Warming up for comprehension

The passage below is a paragraph long.

Read it and say whether the statements which follow are TRUE or FALSE.

Pain

Pain is an unpleasant feeling. It may be mild or sharp. It is a warning that something is wrong somewhere in your body. You feel pain if something burns, pricks or hits you. It is your nerves which carry the pain signals to the central nervous system.

Pain is often useful. It helps us to avoid what caused it. It sometimes warns you that it’s time you went to see a doctor.

State whether these statements are TRUE or FALSE:

1. Pain is always sharp.
2. You feel pain only when something pricks you.
3. Sometimes pain is useful to us.
4. Pain always makes you go to the doctor.
5. Pain gives you some kind of warning.
6. Pain is transmitted through the skin to the central nervous system.
7. Sometimes pain is a pleasant feeling.
8. Doctors will always tell us why we are in pain .
9. If we had no nerves, we probably would not feel pain at all.
10. All messages about pain must reach the brain.

Read the passage below then respond to the statements that follow.

A good companion

The bicycle may be a simple device compared with the motor-cycle or the car, but it remains a very important machine in the world’s transport system. It has given millions of people their first taste of speed. It has taught many of us the meaning of road sense. It takes us to school and to work in all kinds of weather.

In Kenya today, the number of cyclists is on the increase. The increase in the number of cars has not reduced the popularity of the humble bicycle. The bicycle is still an excellent means for short journeys where a motor car may be nothing but a bother and a nuisance. It is a common means of transport among farmers on narrow country roads, impassable to motor vehicles. Unlike motor vehicles which emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the bicycle is environmentally friendly. It requires no fuel and is very cheap to run and maintain. If you get stuck in the mud you can carry it on your back or shoulders to dry land, and continue with your ride.

A ride on a bike does many of us a lot of good to get a spell of regular exercise. It sets the blood tingling in the veins and brings the sweat to the brow; it builds up muscle and fills the lungs with fresh, sweet air. If you want to share in the joy of cycling, borrow a friend’s bike and go for a ride in the country. See what freedom a bicycle gives you as you glide down a long steep hill, your shirt or blouse filled with air.

State whether these statements are TRUE or FALSE:

1. Having a road sense means being aware of road safety and being concerned about other road users.
2. The bicycle is simple in comparison to the car, but it is very useful.
3. A bicycle ride is slow and cannot give the rider a taste of speed.
4. A bicycle can be a nuisance on short journeys .
5. The bicycle is the only vehicle found on narrow country roads impassable to motor vehicles.
6. The bicycle is not environmentally friendly, because the rider breathes a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
7. A bicycle ride boils the blood in the veins.
8. A bicycle ride strains your lungs because you have to breath hard.
9. A bicycle ride gives you a sense of freedom.
10. When you are on a bicycle, your shirt or blouse may be blown away by the wind.