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

Find the word in the passage which means the same as ‘an unusual, exciting and a daring experience’.

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows.

The book 'The Water Babies’ tells the story of Tom, a poor chimney boy, who works for a cruel master named Grimes. Tom’s work always keeps him covered with soot and dirt. While cleaning chimneys in a country house, he climbs into a beautiful white bedroom and sees a sleeping girl who is as clean as an angel. The girl wakes up, sees Tom and screams. Feeling ashamed, Tom runs away to a small stream to have a wash. He jumps into the stream and falls into a very cozy sleep. Tom wakes up being reborn as a water baby. He then has many adventures and meets a lot of interesting creatures. He then sees the sea for the first time and meets those unusual fish, the salmon.

  1. Ashamed

  2. Adventure

  3. Unusual

  4. Interesting

  5. dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

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Multiple choice

Why is Tom covered with soot and dirt?

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows.

The book 'The Water Babies’ tells the story of Tom, a poor chimney boy, who works for a cruel master named Grimes. Tom’s work always keeps him covered with soot and dirt. While cleaning chimneys in a country house, he climbs into a beautiful white bedroom and sees a sleeping girl who is as clean as an angel. The girl wakes up, sees Tom and screams. Feeling ashamed, Tom runs away to a small stream to have a wash. He jumps into the stream and falls into a very cozy sleep. Tom wakes up being reborn as a water baby. He then has many adventures and meets a lot of interesting creatures. He then sees the sea for the first time and meets those unusual fish, the salmon.

  1. He is a chimney boy.

  2. He cleans a country house.

  3. He never takes bath.

  4. His master is cruel.

  5. dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

#

Multiple choice

Why was Robin hopeful of winning the prize?

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows.

It was a very sunny morning in the month of May when Robin Hood started walking with a brave and bold attitude. He was taking his steps briskly. He was on his way to a town called Nottingham to attend a fair. He was going there to test his bowing skills with the best bowmen in the fair. Though he was only seventeen, he had no peer in the whole of England in archery. That’s why Robin was very hopeful of winning the Sheriff’s prize that included a purse of gold. While he was strolling along, he only thought of the contest he was going to take part in. After walking a long distance, he came out of the woods of Sherwood Forest into a clear area with mosses all around.

  1. He was brave and bold

  2. He was the best archer in England

  3. His competition was with inexperienced bowmen

  4. He was efficient in taking brisk actions
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

#

Multiple choice

What did Robin Hood start walking with?

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows.

It was a very sunny morning in the month of May when Robin Hood started walking with a brave and bold attitude. He was taking his steps briskly. He was on his way to a town called Nottingham to attend a fair. He was going there to test his bowing skills with the best bowmen in the fair. Though he was only seventeen, he had no peer in the whole of England in archery. That’s why Robin was very hopeful of winning the Sheriff’s prize that included a purse of gold. While he was strolling along, he only thought of the contest he was going to take part in. After walking a long distance, he came out of the woods of Sherwood Forest into a clear area with mosses all around.

  1. A bow and an arrow

  2. A hope of winning a prize

  3. A bold and brave attitude

  4. A purse of gold in his hand
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

#

Multiple choice

While he was strolling along, what did Robin think of?

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows.

It was a very sunny morning in the month of May when Robin Hood started walking with a brave and bold attitude. He was taking his steps briskly. He was on his way to a town called Nottingham to attend a fair. He was going there to test his bowing skills with the best bowmen in the fair. Though he was only seventeen, he had no peer in the whole of England in archery. That’s why Robin was very hopeful of winning the Sheriff’s prize that included a purse of gold. While he was strolling along, he only thought of the contest he was going to take part in. After walking a long distance, he came out of the woods of Sherwood Forest into a clear area with mosses all around.

  1. The prize of gold

  2. The other bowmen of England

  3. His young age of seventeen

  4. The archery contest he was going to participate in

  5. dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

#

Multiple choice

Which of the following is most likely to happen next in the first scenario?

Directions: Read the following two scenarios and answer the question that follows:

Scenario-1
Kartik lives in a distant town and takes half an hour to reach his school daily. One day on his way to school, he spots an old man lying unconscious on the road with no one around to help him. He tries to help the old man by running back to the town and calling the ambulance from the city hospital. He gets scolding from his teacher on reaching late to the school.

Scenario-2
Rashmi is a kind and considerate girl who has a special love for animals. While playing in the garden one day, she comes across a crippled dog, crying in pain. She decides to take it to the veterinary hospital for treatment. She spends all her pocket money on the treatment of the stray dog. Her mother gets annoyed at her for the same.

  1. Kartik keeps getting late to school on one pretext or the other.

  2. Kartik is sad and demoralised on getting scolded by the teacher.

  3. The old man gets well but never gets to know who helped him.

  4. The teacher gets to know the incident and praises Kartik for his good deed.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is the most likely option with the maximum possibility of happen.

Multiple choice

What can be assumed about Kartik from the first scenario?

Directions: Read the following two scenarios and answer the question that follows:

Scenario-1
Kartik lives in a distant town and takes half an hour to reach his school daily. One day on his way to school, he spots an old man lying unconscious on the road with no one around to help him. He tries to help the old man by running back to the town and calling the ambulance from the city hospital. He gets scolding from his teacher on reaching late to the school.

Scenario-2
Rashmi is a kind and considerate girl who has a special love for animals. While playing in the garden one day, she comes across a crippled dog, crying in pain. She decides to take it to the veterinary hospital for treatment. She spends all her pocket money on the treatment of the stray dog. Her mother gets annoyed at her for the same.

  1. He is always late for his school.

  2. He is a sincere and hard working student.

  3. He is kind and helpful to others.

  4. He often gets scolded by his teachers.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Had he been otherwise, he wouldn't have offered help to the old man.

Multiple choice

Both the scenarios teach us the true meaning of

Directions: Read the following two scenarios and answer the question that follows:

Scenario-1
Kartik lives in a distant town and takes half an hour to reach his school daily. One day on his way to school, he spots an old man lying unconscious on the road with no one around to help him. He tries to help the old man by running back to the town and calling the ambulance from the city hospital. He gets scolding from his teacher on reaching late to the school.

Scenario-2
Rashmi is a kind and considerate girl who has a special love for animals. While playing in the garden one day, she comes across a crippled dog, crying in pain. She decides to take it to the veterinary hospital for treatment. She spends all her pocket money on the treatment of the stray dog. Her mother gets annoyed at her for the same.

  1. charity

  2. discipline

  3. humanity

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

Humane natures of both the children were clearly brought out in both the scenarios.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'thanks' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.
A candle's beauty is not preatiness (1) of colour or shape, but rather (2) something else: "Not the best-looking thing, but the best-acting thing." A candle taps (3) all of the known laws of the universe.
The heat of the flame melts the wax and draws up (4) currents of air to cool the wax at the periphery, thus creating a cup (5) for the molten wax, which remains horizontal thanks (6) to gravity - "the same force of gravity which holds worlds together". Capillary action draws the melted wax up the wick from cup to flame, while the flame's heat triggers (7) a chemical reaction in the wax that sustains (8) the flame.

  1. recognition

  2. due

  3. because

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

'Thanks' to gravity here means it happens because of gravity. Therefore, 'due' will replace 'thanks'.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided between an opening statement and a closing statement. The four statements are jumbled up and form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these six taken together.

  1. Where other people found it acceptable to say that trees and cities fell or winter followed summer because gods were squabbling, some Greeks began to appeal to law. A. Even Zeus, the greatest of the gods, is subject to destiny. B. Things happened as they did because there were timeless, and unintended relationships between different and discoverable factors. C. At first that law was simply Destiny that nothing is allowed to grow too high means that everything has limit. D. But if Zeus does not or cannot, by his arbitrary choice, subvert that law, perhaps we can do without him.
  2. Other people found it easiest to defend particular stories by appeal to the chosen texts, some Greeks demanded reasons.

  1. DACB

  2. DBCA

  3. BCDA

  4. CADB
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

First of all, let us try to find links in the para jumble to work out the answer. Statement 1 is a stationary statement given to us. Now, when we go through the rest of the statements, we find a mention of Zeus in two statements - A and D. So, they should occur together thereby eliminating choice (2). Also, Zeus has been introduced in statement A and then referred to in statement D. Therefore, the sequence should be A followed by D(A $ \to $ D). Keeping this in mind, we have only one answer choice i.e. (4). Moreover the word law is mentioned in the end of line 1. This is elaborated in line C. Hence only option beginning with C is option 4.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided between an opening statement and a closing statement. The four statements are jumbled up and form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these six taken together.

  1. Like other social animals we signaled to each other, marked out our favourite routes, played with children established hierarchies and listened to the experienced elders. A. There were warriors then, and, gardeners, builders, weavers, nurses, cooks, craftsmen and magicians. B. Why brothers and sisters must no longer mate, why we age and die, and why there is anything? C. There were probably also people with a reputation for recounting marvels, bringing messages from the sky or from our ancestors. D. The earliest tales seek to explain why nonhuman animals no longer speak in human tongues, why the sky no longer rests upon the earth.
  2. Some told more elaborate stories to accommodate what seemed to be mistaken.

  1. DBAC

  2. BCDA

  3. ACBD

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

If we look at statements D & B, we find that D asks a question in its latter part and B further poses questions on the same lines. So, they should occur together in the same sequence D $ \to $B.  This leaves us with choices (1) & (4).  A and C also form a good link as both of them speak of the kinds of people found in the olden days. So, even they should occur with each other. Hence, (1) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the paragraph and answer the question that follows.

When you take a fish out of the ocean and throw it on the bank – the misery and the suffering and the torture and the hankering and the effort to reach back to the oceans because it is where the fish belongs. Any suffering is simply indicative that you are not in communion with existence that the fish is not in the ocean. When a dewdrop slips from a lotus leaf into the ocean it does not find that it is part of the ocean, it finds it is the ocean. And to find it is the ultimate goal, the ultimate realization. There is nothing beyond it. I don’t want anybody to stand between the individual and existence.

You are here, every individual is here, and the whole existence is available.

According to you, what is the theme of the passage?

  1. Death is the truth of life.

  2. We suffer when we are not in tune with ourselves.

  3. When we are not in meditation, we are separated from our existence and that is our suffering.

  4. None of these

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

Two examples – “Fish” and “dew drops” – cited here support the theme of the passage, i.e. when we meditate, all the barriers of thoughts, emotions and sentiments drop and we feel ourselves in tune with whole; not only in tune, we become whole. In this light, (1) is ruled out. Of (2) and (3), (2) seems to denote half truth. Hence, (3) is the answer.

Multiple choice theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Once upon a time, I went for a week's holiday to the Continent with an Indian friend. We both enjoyed ourselves and were sorry when the week was over, but on parting our behaviour was absolutely different. He was plunged in despair. He felt that because the holiday was overall happiness was over until the world ended. He could not express his sorrow too much. But in me, the Englishman came out strong. I could not see what there was to make a fuss about. It wasn't as if we were parting forever or dying. 'Buck up', I said, 'do buck up'. He refused to buck up and I left him plunged in gloom. 


What is the author's intention in the passage?

  1. To contact the Indian character with the English character

  2. To show that an Indian is sorrowful

  3. To ridicule the Indian traditions

  4. To praise the Englishman
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The given passage shows the Indian as sorrowful and gloomy. Thus option B is the correct answer. Options B,C and D are incorrect.

Multiple choice capitalization punctuation english

william blake famously hoped, "to see a world in a grain of sand, / and heaven in a wild flower, / hold infinity in the palm of your hand / and eternity in an hour."

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. William blake famously hoped, "to see a world in a grain of sand, / and heaven in a wild flower, / hold infinity in the palm of your hand / and eternity in an hour."

  3. William Blake famously hoped, "To see a world in a grain of sand, / and heaven in a wild flower, / hold infinity in the palm of your hand / and eternity in an hour."

  4. William Blake famously hoped, "To see a world in a grain of sand, / And heaven in a wild flower, / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / And eternity in an hour."
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
According to general rule, the first word of a sentence is always capitalized. Capitals are used for all proper nouns in a sentence, such as names of people.
The first letter of each beginning word in a line of poetry is capitalized. This is how poetry is distinguished from other art forms traditionally.
Thus, according to rules, the correct answer is Option D. The remaining options are incorrect.