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.

Passage based inferenceParagraph rearrangementCloze test fillingVocabulary replacementReading accuracy tests

English Reading Comprehension Questions

Multiple choice

In the fable "The Fox and the Grapes", what does the fox say about the grapes that he cannot reach?

  1. They are too sour

  2. They are too high

  3. They are too expensive
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The fox says that the grapes are too sour because he cannot reach them, and he is trying to make himself feel better about it.

Multiple choice

In the fable "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse", what does the town mouse think of the country mouse's lifestyle?

  1. It is too simple

  2. It is too boring

  3. It is too dangerous
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The town mouse thinks that the country mouse's lifestyle is too simple and boring, because he is used to the excitement and variety of city life.

Multiple choice

What is the speaker's initial reaction to the skylark's song?

  1. He is filled with awe and wonder.

  2. He is annoyed by the noise.

  3. He is indifferent to it.

  4. He is frightened by it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker describes the skylark's song as 'blithe spirit' and 'profuse strains of unpremeditated art'.

Multiple choice

In the poem 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night' by Dylan Thomas, what is the speaker's plea to his dying father?

  1. To fight against death and live on

  2. To accept death with grace and dignity

  3. To leave a legacy of love and kindness

  4. To remember him after he is gone
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker in Dylan Thomas's poem 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night' pleads with his dying father to fight against death and live on.

Multiple choice

In Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, the protagonist Sethe kills her infant daughter in order to protect her from a life of slavery. This act is reminiscent of the infanticide committed by Medea in Greek mythology. What is the significance of this allusion?

  1. It suggests that Sethe is a monster who is capable of killing her own child.

  2. It highlights the parallels between the experiences of Sethe and Medea, who are both women who have been driven to desperate measures by their circumstances.

  3. It is simply a coincidence that the two characters happen to kill their children.

  4. It is a way for Morrison to pay homage to the ancient Greek tragedians, who were her inspiration for this novel.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The allusion to the infanticide committed by Medea in Greek mythology highlights the parallels between the experiences of Sethe and Medea, who are both women who have been driven to desperate measures by their circumstances. Both women are faced with impossible choices, and both women make the difficult decision to kill their children in order to protect them from a life of suffering.

Multiple choice

In the fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", what is the consequence of the boy's repeated false alarms?

  1. The villagers stop believing him.

  2. He is punished by his parents.

  3. He is attacked by a wolf.

  4. He is exiled from the village.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In the fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", the boy's repeated false alarms lead to the villagers losing trust in him, which has serious consequences when a real wolf appears.

Multiple choice

In the fable "The Lion and the Mouse", what is the moral lesson that is conveyed?

  1. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

  2. Pride comes before a fall.

  3. The meek shall inherit the earth.

  4. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The fable "The Lion and the Mouse" teaches the moral lesson that even the smallest act of kindness can have a big impact, and that it is important to be kind to everyone, regardless of their size or status.

Multiple choice

In the fable "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse", what is the moral lesson that is conveyed?

  1. There's no place like home.

  2. Variety is the spice of life.

  3. Home is where the heart is.

  4. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The fable "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" teaches the moral lesson that there is no place like home, and that the comforts of home are often better than the excitement of new experiences.

Multiple choice

In the short story 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson, the villagers participate in a ritual that involves:

  1. Sacrificing a young woman

  2. Celebrating a harvest festival

  3. Performing a religious ceremony

  4. Hosting a community feast
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The story explores the dark side of human nature and the consequences of blindly following tradition, as the villagers participate in a ritual that involves sacrificing a young woman.

Multiple choice

In the poem 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night' by Dylan Thomas, the speaker urges his father to:

  1. Accept death with grace and dignity

  2. Fight against death with all his might

  3. Seek solace in religion and prayer

  4. Leave a legacy of wealth and possessions
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The poem is a powerful plea to confront death with courage and determination, rather than passively accepting it.

Multiple choice

In 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian', Junior's decision to leave the reservation and attend an all-white high school is a pivotal moment in his journey of self-discovery. What is his primary motivation for this decision?

  1. Seeking better educational opportunities

  2. Escaping the limitations of his community

  3. Pursuing his artistic aspirations

  4. Reconnecting with his Native American heritage
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Junior's desire for a better education and a broader range of opportunities drives his decision to leave the reservation and attend an all-white high school.

Multiple choice

What does the speaker say the skylark's song does to him in the fourteenth stanza?

  1. It makes him want to live a better life

  2. It makes him want to be a better person

  3. It makes him want to make the world a better place

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker says that the skylark's song "makes me want to live a better life, be a better person, and make the world a better place."

Multiple choice

In "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", how does Huck's transformation in clothing reflect his journey towards moral growth?

  1. He begins to wear clothes that are more respectable and conventional

  2. He starts dressing in a way that expresses his individuality and freedom

  3. He sheds the clothes that symbolize his association with Jim

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Huck's transformation in clothing reflects his journey towards moral growth as he begins to wear clothes that are more respectable and conventional, starts dressing in a way that expresses his individuality and freedom, and sheds the clothes that symbolize his association with Jim.

Multiple choice

The autobiography \"Touching the Void\" by Joe Simpson narrates his harrowing experience of a mountaineering accident in which he:

  1. Fell into a crevasse

  2. Lost his climbing partner

  3. Suffered severe frostbite

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Joe Simpson's \"Touching the Void\" recounts his ordeal in the Andes, where he fell into a crevasse, lost his climbing partner, and endured extreme weather conditions.

Multiple choice

In her autobiography \"Wild\", Cheryl Strayed recounts her solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail after her mother's death and a:

  1. Divorce

  2. Job loss

  3. Addiction

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Cheryl Strayed's \"Wild\" narrates her transformative journey on the Pacific Crest Trail as she copes with the loss of her mother, a divorce, job loss, and addiction.