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

In "The Lady or the Tiger?," the protagonist's decision to open the first or second door is ultimately:

  1. Irrelevant, as both doors lead to the same outcome

  2. A matter of chance, with no predetermined result

  3. A reflection of his true desires and fears

  4. A test of his moral character
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The story intentionally leaves the outcome ambiguous, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of fate and the futility of trying to control it.

Multiple choice

In "The Monkey's Paw," the protagonist's initial wish for wealth leads to:

  1. Unexpected financial gain

  2. A series of tragic events

  3. A newfound appreciation for his current life

  4. A realization of the futility of material desires
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The story explores the consequences of tampering with fate, as the protagonist's wishes result in a series of misfortunes and ultimately lead to the death of his son.

Multiple choice

In "The Monkey's Paw," the protagonist's initial wish for wealth leads to:

  1. Unexpected financial gain

  2. A series of tragic events

  3. A newfound appreciation for his current life

  4. A realization of the futility of material desires
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The story explores the consequences of tampering with fate, as the protagonist's wishes result in a series of misfortunes and ultimately lead to the death of his son.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, how does the narrator resolve his guilt over the murder he committed?

  1. He confesses to the police.

  2. He buries the body and forgets about it.

  3. He goes insane and dies.

  4. He is haunted by the victim's ghost.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The narrator's guilt over the murder drives him to insanity, and he eventually dies.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, how does the community resolve its annual ritual of stoning one of its members?

  1. They vote to end the ritual.

  2. They choose a scapegoat to be stoned.

  3. They draw lots to determine who will be stoned.

  4. They stone the first person they see.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The community resolves its annual ritual of stoning one of its members by drawing lots to determine who will be stoned.

Multiple choice

In the short story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, how does the grandmother resolve her conflict with her family?

  1. She accepts their differences and learns to love them.

  2. She disowns them and leaves them behind.

  3. She tries to change them, but they resist.

  4. She dies in a car accident before she can resolve the conflict.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The grandmother dies in a car accident before she can resolve her conflict with her family.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, how does the narrator resolve her conflict with her husband?

  1. She escapes from the house and runs away.

  2. She commits suicide.

  3. She goes insane and is institutionalized.

  4. She convinces her husband to let her go home.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The narrator's conflict with her husband drives her to insanity, and she is eventually institutionalized.

Multiple choice

In the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway, how does the couple resolve their conflict over whether or not to have an abortion?

  1. They decide to have the abortion.

  2. They decide not to have the abortion.

  3. They agree to disagree and leave the decision up to fate.

  4. They break up and go their separate ways.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The couple resolves their conflict over whether or not to have an abortion by agreeing to disagree and leaving the decision up to fate.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Night Oak Street Burned Down" by Thomas Pool, how does the protagonist resolve his conflict with his father?

  1. He confronts his father and tells him how he feels.

  2. He runs away from home.

  3. He writes a letter to his father expressing his feelings.

  4. He burns down his father's house.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The protagonist resolves his conflict with his father by confronting him and telling him how he feels.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Swimmer" by John Cheever, how does the protagonist resolve his conflict with his wife?

  1. He apologizes to her and promises to change his ways.

  2. He leaves her and moves away.

  3. He drowns in the pool.

  4. He has a heart attack and dies.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The protagonist resolves his conflict with his wife by drowning in the pool.

Multiple choice

In the short story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, how does the protagonist resolve his conflict with his blind friend?

  1. He learns to see the world through his friend's eyes.

  2. He helps his friend to see the world through his eyes.

  3. They agree to disagree and go their separate ways.

  4. They break up their friendship.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The protagonist resolves his conflict with his blind friend by learning to see the world through his friend's eyes.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, how does the protagonist resolve his conflict with the war?

  1. He writes a book about his experiences.

  2. He joins a veterans' support group.

  3. He goes back to Vietnam to confront his demons.

  4. He commits suicide.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The protagonist resolves his conflict with the war by writing a book about his experiences.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, how does the protagonist resolve her conflict with her mother?

  1. She writes a letter to her mother expressing her feelings.

  2. She confronts her mother and tells her how she feels.

  3. She goes to therapy to deal with her issues.

  4. She moves away from her mother.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The protagonist resolves her conflict with her mother by writing a letter to her mother expressing her feelings.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, how does the protagonist resolve her conflict with her husband?

  1. She leaves him and moves away.

  2. She confronts him and tells him how she feels.

  3. They agree to go to counseling.

  4. She kills him.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The protagonist resolves her conflict with her husband by leaving him and moving away.

Multiple choice

In the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe, what tragic misunderstanding led to their untimely deaths?

  1. They were separated by a wall and mistakenly believed each other to be dead.

  2. They were tricked by a jealous rival who spread false rumors.

  3. They were caught in a crossfire during a battle.

  4. They were cursed by a vengeful god.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Pyramus and Thisbe, two young lovers from ancient Babylon, were separated by a wall. When they attempted to reunite under a mulberry tree, a lion attacked and killed Pyramus. Thisbe, finding Pyramus's bloodstained cloak, assumed he was dead and took her own life.