Chess

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate.

Chess is called the game of kings. It has been around for a long time. People have been playing it for over 500 years. Chess is based on an even older game from India. The chess we play today is from Europe.

Chess is a two-player game. One player uses the white pieces. The other uses the black pieces. Each piece moves in a special way. One piece is called the king. Each player has one. The players take turns moving their pieces. If a player lands on a piece, he or she takes it. The game ends when a player loses his or her king. There are a few more rules, but those are the basics.

Some people think that chess is more than a game. They think that it makes the mind stronger. Good chess players use their brains. They take their time. They think about what will happen next. These skills are useful in life and in chess. Chess is kind of like a work out for the mind.

You don't always have lots of time to think when playing chess. There is a type of chess with short time limits. It's called blitz chess. In blitz chess, each player gets ten minutes to use for the whole game. Your clock runs during your turn. You hit the time clock after your move. This stops your clock. It also starts the other player's clock. If you run out of time, you lose. Games of blitz chess are fast-paced.

Chess is not just for people. Computers have been playing chess since the 1970s. At first they did not play well. They made mistakes. As time went on they grew stronger. In 1997, a computer beat the best player in the world for the first time. It was a computer called Deep Blue. Deep Blue was big. It took up a whole room. By 2006 a cell phone could beat the best players in the world. Chess sure has come a long way. Don't you think so?

What is the author's purpose in writing the second paragraph?

Which is not a reason that chess is a good workout for the mind according to the text?

How long have people been playing chess?

Where did the game that chess is based on come from?

Which best describes the main idea in the fourth paragraph?

How does a game of chess end according to the text?

Which happened first?

How is blitz chess different from regular chess?

If it's your turn in blitz chess, what happens when you hit the clock?

When did a computer first beat a strong human player in chess?

Complete the sentence with the correct pronoun.

Laura told her friend Julie that _______ could not go to her house tonight.

Phil was happy to put his backpack down; _______ weighs a lot!

The plates are still dirty. You need to wash _______ again.

Angus finished his chores, so _______ can play on his tablet now.

If there are extra markers, I would like _______ for my art.

Look at Jamie and Matt play basketball; _______ are really good.

You and I are the same; _______ both like sweets.

You need to give _______ a chance. I am new at this.

William is waiting for his turn. Don’t make _______ wait too long.

I see you and Max are building a fort. Will _______ let me play with you?

Find the nouns in each sentence below.

The dog went swimming yesterday.

Ice cream and cookies are great!

The pine trees in the forest are taller than most.

Stan wants to take a trip. 

I always wash my face before going to bed.

Zach collects model cars.

My brother took a bus to the zoo

Grandpa lives in an igloo

The team does not like practice volleyball in the summer.

Jenny rowed the boat across the pond.

There were no seats at the concert.

Bill helped Tina with her homework.

I packed myself a snack for after school.

Joe covered second base for the whole game

The dog barked at the cat in the tree.

The teacher explained present tense and past tense.

The waiter served us lemonade and French fries.

Cathy raises chickens for their eggs.

We all watched the last game together.

My dad looked very happy.