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The book exchange

Read a text, answer ten questions and learn how the evidence supports each answer.

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6reading tests
60scored questions
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01Lina’s apartment building had a small room that residents rarely used. She suggested holding a book exchange there on Sunday afternoon. People could bring books they no longer wanted and take something different home. A neighbour offered to help, and together they put a notice beside the lift.

02The first notice asked everyone to bring five books. Several residents said they liked the idea but did not have five books to give away. Lina changed the wording: people could bring any number, and they could also come just to look. She wanted the event to feel welcoming rather than like a test of how much people owned.

03Before the exchange, the two organisers arranged tables for fiction, practical books and children’s books. They put a small label inside each book so visitors could leave an optional recommendation for its next reader. One resident wrote that a travel story had encouraged her to explore a nearby town. Another recommended a recipe he had made many times.

04The event was quieter than Lina had expected, but visitors stayed to talk. At the end, the remaining books went onto a shared shelf in the room. Lina decided not to count success only by how many books changed hands. Residents who had previously only greeted each other in the lift were now planning another event together.

Skills to work on in this practice

Questions 1–5 build confidence; 6–10 check transfer and detail. Use Practice for feedback after each answer, or Test yourself to check at the end.

Practise, then understand your answers

10 questions · 10 XP per correct answer · explanations included

Answer every question to see your score.0 / 10 answered
Question 1

Where was the exchange held?

  1. In a rarely used room in the building.
  2. In a bookshop.
  3. Inside the lift.
Answer & explanation

In a rarely used room in the building.. Paragraph 1 identifies the small room.

Question 2

What was the original requirement?

  1. Buy five books.
  2. Pay for every book taken.
  3. Bring five books.
Answer & explanation

Bring five books.. The first notice in paragraph 2 asked for five books.

Question 3

Why did Lina change the notice?

  1. The room had closed.
  2. Some interested people had fewer books to offer.
  3. Nobody could read.
Answer & explanation

Some interested people had fewer books to offer.. Residents said they did not have five books to give away.

Question 4

Could someone come without bringing a book?

  1. Yes, they could come to look.
  2. No, five books were still required.
  3. Only if they paid.
Answer & explanation

Yes, they could come to look.. The revised notice allowed visitors to come just to look.

Question 5

How were the tables organised?

  1. By residents’ ages.
  2. By the prices of books.
  3. By types of books.
Answer & explanation

By types of books.. Paragraph 3 lists fiction, practical books and children’s books.

Question 6

Were recommendations compulsory?

  1. Only children had to write them.
  2. No, they were optional.
  3. Yes, every visitor needed to write one.
Answer & explanation

No, they were optional.. Paragraph 3 explicitly describes recommendations as optional.

Question 7

What had one travel story encouraged?

  1. Exploring a nearby town.
  2. Moving overseas permanently.
  3. Closing the shared room.
Answer & explanation

Exploring a nearby town.. A resident’s recommendation mentions a nearby town.

Question 8

How did attendance compare with Lina’s expectations?

  1. It was much noisier than expected.
  2. The text says nobody attended.
  3. The event was quieter than expected.
Answer & explanation

The event was quieter than expected.. Paragraph 4 makes the comparison directly.

Question 9

What happened to books that remained?

  1. They were sold to visitors.
  2. They went onto a shared shelf.
  3. They were all thrown away.
Answer & explanation

They went onto a shared shelf.. Paragraph 4 identifies the shared shelf.

Question 10

What other benefit did Lina notice?

  1. Neighbours began making plans together.
  2. Everyone became a professional writer.
  3. The lift was repaired.
Answer & explanation

Neighbours began making plans together.. The ending describes new connections and plans for another event.

Make the reading stick

Summarise the passage in two sentences. Include the main change or argument, then explain one detail that supports it. Revisit the numbered paragraphs if an answer surprised you.

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Go deeper: five reading challenges · 15–20 minutes

Use these after the quiz to practise explaining, not just choosing an answer. Write in your own notes; these tasks are self-reviewed.

  1. Summarise the main change or argument in three sentences. Compare your summary with the opening and ending.
  2. Choose two details that support the main idea. Note the paragraph for each and explain the connection.
  3. Choose an unfamiliar word. Infer its meaning from context, then use it in a new sentence.
  4. Revisit one wrong option from the quiz. Explain why the passage does not support it, using a specific detail.
  5. Write 60–80 words applying or responding to one idea from the passage. Separate what the text says from your own opinion.

Self-check: Is each claim supported by the passage? Have you explained the connection rather than copied a sentence? Have you kept your own view separate from the writer’s?

A CLEAR WAY FORWARD

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