The Old Sailor
An old sailor finally came back to land after years
at sea. When his best friend saw him, he exclaimed, “You look terrible! You
have a peg-leg, a hook for a hand, and an eye patch! What happened?”
“Well,” said the battered sailor, “I got the peg-leg
after a cannonball hit me when we were battling with pirates. The hook is from
when I fought with a dozen angry natives and they cut off my hand. And the eye
patch is from a stormy day at sea when I got some water in my eye.”
His friend listened sympathetically, but then said,
“Wait a minute… You don’t need an eye patch just because some water gets in
your eye.”
“Well,” admitted the
old sailor, “I wasn’t too used to the hook yet…”
Reading
Comprehension Questions
1) The above passage is which of these?
a.
an autobiography
b.
a joke
c.
a riddle
d.
an advertisement
2) In the passage, which of these describes the meeting of the
two characters?
a.
an introduction for the first time
b.
a good-bye for an unknown time
c.
a reunion after a long absence
d.
a tense business negotiation
3) In the above passage, the old sailor can best be described
as which of these?
a.
handsome
b.
unlucky
c.
optimistic
d.
fortunate
4) What was most likely author's purpose in writing this
passage?
a.
to entertain
b.
to inform
c.
to describe
d.
to persuade
5) In the above passage, why does the sailor have an eye patch?
a.
to protect his eyes from the salt water
b.
to look like a pirate
c.
to keep the sun out of his eyes
d.
to cover an injury he got from his hook
6) In the third paragraph, what is the meaning of the word “sympathetically”?
a.
caringly
b.
reluctantly
c.
defiantly
d.
angrily
Answer Key
1)
The above
passage is which of these?
a.
an autobiography
b.
a joke
c.
a riddle
d.
an advertisement
2)
In the
passage, which of these describes the meeting of the two characters?
a.
an introduction for the first time
b.
a good-bye for an unknown time
c.
a reunion after a
long absence
d.
a tense business negotiation
3)
In the above
passage, the old sailor can best be described as which of these?
a.
handsome
b.
unlucky
c.
optimistic
d.
fortunate
4)
What was most
likely author's purpose in writing this passage?
a.
to entertain
b.
to inform
c.
to describe
d.
to persuade
5)
In the above
passage, why does the sailor have an eye patch?
a.
to protect his eyes from the salt water
b.
to look like a pirate
c.
to keep the sun out of his eyes
d.
to cover an injury
he got from his hook
6)
In the third
paragraph, what is the meaning of the word “sympathetically”?
a.
caringly
b.
reluctantly
c.
defiantly
d.
angrily