Brian's Problem

 

Brian came in holding his stomach. 

 

He was approached by a tall man in a white coat.  "What seems to be the problem?" asked the man, but the answer was obvious.

 

"It must have been something I ate," said Brian hesitantly.  He remembered the extra-cheese pizza covered with anchovies that he had scarfed down the night before.  "Yeah, it was definitely something I ate," he said more confidently.

 

"Hmmm..." said the man in the white coat, as if solving some great mystery.  "I think I have just the thing.  Why don't you take a drink of this."  He held out a cup of thick, pink liquid.  It was like cotton candy that had been melted into a cup.

 

Brian held the cup to his lips.  He drank the mixture slowly.  It sure didn't taste like cotton candy.  He could feel it ooze down his throat, through his esophagus, and settle into his stomach.  He felt better already.

 

"That should do it..." said the man in the white coat.  "You'll be as good as new within an hour." 

 

Brian sure hoped so.  He walked out of the room knowing that he had learned the most valuable lesson of his life.  Never eat extra-cheese pizza covered with anchovies.

 

 

 


 

Reading Comprehension Questions

1)     Which of the following is most likely the setting for the above passage?

a.      a carnival

b.      a doctor’s office

c.      a barber shop

d.      a pizza parlor

 

2)     Based on the above passage, who the “man in the white coat”?

a.      a doctor

b.      an ambulance driver

c.      a dentist

d.      a scientist

 

3)     Based on the above passage, what was the “thick, pink liquid” that tasted like cotton candy?

a.      medicine for a stomach ache

b.      a headache remedy

c.      cotton candy

d.      a strawberry shake

 

4)     In the above passage, Brian states that he “learned the most valuable lesson of his life.”  This is an example of hyperbole, which means which of the following?

a.      a moral

b.      a lie

c.      an understatement

d.      an exaggeration

 

5)     The phase “It was like cotton candy that had been melted into a cup” can best be described as which of the following?

a.      oxymoron

b.      alliteration

c.      simile

d.      mixed metaphor

 

6)     Using the contextual clues in the above passage, what is the meaning of the phase scarfed down”?

a.      prepared food

b.      ate quickly

c.      lightly snacked

d.      turned away

 

Answer Key

1)     Which of the following is most likely the setting for the above passage?

a.      a carnival

b.     a doctor’s office

c.      a barber shop

d.      a pizza parlor

 

2)     Based on the above passage, who the “man in the white coat”?

a.      a doctor

b.      an ambulance driver

c.      a dentist

d.      a scientist

 

3)     Based on the above passage, what was the “thick, pink liquid” that tasted like cotton candy?

a.      medicine for a stomach ache

b.      a headache remedy

c.      cotton candy

d.      a strawberry shake

 

4)     In the above passage, Brian states that he “learned the most valuable lesson of his life.”  This is an example of hyperbole, which means which of the following?

a.      a moral

b.      a lie

c.      an understatement

d.     an exaggeration

 

5)     The phase “It was like cotton candy that had been melted into a cup” can best be described as which of the following?

a.      oxymoron

b.      alliteration

c.      simile

d.      mixed metaphor

 

6)     Using the contextual clues in the above passage, what is the meaning of the phase scarfed down”?

a.      prepared food

b.     ate quickly

c.      lightly snacked

d.      turned away