READTHEORY
Passage and Questions
Name________________
Date________________
• Reading Comprehension Assessment
Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.
Quinceañera
Do you like birthdays? Do you like going to church? Do you
enjoy parties? Do you like seeing everyone in the neighborhood? Do
you feel happy when you get lots of gifts? Do you like to look royal or
rich? Do you like to dance? If you do, then you would probably like to
have a quinceañera.
The word quinceañera is Spanish. To understand what the word
quinceañera means, we need to understand a little bit about Spanish.
Spanish is a language. It has different words than the English language.
Sometimes those words describe the culture of people who speak
Spanish. Quinceañera is one of those words. It names a custom of Spanish speakers. A quinceañera is a
special ceremony and birthday party. The birthday girl can also be called a quinceañera.
Only birthday girls who are 15 are called quinceañeras. Fifteen is an important age for girls who
speak Spanish. When they turn 15, they are no longer children. The quinceañera party marks when
childhood ends and adulthood begins.
A quinceañera is a very special event. It is like a wedding. It begins with a ceremony at church.
The ceremony is the way the community observes its religion. It is a custom of their religion. The
ceremony is important to their society. It is a meaningful affair. After the ceremony, there is a party with
lots of decorations. The community attends the party, too. It is cheerful. Everyone dances. They give the
birthday girl presents and tell her that she looks pretty.
The birthday girl is like Cinderella. She wears a pink dress. She also wears a crown that sparkles.
She has shoes with high heels. Her clothes are symbols. They tell everyone that the birthday is special.
She is an adult now. She can now dance in public. Like Cinderella at her ball, the birthday girl dances at
her quinceañera party.
Some communities in America do not have quinceañeras. Many Americans throw parties when
kids turn 18. Those events are like quinceañeras, but they are not the same. But people in America who
speak Spanish may have quinceañeras. They may have a ceremony and throw a big party for the
community when their girls turn 15.
1) What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?
A.
B.
C.
D.
to cite an example
to make a conclusion
to show a comparison
to give an explanation
2) As used in paragraph 4, the word meaningful most nearly belongs to which of the following word
groups?
A.
B.
C.
D.
special, important, serious
rich, luxurious, royal
pink, purple, red
humorous, merry, festive
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Questions
3) According to the passage, Americans
A.
B.
C.
D.
never have quinceañeras
sometimes have quinceañeras
have quinceañeras when girls turn 18
always have quinceañeras
4) Based on information throughout the passage, we can understand that a quinceañera is a
I.
II.
III.
IV.
custom
birthday girl who is 15
wedding
party for kids who turn 18
A.
B.
C.
D.
I and II only
II and III only
I, II, and IV only
I, II, III, and IV
5) The main purpose of this passage is to
A.
B.
C.
D.
invite readers to a quinceañera
teach readers how to throw a fun quinceañera
give information about quinceañeras
compare quinceañeras to American customs
6) Does your culture have any celebration similar to a quinceañera? How does your culture celebrate
the change from childhood to adulthood? If quinceañera are part of your culture, have you ever
attended one before? Was it just like the information in the passage, or was it different? If different,
how so?
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Questions
7) A quinceañera celebrates a girl’s fifteenth birthday. What do you think is the next big celebration that
might happen after a girl’s quinceañera? How many years might pass before she gets to host another
big party?
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8) This passage talks about a custom that only affects girls. Can you think of other customs that only
affect girls? What about customs that only affect boys? Is it fair to give opportunities to one gender
but not to another? Why or why not?
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Answers and Explanations
1) D
Question Type: Global
In paragraph 2, we learn a lot of things about the word quinceañera: it is a Spanish word; it relates to Spanish culture; it is a custom;
it is a special ceremony; it is a birthday party; and it can even refer to the birthday girl herself. Through explanation, paragraph 2
gives us a clear understanding of this word. (D) is the best answer; it is correct. The passage does not provide information to
support choices (A), (B), and (C). Therefore they are incorrect.
2) A
Question Type: Vocabulary
meaningful (adjective): having meaning; having a serious, important, or useful quality or purpose.
Paragraph 4 describes the quinceañera ceremony at church as “a meaningful affair.” The previous sentences give us a sense that
meaningful means special, important, and serious. The passage actually uses the words special and important. We may infer that
the ceremony is also serious both because it happens at church and because the tone of the description seems serious. (A) is the
best answer; it is correct. Paragraph 1 says, “Do you like to look royal or rich?” And paragraph 5 says, “The birthday girl is like
Cinderella. She wears a pink dress. She also wears a crown that sparkles.” These sentences relate to the words rich, luxurious, and
royal. But these sentences do not mention the word meaningful. The word meaningful appears in paragraph 4. (B) is incorrect. In
paragraph 5, we learn that the birthday girl wears a pink dress. We also learn that it is a symbol. But the word meaningful does not
appear in that paragraph. The word meaningful is not linked with pink or with any color directly. (C) is incorrect. Paragraph 4
discusses the ceremony and the party. The party sounds fun. It might be described as merry or festive. But the word meaningful is
attributed to the ceremony, not the party. So (D) is incorrect.
3) B
Question Type: Detail
According to the last paragraph in the passage, some Americans don’t have quinceañeras. But we also learn that some Americans
do have quinceañeras. Using this information, we can conclude that Americans sometimes have quinceañeras. (B) is correct. The
passage does not provide information to support choices (A), (C), or (D). Therefore, they are incorrect.
4) A
Question Type: Global
In paragraph 2, the author explains, "Spanish is a language. It has different words than the English language. Sometimes those
words describe the culture of people who speak Spanish. Quinceañera is one of those words. It names a custom of Spanish
speakers." This lets us know that a quinceañera is a custom. This supports option (I). Also in paragraph 2, the author continues to
say that "A quinceañera is a special ceremony and birthday party. The birthday girl can also be called a quinceañera." This lets us
know that a quinceañera is a birthday girl who is 15. This supports option (II). A quinceañera is not a wedding. In paragraph 4, the
author says that a quinceañera “is like a wedding." But he or she does not say that it is a wedding. Moreover, a quinceañera is a
custom. This eliminates option (III). A quinceañera is not a party for kids when they turn 18. The last paragraph, the author says,
“Many Americans throw parties when kids turn 18. Those events are like quinceañeras, but they are not the same.” This
eliminates option (IV). Therefore (A) is correct.
5) C
Question Type: Global
The passage gives us a lot of information about quinceañeras. We learn about the word, the quinceañera customs, and what
quinceañeras symbolize for particular communities. (C) is correct. The passage may make us want to attend a quinceañera, but it
does not invite us to one. So (A) is incorrect. To throw a fun quinceañera, we need to know what to do and what makes it fun. We
would need specific instructions and a better explanation. But the passage doesn’t provide those things. It tells us a little bit about
the ceremony, the party, and what the quinceañera birthday girl wears. But it leaves out a lot of details. And it includes details that
are not essential to throwing a fun quinceañera. For instance, it tells us that quinceañera is a Spanish word. The purpose of the
passage is not to teach readers how to throw a fun quinceañera. (B) is incorrect. Paragraph 4 compares quinceañeras to a wedding,
and the last paragraph tells us about an American custom when kids turn 18. But the rest of the passage does not mention
American customs. The purpose of the passage is not to compare quinceañeras to American customs. So (D) is incorrect.