← Class 5 practice test lesson New set →

Unseen Passage for Class 5 – Mixed

Reading comprehension lesson 20: Class 5 practice test · Set 175 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 12
  1. 1.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) Carried water and food (b) Planned the bridge (c) Tied the ropes (d) Cut the bamboo
  2. 2.Pongal is a harvest festival of Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated in the middle of January and lasts for four days. Families thank the Sun God for a good harvest. They boil fresh rice with milk and jaggery in a new clay pot. When the pot boils over, people shout, “Pongalo Pongal!” The overflowing pot is a sign of plenty. On the third day, cattle are washed and decorated with paint and bells. Houses are decorated with colourful kolams at the door.

    How many days does Pongal last?
    (a) Seven (b) Ten (c) Four (d) Two
  3. 3.The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It lies where the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers meet the sea, in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Mangrove trees can grow in salty water. Their roots stick up out of the mud to breathe. The forest is home to the Royal Bengal tiger, which can swim well. Crocodiles, deer and many birds also live there. The mangroves protect the land from strong storms from the sea. People travel through the forest by boat.

    How do people travel through the forest?
    (a) By camel (b) By boat (c) By train (d) By bus
  4. 4.Joseph Pinto was the postman of a group of hill villages in Goa for thirty years. He walked about fifteen kilometres every day, because there were no roads for vehicles. In the rains, he wrapped the letters in plastic to keep them dry. Many old people could not read, so he read their letters aloud to them. He also wrote replies for them. When he retired, the villagers held a party under the big mango tree. They gave him a walking stick carved with all their names.

    What was Joseph Pinto’s job?
    (a) Postman (b) Farmer (c) Teacher (d) Driver
  5. 5.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.

    Why could Meera give a cap to Salma?
    (a) Teacher gave one (b) She bought a cap (c) She had two caps (d) She found a cap
  6. 6.Riya and her brother found a lost puppy outside their building in Pune. It was wet and shivering after the rain. Riya wrapped it in an old towel. Her brother brought a bowl of warm milk. The puppy had a blue collar with a phone number on it. Their mother called the number. An hour later, a young girl came running to their door. She hugged the puppy and thanked them again and again.

    How did they find the owner?
    (a) Called the number (b) Went to a vet (c) Asked the guard (d) Put up posters
  7. 7.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.

    What damaged the bridge?
    (a) A flood (b) A landslide (c) A storm (d) An elephant
  8. 8.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.

    What guided the boats to the shore?
    (a) A loud horn (b) The lighthouse light (c) The moon (d) A big fire
  9. 9.Every morning, Rupa rows a boat across the wide river in her village in Assam. Before, children had to wait for a ferry that came only twice a day. Many of them missed school. Rupa had grown up rowing with her father, who was a boatman. She decided to take the children across herself. She leaves at seven every morning and comes back for them at three. She asks for no money. Parents say their children have not missed a day since.

    At what time does she leave in the morning?
    (a) Eight (b) Six (c) Seven (d) Three
  10. 10.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.

    Where are the snake boat races held?
    (a) On the roads (b) On the rivers (c) In the hills (d) In school
  11. 11.Suresh worked as a guard in a factory in Ranchi. On Sundays, he coached cricket in an empty field near his home. At first only boys came. One day, a girl named Salma asked if she could play too. Suresh gave her a bat and watched her hit the ball over the fence. Soon more girls joined, and he started a girls’ team. He bought balls and pads with his own savings. Last year, his team won the district cup.

    What was Suresh’s job?
    (a) A teacher (b) A farmer (c) A guard (d) A driver
  12. 12.Tsering Dorje was an electrician in a small village in Ladakh. In winter, the village often lost power for days. Tsering learned how to set up solar panels at a training camp in Leh. He fixed panels on the roof of the village school first. Now the classrooms have lights even on the coldest days. Then he helped every home in the village get a solar lamp. Children can study after dark. The villagers call him the man who brought the sun indoors.

    Where did he fix panels first?
    (a) On the temple (b) On the school roof (c) On a shop (d) On his own house

Answer key

  1. Carried water and food
  2. Four
  3. By boat
  4. Postman
  5. She had two caps
  6. Called the number
  7. A landslide
  8. The lighthouse light
  9. Seven
  10. On the rivers
  11. A guard
  12. On the school roof

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