Unseen Passage for Class 5 – Mixed

Reading comprehension lesson 20: Class 5 practice test · Set 262 · 12 questions

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.

1. 1.As a child in Kochi, Sherin loved watching the big blue buses go by. Her uncle was a bus driver, and he sometimes let her sit in the front seat. People laughed when she said she would drive a bus one day. Sherin learned to drive a scooter, then a car, and then a heavy vehicle. She practised for months and passed a difficult driving test. At twenty-four, she became the first woman bus driver in her depot. She says, “Never let anyone laugh away your dream.”
   
   What did people do when she spoke of her dream? (a) They cried (b) They clapped (c) They laughed (d) They helped
2. 2.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.
   
   On which date is Christmas celebrated? (a) 25 December (b) 1 January (c) 31 December (d) 25 January
3. 3.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.
   
   In which city did Riya live? (a) Kolkata (b) Pune (c) Delhi (d) Chennai
4. 4.The Rann of Kutch is a huge salt desert in Gujarat. During the monsoon, it is flooded with sea water. When the water dries up in winter, a thick white layer of salt is left behind. On a full-moon night, the white land seems to glow. Every winter, a festival called Rann Utsav is held there. Visitors stay in tents and enjoy folk music and crafts. Flamingos come to the wetlands nearby to breed. Wild asses, found almost nowhere else, also live in this area.
   
   Which birds come nearby to breed? (a) Peacocks (b) Parrots (c) Eagles (d) Flamingos
5. 5.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 rivers (b) In clay lamps (c) In the sand (d) In tanks and step-wells
6. 6.Deepa wanted to bake a cake for her mother’s birthday. She had never baked before. Her neighbour Aunty Rosa offered to help her. They mixed flour, sugar, butter and eggs in a big bowl. Deepa added some cocoa to make it a chocolate cake. The cake baked in the oven for forty minutes. The kitchen smelled wonderful. When Mother came home, Deepa shouted, “Surprise!” Mother was so happy that she hugged both of them.
   
   True or false: Deepa had baked many cakes before. (a) False (b) True
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) Fell down fast (c) Moved away slowly (d) Got torn
8. 8.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.
   
   What is gulal? (a) A bonfire (b) A water gun (c) Coloured powder (d) A sweet
9. 9.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.
   
   What happens on the last day? (a) Idols are immersed (b) Pandals are built (c) Idols are made (d) A fair begins
10. 10.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 school was shut (b) It was too cold (c) The water rose high (d) The road was closed
11. 11.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.
    
    Why do families visit Shimla in summer? (a) To swim in the sea (b) To see the snow (c) To escape the heat (d) To see the desert
12. 12.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) The Sun God (b) A sea king (c) King Mahabali (d) Their teacher

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