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Reading Skills Practice Test 3

Reading Comprehension
Read each passage. Then, fill in the circle that best
completes each sentence or answers each question.

SAMPLE
Being bitten by a bedbug stinks in more ways than one. It hurts and the bug gives off
a bad odor. These critters, each about the size of a grain of rice, nourish themselves on
human blood. Their odor prevents other bugs from feasting on bedbugs!
1 What is the best title for this passage? 2 In this passage, the word nourish means
A “Why Bedbugs Live in Beds” A feed.
B “How Bedbugs Live” B clean.
C “Bugs that Eat Rice” C hungry.
D “Bedbugs Stink” D stink.

A. Animals can’t speak in words, but they 1 This passage is mainly about
have many other ways to “talk” to each A why red howler monkeys are so loud.
other. Here’s a look at how several different B  animals that use their noses to
animals communicate in the nature. communicate.
• Giant otters speak in a unique language C  ways different animals
of whistles, whines, squeals, and snorts. communicate.
Each sound means a different thing. For D  how giant otters stay safe from
instance, one type of snort warns other
hunters.
otters of danger like a nearby hunter.
• Red howler monkeys communicate by 2 Elephant seals communicate by
howling. Their howls can be heard up to A inflating their noses.
three miles away. In fact, these monkeys B whistling.
are the world’s noisiest land animals. C snarling.
• Wolves curl their lips above their teeth and
D wagging their tails.
snarl at other wolves to show who’s in
charge, and to warn other wolves to back 3 The passage will likely go on to talk about
off. Wolves will also howl to signal danger. A what red howler monkeys eat.
• The elephant seal uses its amazing B how other animals communicate.
inflatable nose and its nostrils as a giant C where giant otters live.
microphone.
D how wolves talk to giant otters.

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B. All week long, I looked forward to C. How well do you know Australia?
finishing my book The Secret of the Hidden Known as the Land Down Under, Australia
Cave. Since I was busy with homework, I may be the world’s most beautiful country.
knew I wouldn’t get the opportunity to finish It’s certainly the only country in the world
the book until Friday. Anyway, thinking that’s both an island and a continent.
about the story gave me something to look Want more Australia facts? It’s about the
forward to. It was the most exciting book I size of the continental United States. About
had ever encountered. 25 million people live there.
When Friday came, I sat down on the Australia is also home to some unique
couch and began to read. Each new page and interesting animals. Koala bears are
was better than the one before. What would one example. These picky eaters prefer to
the explorers find at the bottom of the eat leaves from eucalyptus trees. They
cave? This question was driving me crazy! rarely drink water. Another famous
Finally, I got to the next-to-last page. I was Australian animal is the kangaroo. There
about to learn the secret! When I turned the are more kangaroos than people in
page, I was shocked. The last page was Australia. A newborn kangaroo lives in its
missing! mother’s pouch for as long as six months.
“It’s not fair,” I yelled. Then I heard a
giggle. Looking into the next room, I saw my 1 Which of these is an opinion?
little sister. She was running away with A Australia may be the world’s most

something in her hand. beautiful country.

B  Australia is about the size of the
1 In this passage, the word encountered continental United States.
means C  Australia has a population of about
A borrowed. C finished. 25 million.
B returned. D came across. D  There are more kangaroos than
people in Australia.
2 What can you guess from this passage?
A  Mystery books are always 2 Koala bears are picky eaters because
missing a page. A they never drink water.
B  The explorers found a skeleton B they live in Australia.
in the cave. C they only eat kangaroos.
C  The explorers didn’t find anything in D they prefer to eat eucalyptus leaves.
the cave.
D  The reader’s sister tore out the 3 In this passage, the word unique means
last page. A large. C one of a kind.
B small. D popular.

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D. When Buddy Koerner eats an orange E. Exercise helps keep people healthy. But
or a banana at school, he doesn’t throw the not everyone wants to play basketball or
peels into the trash. Buddy and his class run marathons. Fortunately, there are plenty
have found a better use for fruit peels, limp of other ways to get exercise. One good
lettuce, and soggy bread crusts. With the way is hiking.
help of a few hundred worms, the class What is hiking? Hiking really just means
turns food scraps into a nourishing snack taking a long walk. Often, hiking involves
for planet Earth. going up or down a hill. Most people do it
Each week, Buddy’s class dumps food in the countryside, but you can also do it in
scraps into a special bin in their classroom. town. And hiking doesn’t really require any
Red worms live inside the bin. They eat the special equipment. All you need is a
scraps and make castings, or worm poop. comfortable pair of shoes, a nutritious
The castings form compost, which looks like snack, and some water.
dark soil. Compost is rich in nutrients to help The shoes are very important.
plants and lawns grow better. Uncomfortable­hiking shoes can make
Farmers have been making compost for walking painful. They can cause blisters
at least 2,000 years. Today, more and more or worse. It shouldn’t hurt to hike, so wear
people are learning to compost in homes sturdy, comfortable shoes.
and schools. This kind of recycling can really The snack and water are also important.
help the planet. Hiking uses up the body’s energy and fluids.
A snack and some water can replace what
1 Castings are you’ve lost. That means you’ll be able to go
A food scraps. C worm poop. up that one last hill.
B worms. D soil.
1 If you hike in uncomfortable shoes
2  uddy and his classmates make
B you could
compost from A run out of energy.
A worms. C soil. B get blisters.
B food scraps. D plants. C fall down.
D need more water.
3 This passage will likely go on to
talk about 2 Which of these is not true about hiking?
A other kinds of worms. A It’s like walking.
B other kinds of recycling. B You can do it in the country.
C  what Buddy has for lunch C You use a lot of special equipment.
every day. D  It’s important to take water on
D the life cycle of worms. a hike.

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Vocabulary
Synonyms Antonyms
Read the underlined word in each phrase. Read the underlined word in each phrase.
Mark the word below it that has the same Mark the word below it that means the
(or close to the same) meaning. opposite or nearly the opposite.

Sample: Sample:
weary legs talk rapidly
A tired C active A quickly C funnily
B long D jumpy B slowly D normally

1 unexpected defeat 1 sure thing

A game C loss A tiring C new
B number D win B uncertain D old

2 soaring through the air 2 airplane takeoff

A falling C walking A wheel C ticket
B flying D blowing B landing D flight

3 family tradition 3 sloppy work

A party C friend A neat C hard
B gathering D custom B good D easy

4 fierce animal 4 back to reality

A huge C tiny A life C school
B mean D hungry B fantasy D work

5 weekly chore 5 thorough search

A meal C party A incomplete C incorrect
B meeting D job B neat D successful

6 feeling uneasy 6 unseen problems

A unfit C disappointed A unknown C serious
B difficult D uncomfortable B hard D visible

7 wring the wet clothes 7 valuable gift

A hang C squeeze A expensive C useless
B wash D dry B birthday D good

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