English Language

English Reading Comprehension

3,503 Questions

English reading comprehension questions assess the ability to understand, analyze, and interpret written passages. Formats include paragraph rearrangement, cloze tests, and fact finding from text. Regular practice is essential for scoring well in the English sections of banking, SSC, and railway exams.

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English Reading Comprehension Questions

Multiple choice

Why was Subha Datta unable to find any food once he finished sweeping the clearing?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question given below it.

Subha Datta, though he certainly did love his wife and children, was so tempted at the idea of stopping in the forest with the beautiful girls that, after hesitating for a little while, he said, "Yes, I will stop with you, if you are quite sure all will be well with my dear ones."
"You need not be afraid about that," said another of the girls. "We are fairies, you see, and we can do all sorts of wonderful things. It isn't even necessary for us to go where your dear ones are. We shall just wish them everything they want, and they will get it. And the first thing to be done is to give you some food. You must work for us in return, of course."
Subha Datta at once replied, "I will do anything you wish."
"Well, begin by sweeping away all the dead leaves from the clearing, and then we will all sit down and eat together."
Subha Datta was very glad that what he was asked to do was so easy. He began by cutting a branch from a tree, and with it he swept the floor of what was to be the dining-room. Then he looked about for the food, but he could see nothing but a great big pitcher standing in the shade of a tree, the branches of which hung over the clearing. So he said to one of the fairies, "Will you show me where the food is, and exactly where you would like me to get it out?"
At these questions all the fairies began to laugh, and the sound of their laughter was like the tinkling of a number of bells.
When the fairies saw how astonished Subha Datta was at the way they laughed, it made them laugh still more, and they seized each other's hands again and whirled round and round, laughing all the time.
Poor Subha Datta, who was very tired and hungry, began to get unhappy and to wish he had gone straight home after all. He stooped down to pick up his axe, and was just about to turn away with it, when the fairies stopped their mad whirl and cried to him to stop. So he waited, and one of them said:
"We don't have to bother about fetching this and fetching that. You see that big pitcher. Well, we get all our food and everything else we want out of it. We just have to wish as we put our hands in, and there it is. It's a magic pitcher—the only one there is in the whole wide world. You get the food you would like to have first, and then we'll tell you what we want."
Subha Datta could hardly believe his ears when he heard that. Down he threw his axe, and hastened to put his hand in the pitcher, wishing for the food he was used to. He loved curried rice and milk, lentils, fruit and vegetables, and very soon he had a beautiful meal spread out for himself on the ground. Then the fairies called out, one after the other, what they wanted for food, things the woodcutter had never heard of or seen which made him quite discontented with what he had chosen for himself.
The next few days passed away like a dream, and at first Subha Datta thought he had never been so happy in his life. The fairies often went off together leaving him alone, only coming back to the clearing when they wanted something out of the pitcher. The woodcutter got all kinds of things he fancied for himself, but presently he began to wish he had his wife and children with him to share his wonderful meals. He began to miss them terribly, and he missed his work too. It was no good cutting trees down and chopping up wood when all the food was ready cooked. Sometimes he thought he would slip off home when the fairies were away, but when he looked at the pitcher he could not bear the thought of leaving it.

  1. There was no food to be found in the clearing.

  2. The fairies did not have any food and wanted him to go to the market.

  3. The fairies did not have any food and wanted him to go hunting.

  4. The fairies didn’t bother about fetching food; the pitcher provided them all they wanted.

  5. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

(1) Incorrect – The passage suggests this, but this is not the reason. The reason is that the pitcher provided all the food the fairies needed.

(2) Incorrect – The passage does not state this nor is this the reason. The reason is that the pitcher provided all the food the fairies needed.
(3) Incorrect – The passage does not state this nor is this the reason. The reason is that the pitcher provided all the food the fairies needed.
(4) Correct – The reason is that the pitcher provided all the food the fairies needed.
(5) Incorrect – The reason is that the pitcher provided all the food the fairies needed.

Multiple choice

Why did the fairies laugh at Subha Datta?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question given below it.

Subha Datta, though he certainly did love his wife and children, was so tempted at the idea of stopping in the forest with the beautiful girls that, after hesitating for a little while, he said, "Yes, I will stop with you, if you are quite sure all will be well with my dear ones."
"You need not be afraid about that," said another of the girls. "We are fairies, you see, and we can do all sorts of wonderful things. It isn't even necessary for us to go where your dear ones are. We shall just wish them everything they want, and they will get it. And the first thing to be done is to give you some food. You must work for us in return, of course."
Subha Datta at once replied, "I will do anything you wish."
"Well, begin by sweeping away all the dead leaves from the clearing, and then we will all sit down and eat together."
Subha Datta was very glad that what he was asked to do was so easy. He began by cutting a branch from a tree, and with it he swept the floor of what was to be the dining-room. Then he looked about for the food, but he could see nothing but a great big pitcher standing in the shade of a tree, the branches of which hung over the clearing. So he said to one of the fairies, "Will you show me where the food is, and exactly where you would like me to get it out?"
At these questions all the fairies began to laugh, and the sound of their laughter was like the tinkling of a number of bells.
When the fairies saw how astonished Subha Datta was at the way they laughed, it made them laugh still more, and they seized each other's hands again and whirled round and round, laughing all the time.
Poor Subha Datta, who was very tired and hungry, began to get unhappy and to wish he had gone straight home after all. He stooped down to pick up his axe, and was just about to turn away with it, when the fairies stopped their mad whirl and cried to him to stop. So he waited, and one of them said:
"We don't have to bother about fetching this and fetching that. You see that big pitcher. Well, we get all our food and everything else we want out of it. We just have to wish as we put our hands in, and there it is. It's a magic pitcher—the only one there is in the whole wide world. You get the food you would like to have first, and then we'll tell you what we want."
Subha Datta could hardly believe his ears when he heard that. Down he threw his axe, and hastened to put his hand in the pitcher, wishing for the food he was used to. He loved curried rice and milk, lentils, fruit and vegetables, and very soon he had a beautiful meal spread out for himself on the ground. Then the fairies called out, one after the other, what they wanted for food, things the woodcutter had never heard of or seen which made him quite discontented with what he had chosen for himself.
The next few days passed away like a dream, and at first Subha Datta thought he had never been so happy in his life. The fairies often went off together leaving him alone, only coming back to the clearing when they wanted something out of the pitcher. The woodcutter got all kinds of things he fancied for himself, but presently he began to wish he had his wife and children with him to share his wonderful meals. He began to miss them terribly, and he missed his work too. It was no good cutting trees down and chopping up wood when all the food was ready cooked. Sometimes he thought he would slip off home when the fairies were away, but when he looked at the pitcher he could not bear the thought of leaving it.

  1. Because he asked where the food was

  2. Because he was tinkling bells

  3. Because he seized their hands and whirled round with them

  4. Because he was tired and hungry

  5. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

(1) Correct – They laughed because he asked where the food was and how to set it out.

(2) Incorrect – He was not tinkling bells and this was not the reason.
(3) Incorrect – He was not whirling around with them nor was this the reason.
(4) Incorrect – He was tired and hungry, but this was not the reason. (5) Incorrect – The reason is because he asked where the food was and how to set it out.

Multiple choice

Which of the following can definitely be said about Subha Datta?

A. That he missed his wife and children. B. That he did not like the fairies. C. That he did not want to leave the pitcher.

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question given below it.

Subha Datta, though he certainly did love his wife and children, was so tempted at the idea of stopping in the forest with the beautiful girls that, after hesitating for a little while, he said, "Yes, I will stop with you, if you are quite sure all will be well with my dear ones."
"You need not be afraid about that," said another of the girls. "We are fairies, you see, and we can do all sorts of wonderful things. It isn't even necessary for us to go where your dear ones are. We shall just wish them everything they want, and they will get it. And the first thing to be done is to give you some food. You must work for us in return, of course."
Subha Datta at once replied, "I will do anything you wish."
"Well, begin by sweeping away all the dead leaves from the clearing, and then we will all sit down and eat together."
Subha Datta was very glad that what he was asked to do was so easy. He began by cutting a branch from a tree, and with it he swept the floor of what was to be the dining-room. Then he looked about for the food, but he could see nothing but a great big pitcher standing in the shade of a tree, the branches of which hung over the clearing. So he said to one of the fairies, "Will you show me where the food is, and exactly where you would like me to get it out?"
At these questions all the fairies began to laugh, and the sound of their laughter was like the tinkling of a number of bells.
When the fairies saw how astonished Subha Datta was at the way they laughed, it made them laugh still more, and they seized each other's hands again and whirled round and round, laughing all the time.
Poor Subha Datta, who was very tired and hungry, began to get unhappy and to wish he had gone straight home after all. He stooped down to pick up his axe, and was just about to turn away with it, when the fairies stopped their mad whirl and cried to him to stop. So he waited, and one of them said:
"We don't have to bother about fetching this and fetching that. You see that big pitcher. Well, we get all our food and everything else we want out of it. We just have to wish as we put our hands in, and there it is. It's a magic pitcher—the only one there is in the whole wide world. You get the food you would like to have first, and then we'll tell you what we want."
Subha Datta could hardly believe his ears when he heard that. Down he threw his axe, and hastened to put his hand in the pitcher, wishing for the food he was used to. He loved curried rice and milk, lentils, fruit and vegetables, and very soon he had a beautiful meal spread out for himself on the ground. Then the fairies called out, one after the other, what they wanted for food, things the woodcutter had never heard of or seen which made him quite discontented with what he had chosen for himself.
The next few days passed away like a dream, and at first Subha Datta thought he had never been so happy in his life. The fairies often went off together leaving him alone, only coming back to the clearing when they wanted something out of the pitcher. The woodcutter got all kinds of things he fancied for himself, but presently he began to wish he had his wife and children with him to share his wonderful meals. He began to miss them terribly, and he missed his work too. It was no good cutting trees down and chopping up wood when all the food was ready cooked. Sometimes he thought he would slip off home when the fairies were away, but when he looked at the pitcher he could not bear the thought of leaving it.

  1. Only A

  2. Only B

  3. Only C

  4. Only A and C

  5. All A, B and C

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

(1) Incorrect – This is true according to the passage, but he also did not want to leave the pitcher.

(2) Incorrect – This is not stated in the passage. What is definite is that he missed his family and that he could not leave the pitcher behind.

(3) Incorrect – This is stated in the passage, but it also states that he missed his family.
(4) Correct – He definitely missed his family and he also could not leave the pitcher behind.
(5) Incorrect – 1 and 3 are correct, but not 2.

Multiple choice
  1. pitiable

  2. praiseworthy

  3. hateful

  4. horrible

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In the context of the passage, 'appalling' is used to describe something extremely unpleasant or shocking to Western people accustomed to punctuality. The author is describing how unpunctuality in 'the Orient' seems horrible or terrible to those from time-conscious cultures. Horrible captures this sense of something extremely unpleasant.

Multiple choice
  1. Happily

  2. With ease

  3. Unhappily

  4. Not easily

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states 'An Indian accept the blank hours with resignation even with satisfaction.' The phrase 'with resignation' means accepting something without resistance, which corresponds to 'with ease.' The passage contrasts this with modern people who find waiting 'psychological torture,' suggesting Indians accept idle time calmly rather than happily or unhappily.

Multiple choice
  1. deity

  2. saint

  3. nobleman

  4. goddess

  5. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Deity refers to a god or goddess and as per statement ‘...holy lake believed to have been created by Lord Brahma' who is a Hindu God.  

Multiple choice
  1. district

  2. visit

  3. pilgrimage

  4. dedicate

  5. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Option 3 is correct answer as, pilgrimage means a religious journey.

Multiple choice
  1. ACDB

  2. DACB

  3. BDAC

  4. DABC

  5. CDAB

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

“They” in A refers to the “six new supercrop varieties of staple crops”. "And" in B means that B will follow C, which names all the crops. So, DACB is the correct order.

Multiple choice
  1. ABCD

  2. CDAB

  3. DBCA

  4. CABD

  5. DBAC

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

“The most common and certainly the one” is one way of classifying volcanoes referred in sentence 1, so D will be first in order. B will follow this as this classification refers to “the most common” in D and the “active, dormant or extinct” volcanoes are referred again here. Now, the definitions of all these types of volcanoes is given in C (general to more specific detail). “This” in A refers to the extinct or dormant definitions given in C. Another link is the time period talked in A, “man has been on the planet for a relatively short period of time”, which is referred in C as “written records began” and “in historical times”. Hence, the order is DBCA.

Multiple choice
  1. ACDB

  2. BCAD

  3. DCAB

  4. DABC

  5. CABD

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

"They” in D refers to silkworms referred in sentence 1. So, a link is established between 1 and D. “At this point” in C refers to the time when they “stop eating food and ... turn yellowish”. “These cocoons” in A links back to "their cocoon" in C. “Silkworm's mouth” in A links to “silkworm's lip” in B (general to specific detail order). Hence, the correct order is DCAB.

Multiple choice
  1. CDBA

  2. DBAC

  3. BADC

  4. CBDA

  5. ADBC

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sentences are logically linked in this. Sentence 1 tells the classification in order, which then will be organised in the pattern DC as both are in that order. “Token and knowledge-based methods” find mention again in A continued from B, so A follows B. Hence, the order becomes CDBA.

Multiple choice
  1. DBAC

  2. BDCA

  3. BDAC

  4. DCAB

  5. ABDC

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

“two years afterwards” in B means two years after 1903, so B is first in order in the sentence. “This method” in A was “invention of three-axis... its equilibrium”, which is in D. Hence, the correct sequence is BDAC.

Multiple choice
  1. ordered

  2. mentored

  3. requested

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

 Since Tom is a trouble maker, Aunt Polly must have ordered him rather than requesting him.

Multiple choice
  1. instance

  2. example

  3. type

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 'Type' is the correct word as we can't use example twice in the same sentence. Besides, 'type of trouble' is the correct phrase.

Multiple choice
  1. beg

  2. order

  3. shout at

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

 If Tom's friends were jealous, they must have begged him to let them also do the chore.