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

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Bumped

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. encountered

  2. met

  3. banged

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

In the passage, 'bumped' means encountered or collided with. Tom 'bumped into Sarah' means he unexpectedly encountered her. While 'met' is a possible alternative, 'encountered' better captures the accidental nature of the meeting. 'Banged' would be incorrect for bumping into a person.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Thoughtful

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. reflective

  2. impolite

  3. vacant

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

In the passage, 'thoughtful' describes Tom as being reflective, contemplative, or deeply engaged in thinking. Tom became 'even more thoughtful' as he considered how to handle the spider situation. 'Reflective' best captures this meaning of being engaged in serious consideration, unlike 'impolite', 'vacant', or 'absorbed'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Muffled

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. stifled

  2. shrilled

  3. loud

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

Muffled means a sound that is stifled, subdued, or quieted. In the passage, the dragon speaks from underneath the bed, so his voice is naturally muffled or stifled by the barrier. 'Shrilled' means high-pitched, while 'loud' and 'soft' don't capture the meaning of being partially blocked or subdued.

Multiple choice

What is the meaning of the phrase turned a little yellow?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. coward

  2. fearful

  3. brave

  4. avoid danger
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Ceiling

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. paneling

  2. wainscoting

  3. interior surface of a room

  4. top of a room

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Pleasant

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. genial

  2. friendly

  3. disagreeable

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

Pleasant means agreeable, enjoyable, or genial. In the passage, the dragon speaks in a 'pleasant voice' - a friendly, agreeable tone. 'Genial' specifically means friendly and cheerful, which matches the context. 'Friendly' and 'genial' are very close synonyms. 'Disagreeable' and 'rude' are antonyms.

Multiple choice

Where did Tom sit on the bed?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. on the edge

  2. on the ridge

  3. in the middle

  4. on the border
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The passage explicitly states 'Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes.' The word 'edge' means the outer boundary or margin of the bed. 'Ridge' is a raised line, 'middle' is the center (opposite of edge), and 'border' typically refers to the edge between two areas rather than the edge of a single object.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Stiffened

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. rigid

  2. firm

  3. flexible

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

Stiffened means became rigid, tense, or inflexible. When the dragon stiffened slightly, he became physically tense or rigid in reaction to being asked to deal with the spider. 'Rigid' means stiff or unbending. 'Firm' means solid but not necessarily stiff. 'Flexible' and 'hard' are not accurate - flexible is the opposite, and hard describes texture not tension.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Position

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. slant

  2. opinion

  3. stance

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

According to the passage position is synonymous with stance. Someone who takes a position(opinio) is also thought to take a stance or stand on that opinion.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Flannel

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. facecloth

  2. toweling

  3. washcloth

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

In British English, a 'face flannel' is specifically a facecloth - a small cloth used for washing the face. 'Toweling' refers to the material, not the cloth itself. 'Washcloth' and 'washrag' are American English terms that mean the same thing, but 'facecloth' is the direct equivalent to 'face flannel' in British usage.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Frightened

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. startle

  2. scared

  3. shocked

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

Frightened means experiencing fear or being scared. In the passage, Tom and the dragon both deny being frightened of spiders. 'Scared' is the most direct synonym for frightened. 'Startle' means to surprise suddenly. 'Shock' means to surprise or distress. 'Panic' is an extreme fear reaction - stronger than frightened.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Finished

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. concluded

  2. said

  3. wind up

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

In the passage, the dragon finished his statement firmly. Here, 'finished' means completed or brought to a conclusion. 'Concluded' specifically means to bring to an end or complete, which matches the usage. 'Said' is too general. 'Wind up' and 'ended' also mean finish, but 'concluded' is the most formal and precise match for completing a statement.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the word from 1 - 4.

Settled

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. resolved

  2. sort out

  3. rise

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

The dragon says he'll keep out of the way 'until the thing's settled.' Here, 'settled' means resolved or completed. The spider situation will be 'settled' when it's resolved (removed from the room). 'Resolved' means settled or decided. 'Sort out' is a phrasal verb meaning to organize. 'Rise' is the opposite of settle. 'Fixed' is close but less precise than resolved.

Multiple choice

What did Tom expect dragon to do?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. sleep in a whole room full of spiders

  2. sleep in a whole room full of creatures

  3. sleep in a whole room full of birds

  4. sleep in a whole room full of worms
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tom says to the dragon 'I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought.' This is Tom's expectation of the dragon's fearlessness. The quoted expectation is literally 'sleep in a whole room full of spiders' - not creatures, birds, or worms.

Multiple choice

What is the meaning of the phrase stay still?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

“Ugh.Look up there, Dragon.It’s a spider?
The dragon looked. “So it is.”
Tom didn’t want the dragon to get the wrong idea, so he said at once that he wasn’t frightened of spiders.
“Oh, no?” answered the dragon readily. “Neither am I.”
“But –“Tom sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up with narrowed eyes “- but I don’t exactly like them.”
“Some people don’t", replied the dragon in a pleasant voice. “Nothing to be ashmed of in not liking them. Lots of people don’t."
Tom became even more thoughtful. “If someone, someone who didn’t mind spiders, were to put one out of the windows that would make the whole room sort of feel better. Do you see?”
“I can certainly see your point of view. Who could you get to do it, though?”
“Well … I thought maybe you could do it for me, Dragon.”
The dragon stiffened slightly. “Me?”
“Well, you’re not frightened of a little spider, are you? I expect you could sleep in a whole room full of spiders and not give it a second thought. I wish I was a dragon.”
There was a short pause. “I‘m not frightened of spiders,” said the dragon, who had turned a little yellow at the mention of a roomful of them. “Not frightened, exactly. No dragon is frightened of spiders. However, some dragons like them and some dragons don’t. And I am one of the ones that don’t,” he finished firmly.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tom, who could see the dragon’s position only too well. “I wish the spider would say still, that’s all.”
“Yes,” said the dragon from underneath the bed.
Tom was too busy keeping an eye on the ceiling even to notice his friend’s departure. “I think I’ll just go and ask Daddy to get rid of it for us. I wouldn’t like it to fall off the ceiling.”
“It might hurt itself,” agreed the dragon in a muffled voice. “I’ll just keep out of the way until the thing’s settled.”
Outside his bedroom door, Tom bumped into Sarah, who was on her way to the bathroom for a glass of water.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she pointed out.
Tom explained the problem.
“Oh, I’ll put it out for you,” Sarah said carelessly. “I don’t mind spiders. Where is it?”
Tom showed her. “And don’t touch it till I’ am out of the way.”

Sarah gave him a pitying look, and went to fetch the bathroom chair to stand on and a face flannel [which Tom was glad to see wasn’t his]. She got into position beneath the spider.

  1. to pause

  2. wait

  3. move

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

Tom says 'I wish the spider would stay still' - he wants the spider to remain in one place. 'Stay still' means to pause or stop moving. 'To pause' means to cease movement temporarily. 'Wait' implies expecting something, 'move' is the opposite, and 'tarry' means to delay or linger (not quite the same as remaining motionless).