NAPLAN Year 3 Reading – Passage 4

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Very Hard Non-Fiction Inference Reading Practice

This advanced reading comprehension test is designed for students preparing for NAPLAN extension, OC, and Selective school exams. Questions require deep inference, author intent, and reasoning beyond literal meaning.

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Reading Passage

The Silent Network Beneath Our Feet

Most people notice trees for what they show above ground: leaves that change colour, trunks marked by age, and branches shaped by wind. What remains unseen, however, is a vast underground system connecting roots, soil, fungi, and microscopic organisms. This hidden network allows trees to exchange nutrients, warn neighbouring plants of danger, and even regulate growth within a forest.

Scientists discovered that certain fungi form thread-like structures that attach themselves to tree roots. Through these threads, trees can transfer carbon, water, and minerals to one another. Older, larger trees often send extra nutrients to younger seedlings struggling in the shade. While this behaviour appears “generous”, researchers suggest it is also practical: healthier young trees help stabilise the soil and protect the entire forest ecosystem.

When insects attack one tree, chemical signals travel through the underground network, alerting nearby trees to produce defensive substances before the insects arrive. This communication happens silently and invisibly, yet it can determine whether a forest survives a widespread infestation.

Although this underground system operates without human awareness, it challenges the idea that trees compete only for survival. Instead, the forest functions more like a coordinated community, where cooperation and competition exist at the same time. The strength of the forest depends not just on individual trees, but on the connections that bind them together beneath the surface.

Questions

1. Why does the author begin the passage by describing what people see above ground?
   • A. To explain how trees grow
   • B. To contrast visible features with hidden processes
   • C. To show why trees are difficult to study
   • D. To suggest trees are unimportant
2. The word “generous” is placed in quotation marks to suggest that:
   • A. Trees feel emotions
   • B. Scientists disagree about nutrient sharing
   • C. The behaviour may not be purely selfless
   • D. Young trees demand help
3. What can be inferred about older trees from the passage?
   • A. They grow faster than younger trees
   • B. They depend entirely on fungi to survive
   • C. They benefit indirectly from helping seedlings
   • D. They control the underground network
4. Why is the underground warning system important to the survival of a forest?
   • A. It removes insects from the soil
   • B. It allows trees to grow taller
   • C. It enables trees to respond before damage spreads
   • D. It replaces human conservation efforts
5. Which idea is implied but not directly stated in the final paragraph?
   • A. Forests are fragile and easily destroyed
   • B. Cooperation increases the strength of ecosystems
   • C. Trees communicate better than animals
   • D. Scientists fully understand forest systems
6. What is the main purpose of the passage?
   • A. To argue against cutting down forests
   • B. To explain how fungi damage trees
   • C. To reveal an unseen system that changes how forests are understood
   • D. To compare forests with human societies

Answer Key

1. B
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. B
6. C

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NAPLAN Year 3 Reading – Passage 3

NAPLAN Year 3 – Reading Practice (Higher Difficulty)

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Passage: The Quiet Helper

Every morning, before most students arrived, Mia unlocked the classroom door and placed the chairs neatly under each desk. She did this without being asked and without telling anyone.

One day, her teacher noticed that the room always looked ready before the bell rang. When she asked the class who was helping, no one spoke. Mia kept her eyes on her book.

Later that week, the teacher found a small note on her desk. It read, “I like it when the room feels calm before everyone comes in.” The note was unsigned.

The next morning, the teacher arrived early and quietly watched as Mia straightened the chairs. She smiled but said nothing.

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Questions

1. Why does Mia help prepare the classroom each morning?

a) She is told to by her teacher
b) She wants to finish her work early
c) She enjoys a calm and organised space
d) She wants other students to notice her

2. What does Mia’s behaviour suggest about her character?

a) She likes being in charge
b) She prefers quiet responsibility
c) She is afraid of speaking
d) She dislikes her classmates

3. Why did Mia keep her eyes on her book when the teacher asked about the helper?

a) She did not hear the question
b) She did not want attention
c) She felt unwell
d) She was upset with the class

4. What is the purpose of the unsigned note in the story?

a) To explain why Mia arrives early
b) To complain about the classroom
c) To show Mia wants praise
d) To reveal Mia’s feelings without speaking

5. Which message best fits this passage?

a) Teachers should arrive early every day
b) Being helpful does not always need recognition
c) Classrooms should always be quiet
d) Writing notes is better than speaking

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Answers

1. c) She enjoys a calm and organised space
2. b) She prefers quiet responsibility
3. b) She did not want attention
4. d) To reveal Mia’s feelings without speaking
5. b) Being helpful does not always need recognition

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NAPLAN Year 3 Reading – Passage 2

NAPLAN Year 3 – Reading Practice (Higher Difficulty)

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Passage: The Quiet Helper

Every morning, before most students arrived, Mia unlocked the classroom door and placed the chairs neatly under each desk. She did this without being asked and without telling anyone.

One day, her teacher noticed that the room always looked ready before the bell rang. When she asked the class who was helping, no one spoke. Mia kept her eyes on her book.

Later that week, the teacher found a small note on her desk. It read, “I like it when the room feels calm before everyone comes in.” The note was unsigned.

The next morning, the teacher arrived early and quietly watched as Mia straightened the chairs. She smiled but said nothing.

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Questions

1. Why does Mia help prepare the classroom each morning?

a) She is told to by her teacher
b) She wants to finish her work early
c) She enjoys a calm and organised space
d) She wants other students to notice her

2. What does Mia’s behaviour suggest about her character?

a) She likes being in charge
b) She prefers quiet responsibility
c) She is afraid of speaking
d) She dislikes her classmates

3. Why did Mia keep her eyes on her book when the teacher asked about the helper?

a) She did not hear the question
b) She did not want attention
c) She felt unwell
d) She was upset with the class

4. What is the purpose of the unsigned note in the story?

a) To explain why Mia arrives early
b) To complain about the classroom
c) To show Mia wants praise
d) To reveal Mia’s feelings without speaking

5. Which message best fits this passage?

a) Teachers should arrive early every day
b) Being helpful does not always need recognition
c) Classrooms should always be quiet
d) Writing notes is better than speaking

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Answers

1. c) She enjoys a calm and organised space
2. b) She prefers quiet responsibility
3. b) She did not want attention
4. d) To reveal Mia’s feelings without speaking
5. b) Being helpful does not always need recognition

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This material is for exam practice only and is not an official NAPLAN resource.

NAPLAN Year 3 Reading – Passage 1

NAPLAN Year 3 Reading – Practice Passage

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Passage: The Missing Lunch

Every Thursday, Leo brought his lunch in a blue box. He always placed it carefully in his bag before school. One Thursday, when the lunch bell rang, Leo opened his bag and froze.

The blue box was gone.

At first, Leo felt worried. He checked his bag again and then looked around the classroom. Soon, he noticed crumbs leading towards the reading corner.

Behind the bookshelf sat Max, the class hamster, nibbling happily. Leo sighed, then laughed. He knew exactly what had happened.

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Questions

1. Why did Leo freeze when he opened his bag?

a) He forgot his bag at home
b) His lunch box was missing
c) The bell rang early
d) His bag was broken

2. What does the word “froze” most nearly mean in the passage?

a) Became very cold
b) Stopped moving because he was surprised
c) Felt angry
d) Could not open his bag

3. How did Leo discover what happened to his lunch?

a) A teacher told him
b) Max ran past him
c) He followed the crumbs
d) He found the box under his desk

4. What can the reader infer about Leo at the end of the story?

a) He is upset with Max
b) He plans to bring a new hamster cage
c) He understands what happened and is calm
d) He tells the teacher immediately

5. What is the main purpose of this passage?

a) To explain how to care for a hamster
b) To inform about school rules
c) To tell a short story about a problem and its solution
d) To persuade readers to bring lunch boxes

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Answers

1. b) His lunch box was missing
2. b) Stopped moving because he was surprised
3. c) He followed the crumbs
4. c) He understands what happened and is calm
5. c) To tell a short story about a problem and its solution

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