READING COMPREHENSION FOR 9°

READ THE TEXTS AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.

READING 1:

THE RIO GRANDE

Although not the longest river in America, the Rio Grande is one of the most important. But, unlike other significant rivers, it is not used for shipping. In fact, oceangoing ships cannot navigate the waters. No, what makes the Rio Grande so important is its location. Since 1846, it has been the official border of Texas and Mexico.

Rio Grande Geography

The Rio Grande is either the fourth or fifth longest river system in North America. It all depends on how it is measured. Because the river twists so much, it occasionally changes course. And these course shifts can cause it to be longer or shorter. At its last official measure, the Rio Grande clocked in at 1,896 miles. The river starts in Colorado and extends downward to the Gulf of Mexico.

Downward is the best way of describing it too. Not only does the river extend south, but it also starts in the mountains and gets lower and lower in elevation as it extends to the Gulf.

Its name is Spanish for the “Big River,” but the Rio Grande is actually known as Rio Bravo in Mexico. “Bravo” translates as “furious,” so the name makes sense. Because of its twists and turns, it certainly does seem to be angrier than most rivers!

The Rio Grande Today

The Rio Grande today is mostly used as a source of drinking water. Sadly, much of the water has been drained from the river. Parts of the river are almost dry! This is because people use more water from the river than the river can get back from rain and other sources. Experts are working to correct this, though, with hopes of restoring the river to its past strength.

Today, the river is important as a source of water for Texans and Mexicans. More important, it is a symbol of cooperation between two nations. Though borders like the Rio Grande separate nations, they are also shared spaces. The Rio Grande is therefore a symbol of friendship and peace between two peoples.

QUESTIONS

1) According to the passage, why is the Rio Grande so important?

A. It is a source of drinking water for most of the United States.

B. It is the border of Texas and Mexico.

C. It is the longest river system in the United States.

D. It is known by two different names.

2) In paragraph 3, the author most likely writes that “downward is the best way of describing it too” to

A. prove that the Rio Grande’s water levels have gone down recently

B. argue that the Rio Grande has changed shape over the years

C. highlight the fact that the Rio Grande flows south and from high elevations

D. explain why the Rio Grande is known as the Rio Bravo down in Mexico

3) Based on its use in paragraph 4, the word furious most nearly means

A. angry

B. large

C. twisted

D. dry

4) According to the passage, the Rio Grande has endpoints in

A. Texas and the Gulf of Mexico

B. New Mexico and Colorado

C. Texas and Mexico

D. Colorado and the Gulf of Mexico

READING 2:

THE CURIES

Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together with her husband, Pierre, she discovered radium, an element widely used for treating cancer, and studied uranium and other radioactive substances. Pierre and Marie's amicable collaboration later helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.

Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a professor of physics. At an early age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted her to continue with her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. Determined to receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland and in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French university, where she earned her master's degree and doctorate in physics.

Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbonne with some of the greatest scientists of her day, one of whom was Pierre Curie. Marie and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive years working together in the physics laboratory. A short time after they discovered radium, Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. Marie was stunned by this horrible misfortune and endured heartbreaking anguish. Despondently she recalled their close relationship and the joy that they had shared in scientific research. The fact that she had two young daughters to raise by herself greatly increased her distress.

Curie's feeling of desolation finally began to fade when she was asked to succeed her husband as a physics professor at the Sorbonne. She was the first woman to be given a professorship at the world-famous university. In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for isolating radium. Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long exposure to radium, she never became disillusioned about her work. Regardless of the consequences, she had dedicated herself to science and to revealing the mysteries of the physical world.

1. The Curies' _________ collaboration helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.

A. friendly 
B. competitive 
C. courteous 
D. industrious 
E. chemistry

2. Marie had a bright mind and a ______ personality.

A. strong 
B. lighthearted 
C. humorous 
D. strange 
E. envious

3. When she learned that she could not attend the university in Warsaw, she felt _________.

A. hopeless 
B. annoyed 
C. depressed 
D. worried 
E. None of the above

4. Marie _________ by leaving Poland and traveling to France to enter the Sorbonne.

A. challenged authority 
B. showed intelligence 
C. behaved 
D. was distressed
E. Answer not available

5. _________ she remembered their joy together.

A. Dejectedly 
B. Worried 
C. Tearfully 
D. Happily 
E. Irefully

6. Her _________ began to fade when she returned to the Sorbonne to succeed her husband.

A. misfortune 
B. anger 
C. wretchedness
D. disappointment 
E. ambition

7. Even though she became fatally ill from working with radium, Marie Curie was never _________.

 

A. troubled 
B. worried 
C. disappointed 
D. sorrowful 
E. disturbed

ACTIVITY MODALS
Select the best option to complete the sentences

1)  Aynur ______drink milk everyday. She is very thin.

a. should               b. must            c. can

2) Students _________ leave the classroom before the ring bells.

a. must                 b. should           c. shouldn't

3) You _________ brush your teeth after breakfast.

a. must                b. should      c. shouldn't

4) Your father ________ stop smoking.

a. can               b. should           c. must

5)    _______ you pass my pencil to me?

a. can                b. must            c. should

6) You _______talk aloud in the library.

a. can             b. shouldn't        c. couldn't

7) You _______ smoke cigarette in hospital.

a. mustn't         b. should            c. can

8) We_______ visit our grandparents more often.

a. must             b. could             c. should

9) You ________ touch burning items.

a. shouldn't       b. mustn't          c. can't

10)  You  _______ drive too fast in the city.

a. mustn't          b. shouldn't       c. couldn't