Egyptian Language School
English Department
3rd prep
Reading Comprehension
A Day on the Slopes
No matter how many times Bobby rode the chairlift, he always got frightened when he looked down. If he stared down long enough to get that tingly feeling, he’d grip the bar in front of him, take stock of the bar between his two legs, and reassure himself that he was secure.
Conversation helped distract him. He loved meeting people from all over the country, and
even the world, on the chairlift. Games helped distract him, too. “I spy in my little eye,
something…orange,” Bobby challenged.
“The plastic fence down there,” guessed Dad.
“Nope!”
“The square with the number on that pole,” Dad said, pointing to one of the big poles holding up the chairlift.
“Nope.”
“The stripe on that guy’s jacket in front of us.”
“Nope.”
“Um…the sunshine?”
“No way. The sun looks more yellow than orange right now, Dad.”
“Okay, fine. I give up!” Dad said, throwing his head back in defeat.
“The writing on the band of your goggles!”
“Tricky, tricky. I’ll stump you next time.”
Bobby loved winning, but he was no longer focused on I Spy. They were close to the top.
“Ready?” Dad asked.
“Ready,” Bobby replied, removing his hands from the bar and skis from the little footrests connected to the bar between his legs.
Dad pulled the bar up and over their heads, and they looked forward. Skis straight and poles held tightly, they pushed themselves away from the seat and down the small hill their skis touched at the top.
This was Bobby’s second time skiing. He was getting the hang of it, and had advanced from skiing with his legs in a pizza, or wedge, to skiing with his legs straight like French fries, or parallel. When he felt himself going too fast, he would point his skis to the side instead of down the mountain. That would help bring him to a stop.
Normally, Bobby stayed far away from the forest, while avoiding big groups of people and ice.
Luckily, there was lots of powdery Colorado snow on this mountain, and definitely not as much ice as there was on the mountains he had skied in New England.
“Want to try skiing the glades?” Dad asked when they had stopped for a rest mid‐trail. Dad nodded to where a path veered off the trail and into the woods. Bobby saw a few skiers follow the path into the trees. About 10 seconds later, they popped out a little ways down the trail.
Bobby felt nervous and excited. “Let’s do it!” he said with a grin.
“Okay, you go, and I’ll be right behind you. Don’t go too fast. Keep your eyes on the trail, and try to stay focused and relaxed.”
“Here we go!” Bobby hollered as he glided to the side of the trail, his skis falling in line with a path on the left that gradually curved into the woods. There were trees on either side of Bobby, and the narrow path dipped down and then up a bit, down and then up. It felt like a waterslide but better, because he was in control. There was one last bump on the path, where it exited the woods. When Bobby got to it, he had gained some speed and even got a few inches of air. He wobbled for a second, but quickly regained his balance.
Awesome! he thought.
They were near the bottom of the hill, and the lifts were about to close.
“Up for one more run?” Dad asked.
“No time for talking!” Bobby said, hurrying back to the chairlift.
1. Which winter sport are Bobby and his dad doing?
A skiing B snowboarding C sledding D snowshoeing
2. Bobby gets frightened when he rides the chairlift. How does Bobby deal with this
problem?
A Bobby closes his eyes. B Bobby hums to himself.
C Bobby plays games and talks. D Bobby holds on to his dad.
3. Bobby has gotten better at skiing since the first time he skied. What evidence
from the passage best supports this conclusion?
A “Luckily, there was lots of powdery Colorado snow on this mountain, and definitely not
as much ice as there was on the mountains he had skied in New England.”
B “He was getting the hang of it, and had advanced from skiing with his legs in a pizza, or
wedge, to skiing with his legs straight like French fries, or parallel.”
C “When he felt himself going too fast, he would point his skis to the side instead of
down the mountain. That would help bring him to a stop.”
D “When Bobby got to it, he had gained some speed and even got a few inches of air. He
wobbled for a second, but quickly regained his balance.”
4. How can Bobby best be described?
A timid B crafty C aggressive D adventurous
5. What is this story mostly about?
A Bobby and his dad spend the day skiing. B Bobby gets over his fear of the chairlift.
C Bobby’s dad teaches him how to ski. D Bobby and his dad play I Spy on the chairlift.
6. Read the following sentences: “No matter how many times Bobby rode the
chairlift, he always got frightened when he looked down. If he stared down long
enough to get that tingly feeling, he’d grip the bar in front of him, take stock of
the bar between his two legs, and reassure himself that he was secure.”
As used in this sentence, what does the word “reassure” most nearly mean?
A to believe something false
B to do something that makes you stop worrying
C to do something that makes you scared and uneasy
D to face your fears
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. ____ Bobby gets
frightened when riding chairlifts, he goes on the lifts anyway.
A Therefore B Meanwhile C Above all D Even though
8. Before the beginning of this story, how many times has Bobby gone skiing?
______
______
9. How does Bobby feel before and after skiing the glades?
______
______
______
10. “Bobby is an adventurous boy who tries new things.” Explain whether you agree
or disagree with this statement and why. Support your answer using details from
the passage.
______
______
______
______
B- Structure
1-Complete these sentences with the verb given.
1- According to yesterday's newspapers, astronomers in Australia………………………………………..
a planet in a galaxy close to our own. (discover)
2- To help today's customers make a choice, a company in……………………………………………. New
York a video trolley - a supermarket trolley with a video screen to display
advertisements and price information. (develop)
3- At the start of his career, Cousteau …………………………………………the aqualung, opening the
oceans to explorers, scientists, and leisure divers. (invent)
4- He proudly told reporters that the company………………………………………… software to
prevent the recent increase in computer crime. (produce)
5- A man (come)……………………………………… home late one night after the office Christmas
party. His wife (wait)………………………………………… for him, and she (say)………………………………..
to him.
3- Now that the rice (cook)…………………………………………… you (chop up) ………………………………………
the carrots and tomatoes and you (put) ……………………………………………them in a dish.
2- Choose the right answer:
1- After Jessica __her degree, she intends to work in her father's company.
a- will finish b- will have finished c- finishes d- is finishing
2- By the time I go to bed tonight, I __my work for the day.
a- will finish b- have finished c- will have finished d- finish
3- When my parents ____for a visit tomorrow, they will see our new baby for the first
time.
a- will arrive b- arrived c- will have arrived d- arrive
4- Fatemah looked down to discover a snake at her feet. When she saw it, she___.
a- was screaming b- had screamed c- screamed d- screams
5- By the time Alfonso finally graduated from high school, he __seven different schools
because his parents moved frequently.
a- attended b- was attending c- had attended d- had been attending
6- Until you learn to relax more, you __your ability to speak English.
a- haven't improved b- aren't improving c- don't improve d- won't improve
7- I borrowed four books on gardening the last time I __to the library.
a- go b- went c- had gone d- have gone
3- Re-phrase the following sentences without changing their meaning:
1-It rained. The children were playing. (while)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2- One of my friends slept. It was in the history lesson. ( During)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3-I saw an accident. I was walking home. (when)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4- Bill is still at the pet shop. (for)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5- Sam started playing music since he was ten. (been)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
C- Vocabulary
Complete the following sentences:
1- The flag is the e……………….…………… of our nation.
2- He earns $2,000 in a s………….……………………….. week.
3- Her r……………………………………..of the situation was very confusing.
4- His health problems may have had some i………………………………………. on his decision.
5- The cost of feeding and c………………………………. your children is raising.
6- They look so much alike that I can barely t……………………. them a……………………..
7- I'll d…………………………………………………. an e-mail when I know my schedule.
8- Succeeding in this job needs a k…………………………………………..
9- A person accused of a crime is considered i……………………………….. until proven guilty.
10- His arm was raised in a g………………………………………… of disobedience.
Teacher Guide & Answers
1. A skiing
2. C Bobby plays games and talks.
3. B “He was getting the hang of it, and had advanced from skiing with his legs in a pizza,or wedge, to skiing with his legs straight like French fries, or parallel.”
4.D adventurous
5. A Bobby and his dad spend the day skiing.
6. B to do something that makes you stop worrying
7. D Even though
8. Suggested answer: Before the story, Bobby has gone skiing once.
9. Suggested answer: Before skiing the glades, Bobby feels nervous and excited. After, Bobby is excited to
ski another run.
10. Suggested answer: Answers may vary and should be supported by the passage. Example:
“I agree with the statement. Bobby is adventurous because he goes skiing with his dad when he has only gone skiing once before. When skiing, Bobby usually stays on the trail, but when his dad suggests skiing in the glades off the trail, Bobby agrees to try something new.”
1) 1 have discovered 2 has (or have) developed 3 invented 4 has (or have) produced
5 discovered
2) 1 passes...shoots...are attacking 2 comes...is waiting...says 3 is cooking...chop up...put
5