Unseen Passage for Class 6 – Stories

Reading comprehension lesson 23: Stories with characters · Set 377 · 12 questions

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.

1. 1.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 was wrong with her second model? (a) It broke (b) It was too big (c) It leaked (d) It was too slow
2. 2.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.
   
   Who was smiling in the front row? (a) Her teacher (b) Her mother (c) Her brother (d) Joel
3. 3.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 old was Joseph? (a) Eight (b) Twelve (c) Ten (d) Fifteen
4. 4.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 does “thundered past” tell us about the train? (a) It was slow (b) It was loud and fast (c) It was empty (d) It stopped
5. 5.Sana lived in a flat in Mumbai with no garden. She longed to grow her own vegetables. Her father found some old paint buckets and filled them with soil. Sana planted chillies, spinach and tomatoes on the terrace. She watered them every morning before school. Pigeons pecked at the seedlings, so she covered them with a net. In two months, she picked her first spinach leaves. Her mother cooked them for dinner, and Sana thought they tasted better than any others.
   
   What did her father fill with soil? (a) Wooden boxes (b) Old paint buckets (c) Plastic bags (d) Clay pots
6. 6.On a stormy evening, Riya heard a soft whimper outside the gate. A tiny puppy was shivering in the rain. Her mother was worried that it might be ill. Still, they dried it with an old towel and gave it warm milk. The next day, they took it to the animal doctor. The doctor said the puppy was healthy, just hungry and cold. Riya named him Bijli because he arrived during a thunderstorm. Now Bijli follows her everywhere.
   
   What did they give the puppy? (a) Biscuits (b) Warm milk (c) Rice (d) Cold water
7. 7.Sana lived in a flat in Mumbai with no garden. She longed to grow her own vegetables. Her father found some old paint buckets and filled them with soil. Sana planted chillies, spinach and tomatoes on the terrace. She watered them every morning before school. Pigeons pecked at the seedlings, so she covered them with a net. In two months, she picked her first spinach leaves. Her mother cooked them for dinner, and Sana thought they tasted better than any others.
   
   Why did Sana cover the seedlings with a net? (a) It was too sunny (b) Cats sat on them (c) Pigeons pecked them (d) It rained a lot
8. 8.Before the final maths test, Dev’s classmate offered him a copy of the answers. Someone had taken a photo of the question paper. Dev was worried about the test, but he refused. He studied late with his sister, who explained fractions again. The next day, the teacher announced that the paper had leaked. She gave the class a brand-new paper instead. Dev did well because he truly understood the topic. Those who had learnt the copied answers by heart struggled.
   
   Who helped Dev study? (a) His classmate (b) His teacher (c) His father (d) His sister
9. 9.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 does Arjun use now? (a) A taxi (b) The footbridge (c) The shortcut (d) A bicycle
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) Salt, sugar, rice (c) Sand, charcoal, pebbles (d) Mud, leaves, sticks
11. 11.Vihaan was batting in the final over of the colony cricket match. He edged the ball, and it brushed his bat before the keeper caught it. Nobody else heard the sound, and the umpire said not out. Vihaan’s team needed just four runs to win. Still, Vihaan walked off the field on his own. The other team was stunned. They lost the match, but players from both sides shook his hand. Vihaan felt that fair play mattered more than a trophy.
    
    How many runs did the team need to win? (a) Four (b) Six (c) Two (d) Ten
12. 12.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) Plastic in the river (c) A new bridge (d) Flowers on the bank

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