Class 5 English Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Read the passage once for its overall meaning and again for details. Answer in your own words, using a phrase or event from the passage as evidence. Some questions have more than one reasonable answer; explain your choice. This independent practice resource is not tied to a specific textbook edition.

The Library That Travelled

Every Wednesday, a small van stopped beside the community hall. Its shelves held books in several languages, and a folding table became a borrowing desk. For children who lived far from a library, the visit meant a chance to choose something new. At first, the volunteers arranged books only by age. Soon they noticed that this did not work for everyone. A confident younger reader wanted longer stories, while an older child learning a new language preferred books with pictures and short sentences. The volunteers changed the display to include interests and reading choices as well as age suggestions. They also placed a notebook on the table for requests. One child asked for stories about space; another wanted a book that explained how bicycles worked. The team could not provide every request immediately, but they recorded each one and checked what could be borrowed from other branches. Over time, the van’s collection changed. The volunteers learned that access was about more than bringing books nearby: it also meant listening to what readers needed and helping them choose without embarrassment.

Comprehension questions

• 1. When did the van visit?
• 2. What became the borrowing desk?
• 3. Why was the service useful to some children?
• 4. Why was age alone an imperfect way to arrange books?
• 5. Find two different requests from readers.
• 6. Could every request be met immediately? Give evidence.
• 7. What is the role of the request notebook?
• 8. Explain “access” as used in the final sentence.
• 9. Which detail shows the volunteers adapted after observing readers?
• 10. Suggest one further improvement and justify it.

Suggested answers

Reading and teaching notes

For factual questions, ask the reader to point to the sentence that supports the answer. For an inference, ask them to connect two details and explain what those details suggest. Do not mark a sensible answer wrong simply because its wording differs from the suggested answer.

If the passage is difficult, read it aloud together, pause at paragraph-sized sections, and let the child explain the events orally before writing. For extension, ask the learner to write one new question whose answer is stated in the passage and one whose answer needs reasoning.

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An adaptable reading lesson plan