P5 RC - Unit 4

PO LEUNG KUK HONG KONG TAOIST ASSOCIATION
YUEN YUEN PRIMARY SCHOOL
2018 – 2019
Primary 5
Unit 4 – Life Cycles

English Reading Comprehension Worksheets

W.S. Checked

4.1

Name: ________________ ( )

Class: ________________ 4.2

4.3

PO LEUNG KUK HONG KONG TAOIST ASSOCIATION 4
YUEN YUEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

P. 5 Third Term English Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Inference

According to the dictionary, something that is inferred is a conclusion or opinion formed
because of known facts or evidence.

Like putting a puzzle together, when you infer something you piece together information
stated in the passage with information that is hinted or with guesses you make from your own
experience. It can help us understand a piece of writing or the meaning of specific words
better.

For example:

Mike woke up as the sunlight shone through the curtain. He realized he had
fallen asleep with his revision worksheets all over him! He quickly got out of bed
and prepared himself for school. “Good luck,” his mum shouted as he left the
house.

Based on the underlined clues:
1. He fell asleep with revision worksheets all over him.
2. His mom wished him luck as he left for school that day.

We can infer that Mike is probably going to be taking a test, quiz or assessment that day.

Inference is also a context clue to help us understand unknown words. It is part of the
context clue acronym I.D.E.A.S. Context clues, like inference, can help us guess the meaning of
words we do not know the meaning of. It can help us understand a passage better.

I This is when you use what you read around the new word and what you already

nference: know to make a guess about the meaning of the new word.

Definition: The author tells you the exact meaning of the new word.

Example: Examples of the meaning of the word or examples of how it can be used are
Antonym: shown in sentences around the word.
Synonym: The author will use other words with the OPPOSITE meaning to help you
understand the new word.
The author will use other words with the SAME meaning to help you
understand the new word.

4.1PO LEUNG KUK HONG KONG TAOIST ASSOCIATION
YUEN YUEN PRIMARY SCHOOL
P. 5 Third Term English Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Name: _____________ ( ) Class: _______ Date: ________________ Grade:_________

Objective: Students can identify the context clues within an information report. Students
can also use information in an information report using headings, subheading, diagrams and
prior knowledge to infer meaning.

Read the following information report and answer the questions.

Antarctica
By Sam, year 6
Introduction:
Antarctica is a huge, icy continent located at the bottom of the globe in the fridge zone. It is
the only continent with a population of zero. It always attracts adventurers and scientists to
study its amazing unique identity.

Climate:
The weather on this icy, cold landmass is beyond freezing.
With the lowest temperature ever recorded of -89 degrees
Celsius, no wonder Antarctica cannot support human life for
extended periods of time. Gale force winds can go on for
days or weeks on end. Throughout summer sunlight
continuously hits Antarctica even throughout the night, but
in winter it is the reverse. It is in constant darkness and
experiences freezing temperatures, and animal life struggles
to stay alive.

Landforms:
The unique landforms in Antarctica vary in shape, size and
colour. The gale force winds regularly sculpt the huge ice
masses and icebergs into
beautiful designs as the wind
blows in different directions.
98% of the terrain is ice and
the other 2% is rock. Only
one-fifth of the magnificent

icebergs can be seen above the sea level.

Fauna:
There are many species of animals in Antarctica with many weird and
wonderful ways of life. Antarctica has a rich, diverse spread of
animals. The best known animals are penguins and whales.

Flora:

The freezing cold climate of Antarctica does not allow much vegetation.
As a result, plant life is limited to mostly liverworts, mosses and algae.
They were also among the first plants to inhabit Antarctica. Their
unique abilities enable them to survive drying and freezing.

Inhabitants:
Although no one has ever lived on Antarctica permanently, that does not stop researchers
from coming to this wild and wonderful place. Many researchers study the life forms that
live in and on the ice to determine how life might evolve on frozen planets.

Adapted from: https://arc.bostes.nsw.edu.au/go/stage-3/english/stu-work/a/information-report-on-antarctica-sam

1. Which word best explains the meaning of sculpt?

⃝ a. shape ⃝ c. melt

⃝ b. paint ⃝ d. sculpture

2. Read the paragraph Flora. What does Flora mean?

⃝ a. animals ⃝ c. icebergs

⃝ b. plants ⃝ d. survive

3. Read the paragraph about Climate. What does ‘struggles’ mean?

⃝ a. helps ⃝ c. cannot

⃝ b. fights ⃝ d. chooses

4. Read the paragraph about Fauna. Which of the following words have a similar meaning to
‘rich’?

⃝ a. few ⃝ c. variety

⃝ b. some ⃝ d. lot of money

5. Reread the paragraph on Landforms. Which of the following words can replace ‘terrain’?

⃝ a. ice ⃝ c. wind

⃝ b. rock ⃝ d. land

PO LEUNG KUK HONG KONG TAOIST ASSOCIATION

4.2YUEN YUEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

P. 5 Third Term English Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Name: _____________ ( ) Class: _______ Date: ________________ Grade:_________

Objective: Students can use direct definition context clues to have a deeper understanding
of a scientific text. Students can use synonym and antonym context clues to have deeper
understanding of a scientific text.

Read the following information report and answer the questions.

The Blue Crane

The Blue Crane is also known as the Stanley Crane or Paradise
Crane and is the national bird of South Africa. Its
scientific name is Anthropoides Paradiseus.

Where They Live
Blue Cranes are endemic to Southern Africa, where 99% of them can only be
found in South Africa. They can be found in dry grassy, upland areas, such
as hills, valleys and plains. They prefer to live in areas where there are few
humans.

How They Look
Blue Cranes can measure between 100-200 cm high and have a wingspan of
180-200cm. They are pale grey in colour, with a large head and a thin neck.
Their wing feathers are long and often trail to the ground, giving them an
elegant appearance.

Their Diet
These birds are omnivores that eat grass as well as insects such as
grasshoppers. They sometimes eat small animals like crabs, snails, frogs,
snakes and lizards and often feed these protein-rich foods to their young.

Their Population
Overall, Blue Crane is classified as a vulnerable or ‘at risk’ species as there
are only 26,000 birds left in the wild. It is unfortunate that the population
began to decline in the 1980s as opposed to staying at a safe level. The
South African government is trying to conserve its national bird.

Sample writing from: https://www.mycyberwall.co.za/get-smart/english/grade-5/writing-information-text

1. What is Anthropoides Paradiseus?

⃝ a. Another name for South Africa ⃝ c. A bird in South America

⃝ b. The scientific name for the Blue Crane ⃝ d. The study of birds

2. Which of the following best explains endemic?

⃝ a. Can be found all over the world ⃝ c. Cannot be found anywhere

⃝ b. Limited to a certain place ⃝ d. Can found anywhere but Africa

3. Which explanation best describes what omnivore means?

⃝ a. a plant and meat eating animal ⃝ c. a meat eating animal

⃝ b. a plant eating animal ⃝ d. an insect eating animal

4. Which of the following can replace the word vulnerable?

⃝ a. animals ⃝ c. dangerous

⃝ b. endangered ⃝ d. dying

5. What is the antonym of decline? ⃝ c. going down
⃝ a. refuse ⃝ d. on the rise
⃝ b. loss

6. What is the best synonym of conserve? ⃝ c. love
⃝ a. protect ⃝ d. neglect
⃝ b. kill off

PO LEUNG KUK HONG KONG TAOIST ASSOCIATION

4.3YUEN YUEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

P. 5 Third Term English Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Name: _____________ ( ) Class: _______ Date: ________________ Grade:_________

Objective: Students can use prior knowledge and evidence found in information reports to
answer specific inferential questions.

Read the following information report and answer the questions.

Children’s Rights of China

When people think of children in China, rarely do people think of the rights
they have. While progress has been made in recent years, many children in
China still do not fully get to enjoy their rights, such as their right to
healthcare, freedom of speech and education.

Right to Healthcare

China has made considerable progress in access to
healthcare over the past few years, reducing infant
mortality from 65 to 19 deaths per thousand births
on average. Life expectancy has also risen to more
than 70 years old.

Large disparities or differences still persist between different regions and
Chinese ethnic groups in the field of health. It has been noted that people
from rural and poor areas, and those from ethnic minorities, rarely have access
to a doctor for treatment. For example, in Shanghai, the mortality rate among
children under 5 is less than 10% but is 450% in Tibet.

Freedom of speech

Even though China’s Constitution stipulates that freedom of speech is
guaranteed, in reality, this freedom remains restricted: the media is very
controlled and the Government is known for its very strict censorship policies,
especially on the Internet.

These restrictions prevent Chinese children from exercising their right to
information and to freedom of expression.

Right to Education

The stated goal of China is to provide nine years of compulsory education for
each child. Nevertheless, each year, thousands of children leave school.
Moreover, many primary schools are under-equipped in China, lacking equipment
and qualified teachers. Universities are very expensive, preventing some
students, whose families cannot afford to fund such studies from accessing
higher education.

It should be noted that almost two thirds of children
who do not attend school in China are girls. Of the
total illiterate population, 70% are women. Another
category of children affected by discrimination in
school is children with disabilities: according to
official figures, only 76% of them have access to education.

Moreover, migrant children are victims of widespread discrimination because
of their poverty and, sometimes, difficulty in learning another dialect. There
are special schools for migrant children, but they are not generally recognized,
making their diplomas unusable, which makes it difficult to find a good job
afterwards.

Adapted from: http://www.humanium.org/en/asia-pacific/china/

1. What is the section on Right to Healthcare about?
⃝ a. It is evident that China’s healthcare system is improving because people are living
longer nowadays.
⃝ b. China’s healthcare system has improved, but there are still problems where people
cannot get the help they need for their health.
⃝ c. People in China are getting healthier and healthier.
⃝ d. The healthcare system in China is terrible because people do not have access to
doctors or treatment.

2. Which sentence best describes ‘reducing infant mortality’?
⃝ a. The number of deaths of babies is decreasing.
⃝ b. The number of deaths of babies is increasing.
⃝ c. People are living longer.
⃝ d. People are having fewer babies.

3. Which of the following is an antonym for the word disparities?

⃝ a. contrasts ⃝ c. differences

⃝ b. changes ⃝ d. similarities

4. Read the underlined section in the Right to Education. Which of the following sentences
can replace it?
⃝ a. Universities in China are very expensive, but many people can still go to them.
⃝ b. Family members can help pay for students’ studies if they cannot afford to go to
university.
⃝ c. Some students cannot continue with their higher education because they don’t have
the money to continue with their studies.
⃝ d. Universities are very expensive, preventing some students whose families cannot
afford to fund such studies from accessing higher education.

5. In the same section of the report, what does illiterate mean?
⃝ a. people who can read and write very well
⃝ b. people who don’t know how to read or write
⃝ c. girls and women who can’t read or write
⃝ d. people who are looked down upon

6. Continuing in the same section, which of the following is the best explanation for
discrimination?
⃝ a. being treated poorly and unfairly
⃝ b. being protected and cared for
⃝ b. people who are underprivileged or poor
⃝ d. people who are loved