Reading Comprehension

Quotations, or quotes for short, are statements written or spoken, that are repeated by others to make a point. The point may be to show what a certain person believes about something. They may be referred to in speeches or print as words of wisdom. Many popular quotes are humorous or witty.

There are a number of good sources of quotations. You can use a book that contains a large collection and find the topics you're interested in by using the index. There are some good sites on the Internet where topics can be found by using a keyword in a search field.

The source you use will tell you who said or wrote the words. It will usually also show you how to find other quotations from the same individual.

The main source for this worksheet is ThinkExist.com.

You will often find quotations that contradict (disagree with) each other. For example, here are two quotes that were found by searching the topic “money.”

“When I was young, I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old, I know it is”   by Oscar Wilde

“No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich”   by Louis Sabin

See if you can answer the following questions.

1. “The liberty of speaking and writing guards our other liberties.”   Thomas Jefferson

Which statement contradicts the above quote?

a. Freedom of the press is an important right.
b. People should be free to express their opinions in speech and written words.
c. Freedom of religion should not be limited.
d. To protect liberty, governments should stop people from saying unpopular things.

2. Which quote indicates that cats are thinkers?

a. “If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.”   Robert Heinlein
b. “Cats are mysterious kind of folk - there is more passing in their minds than we are aware of.”   Sir Walter Scott
c. “As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.”   Ellen Perry Berkeley
d. “What greater gift than the love of a cat?”   Charles Dickens

3. “You know it's love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you're not part of their happiness.”   Julia Roberts

According to this quote, __________

a. Love must be painful.
b. Love is never real.
c. Love is unselfish.
d. Love can never last.

4. “Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.”   Albert Einstein

Einstein is saying that _______

a. Students learn best when they feel that what they're learning is important to them.
b. Teachers should offer cash awards to students for doing their homework.
c. Never make students work hard.
d. Teachers should wrap their assignments in real wrapping paper.

5. “This is a court of law, young man, not a court of justice.”   Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Which statement comes closest to the meaning of the above quote?

a. You entered the wrong building.
b. Law and order is always a bad thing.
c. Basketball players never play fair!
d. Laws aren't always fair.

Reading Comprehension, Vol. 11, No. 4, January 5, 2010http://rhlschool.comCopyright 2010 RHL

Tweet

G

Delicious

E-mail

RHL School Home