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Reading Comprehension – Informational Passages

Directions: Read the passage. Then answer questions about the passage below.

The umbrella is an old idea. It has not changed much over time. Old

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e (art made with clay) from

the Middle East, shows the king with an umbrella. The sculpture is over 1,000 years old. At that time, common
people did not have umbrellas. Only

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had them.

More than 2000 years ago, fashionable women carried umbrellas in ancient Greece. In China, only

royalty used umbrellas. In old Chinese books, there are

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s of umbrellas. These pictures were made

with paint, blood, and special drawing tools. The umbrellas in old Chinese books look a lot like today’s
umbrellas.

There is not much information about umbrellas in Europe in the Middle Ages. People probably used

their coats to protect themselves from the rain. People in the South Pacific used umbrellas made of palm leaves
to protect themselves from the sun and rain.

There have been many

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s to umbrellas. Now,

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n umbrellas are better than the old

umbrellas. The old umbrellas were often made of oiled silk. Modern umbrellas are made of cotton or plastic.
Old umbrellas had ribbing made of wood. Modern umbrellas have steel ribs. Also, the trunk of the modern
umbrella extends like a telescope. It can collapse and become shorter or extend and become longer.

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:

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)

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…

…

A.

Europe in the Middle Ages.

B.

the South Pacific.

C.

the Middle East.

D.

ancient Greece.

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…

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A. only royalty had umbrellas.
B.

umbrellas were made of palm leaves.

C.

umbrellas looked modern.

D.

Both A and C are correct.

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A

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…

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A.

people used their coats to keep dry.

B.

people used modern umbrellas.

C.

people used silk umbrellas.

D.

None of the above.

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…

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A. umbrellas made of palm leaves.
B. umbrellas made of plastic.
C. collapsing umbrellas.
D. telescopes.

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…

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A. steel.

B.

cotton.

C.

plastic.

D. oiled silk.

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:

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)

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…

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A.

art made with wood.

B.

art made with clay.

C.

writing in books.

D.

pictures in books.

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…

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A. fashionable women.
B. kings and queens.
C. common people.
D.

information.

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…

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A.

texts.

B.

coats.

C.

pictures.

D.

umbrellas.

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?

?

A.

A way of making something better

B.

A way of keeping rain off people

C.

A kind of telescope

D.

None of the above

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…

…

A.

young.

B.

old.

C.

new.

D.

nice.