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

Inward eye

Directions: Some words in the verse below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

  1. Mind

  2. Brain

  3. Pleasure

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

Inward eye refers to the mind's eye - imagination or memory. Wordsworth writes that the daffodils 'flash upon that inward eye' - meaning they appear in his imagination/memory when he's in a pensive mood. Brain, pleasure, and thought are not correct interpretations in this context.

Multiple choice

Fluttering

Directions: Some words in the verse below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

  1. Moving Restlessly

  2. Shivering in rain

  3. Blowing with air

  4. Jumping with joy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Fluttering means moving lightly and quickly, typically in response to wind or air currents. Wordsworth describes daffodils 'fluttering and dancing in the breeze' - they are moving lightly in the wind. Moving restlessly, shivering in rain, and jumping with joy don't capture the gentle wind movement.

Multiple choice

Glance

Directions: Some words in the verse below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

  1. Single group

  2. Look

  3. Viewpoint

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

In the line 'Ten thousand saw I at a glance,' the poet is describing how he could see thousands of daffodils in one quick look. 'At a glance' is an idiomatic expression meaning to see something quickly or in a single look. Option B 'Look' best captures this meaning of taking in everything at once. Option D 'Vision' is close but refers more to the act of seeing rather than the quick, comprehensive viewing implied in the context.

Multiple choice

Bay

Directions: Some words in the verse below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

  1. Small hill

  2. Jungle

  3. Part of Shoreline

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

In Wordsworth's famous 'Daffodils' poem, 'bay' refers to a body of water partially enclosed by land - a coastal inlet or recess along a shoreline. The line 'Along the margin of a bay' describes how the daffodils extended along the edge of this water feature. Option C 'Part of Shoreline' correctly identifies that a bay is a coastal feature. Options A, B, and D are incorrect - a bay is not a hill, jungle, or valley.

Multiple choice

Stretched

Directions: Some words in the verse below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

  1. Relaxed

  2. Extended

  3. Inflated

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

In 'They stretched in never-ending line,' the word 'stretched' means the daffodils extended or spread out continuously in a long line. The poet is describing how the flowers seemed to go on endlessly across the landscape. Option B 'Extended' correctly captures this sense of something stretching out over a distance. Option A 'Relaxed' is incorrect - stretched here doesn't mean becoming less tense. Option D 'Taut' implies tightness, which is not the meaning.

Multiple choice

Vagaries

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber. The height weakness slows him down; it forces him to­ spend days and nights in the course of his assault on the summit. The weather, besides adding to the ­demands of his energy and moral fortitude, conspires to deny him the time he needs to complete his mission. Whereas in lower mountains and on easy ground the weather may be no more than a handicap, in the high Himalayas it is decisive, regardless of terrain. The deduction to be drawn from these two factors was clear enough. We must either so fortify ourselves , that we could continue, without detriment, to live and have our being above the limit of natural acclimatization, better still, we must solve the problem of speed. It was desirable, in fact, that we should meet both these requirements and thus give to those chosen to attempt the summit, some measure of insurance against ­the vagaries of the weather.

  1. Notions

  2. Moods

  3. Quirks

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

'Vagaries' refers to unpredictable changes or quirks - the weather's unpredictable behavior that could affect the climb. 'Quirks' best captures this sense of unpredictable, eccentric behavior. 'Notions' means ideas, 'Moods' are emotional states rather than behaviors, and 'Humour' means either comedy or bodily fluid - neither fits the context of weather patterns.

Multiple choice

Fortify

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber. The height weakness slows him down; it forces him to­ spend days and nights in the course of his assault on the summit. The weather, besides adding to the ­demands of his energy and moral fortitude, conspires to deny him the time he needs to complete his mission. Whereas in lower mountains and on easy ground the weather may be no more than a handicap, in the high Himalayas it is decisive, regardless of terrain. The deduction to be drawn from these two factors was clear enough. We must either so fortify ourselves , that we could continue, without detriment, to live and have our being above the limit of natural acclimatization, better still, we must solve the problem of speed. It was desirable, in fact, that we should meet both these requirements and thus give to those chosen to attempt the summit, some measure of insurance against ­the vagaries of the weather.

  1. Weaken

  2. Strengthen

  3. Cheer

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

The word 'fortify' in this context means to strengthen or make oneself capable of resisting difficult conditions. The author is talking about preparing climbers to survive and function at extreme altitudes where natural adaptation fails. 'Strengthen' (Option B) correctly captures this meaning of building resistance and capability.

Multiple choice

Decisive

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber. The height weakness slows him down; it forces him to­ spend days and nights in the course of his assault on the summit. The weather, besides adding to the ­demands of his energy and moral fortitude, conspires to deny him the time he needs to complete his mission. Whereas in lower mountains and on easy ground the weather may be no more than a handicap, in the high Himalayas it is decisive, regardless of terrain. The deduction to be drawn from these two factors was clear enough. We must either so fortify ourselves , that we could continue, without detriment, to live and have our being above the limit of natural acclimatization, better still, we must solve the problem of speed. It was desirable, in fact, that we should meet both these requirements and thus give to those chosen to attempt the summit, some measure of insurance against ­the vagaries of the weather.

  1. Key

  2. Firm

  3. Crucial

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

In the context, 'decisive' means having a crucial or determining effect on the outcome. The author contrasts weather in lower mountains (where it's merely a 'handicap') with high Himalayas (where it's 'decisive' - meaning it determines success or failure). 'Crucial' (Option C) correctly captures this meaning of being the determining factor.

Multiple choice

Dilemma

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

This passage sums up the two problems peculiar to the book trade which made it different from any other trade - the problem of selection and the problem of stocking. How is the bookseller to tell what, in an enormous output, will prove saleable, before the full weight of unsold items affects the balance of his business, and how is he, at the same time, to hold a stock large enough to enable the public to choose freely? He may seek to escape from this dilemma by becoming the passive sales representative of large publishing houses or distribution networks, but he is then no longer a bookseller. He may take refuge in the sale of safe items to a restricted circle of customers, but he thereby cuts himself off from all that is vital in his trade and dooms him to mediocrity and stagnation. On the other hand, he may protect his business from the danger of idle stock by speculating on the latest publications, but this is a dangerous game in that it implies a constantly changing clientele. Readers remain faithful to their own discoveries. Failure to follow up a book, an author or a type of literature means dismissing the public responsible for their success.

  1. Quarrel

  2. Issue

  3. Puzzle

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

A 'dilemma' is a difficult situation or problem where a choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, all of which are undesirable. The bookseller faces the dilemma of balancing selection (knowing what will sell) and stocking (holding enough variety), with both options having drawbacks. 'Puzzle' (Option C) best captures this sense of a difficult problem requiring careful consideration.

Multiple choice

Refuge

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

This passage sums up the two problems peculiar to the book trade which made it different from any other trade - the problem of selection and the problem of stocking. How is the bookseller to tell what, in an enormous output, will prove saleable, before the full weight of unsold items affects the balance of his business, and how is he, at the same time, to hold a stock large enough to enable the public to choose freely? He may seek to escape from this dilemma by becoming the passive sales representative of large publishing houses or distribution networks, but he is then no longer a bookseller. He may take refuge in the sale of safe items to a restricted circle of customers, but he thereby cuts himself off from all that is vital in his trade and dooms him to mediocrity and stagnation. On the other hand, he may protect his business from the danger of idle stock by speculating on the latest publications, but this is a dangerous game in that it implies a constantly changing clientele. Readers remain faithful to their own discoveries. Failure to follow up a book, an author or a type of literature means dismissing the public responsible for their success.

  1. Shelter

  2. Opening

  3. Exit

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

'Refuge' means shelter or protection from danger or difficulty. In the context, the bookseller might 'take refuge' in selling safe items - meaning he seeks protection or safety by choosing a conservative approach, avoiding the risks of speculation. 'Shelter' (Option A) correctly captures this meaning of seeking protection or safety.

Multiple choice

Dooms

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

This passage sums up the two problems peculiar to the book trade which made it different from any other trade - the problem of selection and the problem of stocking. How is the bookseller to tell what, in an enormous output, will prove saleable, before the full weight of unsold items affects the balance of his business, and how is he, at the same time, to hold a stock large enough to enable the public to choose freely? He may seek to escape from this dilemma by becoming the passive sales representative of large publishing houses or distribution networks, but he is then no longer a bookseller. He may take refuge in the sale of safe items to a restricted circle of customers, but he thereby cuts himself off from all that is vital in his trade and dooms him to mediocrity and stagnation. On the other hand, he may protect his business from the danger of idle stock by speculating on the latest publications, but this is a dangerous game in that it implies a constantly changing clientele. Readers remain faithful to their own discoveries. Failure to follow up a book, an author or a type of literature means dismissing the public responsible for their success.

  1. Destines

  2. Ruins

  3. Pulls

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

'Dooms' means destines or condemns to a particular fate or outcome, typically negative. In the context, the bookseller 'dooms him to mediocrity' - meaning his choice of playing it safe destines/condemns him to being mediocre and stagnant. 'Destines' (Option A) correctly captures this meaning of being fated for a particular outcome.

Multiple choice

Assault

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber. The height weakness slows him down; it forces him to­ spend days and nights in the course of his assault on the summit. The weather, besides adding to the ­demands of his energy and moral fortitude, conspires to deny him the time he needs to complete his mission. Whereas in lower mountains and on easy ground the weather may be no more than a handicap, in the high Himalayas it is decisive, regardless of terrain. The deduction to be drawn from these two factors was clear enough. We must either so fortify ourselves , that we could continue, without detriment, to live and have our being above the limit of natural acclimatization, better still, we must solve the problem of speed. It was desirable, in fact, that we should meet both these requirements and thus give to those chosen to attempt the summit, some measure of insurance against ­the vagaries of the weather.

  1. Crime

  2. Advance

  3. Beating

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

In this context, 'assault' means a determined or concerted effort to achieve something difficult. The climber's 'assault on the summit' refers to his organized advance or attempt to reach the top. 'Advance' (Option B) correctly captures this meaning of moving forward toward a goal with determination, rather than the violent connotations of 'attack'.

Multiple choice

Conspires

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber. The height weakness slows him down; it forces him to­ spend days and nights in the course of his assault on the summit. The weather, besides adding to the ­demands of his energy and moral fortitude, conspires to deny him the time he needs to complete his mission. Whereas in lower mountains and on easy ground the weather may be no more than a handicap, in the high Himalayas it is decisive, regardless of terrain. The deduction to be drawn from these two factors was clear enough. We must either so fortify ourselves , that we could continue, without detriment, to live and have our being above the limit of natural acclimatization, better still, we must solve the problem of speed. It was desirable, in fact, that we should meet both these requirements and thus give to those chosen to attempt the summit, some measure of insurance against ­the vagaries of the weather.

  1. Joins

  2. Unites

  3. Works against

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

'Conspires' in this context means works together to produce a negative effect or outcome. The weather 'conspires to deny him the time' - meaning it works against him, combining with other factors to prevent his success. 'Works against' (Option C) correctly captures this sense of combining forces to create an obstacle, rather than the more neutral 'combines' or 'unites'.

Multiple choice

Laborious

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

Primitive man was probably more concerned with fire as a source of warmth and as a means of cooking food than as a source of light. Before he discovered less laborious ways of making fire, he had to preserve it, and whenever he went on a journey he carried a firebrand with him. His discovery that the firebrand from which the torch may well have developed, could be used for illumination, was probably incidental purpose of preserving a flame.

Lamps too, probably developed by accident. Early man may have had his first  conception of a lamp while watching a twig of fibre burning in the molten fat dropped from roasting carcass. All he had to do was to fashion a vessel to contain fat and float a lighted reed in it. Such lamps, which were made of hollowed stones or sea-shells, have persisted in identical form up to quite recent times

  1. Difficult

  2. Working

  3. Painful

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

In the passage about primitive fire-making, 'laborious' describes methods that were difficult, requiring much effort and hard work. The context suggests early humans had to work very hard to create and preserve fire before discovering easier ways. 'Difficult' correctly captures the sense of something requiring great effort. 'Working' is too neutral, while 'Painful' and 'Lengthy' don't accurately capture the core meaning of effort-intensive.

Multiple choice

Incidental

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

Primitive man was probably more concerned with fire as a source of warmth and as a means of cooking food than as a source of light. Before he discovered less laborious ways of making fire, he had to preserve it, and whenever he went on a journey he carried a firebrand with him. His discovery that the firebrand from which the torch may well have developed, could be used for illumination, was probably incidental purpose of preserving a flame.

Lamps too, probably developed by accident. Early man may have had his first  conception of a lamp while watching a twig of fibre burning in the molten fat dropped from roasting carcass. All he had to do was to fashion a vessel to contain fat and float a lighted reed in it. Such lamps, which were made of hollowed stones or sea-shells, have persisted in identical form up to quite recent times

  1. Happening

  2. Secondary

  3. Main

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

The passage states that discovering fire could be used for illumination (light) was 'incidental to' the original purpose of preserving a flame. This means it was a secondary, unplanned benefit that occurred accidentally while focusing on the main goal. 'Secondary' correctly captures this meaning - something less important or happening by chance. 'Main' and 'Sudden' don't fit the context.