English Reading Comprehension

Directions: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

REVEAL

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

King Hutamasan felt he had everything in the world not only due to his riches and his noble knights, but because of his beautiful queen, Rani Matsya. The rays of the sun were put to shame with the iridescent light that Matsya illuminated, with her beauty and brains. At the right hand of the king she was known to sit and aid him in all his judicial probes. You could not escape her deep–set eyes when you committed a crime as she always knew the victim and the culprit. Her generosity preceded her reputation in the kingdom and her hands were always full to give. People in the kingdom revered her because if she passed by, she always gave to the compassionate and poor.
Far away from the kingly palace lived a man named Raman with only ends to his poverty and no means to rectify it. Raman was wrecked with poverty as he had lost all his land to the landlord. His age enabled him little towards manual labour and so begging was the only alternative to salvage his wife and children. Every morning he went door to door for some work, food or money. The kindness of people always got him enough to take home. But Raman was a little self–centered. His world began with him first, followed by his family and the rest. So he would eat and drink to his delight and return home with whatever he found excess. This routine followed and he never let anyone discover his interests as he always put on a long face when he reached home.
One day as he was relishing the bowl of rice he had just received from a humble home, he heard that Rani Matsya who to pass from the very place he was standing. Her generosity had reached his ears and he knew if he pulled a long face and showed how poor he was, she would hand him a bag full of gold coins – enough for the rest of his life, enough to buy food and supplies for his family. He thought he could keep some coins for himself and only reveal a few to his wife, so he can fulfill his own wishes.
He ran to the chariot of the Rani and begged her soldiers to allow him to speak to the queen. Listening to the arguments outside Rani Matsya opened the curtains of her chariot and asked Raman what he wanted. Raman went on his knees and praised the queen. I have heard you are most generous and most chaste, show his beggar some charity. Rani narrowed her brows and asked Raman what he could give her in return. Surprised by such a question, Raman looked at his bowl full of rice. With spite in him he just picked up a few grains of rice and gave it to the queen. Rani Matsya counted the 5 grains and looked at his bowl full of rice and said, you shall be given what is due to you. Saying this, the chariot galloped away.
Raman abused her under his breath. This he never thought would happen. How could she ask him for something in return when she hadn’t given him anything? Irked with anger he stormed home and gave his wife the bowl of rice. Just then he saw a sack at the entrance. His wife said some men had come and kept it there. He opened it to find it full of rice. He put his hand inside and caught hold of a hard metal only to discover it was a gold coin. Elated he upturned the sack to find 5 gold coins in exact for the five rice grains. If only I had given my entire bowl, thought Raman, I would have had a sack full of gold.

Directions: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

REVERED

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

King Hutamasan felt he had everything in the world not only due to his riches and his noble knights, but because of his beautiful queen, Rani Matsya. The rays of the sun were put to shame with the iridescent light that Matsya illuminated, with her beauty and brains. At the right hand of the king she was known to sit and aid him in all his judicial probes. You could not escape her deep–set eyes when you committed a crime as she always knew the victim and the culprit. Her generosity preceded her reputation in the kingdom and her hands were always full to give. People in the kingdom revered her because if she passed by, she always gave to the compassionate and poor.
Far away from the kingly palace lived a man named Raman with only ends to his poverty and no means to rectify it. Raman was wrecked with poverty as he had lost all his land to the landlord. His age enabled him little towards manual labour and so begging was the only alternative to salvage his wife and children. Every morning he went door to door for some work, food or money. The kindness of people always got him enough to take home. But Raman was a little self–centered. His world began with him first, followed by his family and the rest. So he would eat and drink to his delight and return home with whatever he found excess. This routine followed and he never let anyone discover his interests as he always put on a long face when he reached home.
One day as he was relishing the bowl of rice he had just received from a humble home, he heard that Rani Matsya who to pass from the very place he was standing. Her generosity had reached his ears and he knew if he pulled a long face and showed how poor he was, she would hand him a bag full of gold coins – enough for the rest of his life, enough to buy food and supplies for his family. He thought he could keep some coins for himself and only reveal a few to his wife, so he can fulfill his own wishes.
He ran to the chariot of the Rani and begged her soldiers to allow him to speak to the queen. Listening to the arguments outside Rani Matsya opened the curtains of her chariot and asked Raman what he wanted. Raman went on his knees and praised the queen. I have heard you are most generous and most chaste, show his beggar some charity. Rani narrowed her brows and asked Raman what he could give her in return. Surprised by such a question, Raman looked at his bowl full of rice. With spite in him he just picked up a few grains of rice and gave it to the queen. Rani Matsya counted the 5 grains and looked at his bowl full of rice and said, you shall be given what is due to you. Saying this, the chariot galloped away.
Raman abused her under his breath. This he never thought would happen. How could she ask him for something in return when she hadn’t given him anything? Irked with anger he stormed home and gave his wife the bowl of rice. Just then he saw a sack at the entrance. His wife said some men had come and kept it there. He opened it to find it full of rice. He put his hand inside and caught hold of a hard metal only to discover it was a gold coin. Elated he upturned the sack to find 5 gold coins in exact for the five rice grains. If only I had given my entire bowl, thought Raman, I would have had a sack full of gold.

How did the woman react after seeing blood around the mouth and paws of the mongoose?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

Once upon a time there lived a farmer and his wife. They had a little son. The farmer had a pet mongoose. The little boy and the mongoose were good playmates. One day the farmer was busy at his fields. The farmer's wife had gone to the market. The little boy was fast asleep in a cradle. The mongoose was lying near the cradle. A cobra got into the house and reached near the little boy. The mongoose sniffed the snake and jumped up. The cobra began to attack. There was a fierce fight between the cobra and the mongoose. The mongoose finally bit and killed the cobra. The mongoose saw the farmer's wife returning from market. He ran happily towards her to greet her. She saw blood around the mouth and paws of the mongoose. The farmer's wife mistook that the mongoose had attacked her son. The farmer's wife took a long stick and struck heavy blows on the mongoose and then ran into the house. She was shocked to see a dead cobra lying on the floor near her son. Now she realised her mistake. Her sorrow knew no bounds. The moral of the story is that one should never react before knowing the facts.

Who won the fight?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

Once upon a time there lived a farmer and his wife. They had a little son. The farmer had a pet mongoose. The little boy and the mongoose were good playmates. One day the farmer was busy at his fields. The farmer's wife had gone to the market. The little boy was fast asleep in a cradle. The mongoose was lying near the cradle. A cobra got into the house and reached near the little boy. The mongoose sniffed the snake and jumped up. The cobra began to attack. There was a fierce fight between the cobra and the mongoose. The mongoose finally bit and killed the cobra. The mongoose saw the farmer's wife returning from market. He ran happily towards her to greet her. She saw blood around the mouth and paws of the mongoose. The farmer's wife mistook that the mongoose had attacked her son. The farmer's wife took a long stick and struck heavy blows on the mongoose and then ran into the house. She was shocked to see a dead cobra lying on the floor near her son. Now she realised her mistake. Her sorrow knew no bounds. The moral of the story is that one should never react before knowing the facts.

What does "fierce" mean in the passage?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

Once upon a time there lived a farmer and his wife. They had a little son. The farmer had a pet mongoose. The little boy and the mongoose were good playmates. One day the farmer was busy at his fields. The farmer's wife had gone to the market. The little boy was fast asleep in a cradle. The mongoose was lying near the cradle. A cobra got into the house and reached near the little boy. The mongoose sniffed the snake and jumped up. The cobra began to attack. There was a fierce fight between the cobra and the mongoose. The mongoose finally bit and killed the cobra. The mongoose saw the farmer's wife returning from market. He ran happily towards her to greet her. She saw blood around the mouth and paws of the mongoose. The farmer's wife mistook that the mongoose had attacked her son. The farmer's wife took a long stick and struck heavy blows on the mongoose and then ran into the house. She was shocked to see a dead cobra lying on the floor near her son. Now she realised her mistake. Her sorrow knew no bounds. The moral of the story is that one should never react before knowing the facts.

Find the word in the passage which means “a very big rock”.

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A king gets a boulder placed on a road. He then hides himself and watches to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers come by and simply walk around it. Many loudly blame the king for not keeping the roads clear, but no one does anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then, a peasant comes along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant lays down his burden and tries to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeds. As the peasant picks his load of vegetables, he notices a purse lying on the road where the boulder had been. The purse contains many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold is for the person who removes the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learns that every hindrance presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

The peasant is carrying

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A king gets a boulder placed on a road. He then hides himself and watches to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers come by and simply walk around it. Many loudly blame the king for not keeping the roads clear, but no one does anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then, a peasant comes along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant lays down his burden and tries to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeds. As the peasant picks his load of vegetables, he notices a purse lying on the road where the boulder had been. The purse contains many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold is for the person who removes the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learns that every hindrance presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

What does the peasant get after removing the boulder?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A king gets a boulder placed on a road. He then hides himself and watches to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers come by and simply walk around it. Many loudly blame the king for not keeping the roads clear, but no one does anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then, a peasant comes along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant lays down his burden and tries to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeds. As the peasant picks his load of vegetables, he notices a purse lying on the road where the boulder had been. The purse contains many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold is for the person who removes the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learns that every hindrance presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

What has the king placed on the road?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A king gets a boulder placed on a road. He then hides himself and watches to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers come by and simply walk around it. Many loudly blame the king for not keeping the roads clear, but no one does anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then, a peasant comes along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant lays down his burden and tries to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeds. As the peasant picks his load of vegetables, he notices a purse lying on the road where the boulder had been. The purse contains many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold is for the person who removes the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learns that every hindrance presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

Who remove(s) the boulder from the road?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A king gets a boulder placed on a road. He then hides himself and watches to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers come by and simply walk around it. Many loudly blame the king for not keeping the roads clear, but no one does anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then, a peasant comes along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant lays down his burden and tries to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeds. As the peasant picks his load of vegetables, he notices a purse lying on the road where the boulder had been. The purse contains many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold is for the person who removes the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learns that every hindrance presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

What was the child doing when the cobra got into the house?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

Once upon a time there lived a farmer and his wife. They had a little son. The farmer had a pet mongoose. The little boy and the mongoose were good playmates. One day the farmer was busy at his fields. The farmer's wife had gone to the market. The little boy was fast asleep in a cradle. The mongoose was lying near the cradle. A cobra got into the house and reached near the little boy. The mongoose sniffed the snake and jumped up. The cobra began to attack. There was a fierce fight between the cobra and the mongoose. The mongoose finally bit and killed the cobra. The mongoose saw the farmer's wife returning from market. He ran happily towards her to greet her. She saw blood around the mouth and paws of the mongoose. The farmer's wife mistook that the mongoose had attacked her son. The farmer's wife took a long stick and struck heavy blows on the mongoose and then ran into the house. She was shocked to see a dead cobra lying on the floor near her son. Now she realised her mistake. Her sorrow knew no bounds. The moral of the story is that one should never react before knowing the facts.

What does he do to protect himself in the future?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A jobless man applied for the position of an office boy at a very big firm. The HR manager interviewed him and said, “You are hired." He then said, "Give me your email address and I’ll send you the application to fill as well as the details of when you will start." The man replied, “I don’t have a computer, neither an email." "I’m sorry", said the HR manager, "if you don’t have an email, you cannot have the job.”  The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do. With a capital of only 10 US dollars in his pocket, he decided to go to the supermarket and buy a tomato crate of 10 kg. He sold the tomatoes door to door and made 60 US dollars. The man started the same business to survive. Soon he became one of the biggest food retailers in the US. One day he called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, “I don’t have an email.” The broker replied curiously, "You don’t have an email and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?" The man thought for a while and replied, "An office boy!” The moral of the story is that the internet is not the solution to your life.

How much money does the man have after selling tomatoes for the first time?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A jobless man applied for the position of an office boy at a very big firm. The HR manager interviewed him and said, “You are hired." He then said, "Give me your email address and I’ll send you the application to fill as well as the details of when you will start." The man replied, “I don’t have a computer, neither an email." "I’m sorry", said the HR manager, "if you don’t have an email, you cannot have the job.”  The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do. With a capital of only 10 US dollars in his pocket, he decided to go to the supermarket and buy a tomato crate of 10 kg. He sold the tomatoes door to door and made 60 US dollars. The man started the same business to survive. Soon he became one of the biggest food retailers in the US. One day he called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, “I don’t have an email.” The broker replied curiously, "You don’t have an email and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?" The man thought for a while and replied, "An office boy!” The moral of the story is that the internet is not the solution to your life.

What could the man have been if he had an email?

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:

A jobless man applied for the position of an office boy at a very big firm. The HR manager interviewed him and said, “You are hired." He then said, "Give me your email address and I’ll send you the application to fill as well as the details of when you will start." The man replied, “I don’t have a computer, neither an email." "I’m sorry", said the HR manager, "if you don’t have an email, you cannot have the job.”  The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do. With a capital of only 10 US dollars in his pocket, he decided to go to the supermarket and buy a tomato crate of 10 kg. He sold the tomatoes door to door and made 60 US dollars. The man started the same business to survive. Soon he became one of the biggest food retailers in the US. One day he called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, “I don’t have an email.” The broker replied curiously, "You don’t have an email and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?" The man thought for a while and replied, "An office boy!” The moral of the story is that the internet is not the solution to your life.

What happened to Twishar in the end when he had thought of a plan to dethrone Raja Shankara?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question given below. Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering the question.

Once upon a time there lived a vicious king, Raja Shankara - short-tempered and temperamental. "God I am'", he said to his image as he stared into the mirror everyday, many times a day. He was obsessed with himself. He loved noone but himself. He was blinded towards the injustice in his kingdom because he had little time for his subjects. He wasted most of his time in pouring milk and honey over himself.

Interruption in his possessed life was dealt with stern reprimanding and sometimes on petty issues he would behead his servants. Provoked by his evil advisor Twishar, he went on with his self-indulged life, unaware of the plot his very devoted advisor was planning. A plot to dethrone the king, rule the kingdom with his wicked ways only to harness wealth and the reputation of a King.

 One morning the king was on his usual morning horseback rounds but returned to the palace with an intense look on his face. He locked himself inside his palatial room only to unlock it at sundown. Just as the doors cracked open and Raja Shankara emerged from it, his wife rushed to embrace him. She feared a damaging incident had occurred.

The king spoke seldom that day and awoke the next day to make a proclamation to his servants and subjects. The whole kingdom feared what was in store for them from their angry king. But to their surprise he said to all gathered, "From now on I will be a different king. A softer and a patient king.”

True to his words from that day onwards, the king had truly turned on a new leaf; he cleaned out the corruption and injustice in a tender manner with punishments aimed to renew the person from within.

One fine day his evil advisor gathered courage to ask the reason for his paradigm shift. And the king answered, "When I went on horseback that morning a month ago, I noticed a dog brutally chasing a cat. The cat managed to sneak into a hole only after the dog bit her leg, maiming her for life. Not far, the dog barked at a farmer who picked up a sharp stone and hit it straight in the dog's eye. Bleeding profusely, the dog yelped in pain. As the farmer walked on, he slipped on the edge of the road and broke his head.

All this happened in a matter of minutes before me and then I realized that evil begets evil. I thought about it deeply and was ready to give up my worldly life for the betterment of my subjects. I wanted to give up evil in me as I did not want evil to encounter me."