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Unseen Passage for Class 6 – Stories

Reading comprehension lesson 23: Stories with characters · Set 167 · 12 questions
TalentJR

Reading tip (Why did they do it?): Find the main character and the problem. For “why”, find the reason written in the story. For feelings, look for words like proud, worried or ashamed.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 12
  1. 1.Nisha loved the small river behind her town. Last summer, she noticed it was full of plastic bottles and bags. The fish she used to watch had vanished. She made posters and asked her classmates to help. Twenty students came on the first Sunday. They filled forty sacks with rubbish in one morning. The town council then put up bins and a sign that read, “Keep our river clean.” By the next monsoon, Nisha spotted fish again.

    What does “vanished” mean in the passage?
    (a) Become pink (b) Come back (c) Disappeared (d) Grown bigger
  2. 2.A new girl named Lakshmi joined Tenzin’s class in July. She had moved from a village in Tamil Nadu and spoke little Hindi. At lunch, she sat alone under the neem tree. Some children laughed at her accent. Tenzin remembered his own first day in Delhi, when he too had felt lost. He sat beside her and shared his momos. Lakshmi taught him a few Tamil words in return. By August, the two were the best of friends.

    Why did Tenzin understand how Lakshmi felt?
    (a) He felt lost once too (b) He knew Tamil (c) The teacher told him (d) She was his cousin
  3. 3.Imran’s father grew tomatoes on a small farm. One year, there were too many tomatoes, and prices fell very low. Many farmers threw away their crop. Imran had an idea. With his mother’s help, he turned the extra tomatoes into ketchup and chutney. They sold the jars at the weekly market in their town. Soon, shopkeepers began ordering more. That year, the family earned more than ever before.

    Who helped Imran?
    (a) A shopkeeper (b) His teacher (c) His mother (d) His father
  4. 4.Anjali was playing ball indoors when she knocked over her mother’s favourite vase. It broke into three pieces. Her younger brother Vivek said they could hide the pieces under the bed. Anjali was tempted, but she knew that would be dishonest. When her mother came home, Anjali told her the truth. Her mother was sad about the vase. But she hugged Anjali and said she was proud of her honesty. Together, they glued the pieces and used it as a pen stand.

    How did the vase break?
    (a) Anjali knocked it over (b) The cat pushed it (c) The wind blew it (d) Vivek dropped it
  5. 5.Arjun was always in a hurry. One morning, he took a shortcut across the railway tracks to reach school early. A signalman shouted at him to stop. Seconds later, a goods train thundered past. Arjun’s legs were shaking as he stepped back. The signalman explained that trains are much faster than they look. From that day, Arjun always used the footbridge. He now says it is better to be late than to be sorry.

    What happened seconds later?
    (a) It started raining (b) A bus arrived (c) The bell rang (d) A goods train passed
  6. 6.Nisha loved the small river behind her town. Last summer, she noticed it was full of plastic bottles and bags. The fish she used to watch had vanished. She made posters and asked her classmates to help. Twenty students came on the first Sunday. They filled forty sacks with rubbish in one morning. The town council then put up bins and a sign that read, “Keep our river clean.” By the next monsoon, Nisha spotted fish again.

    How many students came on the first Sunday?
    (a) Twenty (b) Five (c) Forty (d) Ten
  7. 7.Anjali was playing ball indoors when she knocked over her mother’s favourite vase. It broke into three pieces. Her younger brother Vivek said they could hide the pieces under the bed. Anjali was tempted, but she knew that would be dishonest. When her mother came home, Anjali told her the truth. Her mother was sad about the vase. But she hugged Anjali and said she was proud of her honesty. Together, they glued the pieces and used it as a pen stand.

    Why was her mother proud of Anjali?
    (a) She scored well (b) The vase was fixed (c) Vivek helped her (d) She told the truth
  8. 8.Joseph’s grandfather wanted to video call his daughter in Canada. But he found the smartphone confusing. Joseph, who was twelve, offered to teach him. Every evening, they practised for fifteen minutes. Joseph wrote the steps in big letters on a card. Grandfather made mistakes but never gave up. After two weeks, he made his first call on his own. His face lit up when his daughter appeared on the screen.

    How long did they practise each evening?
    (a) One hour (b) Five minutes (c) Two hours (d) Fifteen minutes
  9. 9.Nisha loved the small river behind her town. Last summer, she noticed it was full of plastic bottles and bags. The fish she used to watch had vanished. She made posters and asked her classmates to help. Twenty students came on the first Sunday. They filled forty sacks with rubbish in one morning. The town council then put up bins and a sign that read, “Keep our river clean.” By the next monsoon, Nisha spotted fish again.

    What did Nisha notice last summer?
    (a) Fish in the river (b) Flowers on the bank (c) A new bridge (d) Plastic in the river
  10. 10.Meenal wanted to build a water filter for the science fair. Her first model leaked, and her second one was too slow. She almost gave up. Her grandmother reminded her how long it took to learn to ride a cycle. So Meenal tried a third time, with layers of sand, charcoal and pebbles. This time, muddy water came out clear. She did not win first prize, but the judges praised her patience. Meenal realised that trying again was a prize in itself.

    What layers did the third filter have?
    (a) Cotton, paper, glass (b) Mud, leaves, sticks (c) Salt, sugar, rice (d) Sand, charcoal, pebbles
  11. 11.Priya was chosen to recite a poem at the Republic Day function. She practised it perfectly at home. But on the day, when she saw the huge crowd, her mind went blank. Her hands trembled and her throat felt dry. Then she spotted her friend Joel in the front row, smiling and nodding. Priya took a deep breath and began again. This time, the words flowed easily. The audience clapped loudly when she finished.

    What happened when Priya saw the crowd?
    (a) She sang a song (b) She laughed (c) She ran away (d) Her mind went blank
  12. 12.Every evening, Asha saw Kamala Aunty struggle up the stairs with heavy bags. Kamala Aunty lived alone on the fourth floor. Asha started carrying her bags whenever she saw her. In return, Kamala Aunty taught Asha to knit. Over the winter, Asha knitted a scarf for her baby cousin. Kamala Aunty said that Asha had brought light into her lonely days. Asha felt that she had gained a grandmother. A small kindness had grown into a big friendship.

    What is the main message of the story?
    (a) Knitting is hard (b) Stairs are tiring (c) Winter is cold (d) Kindness makes friends

Answer key

  1. Disappeared
  2. He felt lost once too
  3. His mother
  4. Anjali knocked it over
  5. A goods train passed
  6. Twenty
  7. She told the truth
  8. Fifteen minutes
  9. Plastic in the river
  10. Sand, charcoal, pebbles
  11. Her mind went blank
  12. Kindness makes friends

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