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Unseen Passage for Class 5 – Mixed

Reading comprehension lesson 20: Class 5 practice test · Set 14 · 12 questions
TalentJR

Reading tip (Scan, then read closely): Read the passage once for the main idea. Scan for the key word of the question. Read that sentence closely and choose the option it proves.

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  1. 1.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.

    What was in the dusty corner?
    (a) Old maps (b) Broken chairs (c) Toys (d) Old books
  2. 2.Ladakh is a cold desert high in the Himalayas. It gets very little rain or snow, so the mountains are mostly bare and brown. Winters are freezing, and temperatures can drop far below zero. The air is thin at this height, so visitors must rest on their first day. People grow barley and apricots in the short summer. Yaks give milk, wool and help to carry loads. Buddhist monasteries, called gompas, stand on hilltops. Pangong Lake changes colour from blue to green during the day.

    What kind of desert is Ladakh?
    (a) A cold desert (b) A sandy desert (c) A hot desert (d) A salt desert
  3. 3.Nandini lived in a fishing village in Odisha. Her father went to sea every morning in a small boat. One evening, dark clouds gathered and the wind grew strong. Her father’s boat had not come back. Nandini ran to the lighthouse keeper, Uncle Biju. He turned on the bright lamp at the top of the tower. The light guided the boats safely to the shore. Nandini hugged her father as he stepped onto the sand.

    In which state was Nandini’s village?
    (a) Goa (b) Gujarat (c) Odisha (d) Kerala
  4. 4.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”.

    How long did the bridge take to build?
    (a) Ten days (b) One year (c) Two days (d) One month
  5. 5.Meghalaya is a hilly state in north-east India. Its name means “the abode of clouds”. Some places in Meghalaya get more rain than almost anywhere else on Earth. In the villages near Cherrapunji, people have made living root bridges. They guide the roots of rubber fig trees across streams. Over many years, the roots grow thick and strong enough to walk on. Some bridges are hundreds of years old. Unlike wooden bridges, they grow stronger with time.

    True or false: Meghalaya gets very little rain.
    (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.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.

    Who do people believe visits during Onam?
    (a) King Mahabali (b) The Sun God (c) Their teacher (d) A sea king
  7. 7.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.

    Why are camels useful in the desert?
    (a) They are very small (b) They run very fast (c) They can climb trees (d) They can walk on sand
  8. 8.Meera’s class was planning a trip to the zoo. Everyone had to bring a water bottle and a cap. On the day of the trip, it was very hot. Meera saw that her friend Salma had forgotten her cap. Meera had two caps in her bag, so she gave one to Salma. At the zoo, they watched the tigers sleep in the shade. They also fed the deer with leaves. On the bus home, Salma thanked Meera for the cap.

    Where was the class going?
    (a) To a museum (b) To the zoo (c) To a park (d) To a farm
  9. 9.Dasan was a fisherman in a coastal village in Tamil Nadu. He knew the sea better than anyone in his village. One stormy night, a small boat with three young fishermen was caught in big waves. Everyone else was too scared to go out. Dasan tied a rope to his own boat and rowed into the storm. After an hour, he came back pulling the small boat behind him. All three young men were safe. Since then, Dasan has trained many villagers to swim and save lives at sea.

    How many young fishermen were in the small boat?
    (a) Two (b) Four (c) Three (d) Five
  10. 10.Dasan was a fisherman in a coastal village in Tamil Nadu. He knew the sea better than anyone in his village. One stormy night, a small boat with three young fishermen was caught in big waves. Everyone else was too scared to go out. Dasan tied a rope to his own boat and rowed into the storm. After an hour, he came back pulling the small boat behind him. All three young men were safe. Since then, Dasan has trained many villagers to swim and save lives at sea.

    What has Dasan trained villagers to do?
    (a) Sell fish (b) Make nets (c) Build boats (d) Swim and save lives
  11. 11.Bhimrao was a farmer in a dry village in Maharashtra. For many years, his wells dried up before summer. He watched the rainwater rush away down the hill every monsoon. One year, he dug a small pond at the low end of his field. He also planted trees along the edges to hold the soil. The pond filled with rain and slowly soaked into the ground. The next summer, his well still had water. Soon, ten other farmers in the village dug ponds too.

    What happened the next summer?
    (a) His well dried up (b) His well had water (c) His trees died (d) He sold his farm
  12. 12.Ananya and her friends went trekking in the hills near Shimla. Their guide, Bhola, walked in front with a stick. After two hours, thick fog covered the path. Bhola told everyone to hold hands and walk slowly. He knew the path by the sound of a small waterfall. Soon the fog cleared, and they saw snowy peaks far away. Ananya took a photo and shared her biscuits with Bhola.

    What covered the path after two hours?
    (a) Heavy snow (b) Big rocks (c) Tall grass (d) Thick fog

Answer key

  1. Old books
  2. A cold desert
  3. Odisha
  4. Ten days
  5. False
  6. King Mahabali
  7. They can walk on sand
  8. To the zoo
  9. Three
  10. Swim and save lives
  11. His well had water
  12. Thick fog

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