TASK 2 : READING COMPREHENSION PART 2

READING COMPREHENSION

FOR 1-8

"Did you see that?" Joe said to his friend Bill.

"You're a great shooter!"

Bill caught the basketball and bounced it before

throwing it again. The ball flew into the net.

"Bill, you never miss!" Joe said admiringly.

"Unless I'm in a real game," Bill complained.

"Then I miss all the time."

Joe knew that Bill was right. Bill performed much

better when he was having fun with Joe in the school

yard than he did when he was playing for the school

team in front of a large crowd.

"Maybe you just need to practice more," Joe suggested.

"But I practice all the time with you!" Bill objected.

He shook his head. "I just can't play well when people are

watching me."

"You play well when I'm watching," Joe pointed out.

"That's because I've known you since we were five

years old," Bill said with a smile. "I'm just not

comfortable playing when other people are around."

Joe nodded and understood, but he also had an idea.

The next day Joe and Bill met in the school yard again

to practice. After a few minutes, Joe excused himself.

"Practice without me," Joe said to his friend. "I'll be

back in a minute."

Joe hurried through the school building, gathering

together whomever he could find—two students, a math

teacher, two secretaries, and a janitor. When Joe explained

why he needed them, everyone was happy to help.

Joe reminded the group to stay quiet as they all went

toward the school's basketball court. As Joe had hoped,

Bill was still practicing basketball. He made five

baskets in a row without noticing the silent people

standing behind him.

"Hey, Bill!" Joe called out finally.

Bill turned. A look of surprise came over his face.

"I just wanted to show you that you could play well

with people watching you," Joe said. "Now you'll have

nothing to worry about for the next game!"

1.     How many teacher joe hurred in building?

A.     3

B.     4

C.     5

D.    6

2.     What would be the best title for the story?

A.    Joe Joins the Team

B.    Practice Makes Perfect

C.    Bill Wins the Big Game

D.    Bill's Basketball Problem

3.     In line 8, the word performed is closest in meaning to _______.

A.    acted

2. played
3. moved
4. changed

4.     Why is Bill upset?

1. He plays better in practice than he does during games.
2. The school yard is not a good place to practice.
3. Joe watches him too closely when he plays.
4. His team loses too many games.

5.     Why does Bill play well when Joe is watching him?

1. He is comfortable with Joe.
2. Joe tells him how to play better.
3. He does not know that Joe is there.
4. He wants to prove to Joe that he is a good player.

6.     Why does Joe decide to gather a group of people?

1. Because he wants more players for his team
2. Because he wants to help Bill feel less nervous
3. Because he wants to show them his talent
4. Because he wants more people to see the next game

7.     At the end of the story, all of the following people watch Bill practice EXCEPT _______.

1. Joe
2. a janitor
3. a math teacher
4. the basketball coach

8.     Why does the group have to be quiet when they go to the basketball court?

1. Because Joe is telling Bill what to do
2. Because they do not want Bill to know they were there
3. Because Bill likes to practice alone
4. Because the group needs to listen to Joe’s instructions

FOR 9-18

When another old cave is discovered in the south of France, it is not usually news. Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them. However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wildcats. Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far outnumbering all other animals. Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a monumental and difficult task.

 They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex. Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away. Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images inside. Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognizable. To prevent further damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, years after it was discovered.

9.     Which title best summarizes the main idea of the passage?

1. Wild Animals in Art
2. Hidden Prehistoric Paintings
3. Exploring Caves Respectfully
4. Determining the Age of French Caves

10.  In line 4, the words pays heed to are closest in meaning to _______.

1. discovers
2. watches
3. notices
4. buys

11.  Based on the passage, what is probably true about the south of France?

1. It is home to rare animals.
2. It has a large number of caves.

C.     It is known for horse-racing events.

4. It has attracted many famous artists.

12.  According to the passage, which animals appear most often on the cave walls?

1. Birds
2. Bison
3. Horses
4. Wild cats

13.  In line 10, the word depict is closest in meaning to _______.

1. show
2. hunt
3. count
4. draw

14.  Why was painting inside the Lascaux complex a difficult task?

1. It was completely dark inside.
2. The caves were full of wild animals.
3. Painting materials were hard to find.
4. Many painting spaces were difficult to reach.

15.  In line 14, the word They refers to _______.

1. walls
2. artists
3. animals
4. materials

16.  According to the passage, all of the following have caused damage to the paintings EXCEPT _______.

1. temperature changes
2. air movement
3. water
4. light

17.  What does the passage say happened at the Lascaux caves in 1963?

A.    Visitors were prohibited from entering.

2. A new lighting system was installed.
3. Another part was discovered.
4. A new entrance was created.

FOR 18-21

Student Volunteers Needed!

On Saturday, December 12th, from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M., Carverton Middle School will be holding a music festival in the school gymnasium. The special event will feature a variety of professional musicians and singers.

Task	Time	Date
Make posters	1 P.M.–4 P.M.	December 5th
Set up gym	11 A.M.–4 P.M.	December 11th
Help performers	9 A.M.–4 P.M.	December 12th
Welcome guests	10 A.M.–2 P.M.	December 12th
Clean up gym	4 P.M.–7 P.M.	December 12th

Interested students should speak with Ms. Braxton, the music teacher. Students who would like to help at the festival must have written permission from a parent or guardian.

18.  What time will the festival begin?

1. 10 A.M.
2. 11 A.M.
3. 1 P.M.
4. 2 P.M.

19.  In line 3, the word feature is closest in meaning to _______.

1. look
2. keep
3. include
4. entertain

20.  What job will be done the day before the festival begins?

1. Making posters
2. Setting up the gym
3. Cleaning up the gym
4. Helping the performers

21.  Who is told to talk to Ms. Braxton?

1. Parents
2. Students
3. Teachers
4. Performers

FOR 22-25

A new atomic clock being developed for navigation satellites will perform better than previous devices. The clock will use a new microwave cavity design to provide a compact and lightweight package and new electronic techniques to maintain long-term stability. The clock can provide precise navigation information because it is stable to one second in three million years. The differences in the time when signals from four satellites arrive at one location can be used to calculate that position to within a few yards.

22.  From the passage, it can be inferred that which of the following characteristics of the clock mentioned will be most impressive?

A.    Its compact size

B.    Its weight

C.    Its accuracy

D.    Its ability to measure distance

23.  It can be inferred from the passage that the new clock will be

1. long-lasting
2. harmful to humans
3. produced in great numbers
4. very attractive looking

24.  According to the passage, signals from how many satellites will be used to calculate a position?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

25.  What is the primary purpose of the passage?

1. To teach a lesson
2. To sell a product
3. To support a theory
4. To provide information

REFERENCE

https://www.ets.org/toefl_junior/prepare/standard_sample_questions/reading_comprehension