HAST Year 9 Reading Comprehension free practice questions with answers
Read question 1 and its full worked answer from paper 1 of our 20-paper HAST Year 9 Reading Comprehension set, then download the 4-page PDF. These are original practice questions, not official past papers. Page updated 3 November 2026.
The furnace is said to roar “like a trapped animal”. This simile suggests that the furnace is
A quiet and calm
B small and weak
C fierce and powerful
D cold and distant
[Figurative]
Correct answer: C — fierce and powerful
- What is the question asking? It asks what the simile suggests.
- Go back to the text and find the evidence: “the furnace roared like a trapped animal”
- A trapped animal is fierce and dangerous.
- So the correct answer is C (fierce and powerful).
- Why the other options are wrong:
- A (quiet and calm): A trapped animal is wild.
- B (small and weak): The roar is loud.
- D (cold and distant): The heat presses on her face.
Figurative language means something other than the literal words: ask what two things are being compared and what they share.
Your sample is downloading. Liked it? HAST Year 9 Reading Comprehension Paper 1 is the full paper: 36 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes (4 options each), with a worked solution for every question.
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Questions about this sample
What is in the HAST Year 9 Reading Comprehension free sample?
The first 3 questions from paper 1 of the set, in the real exam layout, followed by the step-by-step worked answers. It is a 4-page PDF; this page shows question 1 with its answer.
How many full HAST Year 9 Reading Comprehension papers are there?
20 original papers for students preparing for Year 9 entry (HAST (High Achievers Selection Test)). Each is 36 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes (4 options each), with a worked solution for every question. Papers start at A$11.99 and download instantly as a PDF.
Are these official past papers?
No. The sample is taken from our own original practice paper and is not an official past paper or affiliated with any exam authority.