Name ________________________ Skill: Reading Comprehension

Read the story and answer the questions.

Charles Lindbergh

The first person to fly across the Atlantic ocean was

Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh flew in a plane called the Spirit
of St. Louis. The plane was built in San Diego, California. He
tested the plane by flying from San Diego to New York, with an
overnight stop in St. Louis. Although other pilots had tried to cross the Atlantic, their planes had
crashed into the ocean and they were never seen again. Lindbergh left the United States in his
plane on May 20, 1927. He departed from Long Island, New York. The trip over the Atlantic Ocean
was a dangerous one. If there had been any problems with the plane, there would not have been
any place to land. During the long journey, he had to force himself to stay awake. The total length
of his flight was 33 hours. After crossing the ocean, the first land he saw was the coast of Ireland.
When he landed near Paris, France, thousands of cheering people greeted his plane.

1. What is the main idea of this story? (Circle the answer)

A. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean in an airplane is dangerous.
B. Many people tried to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
C. Charles Lindbergh was the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an airplane.

2. Was Lindbergh’s Atlantic journey more or less than one day?

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Was Lindbergh’s plane built in the United States or in Europe?

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4. A word that means “the measure of something from beginning to end” is: (Circle the answer)
A. depart
B. length
C. journey

5. Why do you think the trip over the Atlantic was dangerous?

____________________________________________________________________________

6. If 15 hours of journey were spent over water, how many hours were spent over land?

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4th Grade Basic Skills: Reading Comprehension and Skills

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11
 Answer Key

If there had been trouble there would have been no

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the United States

place to land.
18 hours
more

4th Grade Basic Skills: Reading Comprehension and Skills

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