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Unseen Passage for Class 6 – Stories

Reading comprehension lesson 23: Stories with characters · Set 685 · 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.Zoya was afraid of water since she was small. Her friends went swimming every summer, but she watched from the side. One year, her cousin Aman offered to teach her slowly. On the first day, she only sat with her feet in the pool. On the third day, she floated while holding the edge. Each small step made her a little braver. By the end of the month, she swam across the pool on her own. Aman told her that being brave means doing something even when you are scared.

    What did Zoya do on the first day?
    (a) Sat with feet in pool (b) Dived in (c) Swam across (d) Floated alone
  2. 2.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) Flowers on the bank (b) Plastic in the river (c) Fish in the river (d) A new bridge
  3. 3.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 leaked (b) It was too slow (c) It was too big (d) It broke
  4. 4.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 the doctor say about the puppy?
    (a) Very old (b) Too fat (c) Badly hurt (d) Healthy but hungry
  5. 5.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) Ten (b) Eight (c) Twelve (d) Fifteen
  6. 6.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.

    Who shouted at Arjun to stop?
    (a) A train driver (b) His teacher (c) A signalman (d) His mother
  7. 7.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) Mud, leaves, sticks (b) Salt, sugar, rice (c) Sand, charcoal, pebbles (d) Cotton, paper, glass
  8. 8.Kabir found a brown wallet near the bus stop. Inside were some money and a card with an address. His friend Sonu said, “Keep it, nobody saw you.” Kabir felt uneasy about that idea. He walked twenty minutes to the address on the card. An old man opened the door and almost cried with relief. The wallet held his pension for the whole month. He thanked Kabir again and again. Kabir walked home feeling lighter than air. Honesty, he learnt, brings its own reward.

    Why was the old man so relieved?
    (a) It was new (b) It had his photos (c) It held his pension (d) It was a gift
  9. 9.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.

    How did Asha help Kamala Aunty?
    (a) Carried her bags (b) Read to her (c) Cleaned her flat (d) Cooked her food
  10. 10.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 big (b) It might bite (c) It was too noisy (d) The puppy might be ill
  11. 11.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.

    Who scored two goals in the next match?
    (a) Neha (b) Gurpreet (c) Priya (d) The coach
  12. 12.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) His teacher (b) A shopkeeper (c) His mother (d) His father

Answer key

  1. Sat with feet in pool
  2. Plastic in the river
  3. It was too slow
  4. Healthy but hungry
  5. Twelve
  6. A signalman
  7. Sand, charcoal, pebbles
  8. It held his pension
  9. Carried her bags
  10. The puppy might be ill
  11. Neha
  12. His mother

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