Colorful illustration showing kids playing basketball, symbolizing the game's evolution from a simple indoor activity to a popular sport.
Illustration of children playing basketball on a court with a basketball hoop, representing the history of basketball.
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Step-by-step solution for: Free ESL Printable Grade 4 Reading Comprehension English ...
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Free ESL Printable Grade 4 Reading Comprehension English ...
It looks like you've uploaded a reading comprehension worksheet titled *"Here is the History of Basketball"* for Grade 4 students. The task involves reading the passage and answering questions based on it.
However, I don’t see any questions listed in the image you provided — only the passage about the history of basketball. Since your instruction says "solve the problem," but no actual questions are visible, I will:
1. Summarize the key points from the passage.
2. Provide sample questions that might be expected (based on typical reading comprehension formats).
3. Answer those sample questions with explanations.
---
- James Naismith, a 31-year-old physical education teacher at the International YMCA School of Education in Springfield, Massachusetts (now Springfield College), invented basketball in 1891.
- He created the game to keep students busy during winter when outdoor sports were not possible due to a storm.
- The game needed to be:
- Simple to understand
- Playable indoors
- Safe (not as physically intense as football or rugby)
- Engaging for multiple players
- Naismith originally wanted square boxes as targets, but found peach baskets instead — one on each side of the gym.
- The lower balcony railing was 10 feet high, so the baskets were placed there.
- Players tried to throw the ball into the opposing team’s basket.
- The first game was chaotic — students started fighting, kicking, and punching.
- The ball had to be manually retrieved from the basket after each score because the bottom of the basket was not open.
- This early version of basketball was very rough, and Naismith later recalled it as a “total brawl.”
---
Since no questions appear in the image, here are typical Grade 4-level questions that would follow this passage, along with answers and explanations:
---
#### Question 1: Who invented basketball?
Answer: James Naismith invented basketball.
Explanation: The passage states: *"James Naismith was a 31-year-old graduate student teaching physical education... when he created a new game."* This clearly identifies him as the inventor.
---
#### Question 2: Why did Naismith create the game of basketball?
Answer: He created the game to keep his students busy during the winter when they couldn’t play outdoor sports due to a storm.
Explanation: The text says: *"when the New England storm forced students to stay indoors for days... The usual athletic activities in the winter were hiking, gymnastics, and apparatus training, but not as exciting as football or lacrosse..."* So, he made a new indoor game to keep them engaged.
---
#### Question 3: What did Naismith use as goals for the first basketball game?
Answer: He used peach baskets.
Explanation: The passage says: *"When the doorman returned without calling, there were two baskets of peaches instead. Naismith nailed the peach baskets to the lower railing of the gym balcony..."* So, the peach baskets became the first hoops.
---
#### Question 4: How high were the peach baskets placed?
Answer: They were placed 10 feet high.
Explanation: The text says: *"The height of the lower balcony railing was 10 feet. Students would play in teams to try to get the ball into their team's basket."* This shows the baskets were mounted at 10 feet.
---
#### Question 5: Why was the first game of basketball described as a "total brawl"?
Answer: Because the students started kicking, punching, and fighting while playing.
Explanation: The passage quotes Naismith: *"The boys started kicking and punching in sit-ups, they were free for everyone in the middle of the gym before I could separate them."* This shows the game was chaotic and violent at first.
---
#### Question 6: What does the word 'accommodate' mean in the sentence: 'The game had to be playable indoors and accommodate several players at the same time'?
Answer: To hold or allow space for.
Explanation: In context, "accommodate" means the game had to allow many players to play together in a limited indoor space. It fits the meaning of "fit" or "allow room for."
---
#### Question 7: Why were the peach baskets not ideal for scoring?
Answer: Because the ball had to be manually taken out of the basket after each score, which slowed down the game.
Explanation: The passage says: *"Each end of the balcony to take the ball from the basket and put it back into play."* This means someone had to retrieve the ball, making the game slow and inefficient.
---
If you have specific questions that were supposed to go with this worksheet (but aren't shown in the image), please share them, and I’ll answer them directly.
Otherwise, this explanation covers the main ideas and common types of questions students would encounter on such a worksheet.
Let me know if you'd like a printable version of these answers or a quiz format!
However, I don’t see any questions listed in the image you provided — only the passage about the history of basketball. Since your instruction says "solve the problem," but no actual questions are visible, I will:
1. Summarize the key points from the passage.
2. Provide sample questions that might be expected (based on typical reading comprehension formats).
3. Answer those sample questions with explanations.
---
🔍 Summary of the Passage: *The History of Basketball*
- James Naismith, a 31-year-old physical education teacher at the International YMCA School of Education in Springfield, Massachusetts (now Springfield College), invented basketball in 1891.
- He created the game to keep students busy during winter when outdoor sports were not possible due to a storm.
- The game needed to be:
- Simple to understand
- Playable indoors
- Safe (not as physically intense as football or rugby)
- Engaging for multiple players
- Naismith originally wanted square boxes as targets, but found peach baskets instead — one on each side of the gym.
- The lower balcony railing was 10 feet high, so the baskets were placed there.
- Players tried to throw the ball into the opposing team’s basket.
- The first game was chaotic — students started fighting, kicking, and punching.
- The ball had to be manually retrieved from the basket after each score because the bottom of the basket was not open.
- This early version of basketball was very rough, and Naismith later recalled it as a “total brawl.”
---
📝 Sample Reading Comprehension Questions & Answers
Since no questions appear in the image, here are typical Grade 4-level questions that would follow this passage, along with answers and explanations:
---
#### Question 1: Who invented basketball?
Answer: James Naismith invented basketball.
Explanation: The passage states: *"James Naismith was a 31-year-old graduate student teaching physical education... when he created a new game."* This clearly identifies him as the inventor.
---
#### Question 2: Why did Naismith create the game of basketball?
Answer: He created the game to keep his students busy during the winter when they couldn’t play outdoor sports due to a storm.
Explanation: The text says: *"when the New England storm forced students to stay indoors for days... The usual athletic activities in the winter were hiking, gymnastics, and apparatus training, but not as exciting as football or lacrosse..."* So, he made a new indoor game to keep them engaged.
---
#### Question 3: What did Naismith use as goals for the first basketball game?
Answer: He used peach baskets.
Explanation: The passage says: *"When the doorman returned without calling, there were two baskets of peaches instead. Naismith nailed the peach baskets to the lower railing of the gym balcony..."* So, the peach baskets became the first hoops.
---
#### Question 4: How high were the peach baskets placed?
Answer: They were placed 10 feet high.
Explanation: The text says: *"The height of the lower balcony railing was 10 feet. Students would play in teams to try to get the ball into their team's basket."* This shows the baskets were mounted at 10 feet.
---
#### Question 5: Why was the first game of basketball described as a "total brawl"?
Answer: Because the students started kicking, punching, and fighting while playing.
Explanation: The passage quotes Naismith: *"The boys started kicking and punching in sit-ups, they were free for everyone in the middle of the gym before I could separate them."* This shows the game was chaotic and violent at first.
---
#### Question 6: What does the word 'accommodate' mean in the sentence: 'The game had to be playable indoors and accommodate several players at the same time'?
Answer: To hold or allow space for.
Explanation: In context, "accommodate" means the game had to allow many players to play together in a limited indoor space. It fits the meaning of "fit" or "allow room for."
---
#### Question 7: Why were the peach baskets not ideal for scoring?
Answer: Because the ball had to be manually taken out of the basket after each score, which slowed down the game.
Explanation: The passage says: *"Each end of the balcony to take the ball from the basket and put it back into play."* This means someone had to retrieve the ball, making the game slow and inefficient.
---
✔ Final Notes
If you have specific questions that were supposed to go with this worksheet (but aren't shown in the image), please share them, and I’ll answer them directly.
Otherwise, this explanation covers the main ideas and common types of questions students would encounter on such a worksheet.
Let me know if you'd like a printable version of these answers or a quiz format!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of free 4th grade reading comprehension worksheet.