Nonfiction Reading Comprehension with Questions: Sumo, the Path of the Warrior

Item description

This nonfiction reading comprehension passage includes questions that will assist students in mastering skills such as central idea, figures of speech, text structure, and text organization. It contains embedded academic vocabulary with a review, a quiz, a crossword, and games for increasing retention. To complete this resource, the author has included additional vocabulary accompanied by a context clues assignment for inferring word meanings.

Examples of Academic Vocabulary: brevity, formidable, intimidate, vitality

Examples of Vocabulary for Inferring Meaning: accumulation, probing significance, vanquished

The passage is written in a well-researched literary nonfiction format. It requires no preparation, is aligned with Common Core, and is rich in factual details. Substitutes will find it easy to use.

Subtopics

The Dohyo

Sumo Rituals

The World Discovers Sumo

Sumo’s Beginning

The Sumo Lifestyle

The Human Body: An Unyielding Object

Preparing for Battle

Sumo Health Dangers

Measuring Obesity

Types of Body Fat

The Future for Sumo Wrestlers

Student Resources

• 12 vocabulary words with definitions and parts of speech

• reading passage

• 12 comprehension questions

Teacher Resources

• vocabulary review

• vocabulary quiz

• crossword

• contest clues assignment

• answer keys

• vocabulary retention games, and strategies

Excerpt I

Long before Sho gained fame, sumo athletes were slender and muscular. Then, in the 20th century, people worldwide started watching the matches. As the demand for sumo bouts grew, fighters began winning enormous sums of prize money. Eager for fame and fortune, those trained in this sport sought to improve their chances of winning. Doing so led them to increase their body fat. Thus, today’s wrestlers weigh an average of 350 pounds, while others reach over 600 pounds. To understand the significance of this sport to Japan, one must begin with its history.

Excerpt II

Health experts explain that much of the heavy bulk we view as sumo fat is, instead, muscle mass. A typical fighter’s combined muscles can exceed 94 pounds, more than twice the weight of an average male’s muscles (Anatomy). Because of their strenuous workouts, most Sumo wrestlers remain healthy until they leave the ring. Then, their body fat places them in danger. According to one Asian journal, Japanese males outlive most sumo wrestlers by 10-15 years.” (Juadan).”