Name: _____________________________
Nonfiction Reading Test
Tetris

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate.

Do you like video games? Lots of people do. There are many types of video games. Some people like action games. Other people like driving games. But the most popular game of all time is a puzzle game.

Tetris is a game about making lines. Blocks fall from the top of the screen. They fall one at a time. The player moves the blocks. Once the blocks hit the bottom, they are locked in place. Players try to make lines go across the screen with no gaps. Complete lines disappear. This gives players more room. The blocks pile up during the game. The game ends when the blocks get to the top of the screen.

A man named Alexey made Tetris in 1984. All the pieces in Tetris have four blocks. The word "tetra" means four. Alexey named his game after tetra and tennis. He made Tetris while working at a science academy in Moscow. Moscow is in Russia. 

Alexey made his game on a screen that only showed letters. He could not use blocks. The blocks were made out of letters in the first game of Tetris. Still, all Alexey's friends loved his game. It was easy to learn and fun to play. 

Soon the game spread across the world. It was on every computer. It was in arcades. It came with every one of Nintendo's Game Boy. More than 100 million Game Boys were sold. Tetris was all over the place. Even today Tetris comes with many phones.

Dr. Richard Haier has studied Tetris players. He ran many tests. He found that playing Tetris boosts mental activity. Dr. Haier thinks Tetris is good for the brain.  I agree with this finding. Now go and play some Tetris. It's just what the doctor ordered.

1. What is this article about?
a. Video games					b. Tetris
c. Alexey 						d. Blocks

2. What is the goal of Tetris?
a. To make tall piles of blocks			b. To match the colors of blocks
c. To make complete lines 				d. To get blocks to the top of the screen

3. After which is Tetris named?
a. Fish							b. The number ten
c. Paris						d. Tennis

4. Where was Alexey when he created Tetris?
a. Paris						b. Russia
c. The United States of America			d. Germany

5. What is the highest selling game of all time?
a. A driving game					b. Call of Duty
c. Tetris						d. An action game

6. Which event happened first?
a. Tetris was played with letters instead of blocks 	
b. Tetris was released on the phone
c. Tetris was released in the arcade			
d. Tetris was brought to the Game Boy

7. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
a. To persuade readers to play Tetris		
b. To explain how Tetris is played
c. To describe different types of games
d. To compare Tetris to other puzzle games

8. According to Dr. Richard Haier, which is true about Tetris?
a. Tetris lowers blood pressure			
b. Tetris increases physical strength
c. Tetris boosts mental activity			
d. Tetris has no positive side effects

9. What happens to a block that hits the bottom and does not form a complete line in Tetris? 
a. It disappears and reappears at the top.		b. It is locked in place.
c. The player moves the block.			d. It gives the player more room.

10. Why did the first game of Tetris use letters instead of blocks?
a. Alexey did not think to use blocks		
b. Alexey thought letters were more fun
c. Alexey's screen could only show letters	
d. Alexey wanted to teach people to read
How does the word "tetra" relate to the game Tetris? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

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How did being included with Nintendo's Game Boy help Tetris become successful? Refer to the text in your answer.

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Why was Tetris so popular? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

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