Reading comprehension texts.

Passage 1
Today, Mike and his mom are going to the library. Mike wants to find a book to read. His
mom wants to use a computer there. When they get to the library, Mike finds a book about
detectives. He also finds a book with chapters about a friendly ghost. Finally, he finds a book
about a man who lives in the woods without food or water. He puts the books on the front desk
and waits for his mom.
Mike's mom sits at one of the computers in the library. She checks her email and looks at
the pictures of flowers on the net. Then she reads a news article on a website. Mike's mom leaves
the computer and walks over to Mike, holding up something out for him. It takes him a moment
to recognize what she is holding. “I got that movie for us to watch tonight," says Mike's mom.
“Are you ready to leave?”
"Sure," Mike says, now holding the movie out in front of him. He puts his books and the
movie on the front desk to check out. A librarian stands behind the counter holding an electronic
scanner. "How long can we keep them?" Mike asks her. "Three weeks," says the librarian.
"Cool," says Mike.
Suddenly, Mike is surprised. His mother is checking out something else that is too big to
put on the desk. It’s a picture of the ocean. "What is that for?" Mike asks. "To put on our wall at
home," says Mike's mom.
"You can do that?" Mike asks.
Mike's mom smiles at the librarian. "Yes," she says, "but we have to return it in three
months."

1. Based on the books Mike finds to check out, we can tell that he is interested in
A. science
B. nature
C. mystery
D. adventure

2. According to the passage, how long can Mike and his mother use the books before they must
return them to the library?
A. one week
B. two weeks
C. three weeks
D. four weeks

3. The phrase "check out" in paragraph 3 means

A. to see
B. to rent
C. to find
D. to buy
4. What does Mike's mom want to do with the picture of the ocean?
A. She wants to buy it.
B. She wants to hang it on her wall.
C. She wants to give it to her friend as a gift.
D. She wants to donate it to the library.

5. Which of the statement below is true?

A. Mike’s mom wants to use a laptop in the library.
B. Mike finds a book about fiction.
C. Mike’s mom checks her email and sees the pictures of flowers.
D. Mike reads the cover while walking back home.

Passage 2
Lilly loves her new town. She loves the malls and the parks. She also loves her school.
Most of all, Lilly loves the seasons. In her old town, it was hot all of the time. Sometimes it is
cold in Lilly's new town. The cold season is in winter. Once in a while it snows. Lilly has never
seen snow before. So for her, the snow is exciting as well as very beautiful. Lilly has to wear
gloves to keep her hands warm. She also wears a scarf around her neck.
In spring, flowers bloom and the trees turn green with new leaves. People work in their
yards and mow their grass. In summer, Lilly wears her old shorts and sandals, the same ones she
used to wear in her old town. It’s hot outside, and dogs lie in the shade. Lilly and her friends go
to a pool or play in the water sprinkler. Her father cooks hamburgers on the grill for dinner.
Lilly’s favorite season is autumn. In autumn, the leaves on the trees turn yellow, gold,
red, and orange. Halloween comes in autumn, and this is Lilly’s favorite holiday. Every
Halloween, Lilly wears a costume. Last year she wore a mouse costume. This year she will wear
a fish costume.

1. Which of the following words best describes the way Lilly feels about living in her new town?
A. Unhappy
B. Worried
C. Happy
D. Unsatisfied

2. This passage is mainly about

A. Lilly’s favorite season.
B. Lilly and the four seasons.
C. Lilly’s favorite activities during winter.
D. Lilly's favorite Halloween costumes.

3. What is Lilly’s favorite thing about her new town?

A. Her school
B. Going to the pool
C. The food
D. The seasons

4. Which of the following best describes the passage?

A. The author talks about Lily's new town and how the seasons are changing.
B. The author introduces Lilly, and then describes her relation with the four seasons.
C. The author introduces Lilly, and then explains why autumn is her favorite season.
D. The author discusses the four seasons, and then describes which one Lilly likes best.

5. Based on information in the passage, which of the season children will wear costumes?
A. Winter
B. Autumn
C. Summer
D. Spring

Passage 3
Where does chocolate come from? Believe it or not, it grows on trees. Not as a sweet
chocolate candy bar wrapped in foil, but as a cocoa bean.
These cocoa beans grow on a cacao tree, which is found in tropical areas such as Central
and South America. The fruit of these trees are called pods, and they are long and hard. Inside
the pods is a soft, white pulp that surrounds with seeds. These seeds are what we call cocoa
beans. They are very hard and bitter to the taste.
To make chocolate, people start by carefully taking the beans out of the pods, still
covered in the white pulp, and leaving them in a bucket. The bucket is often covered with banana
leaves and left for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. This process is called fermenting.
Then the beans are left to dry in the sun. Fermenting and drying the beans makes them less bitter.
Then the beans are shipped to a factory to be turned into chocolate.
At the factory, beans are roasted in ovens to bring out their flavor. After roasting, the
outer covering of the bean is removed. The inner bean is then crushed to form a paste known as
chocolate liquor.
From this paste, people can either make cocoa powder or the chocolate we buy in stores.
To make cocoa powder, the paste is crushed and pressed repeatedly to remove the fat, leaving
behind only a dry, ground powder. To make chocolate, people need to add other ingredients to
the paste such as milk, sugar, and cocoa butter. They then mix and heat the concoction several
times to create a substance we would recognize as chocolate. It may even have fruit, nuts, or
candy added to it before it is molded into a shape.

1. To make chocolate, what is the first thing people must do to the cocoa beans?
A. Leave them in a bucket.
B. Roast them in an oven.
C. Dry them in the sun.
D. Ship them to the factory.

2. After reading this passage, what can the reader conclude about chocolate?
A. Chocolate is only made in Central and South America.
B. People could make own chocolate at home.
C. There are many steps involved in making chocolate.
D. It is too expensive to make chocolate.
3. According to the passage, which of these items is needed to make chocolates?
A. Fruit
B. Nuts
C. Candy
D. Sugar

4. From the passage, we know that chocolate

A. come from seeds.
B. grows on trees as cocoa bean.
C. grows on sand.
D. comes from foil.

5. Based on information in the passage, it can be understood that the chocolate sold in stores is
different from cocoa beans because chocolate is
A. sweet and cocoa beans are bitter.
B. cheap and cocoa beans are expensive.
C. a dry powder and cocoa beans are not.
D. uncooked and cocoa beans are cooked.

Passage 4
Many people love to keep puppies as pet. There are many reasons why people keep
puppies. After all, puppies are cute, friendly and playful. But even though puppies make good
pets, there are good reasons why you should consider getting an adult dog instead. When you get
a puppy, you have to teach it how to behave. You have to make sure that the puppy is trained to
walk on a leash so that it does not go to the bathroom inside the house.
Besides that, when you get an adult dog, there is a good chance that it already knows how
to do all of the previously mentioned things. Many adult dogs have already been trained and will
be able to walk on a leash without pulling you to the other side of the street.
Puppies also have a lot of energy and want to play all of the time. This can be fun, but
you might not want to play as much as your puppy does. Puppies will not always sleep through
the night or let you relax. On the other hand, most adult dogs will wait on you to play. What is
more, they will sleep when you are sleeping and are happy to watch television on the couch right
beside you.
There is one last reason why you should get an adult dog instead of a puppy. When most
people go to the pound to get a dog, they get a puppy. This means that many adult dogs spend a
lot of time in the pound, and some never find good homes. So if you are looking to get a dog for
a pet, you should think about getting an adult dog. They are good pets who need good homes.

1) The author apparently thinks that puppies are

A. bad pets because they take too much work to own.
B. friendly, playful, and a lot of work.
C. not as cute as adult dogs.
D. not as playful as adult dogs.
2) In paragraph 1, which is the best synonym for behave?
A. Listen
B. Understand
C. Train
D. Act

3) The passage above explain how puppies

A. are very immature.
B. do not make good pets.
C. can be very destructive.
D. are a lot of work.

4) In paragraph 3, which is the best example of a dog that is trained?

A. Spot goes outside to use the bathroom.
B. Rex always breaks things inside of the house.
C. Rover never jumps on guests.
D. Muffin chews on people’s shoes.

5) Based on information in the passage, which of the following statements is false?

A. Puppies have a lot of energy.
B. Puppies need a lot of attention.
C. Adult dogs do not like to play.
D. Adult dogs do not need eat very much.

Passage 5
Many people like to eat pizza, but not everyone knows how to make it. Making the
perfect pizza can be complicated, but there are lots of ways for you to make pizza at home.
When you make pizza, you must begin with the crust. The crust can be hard to make. If
you want to make the crust, you will have to make dough using flour, water, and yeast. After
that, you will have to knead the dough with your hands. If you do not have enough time to do
this, you can use a prepared crust that you buy from the store.
After you have chosen your crust, you must then add the sauce. Making your own sauce
from scratch can take a long time. You have to buy tomatoes, peel them, and then cook them
with spices. If this sounds like too much of work, you can also purchase jarred sauce from the
store. Many jarred sauces taste almost as good as the kind you make at home. Now that you have
your crust and your sauce, you need to add the cheese.
When you have the crust, sauce, and cheese ready, you can add other toppings. Some
people like to put meat on their pizza, while other people like to add vegetables. Some people
even like to add pineapple! The best part of making a pizza at home is that you can customize it
by adding your own favorite ingredients.

1. The author's main purpose in writing this passage is to

A. describe the history of pizza.
B. teach a healthier way to make pizza.
C. outline steps to make a basic pizza at home.
D. provide tips about how to make your pizza especially delicious.

2. As used in paragraph 1, the word complicated means?

A. Difficult
B. Simple
C. Easy
D. Manageable

3. Which is the best antonym for purchase?

A. Sell
B. Buy
C. Ask
D. Cook

4. Which of the following words best describes how the author feels about making a pizza from
scratch?
A. Helpful
B. Understanding
C. Enthusiastic
D. Negative

5) The best reason of making pizza at home is

A. able to use a prepared crust bought from the store.
B. able to add topping on it.
C. able to add your own favorite ingredients.
D. emphasizes homemade cheese over store bought cheese.

Passage 6
Have you ever heard of the phrase “once in a blue moon?” People use this expression to
describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone might say that he tries
to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy, but will eat chocolate “once in a blue moon.”
Or someone who does not usually like to go to the beach might say “I visit the shore once in a
blue moon.” While many people use this phrase, not everyone knows the meaning behind it.
The first thing to know is that the moon itself is never actually blue. This is just an
expression. The phrase “blue moon” actually has to do with the shape of the moon, not the color.
As the moon travels around the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate certain names
with certain shapes of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon, it is
called a crescent moon. A crescent is a shape that looks like the tip of a fingernail. When we
cannot see the moon at all, it is called a new moon. When we can see the entire moon, it is called
a full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month. Sometimes, there will be two full
moons in one month. When this happens, the second full moon is called a “blue moon.”
 Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons. As you can see, a blue moon is
a very rare event. This fact has led people to use the expression “once in a blue moon” to
describe other very rare events in their lives.

1. Which of the following would be a good example of someone doing something “once in a
blue moon”?
A. Mary likes to go to the mountains every weekend. Mary goes to the mountains once in a blue
moon.
B. Tom rarely remembers to take out the trash. Tom takes out the trash once in a blue moon.
C. Cindy hates to wash the dishes. Nevertheless, she does it every day. Cindy washes the dishes
once in a blue moon.
D. Ming sometimes forgets to do his homework. Ming forgets to do his homework once in a blue
moon.

2. When does a blue moon happen in nature?

A. When there are two full moons in one month.
B. When the moon has a blue color.
C. When we cannot see the moon at all.
D. When we can only see a small part of the moon.

3. What do we call a moon when we can see the entire moon?

A. Blue moon
B. Crescent moon
C. Full moon
D. Half moon

4. In the final paragraph, we know that over the next 20 years

A. there will only be 5 blue moons.
B. there will only be 12 blue moons.
C. there will only be 15 blue moons.
D. not enough information is provided.

5. In the last paragraph, the word rare means?

A. common
B. strange
C. similiar
D. unusual
Passage 7
Did you ever notice strange bumps on stems, leaves, flowers, or tree branches? Well, they
are part of the plant and grown by the plant, but they are homes for tiny insects! These bumps are
called galls.
Insects form galls. The plant does not decide to grow them. Typically, a female insect
lays her eggs on a plant. After the baby insects hatch, special chemicals are left on the plant.
These special chemicals cause the plant to bubble up and form a gall. Once a gall has grown, the
insects have a safe place to live and eat.
Other animals, besides insects, benefit from galls. Galls are also great places for birds and
small animals to find a meal. Woodpeckers, squirrels, mice, and bats all use galls as a source for
a tasty insect snack. If a gall has a large hole poked into it, a larger creature may have stopped for
a bite.
Now that you know what a gall is, you will probably begin to notice them everywhere.
Look around. You may even decide to break open a gall and take a peek inside. If the gall has a
little hole, the owner has probably left. Can you believe it? A little house for an insect made by a
plant!

1. Based on the passage, unhatched insect egg laid on a plant would most likely cause
A. the plant to die.
B. no gall to form.
C. a large gall.
D. a bird to eat the egg.

2. Which statement from the passage best describes how galls are formed?
A. Once a gall has grown, the insects have a safe place to live and eat.
B. These bumps are called galls.
C. These special chemicals cause the plant to bubble up and form a gall.
D. Typically, a female insect lays her eggs on a plant.

3. The bumps are called

A. plants.
B. insects.
C. chemicals.
D. galls.

4. Galls are great places for

A. wood peckers and squirrel to find a meal.
B. birds and small insects to find a meal.
C. mice and bats to find a meal.
D. leaves and flowers to find a meal.
5. If a gall has a large hole in it, this means that
A. a larger creature may have stopped for a bite.
B. the owner has probably left.
C. special chemicals are left on the plant.
D. they are homes for tiny insects.

Passage 8
When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might be
scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that
sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that kills
the most people every year is mosquito. While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is
not actually the case.
Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal
blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human
being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a
deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.
Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases
from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes
are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases
every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.
Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there
is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be
placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at night,
but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats, birds,
dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where
mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural
solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or
sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.
Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are
far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day
scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

1. According to the author, some people are more afraid of tigers and sharks than mosquitoes
because tigers and sharks
A. kill more people than mosquitoes.
B. are big and powerful.
C. are found all over the world.
D. have no natural enemies.

2. It can be understood that the introduction of dragonflies might reduce the number of flies in a
given area because dragonflies
A. work together with mosquitoes.
B. kill mosquitoes.
C. cannot be killed by poisons or sprays.
D. attract bats.

3. Male mosquitoes usually eat

A. flower nectar.
B. plant nectar.
C. animal blood.
D. eggs.

4. In paragraph 3, the word harm can best replaced with

A. cause
B. improve
C. benefit
D. effect

5. Based on the passage, if you get sick with malaria or

yellow fever, your chances of survival are
A. terrible.
B. average.
C. good.
D. excellent.

Passage 9
Mona doesn’t like to ask people for help. But it is hard for her to perform daily activities
on her own. She is almost 13, yet she is no larger than a 5-year-old. Mona has trouble keeping
her balance and can’t walk very far. When she uses a wheelchair, she can’t push it herself.
Fortunately, Mona has a wonderful service dog named Sam. A service dog is a dog that
has been trained to assist someone who has a physical problem. Sam lets Mona lean on him
when she walks. He also pulls her wheelchair and turns lights on and off. When Mona drops
something, Sam picks it up. He even pulls her socks off at night.
Sam also helps Mona with everyday tasks at school. He carries her books from class to
class in a special backpack. He puts Mona’s completed assignments in her teachers’ homework
trays. In the lunchroom he throws away her trash. Besides making Mona less dependent on other
people, Sam helps her lead a fuller life. Mona’s classmates flock around Sam like geese. This has
helped her make friends. Sam also helps Mona be more active. With his aid, she raised over $500
in a walk-a-thon for her local humane society.
Because of Sam, Mona doesn’t have to ask people for help. Sam brings her closer to
other kids. And he even helps her contribute to her community.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Why Mona Loses Her Balance.
B. How Mona’s Service Dog Helps Her.
C. Sam Helps Mona at School.
D. Raising Money for the Humane Society.
2. Using the passage as a guide, which of the following dogs is most likely a service dog?
A. Frank's dog turns on the lights when Frank enters the room.
B. Raul's dog fetches the newspaper for Raul while he is busy getting dressed.
C. Mei's dog licks Mei’s face when she cries.
D. Teddy's dog loves to play catch, go on walks, and watch movies with the family.

3. Mona has a wonderful service dog’s name called

A. Sally
B. Sandy
C. Sam
D. Sean

4. What is a service dog means?

A. A dog that has been trained to assists someone.
B. A dog that cares for someone.
C. A dog that takes good care of the house.
D. A dog that has not been trained.

5. Which of the following statement is false?

A. Mona has trouble keeping herself balance.
B. Mona has a wonderful service dog.
C. Sam never helps Mona with her school task.
D. Sam helps Mona to contribute to her community.