Reading assessment & comprehension questions: The Railway Children extract
Using an engaging extract from E. Nesbit's iconic children's novel, The Railway Children, this year 7-8 reading assessment or exam-style paper (based on AQA GCSE English Language exam questions) will help you to assess students' unseen literary fiction analysis and reading skills.
Based on the famous and dramatic section of the novel in the tunnel with the train, students will enjoy reading this 1906 text.
There are 4 comprehension questions for students to answer, with scaffolding to ensure that they provide close analysis of the text with supporting quotations.
Example comprehension questions from the assessment:
2. Explain how Edith Nesbit has made it clear to her readers that Bobbie is the oldest child.
Help: Aim to write at least one paragraph and make sure you use evidence to support your answer. You should also use evidence from more than one place in the passage.
3. How does the author make the train seem terrifying? For each quotation, write a detailed explanation about how the words create fear.
Try to use appropriate terminology to describe the techniques being used, such as:
onomatopoeia, alliteration, verbs, nouns, adjectives or personification.
a. “In the distance, they could see its eyes of fire growing bigger and brighter every instant.” (Paragraph 10)
