Stop! If you've come to this page before completing the free reading comprehension worksheet 5 "A Spring Rain" then head back there and complete the questions, first!
Once you've finished, then check out the answers to the questions below. Remember, each question dealt with what was stated or implied in the text.
Printable PDFs: Reading Comprehension Worksheet 5 | Reading Comprehension Worksheet 5 Answer Key
1. As it is used in line 55 the word bait most nearly means:
A. coerce
B. hassle
C. intimidate
D. provoke
E. threaten
The correct answer is D. Because the husband is speaking, and the wife has refused his request to turn around, we can assume that he believes she's deliberately provoking him or infuriating him enough to cause action. Choice E, threaten is obviously too harsh. More than likely, she wouldn't threaten anyone. Choices A and C are not close to the meaning; to coerce means to force someone to do something, and to intimidate means to get someone to do something by fear. He intimidates and coerces her, not vice versa. The only choice that's close is Choice B, hassle. However, because the word tends to have a more light-hearted connotation, Choice D is the better answer.
2. Which of the following is NOT a likely inference based on the information in the passage?
A. Patty from down the road is the wife's best friend.
B. The husband seems to be truly sorry for what he's done at the end.
C. The wife sees no way out of the relationship but suicide.
D. The husband values his job more than his wife.
E. The housekeeper found the wife in the bathtub.
The correct answer is A. Here, we're looking for the one phrase that we could NOT infer from the passage. Choice B IS a likely inference; he cries at the end. Choice C IS a likely inference since the wife commits suicide in the story (or the evidence points to that). Choice D IS a likely inference, since the husband ignores the wife's obvious turmoil and goes to his meeting in Chicago instead of staying with her. Plus he assaults her regularly. Choice E IS a likely inference, because the housekeeper reported that the wife had an empty Valium bottle in her hand. Choice A IS NOT a likely inference because a best friend wouldn't be referred to as "Patty from down the road". Plus, it seems likely that the wife probably didn't have a best friend at all if suicide seems like the only way out for her.
3. The author most likely includes the information in lines 10 – 14 in order to:
A. compare what happened to the wife recently to the abuse that happened in her childhood.
B. explain that the husband had a pattern of abuse and probably wouldn't stop any time soon.
C. demonstrate the wife's weakness.
D. intensify the scene by describing the wife's injuries in full detail.
E. critique the wife's willingness to let her husband get away with physical abuse.
The correct answer is B. Here, we need to look closely at the lines indicated by the question and ask, "Why did the author write these lines specifically?" Choice B is the best answer because the lines show how his open hand, his fist and a belt have all administered abuse. If it happened in the past, it will probably continue to happen. Choice A is not correct because although a comparison is made (at least it's not with the belt), it's not comparing any kind of abuse other than domestic violence. Choice C is incorrect because although the wife does appear weak throughout the story, during those lines, she's ironic, offering an almost positive outlook on her abuse. Choices D and E are inaccurate because the wife's injuries aren't described in much detail and no critique of her behavior is made.
4. All of the events follow the wife's looking out the window EXCEPT:
A. Her husband takes a flight to Chicago.
B. Her husband walks into the house.
C. Her husband runs through the rain.
D. Her husband slams his fist into the wall.
E. Her husband purchases roses.
The correct answer is E. This is simply a matter of remembering the chronology of the story and reading accurately. Which events come after the beginning of the story when the wife is looking out the window? Well, the only thing that could have happened before the wife looks out the window, which is an easier way to tackle the question, is the husband purchasing roses because he walks in with them while she's standing at the window. Hence, everything else must come after.
5. The passage provides information that answers which of the following questions?
I. Does the husband hold a powerful position at work?
II. What kind of personality traits does the wife display?
III. Does the wife's relationships with others in the neighborhood affect her married life?
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III
The correct answer is B. This is a funny question in that you don't have to actually answer the questions behind the Roman Numerals. Your only goal is to determine whether or not you could answer the questions based on the information given in the text if you needed to. Question I is answerable (he has to fly to Chicago; he has purchased a Mercedes; they employ a housekeeper, etc.). We can reasonably assume that he has a powerful position, so we can answer that question. Question II is answerable (she is meek, forgiving, weak, a sucker for punishment, etc.) We could name a bunch of different personality traits of the wife. Question III, however, is unanswerable because we don't know about any relationships she has with anyone in the neighborhood besides Patty. And that one seems very cursory at best. Therefore, the correct answer is Choice B. The passage provides info to answer questions I and II only.
