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Unseen Passage for Class 6 – Stories

Reading comprehension lesson 23: Stories with characters · Set 39 · 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.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 did the judges praise?
    (a) Her speed (b) Her poem (c) Her patience (d) Her drawing
  2. 2.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.

    What did Imran’s father grow?
    (a) Mangoes (b) Potatoes (c) Onions (d) Tomatoes
  3. 3.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) A bus arrived (b) It started raining (c) The bell rang (d) A goods train passed
  4. 4.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.

    Whom did Grandfather want to video call?
    (a) His friend (b) His doctor (c) His daughter (d) His son
  5. 5.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.

    Into how many pieces did the vase break?
    (a) Five (b) Two (c) Three (d) Ten
  6. 6.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 teacher (b) His classmate (c) His father (d) His sister
  7. 7.Gurpreet was chosen as captain of the school hockey team. In the first match, she tried to score every goal herself. The team lost badly. Her coach told her that a captain’s job is to help everyone play well. In the next match, Gurpreet passed the ball more often. Her teammate Neha scored two goals from her passes. The team won, and Gurpreet felt prouder than if she had scored herself. She learnt that teamwork wins matches.

    Why did the team lose the first match?
    (a) The ground was wet (b) She played alone (c) It rained (d) Players were ill
  8. 8.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.

    When did they become best friends?
    (a) In July (b) Next year (c) By August (d) By December
  9. 9.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 rained a lot (b) Cats sat on them (c) Pigeons pecked them (d) It was too sunny
  10. 10.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.

    Why did prices fall that year?
    (a) A storm hit (b) The market closed (c) Too many tomatoes (d) Tomatoes were rotten
  11. 11.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.

    For whom did Asha knit a scarf?
    (a) Her baby cousin (b) Her mother (c) Kamala Aunty (d) Her teacher
  12. 12.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.

    Why was her mother worried?
    (a) It was too noisy (b) The puppy might be ill (c) It was too big (d) It might bite

Answer key

  1. Her patience
  2. Tomatoes
  3. A goods train passed
  4. His daughter
  5. Three
  6. His sister
  7. She played alone
  8. By August
  9. Pigeons pecked them
  10. Too many tomatoes
  11. Her baby cousin
  12. The puppy might be ill

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