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Grade 8 Reading Comprehension Worksheets - Free Printable

Grade 8 Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Educational worksheet: Grade 8 Reading Comprehension Worksheets. Download and print for classroom or home learning activities.

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Show Answer Key & Explanations Step-by-step solution for: Grade 8 Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Let’s go through each question one by one, using the text to find the answers.

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1. What is the placebo effect?

Look at the first paragraph:
> “The placebo effect is a term used to describe when a person's physical or mental health improves after taking a medicine which appears to be real but which has no actual therapeutic benefit.”

So, the placebo effect happens when someone feels better just because they *think* they’re getting real medicine — even though the pill or treatment doesn’t actually do anything medically.

Answer: The placebo effect is when a person’s health improves after taking something that looks like real medicine but isn’t — just because they believe it will help.

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2. How did scientists use to use the placebo effect?

Check the second paragraph:
> “Scientists used to use the placebo effect as a way to prove that a new medicine didn't work. During clinical trials, one group would receive the drug being studied and the other group would receive the placebo. If the placebo worked as well as the actual drug, the drug was believed not to have worked.”

So, scientists gave some people the real drug and others a fake pill (placebo). If both groups got better the same amount, they thought the real drug wasn’t effective.

Answer: Scientists used the placebo effect in tests to see if a new medicine really worked. They compared people who took the real drug with those who took a fake pill. If the fake pill worked just as well, they decided the real drug didn’t work.

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3. What does science think about the placebo effect today?

Read the third paragraph:
> “In more recent studies, though, scientists are concluding that a successful placebo that doesn't prove that a particular drug doesn't work. It indicates that there may be some other, non-pharmacological mechanism involved in healing... Today, science is finding that treating patients with placebos can be as effective as treating them with actual medicines.”

Also, it says the ritual of treatment — seeing the doctor, paying attention, believing in care — helps heal people, even without real drugs.

Answer: Today, scientists think the placebo effect shows that healing can happen through things like belief, attention from doctors, and the whole experience of being treated — not just from chemicals in medicine. Sometimes, placebos work just as well as real drugs.

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Final Answer:

1. The placebo effect is when a person’s health improves after taking something that looks like real medicine but isn’t — just because they believe it will help.

2. Scientists used to give some patients the real drug and others a fake pill (placebo) during tests. If the fake pill worked as well as the real drug, they concluded the real drug didn’t work.

3. Today, scientists believe the placebo effect shows that healing can come from non-medical things like belief, doctor attention, and the treatment process itself — and sometimes placebos work just as well as real medicines.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of free 8th grade reading comprehension worksheet.
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