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Grade 9 Reading Worksheet — “The Nuclear Tourist” by George Johnson

$1.50

  • 4 pages total

  • 3 differentiated practice exercises

  • 1 answer key page

  • 4 pages total

  • 3 differentiated practice exercises

  • 1 answer key page

“There is something deeply rooted in the human soul that draws us to sites of unimaginable disaster.”
— George Johnson, The Nuclear Tourist

Additional Info:

  1. Text Type: Magazine Article

  2. Difficulty Level: Medium–High (Appropriate for Grade 9 reading comprehension & analysis)

  3. Grade Level: 9

  4. Skill Overview: Students will interpret information, identify central ideas and details, analyze author’s purpose and vocabulary in context, and make inferences based on an informational text about nuclear tourism at Chernobyl. The article describes the author’s visit and explores why people are drawn to sites of disaster.

  5. Standards:


    • CCSS: 

    RI.9‑10.1 (Cite textual evidence)

    RI.9‑10.2 (Determine central idea)

    RI.9‑10.3 (Analyze events/ideas)

    RI.9‑10.4 (Vocabulary in context)

    RI.9‑10.6 (Point of view/purpose)


    • CEFR: B1+ Critical reading (identify main idea, infer author’s attitude)
    • ACARA (Australia): ACELY1743 (Analyse and explain information from texts)
    • Cambridge IGCSE: Reading Comprehension — identify meaning, attitude, inference, and vocabulary in context

In “The Nuclear Tourist,” George Johnson describes his visit to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a site of a catastrophic nuclear accident. He explores the eerie quiet of abandoned towns, reflects on the radiation levels and how tourists respond to them, and considers why people are drawn to places associated with disaster. Throughout the article, Johnson combines scientific insight with personal observation to show how curiosity and a search for meaning lead visitors to witness places few would ever choose to live.