Reading and Comprehension (Non-Fiction) Set 5
Reading and Comprehension (Non-Fiction) Set 5 is a further practice set of ISEB Common Entrance-style non-fiction comprehension, using new invented factual and informational extracts to build fluency in retrieval, inference, vocabulary in context and comparison of purpose and language at Year 7-8 level.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify the text type and its purpose before reading closely: informative articles, biographies, reports and persuasive brochures each use language differently.
- Scan headings, captions and any highlighted words first to build a rough map of the text's structure before answering questions in detail.
- For retrieval questions, copy the exact wording from the text; for 'in your own words' questions, rephrase fully rather than lifting the original phrasing.
- For inference questions, always quote or point to specific evidence before stating what it suggests, rather than guessing beyond what the text supports.
- For questions on a writer's choices, consider not just what is said but why it might have been included, such as a statistic, a quotation or a personal anecdote.
- When two texts are compared, keep your answer organised by point of comparison rather than summarising each text separately, one after the other.
Worked example
This is an extract from a factual article about wildlife photographers: 'Some photographers wait more than three weeks in a hide no bigger than a wardrobe, in freezing temperatures, for a single usable photograph of a snow leopard.' Explain what this extract tells the reader about the demands of wildlife photography, using evidence from the text.
- Identify the first piece of evidence: waiting 'more than three weeks' for one photograph, showing an extreme amount of patience is required.
- Draw an inference from it: the job demands extraordinary patience, since weeks of effort can produce a single result.
- Identify the second piece of evidence: a hide 'no bigger than a wardrobe' in 'freezing temperatures'.
- Draw an inference from it: photographers must also tolerate serious physical discomfort and cramped, harsh conditions for long periods. Final answer: the extract shows that wildlife photography demands extreme patience and physical endurance, since photographers may endure weeks of cramped, freezing conditions for a single successful photograph.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1A biography states that a scientist 'spent every evening after his factory shift teaching himself chemistry from borrowed textbooks.' What can a reader infer about this person from these facts?Show answer
Answer: That he was determined, hardworking and self-motivated to learn, despite having little free time or formal opportunity to study.
Q2A newspaper report about a restored pier states: 'Engineers replaced over eleven thousand individual timbers during the two-year project.' What retrieval detail answers the question, how many timbers were replaced?Show answer
Answer: Over eleven thousand.
Q3In a report, a word is defined as follows: 'The submersible's hull must withstand immense pressure at such depths, where a single flaw could prove catastrophic.' What does 'catastrophic' mean here?Show answer
Answer: Extremely disastrous or damaging, as shown by the context of immense pressure and a single flaw causing serious failure.
Q4Give one feature, other than headings, that a factual magazine article might use to help organise information for the reader.Show answer
Answer: For example, captions under photographs, bullet-point lists, bold key words, or a fact box or sidebar.
Q5A travel brochure and a science textbook both describe coral reefs. Which is more likely to use exaggerated, emotive language, and why?Show answer
Answer: The travel brochure, because its purpose is to persuade or excite a potential customer, whereas the textbook aims to inform accurately and objectively.
Q6You are asked to summarise a whole article in two sentences. What should you prioritise including?Show answer
Answer: Only the most important main points or overall argument of the article, in your own words, leaving out minor supporting detail and examples.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 13+ Common Entrance exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Read this extract from a factual article about deep-sea submersibles: 'At full depth, the pressure outside the hull is over a thousand times that at sea level, yet the pilots describe the silence, not the danger, as the hardest part to prepare for.' Explain what this comparison tells the reader about deep-sea exploration.
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Nothing ticked yet - 3 available
This is an extract from a newspaper report about a young inventor: 'The device, designed entirely in her school's science lab, won first prize at a national competition last month. Sixteen-year-old Aaliyah Osei, who built three failed prototypes before her final design worked, says she plans to study engineering at university.' (a) Give one fact about how the device was developed, using a detail from the text. (b) Explain why the writer might have chosen to include the detail about the three failed prototypes.
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Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Text A, from a space tourism advert: 'Experience the ultimate thrill and see your home planet as only a handful of humans ever have.' Text B, from a factual science guidebook: 'Suborbital flights typically last around ten minutes, reach speeds of over three times the speed of sound, and require several days of physical training beforehand.' Compare how these two texts present space travel, referring to both purpose and language.
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Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the reading and comprehension (non-fiction) set 5 worksheet pack - 10 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 15 of 13+ English Workbook, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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