3rd Grade Compare and Contrast worksheets

Compare and Contrast

Grade 3 Reading Worksheet

Circle the answer.

1. Read this first

   Two Texts About Bicycles

   Text 1: The first bicycle was built in Germany in 1817. It had no pedals at all. Riders sat on a wooden frame and pushed the ground with their feet. Later, makers added pedals to the front wheel. To go faster, they made the front wheel huge. Some front wheels were taller than a grown man! People called these bikes high-wheelers. These bikes were fast, but riders often tumbled off. In the 1880s, a safer design appeared. Its two wheels were the same size, and a chain turned the back wheel. Soon, millions of people were riding bikes. Almost every bike today still uses that design.

   Text 2: Today, many cities are adding bike lanes. A bike lane is a part of the street marked just for bicycles. Bike lanes help riders feel safer near cars. Riding a bike is good exercise, and it does not make smoky air. Bikes also take up much less space than cars. More bikes on the road can mean less traffic for everyone. Some cities even have bike-share programs. People can borrow a bike from a rack, ride it across town, and drop it off at another rack. These bikes have two same-sized wheels and a chain, just like bikes from long ago.

2. 1.

   What topic do both texts share?

   • bicycles
   • city streets
   • exercise
   • Germany
3. 2.

   Which detail appears in both texts?

   • Riding a bike does not make smoky air.
   • Bike lanes are marked just for bicycles.
   • Bikes have a chain and two same-sized wheels.
   • The first bike had no pedals at all.
4. 3.

   Which detail is only in Text 1?

   • Some cities have racks of bikes to borrow.
   • Bikes take up less space than cars.
   • Some old bikes had very tall front wheels.
   • Riding a bike is good exercise.
5. 4.

   Which detail is only in Text 2?

   • A chain turns the back wheel.
   • Riders once pushed with their feet.
   • People can borrow a bike from a rack.
   • The first bike was made in Germany.
6. 5.

   What is the biggest difference between the two texts?

   • Both texts tell only about bikes from long ago.
   • Text 1 tells about cities; Text 2 tells about Germany.
   • Text 1 tells about the past; Text 2 tells about today.
   • Text 1 tells about today; Text 2 tells about the past.
7. 6.

   Which text tells that riders often fell off?

   • neither text
   • both texts
   • Text 2
   • Text 1
8. 7.

   Which text tells how bikes can help with traffic?

   • Text 2
   • both texts
   • neither text
   • Text 1
9. 8.

   What does "tumbled" mean in "riders often tumbled off"?

   • rode quickly
   • fell over
   • turned around
   • climbed up
10. 9.

    Which claim does NOT appear in either text?

    • Bikes take up less space than cars.
    • Bike lanes are part of the street.
    • The first bike had no pedals.
    • Bikes were first used to deliver mail.
11. 10.

    What would a reader learn from Text 1 but not from Text 2?

    • how the bicycle's design changed
    • why biking is good exercise
    • how bike-share programs work
    • why cities build bike lanes