READING COMPREHENSION FOR 10º

READ THE TEXTS AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the mosquito.

 While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.   

Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.

 Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats, birds, dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.

 Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

Questions

1) According to the author, some people are more afraid of tigers and sharks than mosquitoes because tigers and sharks

 A. kill more people than mosquitoes

B. are big and powerful

C. are found all over the world

D. have no natural enemies

2) Based on the information in paragraph 2, we can understand that

I. male mosquitoes and female mosquitoes have different eating habits

II. male mosquitoes are harmless to humans

III. female mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting diseases to humans

A. I only

B. I and II only

C. II and III only

D. I, II, and III © Copyright Read Theory LLC, 2012. All rights reserved.

 3) In paragraph 2 the author writes, "This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease." The purpose of this statement is to

A. oppose a previous argument

B. question an upcoming conclusion

C. confirm a hypothesis

D. support a later statement

 4) As used in paragraph 2, minor most nearly means

A. insignificant

B. deadly

C. frustrating

D. dangerous

5) Based on information in paragraph 3, it can be understood that if you get sick with malaria or yellow fever, your chances of survival are

 A. terrible

B. mediocre

C. good

D. excellent

6) It can be understood that the introduction of dragonflies might reduce the number of flies in a given area because dragonflies

 A. work together with mosquitoes

B. kill mosquitoes

C. cannot be killed by poisons or sprays

D. attract bats

7) Which of the following best summarizes the information in paragraph 4?

A. Mosquito nets provide adequate protection from deadly mosquitoes.

B. Poisons and sprays provide adequate protection from deadly mosquitoes.

C. The introduction of the mosquito's natural enemies provides adequate protection from deadly mosquitoes.

D. There is no perfect solution to the mosquito problem.

8) Which of the following words best describes the author's overall attitude towards the prospect of solving the mosquito problem?

A. despondent, meaning hopeless or dejected

B. exasperated, meaning extremely irritated or annoyed

C. equivocal, meaning doubtful or uncertain

D. optimistic, meaning hopeful or taking a favorable view

READ THE TEXT AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

Many people like to eat pizza, but not everyone knows how to make it. Making the perfect pizza can be complicated, but there are lots of ways for you to make a more basic version at home.

 When you make pizza, you must begin with the crust. The crust can be hard to make. If you want to make the crust yourself, you will have to make dough using flour, water, and yeast. You will have to knead the dough with your hands. If you do not have enough time to do this, you can use a prepared crust that you buy from the store.

 After you have chosen your crust, you must then add the sauce. Making your own sauce from scratch can take a long time. You have to buy tomatoes, peel them, and then cook them with spices. If this sounds like too much work, you can also purchase jarred sauce from the store. Many jarred sauces taste almost as good as the kind you make at home.

 Now that you have your crust and your sauce, you need to add the cheese. Cheese comes from milk, which comes from cows. Do you have a cow in your backyard? Do you know how to milk the cow? Do you know how to turn that milk into cheese? If not, you might want to buy cheese from the grocery store instead of making it yourself.

 When you have the crust, sauce, and cheese ready, you can add other toppings. Some people like to put meat on their pizza, while other people like to add vegetables. Some people even like to add pineapple! The best part of making a pizza at home is that you can customize it by adding your own favorite ingredients.

Questions 

1) The author's main purpose in writing this passage is to

 A. describe the history of pizza

B. teach a healthier way to make pizza

C. outline steps to make a basic pizza at home

D. provide tips about how to make your pizza especially delicious

2) As used in paragraph 1, which word means the opposite of complicated?

 A. difficult

B. simple

C. easy

D. manageable

3) As used in paragraph 3, which is the best synonym for purchase?

A. forget

B. buy

C. ask

D. cook

 4) In paragraph 3, the author writes, "Many jarred sauces taste almost as good as the kind you make at home." The purpose of this statement is to

A. clarify a later statement

B. provide an example

C. clarify an earlier statement

D. support the previous paragraph

5) In paragraph 4, the author asks a series of questions in order to

A. support the idea that most people cannot make homemade cheese

B. reinforce the idea that most people probably live on farms

C. prove that store-bought cheese tastes better than homemade cheese

D. emphasize the superiority of homemade cheese over store bought cheese

6) As used in paragraph 5, which is the best definition for customize?

 A. to make personal

B. to prepare for more than one

C. to eat while hot

D. to desire

7) According to the author, which of the following ingredients do you need to have ready before you can add the toppings?

I. crust

II. sauce

III. cheese

A. I only

B. I and II only

C. II and III only

D. I, II, and III

8) Which of the following words best describes how the author feels about making a pizza from scratch?

A. helpful

B. understanding

C. enthusiastic

D. negative

9) Which of the following conclusions would work best at the end of this passage.

A. Although the crust, sauce, and toppings are all important ingredients in pizza, it is clear that the cheese is most important. Therefore, be sure your cheese is homemade.

B. It can be understood that making your pizza from scratch should be avoided at all costs. Use

store bought ingredients and save yourself a heap of trouble.

C. As you can see, cooking a pizza can be fun, but it can also be very expensive. But, as you can

see, the best things are worth paying for.

D. Once you have prepared the crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings, you are ready to bake your

pizza. I think you will see that making pizza at home can be a good alternative to purchasing it from the store.