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Unseen Passage for Class 5 with Questions

Reading comprehension lesson 17: Story unseen passages · Set 375 · 12 questions
TalentJR

Reading tip (Read twice): Read the passage once for the whole story. Read the question, then scan the passage for its key word. For the best title, choose the one that covers the whole passage, not just one line.

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  1. 1.Priya’s grandfather grew mangoes in his orchard in Ratnagiri. In summer, Priya visited him during the holidays. Every morning, they walked between the trees to check the ripe fruit. Grandfather taught her to pick a mango gently with a long pole and a net. They packed the mangoes in boxes lined with hay. The hay kept the fruit from getting bruised. On the last day, Priya took a box home for her neighbours.

    Why were the boxes lined with hay?
    (a) To keep them cold (b) To make them sweet (c) To keep insects off (d) To stop bruising
  2. 2.Tashi lived in a village high in the mountains of Sikkim. The nearest school was across a cold, rushing river. A narrow wooden bridge hung over the water. One spring, the bridge was damaged in a landslide. For a week, Tashi studied at home by lamp light. Then the army built a strong new bridge. On his first day back, Tashi ran across it with a big smile. His teacher gave him extra lessons to catch up.

    How long did Tashi study at home?
    (a) A week (b) A year (c) A day (d) A month
  3. 3.Lakshmi’s village had no bridge over the stream. In the rainy season, the water rose high and children could not reach school. One year, the villagers decided to build a bamboo bridge. The men cut bamboo, and the women tied it with strong ropes. The children carried water and food for the workers. In ten days, the bridge was ready. Now everyone could cross the stream even in the rains. Lakshmi called it the “Together Bridge”.

    Why could children not reach school in the rainy season?
    (a) The water rose high (b) The road was closed (c) It was too cold (d) The school was shut
  4. 4.Arjun wanted to win the school running race. Every evening, he ran three rounds of the playground. His grandfather timed him with an old watch. On the day of the race, Arjun started fast. Near the end, his friend Tenzin tripped and fell. Arjun stopped to help him up. They crossed the finish line together, last of all. The principal gave them a special prize for kindness.

    Which word in the passage is the opposite of “first”?
    (a) Late (b) Fast (c) Last (d) Next
  5. 5.The library in Kiran’s school had a dusty corner full of old books. Nobody went there. Kiran asked the librarian if she could tidy it. With two friends, she wiped the shelves and sorted the books by subject. They made colourful labels and a small reading mat. They named the corner “The Treasure Shelf”. Now younger children sit there every lunch break. The librarian says it is the busiest corner of the library.

    Whom did Kiran ask?
    (a) The principal (b) Her mother (c) Her friends (d) The librarian
  6. 6.Every Saturday, the children of Green Lane Colony cleaned their park. Some picked up plastic wrappers. Others swept the dry leaves into heaps. Gurpreet made a big sign that said, “Keep Our Park Clean.” Her friend Aditya painted the old benches blue. Soon, people stopped throwing litter in the park. The colony secretary gave the children a basket of fruit. Now the park is the cleanest in the town.

    What did Gurpreet make?
    (a) A bench (b) A basket (c) A dustbin (d) A big sign
  7. 7.Joseph loved flying kites on the terrace. On Makar Sankranti, the sky over Ahmedabad was full of colourful kites. Joseph’s kite was yellow with a green tail. It flew higher than all the others. Suddenly, the string broke and the kite drifted away. Joseph felt sad for a moment. Then his neighbour, Aunty Farida, gave him a new kite. Joseph smiled and flew it with her son till sunset.

    What does “drifted” mean in the passage?
    (a) Was pulled back (b) Moved away slowly (c) Got torn (d) Fell down fast
  8. 8.Imran’s school started a vegetable garden behind the library. Each class got a small patch of land. Class 5 planted tomatoes, spinach and beans. Imran watered the plants every day during the lunch break. One week, insects began to eat the spinach leaves. The teacher showed them how to spray water mixed with neem. The insects went away. In winter, the class cooked a spinach soup for the whole school.

    When did Imran water the plants?
    (a) On Sundays (b) Before school (c) After school (d) During lunch break
  9. 9.Zoya was nervous about singing at the school function. Her hands shook whenever she practised in front of others. Her music teacher told her to look at one friendly face in the crowd. On the big day, Zoya walked onto the stage. She found her grandmother sitting in the front row. Grandma smiled and nodded. Zoya took a deep breath and began to sing. When she finished, the hall filled with loud clapping.

    What happened when she finished?
    (a) Loud clapping (b) The lights went off (c) She cried (d) Everyone left
  10. 10.Rahul’s family moved from a village to the big city of Mumbai. Everything felt fast and noisy. Trains rushed past every few minutes, and the roads were full of cars. Rahul missed the quiet fields and his old friends. In his new school, a boy named Sameer sat next to him. Sameer showed him the library and the playground. Soon they began to walk home together every day. Rahul started to like the busy city.

    Where did Rahul’s family move to?
    (a) Mumbai (b) Delhi (c) Chennai (d) Pune
  11. 11.Ayesha’s cycle got a flat tyre on the way to school. She was far from home and the bell would ring soon. An old man at a small repair shop saw her worried face. He fixed the tyre in ten minutes. Ayesha had no money with her, but he said, “Pay me tomorrow.” She reached school just in time. The next day, she brought him the money and a box of sweets. He laughed and shared the sweets with her.

    Why did Ayesha not pay at once?
    (a) She forgot (b) She had no money (c) It was free (d) The man was busy
  12. 12.Lakshmi’s village had no bridge over the stream. In the rainy season, the water rose high and children could not reach school. One year, the villagers decided to build a bamboo bridge. The men cut bamboo, and the women tied it with strong ropes. The children carried water and food for the workers. In ten days, the bridge was ready. Now everyone could cross the stream even in the rains. Lakshmi called it the “Together Bridge”.

    What did the children do?
    (a) Cut the bamboo (b) Carried water and food (c) Tied the ropes (d) Planned the bridge

Answer key

  1. To stop bruising
  2. A week
  3. The water rose high
  4. Last
  5. The librarian
  6. A big sign
  7. Moved away slowly
  8. During lunch break
  9. Loud clapping
  10. Mumbai
  11. She had no money
  12. Carried water and food

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