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

What is the ability to read and understand written text?

  1. Writing

  2. Speaking

  3. Listening

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

Reading is the ability to read and understand written text.

Multiple choice

What does the speaker say about the trees?

  1. They are a symbol of life.

  2. They are a reminder of our mortality.

  3. They are a source of energy.

  4. They are a symbol of hope.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker says that the trees are a symbol of life that helps him to feel connected to the natural world.

Multiple choice

In the context of reading comprehension, what does the term 'schema' refer to?

  1. A mental representation of prior knowledge and experiences

  2. A set of rules for generating sentences

  3. The structure of a written text

  4. The meaning of individual words
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In reading comprehension, a schema is a mental representation of prior knowledge and experiences that helps readers understand and interpret text.

Multiple choice

In Ernest Hemingway's novella The Old Man and the Sea, what is the relationship between the old man and the fish he catches?

  1. The fish is a symbol of the old man's strength and determination

  2. The fish is a symbol of the old man's struggle with nature

  3. The fish is a symbol of the old man's mortality

  4. The fish is a symbol of the old man's love for the sea
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The fish in The Old Man and the Sea is a symbol of the old man's struggle with nature. The old man is determined to catch the fish, but he is also aware that the fish is a powerful and dangerous creature. The struggle between the old man and the fish is a metaphor for the old man's struggle with the forces of nature.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Parable of the Prodigal Son", what does the prodigal son do with his inheritance?

  1. He spends it on wild living.

  2. He invests it wisely.

  3. He gives it to the poor.

  4. He uses it to start a business.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The prodigal son spends his inheritance on wild living. He travels to a distant country and squanders his money on parties and prostitutes.

Multiple choice

In the short story "A Christmas Carol", what does Scrooge learn from the three spirits?

  1. That he is a selfish and greedy man.

  2. That he needs to be more generous.

  3. That he needs to spend more time with his family.

  4. That he needs to find a new job.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Scrooge learns from the three spirits that he is a selfish and greedy man. He realizes that he needs to change his ways.

Multiple choice

In the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart", what does the narrator do with the old man's body?

  1. He buries it in the backyard.

  2. He throws it in the river.

  3. He hides it under the floorboards.

  4. He burns it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The narrator hides the old man's body under the floorboards. He thinks that this will hide the body from the police.

Multiple choice

How are interpreters used in the WTO Committee on Trade in Goods meetings?

  1. They translate speeches and documents into the three official languages

  2. They provide simultaneous interpretation of speeches

  3. They help participants to communicate with each other in different languages

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

Interpreters are used in the WTO Committee on Trade in Goods meetings to translate speeches and documents into the three official languages, to provide simultaneous interpretation of speeches, and to help participants to communicate with each other in different languages.

Multiple choice

What is the speaker's attitude towards the urn?

  1. He is indifferent towards it.

  2. He is awestruck by its beauty.

  3. He is disgusted by its age.

  4. He is saddened by its broken state.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker's attitude towards the urn is one of awe and wonder. He is amazed by its beauty and its ability to capture a moment in time.

Multiple choice

What does the speaker say about the figures on the urn?

  1. They are frozen in time.

  2. They are dancing and singing.

  3. They are fighting and killing each other.

  4. They are mourning the death of a loved one.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker says that the figures on the urn are frozen in time, as if they are caught in a moment of perfect beauty.

Multiple choice

What does the speaker say about the trees on the urn?

  1. They are bare.

  2. They are in bloom.

  3. They are dying.

  4. They are growing.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker says that the trees on the urn are in bloom, which suggests that the scene on the urn is one of springtime and new beginnings.

Multiple choice

In the epic poem The Nibelungenlied, what is the role of fate in the downfall of the Burgundians?

  1. Fate decrees that the Burgundians will be defeated by the Huns.

  2. Fate allows the Burgundians to choose their own destiny.

  3. Fate has no influence on the outcome of the conflict.

  4. Fate intervenes to save the Burgundians from destruction.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In The Nibelungenlied, fate plays a central role in the downfall of the Burgundians. It is predetermined that they will be defeated by the Huns, despite their valiant efforts to resist their fate.

Multiple choice

In the epic poem The Cid, how does fate shape the destiny of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar?

  1. Fate ordains that Rodrigo will become a legendary hero.

  2. Fate prevents Rodrigo from achieving his goals.

  3. Fate allows Rodrigo to choose his own path.

  4. Fate has no impact on Rodrigo's life.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In The Cid, fate plays a significant role in shaping Rodrigo's destiny. It is decreed that he will become a renowned warrior and a symbol of Spanish national identity.

Multiple choice

What is the main idea of a text?

  1. The central message or idea of the text

  2. The topic of the text

  3. The supporting details of the text

  4. The conclusion of the text
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The main idea of a text is the central message or idea that the author is trying to convey. It is typically expressed in a single sentence.

Multiple choice

In the Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong", what does the protagonist Shim Cheong do to save her blind father?

  1. She sells herself into slavery.

  2. She prays to the gods for help.

  3. She goes on a quest to find a magical cure.

  4. She sacrifices her own life.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In the folktale, Shim Cheong sells herself into slavery to a wealthy family in order to pay for her father's eye surgery. Her sacrifice ultimately leads to her father's recovery and her own happiness.