Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking: Grades 6-9 - Gruber Gary R. 2019

Reading comprehension (Two strategies)
Verbal strategies

Reading Comprehension questions test the general ability to understand what a passage is about. Four specific abilities are also tested:

1. Formulating the main idea:

To be able to select the main idea in the passage.

To be able to judge the general gist of the passage.

To be able to select the best title for the passage.

2. Spotting details:

To be able to understand specific references or sections in the passage.

To be able to identify specific things about the passage.

3. Drawing inferences:

To be able to weave together ideas in the passage to see their relationships.

To be able to imply things about the passage even though they may not be directly stated in the passage.

4. Identifying tone or mood:

To be able to figure out the tone or mood in the passage— serious, sad, funny, etc.

Here are some typical questions asked in Reading Comprehension passages:

There are two main strategies in Reading Comprehension.

READING STRATEGY 1: Be aware of the four abilities tested above as you read the passage.

READING STRATEGY 2: Using Strategy 1, underline key parts, sentences, or words in the passage so that you’ll be able to spot things quickly in the passage when answering the questions.

Here’s a reading passage followed by three questions. First, read the passage and answer the questions. Then look at the explanatory answers to the questions. After you have got a feel for how to answer the questions strategically, have your child read the passage and answer the questions. Go over the answers with your child, making sure that he or she answers the questions strategically (as explained in the answers given below).

EXAMPLE PASSAGE

I would give the grizzly bear first place in the animal world for brain power. He is superior in mentality to the horse, the dog and even the gray wolf. Instinct the grizzly has, but he also has the ability to reason. His ever-alert, amazingly developed senses are constantly supplying his brain with information—information which he uses, and uses intelligently. His powers of scent are exquisite. His ears hear faint sounds; they are continually on scout and sentinel duty. Wireless messages from long distances, which his senses pick up, are accurately received and their place of origin correctly determined. It cannot be stated too strongly that the grizzly is not a coward. He has no fear. He is intelligent enough to know that man is a dangerous enemy. He wisely endeavors to avoid man, but if he cannot do so, when the fight comes he exhibits one hundred percent of courage and efficiency.

QUESTIONS

1The best title for this paragraph is:

(A)“Characteristics of the Grizzly”

(B)“The Grizzly in a Fight”

(C)“Comparison of the Grizzly with Other Animals”

(C)“How the Grizzly Obtains Information”

(E)“The Grizzly’s Attitude Toward Man”

2The writer says that the grizzly bear is

(A)superior to the dog in brain power

(B)unable to reason

(C)inferior to the horse in mentality

(D)lacking in alertness

(E)unintelligent

3The grizzly’s sense of hearing is

(A)faint

(B)fairly good

(C)acute

(D)inaccurate

(E)undeveloped

Before trying to answer these questions, read the underlinings in the passage below and review Reading Strategies 1 and 2, which were discussed above.

UNDERLININGS YOU SHOULD DO

I would give the grizzly bear first place in the animal world for brain power. He is superior in mentality to the horse, the dog and even the gray wolf. Instinct the grizzly has, but he also has the ability to reason. His ever-alert, amazingly developed senses are constantly supplying his brain with information—information which he uses, and uses intelligently. His powers of scent are exquisite. His ears hear faint sounds; they are continually on scout and sentinel duty. Wireless messages from long distances, which his senses pick up, are accurately received and their place of origin correctly determined. It cannot be stated too strongly that the grizzly is not a coward. He has no fear. He is intelligent enough to know that man is a dangerous enemy. He wisely endeavors to avoid man, but if he cannot do so, when the fight comes he exhibits one hundred percent of courage and efficiency.

ANSWERS

1(A)Throughout the passage, the grizzly is described by means of its characteristics. The best title would be “Characteristics of the Grizzly.” Choice A is the correct answer.

2(A)Here is an example of why it is good to underline. Make a note to “see underlined passage above.” Your underlinings will indicate that the grizzly is superior in mentality to the horse, dog, and gray wolf. Thus Choice A is correct.

3(C)This question is more difficult. In the underlinings you can see that the passage says the grizzly hears faint sounds. This doesn’t mean that the grizzly’s sense of hearing is faint (Choice A). It means that the grizzly’s sense of hearing is shaqp, or acute (Choice C). Choice B is close, but it is not as good as Choice C.

In summary:

1Make sure that your child gets the gist of the passage—what is consistently being described. This will give him or her insight into the main idea or title of the passage.

2Underline those parts of the passage that you feel may be important or required for referral later. The question will not usually repeat or refer to exactly what is in the passage, but it will mention some part of what you read. For example, in question 2 you are asked to compare the brain power of the grizzly with that of the dog. In the passage, however, a comparison was made between the grizzly and three animals (the horse, the dog, and the gray wolf). Also, the word used in the passages was mentality, but in the question the word used was brain power.

3Often a specific thing will be mentioned, and from this you must infer something more general. For example, with reference to question 3, the passage says that the grizzly hears faint sounds. You have to infer that if that is the case, the grizzly must have acute or sharp hearing.

Reading Passages, Questions, and Explanatory Answers:

Have your child read the passages below and answer the reading comprehension questions that follow each passage. Then check to see whether his or her answers match those that are given in the book. Also check to see whether your child underlined the passage in the same way as was done in the book. It is not necessary to have the exact same underlinings as long as your child answered the questions accurately. If your child can comprehend the passage without underlining and did well with the questions, don’t worry about the underlining. You may want to tell your child that it is advisable to underline, in case he or she needs to refer to specific details that he/she normally would not remember.

PASSAGE 1

High in the Swiss Alps long years ago, there lived a lonely shepherd boy who longed for a friend to share his vigils. One night, he beheld three wrinkled old men, each holding a glass. The first said: “Drink this liquid and you shall be victorious in battle.”

The second said: “Drink this liquid and you shall have countless riches.”

The last man said: “I offer you the happiness of music—the alp-horn.”

The boy chose the third glass. Next day, he came upon a great horn, ten feet in length. When he put his lips to it, a beautiful melody floated across the valley. He had found a friend. . . .

So goes the legend of the alphorn’s origin. Known in the ninth century, the alphorn was used by herdsmen to call cattle, for the deep tones echoed across the mountainsides. And even today, on a quiet summer evening, its music can be heard floating among the peaks.

Now have your child answer the questions, and compare his or her answers with the explanatory answers below.

QUESTIONS

1The story tells us that of the three old men, the one whose glass the boy chose was the

(A)smallest in size

(B)most wrinkled

(C)first to speak

(D)oldest

(E)last to speak

2One liquid offered to the boy would have brought him

(A)defeat in battle

(B)great wealth

(C)lonely vigils

(D)another boy to help him

(E)three wishes

3To the boy, the alphorn

(A)seemed too heavy to play

(B)seemed like a real friend

(C)brought unhappiness

(D)sounded unpleasant

(E)brought great riches

4The practical use of the alphorn is to

(A)summon the three old men

(B)make friends

(C)call cattle

(D)give summer concerts

(E)tell the legends of the Alps

UNDERLININGS

High in the Swiss Alps long years ago, there lived a lonely shepherd boy who longed for a friend to share his vigils. One night, he beheld three wrinkled old men, each holding a glass. The first said: “Drink this liquid and you shall be victorious in battle.“

The second said: “Drink this liquid and you shall have countless riches.”

The last man said: “I offer you the happiness of music — the alp-horn.”

The boy chose the third glass. Next day, he came upon a great horn, ten feet in length. When he put his lips to it, a beautiful melody floated across the valley. He had found a friend. . . .

So goes the legend of the alphorn’s origin. Known in the ninth century, the alphorn was used by herdsmen to call cattle, for the deep tones echoed across the mountainsides. And even today, on a quiet summer evening, its music can be heard floating among the peaks.

ANSWERS

1(E)Look at the underlinings. The boy chose the third glass from the last man to speak.

2(B)Look at the underlinings. The first glass offered (1) victory in battle. The second, (2) countless riches, the third, (3) happiness of music. Countless riches is great wealth, thus Choice B is correct.

3(B)See the underlinings. When the boy heard the music he knew that he had found a friend, so the alphorn seemed like a real friend to him.

4(C)See the underlinings. The alphorn was used to call cattle.

PASSAGE

Hatting was one of the first domestic industries to develop in the colonies. As early as 1640, American hats were one of the homemade articles used for barter and exchange. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, hatting had become one of New England’s important industries; in the 1730’s hats were being exported from the colonies in sufficient numbers to arouse uneasiness among hatters in the mother country and to cause them to exert successful pressure on Parliament for a law prohibiting the export of hats from one colony to another, and from any colony to Great Britain or any other country.

Wool was the principal raw material, but a considerable proportion of the hats were made of fur felt, using beaver fur as the base. The average price of wool hats during the eighteenth century ranged from 40 to 80 cents, and beaver hats ranged from $2.50 to $3.50.

QUESTIONS

1The title that best expresses the main theme or subject of this selection is:

(A)“Raw Materials for Hats”

(B)“Colonial Exports”

(C)“How Hats were Made”

(D)“Kinds of Hats in America”

(E)“An Early American Industry”

2A law regarding the hat trade was enacted by Parliament in response to a complaint by

(A)colonists

(B)Indians

(C)English noblemen

(D)citizens of foreign countries

(E)English hatmakers

3This law made it illegal for

(A)Great Britain to export hats

(B)the colonies to import hats

(C)the hatters to use beaver fur

(D)the colonies to export hats

(E)the colonies to change the price of hats

4American hats

(A)were made principally of wool

(B)did not suit the customers in Great Britain

(C)were an unimportant part of New England industry

(D)were sent only to Great Britain

(E)were not made until 1730

5Beaver hats

(A)were unpopular

(B)were much cheaper than those made of wool

(C)were made mainly for barter with the Indians

(D)cost more than wool hats

(E)were not exported

UNDERLININGS

Hatting was one of the first domestic industries to develop in the colonies. As early as 1640, American hats were one of the homemade articles used for barter and exchange. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, hatting had become one of New England’s important industries; in the 1730’s hats were being exported from the colonies in sufficient numbers to arouse uneasiness among hatters in the mother country and to cause them to exert successful pressure on Parliament for a law prohibiting the export of hats from one colony to another, and from any colony to Great Britain or any other country.

Wool was the principal raw material, but a considerable proportion of the hats were made of fur felt, using beaver fur as the base. The average price of wool hats during the eighteenth century ranged from 40 to 80 cents, and beaver hats ranged from $2.50 to $3.50.

ANSWERS

1(E)This is not an easy question. Although raw materials (Choice A) was discussed, colonial exports (Choice B) was also discussed. So was how hats were made (Choice C) and kinds of hats (Choice D). Only one of these would not constitute the complete subject. Thus a good title would be (E) “Hatting as an Early American Industry,” because the general subject of hatting was discussed as an industry.

2(E)There was uneasiness among hatters in the mother country. The mother country is England. So Choice E is correct.

3(D)You have to know what the word export means. Export means to go out from (ex means “out of”). In the passage it says that colonies cannot export from one colony to another, or from one colony to Great Britain or any other country.

4(A)The passage says that wool was the principal raw material. Thus Choice A is correct.

5(D)Look at the underlinings of the prices of wool hats and beaver hats. You can see that beaver hats cost more than wool hats.

PASSAGE

The inventor of the atom was a Greek philosopher named Democritus, who lived in about 400 B.C. Even then Greek physicists were wondering about the structure of matter. Democritus suggested that matter is not what it seems—a continuous mass of material. He thought that matter could be broken up into finer and finer parts until finally it could be broken no further. These basic particles he called atoms, something which could not be cut or divided.

We can see for ourselves that Democritus did have a good idea. When a teaspoonful of sugar is put into a cup of coffee, the sugar dissolves and disappears. If coffee—or water—were solid and continuous, there would be no room for the sugar. But since the sugar does disappear, we must conclude that the water and sugar are both made up of tiny particles with spaces between them. The sugar particles slip into the spaces between the water particles.

In one way, however, we have come to disagree with Democritus. Following his lead, for hundreds of years, men thought of atoms as solid little bits of matter. Newton spoke of them as being “so very hard as never to wear or break into pieces.” John Dalton, an English chemist, in 1807 called atoms “indivisible, eternal and indestructible.”

Today we kknow that atoms are not solid and not indestructible. We now think of an atom as a miniature solar system, with a central nucleus or “sun” around which tiny particles revolve.

QUESTIONS

1The word atom was first used by

(A)an English chemist

(B)a Greek philosopher

(C)an American scientist

(D)an advertising writer

(E)a Greek physician

2The author indicates that Democritus’ theory of the atom was

(A)partly right

(B)completely wrong

(C)never accepted by others

(D)too imaginative

(E)contradicted by Dalton’s theory

3Sugar is believed to dissolve in water because

(A)the water is solid and continuous

(B)the sugar is solid and continuous

(C)they are both solid and continuous

(D)only a teaspoonful is used

(E)there is room for sugar particles between the water particles

4For centuries men believed that atoms

(A)were destructive

(B)had revolving parts

(C)were really unimportant

(D)could not be divided

(E)were like sugar particles

5An atom can be compared to a solar system because an atom

(A)is round

(B)is unbreakable

(C)has particles revolving around a center

(D)is “indivisible, eternal and indestructible”

(E)is a continuous mass of material

UNDERLININGS

The inventor of the atom was a Greek philosopher named Democritus, who lived about 400 B.C. Even then Greek physicists were wondering about the structure of matter. Democritus suggested that matter is not what it seems—a continuous mass of material. He thought that matter could be broken up into finer and finer parts until finally it could be broken no further. These basic particles he called atoms, something which could not be cut or divided.

We can see for ourselves that Democritus did have a good idea. When a teaspoonful of sugar is put into a cup of coffee, the sugar dissolves and disappears. If coffee—or water—were solid and continuous, there would be no room for the sugar. But since the sugar does disappear, we must conclude that the water and sugar are both made up of tiny particles with spaces between them. The sugar particles slip into the spaces between the water particles.

In one way, however, we have come to disagree with Democritus. Following his lead, for hundreds of years, men thought of atoms as solid little bits of matter. Newton spoke of them as being “so very hard as never to wear or break into pieces.” John Dalton, an English chemist, in 1807 called atoms “indivisible, eternal and indestructible. ”

Today we know that atoms are not solid and not indestructible. We now think of an atom as a miniature solar system, with a central nucleus or “sun” around which tiny particles revolve.

ANSWERS

1(B)This is easy. The inventor was a Greek philosopher.

2(A)Look at the sentence, In one way, however, we have come to disagree with Democritus. This says that he was partly right.

3(E)Look at the underlining at the end of the second paragraph.

4(D)Look at the last paragraph, especially the last quote.

5(C)Look at the last paragraph where it is said that we now think of an atom as a miniature solar system, with a central nucleus or “sun” around which tiny particles revolve.