Reading comprehension

Short passages with questions about content and meaning

Name:

Date:

Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Read the passage: 'Otters are playful creatures that live near rivers. They use flat stones as tools to crack open shellfish. Baby otters cannot swim at first, so their mothers carry them on their bellies.' What do otters use stones for? A) To crack open shellfish B) To build dams C) To play games D) To scratch their backs
Answer:
2
Read the passage: 'Otters are playful creatures that live near rivers. They use flat stones as tools to crack open shellfish. Baby otters cannot swim at first, so their mothers carry them on their bellies.' True or false: Baby otters can swim from birth. Baby otters can swim from birth. A) True B) False
Answer:
3
Read the passage: 'The Viking longship was designed for speed. Its shallow hull could travel through rivers as well as across oceans. A dragon head carved at the front was meant to frighten enemies.' Why did Vikings carve a dragon head on their ships? A) To frighten enemies B) To bring good luck C) To honour their gods D) To help them navigate
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4
Read: 'Lily climbed the steep hill. At the top she could see the village.' What did Lily climb? A) a tree B) a steep hill C) a mountain D) a wall
Answer:
5
Read the passage: 'The Viking longship was designed for speed. Its shallow hull could travel through rivers as well as across oceans. A dragon head carved at the front was meant to frighten enemies.' The longship could travel through rivers because it had a ___ hull. The longship could travel through rivers because it had a ___ hull.
Answer:
6
Read the passage: 'Maria stared at the blank page. Her pencil hovered above the paper but no words came. The clock ticked louder with each second. Finally, she scribbled out a title and began to write furiously.' How was Maria feeling at the start? A) Stuck and struggling to begin B) Excited and eager to write C) Bored and not interested D) Angry about the task
Answer:
7
Read the passage: 'The rainforest has four layers. The emergent layer at the very top gets the most sunlight. Below that, the canopy is like a thick green roof. The understory is shady, and the forest floor is almost completely dark.' True or false: The canopy receives more sunlight than the emergent layer. The canopy receives more sunlight than the emergent layer. A) True B) False
Answer:
8
Read the passage: 'The old lighthouse had stood on the cliff for two hundred years. Now the council said it must be demolished. Local people were furious - they said it was part of their heritage. But the engineers insisted the cliff was eroding too fast.' Why do the engineers want to demolish the lighthouse? A) The cliff is eroding and it is unsafe B) They want to build something new C) It is too old to be useful D) The local people asked them to
Answer:
9
Read the passage: 'The old lighthouse had stood on the cliff for two hundred years. Now the council said it must be demolished. Local people were furious - they said it was part of their heritage. But the engineers insisted the cliff was eroding too fast.' The local people opposed demolition because the lighthouse was part of their ___. The local people opposed demolition because the lighthouse was part of their ___.
Answer:
10
Read the passage: 'Jake pulled his hood up and quickened his pace. The street lamps flickered on one by one as darkness crept across the estate. A dog barked somewhere behind a fence. He didn't look back.' What time of day is it? A) Evening or dusk B) Early morning C) Midday D) The middle of the night
Answer:

Answer key

Reading comprehension · for parents and teachers

1
To crack open shellfish
The passage states that otters 'use flat stones as tools to crack open shellfish'.
2
False
The passage says baby otters 'cannot swim at first', so this statement is false.
3
To frighten enemies
The passage states the dragon head 'was meant to frighten enemies'.
4
a steep hill
The text says she climbed the steep hill.
5
shallow
The passage says the ship had a 'shallow hull' which meant it could travel through rivers (which are not very deep).
6
Stuck and struggling to begin
Maria was stuck - she stared at a blank page, her pencil hovered (she couldn't start), and the clock seemed loud (she was anxious about time passing).
7
False
The emergent layer is at the 'very top' and gets 'the most sunlight'. The canopy is below it, so it gets less sunlight.
8
The cliff is eroding and it is unsafe
The engineers said 'the cliff was eroding too fast', meaning the lighthouse could collapse into the sea - a safety issue.
9
heritage
The passage states that local people 'said it was part of their heritage' - meaning it has historical and cultural importance to them.
10
Evening or dusk
The street lamps are turning on and 'darkness crept across' - this shows the light is fading, meaning it is evening or dusk (not full night, since lamps are just coming on).