English Base

Test 020

Reading Practice: The Power Cut

Reading Text

The switch clicked, but the kitchen lamp did not turn on. Anna tried it twice, then looked out of the window. A heavy storm was moving over the town, and the sky had turned dark grey. A minute later, the fridge went quiet and the television screen went black. The power was gone.

Her brother Max came down with a torch. Their parents were still at work, so the two of them had to manage alone. Anna found some old candles in a drawer and put them on the table. After that, Max brought out a box of board games. They played cards for an hour and laughed a lot.

The storm was loud, so they stopped playing and told stories instead. Max remembered a funny trip to the sea. Anna described her first day at her new school. The candles burned low, and nobody looked at a phone.

At half past nine the lights suddenly came back. Both of them felt a little sorry, because the quiet evening had been lovely.

Comprehension Test

Question 1. What happened when Anna pressed the kitchen light switch?

✗ IncorrectThe text says the lamp "did not turn on" at all, so it never gave a flash of light.

✓ Correct"The switch clicked, but the kitchen lamp did not turn on" — and soon the text says "The power was gone."

✗ IncorrectThe lamp never worked in the story; the fridge only went quiet "a minute later", not at once.

✗ IncorrectOnly the click of the switch is mentioned; the text says nothing about a strange noise.

Question 2. What did Anna see when she looked out of the window?

✗ IncorrectThe sky had turned "dark grey" because of the storm, so there was no bright sunset.

✗ IncorrectMax "came down with a torch" inside the house a little later; he was not in the garden.

✗ IncorrectA "heavy storm was moving over the town", so the weather was loud and windy, not quiet.

✓ Correct"A heavy storm was moving over the town, and the sky had turned dark grey."

Question 3. What did the fridge and the television do a minute later?

✓ Correct"The fridge went quiet and the television screen went black" — both machines went off.

✗ IncorrectThe text describes silence and a black screen, not an alarm or any loud sound.

✗ IncorrectThe fridge "went quiet" too, so it did not stay on; both appliances stopped.

✗ IncorrectThe screen "went black", and the power only came back later, "at half past nine".

Question 4. Why did Anna and Max have to manage alone?

✗ IncorrectNo visit to friends is mentioned; the text says the parents "were still at work".

✗ IncorrectAnna found candles at home "in a drawer", so nobody went to a shop.

✓ Correct"Their parents were still at work, so the two of them had to manage alone."

✗ IncorrectThe children did not choose this; the parents were away at work, so they "had to" manage.

Question 5. What did Anna find in the drawer?

✗ IncorrectThe torch belongs to Max, who "came down with a torch"; it was not in the drawer.

✓ Correct"Anna found some old candles in a drawer and put them on the table."

✗ IncorrectThe games were brought out by Max afterwards, not found by Anna in the drawer.

✗ IncorrectNo radio and no batteries appear anywhere in the text; the drawer held candles.

Question 6. What did Max do after Anna put the candles on the table?

✓ Correct"After that, Max brought out a box of board games."

✗ IncorrectNobody calls the parents in the story; the two of them spend the whole evening by candlelight.

✗ IncorrectMax stays in the house during the storm; the text never shows him leaving to buy anything.

✗ IncorrectReading is not mentioned; instead they played cards and later told stories.

Question 7. Why did Anna and Max stop playing cards?

✗ IncorrectThe candles only "burned low" later; at that point they were still giving light.

✗ IncorrectThey "laughed a lot" while playing, so Max clearly enjoyed the game.

✗ IncorrectThe parents are never shown coming home in the text; the reason given is the storm.

✓ Correct"The storm was loud, so they stopped playing and told stories instead."

Question 8. What does "The candles burned low" tell us about the candles?

✗ IncorrectThe text calls them "some old candles" from a drawer, and says nothing about price.

✗ Incorrect"Burned low" suggests a small, weak flame, and the kitchen was dark enough for candles.

✓ Correct"Burned low" means the candles had burned down and were nearly finished by the evening.

✗ IncorrectThey are described as "old" and had burned low, so they were not tall and new.

Question 9. What did the children do while the candles were burning?

✗ IncorrectThe text says "nobody looked at a phone", so no videos were watched that evening.

✓ CorrectThey "told stories instead", and "nobody looked at a phone" all evening.

✗ IncorrectSchoolwork is not part of the evening; Anna only described her first day at school.

✗ IncorrectNobody sleeps in the story; they stay awake until the lights return.

Question 10. How did Anna and Max feel when the lights came back?

✓ Correct"Both of them felt a little sorry, because the quiet evening had been lovely."

✗ IncorrectFood is never discussed, and the text gives no sign of anger; they felt "a little sorry".

✗ IncorrectThey laughed, told stories and enjoyed the evening, so the text shows no fear.

✗ IncorrectBed is not mentioned, and they did not feel glad; they were sorry the evening had ended.
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