Reading comprehension (entrance exams) worksheet with answers

Drinking enough water helps the body control its temperature. Water also carries nutrients to cells and removes waste through the kidneys. Many adults need about two litres of fluid a day, and more in hot weather. According to the passage, how does water help remove waste?

1. ABy lowering the temperature of the cells
2. BBy carrying nutrients to cells
3. CThrough the skin only
4. DThrough the kidneys

“After the long hike, Priya was famished. She ate two sandwiches, an apple and a bowl of soup.” What does “famished” most likely mean?

1. AVery cheerful
2. BVery hungry
3. CVery cold
4. DVery tired

“The ancient castle stood on a hill overlooking the village.” Which word means the same as “ancient” in this sentence?

1. AVery modern
2. BVery old
3. CVery tall
4. DVery small

“The temperature dropped below freezing overnight. In the morning, the puddles on the path were hard and slippery.” Why were the puddles hard?

1. ASomeone had covered them with sand.
2. BRain had fallen on them all night.
3. CThe sun had dried them out.
4. DThe water in them had frozen into ice.

Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, yet they are home to about a quarter of all marine species. Warmer water can cause corals to lose the algae that feed them, a process called bleaching. What does the word “yet” signal in the first sentence?

1. AA cause-and-effect link between warmer water and coral bleaching
2. BA sequence of events in the life of a coral
3. CA contrast between the reefs’ small area and their many species
4. DAn example of a species that lives on a reef

When Rosa started her new job at the hospital, she got lost three times on the first day. By the end of the month, she was giving directions to visitors. What does the passage show about Rosa?

1. AShe was given a map on her first day.
2. BShe did not like her new job at the hospital and wanted to leave.
3. CShe often gets lost in new places.
4. DShe quickly learned her way around the hospital.

Passage: “Gutenberg’s printing press, developed in the 1400s, made books faster and cheaper to produce. As more books became available, more people learned to read, and new ideas spread quickly across Europe.” Which sequence of effects does the passage describe?

1. AWider reading, then the printing press
2. BFewer books, so fewer people learned to read
3. CCheaper books, wider reading, faster spread of ideas
4. DNew ideas, then cheaper paper, then more printers

Medicine schedule: “Tablet A: every 12 hours. Tablet B: every 8 hours.” Both are first given at 8 a.m. At what time will both tablets next be due together?

1. AMidnight the same day
2. B4 p.m. the same day
3. C8 p.m. the same day
4. D8 a.m. the next day