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Comprehension ExerciseYear 10Level 3 · Challenge

Free Year 10 Living with the Alpine Fault — Non-fiction Comprehension

A non-fiction text about the Alpine Fault, the plate boundary that built the Southern Alps and that scientists expect to produce a large earthquake within the lifetimes of today's students. Students interpret probability and evidence, explain how scientists know the fault's history and evaluate how the text balances risk with reassurance.

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Year
Year 10
Subject
English
Topic
Reading Comprehension
Difficulty
Level 3 · Challenge
Estimated time
35 minutes
Curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum
Questions
12
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4) + print

Students will practise

  • interpreting scientific evidence and probability
  • explaining cause and effect
  • evaluating a writer's purpose and tone
  • synthesising information across a text

Curriculum: New Zealand Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Living with the Alpine Fault — Non-fiction Comprehension

  1. 1Votes at Sixteen — Persuasive Text Comprehension
  2. 2Punctuation for Effect: Dashes, Colons, Ellipses
  3. 3Sentence Variety and Cohesion

How to use this comprehension exercise

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this comprehension exercise for?

Year 10 students (typically ages 14–15) working on reading comprehension. It is pitched at level 3 · challenge.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 35 minutes for 12 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Votes at Sixteen — Persuasive Text Comprehension.

Preview

Year 10 · English · Reading Comprehension

Living with the Alpine Fault — Non-fiction Comprehension

Success Tutoring

Student name:

Date:

Score: /

Read the text first. Then answer the questions in order.

Part A — Find the facts

1.Which two tectonic plates meet at the Alpine Fault?[1 mark]
2.When was the last major Alpine Fault earthquake?[1 mark]
3.On average, how often has the fault ruptured?[1 mark]
  1. Aevery 30 years
  2. Broughly every 300 years
  3. Cevery 3,000 years
  4. Devery year
4.What did the 2021 study estimate?[2 marks]

Part B — Explain and interpret

5.Explain how the Alpine Fault has created the Southern Alps.[2 marks]
6.Describe two types of evidence scientists have used to work out the fault's history.[2 marks]
7.The writer says a 75 per cent chance 'still means no one can say which year it will happen'. What point is being made about probability?[2 marks]
8.Explain why damage to roads and bridges would be a particular problem for West Coast towns.[2 marks]
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

  • Comprehension Exercise

    Votes at Sixteen — Persuasive Text Comprehension

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    Difficulty
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    Time
    35 min
    Questions
    11 questions
    Answers
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Reading Comprehension in other year levels

About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.