English Language

Reading Comprehension

7,656 Questions
All Explicit Fact Retrieval 2427 Inference and Logical Deduction 1147 Contextual Vocabulary Meaning 845 Main Idea and Title Selection 781 Cause and Effect Extraction 699 Synonym and Antonym Identification 692 Sentence Structure and Discourse Function 336 Author Tone and Perspective 194 Interpretation of Figurative Language 190 Passage Style and Organization 173 Pronoun Referent Identification 49

Reading Comprehension Questions

Multiple choice

A good manager should

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question.

You may think the sign of a good manager is to have a department where everybody is busy at work on their assigned tasks. But if your people are merely doing their jobs, they’re only working at about half their potential. A truly productive department is one in which every employee is actively thinking of better, more efficient methods of working ways in which to produce a higher quality product, in less time, at lower cost.
To get this kind of innovation from your people, you have to be receptive to new ideas; what’s more, you have to encourage your people to produce new ideas. Incentives are one way to motivate employees to be more productive. You can offer a cash bonus, time off, or a gift. But a more potent form of motivation is simply the employee’s knowledge that management does listen to him or her, and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work.
When you listen to new ideas, be open-minded. Don’t shoot down a suggestion before you’ve heard it in full. Many of us are too quick, too eager, to show off our own experience and knowledge and say that something won’t work because ‘we’ve tried it before’ or ‘we don’t do it that way’. Well, may be you did try it before but that doesn’t mean it won’t work now. And having done things a certain way in the past doesn’t mean you’ve been doing them the best way. A good manager is open-minded and receptive to new ideas.

 

  1. be open-minded and receptive to new ideas

  2. quickly shoot down innovative suggestions from an employee to assert supremacy of his experience and knowledge

  3. discard innovative ideas dubbing them unworkable

  4. be content with the normal functioning of the department
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states that when listening to new ideas, managers should 'be open-minded' and 'Don't shoot down a suggestion before you've heard it in full.' Option A directly reflects this positive behavior. Options B, C, and D describe the negative behaviors the passage warns managers against - being dismissive of new ideas or being complacent with the status quo.

Multiple choice

'To be receptive to new ideas' in the passage suggests

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question.

You may think the sign of a good manager is to have a department where everybody is busy at work on their assigned tasks. But if your people are merely doing their jobs, they’re only working at about half their potential. A truly productive department is one in which every employee is actively thinking of better, more efficient methods of working ways in which to produce a higher quality product, in less time, at lower cost.
To get this kind of innovation from your people, you have to be receptive to new ideas; what’s more, you have to encourage your people to produce new ideas. Incentives are one way to motivate employees to be more productive. You can offer a cash bonus, time off, or a gift. But a more potent form of motivation is simply the employee’s knowledge that management does listen to him or her, and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work.
When you listen to new ideas, be open-minded. Don’t shoot down a suggestion before you’ve heard it in full. Many of us are too quick, too eager, to show off our own experience and knowledge and say that something won’t work because ‘we’ve tried it before’ or ‘we don’t do it that way’. Well, may be you did try it before but that doesn’t mean it won’t work now. And having done things a certain way in the past doesn’t mean you’ve been doing them the best way. A good manager is open-minded and receptive to new ideas.

 

  1. readiness to receive new ideas

  2. to be cautious and careful about the new ideas

  3. to share with your people the new ideas

  4. to think of better and more efficient methods of working
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'To be receptive to new ideas' means being willing and ready to accept or consider new suggestions - having an open mind. Option A ('readiness to receive new ideas') captures this meaning. Option B suggests caution rather than openness. Option C reverses the direction (sharing ideas vs receiving them). Option D describes what employees should do, not what 'receptive' means in this context.

Multiple choice

The word 'incentives' in the context of the passage suggests

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question.

You may think the sign of a good manager is to have a department where everybody is busy at work on their assigned tasks. But if your people are merely doing their jobs, they’re only working at about half their potential. A truly productive department is one in which every employee is actively thinking of better, more efficient methods of working ways in which to produce a higher quality product, in less time, at lower cost.
To get this kind of innovation from your people, you have to be receptive to new ideas; what’s more, you have to encourage your people to produce new ideas. Incentives are one way to motivate employees to be more productive. You can offer a cash bonus, time off, or a gift. But a more potent form of motivation is simply the employee’s knowledge that management does listen to him or her, and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work.
When you listen to new ideas, be open-minded. Don’t shoot down a suggestion before you’ve heard it in full. Many of us are too quick, too eager, to show off our own experience and knowledge and say that something won’t work because ‘we’ve tried it before’ or ‘we don’t do it that way’. Well, may be you did try it before but that doesn’t mean it won’t work now. And having done things a certain way in the past doesn’t mean you’ve been doing them the best way. A good manager is open-minded and receptive to new ideas.

 

  1. to produce higher quality product in less time

  2. to produce higher quality product at lower cost

  3. an additional payment or additional facilities to employees to increase production

  4. faith on employees

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

The passage explicitly defines incentives as tools to motivate employees, listing examples like cash bonuses, time off, or gifts. Option C captures this definition accurately - incentives are additional rewards or facilities given to boost employee productivity. Options A and B describe outcomes of productivity, not incentives themselves. Option D is unrelated to the passage's context.

Multiple choice

The given passage speaks about

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question.

You may think the sign of a good manager is to have a department where everybody is busy at work on their assigned tasks. But if your people are merely doing their jobs, they’re only working at about half their potential. A truly productive department is one in which every employee is actively thinking of better, more efficient methods of working ways in which to produce a higher quality product, in less time, at lower cost.
To get this kind of innovation from your people, you have to be receptive to new ideas; what’s more, you have to encourage your people to produce new ideas. Incentives are one way to motivate employees to be more productive. You can offer a cash bonus, time off, or a gift. But a more potent form of motivation is simply the employee’s knowledge that management does listen to him or her, and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work.
When you listen to new ideas, be open-minded. Don’t shoot down a suggestion before you’ve heard it in full. Many of us are too quick, too eager, to show off our own experience and knowledge and say that something won’t work because ‘we’ve tried it before’ or ‘we don’t do it that way’. Well, may be you did try it before but that doesn’t mean it won’t work now. And having done things a certain way in the past doesn’t mean you’ve been doing them the best way. A good manager is open-minded and receptive to new ideas.

 

  1. the sign of a good manager

  2. the workers doing their job

  3. ways in which to produce a higher quality product

  4. the need to be open to new ideas
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice

The word 'motivation' in the passage means

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question.

You may think the sign of a good manager is to have a department where everybody is busy at work on their assigned tasks. But if your people are merely doing their jobs, they’re only working at about half their potential. A truly productive department is one in which every employee is actively thinking of better, more efficient methods of working ways in which to produce a higher quality product, in less time, at lower cost.
To get this kind of innovation from your people, you have to be receptive to new ideas; what’s more, you have to encourage your people to produce new ideas. Incentives are one way to motivate employees to be more productive. You can offer a cash bonus, time off, or a gift. But a more potent form of motivation is simply the employee’s knowledge that management does listen to him or her, and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work.
When you listen to new ideas, be open-minded. Don’t shoot down a suggestion before you’ve heard it in full. Many of us are too quick, too eager, to show off our own experience and knowledge and say that something won’t work because ‘we’ve tried it before’ or ‘we don’t do it that way’. Well, may be you did try it before but that doesn’t mean it won’t work now. And having done things a certain way in the past doesn’t mean you’ve been doing them the best way. A good manager is open-minded and receptive to new ideas.

 

  1. to impute a motive to an action

  2. the act of inspiring others

  3. to put a thing into action

  4. none of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage discusses motivation in the context of encouraging employees to be more productive and innovative. It describes both material incentives (cash, gifts) and the potent motivation of knowing management listens and implements ideas. Option B, 'the act of inspiring others', best captures this contextual meaning. Option A refers to attributing motives, which is different. Option C is too vague.

Multiple choice

The innovative suggestions or new ideas from your employee can be obtained when

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question.

You may think the sign of a good manager is to have a department where everybody is busy at work on their assigned tasks. But if your people are merely doing their jobs, they’re only working at about half their potential. A truly productive department is one in which every employee is actively thinking of better, more efficient methods of working ways in which to produce a higher quality product, in less time, at lower cost.
To get this kind of innovation from your people, you have to be receptive to new ideas; what’s more, you have to encourage your people to produce new ideas. Incentives are one way to motivate employees to be more productive. You can offer a cash bonus, time off, or a gift. But a more potent form of motivation is simply the employee’s knowledge that management does listen to him or her, and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work.
When you listen to new ideas, be open-minded. Don’t shoot down a suggestion before you’ve heard it in full. Many of us are too quick, too eager, to show off our own experience and knowledge and say that something won’t work because ‘we’ve tried it before’ or ‘we don’t do it that way’. Well, may be you did try it before but that doesn’t mean it won’t work now. And having done things a certain way in the past doesn’t mean you’ve been doing them the best way. A good manager is open-minded and receptive to new ideas.

 

  1. you offer a cash bonus to him

  2. you make him feel that management does listen to him or her and puts his ideas to work

  3. you distrust his experience and knowledge

  4. you pressurise him to tender new ideas or face the consequences
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage clearly states that while cash bonuses are one form of incentive, 'a more potent form of motivation is simply the employee's knowledge that management does listen to him or her, and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work.' Option B directly reflects this. Options A, C, and D contradict the passage's message about creating a receptive, supportive environment.

Multiple choice

Why and at whom does the poet show his emotion?

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

Common Cold

1 Go hang yourself, you old M.D.! You shall not sneer at me. Pick up your hat and stethoscope, Go wash your mouth with laundry soap; I contemplate a joy exquisite I'm not paying you for your visit. I did not call you to be told My malady is a common cold.

2 By pounding brow and swollen lip; By fever's hot and scaly grip; By those two red redundant eyes That weep like woeful April skies; By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff; By handkerchief after handkerchief; This cold you wave away as naught Is the damnedest cold man ever caught !

3 Bacilli swarm within my portals Such as were ne'er conceived by mortals, But bred by scientists wise and hoary In some Olympic laboratory; Bacteria as large as mice, With feet of fire and heads of ice
Who never interrupt for slumber Their stamping elephantine rumba.

  1. At an old man because he has sneering at the poet

  2. At a doctor for an incorrect diagnosis of his medical condition

  3. At a friend who is happy at the poet's plight

  4. At a doctor who has said that the poet merely has a cold
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The poet is angry at the doctor because the doctor dismissed his serious illness as 'just a common cold' and sneered at him. Throughout the poem, the poet expresses rage at the doctor's casual attitude toward what he believes is a severe condition.

Multiple choice

The poet describes his eyes as 'two red redundant eyes because

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

Common Cold

1 Go hang yourself, you old M.D.! You shall not sneer at me. Pick up your hat and stethoscope, Go wash your mouth with laundry soap; I contemplate a joy exquisite I'm not paying you for your visit. I did not call you to be told My malady is a common cold.

2 By pounding brow and swollen lip; By fever's hot and scaly grip; By those two red redundant eyes That weep like woeful April skies; By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff; By handkerchief after handkerchief; This cold you wave away as naught Is the damnedest cold man ever caught !

3 Bacilli swarm within my portals Such as were ne'er conceived by mortals, But bred by scientists wise and hoary In some Olympic laboratory; Bacteria as large as mice, With feet of fire and heads of ice
Who never interrupt for slumber Their stamping elephantine rumba.

  1. he cannot see properly due to the cold

  2. they show how furious the poet is

  3. they have been affected by an eye-disease

  4. in his medical condition the poet is imagining things
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The poet describes his eyes as 'redundant' (excessive, unnecessary) because they are weeping continuously due to the cold. The word choice emphasizes how severely the cold has affected his vision - he literally cannot see properly through eyes that are constantly watering.

Multiple choice

The general tone of the poem can be described as

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

Common Cold

1 Go hang yourself, you old M.D.! You shall not sneer at me. Pick up your hat and stethoscope, Go wash your mouth with laundry soap; I contemplate a joy exquisite I'm not paying you for your visit. I did not call you to be told My malady is a common cold.

2 By pounding brow and swollen lip; By fever's hot and scaly grip; By those two red redundant eyes That weep like woeful April skies; By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff; By handkerchief after handkerchief; This cold you wave away as naught Is the damnedest cold man ever caught !

3 Bacilli swarm within my portals Such as were ne'er conceived by mortals, But bred by scientists wise and hoary In some Olympic laboratory; Bacteria as large as mice, With feet of fire and heads of ice
Who never interrupt for slumber Their stamping elephantine rumba.

  1. satirical and harsh

  2. ironical and mocking

  3. whimsical and humorous

  4. sad and tragic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The poem uses harsh, satirical language throughout ('go hang yourself,' sarcastic references to the medical profession). While it has elements of humor, the dominant tone is biting satire directed at the medical professional's dismissive attitude, making 'satirical and harsh' the best answer.

Multiple choice

'Who never interrupt for slumber, their stamping elephantine rumba.' The meaning of these lines is that

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

Common Cold

1 Go hang yourself, you old M.D.! You shall not sneer at me. Pick up your hat and stethoscope, Go wash your mouth with laundry soap; I contemplate a joy exquisite I'm not paying you for your visit. I did not call you to be told My malady is a common cold.

2 By pounding brow and swollen lip; By fever's hot and scaly grip; By those two red redundant eyes That weep like woeful April skies; By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff; By handkerchief after handkerchief; This cold you wave away as naught Is the damnedest cold man ever caught !

3 Bacilli swarm within my portals Such as were ne'er conceived by mortals, But bred by scientists wise and hoary In some Olympic laboratory; Bacteria as large as mice, With feet of fire and heads of ice
Who never interrupt for slumber Their stamping elephantine rumba.

  1. the bacteria are continuously stamping their elephant-like feet

  2. the cold-causing germs are causing much discomfort and pain to the poet without any break

  3. the bacilli are so active that they refuse to go to sleep

  4. the poet is not able to concentrate on his work due to the raging cold
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The lines describe bacteria (bacilli) that are continuously active without rest ('never interrupt for slumber'). The 'stamping elephantine rumba' is a metaphor for the constant, uncomfortable activity of the germs causing the poet's suffering - the cold-causing germs are causing pain without any break.

Multiple choice

Pick out a word from the passage, that means the same as ' having the power to cause death' (Para 5).

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

Surviving a Snakebite

1 Annually, there are a million cases of snakebite in India and of these, close to 50,000 succumb to the bites.

2 When you look around the countryside, where most bites occur, and notice people's habits and lifestyles, these figures aren't surprising. People walk barefoot without a torch at night when they are most likely to step on a foraging venomous snake.

3 We encourage rodents by disposing waste food out in the open, or by storing foodgrains in the house. Attracted by the smell of rats, snakes enter houses and when one crawls over someone asleep on the floor and the person twitches or rolls over, it may bite in defence.

4 Once bitten, we don't rush to the hospital. Instead, we seek out the nearest conman, tie tourniquets, eat vile tasting herbal chutneys, apply poultices or spurious stones, cut/slice/suck the bitten spot, and other ghastly time-consuming deadly "remedies".

5 As Rom cattily remarks : "If the snake hasn't injected enough venom, even popping an aspirin can save your life." That's the key - snakes inject venom voluntarily and we have no way of knowing if it has injected venom, and if it is a lethal dose. The only first aid is to immobilise the bitten limb like you would a fracture, and get to a hospital for anti-venom serum without wasting time.

  1. Immobilise

  2. Voluntarily

  3. Lethal

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

The word 'lethal' means deadly or capable of causing death. In paragraph 5, it appears in the context of snakes possibly injecting a 'lethal dose' of venom - directly matching the definition of having the power to cause death.

Multiple choice

What is the emotion that the poet displays in the first stanza?

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

Common Cold

1 Go hang yourself, you old M.D.! You shall not sneer at me. Pick up your hat and stethoscope, Go wash your mouth with laundry soap; I contemplate a joy exquisite I'm not paying you for your visit. I did not call you to be told My malady is a common cold.

2 By pounding brow and swollen lip; By fever's hot and scaly grip; By those two red redundant eyes That weep like woeful April skies; By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff; By handkerchief after handkerchief; This cold you wave away as naught Is the damnedest cold man ever caught !

3 Bacilli swarm within my portals Such as were ne'er conceived by mortals, But bred by scientists wise and hoary In some Olympic laboratory; Bacteria as large as mice, With feet of fire and heads of ice
Who never interrupt for slumber Their stamping elephantine rumba.

  1. Anger

  2. Joy

  3. Jealousy

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

The first stanza shows the poet's jealousy and resentment. He mentions 'I contemplate a joy exquisite' in the context of NOT paying the doctor - finding satisfaction in withholding payment. This spiteful pleasure reveals jealousy more than anger or sympathy.

Multiple choice

The scheme, according to the Old Man, was useful because

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

1. This was one of the Old Man's pet schemes; and one about which he would brook no interference. Each child would review the events of his school week in his own words, in his own way; he was free to comment, to criticize, to agree or disagree, with any person, subject or method, as long as it was in-some way associated with the school. No one and nothing was sacred, from the Headmaster down, and the child, moreover, was safe from any form of reprisal.

2. "Look at it this way," Mr. Florian had said. "It is of advantage to both pupil and teacher. If a child wants to write about something which matters to him, he will take some pains to set it down as carefully and with as much detail as possible; that must in some way improve his written English in terms of spelling, construction and style. Week by week we are able, through his reviews, to follow and observe his progress in such things. As for the teachers, we soon get a pretty good idea what the children think of us and whether or not we are getting close to them. It may sometimes be rather deflating to discover that a well-prepared lesson did not really excite Johnny Smith's interest, but, after all, the lesson was intended to benefit Johnny Smith, not his teacher.

  1. it was excellent feedback for the teacher, principal and school

  2. he was slightly eccentric

  3. it was meant to humiliate the teacher

  4. it was meant to give power to the teacher
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The passage clearly states in paragraph 2 that the scheme helps teachers understand 'what the children think of us and whether or not we are getting close to them' and allows them to 'follow and observe his progress.' This represents excellent feedback mechanisms for teachers, the principal, and the school administration overall.

Multiple choice

The 'Old Man' refers to

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

1. This was one of the Old Man's pet schemes; and one about which he would brook no interference. Each child would review the events of his school week in his own words, in his own way; he was free to comment, to criticize, to agree or disagree, with any person, subject or method, as long as it was in-some way associated with the school. No one and nothing was sacred, from the Headmaster down, and the child, moreover, was safe from any form of reprisal.

2. "Look at it this way," Mr. Florian had said. "It is of advantage to both pupil and teacher. If a child wants to write about something which matters to him, he will take some pains to set it down as carefully and with as much detail as possible; that must in some way improve his written English in terms of spelling, construction and style. Week by week we are able, through his reviews, to follow and observe his progress in such things. As for the teachers, we soon get a pretty good idea what the children think of us and whether or not we are getting close to them. It may sometimes be rather deflating to discover that a well-prepared lesson did not really excite Johnny Smith's interest, but, after all, the lesson was intended to benefit Johnny Smith, not his teacher.

  1. a parent of the school

  2. a student of the school

  3. a teacher of the school

  4. the headmaster called Mr. Florian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The 'Old Man' is Mr. Florian, the headmaster. Context clues: he is described as brooking 'no interference' about his scheme, he explains the benefits, and paragraph 1 mentions 'from the Headmaster down' - referring to the same person. The deference shown and the authority he wields identify him as the headmaster.

Multiple choice

The phrase 'Old man's pet schemes' in line 1 refers to

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question by selecting the most appropriate option.

1. This was one of the Old Man's pet schemes; and one about which he would brook no interference. Each child would review the events of his school week in his own words, in his own way; he was free to comment, to criticize, to agree or disagree, with any person, subject or method, as long as it was in-some way associated with the school. No one and nothing was sacred, from the Headmaster down, and the child, moreover, was safe from any form of reprisal.

2. "Look at it this way," Mr. Florian had said. "It is of advantage to both pupil and teacher. If a child wants to write about something which matters to him, he will take some pains to set it down as carefully and with as much detail as possible; that must in some way improve his written English in terms of spelling, construction and style. Week by week we are able, through his reviews, to follow and observe his progress in such things. As for the teachers, we soon get a pretty good idea what the children think of us and whether or not we are getting close to them. It may sometimes be rather deflating to discover that a well-prepared lesson did not really excite Johnny Smith's interest, but, after all, the lesson was intended to benefit Johnny Smith, not his teacher.

  1. a student the old man is fond of

  2. a formula the old man had discovered

  3. a pet animal

  4. a method the old man has advocated
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In this context, 'scheme' refers to a plan or method - the weekly student review system. A 'pet scheme' means a favored or cherished project that someone strongly believes in and advocates for. It does not refer to a person, animal, or scientific formula, but to an educational method the headmaster supports.