How a Volcano Erupts: Reading Comprehension Worksheet (Grade 3)
Free printable Grade 3 reading comprehension worksheet: an original non-fiction passage, "How a Volcano Erupts", with 5 questions covering literal understanding, inference, vocabulary in context and main idea. Answer key included.
Reading Comprehension: How a Volcano Erupts
Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in full sentences.
Deep under the ground, it is so hot that some rock melts. This melted rock is called magma. Magma is lighter than the solid rock around it, so it slowly rises, collecting in a space called a magma chamber.
Pressure builds in the chamber like a shaken fizzy drink. When the pressure gets too strong, the magma bursts through a crack in the Earth's surface. This is an eruption. Once magma flows out of a volcano, it gets a new name: lava.
Some eruptions are slow and gentle, with lava creeping down the mountainside. Others are explosive, throwing ash and rock high into the sky. Scientists called volcanologists watch volcanoes closely so people nearby can stay safe.
- 1.What is melted rock under the ground called?
- 2.What is magma called after it flows out of a volcano?
- 3.What does the passage compare the building pressure to?
- 4.What do volcanologists do?
- 5.Are all eruptions the same? Explain.