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Common and Proper Nouns
At the Circus

Reading Level 1

Part One - Common Nouns

Directions: Read each of the following sentences. Choose the common noun from the options below. Circle your choice.		
1. 	I went to the circus with my family.	

a)	with	b)	family	
c)	the	d)	went	

2. 	John Bill Ricketts brought the first circus to the U.S. in 1793.	

a)	circus	b)	John	
c)	U.S.	d)	in	

3. 	Isaac Van Amburgh was the first person to train lions.	

a)	train	b)	Isaac Van Amburgh	
c)	lions	d)	the	

4. 	My Aunt Jenny is afraid of lions for some reason.	

a)	lions	b)	afraid	
c)	Jenny	d)	for	

5. 	Trapeze artists do tricks on bars and ropes.	

a)	do	b)	and	
c)	on	d)	artists	

6. 	Albert the Juggler juggled 11 rings at the same time.	

a)	Albert	b)	juggled	
c)	rings	d)	at	

7. 	The Great Farini crossed the river on a tightrope.	

a)	crossed	b)	Farini	
c)	a	d)	river	

8. 	Bob the Ringmaster got the kids ready for the show by saying, "Boys and girls, children of all ages..."	

a)	Bob	b)	Boys	
c)	said	d)	young	

9. 	Some circuses tell a story or have a theme.	

a)	theme	b)	a	
c)	tell	d)	have	

10. 	Chumbo was a big clown who rode a tiny unicycle.	

a)	Chumbo	b)	big	
c)	unicycle	d)	rode	

11. 	Before there were lights, the ringmaster told the crowd where to look.	

a)	before	b)	lights	
c)	told	d)	look	

12. 	We felt like we were climbing into a clown car when we took our seats at The Barnes Brother's Circus.	

a)	took	b)	Barnes Brother's Circus	
c)	when	d)	seats	

13. 	The word circus comes from a Greek word that means circle or ring.	

a)	word	b)	means	
c)	Greek	d)	comes	

14. 	The seven Ringling brothers turned a small-time act into a big time show.	

a)	Ringling	b)	turned	
c)	act	d)	big	

15. 	The gorilla drew big crowds to the circus.	

a)	drew	b)	big	
c)	gorilla	d)	to	

16. 	Fewer folks went to the circus after World War II due to a crazy new thing called TV.	

a)	folks	b)	World War II	
c)	went	d)	Fewer	

17. 	Circus acts take place within a ring, and big circuses have many rings.	

a)	take	b)	big	
c)	have	d)	ring	

18. 	Some clowns play roles like butcher or baker.	

a)	play	b)	butcher	
c)	like	d)	or	

19. 	The whiteface clown leads the other clowns.	

a)	leads	b)	clown	
c)	other	d)	of	

20. 	The red clown is the one who gets the pie in the face, sits in wet paint, or gets knocked on his or her back.	

a)	wet	b)	sits	
c)	in	d)	paint	

Part Two - Proper Nouns

Directions: Read each of the following sentences. Choose the proper noun from the options below. Circle your choice.

21. 	Charlie Chaplin was known for his skills as a clown.	

a)	Charlie	b)	skills	
c)	clown	d)	known	

22. 	Americans call a clown's act a gag.	

a)	gag	b)	act	
c)	Americans	d)	call	

23. 	I saw a circus from China that had an artist who spun plates on sticks.	

a)	saw	b)	artist	
c)	China	d)	plates	

24. 	Hoppy the Clown pretended that it was very hard to ride the tiny bike.	

a)	Hoppy	b)	hard	
c)	pretended	d)	bike	

25. 	Weary Willie was a famous hobo clown.	

a)	hobo	b)	clown	
c)	famous	d)	Weary Willie	

26. 	When Irvin Feld noticed that they needed more clowns, he started a clown college.	

a)	When	b)	Irvin	
c)	circus	d)	needed	

27. 	Animal trainers like the Great Paco spend most of their lives working with their pets.	

a)	Animal	b)	spend	
c)	pets	d)	Paco	

28. 	We asked the man selling Coca-Cola how much they cost and what he said almost made me do a flip.	

a)	Coca-Cola	b)	We	
c)	asked	d)	flip	

29. 	The Ringling Bros. promised to retire their elephants in 2015.	

a)	promised	b)	Ringling Bros.	
c)	elephants	d)	retire	

30. 	Students did not have to pay to go to the Ringling Brothers Clown College.	

a)	Students	b)	pay	
c)	Clown College	d)	did