Reading Comprehension Exercises: Global Talent and Life Stories
Reading 1: The World Has Talent
1. Where are the people on the show from?
→ They are from countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America.
2. What is Pati’s talent?
→ She is a singer and salsa dancer.
3. How many judges are on the show?
→ There are four judges.
Where is Pati, the 80-year-old salsa dancer, from?
→ She is from Switzerland.
What type of people participate in “The World Has Talent”?
→ People of all ages and jobs, both professionals and amateurs, from all over the world.
Who is Vicente Silva, and where is he from?
→ He is an actor from Chile.
What does Alison McDonald do?
→ She is a songwriter from Canada.
Why is the program popular?
→ Because it has a variety of people from different countries, jobs, and ages, and it’s entertaining.
Reading 2: Unusual Houses
4. Where is the bed located in House 1?
→ The bed is in the living room.
5. What is on the top floor of House 3?
→ The living room is on the top floor.
6. Why is a big suitcase not a good idea in House 3?
→ Because there are eighty steps.
What is the main problem with the houseboat mentioned in the reading?
→ The houseboat has no cabinets, which is a problem if you have a lot of things.
What is the main problem with the houseboat in House 4?
→ It has no cabinets.
Reading 3: An Adopted Child
7. How many children do Mark and Julie have?
→ They have four children.
8. Where is Grady from?
→ He is from Haiti.
9. Who are Maddox, Zahara, and Pax?
→ They are the adopted children of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
3. How many children do Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have, and how many of them are adopted?
→ They have six children, and three of them are adopted.
Where is Grady, the adopted son of Mark and Julie Augustan, originally from?
→ He is from Haiti.
Reading 4: Cyberpals
10. Who enjoys visiting art galleries?
→ Liz and Alex enjoy visiting art galleries.
4. What does Petra love to do every day, and why is it possible for her to do this?
→ Petra loves to swim every day, and it’s possible because she lives near the beach.
4. What does Petra do every day because she lives near the beach?
→ She swims every day.
1. What does Petra do for a living?
→ She works as a PE teacher.
2. What kind of person is Petra?
→ She is a quiet person with good friends.
Reading 5: Laura Perez
Why does Laura never drive to work in Mexico City?
→ Because the traffic is very bad.
Why does Laura Perez never drive to work in Mexico City?
→ Because the traffic is very bad.
What does Laura’s job involve?
→ She helps homeless children, giving them food, care, and finding them homes.
How does Laura usually get to work?
→ She usually walks with her neighbor, sometimes takes the bus.
What does Laura’s job involve?
→ She helps homeless children, giving them food, care, and finding them homes.
Why are the children Laura helps often angry or scared?
→ Because they don’t have parents, homes, or education, and have gone through difficult situations.
Reading 6: A Working Life
What does Philip Carr do on weekends to unwind from his teaching job?
→ He sings in a band and plays in clubs on weekends.
Why doesn’t Reza Shirazi sleep well?
→ Because he thinks about his patients all the time.
Where does Noemi Garcia work?
→ She works from home.
Why doesn’t Philip Carr enjoy his job?
→ Because the students don’t listen to him, and he feels bad in the morning.
What does Philip Carr do on weekends?
→ He sings in a band and plays in clubs
Reading 7: Two Olympians
How did Haile Gebrselassie’s childhood help him become a successful runner?
→ He ran ten kilometers to school and back every day.
Where was Spyros Louis from?
→ He was from Marousi, near Athens.
2. What medal did Haile Gebrselassie win in the 1996 Olympics?
→ He won a gold medal in the 10,000 meters race.
What was the name of the magazine that called Gebrselassie the greatest distance runner?
→ Runner’s World.
Reading 8: The First Lady of Civil Rights
What was the rule about seating on buses in Montgomery in 1955?
→ The first four rows were for white people only, and Black passengers had to give up their seats if a white person needed them.
1. What year was Rosa Parks born?
→ She was born in 1913.
2. Why didn’t Rosa Parks sit in the first four rows of the bus?
→ Because those seats were for white people only.
3. What did the bus driver tell the Black passengers in the fifth row to do?
→ He told them to get up and give their seats to a white man.
4. Why did Rosa Parks say “no” and refuse to get up?
→ Because she was tired of unfair rules.
Reading 9: Ashley Banjo
What is Ashley Banjo’s motto, and what does it mean?
→ His motto is “Dream, Believe, Achieve”, which means believe in yourself and anything is possible.
What is Ashley Banjo’s job?
→ He is a street dancer and actor.
2. What is the name of his dance group?
→ His group is called Diversity.
3. Why did he name his group “Diversity”?
→ Because the members were all different.
4. What is Ashley’s motto?
→ His motto is “Dream, Believe, Achieve”.
Reading 10: The Obesity Epidemic
Why do restaurants in the US often serve large portions of food?
→ Because it makes people feel like they’re getting more for their money.
What is one of the causes of obesity in the US?
→ Large portions and lack of exercise.
Why do restaurants in the US serve large portions of food?
→ To make people feel they are getting more for their money.
3. What type of food do companies promote more: fresh vegetables or processed food?
→ They promote processed food.
4. What do experts recommend to reduce obesity?
→ They suggest to cut down on portion size.
Reading 11: Everybody Loves Oprah
1. What kind of childhood did Oprah Winfrey have?
→ She had a difficult childhood.
2. What was Oprah’s first job on TV?
→ She worked on a news show.
3. What is Oprah’s advice for success?
→ Do what you love and find your own story.
4. What should you ask yourself every day, according to Oprah?
→ “What do I want to do? What is my goal?”
Reading 12: It’s Hot in the Kitchen
1. Where is Yotam Ottolenghi from?
→ He is from the Middle East.
2. What is Rachael Ray famous for?
→ For her easy and fast recipes.
3. What does Jean-Christophe Novelli promote in his cooking?
→ He promotes healthy cooking with little salt or fat.
4. What ingredient is in Mario Batali’s orange cake?
→ Olive oil.
Reading 13: Are You the Doctor?
1. Why did Morris Baxter decide to become a nurse?
→ Because of his sister’s accident.
2. Where did his sister stay after her accident?
→ She stayed in the hospital for a month.
3. What problem does Morris sometimes have at work?
→ Some people think he’s a doctor, not a nurse.
4. What do some people assume about Morris when they see him?
→ They expect men to be doctors, not nurses.
Reading 14: The Driver
1. What did Aiko want to be when she was a child?
→ A ballet dancer.
2. What job did Aiko do before becoming a truck driver?
→ She worked in a supermarket.
3. What does she enjoy doing while driving?
→ She enjoys listening to music and singing loudly.
4. Why does she sometimes feel lonely?
→ Because she drives alone all day.
Reading 15: Getting to the Top
1. What sport does Catherine Destivelle do?
→ She is a rock climber.
2. At what age did she start climbing?
→ At the age of 13.
3. In what country was she born?
→ She was born in Algeria.
4. What happened to her in 1996?
→ She fell and broke her leg.
Reading 16: Jackie Chan
1. Where was Jackie Chan born?
→ In Hong Kong.
2. What school did he attend as a child?
→ A drama school.
3. What is unique about his movie stunts?
→ He does his own stunts.
4. What injuries has he suffered in his career?
→ He has broken his neck, nose, hips, fingers, toes, and one ankle.
Reading 17: Hospital Friend
1. Why is Sam in the hospital?
→ He had a motorcycle accident.
2. What does Mike describe to Sam every day?
→ A beautiful park outside the window.
3. Why does Sam want to move to the bed near the window?
→ To see the park himself.
4. What is the surprise at the end of the story?
→ Mike was blind, and the park didn’t exist.
Reading 18: The Poet
1. Where did Bené live as a child?
→ In a small town in northeast Brazil.
2. What was his dream?
→ To become a famous poet in São Paulo.
3. Where did Bené live in São Paulo?
→ In a tiny park near a big road.
4. Who found him after 43 years?
→ His brother Francisco.
1. Why didn’t Bené like working in the fields?
→ Because he loved reading books, especially poems.
2. How long did Bené live homeless in São Paulo?
→ He lived there for 43 years.
Reading 19: Grace Darling
1. Where did Grace Darling live?
→ In a lighthouse on Brownsman Island.
2. What happened on the night of September 7, 1838?
→ She saw a shipwreck and went to rescue people.
3. How many people did she help save?
→ She helped save nine people.
4. Why did Grace become famous?
→ Because of her bravery during the rescue.
1. What did Grace use to help rescue the people?
→ A small boat with her father.
2. How did people react to her story?
→ They wrote letters, sent presents, and made souvenirs about her.
Reading 20: A “Grate” Idea
1. What did Tom see fall into a grate?
→ A five-dollar bill.
2. How did he get the money out of the grate?
→ With string, plastic, and glue.
3. What kinds of things did Tom find?
→ Coins, jewelry, iPods, and more.
4. Who was Elizabeth Lucky?
→ A woman whose phone fell into a grate, and later Tom met her at the cemetery.
1. How much money could Tom make on a good day?
→ He could make more than $150.
2. What was the coincidence at the cemetery?
→ Tom found out Elizabeth Lucky was buried next to his father, and he met her daughter there.