Online Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers

Where to Find Reading Comprehension Worksheets Online

In order to help your son or daughter better prepare for both standardized and in-class testing, you can provide reading comprehension worksheets for him or her to practice at home. While you have the option of creating your own questions based on stories you already have at home, several websites offer free reading comprehension resources by grade level. Reading passages with questions and answers are available from sites like Super Teacher Worksheets (www.superteacherworksheets.com) and Teachnology (www.teach-nology.com). Below are two sample reading comprehension passages with questions and answers.

Comprehension Questions and Answers for Elementary Students

Sample Passage for Elementary Students

Sally and her best friend Ann decided to set up a lemonade stand during the summer to earn money to buy two new dolls. Each doll costs $5.00, so they knew they would have to work really hard. Sally and her mom went shopping for fresh lemons, cups and sugar, while Ann and her mom put together the stand using a table, chairs and cardboard sign. The girls worked together to make the lemonade and put it in a pretty pitcher for the next morning.

At 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning, the girls went out to the front lawn to set up shop. They colored the cardboard sign to advertise the price of each glass of lemonade at 50 cents. Sally poured the lemonade for customers, while Ann counted the money and made change. By 5:00 p.m., the girls sold 25 glasses total!

Questions

1. What was Sally and Ann's main goal in this story?

2. In which month is it most likely the girls set up their lemonade stand?

a) March

b) May

c) July

d) October

3. Which of the following items did Ann and her mother get for the stand?

a) Cups

b) Cardboard

c) Lemons

d) Sugar

Answers

1. Sally and Ann wanted to earn enough money selling lemonade to buy their own toys.

2. c) July - They sold lemonade during the summer.

3. b) Cardboard - Sally and her mom bought the ingredients for the lemonade, while Ann and her mom put together the actual stand.

Sample Passage for Middle and High School Students

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported approximately 1/3 of all vehicle fatalities were caused by a drunk driver (www.nhtsa.gov). This means that out of 33,808 traffic-related deaths, nearly 11,000 may have been prevented if alcohol had not been involved. If this isn't enough to convince you that alcohol-impaired driving is a problem to be addressed, the NHTSA also provided these facts:

1. A fatality caused by drunk driving occurred every 48 minutes on average in 2009.
2. Of all children aged 14 and under who were killed in vehicle crashes, 14% died in drunk driving accidents.
3. Of those in fatal accidents with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher, 19% were drivers ages 16-20 and 35% were drivers ages 21-24.
4. Out of every ten Americans, an average of three will be involved in an alcohol-related accident at some point in their lives.

1. If death by drunk driving is so common, why do you think both teens and adults still engage in this behavior?

The answers for this question will vary; this is an example. Some people might not realize they have had too much to drink and think they are okay to drive if it's only a short distance. Other people might not have any other way to get home, so they think they'll be fine if they just do it one time.

2. There are several methods police use to try and put a stop to drunk driving, but in your opinion, what do you think would be the most effective way to convince young people that there are other options available?

This answer will also vary. In larger communities where public transportation is available, the city could offer cheap or free rides to people who don't have any cash to pay for a trip home. Instead of getting in their car to drive, they can just get on the bus or train for free. In small communities, local organizations could set up a free carpool or taxi service to pick people up from places when they know they shouldn't be driving home.