Edutest Year 5 Reading Comprehension Practice

Try each question first, then open the worked solution to check your answer and see how to reach it.

1. 1.Read the text: "Dolphins are mammals, not fish. They breathe air through a blowhole on top of their heads." How do dolphins breathe?

   • AThrough gills
   • BThrough their mouth
   • CThrough a blowhole
   • DThrough their nose
   Show answer and working

   Answer: C (Through a blowhole)

   The text says dolphins 'breathe air through a blowhole on top of their heads'. It also says they are mammals, not fish, which rules out gills, because gills are how fish breathe underwater. The mouth and nose are not mentioned, so choose the answer the text states directly.

2. 2.Read the text: "The ancient Romans built long roads to connect their empire. This helped soldiers travel quickly." Why did Romans build roads?

   • ATo look nice
   • BTo help soldiers travel
   • CTo grow plants
   • DTo build houses
   Show answer and working

   Answer: B (To help soldiers travel)

   The text gives the purpose in its second sentence: the roads 'helped soldiers travel quickly'. The first sentence also says they connected the empire. Looking nice, growing plants and building houses are not mentioned. When a question asks 'why', look for words that explain a purpose or a result.

3. 3.Read the text: "Often referred to affectionately by scientists as the 'lungs of the Earth', the vast and densely packed Amazon Rainforest produces a massive amount of the oxygen that humans and animals breathe every single day. The millions of trees absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh, clean oxygen into the atmosphere." Why is it called the 'lungs of the Earth'?

   • AIt breathes
   • BIt produces oxygen
   • CIt is shaped like lungs
   • DIt is red
   Show answer and working

   Answer: B (It produces oxygen)

   'Lungs of the Earth' is a metaphor. Our lungs take in air, and the text says the rainforest 'produces a massive amount of the oxygen' we breathe, because its trees 'absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh, clean oxygen'. So the nickname comes from producing oxygen. The forest is not literally shaped like lungs.

4. 4.Read the text: "Touted as the most luxurious and indestructible passenger liner ever built, the massive RMS Titanic was a beautiful, large ship that tragically sank during its very first voyage in April of 1912. In the freezing, dark waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, it unexpectedly hit a massive iceberg and went down, shocking the entire world." What did it hit?

   • AA rock
   • BAn iceberg
   • CAnother ship
   • DA whale
   Show answer and working

   Answer: B (An iceberg)

   The text says the Titanic 'unexpectedly hit a massive iceberg and went down' in the 'freezing, dark waters of the North Atlantic Ocean'. Icy water makes an iceberg a sensible cause. A rock, another ship and a whale are never mentioned, so they cannot be the answer.

5. 5.Read the text: "When the hot sun beats down on a puddle or a lake, the liquid water slowly heats up and changes its state. This fascinating scientific process, where liquid water turns into an invisible gas called water vapor and rises into the air, is officially called evaporation." What is this process called?

   • AFreezing
   • BMelting
   • CEvaporation
   • DCondensation
   Show answer and working

   Answer: C (Evaporation)

   The text defines the process: liquid water turning 'into an invisible gas called water vapor', which 'is officially called evaporation'. Freezing turns liquid into ice, melting turns solid into liquid, and condensation is the opposite of evaporation, when vapour cools back into liquid droplets.

6. 6.Read the text: "After water vapor cools and condenses high up in the atmosphere, it eventually becomes too heavy to stay suspended in the sky. This results in precipitation, which is the scientific term for water falling from the clouds back down to the ground, most commonly seen by us as wet, pouring rain." Which is a form of precipitation?

   • AFog
   • BRain
   • CSteam
   • DMist
   Show answer and working

   Answer: B (Rain)

   The text defines precipitation as 'water falling from the clouds back down to the ground', and gives rain as the most common example. Fog and mist are water droplets floating near the ground rather than falling, and steam rises from hot water. So rain is the only option that is a form of precipitation.

7. 7.Read the text: "The majestic elephant is easily recognized by its long, muscular trunk, which is actually a combination of its upper lip and nose. They are incredibly strong and sensitive, and elephants use their trunks for many important daily tasks, such as drinking water, breathing, and carefully grabbing objects like tree branches or peanuts." What is one use?

   • AFlying
   • BGrabbing objects
   • CJumping
   • DRunning
   Show answer and working

   Answer: B (Grabbing objects)

   The text lists the trunk's uses: 'drinking water, breathing, and carefully grabbing objects like tree branches or peanuts'. Grabbing objects is in that list. Elephants cannot fly or jump, and although they can run, they use their legs for that, not their trunks. Look for the option that matches the list in the text.

8. 8.Read the text: "Unlike humans and most other fish in the sea, the fearsome shark has a very unique and flexible internal structure. Instead of a hard, heavy skeleton, sharks have skeletons entirely made of tough, rubbery cartilage—the exact same material that gives shape to your ears and nose—meaning that, incredibly, they do not have any bones at all." Do sharks have bones?

   • AYes
   • BNo
   • CSome do
   • DOnly in their teeth
   Show answer and working

   Answer: B (No)

   The text explains that sharks have 'skeletons entirely made of tough, rubbery cartilage' and do 'not have any bones at all'. Cartilage is the bendy material in your ears and nose, which is different from bone. So the answer is no. Options C and D are not supported by the word 'entirely'.

9. 9.Read the text: "Deep beneath the Earth's crust, the intense heat and pressure cause solid stone to melt into a thick, glowing liquid known as magma. However, when a volcano violently erupts and this incredibly hot, molten rock bursts out onto the surface, it changes its name and is then called lava." What is it called above ground?

   • ARock
   • BLava
   • CAsh
   • DDirt
   Show answer and working

   Answer: B (Lava)

   The text explains that melted rock is called magma while it is underground, and that when it 'bursts out onto the surface, it changes its name and is then called lava'. So above ground it is lava. Ash is also thrown out by volcanoes, but it is a different material, not the melted rock.

10. 10.Read the text: "Originating in Japan centuries ago, a haiku is a very short, beautiful form of poetry that usually focuses on a brief moment in nature. It strictly follows a very specific rhythmic structure, consisting of only three lines and a total of exactly 17 syllables, divided into a 5-7-5 pattern." How many syllables does it have?

    • A10
    • B15
    • C17
    • D20
    Show answer and working

    Answer: C (17)

    The text says a haiku has 'only three lines and a total of exactly 17 syllables, divided into a 5-7-5 pattern'. You can check by adding the pattern: 5 + 7 + 5 = 17. The answer 15 would be three lines of five, so always use the exact number the text gives.