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Comprehension ExerciseYear 9Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 9 Volunteers Keep the Doors Open — Newspaper Report Comprehension

A newspaper-style report about a small country town whose residents volunteer to keep their library open after council funding is cut. Students locate facts and figures, analyse how the journalist balances the views of volunteers, the mayor and a union, infer tone from word choice, and write about how quotations shape a reader's response.

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Year
Year 9
Subject
English
Topic
Reading Comprehension
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
30 minutes
Curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum
Questions
14
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4) + print

Students will practise

  • locating facts, figures and sources in a news report
  • analysing how a journalist balances perspectives
  • inferring tone and attitude from quotations and word choice
  • evaluating the effect of structure and selected detail

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

What's next?

Completed: Volunteers Keep the Doors Open — Newspaper Report Comprehension

  1. 1Saving the Kākāpō — Feature Article Comprehension
  2. 2Active and Passive Voice
  3. 3Apostrophes and Commas: Year 9 Review
Harder: Level 3 · Challenge →

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 9 students (typically ages 13–14) working on reading comprehension. It is pitched at level 2 · standard; a harder version is linked above.

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 30 minutes for 14 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 Saving the Kākāpō — Feature Article Comprehension.

Preview

Year 9 · English · Reading Comprehension

Volunteers Keep the Doors Open — Newspaper Report Comprehension

Success Tutoring

Student name:

Date:

Score: /

Read the report twice. Then answer the questions, quoting the text where you can.

Part A — Right there in the text

Find each answer in the report.

1.In which month did the council announce it could no longer afford to staff the library?[1 mark]
2.How many members does the Friends of Carrow Flats Library have?[1 mark]
  1. A25
  2. B42
  3. C120
  4. D1,800
3.How much money did the council expect to save by replacing the branch with a mobile van?[1 mark]
4.What does the council still pay for under the April arrangement?[1 mark]
5.Who started the Tuesday homework club?[1 mark]
  1. AMargaret Osei
  2. BAnita Karan
  3. Ca librarian from Dunmore
  4. DLiam Fenech
6.How many visits did the library record between May and September this year, and how many in the same period last year?[1 mark]

Part B — Reading between the lines

Use evidence from the report to explain your answers.

7.What does the Mayor mean by 'Something had to give'? What does the phrase suggest about his attitude?[2 marks]
8.Why does the journalist include the union's view? What effect does it have on the article?[2 marks]
9.Ms Osei 'agrees, up to a point'. Explain what she agrees with and where she disagrees.[2 marks]
10.Why do you think the journalist chose to end the article with the cardboard sign and Ms Osei's final quote?[2 marks]
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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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.