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HSK 5 Reading Comprehension Questions 阅读理解

30 sample questions with answers, each taken from a free graded reading.
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Every HSK 5 reading on this site ends with three multiple-choice questions in English about what the text actually said. There are 153 of them across 51 readings; below is one from each of 30 readings, spread across topics. Try to answer before opening the answer, then read the text it came from.

These are comprehension checks written for learners, not official HSK exam items. The HSK 5 reading practice page has every reading.

  1. What are the twenty-four solar terms based on?

    1. The moon's phases each month
    2. The sun's position in the sky throughout the year
    3. The number of rainy days in each season
    Answer

    B. The sun's position in the sky throughout the year

    From 二十四节气 — The Twenty-Four Solar Terms

  2. According to the text, where does the beauty of Tang poetry lie first of all?

    1. In its sound — every poem is like a tiny song
    2. In its beautiful handwriting
    3. In its long and detailed stories
    Answer

    A. In its sound — every poem is like a tiny song

    From 唐诗之美 — The Beauty of Tang Poetry

  3. What simple standard did the narrator use when sorting?

    1. Keep only clothes that still fit
    2. Anything unused for a year could be given away or thrown out
    3. Throw away everything bought more than five years ago
    Answer

    B. Anything unused for a year could be given away or thrown out

    From 极简生活 — Minimalist Living

  4. What made the writer suddenly see happiness differently?

    1. Winning a competition
    2. A two-week stay in the hospital
    3. Buying a bigger house
    Answer

    B. A two-week stay in the hospital

    From 幸福是什么 — What Is Happiness?

  5. What is happening to dialects as Mandarin education spreads?

    1. They are gradually disappearing among children who now speak only Mandarin
    2. They are becoming more popular than Mandarin nationwide
    3. They are merging into a single new dialect
    Answer

    A. They are gradually disappearing among children who now speak only Mandarin

    From 方言与身份认同 — Dialects and Identity

  6. Online shopping became common along with...

    1. the development of the internet
    2. cheaper delivery
    3. new payment apps
    Answer

    A. the development of the internet

    From 网上购物 — Online Shopping

  7. Why have electric vehicles developed so quickly in China?

    1. The government strongly supports them and the technology has matured
    2. Gasoline is no longer sold in China
    3. Traditional cars are banned in big cities
    Answer

    A. The government strongly supports them and the technology has matured

    From 新能源汽车 — Electric Vehicles

  8. According to the text, what does carbon neutrality mean?

    1. Producing no carbon dioxide at all
    2. Reducing or absorbing as much carbon dioxide as is emitted, so the total equals zero
    3. Replacing all factories with forests
    Answer

    B. Reducing or absorbing as much carbon dioxide as is emitted, so the total equals zero

    From 碳中和 — Carbon Neutrality

  9. Why does the narrator still have to check the AI's reports carefully?

    1. It often makes mistakes, and makes them very confidently
    2. It writes too slowly to meet deadlines
    3. Company rules require two people to sign every report
    Answer

    A. It often makes mistakes, and makes them very confidently

    From 人工智能与工作 — AI and Work

  10. What does "the writing is like the person" mean in the text?

    1. Everyone's handwriting looks the same
    2. You can tell a person's personality from their handwriting
    3. Only calligraphers may write with a brush
    Answer

    B. You can tell a person's personality from their handwriting

    From 写字的艺术 — The Art of Writing: Calligraphy

  11. In the rule 'one clear, two white, three red, four green', what is red?

    1. The radish
    2. The cilantro
    3. The chili
    Answer

    C. The chili

    From 一碗兰州拉面 — A Bowl of Lanzhou Noodles

  12. What actually kept the writer going?

    1. Half a bottle of water from a stranger
    2. A prize waiting at the finish
    3. His coach shouting at him
    Answer

    A. Half a bottle of water from a stranger

    From 马拉松热 — The Marathon Craze

  13. Why are most of the roofs in the Forbidden City yellow?

    1. Yellow paint lasted longest in ancient times
    2. Yellow made the palace easier to see from far away
    3. In ancient times only the emperor could use the color yellow
    Answer

    C. In ancient times only the emperor could use the color yellow

    From 故宫的故事 — Stories of the Forbidden City

  14. What did the mother in the text say?

    1. Her child enjoys the training classes very much
    2. She thinks other parents study too little
    3. She knows her child is exhausted, but she dare not stop
    Answer

    C. She knows her child is exhausted, but she dare not stop

    From 教育竞争 — Competition in Education

  15. Why does the narrator's friend borrow money to buy the newest phone?

    1. He feels he would lose face if everyone else has one and he doesn't
    2. His old phone is broken and cannot be repaired
    3. He resells new phones to make money
    Answer

    A. He feels he would lose face if everyone else has one and he doesn't

    From 消费主义 — Consumerism

  16. What does the writer's mother do now in the family group?

    1. She never uses it
    2. She sends more voice messages than anyone
    3. She only sends text messages
    Answer

    B. She sends more voice messages than anyone

    From 微信改变生活 — How WeChat Changed Life

  17. What made the writer even more worried?

    1. The rent went up
    2. Two competing shops opened nearby
    3. The employees quit
    Answer

    B. Two competing shops opened nearby

    From 第一次创业 — My First Startup

  18. What hopeful development does the text mention?

    1. The government pays every craftsman a salary
    2. People record old crafts online and attract viewers
    3. Factories have started making handmade furniture
    Answer

    B. People record old crafts online and attract viewers

    From 传统手艺的消失 — The Disappearance of Traditional Crafts

  19. What does the text say about young people and therapies like acupuncture and cupping?

    1. They avoid them because they seem outdated
    2. They increasingly try them as a fashionable form of wellness
    3. They only use them when hospitals are too expensive
    Answer

    B. They increasingly try them as a fashionable form of wellness

    From 中医的现代处境 — Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Modern Era

  20. How was gunpowder discovered?

    1. Soldiers invented it for war
    2. A sailor found it at sea
    3. People found it by chance while searching for medicine
    Answer

    C. People found it by chance while searching for medicine

    From 四大发明 — The Four Great Inventions

  21. According to the author, how does a cross-national marriage differ from other marriages?

    1. It is much less likely to be happy
    2. It merely magnifies cultural differences — every marriage needs careful effort
    3. It requires the couple to live in two countries
    Answer

    B. It merely magnifies cultural differences — every marriage needs careful effort

    From 跨国婚姻 — Cross-Cultural Marriage

  22. How does the writer feel about reading opposing opinions?

    1. Completely bored, so he stopped
    2. Angry at the authors
    3. Uncomfortable, but his own thinking becomes clearer
    Answer

    C. Uncomfortable, but his own thinking becomes clearer

    From 信息茧房 — The Information Cocoon

  23. What problem did the writer notice after three months at home?

    1. The boundary between work and life became blurry
    2. The cat kept interrupting meetings
    3. The company reduced salaries
    Answer

    A. The boundary between work and life became blurry

    From 远程办公 — Remote Work

  24. According to the text, why must intangible cultural heritage be protected?

    1. Once it disappears, it can never be recovered
    2. It brings in a lot of tourist money
    3. The United Nations requires every country to do so
    Answer

    A. Once it disappears, it can never be recovered

    From 非物质文化遗产 — Intangible Cultural Heritage

  25. What do people call Li Bai?

    1. The Immortal Poet
    2. The Emperor of Poems
    3. The Friend of the River
    Answer

    A. The Immortal Poet

    From 李白与月亮 — Li Bai and the Moon

  26. What happened when the writer planned to watch only ten minutes before bed?

    1. They fell asleep right away
    2. They kept watching until one in the morning
    3. They deleted the app instead
    Answer

    B. They kept watching until one in the morning

    From 短视频时代 — The Short Video Era

  27. Among the ten friends with side jobs, how many actually make money?

    1. Fewer than three
    2. All ten
    3. Exactly seven
    Answer

    A. Fewer than three

    From 副业刚需 — The Side Hustle Necessity

  28. Who is often painted with a white face?

    1. Guan Yu
    2. Cao Cao
    3. Lord Bao
    Answer

    B. Cao Cao

    From 京剧脸谱 — Peking Opera Masks

  29. According to the text, what came from the West into China?

    1. Grapes and fine horses
    2. Tea and porcelain
    3. Silk and music
    Answer

    A. Grapes and fine horses

    From 丝绸之路 — The Silk Road

  30. What did the mother do that evening?

    1. She wrote every step in a small notebook
    2. She called a repair shop
    3. She gave the phone back
    Answer

    A. She wrote every step in a small notebook

    From 妈妈的手机课 — Mom's Smartphone Lessons