Free Year 9 NAPLAN Reading Practice (No Signup)

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Question 1 — Easy

In plants, photosynthesis is the process by which sunlight is converted into chemical energy. Inside the leaf, structures called chloroplasts contain a green pigment called chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy — particularly from the red and blue parts of the spectrum. This energy is used to drive a series of chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil into glucose. Oxygen is released as a by-product. The glucose produced provides energy for the plant's growth and metabolism. In this passage, the word 'pigment' most likely means:

Answer: Chlorophyll is described as a green 'pigment' that 'absorbs light energy'. The passage context — green colour, light absorption — confirms that a pigment is a substance that absorbs light and gives colour to biological material. Option B describes a solar panel, not a pigment. Options C and D describe other plant functions unrelated to what a pigment is.

Question 2 — Medium

Read the following passage, then answer the question. The didgeridoo is one of the world's oldest wind instruments, developed by Aboriginal Australians of northern Australia possibly as long as 1,500 years ago. It is traditionally made from eucalyptus branches hollowed out by termites, and produces its distinctive drone through a technique called circular breathing — exhaling through the mouth while simultaneously inhaling through the nose. Mastering circular breathing can take considerable time and practice. The instrument plays an important role in ceremonies and storytelling traditions for many Aboriginal communities. In recent decades, the didgeridoo has attracted global interest, with musicians worldwide incorporating its sound into contemporary genres. Which sentence best summarises the main idea of the passage?

Answer: Option D is correct — The passage covers the instrument's ancient origins, cultural significance, playing technique, and its recent international appeal, making option B the most complete summary of the main idea.

Question 3 — Hard

Read the following passage, then answer the question. The Torres Strait Islands form an archipelago of over 270 islands lying between the northern tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea. Many of the islands are low-lying coral cays, making their communities among the most immediately vulnerable to rising sea levels driven by climate change. Indigenous Torres Strait Islander peoples have inhabited these islands for thousands of years, maintaining rich cultural traditions, languages, and practices deeply connected to the sea and sky. Community elders have described watching familiar reefs bleach, shorelines erode, and storm surges reach areas that had previously never flooded. For many residents, climate change is not a future abstraction but a lived, daily reality. Which statement is most strongly supported by the passage?

Answer: The passage explicitly states that elders have observed bleaching reefs, eroding shorelines, and unprecedented storm surges, and that climate change is 'a lived, daily reality' for residents — directly supporting option A. The other options are either not mentioned or go beyond what the passage states.

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