READING COMPREHENSION PRACTICE QUESTIONS
VERSION 2 LIST OF PASSAGES
Isaac Asimov
Laughter
Jazz
Homonyms
Glass
Changing time
Mr. Rogers
Lightning strikes
Health care's number game
Factory
Electoral college
Nurseries
A bit about bicycles
The Rainforest
ISAAC ASIMOV
1. Definition of “PROLIFIC”.
✓ Highly productive
A. Against war
B. Literate
C. Ecocentric
2. For what type of writing was Mr. Asimov most famous for?
A. Juvenile fiction
B. Mystery
C. Popular science
✓ Science, fiction, writing
3. The Big three mentioned were , , and .
✓ Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke
4. How old was Asimov when he died? (this was a fill in the blank question)
✓ 72 years old
5. What is his greatest fear?
✓ Flying
LAUGHTER
1. Which statement is presented in the passage?
A. Native Americans rarely laugh.
✓ Native Americans humor is often overlooked.
B. Western Americans neglect the needs of Native Americans.
C. Native American humor is mostly satire.
2. What is implied by this paragraph?
A. Native Americans really are as stern and serious as they white men make them out to be.
B. Humor is the same all over the world.
✓ Native American humor deserves more attention.
, 3. The author seems to favor
✓ Research into Native American humor
4. The author's reason for writing seem to have been to
✓ Persuade people to take a broader view on Native Americans.
ALL THE JAZZ
Jazz has been called "the art of expression set to music", and "America's great contribution to music". It has
functioned as popular art and enjoyed periods of widespread public response, in the "jazz age" of the 1920s, in
the "swing era" of the late 1930s and in the peak popularity of modern jazz in the late 1950s. The standard
legend about Jazz is that it originated around the end of the 19th century in New Orleans and moved up the
Mississippi River to Memphis, St. Louis, and finally to Chicago. It welded together the elements of Ragtime,
marching band music, and the Blues. However, the influences of what led to those early sounds goes back to
tribal African drum beats and European musical structures. Buddy Bolden, a New Orleans barber and cornet
player, is generally considered to have been the first real Jazz musician, around 1891.
What made Jazz significantly different from the other earlier forms of music was the use of improvisation. Jazz
displayed a break from traditional music where a composer wrote an entire piece of music on paper, leaving the
musicians to break their backs playing exactly what was written on the score. In a Jazz piece, however, the song
is simply a starting point, or sort of skeletal guide for the Jazz musicians to improvise around. Many of the early
Jazz musicians were bad sight readers and some couldn't even read music at all. These early musicians couldn't
make money very much and were stuck working menial jobs to make a living. The second wave of New
Orleans Jazz musicians included such memorable players as Joe Oliver, Kid Ory, and Jelly Roll Morton. These
men formed small bands and took the music of earlier musicians, improved its complexity, and gained greater
success. This music is known as "hot Jazz" due to the enormously fast speeds and rhythmic drive.
A young cornet player by the name of Louis Armstrong was discovered by Joe Oliver in New Orleans. He soon
grew up to become one of the greatest and most successful musicians of all time, and later one of the biggest
stars in the world. The impact of Armstrong and other talented early Jazz musicians changed the way we look at
music.
1. Definition of CONFLUENCE.
A. Melding
B. Influence
✓ Intersection
C. Coming together
2. Where and when did jazz originate?
✓ Southern US. 20th century OR New Orleans
3. How does the author regard Jazz?
✓ A real aficionado
A. Unable to determine
B. Doesn't like it much
C. Enjoys it occasionally
4. Derivation of the word “Jazz”
✓ West coast slang
HOMONYMS
1. How does the article define homonyms?
✓ Words that sound alike but are spelled different ways with different meanings.
, 2. What inference can be drawn from the article?
✓ English is a difficult language to master.
3. Which statement is a fact rather an opinion?
✓ Homonyms make learning English more challenging.
4. What conclusion can be drawn from the article?
✓ In order to master English, the student must learn about homonyms.
Glass
1. The definition of brittle is?
✓ Easily broken
2. What conclusion can be drawn by the information included in the article?
✓ New use for glass is constantly being discovered.
3. What statement is implied by the article?
✓ Glass is an essential part of our lives.
4. What statement is a fact stated in the article?
✓ Glass isn’t an element, but a combination of several elements.
CHANGING TIME
1. To what word or phrase does the word “They” in the 3rd paragraph mean?
✓ Clock change DST
2. Which statement is true based on the info in the article?
✓ Computers automatically change the time settings when DST is established.
3. Which statement most accurately reflects the author's attitude about this subject?
✓ DST is an inconvenience & should end.
MR. ROGERS
1. According to the passage, Fred Rogers believed in .
✓ Uniqueness
2. Why did Fred Rogers design and develop a T.V. show for children?
✓ He wanted to help children deal with real world problems.
3. Author wrote the passage because .
✓ He wanted to inform readers or audience about Fred Rogers
4. Which statement is a fact and not an opinion?
✓ Mr. Rogers started a website for children in his retirement.
LIGHTNING STRIKE
1. The author seems to .
✓ Favor the use of lightning rods
2. The passage suggests lightning rods are used to what?
✓ Draw lightning away from buildings.
3. When taking cover from lightning, you should?
✓ Get into metal car, or lie flat
4. The reader can conclude that lightning?
✓ Consists of a main stroke and several smaller strokes.
5. The word penetrates means.
✓ To pierce
VERSION 2 LIST OF PASSAGES
Isaac Asimov
Laughter
Jazz
Homonyms
Glass
Changing time
Mr. Rogers
Lightning strikes
Health care's number game
Factory
Electoral college
Nurseries
A bit about bicycles
The Rainforest
ISAAC ASIMOV
1. Definition of “PROLIFIC”.
✓ Highly productive
A. Against war
B. Literate
C. Ecocentric
2. For what type of writing was Mr. Asimov most famous for?
A. Juvenile fiction
B. Mystery
C. Popular science
✓ Science, fiction, writing
3. The Big three mentioned were , , and .
✓ Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke
4. How old was Asimov when he died? (this was a fill in the blank question)
✓ 72 years old
5. What is his greatest fear?
✓ Flying
LAUGHTER
1. Which statement is presented in the passage?
A. Native Americans rarely laugh.
✓ Native Americans humor is often overlooked.
B. Western Americans neglect the needs of Native Americans.
C. Native American humor is mostly satire.
2. What is implied by this paragraph?
A. Native Americans really are as stern and serious as they white men make them out to be.
B. Humor is the same all over the world.
✓ Native American humor deserves more attention.
, 3. The author seems to favor
✓ Research into Native American humor
4. The author's reason for writing seem to have been to
✓ Persuade people to take a broader view on Native Americans.
ALL THE JAZZ
Jazz has been called "the art of expression set to music", and "America's great contribution to music". It has
functioned as popular art and enjoyed periods of widespread public response, in the "jazz age" of the 1920s, in
the "swing era" of the late 1930s and in the peak popularity of modern jazz in the late 1950s. The standard
legend about Jazz is that it originated around the end of the 19th century in New Orleans and moved up the
Mississippi River to Memphis, St. Louis, and finally to Chicago. It welded together the elements of Ragtime,
marching band music, and the Blues. However, the influences of what led to those early sounds goes back to
tribal African drum beats and European musical structures. Buddy Bolden, a New Orleans barber and cornet
player, is generally considered to have been the first real Jazz musician, around 1891.
What made Jazz significantly different from the other earlier forms of music was the use of improvisation. Jazz
displayed a break from traditional music where a composer wrote an entire piece of music on paper, leaving the
musicians to break their backs playing exactly what was written on the score. In a Jazz piece, however, the song
is simply a starting point, or sort of skeletal guide for the Jazz musicians to improvise around. Many of the early
Jazz musicians were bad sight readers and some couldn't even read music at all. These early musicians couldn't
make money very much and were stuck working menial jobs to make a living. The second wave of New
Orleans Jazz musicians included such memorable players as Joe Oliver, Kid Ory, and Jelly Roll Morton. These
men formed small bands and took the music of earlier musicians, improved its complexity, and gained greater
success. This music is known as "hot Jazz" due to the enormously fast speeds and rhythmic drive.
A young cornet player by the name of Louis Armstrong was discovered by Joe Oliver in New Orleans. He soon
grew up to become one of the greatest and most successful musicians of all time, and later one of the biggest
stars in the world. The impact of Armstrong and other talented early Jazz musicians changed the way we look at
music.
1. Definition of CONFLUENCE.
A. Melding
B. Influence
✓ Intersection
C. Coming together
2. Where and when did jazz originate?
✓ Southern US. 20th century OR New Orleans
3. How does the author regard Jazz?
✓ A real aficionado
A. Unable to determine
B. Doesn't like it much
C. Enjoys it occasionally
4. Derivation of the word “Jazz”
✓ West coast slang
HOMONYMS
1. How does the article define homonyms?
✓ Words that sound alike but are spelled different ways with different meanings.
, 2. What inference can be drawn from the article?
✓ English is a difficult language to master.
3. Which statement is a fact rather an opinion?
✓ Homonyms make learning English more challenging.
4. What conclusion can be drawn from the article?
✓ In order to master English, the student must learn about homonyms.
Glass
1. The definition of brittle is?
✓ Easily broken
2. What conclusion can be drawn by the information included in the article?
✓ New use for glass is constantly being discovered.
3. What statement is implied by the article?
✓ Glass is an essential part of our lives.
4. What statement is a fact stated in the article?
✓ Glass isn’t an element, but a combination of several elements.
CHANGING TIME
1. To what word or phrase does the word “They” in the 3rd paragraph mean?
✓ Clock change DST
2. Which statement is true based on the info in the article?
✓ Computers automatically change the time settings when DST is established.
3. Which statement most accurately reflects the author's attitude about this subject?
✓ DST is an inconvenience & should end.
MR. ROGERS
1. According to the passage, Fred Rogers believed in .
✓ Uniqueness
2. Why did Fred Rogers design and develop a T.V. show for children?
✓ He wanted to help children deal with real world problems.
3. Author wrote the passage because .
✓ He wanted to inform readers or audience about Fred Rogers
4. Which statement is a fact and not an opinion?
✓ Mr. Rogers started a website for children in his retirement.
LIGHTNING STRIKE
1. The author seems to .
✓ Favor the use of lightning rods
2. The passage suggests lightning rods are used to what?
✓ Draw lightning away from buildings.
3. When taking cover from lightning, you should?
✓ Get into metal car, or lie flat
4. The reader can conclude that lightning?
✓ Consists of a main stroke and several smaller strokes.
5. The word penetrates means.
✓ To pierce
