ISEE Middle Level Reading : ISEE Middle Level (grades 7-8) Reading Comprehension

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Middle Level Reading

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Science Passages

Adapted from Anecdotes of the Habits and Instincts of Animals by Mrs. R. Lee (1852)

The Carnivora are divided by naturalists into three groups, the characters of which are taken from their feet and manner of walking. Bears rank among the Plantigrada, or those which put the whole of their feet firmly upon the ground when they walk. They are occasionally cunning and ferocious, but often evince good humor and a great love of fun. In their wild state, they are solitary the greater part of their lives. They climb trees with great facility; live in caverns, holes, and hollow trees; and in cold countries, retire to some sequestered spot during the winter, where they remain concealed and bring forth their young. Some say they are torpid, but this cannot be, for the female bears come from their retreats with cubs that have lived upon them, and it is not likely that they can have reared them and remained without food; they are, however, often very lean and wasted, and the absorption of their generally large portion of fat contributes to their nourishment. The story that they live by sucking their paws is, as may be supposed, a fable; when well-fed they always lick their paws, very often accompanying the action with a peculiar sort of mumbling noise. There are a few which will never eat flesh, and all are able to do without it. They are, generally speaking, large, clumsy, and awkward, possessing large claws for digging, and often walk on their hind feet, a facility afforded them by the peculiar formation of their thigh bone. They do not often attack in the first instance, unless impelled by hunger or danger; they are, however, formidable opponents when excited. In former times, there were few parts of the globe in which they were not to be found, but, like other wild animals, they have disappeared before the advance of man. Still they are found in certain spots from the northern regions of the world to the burning climes of Africa, Asia, and America. The latest date of their appearance in Great Britain was in Scotland during the year 1057.

The main point of this passage is __________.

Possible Answers:

to argue against commonly understood myths about bears

to provide a brief overview of the nature and history of bears

to argue in favor of increased awareness of bear conservation

to argue in favor of widespread bear culling

to explain the evolutionary history of bears

Correct answer:

to provide a brief overview of the nature and history of bears

Explanation:

The author can only be said to take up an argumentative structure at one point in the passage, when she discusses whether or not bears are "torpid" and says "this cannot be" before explaining her reasoning. However, the rest of the passage provides information in a non-argumentative way. You could perhaps infer from the author’s comment that bears have disappeared before the “advance of man” that she is arguing in favor of bear conservation, but that sentence is the only one that considers bear conservation, and it is stated matter-of-factly, not in an argumentative tone. The best answer here is that this passage intends to “provide a brief overview of the nature and history of bears.” This can be seen throughout with the way the bear explains their scientific classification, their hibernation habits, and their decline in numbers around the world.

Example Question #11 : Ideas In Contemporary Life Passages

Adapted from The Principles of Breeding by S. L. Goodale (1861)

The Jersey cow, formerly known as the Alderney, is almost exclusively employed for dairy purposes, and may not be expected to give satisfaction for other uses. Their milk is richer than that of any other cows, and the butter made from it possesses a superior flavor and a deep rich color, and consequently commands an extraordinary price in all markets where good butter is appreciated.

Jersey cattle are of Norman origin, and are noted for their milking properties. The cows are generally very docile and gentle, but the males when past two or three years of age often become vicious and unmanageable. It is said that the cows fatten readily when dry.

There is no branch of cattle husbandry which promises better returns than the breeding and rearing of milch cows. In the vicinity of large towns and cities are many cows which having been culled from many miles around, on account of dairy properties, are considerably above the average, but taking the cows of the country together they do not compare favorably with the oxen. Farmers generally take more pride in their oxen, and strive to have as good or better than any of their neighbors, while if a cow will give milk enough to rear a large steer calf and a little besides, it is often deemed satisfactory.

The main purpose of this article is __________.

Possible Answers:

to reflect on the differences between various cows in England

to argue against the use of dairy cows for meat

to encourage the breeding of dairy cows

to describe the properties of the Jersey cow

to explain the basics of animal husbandry

Correct answer:

to encourage the breeding of dairy cows

Explanation:

In the first two paragraphs, the author primarily describes the properties of the Jersey cow, but his reason for doing so is to make an argument encouraging the greater selective breeding of dairy cows. This can be seen, for example, when the author says “There is no branch of cattle husbandry which promises better returns than the breeding and rearing of milch cows.” You can then see how the third paragraph is primarily a discussion of how farmers err by not focusing more of their attention in selectively breeding their dairy cows.

Example Question #11 : Identifying And Analyzing Main Idea And Theme In Science Passages

Adapted from Anecdotes of the Habits and Instincts of Animals by Mrs. R. Lee (1852)

Otters will certainly consume an immense quantity of fish, and the owners of salmon or trout streams have great spite against them. It is, however, very possible to tame them so as to make them bring the fish that they catch. This practice is much more followed in other countries than in England; they are purposely kept for it in Sweden, and at a signal from the cook will go and fetch the fish for dinner. Bishop Heber mentions that he saw several large and very beautiful otters fastened to bamboo stakes by the side of the Matta Colly river, some of which appeared to be at play, and uttered a shrill whistling noise. They wore straw collars and were very tame and docile. They should be caught quite young, and fed on small fish; then they are allowed bread and milk at alternate meals, till at last they entirely live upon this food. They are taught to fetch and carry with artificial fishes made of leather, and stuffed with wool. Then they are made to bring dead fishes, and if they attempt to tear them, they are severely punished. Thus trained, in process of time, the otter becomes useful and domesticated.

In their natural condition, otters will wander to considerable distances for their prey; Mr. St. John says, "I was rather amused at an old woman living on the Findhorn, who, complaining of the hardness of the present times, when 'a puir body couldn't get a drop smuggled whisky, or shoot a roe without his lordship's sportsman finding it out,' added to her list of grievances that even the otters were nearly all gone—'puir beasties.' 'Well, but what good could the otters do you?' I asked her. 'Good, your honor? Why scarcely a morning came but they left a bonny grilse (young salmon) on the scarp down yonder, and the venison was none the worse of the bit the puir beasts ate themselves.’ The people here (Morayshire) call every edible animal—fish, flesh, or fowl—“venison,” or as they pronounce it, “venisaan.” For instance, they tell you that the snipes are good venison, or that the trout are not good venison in the winter. The people of the Findhorn have learned well how to utilize the natural tenacity of the otter, but they have yet to attempt to domesticate them.

The main idea of this passage is that __________.

Possible Answers:

otters ought not be seen as pests, but rather as useful animals that can be domesticated

the people living on the Findhorn speak a very peculiar type of English that makes them hard to understand

otters are not well utilized in England

the people of the Findhorn have a unique and unusual relationship with otters

otters represent a great threat to the livestock of fisherman and fish farmers

Correct answer:

otters ought not be seen as pests, but rather as useful animals that can be domesticated

Explanation:

The main idea of this passage is to argue against the commonly held notion that otters are pests. According to the author, people would be better served by seeing otters as useful animals that can be reliably domesticated. This idea is primarily presented in the first paragraph, particularly when the author says, “It is, however, very possible to tame them so as to make them bring the fish that they catch,” and, “Then they are made to bring dead fishes, and if they attempt to tear them, they are severely punished. Thus trained, in process of time, the otter becomes useful and domesticated.”

Example Question #13 : Science Passages

Adapted from Scientific American Supplement No. 1082 Vol. XLII (September 26th, 1896)

The instinct of spiders in at once attacking a vital part of their antagonist—as in the case of a theridion butchering a cockroach by first binding its legs and then biting the neck—is most remarkable; but they do not always have it their own way. A certain species of mason wasp selects a certain spider as food for its larvæ, and, entombing fifteen or sixteen in a tunnel of mud, fastens them down in a paralyzed state as food for the prospective grubs.

During the past autumn, large numbers of these compelling creatures appeared at intervals. Thus I observed a vast network of lines that seemed to have descended over the town of Whitstable, in Kent, and which were not visible the day before or the day after. Many were fifteen to twenty feet long; they stretched from house to lamppost, from tree to tree, from bush to bush; and within six or seven feet of the ground I counted, in a garden, twenty-four or more parallel strands. The rapidity with which spiders work may be gathered from the fact that, while moving about in my room, I found their lines strung from the very books I had, a moment before, been using.

Insect life, as might have been expected after so mild a winter and so dry a spring and summer in 1896, is intensely exuberant. The balance is preserved by a corresponding number of spiders. On May 25th and 26th, the east wall of the vicarage of Burgh-by-sands was coated with a tissue of web so delicate that it required a very close scrutiny to detect it. I could find none of the spinners. Every square inch of the building appeared coated with filmy lines, crossing in places, but mostly horizontal, from north to south.

The primary theme of this passage is __________.

Possible Answers:

the author’s great love for spiders

the relationship between spiders and wasps

the inability of the author to actually find and identify a spider

the author’s lack of knowledge about the relationship between spider’s and other insects

the unusual abundance of spiders that the author has observed recently

Correct answer:

the unusual abundance of spiders that the author has observed recently

Explanation:

The primary theme of this passage is the unusually large number of spiders that the author has recently observed. Although the first paragraph is primarily concerned with talking about how spiders attack other insects and how wasps attack spiders, the rest of the passage is focused on the author highlighting the large number of spiders he has observed recently. He says, “Insect life, as might have been expected after so mild a winter and so dry a spring and summer in 1896, is intensely exuberant. The balance is preserved by a corresponding number of spiders" and “Every square inch of the building appeared coated with filmy lines, crossing in places, but mostly horizontal, from north to south.”

Example Question #164 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Reading Comprehension

Adapted from Anecdotes of the Habits and Instincts of Animals by Mrs. R. Lee (1852)

There are instances of weasels having been tamed, but it is very difficult to make any impression on their affections, although they are very sagacious, and sagacious animals are more easily influenced than others. The weasel and the stoat are so often mistaken for each other that it will be well to point out the constant difference in each. The stoat is brown above, dirty white underneath; its tail is longer and more bushy than that of the weasel, and always black at the tip. The weasel is red above, and pure white underneath, and the tail is red and uniform, being deprived of the bushy tip.

Mr. Bell, from whose pages I have taken these characters, states that weasels should not be accused of devouring poultry, game, hares, rabbits, and various small birds. He says that when driven by hunger, they may occasionally eat such things; but that their general food consists of mice and rats of every description, the field and water vole, and moles, and that they ought rather to be encouraged than exterminated, because they destroy so much vermin. They generally approach with the utmost caution and shyness, and when once they have seized their prey, they never let go their hold; they aim at the neck, below the ear, or drive their teeth through the back of the head. They hound and spring, and climb trees with the greatest facility, and seem never to tire of hunting, whether they are hungry or not.

Proof of the weasel's affection for her young was witnessed by a laborer, who, while standing on a foot-path close to the hedge side, perceived a weasel with one of her young ones in her mouth. He kicked her, and she, dropping it, retreated into a hedge. He then stood over the young one with a stick in his hand, not intending to kill it, but merely to see how its mother would proceed. She soon peeped from her cover, and made several feints to get at her charge, but was obliged to run into the hedge again, intimidated by the stick which the man flourished about. At last she summoned up all her resolution, and in spite of everything, after a great deal of dodging to avoid the stick, succeeded in obtaining the object of her solicitude, and bore it off between the legs of her tormentor.

The primary theme and main idea of this passage is __________.

Possible Answers:

to outline the evolutionary history of weasels

to describe the traits and qualities of weasels

to explain how weasels can be tamed

to argue against an understanding of weasels as vermin

to compare weasels and stoats

Correct answer:

to describe the traits and qualities of weasels

Explanation:

Although it is true that the author briefly talks about how weasels are difficult to tame and provides evidence to explain why weasels should not be understood to be vermin, both of these points serve as part of the larger idea of the text: to describe the traits and qualities of weasels. The author also compares weasels and stoats briefly, but this is part of the author’s characterization of weasels as well.

Example Question #165 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Reading Comprehension

Adapted from The Principles of Breeding by S.L. Goodale (1861)

The object of the husbandman, like that of people engaged in other occupations, is profit; and like other people, the farmer may expect success proportionate to the skill, care, judgment, and perseverance with which his or her operations are conducted. The best policy of farmers generally is to make stock husbandry in some one or more of its departments a leading aim—that is to say, while they shape their operations according to the circumstances in which they are situated, these should steadily embrace the conversion of a large proportion of the crops grown into animal products, and this because, by so doing, they may not only secure a present livelihood, but best maintain and increase the fertility of their lands.

The object of the stock grower is to obtain the most valuable returns from his or her vegetable products. He or she needs, as Bakewell happily expressed it, "the best machine for converting vegetation and other animal food into money." He or she will therefore do well to seek animals such as will pay best for the expense of procuring the machinery, for the care and attention bestowed, and for the consumption of raw material.

Which of these quotations best summarizes the primary theme of this passage?

Possible Answers:

“ . . . they may not only secure a present livelihood, but best maintain and increase the fertility of their lands.”

“ . . . such as will pay best for the expense of procuring the machinery, for the care and attention bestowed, and for the consumption of raw material.”

“ . . . the farmer may expect success proportionate to the skill, care, judgment and perseverance with which his operations are conducted.”

". . . they shape their operations according to the circumstances in which they are situated . . ."

“He needs, as Bakewell happily expressed it, ‘the best machine for converting vegetation and other animal food into money.’”

Correct answer:

“ . . . the farmer may expect success proportionate to the skill, care, judgment and perseverance with which his operations are conducted.”

Explanation:

The author of this passage is making the argument that farmers ought to turn much of their land over from producing crops and vegetables to supporting a greater number of animals. This is the main argument, but the primary theme is that farmers are responsible for and have control over the success of their business. The author states that farmers, like people of most professions, will achieve success in proportion to the amount of skill, effort, and judgment they can bring to the job. The primary theme is that farmers can make their lives and businesses better; the author then goes on to make the argument about one example of how this might be accomplished.

Example Question #12 : Science Passages

Adapted from The Principles of Breeding by S.L. Goodale (1861)

The object of the husbandman, like that of people engaged in other occupations, is profit; and like other people, the farmer may expect success proportionate to the skill, care, judgment, and perseverance with which his or her operations are conducted. The best policy of farmers generally is to make stock husbandry in some one or more of its departments a leading aim—that is to say, while they shape their operations according to the circumstances in which they are situated, these should steadily embrace the conversion of a large proportion of the crops grown into animal products, and this because, by so doing, they may not only secure a present livelihood, but best maintain and increase the fertility of their lands.

The object of the stock grower is to obtain the most valuable returns from his or her vegetable products. He or she needs, as Bakewell happily expressed it, "the best machine for converting vegetation and other animal food into money." He or she will therefore do well to seek animals such as will pay best for the expense of procuring the machinery, for the care and attention bestowed, and for the consumption of raw material.

Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of this passage?

Possible Answers:

Express dismay about the lack of knowledge and empirical evidence in the profession of husbandry

Advise farmers about their business

Speculate on the reasons behind the decline of farming

Discuss farming practice in contemporary times

Outline the growth of husbandry in contemporary times

Correct answer:

Advise farmers about their business

Explanation:

This article is intended to provide advice to farmers about how best to carry out their work. This is clear in the opening paragraph when the author says “The best policy of farmers generally . . . “ and goes on to provide advice.

Example Question #11 : Identifying And Analyzing Main Idea And Theme In Science Passages

Adapted from The Story of Eclipses by George F. Chambers (1900)

The primary meaning of the word “eclipse” is a forsaking, quitting, or disappearance. Hence the covering over of something by something else, or the immersion of something in something; and these apparently crude definitions will be found on investigation to represent precisely the facts of the case.

Inasmuch as the Earth and the Moon are for our present purpose practically “solid bodies,” each must cast a shadow into space as the result of being illuminated by the sun, regarded as a source of light.

The various bodies which together make up the solar system, that is to say, in particular, those bodies called the “planets”—some of them “primary,” others “secondary” (alias “satellites” or “moons”)—are constantly in motion. Consequently, if we imagine a line to be drawn between any two at any given time, such a line will point in a different direction at another time, and so it may occasionally happen that three of these ever-moving bodies will come into one and the same straight line. Now the consequences of this state of things were admirably well pointed out nearly half a century ago by a popular writer, who in his day greatly aided the development of science amongst the masses. “When the sun is the furthest away of three solar bodies which are all facing the same direction, the intermediate body deprives the other extreme body, either wholly or partially, of the illumination which it usually receives. When one of the extremes is the Earth, the intermediate body intercepts, wholly or partially, the other extreme body from the view of the observers situated at places on the Earth which are in the common line of direction, and the intermediate body is seen to pass over the other extreme body as it enters upon or leaves the common line of direction. The phenomena resulting from such contingencies of position and direction are variously called eclipses, transits, and occultations, according to the relative apparent magnitudes of the interposing and obscured bodies, and according to the circumstances which attend them.”

Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of this passage?

Possible Answers:

To explain what an eclipse is

To explain why eclipses occur so infrequently

To highlight important research that has recently been carried out on eclipses

To point out misunderstandings in the popular understanding of eclipses

To explain where an eclipse can best be seen

Correct answer:

To explain what an eclipse is

Explanation:

The primary purpose of this passage is simply to explain what exactly an eclipse is. In the first paragraph, the author resorts to providing a definition of the word as it is used in other expressions to help introduce the reader to the subject. In the latter paragraphs, the author tries to define what an eclipse is, first using his own language and then employing the rather verbose language of an earlier writer.

Example Question #168 : Isee Middle Level (Grades 7 8) Reading Comprehension

Adapted from Scientific American Supplement No. 1082 Vol. XLII (September 26th, 1896)

There is no more eager contest than that which has been going on for some time between gas and electricity. Which of these two systems of lighting will triumph? Will electricity suppress gas, as gas has dethroned the oil lamp? A few years ago, the answer to this question would not have been doubtful, and it seemed as if gas in such a contest must play the role of the earthen pot against the iron one. At present the case is otherwise.

The Auer burner has reestablished the equilibrium, and the Denayrouze burner is perhaps going to decide the fate of electricity. As naturalists say, the function creates the organ, and it is truly interesting to observe that in measure as the need of a more intense and cheaper light grows with us, science makes it possible for us to satisfy it by giving us new systems of lighting or by improving those that we already have at our disposal.

What a cycle traversed in twenty years! What progress made! Let us remember that the electric light scarcely became industrial until the time of the Exposition (1878), and that the Auer burner obtained the freedom of the city only five or six years ago. Is there any need of recalling the advantages of these two lights? In the first, a feeble disengagement of caloric, automatic lighting and a steadier light; in the second, a better utilization of the gas, which gives more light and less heat.

A description of the Auer burner will not be expected from us. It is now so widely employed as to render a new description useless. As an offset, we think that our readers will be more interested in a description of the Denayrouze burner, the industrial application of which has but just begun. This burner has been constructed in view of the best possible utilization of the gas, in approaching a complete theoretical combustion. In order that it may give its entire illuminating power, gas, as we know, must be burned in five and a half times its volume of air. In the Denayrouze burner, the gas burns in four and four-tenths its volume of air. The result reached is, consequently, very appreciable.

Which of the following best captures the main idea of this passage?

Possible Answers:

Electricity is likely to meet a swift end in the face of recent innovations in gas-power.

No man can predict the effect that the invention of the Denayrouze burner will have on the competition between gas and electrical power.

The Denayrouze burner is less efficient and less effective than the Auer burner.

Gas-powered lamps have not been superseded by electrical lights, and they may not be replaced by electrical lights in the future either.

The Exposition of 1878 was the beginning of the battle between gas-power and electricity.

Correct answer:

Gas-powered lamps have not been superseded by electrical lights, and they may not be replaced by electrical lights in the future either.

Explanation:

The author states in the first paragraph, “There is no more eager contest than that which has been going on for some time between gas and electricity . . . it seemed as if gas in such a contest must play the role of the earthen pot against the iron one. At present the case is otherwise.” The first paragraph highlights the main idea more clearly than the rest of the essay—namely, that gas-powered lamps, contrary to what might have previously been predicted, have not been replaced by electricity and may not be in the future either.

Example Question #2 : Determining Authorial Purpose In Narrative Science Passages

Adapted from "Birds’ Nests" by John Burroughs in A Book of Natural History (1902, ed. David Starr Jordan)

The woodpeckers all build in about the same manner, excavating the trunk or branch of a decayed tree, and depositing the eggs on the fine fragments of wood at the bottom of the cavity. Though the nest is not especially an artistic work, requiring strength rather than skill, yet the eggs and the young of few other birds are so completely housed from the elements, or protected from their natural enemies—the jays, crows, hawks, and owls. A tree with a natural cavity is never selected, but one which has been dead just long enough to have become soft and brittle throughout. The bird goes in horizontally for a few inches, making a hole perfectly round and smooth and adapted to his size, then turns downward, gradually enlarging the hole, as he proceeds, to the depth of ten, fifteen, twenty inches, according to the softness of the tree and the urgency of the mother bird to deposit her eggs. While excavating, male and female work alternately. After one has been engaged fifteen or twenty minutes, drilling and carrying out chips, it ascends to an upper limb, utters a loud call or two, when its mate soon appears, and, alighting near it on the branch, the pair chatter and caress a moment; then the fresh one enters the cavity and the other flies away.

The main purpose of this passage is __________.

Possible Answers:

to examine the process by which a woodpecker chooses a tree for its nest

to outline the unusual behavior of woodpeckers

to describe how woodpeckers build their nests

to highlight the close relationship between male and female woodpeckers

to argue against the needless slaughter of woodpeckers

Correct answer:

to describe how woodpeckers build their nests

Explanation:

From start to finish, this passage is about the process by which a woodpecker builds its nest. Although there is some discussion of the unusual behavior of woodpeckers, the close relationship between males and females, and a short examination into how a woodpecker chooses its nest, these three elements combine as part of the main purpose: describing the process of nest-building among woodpeckers.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors