Great Storm Reading Comprehension
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Great Storm Reading Comprehension
The crossing
The ferry had been at sea for twenty minutes when the sky began to change. Imogen noticed the line of cloud first: a dark shelf stretching across the horizon, blotting out the last strip of evening light. She showed it to Hollie, who was leaning over the deck rail with her hood pulled tight. “Best go inside,” called Jacob, the deckhand. His voice was calm, but he had stopped coiling a rope and was watching the water. The three of them hurried into the passenger cabin. Through the windows, the sea changed from pewter to black. Rain rattled against the glass, and the ferry tilted sharply as a wave struck its side. A child dropped a toy boat. It slid beneath a row of seats, and Imogen caught it before it reached the aisle. Hollie gripped the edge of the table. “Is this normal?” she asked. “Rough weather happens,” Jacob replied. He pointed to the seat belts and checked that the cabin door had latched. “Stay seated and keep the aisles clear. The skipper is taking us to a sheltered route.” He did not raise his voice, but he repeated the instructions slowly, looking at each passenger as he spoke. The lights flickered. For a moment, nobody moved. Then the emergency lights glowed softly along the ceiling. A gust shoved rain across the windows like handfuls of gravel. Hollie’s face had gone pale, yet she loosened her grip on the table when Imogen passed her the toy boat to hold. From the front of the cabin came a steady announcement: the ferry was turning towards the harbour and would arrive later than planned. The waves still lifted and dropped the vessel, but the violent jolts began to ease. Jacob walked down the aisle, checking seat belts and answering questions. Imogen watched the dark water recede from the window and realised that the quiet, repeated instructions had helped more than any promise that everything was fine. When the harbour lights finally appeared, Hollie let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for an hour. The crossing had taken nearly twice as long as expected. On the way ashore, she handed the toy boat back to the child. “It was a brave little passenger,” she said. Imogen smiled; outside, the storm was still raging, but the ferry was safely alongside.
Understand the passage
Answer questions 1–5. Look back at the passage when you need evidence.
- He stays calm and gives practical instructions.
- He jokes about the passengers’ fear.
- He hides until the storm has passed.
- He promises that the ferry will arrive on time.
Words and writer’s choices
Use clues in the passage to work out meaning and consider how the writing creates mood.
- It made a light, barely noticeable sound.
- It struck the glass noisily and repeatedly.
- It flowed quietly down the windows.
- It stopped as soon as the ferry tilted.
- “the sea changed from pewter to black”
- “like handfuls of gravel”
- “the quiet, repeated instructions”
- Makes the rain seem hard and harsh
- Shows the storm darkening the setting
- Emphasises steady reassurance
4 printable pages
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
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