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

The word “grime” most nearly means?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

WASHING YOUR HANDS

After coughing and sneezing, before preparing foods or eating, and after using the restroom one should thoroughly wash their hands. Frequent washing of your hands removes the germs that you pick up from other people and from contaminated surfaces like doorknobs. Everyone should wash their hands for 10-15 seconds under clear running water to remove germs. The scrubbing along with the soap removes the germs from your hand. However, the water you use for washing your hands must be clean and safe. Most stomach disorders and infectious diseases can be prevented by simply making a habit of washing your hands.

 

  1. Disease

  2. Dirt

  3. Germ

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

The word 'grime' means dirt or ingrained soot that accumulates on surfaces. In the context of washing hands, grime refers to the visible dirt and contamination that soap and water remove. The passage discusses removing germs through handwashing, and grime is the dirt being washed away. Option B (Dirt) is the closest synonym for grime in this context.

Multiple choice

What led to the disappearance of dinosaurs?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

DINOSAURS

The word “dinosaur”, coined by Sir Richard Owen in the year 1842, literally means “terrifying lizard.” Long, long before humans had been on the earth, the world was ruled by dinosaurs. They were gigantic, land dwelling reptiles that lived in the Mesozoic Era or the “Age of Reptiles” around 245 million years ago. For around 165 million years, dinosaurs walked on the earth. Then, around 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs and most of the animals of the era, except some ancestral birds and some fish, died out and became extinct for unknown reasons. What we know of the dinosaurs is only from studying their fossils. The proof of dinosaurs makes us think of a world that was very different from what we see today.

 

  1. The ice-age

  2. The endless and bloody fights among them.

  3. Their inability to adapt themselves to changes in the atmosphere.

  4. Not known
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage explicitly states: 'around 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs and most of the animals of the era... died out and became extinct for unknown reasons.' This clearly indicates that the cause of their disappearance is not known ('for unknown reasons'). All other options (ice age, fights, inability to adapt) are speculative and not mentioned in the passage.

Multiple choice

What happens when the earth keeps turning?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

THE EARTH KEEPS TURNING

Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east. The light around us keeps on changing slowly through the day, as the sun’s place in sky moves from east to west. People love the moments when the light around us changes suddenly, as that makes everything look so different. When, the sun springs up and colors the clouds with its light, we call it a sunrise. A sunrise is a beautiful sight. When at the end of the day the sun goes down, evening falls with the moment of sunset. It is the beginning of night. Since the earth keeps on turning through the night without rest, the sun comes up with another day. However, in the old days people believed that the earth stood still, while the sun went around the earth bringing day and night.

 

  1. The sun stands still.

  2. Sun light reaches the Earth.

  3. Clouds get spread all over the sky.

  4. Days follow nights and nights follow days.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage explicitly states in the first sentence that 'Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east.' Option D directly paraphrases this core idea.

Multiple choice

Chicken pox does not spread through

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

CHICKEN – POX

Chicken pox, also called Varicella is caused by the Varicella virus. It is marked by a rash of dot like spots all over the body that look like little blisters. The infection is usually accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Varicella is a very contagious disease that spreads from humans to other humans. Every year millions of kids worldwide fall ill due to chicken pox. It usually attacks the very elderly and kids less than twelve years of age. Children with Varicella should stay in bed rest and at home. The infection lasts about two weeks. One has to be very careful because the virus seeks other bodies to infect when the blisters dry and the scabs start coming off. Therefore, unless one is properly healed, he or she should not go to public places or meet friends who have not been vaccinated. Varicella vaccine is now available, and proper vaccination can prevent an infection altogether or allow just a mild attack.

 

  1. personal contact

  2. virus

  3. infection

  4. curse of nature
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage describes chicken pox as contagious and spreading from humans to humans (personal contact), caused by a virus, and being an infection. Option D 'curse of nature' is not mentioned as a means of spread in the passage - the others (A, B, C) all describe ways it does spread or what it is.

Multiple choice

If you do not wash your hands properly and regularly,

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

WASHING YOUR HANDS

After coughing and sneezing, before preparing foods or eating, and after using the restroom one should thoroughly wash their hands. Frequent washing of your hands removes the germs that you pick up from other people and from contaminated surfaces like doorknobs. Everyone should wash their hands for 10-15 seconds under clear running water to remove germs. The scrubbing along with the soap removes the germs from your hand. However, the water you use for washing your hands must be clean and safe. Most stomach disorders and infectious diseases can be prevented by simply making a habit of washing your hands.

 

  1. you will look untidy

  2. you may fall ill

  3. your food will get soiled

  4. your hands will turn dark
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states that frequent hand washing 'removes germs' and that 'most stomach disorders and infectious diseases can be prevented by simply making a habit of washing your hands.' If you don't wash hands, you keep germs and risk getting ill (option B).

Multiple choice

If a child is vaccinated against varicella, he/she will

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

CHICKEN – POX

Chicken pox, also called Varicella is caused by the Varicella virus. It is marked by a rash of dot like spots all over the body that look like little blisters. The infection is usually accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Varicella is a very contagious disease that spreads from humans to other humans. Every year millions of kids worldwide fall ill due to chicken pox. It usually attacks the very elderly and kids less than twelve years of age. Children with Varicella should stay in bed rest and at home. The infection lasts about two weeks. One has to be very careful because the virus seeks other bodies to infect when the blisters dry and the scabs start coming off. Therefore, unless one is properly healed, he or she should not go to public places or meet friends who have not been vaccinated. Varicella vaccine is now available, and proper vaccination can prevent an infection altogether or allow just a mild attack.

 

  1. get cured from an attack of chicken pox in less than two weeks

  2. never suffer an attack of chicken- pox

  3. either not suffer an attack of chicken-pox or suffer a very mild attack

  4. not suffer an attack for five years
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states: 'Varicella vaccine is now available, and proper vaccination can prevent an infection altogether or allow just a mild attack.' Option C directly paraphrases this - vaccination can either prevent infection entirely or result in a mild case.

Multiple choice

Through the passage, the author wishes to tell us about

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

CHICKEN – POX

Chicken pox, also called Varicella is caused by the Varicella virus. It is marked by a rash of dot like spots all over the body that look like little blisters. The infection is usually accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Varicella is a very contagious disease that spreads from humans to other humans. Every year millions of kids worldwide fall ill due to chicken pox. It usually attacks the very elderly and kids less than twelve years of age. Children with Varicella should stay in bed rest and at home. The infection lasts about two weeks. One has to be very careful because the virus seeks other bodies to infect when the blisters dry and the scabs start coming off. Therefore, unless one is properly healed, he or she should not go to public places or meet friends who have not been vaccinated. Varicella vaccine is now available, and proper vaccination can prevent an infection altogether or allow just a mild attack.

 

  1. contagious diseases and their prevention

  2. reasons, symptoms and precautions for chicken pox

  3. the dangers of chicken pox

  4. curative action for chicken pox
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage covers: cause (varicella virus), symptoms (rash, flu-like), transmission (contagious, human-to-human), affected groups (elderly, kids under 12), duration (2 weeks), precautions (isolation when healing), and prevention (vaccine). Option B comprehensively captures this scope.

Multiple choice

The author uses the word “immunity” to mean

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

THE COMMON COLD

Sneezes, and coughs, watery eyes, running noses and sore throats, are common sights that mark a person infected with the common cold. The common cold is a viral infection that seems incurable. The reason is that antibiotics and ordinary medicine cannot treat a viral infection. The additional reason is that the conditions, under which we say that somebody has caught a cold, can be brought about by a range of viruses that list more than a hundred. So, catching a cold, getting cured and developing immunity towards the virus that caused it doesn’t protect you from catching a cold again on the very next day. The next common cold virus in the line may be knocking on your door. Thoroughly washing your hands and not touching your face, remaining clean, and trying to avoid infected patients may help to prevent a common cold. You can avoid a common cold by good habits, but can’t cure it yet by medicines..

 

  1. protection

  2. disease

  3. cure

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

The passage discusses developing immunity after catching a cold from one virus, but notes this immunity 'doesn't protect you from catching a cold again' because different cold viruses exist. Here, 'immunity' is used to mean protection/resistance against a specific virus, even if limited in scope.

Multiple choice

Which of the following symptoms does not necessarily result from common cold?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

THE COMMON COLD

Sneezes, and coughs, watery eyes, running noses and sore throats, are common sights that mark a person infected with the common cold. The common cold is a viral infection that seems incurable. The reason is that antibiotics and ordinary medicine cannot treat a viral infection. The additional reason is that the conditions, under which we say that somebody has caught a cold, can be brought about by a range of viruses that list more than a hundred. So, catching a cold, getting cured and developing immunity towards the virus that caused it doesn’t protect you from catching a cold again on the very next day. The next common cold virus in the line may be knocking on your door. Thoroughly washing your hands and not touching your face, remaining clean, and trying to avoid infected patients may help to prevent a common cold. You can avoid a common cold by good habits, but can’t cure it yet by medicines..

 

  1. Watery eyes

  2. Running nose

  3. High temperature

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

The passage lists: 'Sneezes, and coughs, watery eyes, running noses and sore throats' as common sights marking a person with common cold. High temperature/fever is not listed among these explicit symptoms in the passage.

Multiple choice

The primary purpose of the passage is to emphasize

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

WASHING YOUR HANDS

After coughing and sneezing, before preparing foods or eating, and after using the restroom one should thoroughly wash their hands. Frequent washing of your hands removes the germs that you pick up from other people and from contaminated surfaces like doorknobs. Everyone should wash their hands for 10-15 seconds under clear running water to remove germs. The scrubbing along with the soap removes the germs from your hand. However, the water you use for washing your hands must be clean and safe. Most stomach disorders and infectious diseases can be prevented by simply making a habit of washing your hands.

 

  1. the importance of clean food

  2. the prevention of coughing and sneezing

  3. the importance of healthy eating habits

  4. the importance of washing hands
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage's central theme is hand washing: when to do it, how to do it, why it works (removes germs), and what it prevents ('most stomach disorders and infectious diseases'). The entire passage emphasizes this single hygiene practice.

Multiple choice

How does playing help the children?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Playing is as natural for children as breathing. All children love to play. They play because they are so full of animal spirits and so overcharged with muscular energy that they must expend it by playing. Running, jumping and other physical activities build their muscles and tone their motor development. It is all-instinctive.
Moreover, playing involves imagination, imitation and ‘make-believe’ and thus contributes to the development of the child’s mind also. In playing a child makes friends, develops the qualities of leadership and learns to function in a group. This develops his social responsibility. Moreover playing is a preparation for the business of life. For example, when girls play with dolls they practice being mothers and when boys play policeman game, they prepare themselves for active and outdoor life. Thus playing is a rehearsal of those activities which will be useful to them in life.

Psychologists believe that playing also acts as a therapy for the child; it helps him/her to release all his/her pent-up feelings. It gives him/her much-needed cathartic release. Children play to make up for defeats, sufferings and everyday frustration. He may have been scolded by a teacher or bullied by a class mate.

It is, therefore, necessary that parents should let the children play when it is time to play. Some parents force their children to study as it is thought to be far more useful for life than play. It is a mistake on their part to think play as a wastage of time. Through the experience of play a child enriches his life and becomes not only physically strong but also emotionally.

  1. Builds their muscles

  2. Tones their motor development

  3. Makes a child develop his social responsibility

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

The passage lists multiple benefits: 'builds their muscles and tone their motor development' (A), contributes to mind development (implied in B's scope), develops social responsibility through group function (C), and preparation for life activities. Option D 'All the above' is correct as all individual benefits are mentioned.

Multiple choice

Mark the word used in the passage to mean “release of the pent-up emotions”.

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Playing is as natural for children as breathing. All children love to play. They play because they are so full of animal spirits and so overcharged with muscular energy that they must expend it by playing. Running, jumping and other physical activities build their muscles and tone their motor development. It is all-instinctive.
Moreover, playing involves imagination, imitation and ‘make-believe’ and thus contributes to the development of the child’s mind also. In playing a child makes friends, develops the qualities of leadership and learns to function in a group. This develops his social responsibility. Moreover playing is a preparation for the business of life. For example, when girls play with dolls they practice being mothers and when boys play policeman game, they prepare themselves for active and outdoor life. Thus playing is a rehearsal of those activities which will be useful to them in life.

Psychologists believe that playing also acts as a therapy for the child; it helps him/her to release all his/her pent-up feelings. It gives him/her much-needed cathartic release. Children play to make up for defeats, sufferings and everyday frustration. He may have been scolded by a teacher or bullied by a class mate.

It is, therefore, necessary that parents should let the children play when it is time to play. Some parents force their children to study as it is thought to be far more useful for life than play. It is a mistake on their part to think play as a wastage of time. Through the experience of play a child enriches his life and becomes not only physically strong but also emotionally.

  1. Expend

  2. Emotionally

  3. Cathartic release

  4. Pent-up feelings
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states playing 'gives him/her much-needed cathartic release' and earlier mentions 'release all his/her pent-up feelings.' 'Cathartic release' literally refers to emotional release/cleansing, which matches the definition of 'release of pent-up emotions.'

Multiple choice

Select the most suitable title for this passage.

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Playing is as natural for children as breathing. All children love to play. They play because they are so full of animal spirits and so overcharged with muscular energy that they must expend it by playing. Running, jumping and other physical activities build their muscles and tone their motor development. It is all-instinctive.
Moreover, playing involves imagination, imitation and ‘make-believe’ and thus contributes to the development of the child’s mind also. In playing a child makes friends, develops the qualities of leadership and learns to function in a group. This develops his social responsibility. Moreover playing is a preparation for the business of life. For example, when girls play with dolls they practice being mothers and when boys play policeman game, they prepare themselves for active and outdoor life. Thus playing is a rehearsal of those activities which will be useful to them in life.

Psychologists believe that playing also acts as a therapy for the child; it helps him/her to release all his/her pent-up feelings. It gives him/her much-needed cathartic release. Children play to make up for defeats, sufferings and everyday frustration. He may have been scolded by a teacher or bullied by a class mate.

It is, therefore, necessary that parents should let the children play when it is time to play. Some parents force their children to study as it is thought to be far more useful for life than play. It is a mistake on their part to think play as a wastage of time. Through the experience of play a child enriches his life and becomes not only physically strong but also emotionally.

  1. All play and no study makes a child dull

  2. Importance of only playing

  3. Memories of my childhood

  4. Playing- A booster for children
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage comprehensively discusses benefits of playing: physical (muscles, motor development), mental (imagination, make-believe), social (friends, leadership, group function), emotional (therapy, cathartic release), and practical preparation for life. Option D 'Playing- A booster for children' captures the overall developmental booster theme.

Multiple choice

How does playing make a child develop his social responsibility?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Playing is as natural for children as breathing. All children love to play. They play because they are so full of animal spirits and so overcharged with muscular energy that they must expend it by playing. Running, jumping and other physical activities build their muscles and tone their motor development. It is all-instinctive.
Moreover, playing involves imagination, imitation and ‘make-believe’ and thus contributes to the development of the child’s mind also. In playing a child makes friends, develops the qualities of leadership and learns to function in a group. This develops his social responsibility. Moreover playing is a preparation for the business of life. For example, when girls play with dolls they practice being mothers and when boys play policeman game, they prepare themselves for active and outdoor life. Thus playing is a rehearsal of those activities which will be useful to them in life.

Psychologists believe that playing also acts as a therapy for the child; it helps him/her to release all his/her pent-up feelings. It gives him/her much-needed cathartic release. Children play to make up for defeats, sufferings and everyday frustration. He may have been scolded by a teacher or bullied by a class mate.

It is, therefore, necessary that parents should let the children play when it is time to play. Some parents force their children to study as it is thought to be far more useful for life than play. It is a mistake on their part to think play as a wastage of time. Through the experience of play a child enriches his life and becomes not only physically strong but also emotionally.

  1. A child makes friends.

  2. A child develops the qualities of leadership.

  3. A child learns to function in a group.

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

The passage explicitly states that 'In playing a child makes friends, develops the qualities of leadership and learns to function in a group. This develops his social responsibility.' All three individual options (A, B, C) are directly mentioned as ways play develops social responsibility, making 'All the above' the correct answer.

Multiple choice

What does 'the girls playing with the dolls' signify?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Playing is as natural for children as breathing. All children love to play. They play because they are so full of animal spirits and so overcharged with muscular energy that they must expend it by playing. Running, jumping and other physical activities build their muscles and tone their motor development. It is all-instinctive.
Moreover, playing involves imagination, imitation and ‘make-believe’ and thus contributes to the development of the child’s mind also. In playing a child makes friends, develops the qualities of leadership and learns to function in a group. This develops his social responsibility. Moreover playing is a preparation for the business of life. For example, when girls play with dolls they practice being mothers and when boys play policeman game, they prepare themselves for active and outdoor life. Thus playing is a rehearsal of those activities which will be useful to them in life.

Psychologists believe that playing also acts as a therapy for the child; it helps him/her to release all his/her pent-up feelings. It gives him/her much-needed cathartic release. Children play to make up for defeats, sufferings and everyday frustration. He may have been scolded by a teacher or bullied by a class mate.

It is, therefore, necessary that parents should let the children play when it is time to play. Some parents force their children to study as it is thought to be far more useful for life than play. It is a mistake on their part to think play as a wastage of time. Through the experience of play a child enriches his life and becomes not only physically strong but also emotionally.

  1. They like playing only with the dolls.

  2. They practice being mothers.

  3. They rehearse for the future.

  4. They want to flaunt their dolls.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states: 'when girls play with dolls they practice being mothers' - this is presented as an example of how play serves as preparation for future life roles. The other options are either not mentioned in the passage (flaunting dolls) or are too general.