READING TEST PRACTICE LEVEL 2 Section 1 READING COMPREHENSION Read the following story, and then answer questions 1-6. Darken the circle in front of your answer. You may look back at the story to answer the questions. The Camping Trip One weekend in the fall every year, my family goes camping at a lake near our home. The lake is called Marbury Lake. We have been going camping there for about four years. I am always excited about this camping trip. Dad, Mom, Larry, and I leave on Friday afternoon and stay at the lake until Sunday afternoon. We have a big tent that we take with us. I help Dad and Mom put up the tent. My brother Larry is two years old. He just watches us put up the tent. I really like sleeping in the tent in my sleeping bag. Dad and I fish during the day. We swim in the lake when we get tired of fishing. Larry plays with his toy trucks and cars. Mom likes to paint while we are camping. She painted a picture of Larry and me last year while we were camping. Dad and I cook dinner for everyone. Sometimes we cook the fish we caught. Mom likes it when Dad grills steaks for us. After dinner, we roast marshmallows on the fire and sing songs. Camping with my family every year is so much fun. 1
1. What is this story mainly about? Ο painting pictures Ο swimming in a lake Ο going camping Ο going fishing 2. Why doesn t Larry help them put up the tent? Ο He is swimming. Ο He is playing with his toy trucks and cars. Ο He is asleep in the car. Ο He is too little to help with the tent. 3. When do the girl and her dad go swimming? Ο when they are hungry Ο when they are tired of fishing Ο at night Ο every morning 4. What does the word grill mean in this story? Ο fish Ο paint Ο cook Ο eat 5. How many nights does the family stay at the lake? Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 1 Ο 4 6. Where does the family go camping? Ο in their backyard Ο at a lake far from their home Ο in the mountains Ο at a lake near their home 2
Read the following story, and then answer questions 1-6. Darken the circle in front of your answer. You may look back at the story to answer the questions. Fred s Big Adventure My grandparents have a cat named Fred. He is thin and has short, black and white striped fur. Fred is about ten years old, and he likes to sleep in the sun, eat tuna fish, and chase butterflies. He is scared of strangers, so he hides whenever my grandparents have a friend come to visit. He always runs behind the bookshelf, or under the bed. As soon as the visitors leave, he comes out again. One time, a workman came to fix a hole in the bathroom wall. After he left, Fred did not come out of hiding. My grandparents were not worried until dinnertime, when Fred did not come to eat. The next morning, he did not come for his breakfast. After two days, they were very worried. My grandmother thought he had run away because he was so scared of the workman. On the third day, my grandmother told my grandfather that she thought she heard Fred mewing. He asked her where, and she said that she had heard Fred s voice when she was in the bathroom. They went into the bathroom, and he could hear Fred too, but they couldn t see him anywhere. Suddenly, my grandfather had an idea. He got a hammer, and broke the new tiles that the workman had set three days before. After he broke them, he pulled them off the wall, and then he poked a hole in the plaster underneath. As soon as he did, Fred jumped out of the wall! When the workman had come, Fred had hidden from him in the hole in the wall, and had gotten trapped inside the wall! Since his big adventure, Fred is a little different. He still likes tuna fish, and chasing butterflies, but he never goes into the bathroom. He still hides when guests come over, but he makes sure to hide in places that he can get out of again! 3
1. The main character in this story is. Ο a butterfly Ο a dog Ο a cat Ο a boy 2. Why does Fred hide from visitors? Ο He is afraid of strangers. Ο He wants to play. Ο He likes hiding. Ο He likes tuna fish. 3. When did the grandparents become worried about Fred? Ο right after the workman left Ο when the workman came Ο in the morning Ο at dinnertime 4. How long was Fred in the wall? Ο three days Ο one weeks Ο three hours Ο two days 5. How did the grandparents find Fred? Ο The grandfather heard Fred mewing in the bathroom. Ο The workman called and told them where he was. Ο Fred escaped from the wall. Ο The grandmother heard Fred mewing in the bathroom. 6. What does Fred do differently since his adventure? Ο He doesn t eat tuna fish. Ο He doesn t hide from workmen. Ο He doesn t go into the bathroom. Ο He hides under the bed. 4
Read this story about crocodiles, and then answer questions 1-6. Darken the circle in front of your answer. You may look back at the story to answer the questions. Crocodiles Like lizards and snakes, crocodiles belong to the reptile family. Crocodiles have very rough, scaly skin, short legs, and long bodies. They also have very sharp teeth. Crocodiles are very large animals, and can grow to be 12 feet long. Crocodiles do not like the cold, so they live in warm places. They do like water, though, and so they always live near lakes, rivers, and swamps. Crocodiles like to float and swim in the water. They swim using their large, very strong tails. Crocodiles mostly eat small fish, birds, and turtles, but if a larger animal like a wild pig or a dog comes too close to the water, a crocodile will eat it too. Crocodiles are dangerous, and can hurt people who get too close to them. Like all other reptiles, crocodiles lay eggs. They bury their eggs in leaves, grasses, or in sand. When the eggs hatch, the mother crocodile carries the baby crocodiles in her mouth to the water. Some people hunt crocodiles for their skin. The skin is used to make fancy handbags, belts, and shoes. Crocodiles are in danger of becoming extinct because so many have been killed. There are laws to protect crocodiles from hunters. 5
1. How do crocodiles use their strong tails? Ο to eat Ο to walk Ο to swim Ο to sleep 2. What does the word dangerous mean? Ο kind Ο sleepy Ο hungry Ο harmful 3. What does the mother crocodile do when the baby crocodiles hatch? Ο She takes them to the water. Ο She eats them. Ο She feeds them fish. Ο She buries them in the sand. 4. Crocodiles like to. Ο live in cold places Ο live in warm places Ο live in deserts Ο live in caves 5. The word rough means. Ο wet Ο soft Ο not smooth Ο thin 6. What is an extinct species? Ο a species like cows that is raised and cared for by people Ο a species that travels and does not live in only one place Ο a species whose members are all dead Ο a species that lives only in the water 6
Read the following text. Then answer questions 1-6. Darken the circle in front of your answer. You may look back at the story to answer the questions. January 19, 2003 Dear Aunt Margie, Thank you so much for the sweater you gave me for Christmas this year. Blue is my favorite color, and the sweater is very warm. I wore it to school today. We had pictures taken at school. I will send you a picture of myself wearing my new sweater. Mom said we can come to see you in California this summer. I like flying on the airplane to come see you. I hope you can take me to the beach again. It was fun going to the beach with you last summer. Thank you for giving me the nice sweater. I will enjoy wearing it this winter. Love, Taylor 7
1. This writing is an example of a. Ο a book report Ο a story Ο a friendly letter Ο an advertisement 2. Who is the author of this writing? Ο Aunt Margie Ο Taylor s mom Ο Taylor Ο Taylor s teacher 3. Why did the author write this? Ο to thank her aunt for the sweater Ο to tell her aunt about the airplane ride Ο to tell her aunt about school pictures Ο to thank her aunt for the picture 4. What is the author s favorite color? Ο orange Ο green Ο purple Ο blue 5. When does the author plan to visit her aunt? Ο in the summer Ο in the fall Ο in the spring Ο in the winter 6. What does the author want to do for her aunt? Ο take her to the beach Ο send her a school picture Ο buy her a new sweater Ο fly on an airplane 8
Section 2: Words, Word Meanings, and Phonics This section of the reading test will show how well you understand words, their meanings, and phonics. Read each question carefully. Fill in the circle in front of your answer. 1. Which of the following words is the opposite of the word loud? Ο joy Ο beautiful Ο quiet Ο whistle 2. Which of the following words means the same as can t? Ο could not Ο can not Ο would not Ο will not 3. Which of the following words means the same as sick? Ο well Ο full Ο ill Ο tired 4. Which of the following words means the opposite of tiny? Ο sad Ο gigantic Ο final Ο small 5. Which of the following words is the root word for the word catcher? Ο catching Ο caught Ο catches Ο catch 9
6. Which of the following words can be used in both of these sentences? The sun was very today. Brandon is a very boy. Ο hot Ο bright Ο shiny Ο lazy 7. The word retie means to. Ο untie Ο not tie Ο tie again Ο tie 8. Which word best completes this sentence? Madeline and Murray lost dog. Ο them Ο their Ο they Ο there 9. Which of the following words is a compound word? Ο softly Ο sharing Ο toothbrush Ο doctor 10. Which of the following words ends with the same sound as wolf? Ο shells Ο shelf Ο sheep Ο shriek 11. Which word has the same vowel sound as seem? Ο tell Ο mean Ο pet Ο weigh 12. Which of the following words has a silent letter? Ο yardstick Ο November Ο know Ο bark 10
Answers to Reading Testing Practice Page 2 : 1. going camping 2. He is too little to help with the tent. 3. when they are tired of fishing 4. cook 5. two 6. at a lake near their home Page 4: 1. a cat 2. He is afraid of strangers. 3. at dinnertime 4. three days 5. The grandmother heard fred mewing in the wall 6. He doesn t go into the bathroom. Pages 6 1. to swim 2. harmful 3. She takes them to the water. 4. live in warm places 5. not smooth 6. a species whose members are all dead Page 8: 1. a friendly letter 2. Taylor 3. to thank her aunt for the sweater 4. blue 5. in the summer 6. send her a school picture Pages 9 11 1. quiet 2. can not 3. ill 4. gigantic 5. catch 6. bright 7. tie again 8. their 9. toothbrush 10. shelf 11. mean 12. know 11