Reading Comprehension Practice
Read the following passage and answer the multipe choice questions that follow. Underlined words are defined fro you on the right side (or below on smaller screens).
PULCHER'S LAST FLIGHT
A tragic downfall
1 Magnus pīcus, nōmine Pulcher, erat superbus. “Sum
2 certē pulcher!" clāmābat, ubi aquam spectābat et
3 suam imāginem vidēbat. "Possum omnia facere!"
4 cantābat, dum per caelum volābat. Ubi volābat,
5 pinnae avis ad terram cadēbant. Ibi hominēs eās
6 colligēbant. Laetus erat quod multī hominēs pinnās
7 pulchrās tenēre cupiēbant. Diū volābat super hominēs,
8 quod hominibus multās pinnās dare cupiēbat. “Hominēs
9 glōriam pinnārum meārum amant!" cōgitābat Pulcher.
10 Ōlim, ut volābat, subitō dolōrem magnum sēnsit.
11 Sagitta, quam homō ē terrā ad caelum mīserat, Pulchrum
12 trānsfīxit. Miser pīcus sagittam spectāvit et suās pinnās
13 in eā cognōvit. Vīta ex ave discessit. Nōn iam superbus,
14 nōn iam Pulcher, pīcus mortuus dē caelō cecidit.
Based on a fable by Aesop
(passage from 2012 National Latin Exam Level I)
pīcus = woodpecker
suam imāginem = his own image
volābat = he was flying
pinnae = feathers; eās = them (feathers)
colligēbant = were collecting
Diū = For a long time
ut = as; dolōrem = pain
Sagitta, quam = An arrow, which; mīserat = had sent
trānsfīxit = pierced
in eā = in it; cognōvit = he recognized
cecidit = fell
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