Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Pam’s Cat

Pam has a cat.

It is on the bed.
It can nap. It can sit.
“Oh no!” says Pam.
“The cat fell off the bed!”
Is the cat sad?
No. It is on the mat.
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Pam’s Cat

Pam has a cat.

It is on the bed.
It can nap. It can sit.
“Oh no!” says Pam.
“The cat fell off the bed!”
Is the cat sad?
No. It is on the mat.

No. of Words: 35
Level : 2

Questions
1. Who has a pet?
a. Pat
b. Pam
c. Paz

2. What is her pet?

a. dog
b. pig
c. cat

3. Why did Pam say “Oh no!”?

a. She was mad.
b. She was happy.
c. She was worried.

4. Why did she feel this way?

a. Her cat can do tricks.
b. Her cat made a mess.
c. Her cat might be hurt.

5. How do we know that the cat is ok?

a. It is on the bed.
b. It is on the mat.
c. It has a rat.
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Summer Fun

“Let’s have some fun this summer,” says Leo.

“Let’s swim in the river,” says Lina.
“Let’s get some star apples from the tree,” says Leo.
“Let’s pick flowers,” says Lina.
“That is so much fun!” says Mama.
“But can you help me dust the shelves too?”
“Yes, we can Mama,” they say.
“Helping can be fun too!”
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Summer Fun
“Let’s have some fun this summer,” says Leo.
“Let’s swim in the river,” says Lina.
“Let’s get some star apples from the tree,” says Leo.
“Let’s pick flowers,” says Lina.
“That is so much fun!” says Mama.
“But can you help me dust the shelves too?”
“Yes, we can Mama,” they say.
“Helping can be fun too!”

Number of Words : 59
Level : 3

Questions
1. Who were talking to each other?
a. Lita and Lito b. Lina and Lino
c. Lina and Leo

2. What were they talking about?

a. what to do during the summer
b. what to have during the summer
c. what to wear during the summer

3. The children in the story could be _______

a. brother and sister b. neighbors
c. cousins

4. Which of these will they do if they are hungry?

a. pick flowers b. pick guavas
c. go swimming

5. Doing something "fun" means ______________.

a. doing something in the summer
b. doing something in the house
c. doing something that we like

6. Which these is the best example of being helpful?

a. picking flowers
b. cleaning up
c. swimming
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Get up, Jacky!

“Ring! Ring!” rang the clock.

But Jacky did not get up.
“Wake up, Jacky! Time for school,” yelled Mom.
And yet Jacky did not get up.
“Beep! Beep!” honked the horn of the bus.
Jacky still laid snug on the bed.
Suddenly, a rooster crowed out loud
and sat on the window sill.
Jacky got up and said with cheer,
“I will get up now. I will!”
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Get up, Jacky!

“Ring! Ring!” rang the clock.

But Jacky did not get up.
“Wake up, Jacky! Time for school,” yelled Mom.
And yet Jacky did not get up.
“Beep! Beep!” honked the horn of the bus.
Jacky still laid snug on the bed.
Suddenly, a rooster crowed out loud
and sat on the window sill.
Jacky got up and said with cheer,
“I will get up now. I will!”

Number of Words : 70
Level: 4

Questions
1. Who is the main character in our story?
a. Jock
b. Jicky
c. Jacky

2. Why did the main character need to wake up early?

a. to get to school on time
b. to get to work on time
c. to get to bed on time

3. What woke the character up?

a. the ringing of the alarm clock
b. the crowing of the rooster
c. Mom’s yelling

4. What did the character think as he/she "laid snug" on the bed?
a. “I do not want to get up yet.”
b. “I do not want to be late today.”
c. “I want to be extra early today.”

5. What does it mean to say something "with cheer?"

a. We say it sadly.
b. We say it happily.
c. We say it with fear.

6. Which of these statements fits the story?

a. Jacky liked being woken up by a clock.
b. Jacky liked being woken up by a bus horn.
c. Jacky liked being woken up by a rooster.
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Frog’s Lunch

One day, a frog sat on a lily pad, still as a rock.

A fish swam by.
“Hello, Mr. Frog! What are you waiting for?”
“I am waiting for my lunch,” said the frog.
“Oh, good luck!” said the fish and swam away.
Then, a duck waddled by.
“Hello, Mr. Frog! What are you waiting for?”
“I am waiting for my lunch,” said the frog.
“Oh, good luck!” said the duck and waddled away.
Then a bug came buzzing by.
“Hello, Mr. Frog! What are you doing?” asked the bug.
“I’m having my lunch! Slurp!” said the frog.
Mr. Frog smiled.
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Frog’s Lunch

One day, a frog sat on a lily pad, still as a rock.

A fish swam by.
“Hello, Mr. Frog! What are you waiting for?”
“I am waiting for my lunch,” said the frog.
“Oh, good luck!” said the fish and swam away.
Then, a duck waddled by.
“Hello, Mr. Frog! What are you waiting for?”
“I am waiting for my lunch,” said the frog.
“Oh, good luck!” said the duck and waddled away.
Then a bug came buzzing by.
“Hello, Mr. Frog! What are you doing?” asked the bug.
“I’m having my lunch! Slurp!” said the frog.
Mr. Frog smiled.
Number of Words : 103
Level: 5
Questions
1. Who is the main character in the story?
a. the bug b. the duck c. the fish d. the frog

2. What was he doing?

a. resting on a lily pad b. chatting with a bug
c. hunting for his food d. waiting for the rain

3. In what way was he able to get his lunch?

a. He was able to fool the fish.
b. He was able to fool the duck.
c. He was able to fool the rock.
d. He was able to fool the bug.

4. Why should the frog be “still as a rock?”

a. so that he will not scare the other animals away
b. so that he can catch his lunch
c. so that the other animals will think he is friendly
d. so that the fish will say nice things about him

5. Which of these words describe the duck?

a. patient b. eager c. curious d. careful

6. Which of these words describe Mr. Frog?

a. patient b. eager c. curious d. careful

7. Which of these characteristics would have helped the bug?

a. being patient
b. being eager
c. being curious
d. being careful
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Yawning

What makes us yawn? Yawning is something that we cannot

control. Even in the mother’s womb, eleven-week-old
babies have been observed to yawn. But why do we do it?
One popular explanation for yawning is that a person may
be tired or bored. Although many believe this to be true,
it cannot explain why athletes yawn before an event or
why dogs yawn before an attack.
It is said that yawning is caused by a lack of oxygen and
excess carbon dioxide. A good example of this is when we
yawn in groups. We yawn because we are competing for air.
Others even believe that we yawn to cool our brains off.
Cool brains allow us to think more clearly so yawning is said
to help us become more alert.

Reference: McManus, M. R. (2001). What makes us Yawn?

Retrieved from: Howstuffworks com http://
[Link]/life/inside-the-mind/human-
brain/[Link]
Phil-IRI Graded Passages for Pre-Tests in English (SET A)

Yawning
What makes us yawn? Yawning is something that we cannot control. Even in the mother’s
womb, eleven-week-old babies have been observed to yawn. But why do we do it?
One popular explanation for yawning is that a person may be tired or bored. Although
many believe this to be true, it cannot explain why athletes yawn before an event or
why dogs yawn before an attack.
It is said that yawning is caused by a lack of oxygen and excess carbon dioxide. A good
example of this is when we yawn in groups. We yawn because we are competing for air.
Others even believe that we yawn to cool our brains off. Cool brains allow us to think
more clearly so yawning is said to help us become more alert.

Number of Words : 131

Level: 6

Questions
1. What is a fact about yawning?
a. It is something we cannot control. b. It is something only humans do
c. It is a result of boredom. d. It happens after birth.

2. Which of the following might make us yawn?

a. reading a book
b. being in a crowded room
c. being around plants
d. being in a small air-conditioned car

3. What does the word "involuntary" mean?

a. expected
b. unexpected
c. within control
d. uncontrollable

4. Which of the following may be a benefit of yawning?

a. It warns us of possible attacks by dogs.
b. It provides us the carbon dioxide we need.
c. It cools our brains.
d. It balances the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

5. According to the selection, what is most likely to happen after we yawn?

a. We will become more alert.
b. We will be less tired.
c. We will be less sleepy.
d. We will be calmer.

6. In the selection, how is the word 'compete' used in the phrase "competing for air?"
a. struggling to take in some air
b. arguing about breathing
c. battling it out for oxygen
d. racing to breathe more air

7. Which of the following shows evidence that "yawning" is "competing for air?"
a. The passengers in an elevator yawned.
b. Several people yawned while picnicking at an open field.
c. Two people yawned inside a room with air-conditioning.
d. Three students yawned in a big empty room.

8. Which of the following is the best response when we see a person/animal yawn?
a. Have the person eat a food item that is a good source of energy.
b. Change the topic of conversation to a more interesting one.
c. Turn on an electric fan or source of ventilation.
d. Run away to avoid being attacked.