Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition

Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 1A: The Incredible Dolphin

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. What would be the best alternative title for this passage?
a. Games in the Sea
b. Dolphin Intelligence
c. The Language of Dolphins

DETAIL
2. A dolphin’s name is communicated by ______.
a. a sound the dolphin makes
b. a movement of the dolphin’s tail
c. the dolphin jumping out of the water

DETAIL
3. The author indicates that scientists ______ how to “speak” the dolphin language.
a. have already learned
b. will probably never learn
c. are attempting to learn

DETAIL
4. The author mentions that Brazilian dolphins help fishermen in order to show that dolphins
can ______.
a. plan for the future
b. communicate with humans
c. cooperate with one another

REFERENCE
5. The word They in paragraph D, line 2 refers to ______.
a. only people
b. only dolphins
c. both people and dolphins
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 1B: Master of Disguise

Choose the best answer for each question.

INFERENCE
1. An octopus would be most likely to change color when ______.
a. a predator is nearby
b. it needs to find food
c. another octopus is close

INFERENCE
2. Which of these is an example of a disguise?
a. A person hides in a closet.
b. A woman changes her name.
c. A man wears a mask and a fake beard.

DETAIL
3. Octopuses do not have ______.
a. bones
b. a heart
c. muscles

DETAIL
4. The author does NOT mention that octopuses protect themselves by ______.
a. changing the color of their skin
b. swimming away quickly
c. changing the textures of their skin

DETAIL
5. Octopuses have the most neurons ______.
a. in their brains
b. on either side of their hearts
c. in their arms
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 2A: The Trip of a Lifetime

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. Paragraph A of this passage can be described as a ______.
a. general introduction to the topic of travel
b. a description of a travel adventure
c. a suggestion about how to travel

DETAIL
2. Gregg Bleakney got his idea to follow his dream ______.
a. from his friend Brooks Allen
b. after he’d completed another trip
c. from an article that he’d read

INFERENCE
3. Bleakney and Allen probably stayed at hostels ______.
a. because sometimes the weather was too bad to camp
b. when they couldn’t stay with local people
c. because they needed to save money for their trip

DETAIL
4. What does the author indicate about Tikal?
a. It’s a modern city.
b. It was built long ago.
c. It is at the tip of South America

DETAIL
5. What does the author say about Brooks Allen?
a. He didn’t finish the trip.
b. He arrived in Ushuaia before Bleakney.
c. He had a disagreement with Bleakney.
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 2B: Adventure Islands

Choose the best answer for each question.

DETAIL
1. The author does NOT say that Vanuatu ______.
a. is well known worldwide
b. consists of many islands
c. is a tiny country

DETAIL
2. The author does NOT describe the sport of ______.
a. volcano surfing
b. land diving
c. sea kayaking

INFERENCE
3. It can be inferred that ______.
a. all of Vanuatu’s volcanoes are located on Tanna Island
b. there are several other volcanoes in Vanuatu besides Mt. Yasur
c. people have volcano surfed on Mt. Yasur for centuries

DETAIL
4. Which of these statements is true?
a. Volcano surfing and land diving are practiced on the same island.
b. Volcano surfing was originally part of a religious activity.
c. Land diving originated on Vanuatu almost 1,500 years ago.

DETAIL
5. Which of the following is NOT part of the land diving activity?
a. Divers try to touch their heads to the ground.
b. Women climb to the top of a tower around 20 to 30 meters high.
c. Divers sing and dance to support other divers.
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 3A: Move to the Music

Choose the best answer for each question.

DETAIL
1. The author does NOT focus on the fact that music provides ______.
a. entertainment
b. distraction
c. motivation

VOCABULARY
2. It’s most important to pay attention when you are ______.
a. buying something
b. exercising
c. driving

INFERENCE
3. Which of these questions can NOT be answered with information from the list of songs?
a. Which song is the most popular for working out?
b. Which songs would Dr. Karageorghis recommend for a workout?
c. Which songs are too fast to be good workout music?

DETAIL
4. A Jymmin is a combination of ______.
a. a device for listening to music and a workout machine
b. a musical instrument and a scientific measuring device
c. a workout machine and a device for making music

DETAIL
5. According to Tom Fritz, it is an advantage to exercise when people are ______.
a. by themselves
b. acting socially
c. experimenting
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 3B: A Musical Boost

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. The information in this article is probably most useful for ______.
a. music teachers
b. medical doctors
c. language instructors

DETAIL
2. The experiment described in the passage indicated that ______.
a. musicians hear better than other people
b. musical ability improves language learning
c. violinists hear better than other musicians

DETAIL
3. According to the article, musicians may be good language learners because they ______.
a. are used to a lot of practice
b. have learned to focus their listening
c. listen carefully to other musicians

REFERENCE
4. The word they in paragraph D, line 3 refers to ______.
a. doctors at Harvard Medical Center
b. people who have had strokes
c. names and address

DETAIL
5. According to the information in paragraph D, ______.
a. musicians have fewer strokes than other people
b. having a stroke can actually improve a person’s listening skills
c. people who have had strokes can sing before they can talk correctly
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 4A: Life Beyond Earth?

Choose the best answer for each question.

DETAIL
1. The astronomers Seth Shostak and Alexandra Barnett believe that ______ in
communication with life forms from other planets.
a. we will never be
b. we will soon be
c. we have already been

VOCABULARY
2. You can ______ a friend by email or text message.
a. contract
b. content
c. contact

DETAIL
3. According to the passage, there are approximately the same number of ______.
a. planets in our galaxy as there are stars in the Milky Way
b. stars in our galaxy as there are known galaxies in the universe
c. solar systems in our galaxy as there are stars in our galaxy

DETAIL
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the main reasons why Shostak and Barnett believe
there is intelligent life in the universe?
a. Some of the signals from space may have been sent by intelligent beings
b. There are an incredible number of planets in the universe, and intelligent life probably
exists on one of them.
c. Over the last 12 billion years, intelligent life surely did not arise only on Earth.

REFERENCE
5. The word they in paragraph D, line 3, refers to ______.
a. intelligent beings
b. planets in other solar systems
c. space scientists
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 4B: Living in Space

Choose the best answer for each question.

MAIN IDEA
1. This passage is primarily a ______.
a. biography of a famous scientist
b. criticism of space exploration
c. discussion of humans’ future in space

VOCABULARY
2. Which of the following would NOT typically be described as independent?
a. a country
b. a building
c. a person

DETAIL
3. Which of the following scientists does NOT specifically say where space colonies should be
established?
a. Stephen Hawking
b. Robert Zubrin
c. Elon Musk

INFERENCE
4. Both Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking want to establish colonies in space in order to _____.
a. find new technologies in science and medicine
b. protect humanity in case of a disaster here on earth
c. develop new human cultures on other planets

INFERENCE
5. Paragraph E gives some reasons why people do not want to send people into space. Which
of the following would counter one of their objections?
a. The government agrees to spend more money on space exploration.
b. Spending long periods in space is found to cause more health problems than was
originally thought.
c. Rocket scientists develop space ships that can travel to Mars in just six weeks.
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 5A: Global Cities

Choose the best answer for each question.

INFERENCE
1. The reading probably begins with John Gunther’s quote because ______.
a. New York is ranked the highest on the Global Cities Index
b. John Gunther was the creator of the Global Cities Index
c. he disagreed with the findings of the Global Cities Index

DETAIL
2. The category Politics mostly deals with ______.
a. local politics
b. national organizations
c. international connections

DETAIL
3. The Global Cities Index did NOT consider ______ in its ratings of cities.
a. the quality of universities
b. overall population growth
c. the number of global companies

DETAIL
4. Which of these, according to the graph, is a true statement?
a. Tokyo has a lower overall rating than Hong Kong.
b. Washington, D.C. has a higher business rating than Seoul.
c. New York has a lower entertainment score than London.

DETAIL
5. Which of these is NOT one of the predictions made in the passage?
a. Two Asian cities will become as powerful in business as New York.
b. Rio de Janeiro will become the most powerful city in South America.
c. Several Middle Eastern cities will help East and West cooperate.
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 5B: A Taste of Two Cities

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. Paragraph A of the passage provides ______.
a. a question that is answered in the rest of the passage
b. an outline of the main points of the passage
c. a summary of the differences between two cities

VOCABULARY
2. The word immigrants can be defined as people who ______.
a. are in serious danger
b. work on farms
c. come to another country

DETAIL
3. Liberdade is a ______.
a. coffee-growing area
b. section of São Paolo
c. large city in Brazil

DETAIL
4. The author does NOT provide examples of ______.
a. Japanese foods sold in São Paulo
b. goods sold at the Japanese street market
c. Brazilian foods sold in Hamamatsu

REFERENCE
5. The word They in paragraph C, line 6 refers to ______.
a. Japanese-Brazilian people who moved to Hamamatsu
b. Brazilian people who lived in São Paulo
c. Japanese people who returned to Hamamatsu
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 6A: In One Cubic Foot

Choose the best answer for each question.

PURPOSE
1. Why does the author include the quote from E. O. Wilson in Paragraph A?
a. To persuade readers to protect the environment
b. To show the importance of small organisms
c. To tell readers how to look for important organisms

REFERENCE
2. The phrase These plants in paragraph B, line 5 refers to ______.
a. plants that have recently died
b. plants that return nutrients to the soil
c. living plants

VOCABULARY
3. A forest dweller ______.
a. loves the forest
b. lives under the forest
c. lives in the forest

PURPOSE
4. The main purpose of paragraph C Is to describe the ______.
a. organisms that lived or moved in the cube
b. work of David Liittschwager
c. cube the team took around the world

DETAIL
5. When working in French Polynesia, Liittschwager’s team discovered ______.
a. organisms that had never been seen before
b. animals that live nowhere else in the world
c. new species of plants living in the coral reef
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 6B: What’s in Your Neighborhood?

Choose the best answer for each question.

DETAIL
1. Which of these questions can be answered based on information in the passage?
a. How long has Gabby Salazar been a citizen scientist?
b. Who is interviewing Gabby Salazar?
c. How many photos has Gabby Salazar posted on eBird?

DETAIL
2. The eBird project is located in ______.
a. Peru
b. the Unites States
c. Kenya

DETAIL
3. Observations of around ______ species of birds have been posted on eBird.
a. 590
b. 10,000
c. Over half a billion

DETAIL
4. Citizen scientists who participate in Wildwatch Kenya ______.
a. hide cameras in trees
b. photograph passing animals
c. look at photographs of animals online

INFERENCE
5. What can be inferred from the passage about citizen scientists?
a. They work for government agencies.
b. They have less formal training than scientists.
c. They are paid for the work that they do.
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 7A: The Truth about Dinosaurs

Choose the best answer for each question.

VOCABULARY
1. The word fascinating in paragraph A, line 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
a. interesting
b. frightening
c. misunderstood

DETAIL
2. Paleontologists believe that Troodon was ______ dinosaur.
a. a huge
b. a warm-blooded
c. an intelligent

DETAIL
3. Which of the following is probably NOT true about Tyrannosaurus rex?
a. It could move about as fast as an elephant.
b. It was a fearsome, powerful hunter.
c. It had very small arms.

DETAIL
4. Pterosaurs could probably not take off from the ground because of their ______.
a. heavy weight
b. short wingspan
c. lack of strength

DETAIL
5. Dinosaurs probably became extinct because of ______.
a. predators
b. a cold climate
c. rising temperatures
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 7B: Mystery of the Terrible Hand

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. The “mystery” mentioned in the title refers to the purpose of Deinocheirus’s ______.
a. long arms
b. hump
c. long tail

DETAIL
2. Before scientists recently found new fossils of Deinocheirus, they only knew that this
dinosaur ______.
a. lacked teeth
b. had long limbs
c. had a hump

DETAIL
3. The author does NOT compare Deinocheirus to ______.
a. Tyrannosaurus rex
b. a modern-day ostrich
c. a large fish

DETAIL
4. Which of these questions can NOT be answered based on information in the reading?
a. What did Deinocheirus use its long arms for?
b. Why did Deinocheirus have no teeth?
c. How did scientists estimate the body size of Deinocheirus?

INFERENCE
5. The idea that birds are descendants of dinosaurs might be strengthened by the fact that
______.
a. neither birds nor the Deinocheirus have teeth
b. like the Deinocheirus, some birds have long tails
c. birds have feathers, and so did the Deinocheirus
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 8A: The Brothers Grimm

Choose the best answer for each question.

DETAIL
1. The Grimm brothers became interested in folktales when they were ______.
a. young children
b. university students
c. older men

DETAIL
2. Which of the following is a true statement about the stories in the Grimms’ books?
a. They all came from Germany.
b. They included some famous fairy tales.
c. They were originally written in English.

VOCABULARY
3. A traditional ceremony is one that ______.
a. is secret and not open to outsiders
b. has been performed the same way for many years
c. is very important to the people who attend

DETAIL
4. In the Grimms’ fairy tales, which of the following would be LEAST likely to be found in a
forest?
a. A scary ghost
b. A talking wolf
c. A friendly wizard

INFERENCE
5. How did the Grimm brothers change their original stories?
a. They made the characters in stories less frightening.
b. They changed the settings from Germany to other countries.
c. They gave each story a moral.
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 8B: The Seven Ravens

Choose the best answer for each question.

VOCABULARY
1. The word eventually in paragraph A, line 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
a. happily
b. actually
c. finally

INFERENCE
2. Why were the brothers probably afraid when the water jug fell into the well?
a. They were afraid to climb down into the well.
b. They were scared that their father would be angry.
c. They were frightened by the seven ravens.

DETAIL
3. The father first thought that his sons were ______.
a. lost
b. playing
c. fighting

INFERENCE
4. When her brothers first went missing, their sister must have been very ______.
a. young
b. shocked
c. thirsty

DETAIL
5. The brothers became human right after ______.
a. their sister ran to them
b. they returned home
c. one of them found a ring
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 9A: Meet the Meteorite Hunter

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. What would be the best alternative title for this passage?
a. Finding Space Rocks
b. A Dangerous Job
c. The Composition of Meteorites

DETAIL
2. Meteorite hunting is described as dangerous because hunters might be ______.
a. cheated when they sell their meteorite pieces
b. struck by falling meteorites
c. attacked and robbed

DETAIL
3. The most valuable meteorite Michael Farmer found ______.
a. was found in the Middle East
b. is now located in a Canadian museum
c. is about the size of a walnut

DETAIL
4. Michael Farmer does NOT mention selling meteorites to ______.
a. other hunters
b. museums
c. private collectors

REFERENCE
5. The word They in paragraph D, line 4 refers to ______.
a. new meteorites
b. scientists
c. hunters
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 9B: Smokejumpers

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. What would be the best alternative title for this passage?
a. Russian Smokejumpers
b. Using Planes to Fight Forest Fires
c. Firefighters from the Sky

INFERENCE
2. Smokejumpers would probably NOT be asked to fight a fire in a ______.
a. remote forest
b. rugged canyon
c. city park

DETAIL
3. Smokejumpers’ main task is to ______.
a. stop the growth of a fire
b. guide regular firefighters
c. completely put out a fire

DETAIL
4. Which of the following questions can be answered with the information in paragraph C?
a. What is the height limit for U.S. firefighters?
b. Can a woman weighing 125 pounds be a U.S. smokejumper?
c. What is the weight limit for Russian firefighters?

INFERENCE
5. Russian smokejumpers would probably not learn how to ______.
a. make a bed from pine branches
b. identify edible mushrooms
c. pilot a plane or a helicopter
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 10A: The Army’s True Colors

Choose the best answer for each question.

DETAIL
1. Which of the following is NOT one of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s accomplishments?
a. Building a system of roads
b. Introducing a new type of money
c. Reorganizing the military

DETAIL
2. None of the original terracotta figures were ______.
a. brown
b. purple
c. white

VOCABULARY
3. The word coating in paragraph B, line 9, is closest in meaning to ______.
a. clay
b. covering
c. core

REFERENCE
4. The word their in paragraph B, line 6 refers to ______.
a. the colors of the terracotta soldiers
b. the archeologists
c. the terracotta soldiers

VOCABULARY
5. The liquid mentioned in paragraph C is a form of ______.
a. preservative
b. paint
c. plastic
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 10B: Wonders of Egypt

Choose the best answer for each question.

DETAIL
1. Which of the following questions is NOT answered in the reading?
a. Did slaves or foreigners help build the pyramids?
b. Why were workers proud of their work?
c. Did more men or more women work on the pyramids?

DETAIL
2. According to the passage, the teams of workers mentioned in the reading ______.
a. sometimes raced with other teams
b. all did the same kind of work
c. were either all male or all female

DETAIL
3. Scientists know that the work on the pyramids was difficult by ______.
a. reading messages written on the walls
b. measuring the weight and size of the stones
c. examining the bones of the workers

DETAIL
4. The author does NOT mention that the workers received ______.
a. medical care
b. enough food
c. leisure time

INFERENCE
5. The author suggests in paragraph C that scientists could determine ______.
a. which team the workers belonged to
b. the age of the workers
c. the kind of work the workers did
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 11A: The Problem with Plastic

Choose the best answer for each question.

MAIN IDEA
1. What is the main idea of this reading?
a. Scientists were able to save the turtle.
b. Plastics in the ocean harm sea creatures.
c. Turtles are most likely to be harmed by plastics.

DETAIL
2. The word it in paragraph C, line 2 (it is covered) refers to ______.
a. food
b. a sea animal
c. plastic

DETAIL
3. According to the information in paragraph C, sea animals may feel confused because they
______.
a. still feel hungry after eating
b. experience pain after they eat plastic
c. can’t tell the difference between food and plastic

VOCABULARY
4. If a creature is stuck in plastic, it ______.
a. cannot break free of it
b. is attracted to plastic
c. has already eaten plastic

DETAIL
5. Which of the following is NOT a single-use product?
a. a plastic straw
b. a fast-food bag
c. a metal pot
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 11B: Five Tips for Using Less Plastic

Choose the best answer for each question.

VOCABULARY
1. Which word below can NOT be used to replace the word Tips in the title?
a. Suggestions
b. Journeys
c. Ideas

VOCABULARY
2. The phrase in the meantime in paragraph A refers to the time ______.
a. between now and the time a long-term solution is found
b. it takes people to follow these suggestions
c. scientists have spent so far looking for a long-term solution

DETAIL
3. The author does NOT mention ways to reduce the use of plastic ______.
a. bags from supermarkets
b. cups from fast-food restaurants
c. straws that come with drinks

DETAIL
4. Which of the following can be determined from the information in paragraph B?
a. Almost 100 billion plastic bags are used in the U.S. annually.
b. People in Denmark use an average of four plastic bags every day.
c. Chile is one of the countries that has completely banned plastic bags.

VOCABULARY
5. The take-out containers mentioned in paragraph E, line 4 usually contain ______.
a. liquid soap
b. fresh fruits and vegetables
c. prepared foods
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 12A: Mystery on the Mountain

Choose the best answer for each question.

GIST
1. What is the “mystery” referred to in the title of the reading?
a. Where is the body of Andrew Irvine?
b. Did Mallory and Irvine reach the top in 1924?
c. Why did Mallory and Irvine vanish?

DETAIL
2. The team that was on Everest in 1999 did NOT find ______.
a. an oxygen tank
b. a knife and matches
c. a photograph

VOCABULARY
3. The word summit, as used in paragraph A, line 5 is closest in meaning to ______.
a. peak
b. mountainside
c. rock wall

INFERENCE
4. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the theory that Mallory and Irvine were the
first to reach the top?
a. Mallory’s oxygen tank was completely full.
b. Irvine’s body was found near Mallory’s.
c. Mallory’s body showed signs of frostbite.

REFERENCE
5. The word this in paragraph F, line 3 refers to ______.
a. camping
b. climbing
c. suffering
Reading Explorer 1, Third Edition
Extra Comprehension Questions

Reading 12B: The Missing Pilot

Choose the best answer for each question.

PURPOSE
1. The main point of this passage is to ______.
a. discuss what may have happened on Amelia Earhart’s last flight
b. talk about Amelia Earhart’s qualifications as a pilot
c. explain what Amelia Earhart did wrong on her final flight

DETAIL
2. Where did Amelia Earhart’s trip begin?
a. Lae, New Guinea
b. Oakland, California
c. Howland Island

DETAIL
3. What is NOT one of the problems Amelia Earhart faces on her flight across the Pacific?
a. Her plane was damaged during take-off.
b. The weather was stormy.
c. She was running out of gas.

DETAIL
4. The last person to talk to Amelia Earhart was on ______.
a. an island
b. another plane
c. a ship

DETAIL
5. Which of the following questions is answered in paragraph C?
a. Why did Earhart and Noonan probably go in the wrong direction?
b. How many people lived on Howland Island at the time of Earhart’s flight?
c. Why would Earhart change her name before she returned to the U.S.?