English Language

English Reading Comprehension

3,503 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

Which of these fits gap (i)?

Directions: Read the following passage having some numbered gaps.

Gandhiji’s views were too spiritual to be strictly adopted in life. However, his influence and importance were ___(i)___. It was he who got us freedom without bloodshed and ___(ii)____ other nations to demand their freedom. He championed against many ___(iii)___. He loved India but more importantly he loved God and man. His name has become a ___(iv)____. There has hardly been any revolutionary who was so powerfully good.

  1. giant

  2. bulky

  3. enormous

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

Correct option is (3). However, his influence and importance were enormous. 

Multiple choice

While looking for a house, the woman finds

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

Searching a House
For the fifth day in succession, I set out on the wearisome search for a house. My husband had been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must give up living in the town because of pollution. It was essential for him to breathe the purer air of the country if he was to get strong again. So, I was feverishly house hunting. Of course, I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them.
Some were too large, some too small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some had so little a garden that it was practically non-existent. Some had never been repaired since they were built; roof tiles were missing; walls and ceilings were cracked, wood work was rotting, paint was peeling. It would require a fortune to make them habitable. The morning of the fifth day brought no better result, so I was disappointed. However, something impelled me to go on after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted.

  1. that it is a smooth task

  2. that it is a gruelling task

  3. that it is not an important task

  4. that she cannot handle the task
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (2). As evident from the sentence, "I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them." 

Multiple choice

It was necessary for the author to find a new house because

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

Searching a House
For the fifth day in succession, I set out on the wearisome search for a house. My husband had been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must give up living in the town because of pollution. It was essential for him to breathe the purer air of the country if he was to get strong again. So, I was feverishly house hunting. Of course, I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them.
Some were too large, some too small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some had so little a garden that it was practically non-existent. Some had never been repaired since they were built; roof tiles were missing; walls and ceilings were cracked, wood work was rotting, paint was peeling. It would require a fortune to make them habitable. The morning of the fifth day brought no better result, so I was disappointed. However, something impelled me to go on after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted.

  1. her husband was very ill

  2. the doctor was adamant for a better place

  3. it was very necessary for her husband to breathe pure air

  4. her old house was very small
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (3). It is mentioned in the text that her husband was very ill but it is not the exact reason for her search of a new house. Option (3) presents the exact reason.

Multiple choice

The text is described as a

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

Searching a House
For the fifth day in succession, I set out on the wearisome search for a house. My husband had been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must give up living in the town because of pollution. It was essential for him to breathe the purer air of the country if he was to get strong again. So, I was feverishly house hunting. Of course, I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them.
Some were too large, some too small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some had so little a garden that it was practically non-existent. Some had never been repaired since they were built; roof tiles were missing; walls and ceilings were cracked, wood work was rotting, paint was peeling. It would require a fortune to make them habitable. The morning of the fifth day brought no better result, so I was disappointed. However, something impelled me to go on after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted.

  1. longing for better living

  2. rustic feeling

  3. urban feeling

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

Correct option is (1) as a pollution free location and a house in a good condition is being searched here.

Multiple choice

The second paragraph of this passage shows that

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

Searching a House
For the fifth day in succession, I set out on the wearisome search for a house. My husband had been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must give up living in the town because of pollution. It was essential for him to breathe the purer air of the country if he was to get strong again. So, I was feverishly house hunting. Of course, I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them.
Some were too large, some too small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some had so little a garden that it was practically non-existent. Some had never been repaired since they were built; roof tiles were missing; walls and ceilings were cracked, wood work was rotting, paint was peeling. It would require a fortune to make them habitable. The morning of the fifth day brought no better result, so I was disappointed. However, something impelled me to go on after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted.

  1. she found all the houses unfit for use

  2. she found most houses to be very small

  3. she found some houses to be beyond repairs

  4. she needed a fortune to make all the houses worth living
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (3). She found some houses that needed repair, but she was not looking to repair them and spend money on them. So, option 4 is incorrect.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap (iii)?

Directions: Read the following passage having some numbered gaps.

Gandhiji’s views were too spiritual to be strictly adopted in life. However, his influence and importance were ___(i)___. It was he who got us freedom without bloodshed and ___(ii)____ other nations to demand their freedom. He championed against many ___(iii)___. He loved India but more importantly he loved God and man. His name has become a ___(iv)____. There has hardly been any revolutionary who was so powerfully good.

  1. economic evils

  2. the cause of the poor

  3. the cause of the rich

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

Correct option is (4). He championed against many social evils. 

Multiple choice

The houses that the author saw made her feel that they had never been properly looked after because

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

Searching a House
For the fifth day in succession, I set out on the wearisome search for a house. My husband had been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must give up living in the town because of pollution. It was essential for him to breathe the purer air of the country if he was to get strong again. So, I was feverishly house hunting. Of course, I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them.
Some were too large, some too small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some had so little a garden that it was practically non-existent. Some had never been repaired since they were built; roof tiles were missing; walls and ceilings were cracked, wood work was rotting, paint was peeling. It would require a fortune to make them habitable. The morning of the fifth day brought no better result, so I was disappointed. However, something impelled me to go on after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted.

  1. in some houses, roof tiles were gone

  2. in some houses, walls and ceilings were cracked

  3. in some houses, wood work was rotting

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

Correct option is (4). All of these reasons are mentioned in the text.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace “terraces” as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

Winter is the time of the year when the intensity of the heat and light emitted by the sun is reduced. Dogs abandon the shadowy retreats of houses, trees and ditches for the open spaces of yards, lawns, terraces and verandas where they stretch out savouring the affection of the balmy sun. Their elderly human companions catch its benign rays to thaw out their joint pains while having settled comfortably in recliners, easy chairs and other comfartable perches. Morning walk routes also burst into colours as the morning walkers come out draped in a variety of colourful winter dressings.

  1. dooryards

  2. areas

  3. balconies

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

Correct option is (3). An open platform as projecting from the outside wall of an apartment; a large balcony is called terrace. 

Multiple choice

What time of the day was it when the author was able to find a house of her liking?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

Searching a House
For the fifth day in succession, I set out on the wearisome search for a house. My husband had been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must give up living in the town because of pollution. It was essential for him to breathe the purer air of the country if he was to get strong again. So, I was feverishly house hunting. Of course, I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them.
Some were too large, some too small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some had so little a garden that it was practically non-existent. Some had never been repaired since they were built; roof tiles were missing; walls and ceilings were cracked, wood work was rotting, paint was peeling. It would require a fortune to make them habitable. The morning of the fifth day brought no better result, so I was disappointed. However, something impelled me to go on after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted.

  1. Morning

  2. Night

  3. Afternoon

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

Correct option is (3). "However, something impelled me to go on after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted." 

Multiple choice

What conclusion can be drawn from scenario 2?

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

Scenario – 1
Columbus was a resident of Geneva. He was the son of a weaver. At a very tender age, he became a sailor. At the age of twenty seven, he reached Portugal. There he was married to a rich lady. Now Columbus decided to go on a voyage but he could not get any help from any state. Without help, his task was difficult. He kept on making efforts for eight years. At last, the king of Spain agreed to provide all the help.

Scenario – 2
An old farmer was on his death bed, but he was very worried. His sons were quarrelsome and divided. So, he called his sons and gave them a bundle of sticks. He asked them to try to break it. Every one of them tried, but failed. At last, the farmer asked them to untie the bundle and break the sticks one by one. Not to speak of the oldest son, now even the youngest one broke the sticks. Now the father said, “Sons, union is strength and disunion is disaster."

  1. Union is strength.

  2. Well begun is half done.

  3. Cowards die many times before their death.

  4. Cast pearls before a swine.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (1). Last line of scenario 2: "Sons, union is strength and disunion is disaster." 

Multiple choice

What could have happened if the farmer in scenario 2 had not advised his sons?

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

Scenario – 1
Columbus was a resident of Geneva. He was the son of a weaver. At a very tender age, he became a sailor. At the age of twenty seven, he reached Portugal. There he was married to a rich lady. Now Columbus decided to go on a voyage but he could not get any help from any state. Without help, his task was difficult. He kept on making efforts for eight years. At last, the king of Spain agreed to provide all the help.

Scenario – 2
An old farmer was on his death bed, but he was very worried. His sons were quarrelsome and divided. So, he called his sons and gave them a bundle of sticks. He asked them to try to break it. Every one of them tried, but failed. At last, the farmer asked them to untie the bundle and break the sticks one by one. Not to speak of the oldest son, now even the youngest one broke the sticks. Now the father said, “Sons, union is strength and disunion is disaster."

  1. The sons could have quarrelled among themselves.

  2. The sons could have had to live without food.

  3. The sons could have landed into begging.

  4. The sons could have lived a miserable life.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (1). "His sons were quarrelsome and divided." 

Multiple choice

The first scenario clearly states that

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

Scenario – 1
Columbus was a resident of Geneva. He was the son of a weaver. At a very tender age, he became a sailor. At the age of twenty seven, he reached Portugal. There he was married to a rich lady. Now Columbus decided to go on a voyage but he could not get any help from any state. Without help, his task was difficult. He kept on making efforts for eight years. At last, the king of Spain agreed to provide all the help.

Scenario – 2
An old farmer was on his death bed, but he was very worried. His sons were quarrelsome and divided. So, he called his sons and gave them a bundle of sticks. He asked them to try to break it. Every one of them tried, but failed. At last, the farmer asked them to untie the bundle and break the sticks one by one. Not to speak of the oldest son, now even the youngest one broke the sticks. Now the father said, “Sons, union is strength and disunion is disaster."

  1. Columbus was a cowardly man

  2. Columbus was a man of strong determination

  3. Columbus was a man of wavering ideas

  4. Columbus could be towed away by anybody
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (2). "He kept on making efforts for eight years." 

Multiple choice

The word “worried” in scenario 2 is about which attribute of the farmer?

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

Scenario – 1
Columbus was a resident of Geneva. He was the son of a weaver. At a very tender age, he became a sailor. At the age of twenty seven, he reached Portugal. There he was married to a rich lady. Now Columbus decided to go on a voyage but he could not get any help from any state. Without help, his task was difficult. He kept on making efforts for eight years. At last, the king of Spain agreed to provide all the help.

Scenario – 2
An old farmer was on his death bed, but he was very worried. His sons were quarrelsome and divided. So, he called his sons and gave them a bundle of sticks. He asked them to try to break it. Every one of them tried, but failed. At last, the farmer asked them to untie the bundle and break the sticks one by one. Not to speak of the oldest son, now even the youngest one broke the sticks. Now the father said, “Sons, union is strength and disunion is disaster."

  1. He was a foolish farmer.

  2. He was a strict father.

  3. He was careless in his duties.

  4. He was an affectionate father.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (4) as he was worried about his sons.

Multiple choice

Which of these words best describes the character of Columbus in scenario 1?

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

Scenario – 1
Columbus was a resident of Geneva. He was the son of a weaver. At a very tender age, he became a sailor. At the age of twenty seven, he reached Portugal. There he was married to a rich lady. Now Columbus decided to go on a voyage but he could not get any help from any state. Without help, his task was difficult. He kept on making efforts for eight years. At last, the king of Spain agreed to provide all the help.

Scenario – 2
An old farmer was on his death bed, but he was very worried. His sons were quarrelsome and divided. So, he called his sons and gave them a bundle of sticks. He asked them to try to break it. Every one of them tried, but failed. At last, the farmer asked them to untie the bundle and break the sticks one by one. Not to speak of the oldest son, now even the youngest one broke the sticks. Now the father said, “Sons, union is strength and disunion is disaster."

  1. Persistent

  2. Courageous

  3. Negative

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

Correct option is (1) as Columbus was making continuous effort without giving up.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap (iv)?

Directions: Read the following passage having some numbered gaps.

Gandhiji’s views were too spiritual to be strictly adopted in life. However, his influence and importance were ___(i)___. It was he who got us freedom without bloodshed and ___(ii)____ other nations to demand their freedom. He championed against many ___(iii)___. He loved India but more importantly he loved God and man. His name has become a ___(iv)____. There has hardly been any revolutionary who was so powerfully good.

  1. legend

  2. mythical

  3. familiar

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

Correct option is (1). His name has become a legend. Other options do not fit.