Roberto Clemente Printable Reading Comprehension Name
Roberto Clemente Printable Reading Comprehension Name
Roberto Clemente Printable Reading Comprehension Name_____________________
Roberto Clemente Walker was born on August 18, 1934, in Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico.
He was the youngest of seven children. His father was a foreman who oversaw sugarcane cutters
and helped deliver sand and gravel for a construction company. His mother did laundry, ran a grocery
store, and did other jobs on the sugarcane plantation. Roberto did odd jobs so he could help the
family and buy himself a bicycle. Growing up, Roberto played baseball and participated in track and
field. He won medals for the javelin throw and short distance races. Throwing the javelin strengthened
his arm for throwing a baseball.
At age 18, Roberto joined a Puerto Rican professional baseball team, the Cangrejeros de Santurce,
where he played with Willie Mays in 1954. That year, Santurce won the Caribbean World Series.
Roberto was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954. He played on a minor league team for a
season before being chosen in the draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Roberto quickly made a major
impact in both the Pirates and Major League Baseball. He played outfield with the Pirates from 1955
to 1972. He was selected for the National League All-Star team 15 times, won 12 Gold Glove Awards,
and won four National League batting titles. He was the National League Most Valuable Player in
1966 and the World Series Most Valuable Player in 1971. His career batting average was .317 with
3,000 hits, 240 home runs, and 1,305 RBIs.
Roberto was known for his humanitarian efforts. He helped people in need across the United States
and Central America and held free baseball clinics for children in Puerto Rico. In 1972, an earthquake
struck Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Roberto had managed a Puerto Rican all-star team in
Managua, and he had friends there. He became the honorary chairman of an earthquake relief
committee that raised $150,000 and gathered nearly 26 tons of relief supplies. Tragically, on New
Year’s Eve, he died when the plane he was on to deliver the supplies crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
Normally, a player cannot be inducted into the Baseball Hall-of-Fame until at least five years after he
stopped playing. An exception was made for Roberto, and he was inducted in 1973. He was the first
Hispanic player to be inducted to the Hall-of-Fame. After his death, Major League Baseball
established the Roberto Clemente Award recognizing the player who combines outstanding skills on
the field with devoted work in the community. Broadcaster Tim McCarver called Roberto, “the
greatest right fielder of all time,” because of his precise and powerful throwing arm. Roberto once
said, “If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming
behind you, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.” Roberto also said, “I want
to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give.”
1. What is the main focus of the first paragraph?
A. Roberto’s childhood
B. Roberto’s parents
C. Roberto’s skill in throwing a javelin
D. How Roberto earned money
2. Which can be inferred from the second paragraph?
A. Roberto Clemente was the greatest baseball player in history
B. The Pirates won the World Series in 1971
C. Roberto had the highest career batting average of any Pittsburgh Pirate
D. Roberto Clemente should have played for the Brooklyn Dodgers
3. The third paragraph states that Roberto was known for his humanitarian
efforts. Which of the following would qualify as such an effort?
A. Signing autographs for fans
B. Helping to deliver food to victims of a hurricane
C. Donating your old bike to charity
D. Painting a picture for a friend
4. Which of the following is the best explanation for why Roberto Clemente
was inducted into the Professional Baseball Hall-of-Fame in 1973?
A. He was a great player who won a World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and
who won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award
B. He was an all-star 15 times
C. He would have been a Hall-of-Fame player when he was eligible, but his
career and life were cut short tragically
D. He was a humanitarian who spent a lot of time helping people less fortunate
5. Which is NOT true about Roberto Clemente
A. He was born in Puerto Rico
B. He died while trying to deliver supplies to people in Puerto Rico
C. His career ended with exactly 3,000 hits.
D. He died on New Year’s eve
6. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the following quote?
“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind
you, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.”
A. Use your time wisely
B. Make a positive impact on the world
C. Help to save the earth
D. Only play baseball if you help people
7. If the entire passage was limited to the second paragraph, which of the
following could be its title?
A. The history of the Pittsburgh Pirates
B. The Tragic Story of Roberto Clemente
C. The Amazing Baseball Career of Roberto Clemente
D. Roberto Clemente at the 1971 World Series