Reading comprehension

Grades 1-2

By Lara Nikoloff
 TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The Sun
The Moon
The Jungle
The Ocean
Forests
Antarctica
Dinosaurs
Marsupials
Pets
Colors
Healthy food
Oymyakon
Dolphins
Farm animals
Answers
Other books from the series:
Language arts: Grade 1
 The Sun

The Sun is a star. It is in the centre of the Solar System. The Earth and
seven other planets move around it. It gives off heat and light. If the
Sun stopped shining, everything on Earth would freeze. Animals,
plants and people can't live without the Sun. It controls the seasons. It
shows when we should wake up and go to sleep.
But the Sun can be dangerous, too. Don't look directly at it as it can
hurt your eyes. Always put on sunscreen so that you don't get
sunburnt.

Reading comprehension

1. What is the Sun?

a) a planet b) a star
2. Where is it?
a) in the centre of the Solar System
b) in the center of our planet
3. What does it give off?
a) heat b) light c) both
4. What does freeze mean?
a) get very cold b) get hot
5. What does the Sun control?
 6. Why can the Sun be dangerous?

The Moon

The Moon appeared when a large object hit the Earth. The
rocks that blasted out came together and started moving
around the Earth. It takes 28 days for the Moon to move
around our planet.
There are no people, animals or plants on the Moon
because there is no air.
The first man to step on the Moon was Neil Armstrong. He
went there by spaceship and wore a spacesuit.

Reading comprehension

1. When did the Moon appear?

2. How long does it take for the Moon to go around the
Earth?
3.Why aren't there any animals, people and plants on the
Moon?
4. Who was the first man to step on the Moon?
5. How did he go there?
6. What did he wear?
 The Desert

Deserts are large, dry and sandy areas. There is very little
rain there. It is very hot during the day and it gets very cold
during the night.
The animals that live there know how to keep themselves
cool. They also need very little water. A typical animal in
the desert is the camel. It can survive for days without food
and water.
A typical palnt in the desert is the cactus. Cacti store

water in their stems which helps them to survive .

Reading comprehension

1. What is a desert?
2. How much rain is there?
a) very little b) quite a lot
3. What are the temperatures in the desert?
4. What is a typical animal in the desert?
5. How do animals in the desert survive?
6. What is a typical desert plant?
 The Jungle
The jungle is a very dense forest. There is a lot of rain and
sunlight there. As a result, it is full of plants such as trees,
bushes, flowers and grasses.
A lot of animals live in the jungle, too. There are monkeys,
jaguars, tigers, snakes, frogs and many more. Some
animals in the jungle are endangered because people hunt
them.

Reading comprehension

1. What is a jungle?

a) a dense forest b) a grassy area

2. There is …… rain there.
a) a lot of b) little
3. What types of plants are there in the jungle?

4. What types of animals are there in the jungle?

5. Why are some animals in the jungle endangered?

 The ocean

Oceans are large areas of water between the continents.

There are five oceans in the world. They are called the
Arctic ocean, the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific ocean, the
Indian ocean and the Southern ocean. The water in the
oceans is salty and we can't drink it.
A lot of fish live in the ocean. The fastest one is called a
sailfish. There are jellyfish, too. They are soft, umbrella-
shaped animals. We must keep the oceans clean because
sea animals can't live in dirty water.

Reading comprehension

1. What is an ocean?
2. How many oceans are there?
3. What are the names of the oceans?
4. Why can't we drink the water from the ocean?
5. Which is the fastest fish?
6. What is a jellyfish?
7. Why must we keep the oceans clean?
 Forests

A forest is a large area filled with many trees. Some trees,

such as oaks and beeches, lose their leaves in fall. Other
trees, such as pine trees, are evergreen and don't lose their
leaves or needles.
A lot of animals live in forests. There are bears, wolves, deer,
different kinds of birds and many more.
There are forests all over the world. They are important
because they provide shelter for animals and wood for
people. They also clean the air.

Reading comprehension

1. What is a forest?

2. Which trees lose their leaves in fall?

a) oaks b) pine trees

3. Which trees don't lose their leaves?

a) beeches b) pine trees

4. Name some animals that live in the forest.

5. Why are forests important?

 Antarctica

Antarctica is one of the seven continents. It is situated

around the South Pole. It is very cold there. Everything is
covered with ice. Sometimes big pieces of ice break off and
start floating in the ocean. They are called icebergs or ice
mountains.
There are no people living there because of the harsh
conditions. Only scientist go there to explore the continent.
There are some animal species that can survive there.
Penguins are typical Antarctic animals. They are birds that
can't fly.

Reading comprehension

1. Where is Antarctica?
a) around the South Pole
b) around the North Pole
2. What is the weather like there?
a) freezing cold
b) not very cold
3. What is an iceberg?
a) a big mountain
b) a big piece of ice
4. Why can't people live there?
a) because of the bad weather
b) because of the animals
5. Name a typical Antarctic animal?
 Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs were giant creatures that lived long before there
were any people. There were many different kinds of
dinosaurs. Some of them walked on two legs, some walked
on four. Some were very fast while others were slow.
Some dinosaurs were carnivores (they ate meat). Others
were herbivores (they ate plants).
About 65 million years ago an asteroid hit the Earth and all
the dinosaurs disappeared.

Reading comprehension

1. When did dinosaurs live?

2. Carnivores ate:

a) meat b) plants

3. Herbivores ate:

a) meat b) plants

4. Why did dinosaurs disappear?

5. Disappeared means:

a) died b) changed
 Marsupials
Marsupials are animals that carry their babies in a pouch.
Newborn babies are very little, blind and helpless. They crawl
into the pouch of their mother's belly. There they feed on their

mother's milk. It helps them to grow and get stronger.

Animals that feed on their mother's milk are called mammals.
Kangaroos and koalas are typical marsupials. They live in
Australia.

Reading comprehension

1. What is a marsupial?

2.What is a pouch?

a) a pocket b) a belly

3. What do the babies do in the pouch?

a) drink milk b) play

4. Which animals are called mammals?

5. Where do koalas and kangaroos live?

 Pets

Pets are animals that we keep at home. They become our

best friends and we must take good care of them. We must
feed them regularly. We must keep them clean. We can play
and have fun with them. If they get sick, we must take them
to the vet.
The most popular pets are cats, dogs, fish, parrots, rabbits
and tortoises.
Some people choose to have strange pets such as snakes
or tarantulas.

Reading comprehension
1. Where do we keep pets?

a) at home b) in the street

2. What can we do with pets?

a) play with them b) have fun with them c) both

3. What should we do if our pet gets sick?

a) take it to the vet b) nothing

4. A vet is:
a) a doctor who treats animals b) our best friend

5. Name some animals that can be pets.

 Colors
The world is colorful. There is a huge variety of colors all
around us. But they are all a combination of just a few
main colors. There are primary colors. The primary colors
are red, blue and yellow. They are the only colors that
cannot be made by mixing two other colors. But if we mix
red and yellow, we get orange. If we mix blue and yellow,
we get green. And if we mix blue and red, we get purple.
Orange, green and purple are called secondary colors.
We can use the primary colors (red, yellow and blue) plus
white and black to get all of the colors of the rainbow.

Reading comprehension:
1. Colorful means:
a) full of colors b) without colors
2. Which are the primary colors?
a) orange, yellow and green
b) red, blue and yellow
3. What do we get if we mix red and yellow?
a) green b) orange
4. What do we get if we mix yellow and blue?
a) green b) purple
5. Which are the secondary colors?
 a) orange, yellow and green
Healthy
b) orange, purple and food
green
We all need food to stay alive. But food should also keep
us healthy. That is why we must choose what to eat very
carefully. Our body needs carbohydrates, proteins, fats,
vitamins and minerals. Bread, pasta, potatoes and rice
provide us with carbohydrates. Milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs
and meat give us protein. Butter and oil give us fats. Fruits
and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Enjoy your healthy meal!

Reading comprehension

1. Why do we need food?

2. Which food gives us carbohydrates?

a) eggs b) potatoes

3. Which food gives us proteins?

a) milk b) pasta

4. Fruits and vegetables are rich in:

a) fats b) vitamins

5. Do you have a healthy diet?

 Oymyakon

Oymyakon is a small village in Russia. It is the coldest

inhabited place on Earth. The coldest temperature ever
recorded there was – 96 F. Schools only close if the
temperatures drop under – 61 F. In summer it is about 50 F.
The ground there is always frozen.
In winter the sun shines for only about 2-3 hours a day. In
summer the sun shines for about 21 hours a day. People
there wear fur coats, fur hats and fur boots to keep them
warm.
Can you imagine living there?

Reading comprehension

1. Inhabited means:
a) with people living there b) with no people living there
2. Schools close when the temperature is below:
a) – 61 F b) – 96 F
3. In summer it is:
a) warmer than in winter b) colder than in winter
4. The sun almost never sets in:
a) winter b) summer
5. What do people wear to keep warm?
 Dolphins

Dolphins look like fish but in fact they are mammals. This
means that they feed their babies with milk.
Dolphins do not drink water because the water in the sea is
salty. They get all of the water they need from the fish they
eat.
Dolphins are very intelligent animals. They “talk” to each
other through chirps and whistles. They also like to jump
and play.

Reading comprehension

1. Dolphins are :
a) fish b) mammals

2. Mammals feed their babies with:

a) milk b) fish

3. Dolphins do not drink water because:

a) it is salty b) they do not get thirsty

4. Intelligent means:
a) stupid b) clever

5. Dolphins “talk” to each other with:

a) sounds b) words
 Farm animals
Farm animals are animals that we keep on a farm. They give us a
lot of different products.
Cows, sheep and goats give us milk. Cheese, butter and yogurt
are made from milk. All products that are made from milk are
called dairy products.
Pigs, calves (the cows’ babies), sheep, turkeys and chickens
give us meat. Ham and sausages are made from meat. Chickens
give us eggs, too.
We need farm animals because they provide us with food.

Reading comprehension

1. Where do farm animals live?

a) at our homes b) on a farm
2. What do chickens give us?
a) meat and eggs b) meat and milk
3. Which food can't be made from milk?
a) cheese b) butter c) sausage
4. A dairy product is made from:
a) meat b) milk
5. Provide means:
a) take b) give
 Answers
The Sun
1.B, 2. A, 3. C, 4. A, 5. It controls the seasons.
The Moon
1. When a large object hit the Earth. 2. 28 days.3. Because
there is no air. 4. Neil Armstrong. 5. By spaceship. 6. A
spacesuit.
The Desert
1. A large, dry and sandy area. 2. A, 3. High during the day
and low during the night. 4. A camel. 5. They know how to
keep themselves cool and need very little water. 6. A
cactus.
The Jungle
1. A, 2. A, 3. Trees, bushes, flowers and grasses. 4.
Monkeys, jaguars, tigers, snakes and frogs. 5. Because
people hunt them.
The Ocean
1. A large area between the continents. 2. Five. 3. The
Arctic ocean, the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific ocean, the
Indian ocean and the Southern ocean. 4. Because it is
salty. 5. The sailfish is the fastest fish. 6. A soft, umbrella-
shaped animal. 7. Because sea animals can’t live in dirty
water.

Forests
1. A large area filled with many trees. 2. A, 3. B, 4. Bears,
wolves, deer and birds. 5. Because they provide shelter
for animals, wood for people and they clean the air.
Antarctica
1. A, 2. A, 3. B, 4. A, 5. A penguin
Dinosaurs
1. Long before there were any people. 2. A, 3. B, 4.
Because an asteroid hit the Earth. 5. A
Marsupials
1. An animal that carries its baby in a pouch. 2. A, 3. A
4. Animals that feed on their mother’s milk, 5. In Australia
Pets
1. A, 2. C, 3. A, 4. A, 5. Cats, dogs, rabbits, parrots,
tortoises, fish etc.
Colors
1. A, 2. B, 3. B, 4. A, 5. Orange, green and purple.
Healthy food
1. To stay alive and healthy. 2. B, 3. A, 4. B, 5. Your own
answer
Oymyakon
1. A, 2. A, 3. A, 4. B, 5. Fur coats, fur hats and fur boots.
Dolphins
1. B, 2. A, 3. A, 4. B, 5. A

Farm animals
1. B, 2. A, 3.C, 4. B, 5.B
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Language arts: Grade 1