Comprehension Practice

The pupfish that live in Death Valley National Park are called Devils Hole pupfish. They are 1-1/2 inches to 2-1/2 inches (4 to 6 centimeters) long and can survive in water up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius). The females are brown and white colored; the males are blue and purple colored. Pupfish can flip from one small pool to another, and some are able to hibernate in mud during the winter. 
Pupfish are _____ .

• artificial
• overpopulated
• adaptable
• graceful

The evening air was still warm. Ben could see a long way up and down the street. Across the street, two dogs were playing. Ben could hear someone laughing. Inside the boarding house, Mrs. Brandon was humming. Soon, her friends arrived. They said hello to Ben as they walked up to the door. 
Everything seemed _____ . 

• pleasant
• scary
• dark
• messy

Igloos did not need to last long. Hunting conditions forced Eskimos to move often, abandoning their old igloos and building new ones. An igloo was used for an average of one month, but it usually could be made to last as long as it was needed. It did not take long to build and gave excellent protection from a hostile climate while it lasted.
Igloos were _____ .

• functional
• affordable
• collapsible
• comfortable

The winter snow had broken three branches along the path. Eugene stopped to clear them away. The forest had always been part of Eugene's life. Trees comforted. Trees protected.
The trees made Eugene feel _____ . 

• confused
• afraid
• safe
• angry

Once the wind starts rotating, a long curl of the cloud extends toward the earth in a funnel shape. As the cloud nears the ground, it begins to pick up dust and dirt, turning the funnel black. A tornado may touch the ground, rise into the air, and then touch down again. The winds within a twister may reach 300 miles (480 kilometers) per hour.
A tornado is _____ .

• unstable
• ineffectual
• predictable
• discriminating

There were few cars on the road. But now a gray truck roared up behind them. Two men sat inside. The driver honked the horn.
The two men were _____ . 

• hurrying
• testing
• winning
• filming

After he grew to be a man and learned to speak Spanish, Italian, and French, he looked at Latin again and saw that it was easy for him. It was his opinion that you should learn these languages first because they are simpler, and when you know them, Latin is easy. Before his life was over, he lived in France and had to speak French all the time. Some people said that his use of French grammar wasn't very good. They believed that if he had known Latin his French might have been better.
He had _____ ideas on language.

• fascinating
• expensive
• conflicting
• misinformed

The kids piled into the van. They laughed and shoved. Annie wished they would be quiet. But she didn't say anything. She turned on the key and pulled out onto the road.
The kids were _____ . 

• wild
• busy
• silent
• tired

"I am never alone when I am alone," Beethoven said. He usually got up early in the morning to compose, then later walked through the streets of Vienna, muttering, growling, and stamping his feet. He carried bulging notebooks of music with him at all times. His handwriting was so messy that almost no one other than himself could read it.
Beethoven was _____ . 

• nondescriptive
• eccentric
• insincere
• old

His hand was sweaty. He seemed a little fidgety. Well, I was a little fidgety myself.
We were both a little bit _____ .

• hungry
• tired
• nervous
• lucky