.

5.
What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?
a)
Who is the main character?
b)
What is the main event?
c)
What is one important detail?
d)
What point is the author trying to make?
6.

Struggling to deal with their shock and fear,Kevin and Jimmy must overcome their consternation, when Robert Irwin, 14-year-old son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, brings out two large Kingsnakes and a Brachy Tarantula.

What is the most likely meaning of the underlined word based on how it is used in the sentence?

a)

shock and fear

b)

must overcome

c)

to deal with

d)

son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin

7.

Returning to high school for a day, Kevin and Jimmy vie to see who is the better pupil between the two of them, competing in math, science, lunch time popularity, and gym class.

What is the most likely meaning of the underlined word based on how it is used in the sentence?

a)

see who is the better...competing

b)

Returning to high school

c)

lunch time popularity

d)

Kevin and Jimmy

8.

What is the best meaning of the underlined word?

The generous people fed the emaciated lost dog.

a)

Fierce

b)

Calm

c)

Thin

d)

Tame

9.

What is the best meaning of the underlined word?

The mother bathed the baby the tepid water.

a)

Lukewarm

b)

Hot

c)

Muddy

d)

Cold

10.

What is the best meaning of the underlined word?

The car collector brought the vintage Ford Mustang.

a)

Rose Colored

b)

Broken down

c)

Real

d)

Classic

11.

Citing the text means to give credit to the author that wrote the text.

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

12.

Billy woke up extra early because he was too excited to stay in bed. All of his friends would come over later and bring him presents. Also, he would get to eat as much cake as he likes!

What can we infer from the reading?

a)

It is Billy's birthday.

b)

It is Christmas Day.

c)

It is the first day of school.

d)

It is the first day of summer break.

13.

All of the kids were excited. They would not have to do any more homework for months. They would not have to wake up early, and they would be able to stay up late playing Fortnite and Among Us online with their friends. They could even go swimming!

What can we infer from the reading?

a)

It is someone's birthday.

b)

It is Christmas Day.

c)

It is the first day of school.

d)

It is the first day of summer break.

14.

If I were answering the question: "Is Kayla a good student?", which of the following would be an important detail?

a)

Kayla is 13 years old.

b)

Kayla goes to a Catholic School.

c)

Kayla enjoys reading, and does her work to her full potential.

15.

The girl walked down the street with her head hanging down; She had just lost her first soccer game. What detail from the text can tell you how the girl was feeling?

a)

She lost her first game.

b)

Her head was hanging down.

c)

She walked down the street.

16.

The water felt so good on such a hot day! I heard the other children laughing and yelling across the way. The concrete was wet from a group of teenagers splashing each other in the corner. The lifeguard watched closely to keep children from running.


This is at a public pool: what detail from the text best proves this?

a)

The water felt so good...

b)

I heard the children laughing...

c)

The lifeguard watched closely...

17.

I had finally gotten used to being weightless. It became a comfortable feeling. I especially liked floating by the window to see Earth below.

Who am I?

a)

An astronaut

b)

A scuba diver

c)

A brain surgeon

18.

In which of the following situations could you compare and contrast?

a)

You are voting for class president and there are three students running

b)

You are writing an essay about which time period you’d rather live in: the 1980s or the 1880s.

c)

You are deciding what the major differences are between the first and last Harry Potter books.

d)

All of the above

19.

When comparing and contrasting, you should ________.

a)

write similarities in the overlapping sections of a Venn diagram

b)

write differences in the overlapping sections of a Venn Diagram

c)

write similarities in the arrows of a flow chart

d)

skip pre-writing and begin writing the essay right away

20.

What would you compare and contrast to respond to the following essay prompt?


"Compare and contrast mammals and reptiles. Discuss their life cycles, habitats and bodies."

a)

mammals and reptiles

b)

humans and insects

c)

vertebrates

d)

deserts and rainforests

21.

Which of the following statements contrasts mammals and reptiles?

a)

Humans are mammals.

b)

Both mammals and reptiles are vertebrates.

c)

Mammals are warm blooded while reptiles are cold blooded.

d)

Mammals and reptiles can live in the same habitat.

22.

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:

a)

why flute music charms snakes

b)

why snakes can't hear sounds

c)

how people really charm snakes

23.

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

a)

Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is

b)

Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way

c)

Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short

d)

They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area

24.

The old man was walking down the street slowly. Since he was a pedestrian, he stayed along the outer edges of the lanes and was careful to keep to the crosswalks as he crossed to other streets.


What does the word "pedestrian" mean in the paragraph above?

a)

a person traveling on foot

b)

a person traveling in a car

c)

a person resting from traveling

25.

Steel is a very important metal which is used for many things. In the United States, the automobile industry uses the most steel. Steel is used in putting up buildings, in making cans and containers, and in making farm and factory machines.


The main idea is:

a)

The auto industry is the most important.

b)

The United States produces the most steel in the world.

c)

Steel is used for many purposes.

26.

Fish, nuts, and seeds have protein. Protein helps your body build muscle and build up immunity to illnesses. It is important to get enough protein in your diet to keep you strong so that you can get all of your work done.


It is likely that:

a)

You need to have protein once a month.

b)

You don't need to eat protein.

c)

You need to have protein every day.

27.
The peregrine falcon is a beautiful wild bird. It is also one of the fastest. In 1978, the peregrine falcon was placed on the endangered species list. The main reason the peregrine falcon was dying out was the use of pesticides. 
Which of the following is NOT a supporting detail? 
a)
The peregrine falcon is one of the fastest wild birds
b)
It was placed on the endangered species list
c)
It was dying out because of pesticides
d)
The peregrine falcon is an amazing bird
28.

When you go to sleep at night, you probably think that you are not doing much. Your body is in one place, your eyes are closed, and you don’t talk to people. But your body is doing more than you think it is! Scientists have used special, sophisticated machines to study the way people sleep. They have found that your brain is actually very busy when you sleep. There are several stages of sleep in a sleep cycle. You go through the sleep cycle multiple times each night. Your brain’s activity level is a little different in each stage. The final stage of the cycle is called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During REM, your eyes are moving even though you are asleep. That is how this stage got its name. Most of your dreams occur during REM sleep.


What is your brain doing while you are sleeping?

a)

It is not able to work.

b)

It is only a little busy.

c)

It is also asleep.

d)

It is very busy.

29.

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:

a)

why flute music charms snakes

b)

why snakes can't hear sounds

c)

how people really charm snakes

30.

As a girl Beyonce loved to sing. She was born in Houston, Texas. At 8 years old, she had a girls group. They named the group Destiny's Child. Her family helped out. Her mom made outfits. She had a powerful voice and wrote the group's songs. Her glamorous style helped the group become one of the most famous girl groups of all time. They wowed audiences with their R&B style. Her songs were catchy and fun. When she went solo, her songs were more mature. People loved them.

Where was Beyonce born?

a)

Austin, Texas

b)

Houston, Texas

c)

Los Angeles, California