Knowledge Home Academia
English Club
Comprehension Worksheet 1
Instructions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Pay close
attention to the literary devices, vocabulary, and the overall meaning of the text.
Passage:
The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of amber and crimson. Birds chirped
their last songs of the day, as the world settled into a calm, evening hush. In the small village of
Willowbrook, young Clara wandered through the fields, her thoughts swirling like autumn leaves
caught in the wind. She clutched a small notebook to her chest, its pages filled with dreams,
poems, and sketches of a world she longed to explore. Tonight, however, her usual spark of
adventure was dimmed, replaced by a weight she couldn’t quite name.
As Clara reached the old oak tree at the edge of the field, she paused. Its gnarled branches
stretched out like the arms of an ancient guardian. She traced her fingers along the grooves of its
bark, feeling the history embedded in its surface. “Why do you stay rooted here?” she whispered,
as though the tree might answer. “Don’t you ever want to see what’s beyond this place?” The
wind stirred, rustling the leaves, but no answer came.
Clara sighed, flipping open her notebook. She began to write, the words spilling out like a river
finally freed from a dam. She wrote of distant mountains capped with snow, of bustling cities
filled with laughter and light, and of endless oceans stretching far beyond the horizon. Yet, as
she wrote, she realized that the tree, the fields, and even the village held a beauty she couldn’t
deny. Perhaps, she thought, adventures could exist in the familiar as well as the unknown.
Section A: Understanding the Text
1. What mood is created at the beginning of the passage? Use evidence from the text to
support your answer.
2. What is Clara’s emotional state as she walks through the fields? What specific words or
phrases help convey this?
3. Why does Clara feel a connection to the old oak tree?
4. What realization does Clara come to by the end of the passage?
Section B: Vocabulary in Context
1. What does the word “hues” mean in the sentence: “The sun dipped below the horizon,
painting the sky in hues of amber and crimson”? a) Textures
b) Colors
c) Shapes
d) Patterns
2. Find and explain the meaning of the phrase “weight she couldn’t quite name.”
3. What does the author mean by “words spilling out like a river finally freed from a dam”?
4. Define the word “gnarled” as used in the context of the passage.
Section C: Literary Devices
1. Identify and explain the use of personification in the passage.
2. What literary device is used in the phrase “autumn leaves caught in the wind”? How does
this enhance the imagery?
3. Explain the metaphor in “words spilling out like a river finally freed from a dam.”
4. How does the author’s use of imagery contribute to the tone of the passage?
Section D: Creative Response
1. Imagine you are Clara, standing under the oak tree. Write a short paragraph describing
what you would write in your notebook about the tree or the village.
2. Clara wonders if adventures can exist in the familiar. Write a brief response (4-5
sentences) sharing your thoughts on this idea.
