Adding Your Own Reading Comprehension Passage

Please follow these instructions for submitting a reading comprehension passage:

1. Use a text editor or word processor to create your reading comprehension passage. Since Jefferson Lab is a basic physics research facility, passages that incorporate some aspect of science are preferred over passages that do not.
2. Make certain that your passage is accessible to a general audience. While you are creating this passage primarily for your classes' benefit, realize that anyone on the internet will be able to view it. The passage should make sense to anyone, not just to those in your class.
3. Check your passage for:
• Factual accuracy
• Correct spelling
• Correct punctuation
• Proper grammar
4. Once you have your passage, place brackets ([]) around the words you wish to vary, as in this example:

This is an example of a passage. I would like the word [vary] to [change]. I can pick [any] word that I would like or, if I choose, I can even select [a group of words]!

5. Add alternate words for the students to select. Place the alternate words within the brackets. Separate each alternate word from the next with the pipe (|) character, which is located under the 'delete' key. Although the example uses three alternate words, you can use as many or as few as you wish. The number of alternate words does not need to be consistant. The order that the words are listed is the order they will appear within the pulldown menu:

This is an example of a passage. I would like the word [constant|vary|steady|monotonous] to [change|stay the same|range|rotate]. I can pick [no|happy|one|any] word that I would like or, if I choose, I can even select [a group of words|nothing|myself|Monday]!

6. Use a single asterisk (*) to mark each correct choice. The asterisk must be the first character of the correct choice:

This is an example of a passage. I would like the word [constant|*vary|steady|monotonous] to [*change|stay the same|range|rotate]. I can pick [no|happy|one|*any] word that I would like or, if I choose, I can even select [*a group of words|nothing|myself|Monday]!

7. Give your passage a descriptive title and, if you wish, a sub-title or a credit line.
8. Save your passage as a plain text (.txt) document. If you are using Microsoft Word, do not use Word's default file format (.doc). Follow these steps to save your passage as a plain text document:
• Select Save as... from the File menu
• Select Text Only from the Format pulldown menu
• Save the document
• Ignore the 'formatting information will be lost!' complaints that Word will give you
9. Attach your saved file to an email addressed to carolm@jlab.org. If all goes well, your passage will be added shortly! A sample passage is available for download if you would like to see a working example.

Return to the Reading Comprehension Passages index page.