Reading Comprehension

A. Read the text and answer the questions.

Star of the Week!
Cameron Diaz is an actress. She has blond hair and blue eyes. She was
born August 30, 1972, in California. Her father is Emilio Diaz, a CubanAmerican, and her mother is of Native American, Italian, and German
descent. She has one sister, Chimene.
Diaz began modeling when she was 16 years old. Her first movie was
The Mask (1994) starring Jim Carrey. She was very successful in My
Best Friends Wedding with Julia Roberts. A very popular movie was
Theres Something about Mary, co-starring Ben Stiller and Matt Dillon.
Cameron likes to travel. She likes to learn about different cultures. She
likes heavy metal music, especially Metallica and Led Zeppelin. Another
favorite band is Radiohead. She also likes cheeseburgers and French
fries.
Part one. Write short answers.
(1) Who is the star of the week? __________________________________
(2) What is her occupation? _______________________________
(3) Where is she from? _________________________________
(4) What is her sisters name? _______________________________
(5) What was her first movie? _____________________________
(6) What is her favorite music? ____________________________
Part two. Circle True or False.
(1) Camerons mother is Cuban.

True

False

(2) Theres Something about Mary starred Julia Roberts. True

False

(3) Cameron likes cheeseburgers.

True

False

(4) Cameron was born in August.

True

False

Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

B. Read the texts and answer the questions.

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street

are one of the most famous rock groups in Band Bruce Springsteen and the E
history. They began in 1962 and they are

Street Band are one of the most famous

still playing concerts throughout the

rock groups in the United States. In 1974

world. Most people agree that they are

critic Jon Landau reported, "I saw rock 'n'

"the World's Greatest Rock and Roll

roll future, and its name is Bruce

Band." The Stones adapt the latest

Springsteen". In his early records,

sounds and styles, but they still

Springsteen writes directly to his fans in

remember their origins in blues and rock

a language that they understand. Hes a

and roll. The members of the group

working-class American. He writes about

include: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards,

his job, his car, his bike, his girlfriend

Ron Wood, and Charlie Watts. They now

and his hometown. His most recent

have interests beyond the concert stage.

record is The Rising, released in July

For example, Mick is making movies as a 2002. It was inspired by the terrorist
producer; Keith is working on a solo

attacks of September 11, and it includes

album, and Charlie Watts has an album

songs from the perspective of ordinary

with his jazz quintet featuring songs by

people whose lives were changed by the

Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, and other

events of that day.

legendary composers.

Part one. Circle the correct answers.

(1) The oldest band is
(2) Mick Jagger likes to
(3) He writes about the working-class.
(4) He has an album inspired by

The Rolling Stones

make movies
Duke Ellington
Bruce Springsteen

The E Street Band

play with a jazz quintet
Bruce Springsteen
Charlie Watts

September 11th.

Part two. Circle True or False.

(1) The Rolling Stones have their origins in blues and rock.
(2) Mick Jagger is a movie producer.
(3) The Rising is the Rolling Stones latest CD.
(4) The E Street Band began in 1962.
(5) Charlie Watts plays jazz.
(6) Keith Richards is in the E Street Band.

True
True
True
True
True
True

False
False
False
False
False
False

Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

C. Read the text and answer the questions. (10 points)

Camel Racing
The camel has been a domesticated animal for thousands of years in
Arabia. People used it to travel from southern Arabia to other parts of
the Middle East. It soon became a major means of transportation and
source of, milk, meat and wool. Today, the inhabitants of the Arab world
arent as dependent on the camel as they used to be, but they still value
the camel for sentimental reasons and for camel races.
Camels are unpredictable animals but they are usually intelligent and
patient. They have large, beautiful eyes and small ears. They have big
feet that they use for walking on the desert sand. They use the fatty
hump on their backs to store energy for when they cant find food.
Camels live for around 40 years.
Camels walk at about 5 kph and can walk around 40 kilometers a day,
but they can run at 12 kph for short periods. Thats why camel racing is
a popular sport in Saudi Arabia and in Australia. Races in Saudi Arabia
can be 4 to 10 kilometers long. The Alice Springs Camel Cup race in
Australia is a famous tourist destination. The race is shorteronly
kilometer. People in another part of Australia decided to start longer
races. In 1997, the Boulia Desert Sands 2-kilometer race began. The
first year the winners won $20,000 and there were 45 registered camels.
In 2000, there were 69 registered racing camels and 1.5 million dollars
in prize money. Camel racing is becoming very popular in Australia.
Part one. Answer the questions.
(1) Where is the camel from? ______________________________________________
(2) What did the camel use to be utilized for? _________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(3) Why do people in the Arab world still like the camel? _________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(4) What are camels like? ________________________________________________
(5) Why do they have large feet? ___________________________________________
Part two. Circle True or False.
(1) Camels can run over 40 kilometers in a day.
(2) Camel racing originated in Australia.
(3) The Boulia Desert Sands race was the first in Australia.
(4) The Alice Springs race is kilometer long.
(5) Some races in Saudi Arabia are longer than races in

True
True
True
True
True

False
False
False
False
False

Australia.

Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

D. Read the text and answer the questions.

Coyoacn
Coyoacn is a quiet, colonial neighborhood in the south of the city. At
the center of Coyoacn are two squares: Plaza Hidalgo and Jardn
Centenario. These two plazas, with their beautiful fountains and trees,
are very popular on weekends. On Saturday night, young people visit
the cafes and dance clubs in the area and stand around the plazas
meeting friends and talking. Families visit Coyoacn on Sunday to walk
around, eat ice cream, shop in the market, have coffee in the sidewalk
cafes and watch the popular musicians and mime artists who perform in
the plazas.
There are many famous historical houses in Coyoacn. The first
Spaniard to live here was Hernn Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico. His
house is on the north side of Plaza Hidalgo. Local government offices
and a tourism office are located there today. The largest building in the
area is the Parroquia de San Juan Bautista, a magnificent 16th century
church that is very popular with both locals and tourists.
If you walk a few blocks from the plaza, youll find Frida Kahlos
house. Frida was a world-famous painter. She was born, often lived and
died in this house. Another famous house in Coyoacn is the house the
Russian revolutionary Trotsky lived in briefly from 1939-1940. Trotsky
was assassinated in this house in August, 1940.

Answer the questions.

In what part of the city is Coyoacn? :(1) _____________________________________
What are the names of the two plazas in the center of Coyoacn?:
(2) ________________________________, (3) ________________________________
Name two things young people do in Coyoacn on Saturday night according to the
article:(4) __________________________ , (5) ________________________________
What do families eat in Coyoacn on Sunday?:(6) ______________________________
Who performs in the plazas?:(7) ____________________________________________
Name three famous houses in Coyoacn.:(8) _________________________________,
(9) _______________________________(10) _______________________________

Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

E. Read the text and answer the questions.

Ecology in a Small Village

Yavesia is a small village of around 750 inhabitants in a valley in the
Sierra Norte Mountains. It is a very ecological village. People here work
hard to keep their forests alive. In the past, big businesses cut down the
trees and the forests were in danger. Now, the inhabitants are trying to
find new ways to use their forests.
Yavesia is a beautiful village. The streets are clean and there is no
litter. The people want to live in a clean village; they put up signs
saying: Pick up your trash, Dont litter, and Wash your hands before
eating. Dog owners have to keep their pets in their own gardens. The
inhabitants are proud of their town.
There also isnt any water pollution. Near the village, there is a clear
pool of water. It is pure mountain spring water. In fact, it is so clean the
people of Yavesia are bottling it. They collect the water and then add a
little chlorine to remove any pollution. A company from Europe plans to
buy the water and use it to make medicine.

Part one. Answer the questions.

(1) Where is Yavesia? ___________________________________________________
(2) How many people live in Yavesia? _______________________________________
(3) What used to happen to their trees? ______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(4) Why is Yavesia so clean? ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(5) What do they do with their dogs? ________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(6) What is in the pool near the village? ______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(7) What do they plan to do with the water? ___________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

Part two. Circle the answers.

(1) In line 1, It means

a. a mountain

b. a forest

c. Yavesia

(2) In line 9, It means

a. the water

b. the village

c. the people

(3) In line 10, They means

a. the people

b. pets

c. water

F. Read the text and answer the questions.

The History of the Spanish Language

The Spanish language has a very rich history. It begins with the
Celtic tribes who lived in Spain before the Romans arrived. They spoke
several different languages and many of their words survive today, like
bruja, izquierdo, camisa, carro, cerveza, perro, gordo, and mueca.
The major part of Spanish came from Latin, the language spoken by
the Romans. However, it didnt originate with the educated Latin
speakers who spoke what we call Classical Latin. It came from the
average Roman, from the language spoken in the houses, on the streets
and in the workshops, called Vulgar Latin.
The Roman influence ended around 410 when the Visigoths and later
the Vandals entered Spain. These tribes spoke Germanic languages.
These languages gave Spanish words like: guerra, ganar, robar, falda,
sopa, blanco and gris.
In 711 the Visigoths fell to the Arabs who stayed in Spain until 1492.
They gave Spanish words like: lgebra, cero, sanda, limn, naranja
and toronja.

Part one. Circle True or False.

(1) The Vandals entered Spain in 410 A. D.
(2) The first tribes in Spain spoke Germanic languages.
(3) The Arabs were in Spain for over a thousand years.
(4) Spanish comes from Classical Latin.
(5) Most Spanish words come from Latin.

True
True
True
True
True

False
False
False
False
False

Part two. Answer the questions.

(1) What tribes lived in Spain before the Romans arrived? ________________________
(2) What kind of language did the Vandals speak? ______________________________
(3) When did the Arabs conquer Spain? ______________________________________

Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

(4) What does It in line 4 mean: ____________________________________________

(5) Who does They in line 11 mean: ________________________________________

G. Read the text and answer the questions.

A Famous Inventor
Thomas Alva Edison was born in 1847. He is perhaps Americas most famous
inventor. He improved the electric light bulb and invented the phonograph,
phonograph record, telephone transmitter, alkaline battery, and the motion-picture
projector. Working with other inventors he hired at his lab in West Orange, New
Jersey, Edison invented over a thousand inventions.
Edison began working as a telegraph operator. At the same time he redesigned the
machine the businessmen used to find out about the stock market, the stock-ticker
machine. This Edison Universal Stock Printer gave him the money he needed to
start up his first lab, in Menlo Park, New Jersey and it allowed him to dedicate
himself to inventing.
In 1879 Edison improved the light bulb. He discovered that a carbon filament in
an oxygen-free bulb didnt burn out very rapidly. This invention revolutionized the
world.
Edison used to say, Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent
perspiration. Edison died in 1931 and in his honor all the electric lights in the
United States were turned off for a minute.

Part one. Answer the questions.

(1) What was Edisons first job?
__________________________________________________________
(2) What is a stock-ticker machine?
__________________________________________________________
(3) Where was Edisons first lab?
__________________________________________________________
(4) What did Edison do in 1879?
__________________________________________________________
(5) How did Americans honor Edison when he died?
__________________________________________________________
Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

Part two. Circle True or False.

(1) Edison invented the light bulb.

True

False

(2) Edison invented the phonograph.

True

False

(3) Edisons first important invention was a stock-ticker machine.

True

False

(4) Edison invented the motion-picture projector.

True

False

(5) Edison died in 1879.

True

False

Lic. Tamara Oorts

Reading Comprehension

Part one. Write short answers.

(1) Cameron Diaz
(2) actress
(3) California
(4) Chimene
(5) The Mask
(6) Heavy metal
Part two.
(1) False
(2) False
(3) True
(4) True
Part one
(1) The Rolling Stones
(2) make movies
(3) Bruce Springsteen
(4) Bruce Springsteen
Part two.
(1) True
(2) True
(3) False
(4) False
(5) True
(6) False
Part one
(1) Arabia
(2) transportation, milk, meat and
wool
(3) sentimental reasons and camel
racing
(4) intelligent and patient
(5) for walking on the desert sand
Part two.
(1) False
(2) False
(3) False
(4) True
(5) True
1) south
(2) Plaza Hidalgo
(3) Jardin Centenario
(4) visit cafes and dance clubs
(5) stand around meeting friends
(6) ice cream

(7) musicians and mimes

(8) Hernan Cortes house
(9) Frida Kahlos house
(10) Trotskys
Part one.
(1) in a valley in the Sierra Norte
mountains
(2) 750
(3) cut them down
(4) They want to live in a clean village
(5) keep them in their own gardens
(6) mountain spring water
(7) bottle it and sell it to a European
company
Part two.
(1) c
(2) a
(3) a
Part one.
(1) false
(2) false
(3) false
(4) false
(5) true
Part two.
(1) Celtic
(2) Germanic
(3) 711
(4) Spanish
(5) The Arabs
Part one.
(1) telegraph operator
(2) a machine businessmen used to
find out about the stock market
(3) Menlo Park, New Jersey
(4) He improved the light bulb
(5) They turned off their lights for a minute.
Part two.
(1) False
(2) True
(3) True
(4) True
(5) False

Lic. Tamara Oorts