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Worksheets

Reading Comprehension

Total questions: 45

Worksheet time: 3hrs 27mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Floods can cause tremendous damage.  They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind.  It can take months to clean up after a flood.
 What is the main idea?
a)
Floods can cause a lot of damage.
b)
Floods cause mudslides.
c)
Floods damage houses and roads. 
2.

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

3.
Darin and Gary had worked all winter down in the basement putting together a model radio controlled airplane. Darin instructed Gary how to make every part, but he allowed Gary to do all the work himself. Gary had to cut out all of the balsa wood parts, glue the pieces together and attach the special skin onto the wooden body of the plane. They even practiced flying a radio controlled model plane on a computer program. Darin drove them to a field to test out the plane. When they returned home, Gary came home crying with his plane in a box. He never worked on a model plane again.
How old do you think Gary is?
a)
2
b)
11
c)
22
d)
52
4.
Everything around you is made of matter.  Matter is made of at least one element.  An element is made of atoms that are all the same kind.  It is a pure form of matter.  Elements join together with other elements to make the different materials that we see and use every day.  Which is larger, an atom or an element?
a)
atom
b)
element
5.
Animals in the forest have a wide variety of adaptations.  Monkeys have long tails.  They can use them almost like another hand.  This helps them swing quickly through the tops of trees.  They can even do this while holding their babies or gathering food.  Giraffes need to reach leaves at the tops of tall trees.  Having a long neck is an adaptation that allows them to do this.  How do monkeys use their tails as an adaptation? 
a)
they swat flies with them
b)
they scare predators with them
c)
they use them like another hand
d)
they don't use their tails as an adaptation
6.
Mrs. Lance is my favorite teacher, but something is not right today. Mrs. Lance is sitting down at her desk more than usual, and she asked us to read a story silently and just answer the questions in the book. I glance back at her, and she is blowing her nose. A little while later, I see that her cheeks are kind-of red, and she is drinking a lot of water and eating some cough drops. After a little while, Mr. Dean, another teacher, comes into our classroom. Mrs. Lance takes her purse and leaves, while Mr. Dean stays. What is wrong with Mrs. Lance?
a)
She is tired
b)
She is sleepy
c)
She is worried
d)
She is sick
7.
My dog Jack is very friendly, and he likes to be around people. Yesterday, our neighbors were having a party, and we all went over to cookout and swim at their house. We could hear Jack barking loudly from our backyard. After a little while, he got quiet, so we thought he had finally calmed down. But, several minutes later, all of the adults start laughing, and I see a black blur and hear a giant splash at the other end of the pool. Why was Jack barking?
a)
He wanted to be at the party
b)
The neighbors were making too much noise
c)
He was hungry
d)
He wanted to go outside
8.
Cassie rolled over in her bed as she felt the sunlight hit her face. The beams were warming the back of her neck when she slowly realized that it was a Thursday, and she felt a little too good for a Thursday. Struggling to open her eyes, she looked up at the clock. “9:48,” she shouted, “Holy cow!” Cassie jumped out of bed, threw on the first outfit that she grabbed, brushed her teeth in two swipes, threw her books into her backpack, and then ran out the door. What is Cassie's problem?
a)
She is late for work
b)
She will miss her flight at the airport
c)
She is late for school
d)
She is hungry
9.
(1) College tuitions are soaring, leaving many parents wondering if they will be able to afford higher education for their children.  (2) Cutbacks in government aid combined with skyrocketing tuition are making it unfeasible even for families of moderate wealth to fully fund their children's educations.  (3) In America, people say that you can be anything you want to be.  (4) But getting an education is crucial if you hope to achieve the American dream.
With which of the following statements would the author of this passage most likely agree?
a)
The government should help students pay for college.
b)
The cost of a college education is unreasonable.
c)
Borrowing money for college may be the answer to rising education costs.
d)
An education is not necessary to succeed in America.
10.
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 __________.
a)
eating treats and popcorn
b)
clowns
c)
going to the circus
d)
lions
11.

Andrew sat in the chair. The dentist looked in his mouth with a small mirror. With a sharp pointed tool, he picked at places around Andrew's teeth. Finally, the dentist spoke, and told the boy his teeth had cavities.


How did Andrew get cavities in his teeth?

a)

He did not brush his teeth well.

b)

He did not floss his teeth.

c)

He ate too much candy.

d)

All of the above.

12.

Every student in class had to study the life cycle of an animal. Beth chose one she wanted to learn more about. She often saw it in the pond near her house. She was amazed, though, when she really followed one closely from it's beginning as an egg to a tadpole until its legs developed.


What animal did Beth study?

a)

duck

b)

mouse

c)

frog

d)

lizard

13.

Today is a special day for Bob. He was waiting at the bus stop with his dad. He is a little scared. He is meeting his second grade teacher for the first time. He hopes he likes her. He hopes he makes new friends in his class, too.


What day do you think this is for Bob?

a)

day of the class trip

b)

first day of school

c)

Halloween

d)

Christmas

14.

Read the sentence. If it is written correctly, select 'correct as is.' If not, select the correct way to write it.


i have fun with my bike.

a)

I have fun with my bike.

b)

I have fun with my bike

c)

i have fun with my bike

15.

What is the noun(s) in the sentence below?


The boy made a boat.

a)

boy

b)

made

c)

boat

d)

Both A and C

16.

What is the noun(s) in the sentence below?


The brothers went to the park.

a)

went

b)

brothers

c)

park

d)

both b and c

17.

Which word is spelled correctly?

a)

rimote

b)

remot

c)

remote

d)

remoke

18.

Which word is spelled correctly?

a)

swimming

b)

swiming

c)

swiiming

d)

swwiming

19.

Soccer is known in some countries as football. It is a popular sport across the world, with over 200 countries playing the sport. It is estimated that over 250 million people, both men and women, play soccer. The sport has been part of the Olympic games from 1900 to 1928 and from 1936 to today.

What is the main idea?

a)

Soccer is important at the Olympics.

b)

Soccer is also called football.

c)

Soccer is a worldwide sport.

d)

Soccer is played by men and women.

20.

My family went to the circus. We saw the funny clowns. We watched the lion act. We ate a lot of treats and popcorn. We had a lot of fun and I can't wait to go back!

This story is about __________.

a)

eating treats and popcorn

b)

going to the circus

c)

seeing lions

d)

funny clowns

21.

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 _____?

a)

she wants her daughter to take good care of her purse

b)

she doesn't want her daughter to go there

c)

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

22.

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 ----.

a)

causes humans to place new demands on the land

b)

is worse than it was in the nineteenth century

c)

happens so slowly that it is hardly noticed

d)

is the most critical problem that the nation faces

23.

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)

A. cosmic

b)

B. land

c)

C. mental

d)

D. common man

24.

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?

a)

Why we can taste only certain things.

b)

That we taste through our noses

c)

Where taste buds are found

d)

We have taste buds on our tongues

25.

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?

a)

Weekends are times to travel.

b)

The author is sad to leave her cousins.

c)

The author's grandparents live far away.

d)

The author enjoys spending time with her family.

26.

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?

a)

The Earth's surface is always changing.

b)

It is expensive to clean up the damage

c)

Sometimes we can't see the changes.

27.

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.

a)

The origins of Halloween

b)

Why the skeleton costume is the best for Halloween

c)

Primitive traditions

d)

The New Celtic Year

28.

John and Matt want to be firemen. They want to ride on the big fire truck. John wants to climb ladders and rescue people from fires. Matt wants to hold the big hose and spray water on the fires to put them out.

What is the main idea?

a)

John wants to climb a ladder.

b)

John and Matt want to be firemen

c)

Matt wants to hold a fire hose

d)

Firemen are cool

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.

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

31.

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions


Ever since he was six years old, Ali had wanted to get a Kitten. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a kitten. “You have no idea how much work a kitten is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the kitten, train the kitten to obey you, and groom it, too.”

“And then there’s taking the kitten to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a kitten. But a kitten takes up a lot of time.”

Ali couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a kitten. 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 kitten!”


Which word tells you the topic of the text?

a)

obey

b)

groom

c)

idea

d)

kitten

32.

What is the problem in the text?

a)

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

b)

Ali is allergic to puppies.

c)

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

d)

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

33.

A person who volunteers is someone who

a)

studies for tests.

b)

does no work at all.

c)

gets a raise.

d)

does work without being paid.

34.

Ali’s parents say he isn’t capable of taking care of a kitten. Which word or phrase means capable?

a)

interested

b)

angry about

c)

afraid of

d)

able to

35.

What does the phrase "have no idea" mean?

a)

do not understand

b)

can’t think

c)

ran out of ideas

d)

have an active imagination

36.

Ali wanted a kitten, so he decided to become a volunteer at the animal shelter. He was hoping to convince his parents that he was ready to take care of a puppy. He volunteered at the shelter twice each week, on Tuesdays after school and on Saturdays.

While he was there, Ali did several things. He look after the cats, washed and brushed them. Grooming the long-haired cats took a long time! He cleaned up the cats’ kennels, too. He also played with the kittens to help get them used to people. Sometimes he gave them baths as well. Once in a while, Ali spent time with the other animals too, but he preferred working with the cats. There was always plenty to do at the shelter, so Ali was never bored.


What does the first sentence tell about this text?

a)

This text is about volunteering at an animal shelter.

b)

This text is about taking shelter during a storm.

c)

This text is about adopting an animal.

d)

This text is about different animals.

37.

What detail does the author include to explain why Ali plays with the kittens?

a)

to help them learn to eat and drink

b)

so he can stop being afraid of cats

c)

to help them get used to people

d)

so he can learn about the different breeds of cat

38.

To which word can the suffix –ing be added?

a)

also

b)

cats

c)

care

d)

plenty

39.

What is a kennel?

a)

place for animals

b)

kind of food

c)

piece of clothing

d)

helper

40.

Which word means once in a while?

a)

often

b)

never

c)

occasionally

d)

daily

41.

Ali volunteered at the animal shelter for three months. He learned a great deal about raising kittens and training them. Every time he learned something new, he practiced it. He also told his parents about what he was learning. He wanted to persuade them that he could be trusted with a kitten of his own. One afternoon, Dad picked Ali up from volunteering and asked him how the day went.

“Oh, it went great,” Ali answered enthusiastically. “They even let me help introduce the cats to people who want to adopt them!”

“That’s terrific!” Dad answered with a grin. “I’m so glad you’re getting this experience. You’ll need it for our new kitten!”

“We’re getting a kitten?” Ali practically shouted. “That’s awesome! I can’t wait!”


Which question would help readers monitor their reading and understand the text?

a)

Does Ali have a sister?

b)

What do cats eat?

c)

Will Ali get to have a kitten of his own?

d)

What is the weather outside?

42.

Why is Ali so interested in telling his parents what he is learning?

a)

He does not want to volunteer at the shelter.

b)

He wants to stay home from school.

c)

He wants to persuade them to volunteer at the shelter.

d)

He wants to persuade them that he can be trusted with a kitten.

43.

Which word from the text makes a new word by adding the prefix re–?

a)

grin

b)

about

c)

glad

d)

told

44.

Which is a synonym for persuade?

a)

practice

b)

volunteer

c)

trust

d)

convince

45.

Which word helps to explain Ali’s behavior and mood at the end of the text?

a)

learned

b)

persuade

c)

enthusiastic

d)

help