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.

Passage based inferenceParagraph rearrangementCloze test fillingVocabulary replacementReading accuracy tests

English Reading Comprehension Questions

Multiple choice
  1. It was about the post of a watchman.

  2. It was about the post of a night watchman.

  3. It was about the post of a gatekeeper.

  4. It was about the post of a peon.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

It matches with the information given in the passage.

Multiple choice
  1. Deaf

  2. Dumb

  3. Blind

  4. Helpless

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Concept based

Multiple choice
  1. By expanding his business across the river

  2. By selling other dairy products along with milk

  3. By working hard day and night

  4. By cheating his customers

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

"A milkman became very rich and prosperous through dishonest means."

Multiple choice
  1. celebrate his son's wedding

  2. become richer

  3. buy cows

  4. buy his own boat

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

It matches with the information given in the passage.

Multiple choice
  1. It got broken.

  2. It sank in the river.

  3. It turned upside down.

  4. It floated away.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

It matches with the information given in the passage.

Multiple choice
  1. It gave them relief from the sun.

  2. It gave them fruits.

  3. It gave them nothing.

  4. It gave them water.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The passage says, "I am extremely useful to you at this very moment, shielding you from the hot sun."

Multiple choice
  1. It is because nobody was healthy.

  2. It is because he found everybody dubious.

  3. It is because he wanted to select Raju.

  4. It is because he wanted to give less salary.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage says, "He found something dubious with each man."

Multiple choice
  1. Two

  2. Three

  3. One

  4. Four

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The passage says, "Two men were treading along one summer day."

Multiple choice
  1. Happy

  2. Dubious

  3. Present

  4. Wrong

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Concept based

Multiple choice
  1. Large

  2. Good

  3. Ungrateful

  4. Useless

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Concept based

Multiple choice
  1. Because it was very hot.

  2. Because they were tired.

  3. Because they were thirsty.

  4. Because they wanted to eat fruit.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

It matches with the information given in the passage.

Multiple choice
  1. A

  2. B

  3. C

  4. D

  5. E

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The logical sequence of the dream narrative is: the dream begins with a lion chasing the man (C), who runs and climbs a tree (F), then looks down to see the lion waiting (B), notices the rats eating the branch (E), sees the rats are black and white (D), and finally wakes up realizing it was a dream (A). The third sentence in this sequence is B.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

GALLOPED

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

King Hutamasan felt he had everything in the world not only due to his riches and his noble knights, but because of his beautiful queen, Rani Matsya. The rays of the sun were put to shame with the iridescent light that Matsya illuminated, with her beauty and brains. At the right hand of the king she was known to sit and aid him in all his judicial probes. You could not escape her deep–set eyes when you committed a crime as she always knew the victim and the culprit. Her generosity preceded her reputation in the kingdom and her hands were always full to give. People in the kingdom revered her because if she passed by, she always gave to the compassionate and poor.
Far away from the kingly palace lived a man named Raman with only ends to his poverty and no means to rectify it. Raman was wrecked with poverty as he had lost all his land to the landlord. His age enabled him little towards manual labour and so begging was the only alternative to salvage his wife and children. Every morning he went door to door for some work, food or money. The kindness of people always got him enough to take home. But Raman was a little self–centered. His world began with him first, followed by his family and the rest. So he would eat and drink to his delight and return home with whatever he found excess. This routine followed and he never let anyone discover his interests as he always put on a long face when he reached home.
One day as he was relishing the bowl of rice he had just received from a humble home, he heard that Rani Matsya who to pass from the very place he was standing. Her generosity had reached his ears and he knew if he pulled a long face and showed how poor he was, she would hand him a bag full of gold coins – enough for the rest of his life, enough to buy food and supplies for his family. He thought he could keep some coins for himself and only reveal a few to his wife, so he can fulfill his own wishes.
He ran to the chariot of the Rani and begged her soldiers to allow him to speak to the queen. Listening to the arguments outside Rani Matsya opened the curtains of her chariot and asked Raman what he wanted. Raman went on his knees and praised the queen. I have heard you are most generous and most chaste, show his beggar some charity. Rani narrowed her brows and asked Raman what he could give her in return. Surprised by such a question, Raman looked at his bowl full of rice. With spite in him he just picked up a few grains of rice and gave it to the queen. Rani Matsya counted the 5 grains and looked at his bowl full of rice and said, you shall be given what is due to you. Saying this, the chariot galloped away.
Raman abused her under his breath. This he never thought would happen. How could she ask him for something in return when she hadn’t given him anything? Irked with anger he stormed home and gave his wife the bowl of rice. Just then he saw a sack at the entrance. His wife said some men had come and kept it there. He opened it to find it full of rice. He put his hand inside and caught hold of a hard metal only to discover it was a gold coin. Elated he upturned the sack to find 5 gold coins in exact for the five rice grains. If only I had given my entire bowl, thought Raman, I would have had a sack full of gold.

 

  1. hurtled

  2. stumbled

  3. slumbered

  4. jumped

  5. ran

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

In the passage, 'the chariot galloped away' describes the queen's vehicle leaving quickly after her interaction with Raman. 'Gallop' specifically refers to the fast running gait of a horse, and in this context means the chariot moved rapidly away. 'Ran' is the closest synonym among the options.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

HAND

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

King Hutamasan felt he had everything in the world not only due to his riches and his noble knights, but because of his beautiful queen, Rani Matsya. The rays of the sun were put to shame with the iridescent light that Matsya illuminated, with her beauty and brains. At the right hand of the king she was known to sit and aid him in all his judicial probes. You could not escape her deep–set eyes when you committed a crime as she always knew the victim and the culprit. Her generosity preceded her reputation in the kingdom and her hands were always full to give. People in the kingdom revered her because if she passed by, she always gave to the compassionate and poor.
Far away from the kingly palace lived a man named Raman with only ends to his poverty and no means to rectify it. Raman was wrecked with poverty as he had lost all his land to the landlord. His age enabled him little towards manual labour and so begging was the only alternative to salvage his wife and children. Every morning he went door to door for some work, food or money. The kindness of people always got him enough to take home. But Raman was a little self–centered. His world began with him first, followed by his family and the rest. So he would eat and drink to his delight and return home with whatever he found excess. This routine followed and he never let anyone discover his interests as he always put on a long face when he reached home.
One day as he was relishing the bowl of rice he had just received from a humble home, he heard that Rani Matsya who to pass from the very place he was standing. Her generosity had reached his ears and he knew if he pulled a long face and showed how poor he was, she would hand him a bag full of gold coins – enough for the rest of his life, enough to buy food and supplies for his family. He thought he could keep some coins for himself and only reveal a few to his wife, so he can fulfill his own wishes.
He ran to the chariot of the Rani and begged her soldiers to allow him to speak to the queen. Listening to the arguments outside Rani Matsya opened the curtains of her chariot and asked Raman what he wanted. Raman went on his knees and praised the queen. I have heard you are most generous and most chaste, show his beggar some charity. Rani narrowed her brows and asked Raman what he could give her in return. Surprised by such a question, Raman looked at his bowl full of rice. With spite in him he just picked up a few grains of rice and gave it to the queen. Rani Matsya counted the 5 grains and looked at his bowl full of rice and said, you shall be given what is due to you. Saying this, the chariot galloped away.
Raman abused her under his breath. This he never thought would happen. How could she ask him for something in return when she hadn’t given him anything? Irked with anger he stormed home and gave his wife the bowl of rice. Just then he saw a sack at the entrance. His wife said some men had come and kept it there. He opened it to find it full of rice. He put his hand inside and caught hold of a hard metal only to discover it was a gold coin. Elated he upturned the sack to find 5 gold coins in exact for the five rice grains. If only I had given my entire bowl, thought Raman, I would have had a sack full of gold.

 

  1. arm

  2. throw

  3. give

  4. limb

  5. lend

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states Raman knew the queen 'would hand him a bag full of gold coins.' In this context, 'hand' is being used as a verb meaning to give or pass something to someone. The sentence structure 'would hand him a bag' clearly indicates the action of giving something to another person, making 'give' the correct synonym.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

ELATED

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

King Hutamasan felt he had everything in the world not only due to his riches and his noble knights, but because of his beautiful queen, Rani Matsya. The rays of the sun were put to shame with the iridescent light that Matsya illuminated, with her beauty and brains. At the right hand of the king she was known to sit and aid him in all his judicial probes. You could not escape her deep–set eyes when you committed a crime as she always knew the victim and the culprit. Her generosity preceded her reputation in the kingdom and her hands were always full to give. People in the kingdom revered her because if she passed by, she always gave to the compassionate and poor.
Far away from the kingly palace lived a man named Raman with only ends to his poverty and no means to rectify it. Raman was wrecked with poverty as he had lost all his land to the landlord. His age enabled him little towards manual labour and so begging was the only alternative to salvage his wife and children. Every morning he went door to door for some work, food or money. The kindness of people always got him enough to take home. But Raman was a little self–centered. His world began with him first, followed by his family and the rest. So he would eat and drink to his delight and return home with whatever he found excess. This routine followed and he never let anyone discover his interests as he always put on a long face when he reached home.
One day as he was relishing the bowl of rice he had just received from a humble home, he heard that Rani Matsya who to pass from the very place he was standing. Her generosity had reached his ears and he knew if he pulled a long face and showed how poor he was, she would hand him a bag full of gold coins – enough for the rest of his life, enough to buy food and supplies for his family. He thought he could keep some coins for himself and only reveal a few to his wife, so he can fulfill his own wishes.
He ran to the chariot of the Rani and begged her soldiers to allow him to speak to the queen. Listening to the arguments outside Rani Matsya opened the curtains of her chariot and asked Raman what he wanted. Raman went on his knees and praised the queen. I have heard you are most generous and most chaste, show his beggar some charity. Rani narrowed her brows and asked Raman what he could give her in return. Surprised by such a question, Raman looked at his bowl full of rice. With spite in him he just picked up a few grains of rice and gave it to the queen. Rani Matsya counted the 5 grains and looked at his bowl full of rice and said, you shall be given what is due to you. Saying this, the chariot galloped away.
Raman abused her under his breath. This he never thought would happen. How could she ask him for something in return when she hadn’t given him anything? Irked with anger he stormed home and gave his wife the bowl of rice. Just then he saw a sack at the entrance. His wife said some men had come and kept it there. He opened it to find it full of rice. He put his hand inside and caught hold of a hard metal only to discover it was a gold coin. Elated he upturned the sack to find 5 gold coins in exact for the five rice grains. If only I had given my entire bowl, thought Raman, I would have had a sack full of gold.

 

  1. afraid

  2. poor

  3. happy

  4. depressed

  5. grounded

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer