← Class 5 practice test lesson New set →

Unseen Passage for Class 5 – Mixed

Reading comprehension lesson 20: Class 5 practice test · Set 190 · 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 Lakshmi call the bridge?
    (a) The School Bridge (b) The Bamboo Bridge (c) The Together Bridge (d) The Rainy Bridge
  2. 2.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 can walk on sand (b) They are very small (c) They can climb trees (d) They run very fast
  3. 3.Thangam lived in a village in the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu. Her family grew vegetables, but the plants gave few beans. A visitor from the farm college told her that bees help plants make fruit and seeds. Thangam learned to keep bees in wooden boxes. She placed the boxes at the edge of the fields. That season, the plants gave many more beans. She also sold honey at the weekly market. Now many families in her village keep bees too.

    Where did Thangam live?
    (a) In a big city (b) In the Thar desert (c) Near the sea (d) In the Nilgiri hills
  4. 4.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.

    How long did the man take to fix it?
    (a) Ten minutes (b) Two hours (c) Five minutes (d) One hour
  5. 5.Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims at the end of Ramzan, the month of fasting. During Ramzan, people do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. Eid begins when the new moon is seen in the sky. On Eid morning, people wear new clothes and offer special prayers. Families give food and money to the poor. Friends hug one another and say “Eid Mubarak”. A sweet dish called sheer khurma is made with milk, vermicelli and dates. Children receive gifts called Eidi from elders.

    When does Eid begin?
    (a) When the new moon shows (b) When it rains (c) At noon (d) At midnight
  6. 6.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.

    What did they use to pick mangoes?
    (a) Their bare hands (b) A basket (c) A pole and a net (d) A ladder
  7. 7.Holi is the festival of colours, usually celebrated in March. It marks the end of winter and the coming of spring. On the night before Holi, people light a bonfire called Holika Dahan. The bonfire stands for good winning over evil. Next morning, friends throw coloured powder, called gulal, at one another. Children fill water guns, called pichkaris, with coloured water. Many people now use colours made from flowers, which are safe for the skin. Later, everyone washes up and shares sweets like gujiya.

    Why are colours made from flowers good?
    (a) They are cheap (b) They smell bad (c) They are safe for skin (d) They last for weeks
  8. 8.Diwali is called the festival of lights. It is celebrated in October or November, on the darkest night of the month. Before Diwali, people clean their homes and buy new clothes. In the evening, rows of small clay lamps called diyas are lit everywhere. Many families draw rangoli patterns with coloured powder at the door. People share sweets with neighbours and friends. Many people now choose green celebrations without loud crackers. The lights stand for the victory of good over evil.

    What do people do before Diwali?
    (a) Go to school (b) Clean their homes (c) Plant trees (d) Fly kites
  9. 9.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 was the problem with his wells?
    (a) They dried up (b) They were dirty (c) They overflowed (d) They were too deep
  10. 10.Kaziranga National Park is in Assam, on the banks of the Brahmaputra river. It is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros. More than half of all one-horned rhinos in the world live here. The park has tall elephant grass, swamps and forests. Tigers, wild elephants and wild buffaloes also live in the park. Every year, floods cover parts of the park, and animals move to higher ground. Visitors can see the animals from an open jeep.

    Kaziranga is famous for which animal?
    (a) Camel (b) Asiatic lion (c) Snow leopard (d) One-horned rhinoceros
  11. 11.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 books (b) Old maps (c) Toys (d) Broken chairs
  12. 12.Durga Puja is the biggest festival of West Bengal. It is held in autumn, usually in October. Artists spend months making clay idols of Goddess Durga. The idols are placed in large decorated tents called pandals. For five days, people visit pandals, pray and enjoy music and food. Many pandals are built to look like palaces or temples. On the last day, the idols are carried to a river and immersed in the water. People say goodbye and hope the goddess returns next year.

    For how many days do people visit pandals?
    (a) Three (b) Ten (c) Two (d) Five

Answer key

  1. The Together Bridge
  2. They can walk on sand
  3. In the Nilgiri hills
  4. Ten minutes
  5. When the new moon shows
  6. A pole and a net
  7. They are safe for skin
  8. Clean their homes
  9. They dried up
  10. One-horned rhinoceros
  11. Old books
  12. Five

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