Jamlett

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“A Cold Day”
Reading Comprehension – Short Stories

Directions: Read the story. Then answer the questions below.

It is a frigid January day in York, Pennsylvania.
The temperature is below freezing. Snow is starting to fall.
Dr. James turns on the television to check the weather.
Hemust leave for his work at the hospital soon.
“Today is going to be very cold,” says the TV weatherman. “Be sure to wear very
warm clothes when you go outside. Also, be careful driving on the roads.
Snowfall will make them slippery. In fact, if you can stay home today, do it!”
Dr. James cannot stay home. Very sick people are waiting to see him at the
hospital.
He goes to his closet. He takesout the warmest clothes he has.
He puts on a sweater, jacket, gloves, socks, boots, and a hat.
He opens his front door to go to work. A gust of cold air blows inside.
“Wow, it is very cold outside,” Dr. James says. He is from Miami and is not used
to the cold. “The weatherman was right!”
Before he can drive to work, Dr. James must clear the snow off his car.
He does this very fast. He hopsin the car. He shivers. His neck feels especially
cold.
Dr. James drives slowly to work. Everyone else is driving slowly, too. There is a
lot of traffic on the road. There are cars in front of and behind him.
Suddenly, the cars in front of Dr. James come to a stop. There has been
an accident!
Dr. James hurries from his car to check on the driver of the car that has swerved
off the road. “Iseveryone okay?” Dr. James asks.
“Yes, yes, we are fine. We slipped on a patch of ice,” the driver says. “This would
have been a good day to stay home in bed.”

Questions:
1) If the weather is frigid, it is very
A.
B.
C.
D.

cold
rainy
windy
slippery

3) Dr. James doesn’t stay home
because
A. There are sick people waiting for
him.
B. He listens to the weatherman.
C. He has toclear snow off his car.
D. He must help the people in the
accident.

5) W hat does Dr. James do before he
leaves for work?
I. He dresses warmly.
II. He checks the weather on TV.
III. He clears snow from his car.
A.
B.
C.
D.

I only
I and II
II and III
I, II, and III

7) How are people driving today?
A.
B.
C.
D.

badly
slowly
very fast
like they do not care

2) Inwhat city does this story take
place?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Florida
Miami
Pennsylvania
York

4) W hat could Dr. James have put on
his neck to keep it warm?
A.
B.
C.
D.

gloves
a scarf
another hat
a jacket

6) Given what is said in the story, what
is probably true about Miami?
A.
B.
C.
D.

It is a warm place.
It is a rainy place.
It is a windy place.
People drive slowly there.8) As described in the beginning of the
story, what does it mean if the
roads are slippery?
A. The roads are full of cars.
B. The roads are easy to slide on.
C. The roads are very long and
curvy.
D. The roads lead to a place with
lots of snow.

Questions (continued):
9) W hy does Dr. James clear the snow 10) There is a lot of traffic on the
off his car quickly?
road. How can werewrite this
sentence?
A. because he is very cold
B. because he is late for work
A. There is a lot of snow on the
C. because he knows his patients
road.
are waiting
B. There are a lot of cars on the
D. because he knows he will have
road.
to drive slowly
C. There are a lot of accidents on
the road.
D. There are a lot of people walking
on the road.

11) Why did the car have anaccident?
A.
B.
C.
D.

because it was snowing outside
because Dr. James hit the car
because it was so cold outside
because the car slipped on a
patch of ice

13) What is the weatherman right
about?
I. It is a windy day.
II. It is very cold outside.
III. The roads are slippery.
A.
B.
C.
D.

I only
I and II
II and III
I, II, and III

12) What is an accident?
A. something that...