Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 1

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

The West Indian Land Crab makes its home two or three miles
from the sea. When the females wish to lay their eggs, they do not
carry them attached to their bodies, as most crabs do. Instead, they
make their way back to the sea to lay them in the sand. All of them
go at once, together, the males leading the way. There may be
enough to form a host a mile long and forty yards wide. Houses and
walls and cliffs do not stop them. They never turn aside but keep
straight on until, if they survive, they reach the sea.

A. This story is mainly about –

1. where the West Indian Land Crab makes its home.

2. the egg-laying behavior of a certain type of crab.
3. a host a mile long.
4. a terrible trek to the sea.

B. The West Indian Land Crab –

1. lives its life next to the sea.

2. lays its eggs on the seaside.
3. carries its eggs next to its body.
4. lays its eggs several miles from the sea.

C. The trek to the sea –

1. can be dangerous.
2. is for females only.
3. is safe, since there are so many.
4. allows the crabs to stop and rest.

D. The word "host" is this story refers to –

1. a large group.
2. a group on the attack.
3. a group of females.
4. a powerful group.
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 2

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

One of the strangest crabs, called "birgus latro" by scientists, is

one that lives on coconuts. It makes its home by burrowing deep
among the roots of a coconut tree. Its food comes from the coconuts
that fall from the tree. Taking a fallen nut, it strips off some fiber
with its great claws and hammers away at the coconut until an
opening is made. Through this opening the crab thrusts its smaller
claws and drags out the "meat" of the coconut. It might even thrust
in a claw and swing the coconut and smash it on the ground. This
crab is used by the natives for food. As much as a quart of coconut
oil can be obtained from one crab.

A. This story is mainly about -

1. the power of birgus latro.

2. the way that a certain type of crab obtains its food.
3. a way to obtain coconut food.
4. birgus latro.

B. The oil in this crab comes from –

1. the roots of coconut trees.

2. birgus latro.
3. coconuts.
4. the island on which this crab lives.

C. This crab makes its home –

1. by thrusting its claw into a coconut.
2. among the roots of a coconut tree.
3. by burrowing deep into a coconut.
4. safe from natives who want it for food.

D. The word "natives" refers to –

1. people who live on crabs.
2. people who live in an area.
3. people who lack skill and knowledge.
4. people who take coconut oil from crabs.
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 3

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

IV. Like oysters, mussels attach themselves to rock. First, the

mussel attaches its foot, which acts as a sucker, to a rock. This is
only temporary. Then, strands of a silk-like texture, called a byssus,
are put forth by the mussel and woven into a sort of string.This
holds to the rock. Mussels collect in great masses. The byssus of one
mussel joins the byssus of another until they are all joined
together.Heavy waves can beat upon them, but they hold their
positions in safety.

A. This story is mainly about –

1. the life of mussels.

2. the byssus of mussels.
3. mussels and oysters.
4. how mussels hold onto rocks.

B. A byssus is –

1. the foot of the mussel.

2. the mussel's tie to rock.
3. a piece of string.
4. a large group of mussels.

C. Mussels can hold onto rocks because –

1. the "foot" holds them.

2. they are all joined together.
3. they are joined by pieces of string.
4. the waves beat upon them.

D. The "foot" of the mussel –

1. is used for walking.

2. has a sucker on it.
3. makes the byssus.
4. joins with other mussels.
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 4

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

Lobsters are "crabby," just like crabs. By "crabby" we mean

"always ready to fight." It is common for a lobster to lose a claw in a
fight. However, the lobster can always grow a new claw to replace
the one that has been lost. The new claw is smaller than the old one,
at least at first. After the lobster continues to grow and to lose its
shells one after another, the new claw in time gets to be as large as
the one that has been lost. Then the lobster can fight again just as
well as it did before it lost the claw.

A. This story is mainly about –

1. crabs and lobsters.

2. a lost claw.
3. how lobsters grow a new claw.
4. the lobster's readiness to fight.

B. "Crabby" means –

1. unhappy.
2. dissatisfied.
3. easily irritated.
4. annoying.

C. Once a claw has been lost, the lobster –

1. can never fight again.

2. is helpless.
3. can grow a new one.
4. right away gets another just as good.

D. A lobster's shell –

1. grows bigger as the lobster inside grows bigger.

2. stays the same for the life of the lobster.
3. is hard so that the lobster doesn't need to fight.
4. is dropped when the lobster inside gets too big.
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 5

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

The White Cliffs of Dover on the coast of England are chalk.

Chalk is composed of the shells of sea animals. How, then, did they
come to make up huge cliffs on the seacoast? Well, at one time, the
chalk was under the ocean. As the animals with shells died, the
shells fell to the ocean floor and piled up over millions of years,
often to great thicknesses. Then, the ocean floor rose, and the water
fell back, leaving the chalk to make up dry land. In many parts of
England and France you can scratch the soil and find chalk
underneath. Some train tunnels go through chalk.

A. This story is mainly about –

1. the natural history of chalk.

2. sea animals with shells.
3. the seacoast of England.
4. the many places where chalk is found.

B. When they die, some sea animals leave behind –

1. sea coast.
2. ocean floor.
3. shells.
4. white cliffs.

C. The White Cliffs of Dover formed because –

1. sea animals died.

2. there was chalk on the ocean floor.
3. the ocean floor rose up.
4. there is chalk under the soil.

D. Some train tunnels –

1. leave the water behind.

2. allow the train to go through chalk.
3. are on the seacoast of England and France.
4. are stopped by the shells of sea animals
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 6

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

We know that gold and silver are elements. An element

consists of atoms of only one kind, unlike water, which consists of
both hydrogen and oxygen. Another element is radium. Radium is
especially interesting, because it produces heat. When soil is carried
by rivers down to the sea and falls to the bottom, it often carries
radium in it. As more and more soil is washed down into the ocean,
more and more radium is carried in it. There, as elsewhere, it
constantly produces heat.

A. This story is mainly about –

1. a heat-producing element.
2. gold and silver.
3. soil that is washed down into oceans.
4. atoms of only one kind.

B. Oxygen and hydrogen –

1. are not in the same class as silver and gold.

2. are unlike water.
3. are elements.
4. are not elements.

C. Some heat on the ocean floor comes from –

1. oxygen and hydrogen.

2. radium.
3. the water from rivers.
4. gold and silver.

D. One heat-producing element is –

1. gold.
2. silver.
3. radium.
4. hydrogen.
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 7

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

An iron or steel bridge swells (gets larger) when warmed by the

sun and shrinks (gets smaller) when it becomes colder. Heat makes
everything expand, and cold makes everything contract. Cold is the
absence of heat. Metals change their size when heated or cooled,
and this change is noticeable in a bridge that is made of iron or
steel. The builder of a bridge must leave empty spaces for the metal
to expand into. Have you noticed that concrete sidewalks have
cracks every few feet? These cracks provide space for the concrete
to expand into when heated.

A. This story is mainly about –

1. the effect of heat on everything.

2. metal bridges.
3. the cracks in sidewalks.
4. the absence of heat.

B. Another word for "swells" is –

1. warms.
2. shrinks.
3. contracts.
4. expands.

C. Empty spaces allow room for a material to –

1. warm.
2. shrink.
3. contract.
4. expand.

D. The sun causes materials to –

1. expand.
2. shrink.
3. contract.
4. cool.
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 8

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

An ear of corn on a corn plant is protected by a husk, and at the

end of the ear, emerging from the husk, you can see a bunch of silk-
like threads. What is the purpose of these threads? Well, each thread
is attached to a kernel of corn inside the husk, and each kernel of
corn, if it is fertilized by pollen, can become a seed that can grow
into a new corn plant. How does pollen reach the kernel? It travels
through the silk-like thread, which is a hollow tube.

A. This story is mainly about –

1. threads.
2. new corn plants.
3. the purpose of corn's silk-like threads.
4. kernels of corn.

B. The part of corn that we eat is –

1. silk-like threads.
2. kernels.
3. new corn plants.
4. husks.

C. Pollen makes it possible for kernels to become –

1. silk-like threads.
2. seeds.
3. husks.
4. a hollow tube.

D. Pollen travels in –

1. a kernel.
2. the ear of corn.
3. a hollow tube.
4. the covering of the ear.
Grade 9: READING PASSAGE 9

Name: _________________ Year and Section: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

Read the passage and answer the questions comprehensively .

Living things adapt to their environment so they can survive. An

organism adapts when it develops a behavior that makes it more
likely to survive. It can behavior that makes it more likely to survive.
It can behavior also adapt by forming a physical characteristic or
body part that helps it survive. In a forest biome, some trees grow
taller than the other plants around them. This lets them reach the
sunlight. Growing taller is an adaptation that helps trees survive.
Shorter plants have adapted with their behavior. They have learned
to live in the shade with less sunlight. Animals in the forest have a
wide variety of adaptations. Monkeys have long tails. They can use
them almost like another hand. This helps them swing quickly
through the tops of trees. They can even do this while holding their
babies or gathering food. Giraffes need to reach leaves at the tops of
tall trees. Having a long neck is an adaptation that allows them to do
this. Some animals’ adaptations prevent other animals from wanting
to eat them. A skunk’s horrible smell makes larger animals choose
something else to eat. Even plants sometimes protect themselves in
this way. Roses and acacia trees both have dangerous thorns. The
thorns prevent animals from eating their leaves.

A. What are the two main ways that an organism adapts?

B. What is one animal adaptation you read about in the passage?

C. What is one plant adaptation you read about in the passage?