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

What happened to Narcissus because he fell in love with his own reflection?

  1. He died.

  2. He became immortal.

  3. He turned into a flower.

  4. He turned into a tree.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Narcissus died because he fell in love with his own reflection and could not eat or drink.

Multiple choice

What happened to Echo after Narcissus rejected her?

  1. She died.

  2. She turned into a flower.

  3. She turned into a tree.

  4. She became immortal.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Echo died after Narcissus rejected her.

Multiple choice

Which of these limericks contains a reference to a historical figure?

  1. There was an old man with a beard Who said, 'It's just no use, I'm weird!' But his friends all agreed It was fun to be freed From his whiskers, so they all cheered.

  2. There was a young lady named Bright, Whose speed was far faster than light; She set out one day In a relative way, And returned on the previous night.

  3. There was a young man from Peru, Whose beard was so long it grew, Through his collar and coat, And out through his throat, Till it reached to the top of his shoe.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This limerick contains a reference to the historical figure Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in the 16th century.

Multiple choice

Which of these limericks contains a reference to a scientific concept?

  1. There was an old man with a beard Who said, 'It's just no use, I'm weird!' But his friends all agreed It was fun to be freed From his whiskers, so they all cheered.

  2. There was a young lady named Bright, Whose speed was far faster than light; She set out one day In a relative way, And returned on the previous night.

  3. There was a young man from Peru, Whose beard was so long it grew, Through his collar and coat, And out through his throat, Till it reached to the top of his shoe.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This limerick contains a reference to the scientific concept of time dilation, which is the slowing down of time for an observer who is moving at a high speed.

Multiple choice

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

The little girl ran through the forest, her heart pounding in her chest. She had been playing hide-and-seek with her friends, but she had gotten lost. She didn't know which way to go, and she was starting to get scared.

What is the main problem that the little girl is facing?

  1. She is lost.

  2. She is scared.

  3. She is playing hide-and-seek.

  4. She is running through the forest.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The main problem that the little girl is facing is that she is lost. She doesn't know which way to go, and she is starting to get scared.

Multiple choice

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

The boy sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall. He couldn't sleep. He was too excited about the upcoming field trip to the zoo. He had never been to a zoo before, and he couldn't wait to see all the animals.

What is the boy's main emotion?

  1. excitement

  2. sadness

  3. anger

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

The boy's main emotion is excitement because he is looking forward to the upcoming field trip to the zoo.

Multiple choice

In the song "Jealous" by Labrinth, what does the protagonist do to try to overcome their jealousy?

  1. They try to ignore their jealousy

  2. They try to talk to their partner about their feelings

  3. They try to find a new partner

  4. They try to sabotage their partner's relationship
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In the song "Jealous," Labrinth sings about a person who is struggling with jealousy and insecurity in their relationship. They realize that the only way to overcome their jealousy is to talk to their partner about their feelings and work through their issues together.

Multiple choice

In the song "Jealous" by Labrinth, what does the protagonist do to try to overcome their jealousy?

  1. They try to ignore their jealousy

  2. They try to talk to their partner about their feelings

  3. They try to find a new partner

  4. They try to sabotage their partner's relationship
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In the song "Jealous," Labrinth sings about a person who is struggling with jealousy and insecurity in their relationship. They realize that the only way to overcome their jealousy is to talk to their partner about their feelings and work through their issues together.

Multiple choice

In Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess," the Duke of Ferrara reveals his possessive and controlling nature through his description of his late wife. What is the primary reason for the Duke's possessive behavior?

  1. His desire to maintain control and dominance over his wife

  2. His jealousy and insecurity regarding his wife's beauty and charm

  3. His fear of betrayal and the loss of his wife's love

  4. His inability to express his true feelings and emotions
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Browning's poem reveals the Duke's possessive and controlling nature, driven by his desire to maintain absolute control over his wife and prevent any perceived threats to his authority.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart", what is the narrator's motive for murdering the old man?

  1. Jealousy

  2. Revenge

  3. Fear

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

The narrator murders the old man because he is afraid that the old man's "vulture eye" can see through his soul and expose his madness.

Multiple choice

In the film 'The Fly' (1986), what happens to the protagonist, Seth Brundle, after an experiment with a teleportation device goes awry?

  1. He transforms into a giant fly.

  2. He gains the ability to fly.

  3. He becomes invisible.

  4. He switches bodies with a fly.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Seth Brundle's DNA merges with that of a fly during the teleportation experiment, resulting in a grotesque transformation into a giant fly-like creature.

Multiple choice

In the song 'Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)' by The Temptations, the line 'I've been dreaming of you night and day' symbolizes:

  1. A deep longing for someone who is not present

  2. A vivid imagination that creates a fantasy world

  3. A desire to escape from reality and into a dream

  4. A preoccupation with someone who is unattainable
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The song 'Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)' by The Temptations is a declaration of love and longing. The line 'I've been dreaming of you night and day' symbolizes a deep longing for someone who is not present. The singer is expressing their desire to be with the person they love and their inability to stop thinking about them.

Multiple choice

In the song 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye, the line 'I bet you're wondering how I knew, 'bout your plans to make me blue' suggests:

  1. A sense of betrayal and hurt caused by a lover's infidelity

  2. A suspicion that someone is plotting against them

  3. A fear of being deceived or lied to by a partner

  4. A desire to uncover the truth about a secret relationship
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The song 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye is a declaration of heartbreak and betrayal. The line 'I bet you're wondering how I knew, 'bout your plans to make me blue' suggests a sense of betrayal and hurt caused by a lover's infidelity. The singer is expressing their pain and anger at being deceived and lied to.

Multiple choice

In 'The Tell-Tale Heart', what does the narrator hear?

  1. The beating of his own heart

  2. The sound of footsteps

  3. The old man's voice

  4. The ticking of a clock
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The narrator of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' is haunted by the sound of his own heart beating, which he believes is a sign of his guilt.

Multiple choice

In the short story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," by Flannery O'Connor, what is the significance of the grandmother's insistence on visiting her relatives in spite of the warnings she receives?

  1. It foreshadows the tragic events that will occur during their journey.

  2. It highlights her stubbornness and refusal to listen to advice.

  3. It suggests her desire for adventure and her willingness to take risks.

  4. It reveals her deep affection for her family and her determination to see them.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The grandmother's insistence on visiting her relatives despite the warnings she receives foreshadows the tragic events that will occur during their journey. Her determination to go against the advice of others suggests that she is unaware of the danger that lies ahead. This foreshadowing creates a sense of suspense and anticipation, as the reader wonders what fate awaits the grandmother and her family.