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

'Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you.'

What is the intended message of this line from The Police's 'Every Breath You Take'?

  1. It's a declaration of love and devotion.

  2. It's a warning to someone who has wronged the singer.

  3. It's a commentary on the suffocating nature of surveillance and control.

  4. It's a metaphor for the inescapable presence of God.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
Correct answer
Explanation

The line 'Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you' is a chilling commentary on the suffocating nature of surveillance and control. It highlights the loss of privacy and autonomy in a world where every action is scrutinized and monitored.

Multiple choice

'Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you.'

What is the intended message of this line from The Police's 'Every Breath You Take'?

  1. It's a declaration of love and devotion.

  2. It's a warning to someone who has wronged the singer.

  3. It's a commentary on the suffocating nature of surveillance and control.

  4. It's a metaphor for the inescapable presence of God.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
Correct answer
Explanation

The line 'Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you' is a chilling commentary on the suffocating nature of surveillance and control. It highlights the loss of privacy and autonomy in a world where every action is scrutinized and monitored.

Multiple choice

In Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None', the mysterious deaths on an isolated island are linked to a nursery rhyme called:

  1. Ten Little Indians

  2. Humpty Dumpty

  3. Mary Had a Little Lamb

  4. Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The rhyme 'Ten Little Indians' serves as a haunting backdrop to the unfolding murders.

Multiple choice

In her autobiography, The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion reflects on her experiences of:

  1. Losing her husband

  2. Grieving and coping with loss

  3. Finding new meaning in life

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

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion is a powerful and moving memoir that explores her journey through grief and loss after the sudden death of her husband.

Multiple choice

In her memoir (\text{Wild}), Cheryl Strayed recounts her journey of self-discovery as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail. What was her motivation for undertaking this challenging journey?

  1. To escape a broken heart

  2. To fulfill a lifelong dream

  3. To raise money for charity

  4. To reconnect with nature
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Cheryl Strayed hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in an attempt to escape the pain of her recent divorce and the death of her mother.

Multiple choice

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

  1. He is filled with joy and wonder.

  2. He is indifferent to it.

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

The speaker says that the nightingale's song is "full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene," which suggests that he is filled with joy and wonder at its beauty.

Multiple choice

In the ballad "Lord Randall," what is the cause of the young lord's sudden illness and death?

  1. A poisoned apple

  2. A snake bite

  3. A broken heart

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

In the ballad, Lord Randall falls ill and dies after eating a poisoned apple given to him by his lover, who is jealous of his impending marriage to another woman.

Multiple choice

In the ballad "The Wife of Usher's Well," what do the three drowned sons ask their mother to do for them?

  1. Bake them bread

  2. Sing them a song

  3. Tell them stories

  4. Pray for their souls
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The three drowned sons ask their mother to bake them bread, symbolizing their desire for nourishment and comfort in the afterlife.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the story in the Liezi that tells of a man who could walk through walls?

  1. The Story of the Yellow Emperor and the Immortals

  2. The Story of the Fisherman and the Woodcutter

  3. The Story of the Man Who Could Walk Through Walls

  4. The Story of the Monkey and the Turtle
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Liezi contains a story about a man named Chuang Chou, who could walk through walls and travel through space and time.

Multiple choice

In the poem Invictus, what does the speaker resolve to do in the face of adversity?

  1. Give up

  2. Fight back

  3. Run away

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

The speaker of Invictus resolves to fight back against adversity, no matter how difficult it may be.

Multiple choice

In the poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, what does the speaker urge his father to do?

  1. Give up

  2. Fight back

  3. Accept death

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

The speaker of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night urges his father to fight back against death, even though it is inevitable.

Multiple choice

In the film 12 Years a Slave, what does Solomon Northup's experience of slavery teach him about the human spirit?

  1. It is weak

  2. It is resilient

  3. It is evil

  4. It is worthless
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Solomon Northup's experience of slavery teaches him that the human spirit is resilient, as he is able to survive and maintain his dignity even in the face of unimaginable hardship.

Multiple choice

In the film Life of Pi, what does Pi's experience of being stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger teach him about life?

  1. It is meaningless

  2. It is beautiful

  3. It is cruel

  4. It is unfair
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Pi's experience of being stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger teaches him that life is beautiful, even in the face of adversity.

Multiple choice

In 'Cyrano de Bergerac', what does Cyrano write in his love letter to Roxane?

  1. 'I love you with all my heart.'

  2. 'You are the most beautiful woman in the world.'

  3. 'I will never stop loving you.'

  4. 'My love for you is eternal.'
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In 'Cyrano de Bergerac', Cyrano's love letter to Roxane expresses his heartfelt love for her.

Multiple choice

What did Narcissus do when he saw his reflection in the pool of water?

  1. He fell in love with it.

  2. He hated it.

  3. He ignored it.

  4. He ran away from it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the pool of water.