Reading comprehension (entrance exams) worksheet with answers

Some plants, like the cactus, store water in their thick stems. This helps them survive in deserts, where rain may not fall for months. How do cactus plants survive in the desert?

1. AThey store water in their thick stems.
2. BThey need rain every day.
3. CThey lose their thick stems in the hot summer.
4. DThey grow only near rivers.

Spiders are not insects. Insects have six legs and three body parts, but spiders have eight legs and two body parts. How are spiders different from insects?

1. ASpiders have eight legs and two body parts.
2. BSpiders have six legs and three body parts.
3. CSpiders can fly, but insects cannot.
4. DSpiders are larger than all insects.

The heart has four chambers. The two upper chambers are called atria, and the two lower chambers are called ventricles. What are the two lower chambers called?

1. ACoronary arteries
2. BAtria
3. CVentricles
4. DValves

The author says: “Some argue that homework is a waste of time. Yet research shows that a moderate amount of homework can improve test scores for older students.” How does the author respond to the argument against homework?

1. ABy agreeing that homework is a waste of time
2. BBy presenting research that supports some homework
3. CBy telling a personal story about homework from school
4. DBy ignoring the argument completely

Florence Nightingale collected data on deaths among soldiers in the Crimean War. She showed in clear diagrams that more soldiers died from disease than from battle wounds, and she used this evidence to persuade the government to improve hospital sanitation. What was Nightingale’s main goal in collecting the data?

1. ATo teach soldiers how to draw diagrams
2. BTo prove that battle wounds were not dangerous
3. CTo design better weapons for the army
4. DTo convince officials to improve hospital conditions

“The FAST test helps people spot a stroke: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call emergency services.” What does the letter T stand for?

1. ATrouble seeing out of one eye
2. BTemperature rising suddenly and sharply
3. CTime to call emergency services
4. DTiredness in the arms and legs

“The forest fire was finally under control after three days. Firefighters praised the townspeople, who had cleared dry brush around their homes weeks earlier, for saving many houses.” Why did the firefighters praise the townspeople?

1. AThey left the town before the fire began.
2. BThey called the firefighters very quickly.
3. CThey put out the fire themselves on the first day.
4. DTheir earlier preparation helped protect houses.

A shift schedule shows: Nurse A works Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Nurse B works Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Nurse C works Monday, Thursday and Saturday. On which day do Nurse A and Nurse B work together?

1. AWednesday
2. BMonday
3. CFriday
4. DThursday