GENERAL GUIDELINES IN THE USE OF THIS READING PACKAGE

This reading package will be used as an informal reading inventory in line with the
Department of Education’s administration of the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PHIL-
IRI).

This contextualized tool of the Schools Division of Isabela is composed of four different
graded passages designed to determine the individual student’s performance in oral reading,
listening comprehension, and silent reading for Step 2 and Step 3 (Optional). Developed from
varied text types for Junior High School, each package has four reading passages with twenty (10)
comprehension questions that are literal, inferential, and critical levels.

Specifically, these reading assessment materials will be used as follows:

STEP 2
For the administration of Oral Reading Test, (when a learner reads a selection aloud in order
to assess word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension level):

For Set Passage A: USE THE LITERARY TEXT -written and/or spoken work
distinguished by its aesthetic excellence that follows either grammatical or metrical
structure and represents significant human experiences.

For Set Passage B: USE INFORMATIONAL TEXT- nonfiction writing, including

prints, digital and multimedia, written with the intention of informing the reader about a
specific topic.

STEP 3 (Optional)
For the administration of Listening Comprehension Test (when a learner listens to a
selectionread aloud to assess his/her comprehension level):

USE TRANSACTIONAL TEXT- non-fiction writing genre that intends to communicate

information between individuals or groups for a specific purpose: to persuade, argue,
advise, and/or inform.

For the administration of Silent Reading Test (when a learner reads a selection independently
and answers comprehension questions to assess the reading rate and reading comprehension
level):

USE ACADEMIC TEXT- written informal, objective, and technical. It is formal by

avoiding casual or conversational language, such as contractions or informal vocabulary.
It is objective by avoiding direct reference to people or feelings, and instead emphasizing
objects, facts, and ideas.

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The utilization of these materials shall still adhere to the Stages of the Administration of Phil- IRI as
indicated in these figures:

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 TEXT A
DIVING
Humans do not have the capacity to breathe underwater unaided by external devices.

A diver who wants to stay underwater for more than a few minutes must breathe air on a

special mixture of gases. He can wear diving suits and have air pumped to him from above or

he can carry tanks of air on his back and breathe through a hose and a mouthpiece.

Early divers discovered that it is not enough to supply air to breathe comfortably

underwater. The diver‛s body is under great pressure in deep water because water weighs

800 times as much as air. Tons of water push against the diver deep in the sea. When this

happens, his blood takes in some of the gases he breathes.

When the diver rises to the surface, the water pressure becomes less. If he rises too

quickly, the gases in his blood form bubbles that make breathing difficult. He suffers from

bends, causing him to double up in pain.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is the purpose of the diving suit?

A. To track the diver‛s location
B. To make the diver stay afloat
C. To dive to the bottom of the sea faster
D. To pump air from the surface of the sea

2. The hose and the mouthpiece of the diver are used _______________.
A. For breathing
B. For finding direction
C. For lighting the way
D. For communicating

3. The second paragraph informs the reader that ___________________.

A. Water is heavier than air
B. It is easy to float on the water
C. It is exciting to stay under water
D. It is difficult to breathe while diving

4. It is easy for swimmers to float in the water‛s surface because ______________________.

A. They can see where they are heading for
B. There is lesser water pressure
C. There is more air to breathe
D. There is minimal danger

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5. From the phrase ‘a diver suffers from bends,‛ the reader can guess that a bend is
____________________________.
A. A reverse turn
B. An intense pain
C. A wrong direction
D. An incorrect information

6. To avoid pain when rising to the surface, a diving instructor should tell a swimmer to
_______________________________.
A. “go up as fast as you can”
B. “swim to the surface slowly”
C. “avoid bringing things from undersea.
D. “inspect your hose and mouthpiece first"
7. Which statement is true in the selection?
Water pressure ___________________________________.
A. Is heavier on the sea surface
B. Is greater in the deep part of the sea
C. Feels more while one is going up the surface
D. Is the same on the surface and in the deep part of the sea

8. Who among the following readers will benefit most from this selection?
A. The sea divers
B. The coast guards
C. The sea travelers
D. The swimming instructors

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 TEXT B
THE BRAIN
The brain is the center of the nervous system. It interprets stimuli and tells the body

how to react.

The brain has three major parts. The part that controls balance, coordination and

muscle movement is called the cerebellum. It makes sure that the muscles work well

together. For example, a gymnast is able to balance on a beam because of the cerebellum.

The medulla is a long stem that connects the brain to the spinal cord. It tells one‛s

body to do things without thinking about them. Digesting food or breathing even while asleep

are examples of these involuntary actions.

On the other hand, there are actions that one decides to do. It is the largest part of

the brain—the cerebrum—that is responsible for these voluntary movements. Without it, one

will not be able to kick a ball or dance at all.

The brain might seem small but it is so powerful as it controls one‛s entire body.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. Which is the best description of the brain?

A. It makes people intelligent.
B. It keeps one‛s body healthy.
C. It helps everyone think well.
D. It dictates how the body will react to stimuli.

2. In the sentence, “The brain interprets stimuli,” the meaning of interpret is __________.
A. Assign roles
B. Recall facts
C. Discuss ideas
D. Make sense of

3. What will the brain likely tell you if you happen to hold on to something hot?
A. “i wonder how hot it is.”
B. “don‛t drop it!”
C. “hold tight!”
D. “let go!”

4. Which is an example of involuntary action?

A. Circulating blood all over the body
B. Punching one‛s classmate
C. Clapping your hands
D. Tickling your friend
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5. Which part of the brain connects to the spinal cord?
A. The nerves
B. The medulla
C. The cerebrum
D. The cerebellum

6. What is the function of the cerebellum?

A. It sends messages to the cerebrum.
B. It connects the medulla to the cerebrum.
C. It controls balance and muscle movements.
D. It tells the parts of the body how they should function

7. When you want someone to think of the right answer, you might say,
A. “use your senses.”
B. “sharpen your cerebrum.”
C. “give your medulla a job.”
D. “let your cerebellum function.”

8. What is the main idea of the selection?

A. The brain controls the senses.
B. The brain interprets all actions.
C. The brain has three main parts.
D. The brain controls one‛s entire body

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 TEXT C
AIR CURRENTS

Wind is the natural movement of the air from one place to another. It affects the

climate of a place. There are three major air streams that greatly affect our climate.

From November to February, mornings are colder because of the northeast monsoon

wind. It blows from Siberia which is a very frigid place. It brings along temperature and rain

that make us shiver.

The wind from June to October, is warm and humid. During this time, the western

section of our country experiences strong rains brought about by the southwest monsoon

wind blowing from Australia.

From March to early May, trade winds coming from the east or northeast reach the

Philippines. It brings rains to the eastern part of our country. Trade winds are warm and

moist and bring hot temperature with little rain.

Isn‛t it amazing that each one of these air streams brings some amount of rain to the

Philippines?

Reference: Philippine Informal Reading Inventory 2008-2009 Edition

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. The northeast monsoon wind blowing from Siberia causes _________.

A. Heavy rains
B. Windy days
C. Hot temperature
D. Cold temperature

2. Which of the following statements is true about the wind?

A. The wind attracts tourists to visit a place.
B. The wind affects the climate of a place.
C. The wind always comes from one direction.
D. The wind moves at select times of the year.

3. Siberia is a very frigid place. What is an antonym for the word frigid?
A. Very moist
B. Very cold
C. Very hot
D. Very windy

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4. You are going on a vacation at your cousin‛s province in the eastern part of the country in March.
What type of clothes should you bring?
A. New
B. Thin
C. Thick
D. Modern

5. Among these different air streams in the Philippines, which is the most appropriate for wearing
very heavy clothes?
A. Trade winds
B. Easterly winds
C. Southeast monsoons
D. Northeast monsoons

6. Which among these statements is backed up by the selection?

A. Northeast monsoons account for strong rains during the june opening of classes.
B. Southwest monsoons bring some amount of rain to the country even in may.
C. Eastern portions of the country experience strong rains from june to october.
D. Western portions of the country experience strong rains from june to october.

7. What device did the author use to develop the selection?

A. Examples
B. Cause and effect
C. A series of events
D. Problem and solution

8. Which could be another title of the selection?

A. Different causes of heavy rains
B. How air streams affect climate
C. Northwest and southwest monsoons
D. Hot and cold temperature in the country

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 TEXT D
ECOSYSTEM

Ecosystems consist of living and non-living organisms in an area. These include plants,

animals, microbes, and elements like soil, water, and air. The living organisms depend on both

living and non-living aspects of an ecosystem.

An ecosystem can be as small as a puddle or as big as an ocean. It is a very delicate

balance, with these life forms sustaining one another. Disruptions to an ecosystem may prove

disastrous to all its organisms.

When a new plant or animal is suddenly placed in an ecosystem, it will surely compete

with the original inhabitants for resources. This stranger may even push out the natural

organisms, causing them to be extinct. The organisms that depended on the extinct organisms

will definitely be affected.

The balance in ecosystems have been unsettled by natural disasters such as fires,

floods, storms, and volcanic eruptions. However, in recent years and ironically, in the name of

progress, human activity has affected many ecosystems around the world.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. Which among the following is NOT a good description for an ecosystem?

A. Animals and plants relying on each other to survive
B. A place where people are friendly to the environment
C. A biological community where organisms affect each other
D. A variety of living and non-living things in a particular area

2. Why is an ecosystem considered to be a delicate balance?

A. There are big ecosystems and small ecosystems that have to be balanced.
B. Not all ecosystems weigh the same so their weight needs to be distributed.
C. A change in an ecosystem can have tremendous effects on all its organisms.
D. Different organisms always have equal importance in any given ecosystem.

3. Which of the following is NOT one of the natural disasters that have caused ecosystems to be
unsettled?
A. Fires
B. Floods
C. Storms
D. Humans

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4. Based on the selection, which of the following is true about human progress and ecosystems?
A. Human progress sometimes causes ecosystems to suffer.
B. Human activity promotes the development of ecosystems.
C. Human activity helps find solutions to ecological problems.
D. Human progress causes different ecosystems to be progressive.

5. According to the selection, a new organism introduced in an ecosystem can have an effect on an
original inhabitant when _________________.
A. It fights with and eventually eats the original inhabitant
B. It consumes resources intended for the original inhabitant
C. It makes the original inhabitant feel strange in the ecosystem
D. It contributes to disasters that upset the balance in the system

6. What should human beings do in order to maintain the balance in

different ecosystems?
A. Cut down a lot of trees so that there is more space for animals to live in.
B. Take corals from the sea so that fish would have more freedom to swim.
C. Plant more trees in order to replace those that have been cut down.
D. Catch a lot of tuna so that nothing will eat the mackerel or the small fish.

7. The diagram below shows an ocean ecosystem. The arrows point to the food source of the
succeeding organism. If a new organism is introduced
into the system and it eats the shrimplike creatures, how will this indirectly
affect the mackerel?
A. The mackerel will have no more shrimplike creatures to eat.
B. The mackerel will still be eaten by the tuna fish as it continues to consume the small fish.
C. The mackerel will be eaten by the small fish which now has to look for a new food source.
D. The mackerel might lose its food since without a food source, the small fish could die.

8. Using the same diagram, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A. The small fish depends solely on shrimplike creatures for food.
B. The tuna fish depends solely on the mackerel as its food source.
C. The large shark depends solely on the tuna fish as its food source.
D. The shrimplike creatures depend solely on one-celled life for food.

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 ANSWER KEY

English

Grade 7

A B C D

1. D 1. D 1.D 1. B

2. A 2. D 2. B 2. C

3. A 3. D 3. B 3. D

4. B 4. A 4. B 4. A

5. B 5. B 5. D 5. B

6. B 6. C 6. D 6. C

7. B 7. B 7. B 7. D

8.A 8.D 8.B 8.B

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