Three People Injured in Shooting at Des Moines Post Office
About this practice test
Practice B1 English reading with 5 questions based on the Daily News article “Three People Injured in Shooting at Des Moines Post Office”.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
5 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Single choice
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
News lesson for this practice
Read the complete article and use its text or audio alongside these exercises: Three People Injured in Shooting at Des Moines Post Office.
Three People Injured in Shooting at Des Moines Post Office
Three people were injured in a shooting at the main post office in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, November 5, 2026, authorities said. Des Moines is the capital of Iowa. Authorities said two people were shot inside the post office. A third person was injured while trying to escape. Police said none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening. The public information available does not describe the injured people’s…
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What is the main purpose of the article?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- To report a shooting and summarize the available information
- To explain how postal workers sort and deliver mail
- To describe the history of Des Moines post offices
- To give instructions for visiting a post office
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- To report a shooting and summarize the available information
It reports the event and explains what is known and unknown.
The information available did not identify the injured people or explain what led to the shooting.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What does “It” refer to in the third paragraph?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The post office
- Being taken into custody
- A criminal charge
- The information available
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Being taken into custody
The sentence explains what being taken into custody means.
It does not, by itself, mean that the person has been charged with a crime or found guilty.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Why does the article say the woman was taken into custody?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- To explain why the shooting began
- To identify her as guilty of a crime
- To report what police said while noting missing details
- To describe her job at the post office
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- To report what police said while noting missing details
The report includes this detail but gives no further account.
Authorities had not provided further details about the woman in the information available.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What relationship does the article describe between the third person and the shooting?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The person was hurt while trying to escape
- The person was hurt while helping police
- The person was hurt before the shooting began
- The person was hurt while working with mail
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- The person was hurt while trying to escape
The person was hurt during an attempt to get away.
A third person was injured while trying to escape.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What does the article say about the post office’s customer access at that time?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It was open to all customers
- It was closed for repairs
- It was open only to employees
- The available information does not say
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- The available information does not say
The report says this detail was not available.
The post office is in Iowa’s capital, but the information available does not say whether it was open to customers at the time of the shooting.
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.