Unseen Passage for Class 5 – Festivals and Places

Reading comprehension lesson 18: Festivals and places of India · Set 289 · 12 questions

Reading tip (Facts by place and time): Find the place, the time of year and what people do. Answer from the passage, even if you know more about it. For word meanings, read the sentence around the word.

1. 1.The Thar Desert lies mostly in Rajasthan, in the north-west of India. It is a land of sand dunes, thorny bushes and very little rain. Days in summer are extremely hot, but nights can be cool. Camels are useful here because they can walk on sand and go without water for days. That is why the camel is called the ship of the desert. People store rainwater in tanks and step-wells. Jaisalmer, a city of golden stone, stands in this desert.
   
   Where do people store rainwater? (a) In clay lamps (b) In rivers (c) In the sand (d) In tanks and step-wells
2. 2.Baisakhi is a harvest festival celebrated mainly in Punjab. It falls on 13 or 14 April every year. By this time, the wheat crop is ripe and ready to be cut. Farmers thank God for a good harvest. For Sikhs, the day is also important because the Khalsa was founded on Baisakhi. People visit gurdwaras and share a free meal called langar. Men and women dance the bhangra and giddha to the beat of the dhol. Fairs with swings and food stalls are held in many villages.
   
   In which state is Baisakhi mainly celebrated? (a) Kerala (b) Punjab (c) Assam (d) Goa
3. 3.In Goa, Christmas is a big festival celebrated on 25 December. Weeks before, families clean and paint their homes. They hang paper stars outside their windows. Many homes make a crib, a small model of the place where Jesus was born. On Christmas Eve, people go to church for midnight Mass. Families share special sweets like kulkuls and neureos with neighbours. Streets glow with lights, and choirs sing carols. Friends of all faiths join in the fun.
   
   What do people hang outside their windows? (a) Paper stars (b) Kites (c) Flower garlands (d) Clay lamps
4. 4.Shimla is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh. It is built on the slopes of green hills covered with pine and deodar trees. In summer, the weather is cool, so many families visit to escape the heat of the plains. In winter, snow often covers the roofs and roads. A small toy train climbs up to Shimla from Kalka. It passes through more than a hundred tunnels. The main street, called the Mall Road, has no cars. People walk there and enjoy the views of the mountains.
   
   In which state is Shimla? (a) Uttarakhand (b) Punjab (c) Sikkim (d) Himachal Pradesh
5. 5.Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival, celebrated with great joy in Maharashtra. It usually falls in August or September. Families bring home clay idols of Lord Ganesha, who has the head of an elephant. The idol is decorated with flowers and worshipped every day. A sweet dumpling called modak is offered to him. Many neighbourhoods set up large public pandals. On the last day, the idols are taken in processions and immersed in water. Many families now choose clay idols that do not harm rivers.
   
   When are the idols immersed? (a) On the last day (b) On the first day (c) Every morning (d) Before the festival
6. 6.The Hornbill Festival is held in Nagaland every year from 1 to 10 December. It is named after the hornbill, a large bird with a big curved beak. The bird is important in the stories and songs of the Naga people. The festival takes place at a heritage village called Kisama, near Kohima. Many tribes of Nagaland come together to show their dances, songs and crafts. Visitors can watch traditional games and taste local food. The festival helps keep old traditions alive.
   
   What does the festival help to do? (a) Grow more rice (b) Build new roads (c) Sell birds (d) Keep traditions alive
7. 7.Shimla is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh. It is built on the slopes of green hills covered with pine and deodar trees. In summer, the weather is cool, so many families visit to escape the heat of the plains. In winter, snow often covers the roofs and roads. A small toy train climbs up to Shimla from Kalka. It passes through more than a hundred tunnels. The main street, called the Mall Road, has no cars. People walk there and enjoy the views of the mountains.
   
   From where does the toy train climb to Shimla? (a) Kalka (b) Amritsar (c) Manali (d) Delhi
8. 8.The Hornbill Festival is held in Nagaland every year from 1 to 10 December. It is named after the hornbill, a large bird with a big curved beak. The bird is important in the stories and songs of the Naga people. The festival takes place at a heritage village called Kisama, near Kohima. Many tribes of Nagaland come together to show their dances, songs and crafts. Visitors can watch traditional games and taste local food. The festival helps keep old traditions alive.
   
   In which state is the Hornbill Festival held? (a) Mizoram (b) Assam (c) Nagaland (d) Manipur
9. 9.Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala. It falls in August or September, after the monsoon. People believe that the kind King Mahabali visits his people at this time. To welcome him, families make pookalam, a carpet of flower petals, in front of their homes. A grand meal called sadya is served on a banana leaf. It has more than twenty dishes. Snake boat races are held on the rivers. Everyone wears new clothes, and the whole state is full of joy.
   
   What is a pookalam? (a) A carpet of petals (b) A new dress (c) A boat race (d) A big meal
10. 10.The backwaters of Kerala are a network of calm lakes, rivers and canals near the sea. Coconut palms line their banks. Many villages lie along the water, and people use boats to go to school, work and market. Houseboats called kettuvallams carry visitors slowly along the canals. Long ago, these boats carried rice and spices. Ducks swim beside the boats, and fishermen throw their nets. Alappuzha is one of the best places to see the backwaters. The quiet waters make it a peaceful place to visit.
    
    Which trees line the banks? (a) Banyan trees (b) Pine trees (c) Coconut palms (d) Mango trees
11. 11.Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival, celebrated with great joy in Maharashtra. It usually falls in August or September. Families bring home clay idols of Lord Ganesha, who has the head of an elephant. The idol is decorated with flowers and worshipped every day. A sweet dumpling called modak is offered to him. Many neighbourhoods set up large public pandals. On the last day, the idols are taken in processions and immersed in water. Many families now choose clay idols that do not harm rivers.
    
    Why do many families choose clay idols now? (a) They do not harm rivers (b) They shine more (c) They are cheaper (d) They are bigger
12. 12.Baisakhi is a harvest festival celebrated mainly in Punjab. It falls on 13 or 14 April every year. By this time, the wheat crop is ripe and ready to be cut. Farmers thank God for a good harvest. For Sikhs, the day is also important because the Khalsa was founded on Baisakhi. People visit gurdwaras and share a free meal called langar. Men and women dance the bhangra and giddha to the beat of the dhol. Fairs with swings and food stalls are held in many villages.
    
    To the beat of which drum do people dance? (a) Damru (b) Tabla (c) Mridangam (d) Dhol

Free reading comprehension lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/reading-comprehension