Reading Practice Quiz

Practice 1: "The Village Blacksmith"

Excerpted from the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.

Under a spreading chestnut-tree

The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,

His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat,

He earns whate'er he can,

And looks the whole world in the face,

For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,

With measured beat and slow

Like a sexton ringing the village bell,

When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

And hear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly

Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing,

Onward through life he goes;

Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close;

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night's repose.

1.	You can tell this is a poem because it
	a.	tries to persuade readers to become blacksmiths.
	b.	tells about a time in U.S. history.
	c.	explains how to shoe a horse.
	d.	has definite rhythm and a rhyme scheme.
2.	The phrase strong as iron bands is an example of
	a.	personification.
	b.	hyperbole.
	c.	simile.
	d.	inference.
3.	Which helps you know the poem is told from a third-person point of view?
	a.	the pronouns he and his
	b.	the verb love
	c.	the pronouns I and me
	d.	the noun forge
4.	Context clues help you know that the word repose means
	a.	swing.
	b.	toil.
	c.	sleep.
	d.	rejoice.
5.	Which line from the poem is the best example of imagery?
	a.	He earns whate'er he can.
	b.	Like chaff from a threshing-floor.
	c.	For he owes not any man.
	d.	His hair is crisp, and black, and long.

Practice 2: The Lifeless Lakes

Posttest

(1)

In the early 1960s, people in Sweden noticed that something was terribly wrong. There were no more fish in some lakes where fish had always been abundant. In fact, there were no living organisms in the water at all! Scientists called the lakes "dead." By the 1970s, the problem had spread to some lakes in the northeastern United States.

Searching for Answers

(2) Scientists tested the lake water and found it very acid … sometimes as acid as vinegar! No water animals or plants could survive in it. Scientists wondered if acid could possibly have dropped from the sky. They tested rainwater and other forms of precipitation. Each had a high level of acid. (3) Further study proved that "acid rain" was first discovered in the 1870s. A scientist in Scotland had found that coal smoke in the region made lake water acidic. Gases emitted by the burning coal had mixed with moisture in the air, then dropped to Earth in rain. Over the years, more coalburning factories were built and more acid rain produced. But not all was caused by burning coal. Exhaust from modern vehicles also spewed acid into the air.

What Could Be Done?

(4)	In the United States, Congress passed Clean Air laws to reduce acid rain. Factories were to install "scrubbers" in smokestacks to remove acid particles before they got into the air. And vehicles had to pass yearly emissions tests. But some air pollution wasn't created here; it floated our way.
(5)	In recent years, China has built many coal-burning plants as it expands trade with other nations. The smoke drifts over China, then wind sweeps it across the ocean to other places, like the U.S. west coast. Many people are working to find ways to cut down on polluting gases in the air. I hope they succeed before we "kill" more lakes or streams!

6.	The author probably wrote this article to
	a.	teach readers how to test polluted water.
	b.	explain to readers what acid rain is.
	c.	entertain readers with a humorous tale.
	d.	persuade readers to study science.
7.	Which text feature does the author use to divide the article into sections?
	a.	contents
	b.	glossary
	c.	index
	d.	subheads
8.	The author organizes the ideas in this article by
	a.	telling a problem, then explaining some solutions.
	b.	ranking ideas in the order of their importance.
	c.	asking questions, then answering those questions.
	d.	comparing and contrasting ideas.
9.	From information in the article, you might conclude that
	a.	the problem is now under control.
	b.	most acid rain is caused by human activity.
	c.	scientists don't know how the acid gets into the air.
	d.	forest fires are caused by acid rain.
10.	With which topic would you most likely use the term precipitation?
	a.	computer animation
	b.	ballroom dancing
	c.	weather forecasting
	d.	fashion design
11.	The last sentence is an opinion, not a fact, because
	a.	it talks about imaginary places.
	b.	it's short.
	c.	it can be proved true in an encyclopedia.
	d.	it's what the author thinks.
12.	How does the graphic help readers better understand the text?
	a.	It's a map that shows where the dead lakes are located in Sweden.
	b.	It's a diagram that explains how acid rain forms.
	c.	It's a chart that lists the gases in acid rain.
	d.	It's a photograph that shows automobile exhaust in the air.

Practice 2: Pygmalion

Excerpted and adapted from the play by George Bernard Shaw

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.

Act V

MRS. HIGGINS: Now, Henry: be good.

A pause. Higgins throws back his head; stretches out his legs; and begins to whistle

MRS. HIGGINS: Henry, dearest, you don't look at all nice in that attitude.

pulling himself together

Eliza enters, carrying a little work-basket, and is very much at home

ELIZA: How do you do, Professor Higgins? Are you quite well?

choking

He can say no more

She sits and begins to do needlework from her basket

MRS. HIGGINS: Very nicely put, indeed, Henry.

HIGGINS: She has no idea I didn't put into her head or word I didn't put into her mouth! And now she pretends to play the fine lady with me?

kindly

Higgins sits down again, savagely

ELIZA: You see, Mrs. Higgins, it was very difficult for me to learn, with the example of Professor Higgins, unable to control myself, and using bad language at the drop of a hat. I'd never have known how ladies and gentlemen behave if Colonel Pickering hadn't been there.

HIGGINS:Well!!

how

treated

angrily

ELIZA: That's not true. He treats a flower girl as if she was a duchess.

Seriously

with sudden sincerity

standing up and facing him

HIGGINS: Then get out of my way; for I won't stop for you. You talk about me as if I were a motor bus!

ELIZA: So you are a motor bus: all bounce and go, and no consideration for anyone! But I can do without you… Don't think I can't!

HIGGINS: I know you can … but can I do without YOU?

ELIZA: You will have to. I will become a teacher. I'll put an ad in the paper that the girl everyone thinks is a duchess is only a flower girl that you taught, and she can teach anyone to be a duchess, too, in just six months!

smiling

13.	What is the tone of the selection?
	a.	funny
	b.	serious
	c.	whimsical
	d.	scientific
14.	The denotation of bear is "a large mammal with long, shaggy hair." The connotation in this selection is
	a.	"able to carry weight."
	b.	"musical ability."
	c.	"a kind of language."
	d.	"a gruff, bad-mannered person."
15.	As used in the selection, the meaning of the word well is
	a.	"fountain of water."
	b.	"in good health."
	c.	"clearly."
	d.	"fill up."
16.	Which is an idiom?
	a.	"treat a duchess"
	b.	"very nicely put"
	c.	"at the drop of a hat"
	d.	"I can be a lady"
17.	The theme of this play is
	a.	"You should treat all people the same."
	b.	"Beauty is only skin deep."
	c.	"It's important to have a hobby, like needlepoint."
	d.	"Save a penny for a rainy day."
18.	The prefix un- in unable changes the base word to mean
	a.	able to do again.
	b.	full of ability.
	c.	not capable of.
	d.	before moving.
19.	From what you read in this script, you can infer that
	a.	Professor Higgins taught his mother how to act like a duchess.
	b.	Professor Higgins taught Pickering how to act like a colonel.
	c.	Professor Higgins taught Eliza how to do needlepoint.
	d.	Professor Higgins taught Eliza how to speak and act like a duchess.

Practice 3: The Nose Knows

Read the article, and then answer the questions that follow.

(1)

The giant anteater lives in forests and on the prairies of tropical South America. The hairy mammal feeds primarily on termites and other ants. The anteater's coat blends with the brownish grasses in which termites build nests. Just one anteater can devour 30,000 termites a day! The longsnouted predator has no teeth, but the way it eats, it doesn't need them!

(2)

When an anteater's hungry, it uses its long hooked claws to slash an opening in the nearest termite nest. Next, the anteater slides its long nose into the opening and sticks out its tongue, which is two feet (60 cm) long and coated with gooey saliva. Then, the predator takes a deep breath. As if pulled by a vacuum cleaner, termites are sucked onto that dangerously gluey tongue. Finally, the anteater pulls its termite-covered tongue back into its mouth and eats the tasty insects. In just one minute, an anteater's tongue can enter and exit a termite nest more than 100 times!

20.	Which best describes how the author organizes the information?
	a.	by explaining a problem and suggesting solutions
	b.	by comparing and contrasting objects
	c.	by telling the events in sequence, or time order
	d.	by giving facts and opinions
21.	The words Nose and Knows in the title are
	a.	synonyms.
	b.	antonyms.
	c.	homographs.
	d.	homophones.
22.	What is the main idea of this selection?
	a.	Vacuum cleaners use suction to suck up materials.
	b.	An anteater uses its nose and tongue to capture prey.
	c.	Some anteaters are the size of a squirrel; giant anteaters may measure seven feet (2.1 m).
	d.	Scientists know very little about anteaters.

Practice 4: Sibling Rivalry

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.

(1)	"There's going to be a kite-flying contest!" my little sister Allie yelled as she ran into the house. "I saw the sign in the drug store window!"
(2)	"Great, another contest I can win!" I replied, not too humbly.
(3)	"If we make a kite together, we both can win!" she said with a smile.
(4)	"No, thanks," I snickered. "I'll make my own. I make a pretty mean box kite!"
(5)	Allie's small face clouded with a look of disappointment. "Okay, I'll build my own kite," she mumbled. "Maybe I'll even win a prize!"
(6)	The next afternoon, I saw Allie reading a library book. Around her on the floor were sticks, paper, glue, and string. Oh, no! I thought. She's making an old-fashioned, two-stick paper kite! I laughed as I went to work on my box kite.
(7)	Right before the contest, I took my kite for a test run, and after a few seconds, it caught the wind and soared higher and higher. "Perfect! Behold the winner!" I said to my friend, Kyle.
(8)	"Aren't you afraid of Allie?" laughed Kyle. "She always plays to win!"
(9)	"Oh, yeah, I'm shaking in my boots!" I said as I reeled in my kite. Then a sudden gust of wind grabbed it and sent it spinning toward the ground. The string caught on an old, rickety fence, and my kite fell to the ground just beyond. As I leaped over the fence, the wind unbalanced me. CRUNCH! My feet landed firmly on my kite and it cracked into a zillion pieces!
(10)	"Oh, no!" Allie cried when she saw it. "The contest's about to start! I know it's important to you, so if you want to…you can use my kite!"
(11)	For a minute, believe me, I was tempted. Then I remembered how hard she'd worked to make her kite because I wouldn't help her. "Thanks, Allie," I said, "but you deserve the chance to compete."
(12)	The contest began. One by one, kites caught the wind and climbed. The wind grew stronger. Box kites swerved crazily and fell to the ground. Even flat, plastic kites fell. Soon just one kite remained … Allie's. She'd won!
(13)	I cheered along with the crowd. I really felt proud of Allie. "That's my little sister," I told people standing near me. "She made that kite all by herself!"

23.	Which word is a synonym for snickered?
	a.	sobbed
	b.	laughed
	c.	whimpered
	d.	wrote
24.	Which describes one of Allie's character traits?
	a.	She likes to eat hot dogs.
	b.	She has lived in the same house all her life.
	c.	She really cares about her big brother.
	d.	She doesn't like being around other people.
25.	The narrator's kite was ruined because
	a.	it fell into the lake.
	b.	the wind blew it high up into a tree.
	c.	Allie forgot to reel it in.
	d.	the narrator accidentally jumped on it.
26.	The line, "Behold the winner," I said to my friend, Kyle, foreshadowed that
	a.	Kyle would win the contest.
	b.	the narrator probably wasn't going to win.
	c.	Allie had gone missing.
	d.	the contest would be cancelled.
27.	What is the main conflict in the story?
	a.	Allie needs to go to the drug store to buy glue.
	b.	Allie and the narrator need to earn money for kite supplies.
	c.	Allie and the narrator both want to win the contest.
	d.	Allie and Kyle both want the last sandwich.

Practice 5: Have Your Say

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.

(1)	It's September. It's great to see our friends again, but wasn't it nice to have the summer off? Well, some folks think our school should be open all year. Wait! You wouldn't actually go to school every day, but your life might be pretty different!
(2)	Not everyone agrees that an all-year school is a good idea. Those who do agree say kids forget a lot of what they learned over the long vacation, and it would be better to have more, shorter vacations. For example, we would have eight-week grading periods, followed by a week off. People who don't like the idea say the way we've been doing things for years is just fine, thank you very much. No need to change now! Besides, the longer summer vacation lets kids spend time with families and friends and get out into the fresh air! Also, they say, most parents have their vacations in summer, a change in the school year would upset family plans.
(3)	What's your take on the idea? For it? Against it? Let your opinion be heard. Send an e-mail to the school paper … today!

28.	The author probably wrote this article to
	a.	inform readers about a trip taken during summer vacation.
	b.	teach readers how to plan a vacation.
	c.	entertain readers with mystery.
	d.	persuade readers to write e-mails to voice their opinions.
29.	Which antonym pair was used in the selection?
	a.	summer and winter
	b.	longest and shortest
	c.	oldest andnewest
	d.	open and closed
30.	Which is the best one-sentence summary for this selection?
	a.	All the parents want to have an all-year school.
	b.	None of the parents wants to have an all-year school.
	c.	People are discussing the possibility of having an all-year school.
	d.	Students are not allowed to voice their opinions in school.

Answers

If you miss a question, look for help with that topic in the lesson(s) listed.

1. d

2. c

3. a

4. c

5. d

6. b

7. d

8. a

9. b

10. d

11. d

12. b

13. b

14. d

15. b

16. c

17. a

18. c

19. d

20. c

21. d

22. c

23. b

24. c

25. d

26. b

27. c

28. d

29. b

30. c

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Reading Practice Quiz