READING COMPREHENSION – PRETEST
Read the passage carefully.
Flora Jones Wed in Forest Hilltop to Francis Smith
Two well-known residents of Forest Hilltop, Flora Jones and Francis Smith, were married in a
meadow near Smith’s cabin on Sunday, August 4 Th. The double-ring nuptials were performed by
Horace Dooley, minister of his own Church of the True Faith.
The bride was attended by Colleen Jones, the bride’s daughter by a previous marriage, and
Kristina Svenson, a longtime resident of Forest Hilltop. Verity Smith, the groom’s daughter by a previous
marriage, acted as flower girl. The duties of best man were shared by Daniel Lion and Rory Whitney.
Mr. Lion read a selection of poetry by Shakespeare, and Mr. Whitney read a selection from
Wordsworth’s Prelude. Music for the ceremony was provided by the bride’s brother, James, from
London, who accompanied vocalist Marilyn Horn, a Forest Hilltop neighbor.
Also performing at the ceremony was Samuel Cantor, a friend of the groom from Los Angeles,
who sang several of his own compositions, accompanied by James Guidry, of Washington, D.C., and
William Morris, of New York City. Playing the flute, James Guidry led a procession of wedding guests
and the groom’s party from the groom’s cabin to the meadow site of the wedding. Following the
ceremony, the wedding party and guests strolled back to the cabin, where a reception was held for over
100 guests.
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COMPREHENSION TEST – PRETEST
Choose the best answer according to the passage you had read.
1. What type of place is Forest Hilltop?
(A) Urban (B) Suburban (C) Rural (D) Metropolitan
2. This wedding would be considered
(A) traditional (B) original (C) lovable (D) familial
3. The wedding was performed by
(A) a man who has formed his own sect (C) the bride’s brother
(B) a friend of the family (D) the bride and groom
4. Apparently a vocalist is a
(A) female (B) wedding guest (C) singer (D) neighbor
5. Apparently Mr. Cantor is noted for
(A) his friendship with the groom (C) writing music
(B) his attendance at the wedding (D) his residence in Los Angeles
READING COMPREHENSION – POSTTEST
Read the passage carefully.
About a billion years after the earth had formed, the first signs of life appeared. Three billion
years elapsed before creatures became complex enough to leave fossils their descendants could
recognize and learn from. These were shelled creatures called trilobites, followed by jawless fish, the
first vertebrates. During the Devonian period, great upheavals occurred in the earth’s crust, resulting in
the formation of mountains and in the ebb and flow of oceans. In the aftermath, beds of mud rich in
organic matter nourished vegetation, and insects, scorpions, and spiders appeared. Next developed
the amphibians, descendants of fish that had crawled out of fresh water.
Between 225 and 65 million years ago, reptiles developed from which many new forms grew
until finally evolved the mammal. Dinosaurs were overgrown reptiles. Although some were as small as
chickens, others grew to be the largest animals on Earth, as long as 82 feet and as heavy as 50 tons,
with long necks and liking for a vegetarian diet. Current theory suggests that dinosaurs were warm-
blooded and behaved more like mammals than like reptiles.
The end of the Mesozoic Era (middle life) saw the inexplicable demise of dinosaurs and large
swimming and flying birds. Geological changes were converting the giant land mass into separate
continents. The beginning of a new era, called Cenozoic (recent life), saw the marked predominance
of mammals that would ultimately become man’s ancestors.
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COMPREHENSION TEST – POSTTEST
Choose the best answer according to the passage you had read.
1. What would be a good title for this reading?
(A) How Reptiles Became Dinosaurs (C) The Evolution of Life
(B) The Ages of Man (D) The Formation of the Earth
2. What is required for vegetation?
(A) Dinosaurs (B) Oceans (C) Organic matter (D) Mud
3. What must an amphibian be?
(A) A spider (B) A person (C) A creature (D) A body of water
4. By inference, what would you say insects need?
(A) Water (B) Vegetation (C) Mud (D) Organic matter
5. What does the prefix Meso mean in Mesozoic?
(A) Mixed (B) Middle (C) Median (D) Mean
