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TEACHING STUDENTS TO READ AND THINK CRITICALLY

"The Incredible Machine"

Reading Comprehension Assessment
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Copyright Read Theory LLC, 2012. All rights reserved.

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Passage

Name________________
Date________________

Reading Comprehension Assessment

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

The Incredible Machine

Everyone has a favorite attraction at an amusement park, and I
am no different. However, unlike most people who seem to prefer
rollercoasters, my favorite ride is a little more gentle. Every time I go to
Coney Island, Navy Pier, or the Santa Monica Pier, I absolutely have to
ride the Ferris wheel.
The Ferris wheel is simple and yet also quite complex. That is,
riding it is easy, but how it works is complicated. A series of carts are
attached to a wheel, which is attached to a rim. That rim rotates
vertically around an axis, and gravity keeps the carts upright. As simple
as the ride seems, only advanced engineers can make safe and fun
Ferris wheels.

What It Lacks in Thrills

While the Ferris wheel is not as thrilling as a rollercoaster, it is still very exciting. The fact of being
high in the air makes it so much more entertaining than a lot of rides. I mean, how often do you hang from
that high up in daily life?
Nevertheless, I have to admit, I dont seek Ferris wheels out because of their excitement. Rather,
I find them very relaxing. At the top of the Ferris wheel, you get beautiful sights of the park. You also get a
sense of calm that you dont get in the hustle and bustle of the park below.
Additionally, Ferris wheels are also gorgeous to look at when they are lit up at night. In fact, the
original Ferris wheel was designed as much to be seen as to be ridden.

It Happened at the Worlds Fair

The first Ferris wheel was made by and named after George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. He
designed it for the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893. It was the tallest attraction there, standing 264 feet high.
However, visitors to the fair were impressed by the size of the ride as well as the mechanics of it.
In 1893, anything that was not turned by hand was considered a sight to see. And the wheel, which was a
machine, was truly incredible to see. Further, as one visitor put it, the wheel was amazing because it
seemed to be missing support. That is, it did not look like it could stand on its own. And yet it did and
even rotated!

They Keep Reaching Higher and Higher

Ferris wheel technology has only improved since then. Most of todays Ferris wheels are much
larger than that first one. The largest in the world is the "Singapore Flyer," which stands slightly taller than
twice what Ferriss did!
Today, the Ferris wheel is the most common amusement park ride. But that does not mean you
should take them for granted. Instead, be thankful for Ferris invention. The next time youre at an
amusement park, dont just look up at the impressive wheel in the sky on your way to a newer attraction.
Take it for a spin!

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Questions

1) As used in paragraph 1, the word attraction most nearly means

A.
B.
C.
D.

sense
park
ride
vision

2) It can be understood that Coney Island, Navy Pier, and the Santa Monica Pier are all examples of
A.
B.
C.
D.

amusement parks
Ferris wheels
vacation spots
boat docks

3) As used in paragraph 2, which is the best antonym for complex?

A.
B.
C.
D.

impressive
beautiful
exciting
simple

4) What does the author like best about Ferris wheels?

A.
B.
C.
D.

the impressive engineering and beauty of them

the excitement and thrills they guarantee
the beautiful sights and relaxation they allow
the fact that most amusement parks have one

5) According to the passage, the Ferris wheel was originally designed for
A.
B.
C.
D.

Coney Island
the worlds fair
Disneyworld
Singapore

6) This passage was most likely written to

A.
B.
C.
D.

describe the authors favorite amusement park rides

explain the original design of Ferris wheels and how they work today
describe the history of Ferris wheels and why they are so popular
explain the history of Ferris wheels and why the author likes them

7) Using information in the passage, the reader can understand that the tallest Ferris wheel in the world
is
A.
B.
C.
D.

under 250 feet tall

between 250 and 500 feet tall
between 500 and 750 feet tall
over 750 feet tall

8) In paragraph 2, the narrator says, "As simple as the ride seems, only advanced engineers can make
safe and fun Ferris wheels." Can you think of any other machines that seem simple but actually are
not? List at least two and explain why they are not actually simple.
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Questions

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9) In paragraph 3, the narrator says, " While the Ferris wheel is not as thrilling as a rollercoaster, it is still
very exciting ." Can you think of any other machines that are not "thrilling" but still "exciting"?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

10) In the final section of the passage, we learn how Ferris wheels "keep reaching higher and higher."
This seems to be a common trend among the developers of modern technology. What makes us
want to continually strive to create something bigger and better? Is this good? Discuss.
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Answers and Explanations

1) C
Question Type: Vocabulary
attraction (noun): a thing or place that draws visitors by providing something fun.
In the first paragraph, the author describes a persons favorite attraction at an amusement park. He or she says that some prefer
rollercoasters but that his or her favorite ride is the Ferris wheel. This suggests that an attraction is a type of ride, so choice (C) is
correct. Though attraction can involve senses, the passage does not suggest that an attraction is a type of sense. One cannot really
have a favorite sense at an amusement park. Choice (A) is not correct because of this. The passage suggests that an amusement
park has attractions. However, it does not suggest that an attraction is actually a park. After all, one cannot really have a favorite
park at an amusement park. Choice (B) is not correct because of this. Though attraction often involves vision, the passage does
not suggest that an attraction is a form of vision. Choice (D) is not correct because of this.
2) A
Question Type: Inference
In the first paragraph, the author describes rides at amusement parks. He or she writes that his or her favorite ride is a little more
gentle. Then, the author says that he or she has to ride the Ferris wheel whenever he or she goes to Coney Island, Navy Pier, or
the Santa Monica Pier. This suggests that each of these places is an amusement park that contains a Ferris wheel. Because of this,
choice (A) is correct. Coney Island is an amusement park in Brooklyn, NY; Navy Pier is located in Chicago, IL; and the Santa
Monica Pier is an amusement park near Los Angeles, CA. The author suggests that he or she has to ride the Ferris wheel at Coney
Island, Navy Pier, and the Santa Monica Pier. This does not mean that those places are actually Ferris wheels. Instead, it means
that they have Ferris wheels. Because of this, choice (B) is not correct. The author suggests that Coney Island, Navy Pier, and the
Santa Monica Pier are places he or she visits. That does not mean they are places everyone goes on vacation though. The passage
does not suggest that they are vacation spots then. Instead, it only suggests they are places that have Ferris wheels. Because of
this, choice (C) is not correct. Though an island and piers could possibly dock boats, the author does not suggest that any of the
places mentioned in the question actually do so. Instead, he or she suggests that they are places containing Ferris wheels. Because
of this, choice (D) is not correct.
3) D
Question Type: Vocabulary
complex (adjective): involving many different and confusing parts.
An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. This question asks for the antonym of complex. The author
says Ferris wheels are both simple and yet also quite complex. The use of yet suggests that the terms being used are opposites.
Because of this, choice (D) is correct. Simple, which means not complicated or complex, is the antonym for complex. The author
describes Ferris wheels as impressive, but he or she does not suggest that being impressive is the opposite of being complex. In
fact, the author describes Ferris wheels as impressive in a different part of the passage. The opposite of impressive is actually
ordinary. Because of this, choice (A) is not correct. The author describes Ferris wheels as beautiful, but he or she does not suggest
that being beautiful is the opposite of being complex. In fact, the author describes Ferris wheels as beautiful in a different part of the
passage. The opposite of beautiful is actually ugly. Because of this, choice (B) is not correct. The author describes Ferris wheels as
not being that exciting, but he or she does not suggest that being exciting is the opposite of being complex. The opposite of exciting
is actually dull. Because of this, choice (C) is not correct.
4) C
Question Type: Detail
The author explains what he or she likes best about Ferris wheels in the fourth paragraph. He or she writes, I find them very
relaxing because of the beautiful sights of the park one gets at the top of the ride. The thing he or she likes best about Ferris
wheels, then, is the beautiful sights and relaxation they allow. Because of this, choice (C) is correct. The author does describe the
impressive engineering and beauty of Ferris wheels. However, he or she does not say those are his favorite things about the rides.
Instead, in paragraph 4, the author explains the reason he or she seeks Ferris wheels out: because he or she finds them very
relaxing. Because of this, choice (A) is not correct. In fact, the author suggests that Ferris wheels are not that exciting. He or she
writes that a Ferris wheel is not as thrilling as a roller coaster. Instead, in paragraph 4, the author explains the reason he or she
seeks Ferris wheels out: because he or she finds them very relaxing. Because of this, choice (B) is not correct. Though the author
ends the passage by saying that most amusement parks have a Ferris wheel, he or she does not say that he likes Ferris wheels
because of this. Instead, in paragraph 4, the author explains the reason he or she seeks Ferris wheels out: because he or she finds
them very relaxing. Because of this, choice (D) is not correct.
5) B
Question Type: Detail
In the sixth paragraph (below the caption It Happened at the Worlds Fair), the author writes about the first Ferris wheel. He or she
states that George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. designed it for the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893. The correct answer is (B), then.
Though the author suggests that Coney Island has a Ferris wheel, he or she does not suggest that the first one was built there.
Because of this, choice (A) is not correct. The passage never mentions Disneyworld. It does, however, mention the first Ferris
wheel. Because of this, choice (C) is not correct. The author writes that the largest Ferris wheel in the world is in Singapore. He or
she does not suggest that that Ferris wheel was the first one built, though. Because of this, choice (D) is not correct.
6) D
Question Type: Global
The passage describes the fact that the authors favorite amusement park ride is the Ferris wheel. From there, he or she describes
what they are and why he or she likes them. Toward the end of the passage, the author traces their history into the present. It
follows that the purpose of the passage was most likely to do all of these things. Because of this, choice (D) is correct. The author
wrote the passage to explain the history of Ferris wheels and why the author likes them. The passage does describe the authors
favorite amusement park ride, the Ferris wheel, but it does not describe any of his or her other favorite rides. This means that the

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Answers and Explanations

passage was probably not written to describe his or her favorite rides so much as his or her favorite ride overall. Because of this,
choice (A) is not correct. The author does partially explain how Ferris wheels work and the history of the ride. However, he or she
does not explain the original design in any detail. Additionally, he or she seems more focused on explaining why he or she likes
Ferris wheels so much. Because of this, choice (B) is not correct. The author does describe the history of Ferris wheels. However,
he or she only explains why he or she likes Ferris wheels personally, not why others do or do not like them. Because of this,
choice (C) is not correct.
7) C
Question Type: Inference
The author writes in the second-to-last paragraph that the tallest Ferris wheel in the world is the 'Singapore Flyer,' which stands
slightly taller than twice what Ferriss did!. Ferriss wheel stood 264 feet tall, according to the sixth paragraph. Twice 264 is 528 feet.
(This could be found by rounding too: 264 is just a little over 250, and twice 250 is 500.) Because of this, choice (C) is correct: 500
(or slightly more) feet is between 500 and 750 feet tall. The tallest Ferris wheel is just under twice as tall as Ferriss. Since Ferriss
was 264 feet tall, the tallest one would have to be more than 250 feet tall, as Ferriss was too. Because of this, choice (A) is not
correct. Ferriss wheel was 264 feet tall, making it between 250 and 500 feet tall. However, the tallest Ferris wheel in the world
actually stands just under twice as tall as Ferriss did. This means that the tallest one must be taller than 500 feet. Because of this,
choice (B) is not correct. To be over 750 feet tall, the tallest Ferris wheel would have to be three times as high as Ferriss wheel, not
twice as tall. Because of this, choice (D) is not correct.

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