Reading Comprehension Exercises for Grade 3

Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions that follow.

Ben to the Rescue

In a deep valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains, there lived an old woodcutter named Tommy. His little wooden cottage and well-kept garden were his pride and joy. The old man’s only regular companion was a young boy named Ben. The two were unlikely friends. Tommy was 73 years old while Ben was only 10. They had met when Ben’s mother had ordered some firewood from Tommy. The two had been best friends ever since. Tommy fulfilled the boy’s longing for a grandfather and Ben fulfilled the old man’s longing for a family of his own.

Every third Saturday of the month, Tommy would take his horse and cart into town to sell firewood and to pick up Ben. The pair would spend the weekend fishing in the brook that flowed past the front of Tommy’s cottage on its way to join the river.

One Saturday morning, Tommy did not turn up. After waiting patiently for what seemed like a long time, Ben became worried and asked his mother if he could ride his bicycle to Tommy’s place.

“Of course,” said his mother. “I’m sure everything is fine. Tommy is getting old. He’s probably just forgotten. It’s a long way, so phone me as soon as you get there.”

Ben took his bicycle out of the garage and rode it down the dusty road that led out of town. About an hour later, he crossed the wooden bridge that straddled the brook near Tommy’s house. Leaning his bicycle against the side of the woodshed, Ben went to the door and knocked three times. There was no answer, so he decided to take a look inside. To his surprise, he found the old man asleep on his bunk. It was not like Tommy to take a nap in the middle of the day, but Ben did not think he should wake him up. He tiptoed away in the darkened room, but accidentally stumbled over a wooden chair. The sound of his fall woke Tommy up and he groaned softly.

It was obvious that Tommy was not well. His face was as pale as a sheet, and he was too weak to raise his head. He had been unwell for a week and had lain in bed for almost three days without food or water. The young boy knew exactly what to do. He fetched a glass of water and held Tommy’s head up gently so that he could sip the cool liquid; then he peeled an orange from the fruit bowl and pressed it to the old man’s lips. Finally, he went to the telephone and called his mother. She arrived with a doctor as quickly as she could.

“Luckily you came along when you did, young man,” said the doctor. “Your old friend will need to spend a few days in hospital and then you can go fishing again.”

Tommy and Ben grinned at each other. They were looking forward to the next fishing trip and a delicious fish dinner. “Life will go back to the same again,” thought Ben happily.

Choose the correct answer and write its letter in the brackets provided.

• Why did Ben become such good friends with a man as old as Tommy?
  a) Ben’s mother bought firewood from Tommy.
  b) Ben liked Tommy as a fishing companion.
  c) Tommy was like the grandfather that Ben did not have.
  d) Ben felt sorry for the old man.
• Which of these words is closest in meaning to the word “fulfilled” in the first paragraph?
  a) Duplicated
  b) Imitated
  c) Satisfied
  d) Crammed
• Why was Ben’s mother unconcerned when Tommy did not show up in town?
  a) She knew how busy he was as a woodcutter.
  b) Sometimes he was too busy to come to town.
  c) She knew that it was a long way for the old man to come.
  d) She thought that he had probably forgotten.
• Tommy had been too sick to get out of bed for about __________?
  a) Three weeks
  b) Seven days
  c) Three days
  d) A night and a day
• Why did Ben and Tommy grin at each other?
  a) Tommy liked being in hospital and Ben liked visiting him.
  b) They knew that they would soon be fishing again.
  c) The accident had been happy ending.
  d) Tommy told Ben a joke.

Answer Key

1. A
2. C
3. D
4. C
5. B