Reading Assessment - Non-Fiction
India
India is a country in the continent of Asia.
It is home to the Himalayan Mountains, the
highest mountain range in the world. It is also
home to the world’s second largest population.
Food
Many people in India, who practise
Hinduism, don’t eat beef because cows
are seen as sacred animals. In fact, many
people are vegetarian. People use their
Wildlife
fingers, rather than cutlery, to eat their
One of the world’s rarest animals lives in
food. Look at these rules to find out more
the Indian Himalayas. The snow leopard
about eating in India.
1
can be found in its mountains, in very
It is considered impolite if the food cold conditions. Their thick fur acts like a
reaches past the first joint of the winter coat whilst its huge paws behave
2
finger when eating. like snow shoes. The most likely prey for
these speedy and powerful animals comes
The fingers should not touch the in the form of birds, hares, goats and sheep.
mouth whilst food is being eaten. When they stray into farms, hunting for
3
prey, they risk being killed by local people.
Only the right hand should be used This, as well as other factors has led to
when eating. dramatically reduced numbers of the big
cats in the wild.
Many people in northern India eat chapatis
with their meal. These are flat pieces of
bread used to soak up or scoop food. Lentils,
fish and coconut milk are used in many
meals all over India. Meals often use many
delicious spices to add flavour to food.
visit twinkl.com
The People and Their Religions Diwali - The Festival of Light
More than a billion people live in India. Diwali is a Hindu festival famous for light
The population continues to grow at a rapid and colour. It usually happens around the
rate, which makes some worry about how end of October and symbolises the beginning
the country will manage to feed its people. of a new year. The celebration welcomes
This means that growing crops and looking the goddess Lakshmi to people’s homes.
after animals is very important to the Every home burns special clay lamps to
future of the country. light the way for the goddess to their homes.
In preparation for her visit, homes are
Many people in India have relgious beliefs.
cleaned and decorated whilst many people
The two main religions in India are
make Indian sweets, sharing them with
Hinduism and Islam, although there are
family and friends. Indians use jasmine
other religions in the country.
flowers to decorate their homes and visit
temples to worship. People dress in fine
Glossary clothes made of beautiful silks, eat delicious
• Population - the people who live in a place. foods and celebrate good luck. The cities
and homes are decorated with lights and
• Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of good luck.
firework displays whilst firecrackers are
• Sacred - something or someone that is used to frighten off evil spirits. Presents are
special to a religion. exchanged and parties are held.
Language: Hindi
Capital: New Delhi
(most common)
Flag Longest river: Ganges
Currency: Rupees
visit twinkl.com
