Inference Test - Practice Exercises

IMPORTANT - Reminder that you need to send in a $15 check for the end of year party 

Use these resources below to help you practice for Friday's Inference Test. The first one is a reading comprehension exercise.  Read the text then answet True - False or  ? Afterwards, read through the answers. See how many correct inferences you were able to make. This is the exact type of question that is in thew test.

During the rest of the week, work through the other exercises on this list for practice.

Test Story 1

A couple decided to go boating on a sunny summers day. He packed the fishing rods in the speed boat, then asked his wife if the petrol tank was full. She said, "Yes, the petrol tank is full." They drove down to the jetty and launched the boat. The couple then sped out onto the sea in the speed boat. After going for about ten minutes the speed boat's motor spluttered then stopped. They arrived back at the shore several hours later.

Statements about the story - state t-true, f-false, ?-not possible to know

1. The couple went boating.

T F ?

2. The couple intended to go fishing.

T F ?

3. They didn't catch any fish, because the motor stopped.

T F ?

4. The motor stopped because they ran out of petrol.

T F ?

5. They couldn't have run out of petrol because she had looked in the petrol tanks and saw that they were full.

T F ?

6. She said that the petrol tank was full.

T F ?

7. He believed what she said about the petrol was true.

T F ?

8. The boats outboard motor stopped after 10 minutes.

T F ?

9. The boat sped out onto the lake on a sunny summers day?

T F ?

10. Because the motor broke down they had to row back to shore?

T F ?

11. The car they used to tow the boat had a full tank of gas?

T F ?

12. The water was calm?

T F ?
The couple went boating. (T because it states so in the text.)


The couple intended to go fishing. (? because they decided to go boating but the story does not actually say that they actually intended to go fishing even thought they put fishing rods in the boat. They may have just been put there to return to friends.)

They didn't catch any fish, because the motor stopped. (? They could have trawled in those first few minutes before the motor failed and caught something. Or they could have fished later.)

The motor stopped because they ran out of petrol. (? Possible, but it is also possible that the engine overheated, etc.)

They couldn't have run out of petrol because she had looked in the petrol tanks and saw that they were full. (? Because she may have taken someone else's word on it from a previous boat trip. Or she could have misunderstood him and thought he was asking about the car's petrol tanks, etc.)

She said that the petrol tank was full. (T because it states this in the text.)

He believed what she said about the petrol was true. (? The story doesn't say this. He could have checked for himself.)

The outboard motor stopped after 10 minutes. (? The story does not say it was an outboard motor. Could have been an inboard air cooled Porsche motor.)

The boat sped out onto the lake on a sunny summers day. (F It sped out onto the sea, not a lake.)

Because the motor broke down they had to row back to shore? (? They may have rowed back but they may have got it started again, later. Or, they could have waited for a tow.)

The car they used to tow the boat had a full tank of gas. (? The story does not say which tank was full. It could have been the boat's or the car's tank, etc.)

The water was calm. (? The story does not mention how calm or rough the surface of the sea was. You most likely made a double inference. First, that a sunny summers day means no wind. Secondly, that a windless day means no waves.)


singalong


http://www.quia.com/pop/43335.html

http://www.philtulga.com/Riddles.html

Read the examples on pages 1+2 and then try the exercise on page 3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/standard/english/close_reading_exam/quiz/inference/

Easy content but fun to watch