Name__________________________________________Date___________________________
Reading Comprehension
Volume 3, Number 11, November 17, 1997
www.rhlschool.com
The Tobacco Industry
They offer you glamour,
They promise you pleasure,
But evil can hide in a smile or a dare.
Their ads are appealing,
The slogans have feeling.
They just want your money and then they
don't care!
They want to distract you
With scenes that attract you.
The smart and the strong can resist to the
end.
Their message - alluring,
It seems reassuring,
But can you detect who's a foe or a friend?
And we can just wonder
How many will blunder
And how many others will turn from their
lies.
They hope you're not thinking
So sales won't be shrinking -
A child takes the torch as an old smoker
dies.
RHL
1. How does the author feel about smoking?
2. What is the author's opinion of the tobacco industry?
3. How does the tobacco industry get people to start smoking?
4. In the author's opinion, what kind of people are likely to refuse to start smoking?
5. The term “taking the torch” can mean taking over for someone, or doing something that someone else has stopped doing. What does it mean in this poem?
6. The word “torch” actually has a double meaning. The word can refer to a _______________.
7. Who or what does the author consider to be a foe (enemy)?
8. Do you agree or disagree with the author? Give your reasons.
Copyright 1997 RHL