4th Grade Reading Comprehension (2 passages, free)

Leo had spent three weeks building a volcano for the science fair. He had measured the baking soda, tested the vinegar and painted the mountain a fiery orange.

On the morning of the fair, his little sister Ana bumped the table. The volcano tipped over, and the top cracked into two pieces. Leo felt his face grow hot.

Instead of giving up, Leo looked at the broken volcano and had an idea. He made a new poster titled “What Happens When a Volcano Collapses?” and explained how real volcanoes can lose their peaks in huge eruptions.

The judges were impressed. Leo did not win first place, but he won the “Creative Thinker” award, and Ana cheered the loudest of all.

The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous structures in the world. It is not one single wall, but many walls built over about 2,000 years.

Early walls were made of packed earth and wood. Later, during the Ming dynasty, builders used bricks and stone to make the strong, winding wall that many visitors see today.

The wall was built to protect China’s northern lands from raids. Soldiers kept watch from towers and sent signals with smoke by day and fire by night.

Today the Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and millions of tourists walk along its ancient paths every year.