National Anthems
Music can do two things very well.
First, it can cut right to the emotions. There seems to be a song out there for every
feeling that a person could possibly have.
Second, music can be a great way to show
individuality and pride. Every song has
a personality, and people are quick to respond to the one that “fits”
them. Countries are the same way.
Today, most nations have a “national
anthem.” This is a song that has been
chosen to represent the people and create an identity for the nation. The anthem is usually played on national
holidays, as well as at large gatherings.
For example, the national anthem of the
Reading
Comprehension Questions
1) What was the author’s purpose in writing this
passage?
a.
to promote having large gatherings
b.
to explain the purpose of national anthems
c.
to detail the history of the “Star Spangled Banner”
d.
to predict the future of national anthems
2) In the last sentence of the above passage, what is the most
likely reason the author uses the "Star
Spangled Banner" as an example?
a.
he believes the music is better than other national anthems
b.
he wanted to instill readers with a sense of patriotism
c.
he felt that his readers would be familiar with it
d.
he had very few nations to choose from that also had an
anthem
3) The passage states that music expresses a nation's
"individuality." Based on the
contextual clues, what is the meaning this word?
a.
predictability
b.
pride
c.
uniqueness
d.
excellence
4) In the above passage, the phrase, "Every song has a personality,” is an
example of which of the following?
a.
personification
b.
metaphor
c.
simile
d.
alliteration
5) Based on the above passage, which of the following is the
reason most nations have an anthem?
a.
to provide entertainment
b.
to represent the citizens
c.
to compete with other nations
d.
to document its history
Answer Key
1)
What was the
author’s purpose in writing this passage?
a.
to promote having large gatherings
b.
to explain the purpose
of national anthems
c.
to detail the history of the “Star Spangled Banner”
d.
to predict the future of national anthems
2)
In the last
sentence of the above passage, what is the most likely reason the author uses
the "Star Spangled Banner"
as an example?
a.
he believes the music is better than other
national anthems
b.
he wanted to instill readers with a sense of
patriotism
c.
he felt that his
readers would be familiar with it
d.
he had very few nations to choose from that
also had an anthem
3)
The passage
states that music expresses a nation's "individuality." Based on the contextual clues, what is the
meaning this word?
a.
predictability
b.
pride
c.
uniqueness
d.
excellence
4)
In the above
passage, the phrase, "Every song has a
personality,” is an example of which
of the following?
a.
personification
b.
metaphor
c.
simile
d.
alliteration
5)
Based on the
above passage, which of the following is the reason most nations have an
anthem?
a.
to provide entertainment
b.
to represent the citizens
c.
to compete with other nations
d.
to document its history