English Language

English Reading Comprehension

2,692 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

Directions: From the group of sentences given below, select a sentence that does not belong to the group.

(1) It was a serious matter to profane the temple when some miscreants burnt the holy book. (2) The site of the tomb was a place of sanctity for the ancient Egyptian . (3) He burnt the whole of his inherited wealth by leading a debauched lifestyle. (4) The land was defiled by the previous owner.

  1. 3

  2. 2

  3. 4

  4. 1

  5. None
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; all the sentences except 2, convey the idea of  'profanity', etc. This sentence, however, conveys the idea of  'sanctity'.

Multiple choice

Over the _________ of the sirens, you could still hear the hoarse ______ of his voice.

Directions for questions:
Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words or sets of words labeled A through E. Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Example:
After having a _________ journey, we had a ___________ food.
(A) persistent, musty                                          (B) frightful, terrific
(C) congenial, palatable                                      (D) tiresome, common
(E) expedition, brisk

Answer: (C)

  1. babble, roar

  2. drone, power

  3. wail, sound

  4. growing, whisper

  5. gibbering, cries
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The voice is so husky that it is audible even in the howls of siren.

Multiple choice

Some villagers were carrying heavy pots on their heads. Many of them complained that their heads ached badly due to the weight. A clever person among them suggested that they should remove their shirts, roll it and place it on their heads like a ring to carry the heavy pots. When this was done, the weight on their heads seemed easier to carry. What is the correct explanation for this?

  1. They got some rest while rolling their shirts.

  2. By doing this the weight of the pots decreased.

  3. The weight would be equally distributed along the ring of the rolled up cloth.

  4. Since, the position of pots were a bit elevated, the pressure was reduced.

  5. Wind speed decreased the pressure of the weight.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The weight will be equally distributed along the ring, i.e. it will be distributed along a wider area than being concentrated at a single point on the head. Thus, the pressure decreases.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the story by filling the blank with a suitable article.

After a few days the slave was caught and was ordered to be thrown before a hungry lion. On the fixed day the lion was let loose on ________ slave. Luckily, it was the same lion. The lion recognised the slave and began to lick the slave's feet. Seeing this, the people were surprised. Then, the slave told them the whole story.

  1. a

  2. an

  3. the

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The noun “slave” has been repeated.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the story by filling the blank with a suitable article.

Once a slave, who was very sick of his cruel master, ran away from his master’s house to _______ forest. There he saw a lion crying with pain. The lion sat down before him. The lion held out his paw. There was a big thorn in it. The slave drew it out and dressed the wound. Then, they became friends.

  1. a

  2. an

  3. the

  4. no article
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The noun “forest” appears in the paragraph for the first time.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the passage and fill in the blank with a suitable preposition.

A farmer had four sons who always quarrelled ________ themselves. The farmer’s advice had no effect on them. Once he thought of a plan to teach them a lesson. He asked them to bring a bundle of sticks. He asked them to break the bundle but none of them could do so.

  1. between

  2. among

  3. amongst

  4. for
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

“Among” is used if the number of persons/things is more than two.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the passage and fill in the blank with a suitable preposition.

The farmer asked them to untie the bundle. The sons did so. Then, the farmer divided the sticks between them and asked them to break the sticks. Now, each __________ the sons could break the sticks easily. The farmer advised them that if they wanted to remain safe, they should be united like the bundle of sticks.

  1. off

  2. with

  3. of

  4. by
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

“Each of the sons” is the correct phrase.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.

When I was a small girl, my grandpa used to tell me the story of an honest wood cutter who was rewarded with gold, silver and iron axes by God Mercury. But these days, situation has changed totally. Neither do we have honest wood cutters nor such gods. By saying this, I do not mean that it does not pay to be honest. But, what I mean to say is that people have become hard hearted, selfish and feelingless. We have to make efforts to curb the vices; otherwise, the world will be doomed and we shall be left in a lurch.

Situations have changed totally because now there are __________.

  1. no honest wood cutters

  2. no gods like mercury

  3. neither honest wood cutters nor gods like mercury

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

It is mentioned in the 3rd line of the text.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.

On the banks of the sacred Ganges a crocodile chanced to be. Near the place where a clever monkey lived up in a mango tree. Very soon the croc and the monkey, came close and became friends. The croc, with the monkey on his back went cruising where the river ends.

The relationship between the crocodile and the monkey was ________.

  1. very friendly

  2. very unfriendly

  3. of hate

  4. of blood relationship
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

“Came close and became friends” is given in the passage.

Multiple choice

The elephant in the passage can be said to be

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

But I did not want to shoot the elephant. I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with the preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have. It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him. I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always seems worse to kill large animals.) Besides, there was the beast's owner to be considered. But I had got to act quickly. I turned to some experienced-looking people who had been there when we arrived, and asked them how the elephant had been behaving. They all said the same thing; he took no notice of you if you left him alone, but he might charge if you went too close to him.

  1. defensive

  2. offensive

  3. violent

  4. ferocious
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The last sentence of the passage makes it clear that the elephant would attack only if he it felt threatened.

Multiple choice

The author was reluctant to shoot the elephant because he

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

But I did not want to shoot the elephant. I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with the preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have. It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him. I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always seems worse to kill large animals.) Besides, there was the beast's owner to be considered. But I had got to act quickly. I turned to some experienced-looking people who had been there when we arrived, and asked them how the elephant had been behaving. They all said the same thing; he took no notice of you if you left him alone, but he might charge if you went too close to him.

  1. was afraid of it

  2. did not have the experience of shooting big animals

  3. did not wish to kill a harmless animal

  4. did not find the elephant to be ferocious
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The author was neither afraid of the tusker nor is there any indication that he was inexperienced. He was a considerate man who thought that it would be murder to kill a harmless creature.

Multiple choice

From the passage it appears that the author was

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

But I did not want to shoot the elephant. I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with the preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have. It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him. I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always seems worse to kill large animals.) Besides, there was the beast's owner to be considered. But I had got to act quickly. I turned to some experienced-looking people who had been there when we arrived, and asked them how the elephant had been behaving. They all said the same thing; he took no notice of you if you left him alone, but he might charge if you went too close to him.

  1. an inexperienced hunter

  2. kind and considerate

  3. possessed with fear

  4. a worried man
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

From the passage we come to know that the author was a gentle and compassionate man.

Multiple choice

It can be inferred from the passage that

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

But I did not want to shoot the elephant. I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with the preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have. It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him. I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always seems worse to kill large animals.) Besides, there was the beast's owner to be considered. But I had got to act quickly. I turned to some experienced-looking people who had been there when we arrived, and asked them how the elephant had been behaving. They all said the same thing; he took no notice of you if you left him alone, but he might charge if you went too close to him.

  1. the narrator was in a moral dilemma

  2. the elephant posed a deadly threat to the narrator

  3. the narrator was afraid of the elephant's owner

  4. the elephant was very old
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The narrator was in a moral dilemma because he did not want to kill the elephant ('But I did not want to shoot the elephant') but he also had to do something about the situation ('But I had got to act quickly').

Multiple choice

The phrase 'preoccupied grandmotherly air' signifies

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

But I did not want to shoot the elephant. I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with the preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have. It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him. I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always seems worse to kill large animals.) Besides, there was the beast's owner to be considered. But I had got to act quickly. I turned to some experienced-looking people who had been there when we arrived, and asked them how the elephant had been behaving. They all said the same thing; he took no notice of you if you left him alone, but he might charge if you went too close to him.

  1. being totally unconcerned

  2. pretending to be very busy

  3. a very superior attitude

  4. calm, dignified and affectionate disposition
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Grandmothers are associated with the qualities of being affectionate, calm and dignified. These were the positive qualities in the elephant which made the author reluctant to kill it.

Multiple choice

In line 8, the word ‘radiates’ could best be replaced with

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.

1. Shakespeare’s heroines are endowed with
2. wit, humanised sense, humane feelings
3. and noble qualities of head and heart.
4. They are exceptionally winning and charming.
5. It is characteristic of nearly all Shakespeare’s
6. comedies that the heroines should escape his satire.
7. Shakespeare’s heroes maybe fine and handsome but when real business has got to be done, it’s the woman who does it.
8. His comedy radiates the spirit of humanity.
9. He enriches our experience of life.
10. His comedy exhibits his vision of life.

  1. affords

  2. emits

  3. diffuses

  4. sheds
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The word means ‘to give out’. Like the sun radiates light and heat.