Reading Comprehension Practice Test 3

Questions 1-5 refer to the following passage:

In 1841 a young man addressed an anti-slavery meeting in Massachusetts. He talked about what it was like to be separated from one’s family as a child. He talked about being beaten and overworked. He talked about learning how to read and write in secret. He talked about what it was like to be a slave. Perhaps one of the reasons the listeners were so impressed with the speaker was because he had been a slave himself.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818 in Maryland. His last name was Bailey, the name of his mother. First he was separated from his mother, then his grandmother. He eventually was sent to work for a family named Auld. Sophia Auld taught Frederick how to read and write. By the time her husband stopped her, Frederick had learned enough to progress on his own. Later, Frederick worked for a man named Covey, who often beat him. One night Frederick resisted the beating and the two men fought for two hours. This was a dangerous thing for a slave to do, but Covey finally gave up. Frederick was never beaten again.

In 1836, Frederick and other slaves tried to escape. Someone betrayed them and the attempt failed. Shortly after that, Frederick met Anna Murray, a free black woman, and the two fell in love. In 1838, Frederick planned another escape, and this time he successfully reached New York City. He and Anna were married shortly thereafter. Frederick decided to change his last name to symbolize his new freedom. He took the name Douglass from a character in a book a friend of his was reading at the time.

Frederick Douglass’s presence was a tremendous boost to the anti-slavery movement. Anyone who had doubts about the morality or violence of slavery had only to listen to the articulate former slave describe his former life. After President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Douglass helped recruit black soldiers to fight for the Union in the Civil War. He died in 1895 after a long, full life.

1. When did Frederick Douglass learn to read?
  1. After he escaped from slavery.
  2. While he lived with the Aulds.
  3. While he lived with his grandmother.
  4. After he married Anna Murray.
  5. After he moved to New York City.
2. What happened after Sophia stopped teaching Frederick?
  1. He forgot everything he had learned.
  2. He asked other slaves to teach him.
  3. He continued to learn on his own.
  4. He decided reading was not important.
  5. The plantation owner wanted to teach him to read and write.
3. What happened first?
  1. Douglass addressed an anti-slavery meeting.
  2. Douglass resisted the beating of a man named Covey.
  3. Douglass took a new name.
  4. Douglass escaped from slavery.
  5. Douglass married Anna.
4. When did Frederick meet Ms. Murray?
  1. After he escaped from slavery.
  2. After he reached New York.
  3. In between his escape attempts.
  4. At an anti-slavery meeting.
  5. They were slaves together.
5. What happened last?
  1. Douglass recruited black soldiers to fight for the Union.
  2. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
  3. Frederick Douglass married Anna Murray.
  4. Frederick Douglass spoke at an anti-slavery meeting.
  5. Douglass stayed in New York and wrote novels.

 

Questions 6-9 refer to the following passage:

First, be sure to keep the broken ends quiet. Keep the adjacent joints still. Should these joints bend, the muscles will act against the fractured bone and cause motion. Give the victim first aid for shock. Apply a sterile dressing to the fracture if it is compound. Do not try to push back a protruding bone. When you are splinting the fractured area, the end will slip back when the limb is straightened. An ice bag should be used with all fractures, sprains, and dislocations. A simple method of preventing motion of the fragments is to place the limb on pillows. Splints may also be used to keep the limb from moving. Breaks of the ribs or skull bone need no splints as they are held fast by other bones and tissue.

6. This article will help you to…
  1. Make a splint.
  2. Care for broken bones.
  3. Care for bad burns.
  4. Make a sterile dressing.
  5. Inform you of the doctor’s duties.
7. The first thing to do for a fracture is…
  1. Keep the broken ends quiet.
  2. Use an ice bag.
  3. Push back the protruding bone.
  4. Make a splint.
  5. Clean the area.
8. If the fracture is compound…
  1. Keep the broken ends quiet.
  2. Use an ice bag.
  3. Push back the protruding bone.
  4. Make a splint.
  5. Apply a sterile dressing.
9. A break which needs no splint is one in the…
  1. Arm.
  2. Foot.
  3. Leg.
  4. Ribs.
  5. Neck.

 

Questions 10-19 refer to the following passage:

As Wendy Grant stepped off the plane in Denver, Colorado, seven children rushed to greet her shouting, “Mother!” Four of them spoke with a Vietnamese accent. In her arms Wendy held the gifts she had brought them-twin infant girls from Vietnam, the newest members of the Grant family. The Grants’ six adopted Vietnamese children, and over 1,600 others like them, may well owe their lives to the determination of Wendy, her husband Duane, and a handful of other dedicated women and men.

Like all wars, the war in Vietnam left thousands of children homeless. Their villages had been burned or blown to rubble. Their parents had been killed or lost amid the swarm of refugees clogging the dusty roads. The lucky children were taken in by orphanages. The rest were left to roam rural paths or city streets by themselves. They avoided starvation only by begging, stealing, or rummaging in garbage piles; they slept in gutters. Many were scarred or crippled by land mines, disease, or malnutrition.

It was in 1964 that the Grants, who had already adopted three American children, first heard of the plight of the Vietnamese orphans. Immediately they began the complicated task of adopting one-a girl, whom they named Diahan.

But soon Wendy realized that more must be done. Together with Duane and several other Americans, she founded an organization called Friends for All Children. The group located American homes for the war orphans and helped bring them to the United States. With the money they raised, they set up four orphanages in Vietnam.

Twice Wendy went to Vietnam herself, despite the constant danger of enemy attack. Once she adopted and brought home a girl, Tia, so crippled by polio that she could not even stand. Today, thanks to American doctors, Tia walks unaided. On Wendy’s final trip, with the enemy closing in on the capital city of Saigon, she remained until the last minute, arranging for orphans to be flown to the United States, Canada, and Australia. She narrowly missed a fatal plane crash.

If you someday meet a Vietnamese person with a last name such as Morris, Johnson, Riley, or Russo, remember Wendy Grant and her friends and their important work.

10. Four of the children who met the plane in Denver had…
  1. Curly hair.
  2. Vietnamese accents.
  3. Cassettes.
  4. Many gifts.
  5. Unfamiliar faces.
11. The Vietnamese children the Grants have adopted number…
  1. 1,600.
  2. Two.
  3. Six.
  4. Seven.
  5. 25.
12. The parents of the Vietnamese children had been lost or…
  1. Imprisoned.
  2. Starved.
  3. Stolen.
  4. Killed.
  5. Kidnapped.
13. Left alone, the children…
  1. Roamed streets and paths.
  2. Went to school.
  3. Stayed at home.
  4. Quarreled.
  5. Worked odd jobs.
14. The Grants first heard of this plight in…
  1. 1980.
  2. 1971.
  3. 1965.
  4. 1964.
  5. 1962.
15. Wendy, Duane, and several others founded…
  1. A school.
  2. An organization.
  3. A hospital.
  4. A nursery.
  5. A work force.
16. Wendy went to Vietnam…
  1. Four times.
  2. Once.
  3. Twice.
  4. Often.
  5. For two years.
17. One adopted child, Tia, was crippled by…
  1. Malnutrition.
  2. Fear.
  3. Polio.
  4. Burns.
  5. Scarlet fever.
18. Wendy remained until the last minute in…
  1. Saigon.
  2. Beijing.
  3. Canada.
  4. Australia.
  5. Sydney.
19. If you meet Vietnamese people, remember a woman named…
  1. Morris.
  2. Riley.
  3. Russo.
  4. Grant.
  5. Thomas.

 

Questions 20-24 refer to the following passage:

The story of how the girl Pocahontas saved John Smith’s life is well known to most grade-school children. Pocahontas did even more to establish peaceful relations between New World and Old World people. However, Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, chief of a powerful league of over 30 tribes of Algonquian-speaking Indians (Native Americans) in the area around Jamestown, Virginia, in the early 1600s. The young girl’s given name was Matoaka, but she was called Pocahontas, meaning “the playful one.” In 1607, Pocahontas’ life became even more interesting. At that time, a group of English colonists arrived on her people’s land and settled very close to her village. Her father, Powhatan, made no aggressive moves against the settlers at first, but he did feel that they represented a threat to the Indian nation.

By 1608, it began to appear that the English settlers were not going to leave on their own as others before them had. It was at that time that one settler was captured while hunting. The prisoner, John Smith, was brought to Powhatan. According to one source, Smith’s future was about to be decided when Pocahontas cried out for him to be saved. In the Algonquian culture, that kind of request could save a prisoner’s life, so Smith was spared. Smith stayed in the village for several weeks after that and became good friends with many of the Algonquians.

Several braves then returned John Smith to Jamestown and on their return to Powhatan told the chief that the settlers were very ill and starving. Pocahontas overheard this. She did not want these people to die, so she brought food to the settlement on a regular basis during that time. Many said that it was Pocahontas who kept the colony alive.

Over time, however, tension mounted between the Jamestown settlers and the Algonquians, and eventually Pocahontas was forbidden by Powhatan to visit the English settlement. Around that time, the new governor of Jamestown, Samuel Argall, had Chief Powhatan’s daughter taken as a hostage to be traded for English prisoners and some rifles that the Algonquians had taken. Powhatan’s reply to the capture was that he would return the prisoners but not the guns. In fact, Powhatan was quite certain that the settlers would never harm Pocahontas.

Meanwhile, in the Jamestown settlement, Pocahontas was treated very well. She had many friends there already and was allowed to visit from house to house. During her long stay, she took on the religion of the settlers, and she also took the English name Rebecca. It was during this time that she met John Rolfe, a settler who had introduced tobacco growing to the Virginia colony. Rolfe asked permission to marry Rebecca. Permission was granted by the governor of the colony and, 10 days later, by Powhatan. Every Jamestown settler, two of Rebecca’s uncles, and two of her brothers attended the wedding. This union was followed by eight years of peace between the Indians and the English and was often referred to as the “Peace of Pocahontas.”

The Rolfes had one son, Thomas. After Rebecca Rolfe’s untimely death in her early 20s, John and Thomas Rolfe continued to live and work in Jamestown.

20. Which of these happened first?
  1. John Smith was taken captive.
  2. Pocahontas met John Rolfe.
  3. Pocahontas saved John Smith’s life.
  4. Jamestown was settled by the English.
  5. Powhatan had promised Pocahontas to another.
21. When was Pocahontas taken hostage?
  1. Before she brought food to the settlement.
  2. After she met John Rolfe.
  3. After Powhatan told her she could no longer visit the English settlement.
  4. Before she saved John Smith.
  5. During the first few weeks after they settled in Jamestown.
22. When did Pocahontas take the name Rebecca?
  1. When she was a child.
  2. After the birth of her son, Thomas.
  3. After she married John Rolfe.
  4. While she was a captive at Jamestown.
  5. After her father visited the settlement.
23. What happened after Pocahontas married John Rolfe?
  1. Powhatan would not return the rifles to the English.
  2. There were eight years of peace between the Algonquian Indians and the English.
  3. Pocahontas took on the religion of the settlers.
  4. Pocahontas met a settler who had introduced tobacco growing to the Virginia colony.
  5. Powhatan met with the tribal leaders.
24. Which of these happened last?
  1. Algonquians came to a wedding at Jamestown.
  2. John Rolfe introduced tobacco as a crop.
  3. Rebecca Rolfe died.
  4. The Algonquian Indians and the English enjoyed eight years of peace.
  5. Rolfe asked permission to marry.

 

Answers & Explanations

1. B

The second paragraph indicates that Sophia Auld taught Frederick to read and write while he was a slave to her family, not after he escaped (A). The same paragraph explains that he was separated from his grandmother before being sent to work for the Aulds (C). The fourth paragraph describes his escaping, moving to New York City (E), and marrying Anna Murray after escaping from Covey, which was after he learned to read (D).

2. C

The second paragraph reads that by the time her husband stopped Sophia from teaching him, Frederick had learned enough to continue on his own, not that he forgot everything he had learned (A), or asked other slaves to teach him (B), or decided reading was not important (D). The plantation owner did not want to teach Frederick (E); he stopped his wife from doing so.

3. B

Douglass’ resisting Covey’s beating is described in the third paragraph. The next (fourth) paragraph describes his escaping from slavery (D), then marrying Anna (E), and then taking a new name (C) to symbolize his new freedom in 1838. The introduction describes his addressing an anti-slavery meeting (A) in 1841. The ensuing paragraphs flash back to a brief biography.

4. C

According to the fourth paragraph, Frederick met Anna between escape attempts in 1836 and 1838, not after he escaped (A) or reached New York (B). The anti-slavery meeting (D) described in the opening was in 1841, three years after he married Anna and 3-5 years after he met her. The paragraph states she was free when they met, so they were not slaves together (E).

5. A

The last (fifth) paragraph describes Douglass’ helping recruit black soldiers after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 (B). Douglass married Anna Murray (C) in 1838. The introduction describes his speaking at an anti-slavery meeting (D) in 1841. The passage never mentions his writing novels (E) after reaching New York City.

6. B

The article gives instructions on carrying for broken bones, not bad burns (C). While it refers to splinting, it does not tell how to make a splint (A). It advises applying a sterile dressing to a compound fracture, but does not tell how to make one (D). It has no information about the doctor’s duties (E).

7. A

Keeping the broken ends quiet by keeping the joints still is the first direction. The directions to apply an ice bag (B) follow directions to keep the joints still, give first aid for shock, apply a sterile dressing to a compound fracture, and NOT to push back protruding bone (C). Making a splint (D) follows these. Cleaning the area (E) is never mentioned.

8. E

The article specifies that if the fracture is compound, to apply a sterile dressing. Keeping broken ends quiet (A) and using an ice bag (B) are advised for all fractures, not just compound ones. The directions caution against pushing back a protruding bone (C). Making a splint (D) is advised for any fractures other than skull and rib fractures, not just for compound fractures.

9. D

Of the choices offered, only rib fractures are identified in the article as needing no splints. Skull fractures, not a choice here, are also identified as not needing splinting. Fractures that should be splinted include breaks of an arm (A), foot (B), leg (C), or the neck (E).

10. B

The first paragraph (second sentence) specifies that four of the children spoke with Vietnamese accents. No children are described as having curly hair (A), cassettes (C), gifts (D)-Wendy, not the children, had gifts, i.e. the newly adopted twins-or unfamiliar faces (E).

11. C

The introductory paragraph identifies “The Grants’ six adopted Vietnamese children.” It refers to 1,600 (A) “others like them” adopted by others. Two (B) refers to the twin infants Wendy adopted, increasing the Grants’ Vietnamese children from four to six. Seven (D) is the number of children greeting Wendy and the newly adopted twins at the airport: three American children and four Vietnamese children. The passage never includes the number 25 (E).

12. D

The second paragraph indicates that the children’s parents “had been killed or lost,” not imprisoned (A). Children not taken in by orphanages only avoided starvation by begging, stealing, or rummaging; nothing about parents being starved (B) is included. Nothing is mentioned in the passage about parents (or children) being stolen (C) or kidnapped (E).

13. A

In the second paragraph, homeless children not taken in by orphanages are described as being “left to roam rural paths or city streets by themselves.” The passage never indicates that the children went to school (B), stayed at home (C)-they were homeless-quarreled (D), or worked odd jobs (E).

14. D

The first sentence of the third paragraph identifies 1964 as when the Grants first heard of the plight of the Vietnamese war orphans. No other years are mentioned anywhere in the passage.

15. B

The fourth paragraph describes how Wendy, Duane, and several others founded an organization called Friends for All Children to do more for Vietnamese war orphans. The passage never suggests they founded a school (A), a hospital (C), a nursery (D), or a work force (E).

16. C

The fifth paragraph indicates Wendy went to Vietnam herself twice, not four times (A), once (B), often (D), or for two years (E).

17. C

The fifth paragraph describes Tia as being crippled by polio. Malnutrition (A) is mentioned in the second paragraph as crippling many Vietnamese war orphans, not Tia specifically. This passage never mentions any child/children being crippled by fear (B), burns (D), or Scarlet fever (E).

18. A

The fourth paragraph relates that Wendy remained in Saigon until the last minute. Beijing (B) is in China and is never mentioned in this passage. Canada (C) and Australia (D) are mentioned in the fourth paragraph along with the United States as countries Wendy was arranging for orphans to be flown to from Vietnam when she stayed in Saigon until the last minute. Sydney (E) is in Australia but is never mentioned in this passage.

19. D

Grant is the name of Wendy and her husband Duane, the adoptive parents who are the focus of this passage. Morris (A), Johnson (not a choice here), Riley (B), and Russo (C) are names given in the final paragraph/sentence as those of other Americans who also adopted Vietnamese war orphans. This passage does not include the name Thomas (E).

20. D

The first paragraph describes colonists settling Jamestown in 1607. The second paragraph describes John Smith’s capture in 1608, after which Pocahontas saved his life (C). The third paragraph reads that “Over time,” tension mounted and Pocahontas was taken hostage; the fourth paragraph then describes her meeting John Rolfe (B). The passage never indicates Powhatan had promised her to another (E), only that he gave permission for her to marry Rolfe.

21. C

According to the passage’s third paragraph, Pocahontas was taken hostage after Powhatan forbade her to continue visiting the English settlement, after she had brought food there (A), described in the previous/second paragraph. She met John Rolfe (B) after being taken hostage-which was how she met him- not during the first few weeks after (E) Jamestown was settled, but after saving John Smith, which was the year after its settlement.

22. D

Pocahontas took the name Rebecca, along with the settlers’ religion, during her long, hospitable captivity at Jamestown, not when she was a child (A) or after she married John Rolfe (C), and hence not after their son Thomas was born (B). This passage never indicates that Powhatan visited the settlement (E).

23. B

The penultimate paragraph indicates that eight years of peace between the Algonquians and the English followed Pocahontas’ marrying John Rolfe. Powhatan refused to return rifles to the English (A) earlier when they took Pocahontas hostage. Pocahontas took on the settlers’ religion (C) during her long stay as a well-treated hostage, before marrying Rolfe. The settler Pocahontas met (D) was Rolfe, whom she did not marry until after meeting him. This passage never mentions Powhatan’s meeting with tribal leaders (E).

24. C

The last thing in the passage is her widower and son continuing to live and work in Jamestown after Rebecca Rolfe’s death. Her wedding (A) occurred before her death. John Rolfe introduced tobacco (B) before she married him. The eight years of peace (D) began after their marriage (though it continued beyond her death, which the passage does not make clear). Rolfe asked permission to marry her (E).