Grade 8-9 Reading Comprehension, test 1

^{An Immigrant in the United States}

I am a Cambodian immigrant refugee living in the United States. My family and I left Cambodia because of the war in my country where I was born. I can't believe that we are free in this country. I was eight years old when I first saw different-colored people. How strange, scary, and frightening to see white and black colored people, red and brown and yellow hair, blue, green, and brown eyes. I thought they had costumes on. My eyes had only seen brown-skinned people with black hair. The only pictures in books I had ever seen in my country were of Cambodian people who are of the brown race. Everything was different. The climate was so cold, and when I saw some­thing white on the ground I thought some­body went up in an airplane and dropped lots and lots of tiny pieces of paper down on the ground. It was the first time I saw snow.

When I went to school I couldn't speak English and the teacher didn't speak Khmer. I couldn't understand what to do. It was very difficult. Eating in the cafeteria at the beginning was so different. I had never seen or tasted milk and never eaten cheese or butter. I had never used a fork or knife. There were about five other Cambodian kids in my room who had been in America longer, so they showed me how to use a fork and a knife. At first I didn't like the foods – cheese, salad, pizza, and milk –so I threw them away. The foods I hated are some of my favorite foods now, like pizza, cheese, and milk.

American kids showed me how to play American sports and we became friends. Today I feel very happy to be in a free country in America.

The color of people doesn't scare me anymore. I think how silly it was to be afraid. Everyone is the same inside with the same feelings.

Put down + if the statement is true, - if it is false (1 point each).

1. The writer was born in Cambodia.

2. In Cambodia, there are many people with yellow hair and green or blue eyes.

3. Most Cambodian people have brown skin and black hair.

4. The writer thought snow was confetti.

5. Khmer is the language of Cambodia.

6. In Cambodia, people eat with a knife and a fork.

7. The first time the writer had pizza, he loved it.

8. The writer was the only Cambodian pupil in his school.

9. Now, the writer plays sports with his American friends.

10. The writer thinks that people of different colours have different feelings.

Reading Comprehension, test 2

The Causes оf Volcanoes – Those Plates Again!

The outside of the Earth is like a loaf of bread. They both have a hard, thin outer layer called the crust. When the Earth's crust shifts restlessly or a volcano erupts somewhere, the explanation usually lies in the movement of the Earth's plates.

Most volcanoes on land are formed when two plates move together or col­lide. The collision usually drives one of the plates under the other. Upon reaching the hotter temperatures of the Earth's interior, the under­lying plate begins to melt. This melted rock, which is known as magma, is lighter than the rock around it. Thus, it slowly rises, triggering earthquakes and creating volcanoes. The magma that emerges on the surface is called lava. The severity of the eruption is deter­mined by the gases in the magma. If the gases can escape gradually, as they do in shield volcanoes, there is usually no explosion.

Some volcanoes are formed when two plates move apart. This usually occurs beneath the surface of the ocean. When the plates separate, magma moves up from below to fill the gap. The lava that pours out builds up the ocean floor, sometimes creating under­water mountain ranges. What land formation have you studied that could have been formed this way?

Still other volcanoes, called hot-spot volcanoes, do not occur at plate boundaries. Instead, they are found at points in the Earth's crust where large amounts of magma are being formed. The magma rises and pushes through the plate, forming a volcano. The volcanoes on the Hawaiian Islands are hot spot volcanoes.

• 1) Choose the correct letter (a, b or c) – (1 point each)

1. Most volcanoes on land are made when

1. the Earth moves.

2. two plates move together.

3. two plates move away from each other.

2. What happens when two plates collide?

1. One plate moves on top of the other.

2. The two plates break apart.

3. The two plates melt together to make magma.

3. Inside the Earth, what causes magma to form?

1. Earthquakes

2. Collisions

3. Very hot temperatures

4. Volcanoes can explode when

1. gases escape suddenly.

2. gases escape slowly.

3. lava is severe.

5. Lava and magma are different because

1. lava is found deep inside the Earth.

2. magma flows on the surface of the Earth.

3. lava escapes from inside the Earth to the outside.

6. According to the text, what happens when two plates move away from each other?

1. Underwater mountains are formed.

2. Water fills the space between the plates.

3. The ocean floor becomes dirty.

7. Hot spot volcanoes

1. are created along edge of plates.

2. can be found very deep inside the Earth’s center.

3. are made when melted rock pushes through the Earth’s crust.

2) Write a short answer (1 point each).

8. Rock which is melted by very high temperatures inside the Earth is called__________________.

9. Volcanoes which are formed when gases escape slowly are known as ____________________.

10. The outermost layer of the Earth is the _____________________________.