← Science and environment passages lesson New set →

Unseen Passage for Class 6 with Questions

Reading comprehension lesson 21: Science and environment passages · Set 115 · 12 questions
TalentJR

Reading tip (Cause and effect): Find the topic of the passage in the first sentence. Look for cause-and-effect words: because, so, as a result. Work out new science words from the sentence that explains them.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 12
  1. 1.Sound is made when something vibrates, or moves quickly back and forth. When you pluck a sitar string, it vibrates and makes a sound. The vibrations travel through the air to our ears. Sound can also travel through water and solids. In fact, it moves faster through solids than through air. Sound cannot travel through empty space, where there is no air. That is why space is completely silent. Loud sounds for a long time can harm our hearing.

    Why is space completely silent?
    (a) There is no air (b) It is too big (c) It is too cold (d) It is too dark
  2. 2.Bees visit flowers to collect sweet nectar. While they feed, yellow dust called pollen sticks to their hairy bodies. When a bee flies to the next flower, some pollen rubs off. This carrying of pollen is called pollination. Pollination helps plants make fruits and seeds. Mangoes, apples and many vegetables depend on it. Without bees, farmers would harvest far less food. So bees are tiny helpers of every farm.

    What is the yellow dust on flowers called?
    (a) nectar (b) wax (c) pollen (d) honey
  3. 3.The monsoon is a seasonal wind that brings rain to India. In summer, the land heats up faster than the sea. Moist winds then blow from the sea towards the land. The south-west monsoon usually reaches Kerala in early June. Over the next few weeks, it spreads across most of the country. Farmers wait eagerly for it because many crops need its rain. Rice, for example, grows in fields full of water. A weak monsoon can mean a poor harvest.

    Why do farmers wait eagerly for the monsoon?
    (a) It brings snow (b) Schools close (c) It is cool (d) Crops need its rain
  4. 4.Green plants make their own food. This process is called photosynthesis. Leaves take in carbon dioxide from the air through tiny holes. Roots take up water from the soil. A green substance in the leaves, called chlorophyll, traps sunlight. Using the energy of sunlight, the leaf turns water and carbon dioxide into sugar. Oxygen is given out into the air. Animals and people breathe in this oxygen.

    What is the green substance in leaves called?
    (a) oxygen (b) sugar (c) carbon dioxide (d) chlorophyll
  5. 5.In many Indian cities, people face water shortages in summer. Rainwater harvesting is one simple answer. Rain falling on rooftops is collected through pipes. It is then stored in tanks or sent into the ground through pits. Water sent into the ground raises the level of water in wells. A single roof can collect thousands of litres in one monsoon. Some states have made rainwater harvesting compulsory for new buildings. Saving rain today means more water tomorrow.

    What does “compulsory” mean here?
    (a) Must be done (b) Done for fun (c) Not allowed (d) Very costly
  6. 6.Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the sky. It happens when electric charges build up inside storm clouds. A flash of lightning heats the air around it very quickly. The hot air expands with a loud bang, which we hear as thunder. Light travels much faster than sound. That is why we see the flash before we hear the thunder. During a thunderstorm, stay indoors and away from tall trees. Standing under a tree is not safe, as lightning often strikes tall objects.

    What is lightning?
    (a) A falling star (b) A gust of wind (c) A burst of rain (d) A spark of electricity
  7. 7.Earthworms are called the farmer’s friends. They dig tunnels as they move through the soil. These tunnels let air and water reach plant roots. Earthworms eat dead leaves and bits of rotting plants. Their waste, called castings, makes the soil rich. A field with many earthworms is usually healthy. Chemical sprays can kill these helpful creatures. So many farmers now use natural manure instead.

    What can kill earthworms?
    (a) Natural manure (b) Chemical sprays (c) Dead leaves (d) Rain water
  8. 8.Green plants make their own food. This process is called photosynthesis. Leaves take in carbon dioxide from the air through tiny holes. Roots take up water from the soil. A green substance in the leaves, called chlorophyll, traps sunlight. Using the energy of sunlight, the leaf turns water and carbon dioxide into sugar. Oxygen is given out into the air. Animals and people breathe in this oxygen.

    What do leaves take in from the air?
    (a) water (b) carbon dioxide (c) oxygen (d) sugar
  9. 9.Green plants make their own food. This process is called photosynthesis. Leaves take in carbon dioxide from the air through tiny holes. Roots take up water from the soil. A green substance in the leaves, called chlorophyll, traps sunlight. Using the energy of sunlight, the leaf turns water and carbon dioxide into sugar. Oxygen is given out into the air. Animals and people breathe in this oxygen.

    What is the main idea of the passage?
    (a) Why leaves fall (b) How roots grow long (c) How plants make food (d) Why animals breathe
  10. 10.Every living thing needs food for energy. Plants make their own food using sunlight. A grasshopper eats grass. A frog eats the grasshopper. A snake eats the frog, and an eagle eats the snake. This link of who eats whom is called a food chain. Every food chain begins with a green plant. If one link disappears, the whole chain is affected.

    What does the frog eat?
    (a) The snake (b) The grasshopper (c) The eagle (d) The grass
  11. 11.Bees visit flowers to collect sweet nectar. While they feed, yellow dust called pollen sticks to their hairy bodies. When a bee flies to the next flower, some pollen rubs off. This carrying of pollen is called pollination. Pollination helps plants make fruits and seeds. Mangoes, apples and many vegetables depend on it. Without bees, farmers would harvest far less food. So bees are tiny helpers of every farm.

    What does pollination help plants make?
    (a) Fruits and seeds (b) Bark and wood (c) Roots and stems (d) Leaves and thorns
  12. 12.A vaccine helps the body fight a disease before the disease attacks. It contains a weak or harmless form of a germ. The body’s defence system learns to recognise it. It then makes special fighters called antibodies. Later, if the real germ enters, the body knows how to beat it quickly. Children in India get vaccines against polio, measles and other diseases. Most vaccines are given as injections, but the polio vaccine can be given as drops. Vaccines have saved millions of lives.

    How can the polio vaccine be given?
    (a) As a tablet (b) As drops (c) As a bandage (d) As a cream

Answer key

  1. There is no air
  2. pollen
  3. Crops need its rain
  4. chlorophyll
  5. Must be done
  6. A spark of electricity
  7. Chemical sprays
  8. carbon dioxide
  9. How plants make food
  10. The grasshopper
  11. Fruits and seeds
  12. As drops

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