Extra Reading Comprehension Activities 
(Unit 10, page 116)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. According to surveys, what effect are new technologies having today?
 
2. For many years, what have people assumed new technologies would do for them?
 
3. In the past, what usually happened after people left their offices?
 
4. What do employers want from workers now?
 
5. Why are college students tied to their desks today?
 
6. What kind of response to voice mail and e-mail do people expect?
 
7. In the last paragraph, what does the author think about people’s awareness of the problems of new tools?
 
Critical  Thinking Questions 
B.  Find specific examples in the article.

1. What “negative” verbs, adjectives, and nouns does the author use to paint a picture of the problems with
new technologies?
 
 
2. What “positive” verbs, adjectives, and nouns does the author use to paint a picture of the promise of
new technologies?
 
 Summit  1    Unit  10
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Extra Reading Comprehension Activities 
(Unit 9, page 106)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. Why was Wetherell at Loch Ness?
 
2. How many people were involved in the Loch Ness hoax?
 
3. What made the hoax seem believable?
 
4. Why didn’t Wetherell and Wilson admit to the hoax?
 
5. Supposedly, how had the Hitler diaries originally been found?
 
6. Why did some skeptics question the authenticity of the story?
 
7. How had Kujau made the diaries look real?
 
Critical  Thinking Questions 
B.  Compare and contrast the hoaxes using information in the article.

1. In what ways are these two hoaxes similar?
 
 
2. In what ways are these two hoaxes different?
 
 
 Summit  1    Unit  9
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Extra Reading Comprehension Activities 
(Unit 8, page 94)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. How many people in China will be 60 or older by 2050?
 
2. What may happen if the number of elderly continues to increase?
 
3. Why did China introduce the one-child policy?
 
4. What does a “4-2-1 family” mean?
 
5. In caring for elderly family members, how are many young adults breaking with tradition?
 
6. Who may need to help care for the elderly in the future?
 
7. What has the Chinese government done so far to help the elderly?
 
 
Critical  Thinking Questions
B.  Answer the questions based on information in the article and your own knowledge.   

1. Why might the elderly be upset if their children put them in a private nursing home?
 
 
2. Why might caring for parents and grandparents at home be difficult for an only child?
 
 
 Summit  1    Unit  8
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Extra Reading Comprehension Activities 
(Unit 7, page 82)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. What did shopping mean for many in the last century?
 
2. What does going shopping mean for many today?
 
3. What do many people express through their purchases?
 
4. What are some negative consequences of obsessive impulse buying?
 
5. How many people does extreme impulse buying affect?
 
6. What do many people try to avoid or hide with impulse buying?
 
7. What do compulsive shoppers tend to experience?
 
Critical  Thinking Questions
B.  Use your own ideas and information to answer the following questions about the tips.    

1. How might avoiding sales help someone who spends too much money on unnecessary items?
 
 
2. How might following the “24-hour-rule” help someone limit spending?
 
 
 Summit  1    Unit  7
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Extra Reading Comprehension Activities 
(Unit 6, page 70)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. How is biodiversity being reduced?
 
2. What event do many scientists compare with the current wave of species extinctions?
 
3. What are three species that are clinging to survival?
 
4. What may be one cause of the decline in the mountain gorilla population?
 
5. Why is extinction truly irreversible?
 
6. What is WWF promoting to help save the polar bear’s habitat?
 
7. What happens if one species in an ecosystem disappears?
 
Critical  Thinking Questions

B.     Find the following terms in the article. Using context, write a definition of what each term means
according to the article. 
 
1. natural inheritance:
 
 
2. umbrella species:
 
 
 Summit  1    Unit  6
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
 

 Extra Reading Comprehension Activities 
(Unit 5, page 58)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.
1. Why are the majority of megacities in developing countries?
 
2. What standard will megacities set in the 21st century?
 
3. What do “first-world” and “third-world” cities have in common?
 
4. What basic infrastructure problems do all megacities deal with?
 
5. What would megacity leaders especially like to learn from other cities?
 
6. Why does Perlman disagree with strict central planning?
 
7. Why does Perlman think people love to go to Siena, Paris, or Barcelona?
 
Critical  Thinking Questions
B.  Look at the chart in the article to answer the following questions.    
1. Which city is predicted to have the same rank in 2015? Why do you think this might be?
 
2. Which cities are predicted to grow the most in population by 2015? Why do you think this might be?
 
3. Which city is predicted to grow the least in population by 2015? Why do you think this might be?
 
 Summit  1    Unit  5
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Extra Reading Comprehension Activities 
(Unit 4, page 46)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. Who or what defines what it means to be beautiful in western societies?
 
2. What do people associate with success and happiness in some cultures?
 
3. How do many young women feel in these cultures?
 
4. In the U.S., how many hours a day are children age eight and older exposed to media messages?
 
5. What’s the top wish of girls between the ages of eleven and seventeen?
 
6. What are young people being targeted as by the media?
 
7. What messages is the media conveying to young people?
 
Critical  Thinking Questions
B.  Complete the statements by filling in the blanks with one of the following quantifiers: a majority of, most,
about a third of, about two thirds of. More than one answer may be possible.
 
1. ______________________ fourteen-year-old girls are not happy with themselves.
 
2. ______________________ ten-year-old girls are on diets.
 
3. ______________________ girls say they have wanted to look like an actress.
 
4. ______________________ girls have tried to look like an actress.

Summit  1    Unit  4
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Extra Reading Comprehension Activities
(Unit 3, page 34)
 
Comprehension Questions
A.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.
1. What award reflects Newman’s success as a philanthropist?
 
2. Why did Newman agree to put a picture of himself on his salad dressing label?
 
3. What kind of organizations does Newman make contributions to?
 
4. How much has Newman contributed to charities since 1982? (Write the amount in numerals.)
 
5. How do the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps help children with life-threatening illnesses?
 
6. How much do children need to pay to attend the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps?
 
7. What does Newman think about generosity?
 
Critical  Thinking Questions
B.   In your own words, explain what the quotes mean.
1. What does Newman mean by “Those who are most lucky should hold their hands out to those who aren’t”?
 
 
2. What does Newman mean by “I’m not running for sainthood. I just happen to think that in life we need to
be a little like the farmer who puts back into the soil what he takes out”?
 
 
 Summit  1    Unit  3
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

 Extra   Reading  Comprehension  Activities
                                                 (Unit 2, page 20)

Comprehension  Questions

A .  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. Why did Beethoven go to study in Vienna, Austria?

2. What infamous incident lustrates Beethoven’s difficult personality?

3. Why did Beethoven’s friends and supporters excuse his insults and moody temperament?

4. What are two examples of Beethoven’s eccentric behavior?

5. What’s an example of Beethoven’s egotistical behavior?

6. When did Beethoven begin losing his hearing?

7. What made Beethoven cry when he turned around during his last public performance?

Critical Thinking Questions

B.  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. What are several examples of Beethoven’s genius?

2. What are several reasons women might have rejected Beethoven’s marriage proposals?


Summit 1    Unit   2
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

 Extra   Reading  Comprehension  Activities
                                                     (Unit 1, page 8)

Comprehension  Questions

A .  Answer the questions, according to information in the article.

1. Which type of person has a positive viewpoint, an optimist or a pessimist?

2. What is the difference between optimists and pessimists due to?

3. Which type of person believes life will always be difficult and painful?

4. Instead of seeing a problem, what will an optimist see?

5. What can be good about having a dose of pessimism?

6. What is essential to living peacefully and happily?

7. In addition to recognizing what is unjust and unfair in the world, what is also important to see?

Critical  Thinking  Questions

B.  Find specific examples in the article.

1. What “positive” adjectives, verbs, and nouns does the author use when writing about optimism and optimists?

2. What “negative” adjectives, verbs, and nouns does the author use when writing about pessimism and pessimists?

Summit 1             Unit 1
Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.