Reading comprehension (entrance exams) worksheet with answers

Free printable Reading comprehension (entrance exams) worksheet: 8 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy

The heart is a muscle about the size of a fist. It pumps blood through the body day and night. In an adult at rest, it beats about 60 to 100 times a minute. According to the passage, how big is the heart?

  1. AAbout the size of a football
  2. BAbout the size of a fist
  3. CAbout the size of a thumb
  4. DAbout the size of a head
2.Easy

A bus route sign reads: “Route 7: Station – Hospital – Library – Park. Buses every 20 minutes.” Which stop comes right after the hospital?

  1. AMarket
  2. BStation
  3. CLibrary
  4. DPark
3.Easy

“Pedro opened the fridge, but it was empty except for a bottle of ketchup. He sighed and picked up his car keys.” What is Pedro most likely going to do?

  1. AClean the fridge
  2. BMake a big dinner
  3. CGo to buy food
  4. DGo to sleep
4.Medium

The word “quarantine” comes from the Italian “quaranta giorni”, meaning forty days. In the 1300s, ships arriving in Venice during plague outbreaks had to wait forty days before passengers could come ashore. Why did ships have to wait before passengers came ashore?

  1. ATo give passengers time to learn Italian
  2. BTo collect taxes from the ship owners
  3. CTo prevent the plague from spreading to the city
  4. DTo let the ships be repaired after long journeys
5.Medium

“The tide was coming in fast. The children, busy building their sandcastle, did not notice the water creeping closer and closer.” What is most likely to happen next?

  1. AThe tide will go back out.
  2. BThey will build a castle on the cliffs.
  3. CThey will win a sandcastle prize.
  4. DThe rising water will reach the sandcastle.
6.Medium

“The new teacher wrote her name on the board, smiled and said, ‘Let’s start by learning one interesting fact about each of you.’” What can you infer about the teacher’s goal?

  1. AShe wants to get to know her students.
  2. BShe wants to finish the lesson early.
  3. CShe wants the students to stay silent.
  4. DShe wants to test the students’ spelling.
7.Hard

“The surgeon, who had performed the operation hundreds of times, still reviewed every step the night before.” What does this detail reveal about the surgeon?

  1. AThe surgeon has forgotten how to operate.
  2. BThe surgeon is careful despite great experience.
  3. CThe surgeon now finds this operation dull and boring.
  4. DThe surgeon is new and unsure of the procedure.
8.Hard

“The marathon was a test of will as much as of strength. By mile 20, Ana’s legs burned, but she pictured her mother waiting at the finish line and kept going.” What does the phrase “a test of will” mean here?

  1. AA challenge of determination
  2. BA test of how fast her legs are
  3. CA legal document about property
  4. DA written exam about running

Answer key

  1. 1. B · About the size of a fist
  2. 2. C · Library
  3. 3. C · Go to buy food
  4. 4. C · To prevent the plague from spreading to the city
  5. 5. D · The rising water will reach the sandcastle.
  6. 6. A · She wants to get to know her students.
  7. 7. B · The surgeon is careful despite great experience.
  8. 8. A · A challenge of determination

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