Reading comprehension (entrance exams) worksheet with answers

Butterflies begin life as caterpillars. A caterpillar eats leaves and grows quickly. Then it forms a hard case called a chrysalis, and inside it changes into a butterfly. What is the case called?

1. AA cocoon
2. BA nest
3. CA chrysalis
4. DA shell

Camels can go for many days without drinking. When they do find water, they can drink a very large amount in a short time. Their hump stores fat, not water. What does a camel’s hump store?

1. AFat
2. BMilk
3. CAir
4. DWater

Polar bears live in the Arctic. Their thick fur and a layer of fat keep them warm in freezing temperatures. They hunt seals on the sea ice. What do polar bears mainly hunt?

1. APenguins
2. BSeals
3. CReindeer
4. DSalmon

Many people believe that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. However, several studies have compared people who crack their knuckles with people who do not and found no difference in arthritis rates. What is the author’s main purpose?

1. ATo explain how arthritis is treated
2. BTo describe how joints make a cracking sound
3. CTo persuade readers to crack their knuckles
4. DTo correct a common belief using evidence

“I couldn’t put the book down. I read it in one night and was sad when it ended.” What is the reader’s opinion of the book?

1. AThe reader found it too long.
2. BThe reader enjoyed it very much.
3. CThe reader thought it was frightening.
4. DThe reader did not finish it.

“Leaves change colour in autumn because the trees stop making chlorophyll, the green pigment. As the green fades, yellow and orange pigments that were there all along become visible.” Where do the yellow and orange colours come from?

1. APigments already present in the leaves
2. BNew pigments made only in autumn
3. CCold night air that paints the leaves
4. DSunlight that burns the green away

Paragraph A argues that hospitals should use more robots for routine tasks to free nurses for patient care. Paragraph B argues that robots cannot replace human comfort and judgement. On which point would both authors most likely agree?

1. ARobots should do all hospital tasks.
2. BHuman nurses play an important role in patient care.
3. CHospitals should not change at all.
4. DNurses spend too much time with patients and too little on paperwork.

The author writes: “Online reviews are useful when choosing a restaurant. Still, readers should remember that people are more likely to write a review after a very good or very bad experience.” What is the author warning about?

1. ARestaurants should not be reviewed online.
2. BOnline reviews are always written by owners.
3. COnly bad experiences are written about.
4. DReviews may not reflect typical experiences.