Reading Comprehension

Plants and Animals

1. Plants and animals do not live apart as I many ways they are important to each other.
Most green plants can do very well by themselves. So long as there is sunlight, carbon
dioxide in the air, and water and minerals in the soil, they can make their own food.
2. The food of other living things even the food of meat-eating animals comes direct or
indirectly from the green plants. For example, some people eat mutton; comes from a
sheep; the sheep eats grass. These steps or links make up what is called a food chain.
Without green plants, all other living things would in time die of starvation.
3. Plants help animals and other ways too. They furnish homes and shelter for many
animals. Many birds, as is known, build their nests in trees. Deer and many other animals
use bushes for shelter. Beavers build their lodges from trees that they cut down. And even
man depends much upon plants for shelter because trees furnish the timber that goes into
the making of his house.
4. Animals repay some of this debt by helping plants. You may be aware that many insects
and some birds do important work for plants by pollinating them. You must have also
learned how animals often help plants by scattering seeds.
5. What is waste material for one of these kinds of life is often valuable substance of the
other. For example, animals give off carbon dioxide gas when they breath. When plants
manufacture food, they absorb this gas from the air. Using the carbon and realizing some
of the oxygen back into the air, the oxygen that is realized then is again available to
animals. Thus, the cycle continues animals help plants and plants help animals. Even
dead plants and animals help living ones because as the dead one decay they enrich the
soil by adding chemicals.
6. All plants and animals have their enemies. Insects eat plants; birds eat insects; other
animals’ kills birds. But here too, animals are helpful to some living things but are
harmful to others.
7. There are other rules in nature that act as checks and balances. For example, if there are
more animals in a certain area than there is food to support them, some of the animals
must migrate or starve. In either case, the number of animals will be reduced until the
balance between animals and the available food supply is restored. These helps and
hindrances are constantly going on in the plant and animal world to achieve what is
called the balance in nature. As long as one living thing is dependent on another,
whenever the scales are tipped, nature takes steps to balance the scales again.
A. Comprehension questions
After reading the above reading passage carefully, answer the following questions.
1. The idea of this passage is that
A. Some plants are more important than others.
B. Some animals are more important than others.
C. Plants and animals are dependent on each other.
D. Some animals are more intelligent than others.
2. In certain area, there are more animals than there is food to support them. This
indicates
A. An imbalance in nature.
B. Survival of the fittest.
C. Population explosion.
D. Crop failure.
3. In the passage it stated that
A. Only some green plants can do very well by themselves.
B. Animals cannot live by themselves.
C. Some animals can make their own food without depending on plants.
D. Some green plants can make their own food.
4. According to one of the paragraphs in the passage, plants help animals
A. in providing them with the food they need.
B. in providing them with shelter and food.
C. in providing them with houses and shelter.
D. in killing some harmful insects. 31
5. In paragraph four it is implied that

A. Plants are indebted to animals.

B. Plants are indebted to animals.
C. Animals are not indebted to plants.
D. Animals are indebted to plants.
B. Write true or false according to the reading passage.
A) Dead animals and plants enrich the soil by adding invaluable chemicals to it.
B) Man does not depend on plants in building his own house.
C) Without green plants, other living things could not exist in this world.
D) Oxygen which is very important to plants in making food is released by men.
B. Vocabulary Questions
Read the following sentences carefully and then decide which word or phrase is the
most appropriate definition for the underlined word.
1. Oceans and other water bodies of the world furnish homes for many sea animals.
A. offer B. provide C. build D. construct
2. Without green plants, animals would die of starvation. apart
A. rom lack of strength. C. from lack of food. B. from lack of water D. from lack of
starch.
3. The decay of dead animals and plants enrich the soil.
A. fertile B. ruined C. fresh D. buried
4. Dead plants and animals enrich the soil.
A. fertile B. erode C. lessen D. diminish
5. Plants and animals do not live apart.
A. together B. in harmony C. separately D. side by side
C. Reference Questions
1. They’ para 1, line 3 refers A. animals B. plants C. minerals D. animals and plants
2. They’ para 3, line 3 refers A. animals B. plants C. beavers D. deer
3. It’ para 5, line 7 refers A. plant B. animal C. oxygen D. soil
4. His’ para 3, line 4 refers A. man B. beaver C. deer D. plant
Part two

A. Identifying the types of paragraph

The following sentences are the topic sentence of various paragraph types. Write the name of the
topic sentences as descriptive, narrative, expository and argumentative.

1. Music can often trigger powerful memories. _______________

2. Smoking is one of the most widespread addictive habits affecting the health of millions in the world.
_______________

3. There are some specific steps involved in writing a good paragraph or essay. __________

4. School uniforms should be compulsory for all students for a number of reasons. ________

5. Bahir dar and Hawassa have several things in common. ______________

6. When I was about five years old, I remember doing a lot of exciting things. __________

7. People of various background and ages wear different kinds of tee shirts. Musicians, for example,
wear ragged tee shirts when they perform on stage. _______________

B. Using so and neither

Choose the correct answer for the following sentences

1 I am from Israel. a. So do I b. So am I c. Neither am I d. Neither do I
2 I like ‘Injera’ a. So did I b. I don’t c.Neither was I d. Neither did I
3 I am not happy a. So was I b. So did I c.Neither was I d. Neither am I
4 I do not like coffee a. I do b. So did I c.Neither am I d. Neither was I
5 I was shocked a. So was I b. Neither was I c. I was d. either I was
 C. Reported speech

Circle the correct answer.

1. ‘Has your brother gone out?’ Mum asked me.

Mum asked me if my brother has gone / had gone out.
2. ‘Do you know the answer?' Miss Smith asked Ruby.
Miss Smith asked Ruby if she knew / had known the answer.
3. ‘Is this your car?' the police officer said to the man.
The police officer asked the man if it is / was his car.
4. ‘Have you been to see the exhibition?'
I asked Benjamin. I asked Benjamin if he went / had been to see the exhibition.
5. ‘Does your laptop need a new battery?' Jerry asked me.
Jerry asked me if my laptop needed /will need a new battery.
6. ‘Are you having a barbecue?' I asked the Browns.
I asked the Browns if they w ere having / had been having a barbecue.

D. Choose 'As' or 'like'.

1. Julie loves mangoes as much__________ I do.
2. He arrived___________ I was leaving.
3. He works in a bank, __________ his father.
4. He work in a bank________auditor.
5. Your perfume smells___________ flowers.
6. _________it was cold; I took a scarf.
7. He works_________ a hairdresser (it's his job).
 E. Quantifiers

Fill in: much, many, lots of, a lot of, most, a little, little, a few, few.

1. It seems we have had__________ assignments in English this year.

2. How___________ do we have to read this week?

3. ____________Americans don’t like George Bush

4. There aren’t very___________ books in the library.

5. I think he drank___________ wine last night.

6. I have had_____________ headaches already because of the stress.

7. I didn’t use____________ fertilizer1 last spring, that’s why we had so weeds 2.

8. It has rained very__________ this summer, that’s why the grass is so brown.

9. ___________people know as much about computers as Jack does.

10. I’m having___________ trouble passing my driving test.

11. I do have ____________friends but not that many.

12. How___________ juice is left in the bottle?

13. John had __________money with him so he couldn’t even buy a bus ticket.

14. __________time and money is spent on education in Great Britain.

15. I know ___________Spanish so I am going to have a problem when I get there.

16. __________of the children in our block have got roller skates.

17. __________people can live without money. We simply need it.

18. There are_________ leftovers for you in the refrigerator.

19. Is she already gone? – I’m only_________ minutes late.

20. There is__________ doubt that Anne will win the contest.
21. There is not very_________ dancing going on at the party.

22. ________people in the city ride a bike to work because you are simply faster.

23. London has_________ beautiful buildings.

Complete the following sentences with articles (a, an the or o article)

1. Robert and Jessica went to__________ party last night.

2. Can you tell me how to get to________ cinema from here?

3. ___________college is closed today.

4. Gregory is one of__________ strangest people I know.

5. I recommend you try __________ tomato soup at this restaurant.

6. ____________beer is not good for you.

7. Would you like to see___________ film?

8. _________apple a day keeps___________ doctor away.

9. I can't believe I failed___________ yesterday's test!

10. Do you have____________ dictionary that I can borrow?

11. There were many dogs in the park. One dog was ___________Dalmatian.

12. Pandas and_____________ tigers are both endangered animals.

13. Magda is wearing ______________blue dress with red shoes

14. Bornholm is____________ island in the Baltic Sea.

15. Christmas comes once___________ year.

Write an appropriate coordinating conjunction in the space provided.

1. You read a news-paper every day,_______ you do not know what is going on in the world.

2. Members of the churches met for dinner,_________ they held an inter faith service.

3. The runner admitted taking steroids,__________ they held an inter faith service. he was forced to
give up his medals.

4. Employers do not want the theft,_________ do they want the expense and had publicity of having an
employee arrested.

5. You should return the paper on time,_________ you will lose grade for lateness.

In the space provided, write an appropriate correlative conjunction.

a. ___________bananas________ oranges are cheap in this town; both are expensive.

b. I am________ opportunity to me. proud to be here_________ happy to meet you. It is good

c. _________go to bed early this evening stop complaining about being tired in class.

d. When they found the man who had been lost for four days, he was _______Tired _________hungry.
e. _________the life of an individual the history of a society can be understood without understanding
both.

f. The newlyweds could not decide _________to live with her parents_______ rent an apartment.

g. ____________my uncle my cousin live in San Diego.

h. You could ___________stay here __________go with us.

i. _________my brother __________my sister loves football. They always watch English Premier
League.
Gerund or Infinitive - Exercise 1

1. A lot of people are worried about____________ their jobs. (lose)

2. He agreed_____________ a new car. (buy) 3. The question is easy ___________ (answer)

4. Not everybody can afford____________ to university. (go)

5. I look forward to___________ you at the weekend. (see)

6. Are you thinking of____________ London? (visit)

7. He apologized for_____________ so late. (arrive)

8. Stop_____________ noise, please; I‘m studying. (make)

9. She doesn't mind___________ the night shift. (work)

10. I learned _____________the bike at the age of 5. (ride)