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Unseen Passage for Class 6 – Stories

Reading comprehension lesson 23: Stories with characters · Set 899 · 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 did Nisha notice last summer?
    (a) Fish in the river (b) Plastic in the river (c) A new bridge (d) Flowers on the bank
  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.

    What happened when Priya saw the crowd?
    (a) She sang a song (b) She ran away (c) She laughed (d) Her mind went blank
  3. 3.Rahul’s class went on a trek in the Western Ghats. Halfway up, Fatima twisted her ankle on a loose stone. Rahul wanted to reach the top first and win the race. But he stopped and helped the teacher tie a bandage. Then he carried Fatima’s bag for the rest of the climb. They reached the top last of all. The view of the green valleys was still worth it. Their teacher said that kindness matters more than coming first.

    Where did the class go on a trek?
    (a) The Western Ghats (b) The Thar Desert (c) The Sundarbans (d) The Himalayas
  4. 4.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 was Zoya afraid of?
    (a) The dark (b) Dogs (c) Water (d) Heights
  5. 5.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) By December (b) Next year (c) By August (d) In July
  6. 6.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) His mother (c) A shopkeeper (d) His father
  7. 7.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) Cooked her food (b) Cleaned her flat (c) Read to her (d) Carried her bags
  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.

    What does “His face lit up” mean?
    (a) He felt sleepy (b) He turned red (c) He looked very happy (d) A light fell on him
  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.

    For whom did Asha knit a scarf?
    (a) Kamala Aunty (b) Her mother (c) Her baby cousin (d) Her teacher
  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 was wrong with her second model?
    (a) It leaked (b) It broke (c) It was too big (d) It was too slow
  11. 11.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) Cats sat on them (b) It rained a lot (c) It was too sunny (d) Pigeons pecked them
  12. 12.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.

    What did Vivek suggest?
    (a) Tell Mother (b) Glue it at once (c) Buy a new one (d) Hide the pieces

Answer key

  1. Plastic in the river
  2. Her mind went blank
  3. The Western Ghats
  4. Water
  5. By August
  6. His mother
  7. Carried her bags
  8. He looked very happy
  9. Her baby cousin
  10. It was too slow
  11. Pigeons pecked them
  12. Hide the pieces

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