Tag: theme, main idea and purpose of a passage

Questions Related to theme, main idea and purpose of a passage

The purpose of the proposed law requiring a doctor's prescription for obtaining hypodermic needles is to lower the incidence of drug related deaths, both accidental and intentional, involving hypodermic needles. But even knitting needles can be lethal if they fall into the wrong hands; yet everyone would agree that imposing legal restrictions on obtaining knitting needles would be preposterous. Hence, the proposed law involving hypodermic makes no sense and should not be enacted. Which of the following, it true, would provide most support for the argument above ?

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. Knitting needles have been known to cause injury and death.

  2. The benefits of hypodermic needles outweigh those of knitting needles.

  3. The proposed law would not deter the sort of activity known to result in drug-related deaths.

  4. Knitting needles are not readily available to anybody who wants to obtain them

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The argument is essentially that the proposed law makes no sense because knitting needles are dangerous as well. The argument relies explicitly on an analogy between hypodermic and knitting needles. Thus, the two must be similar in all respects relevant to the argument. Otherwise, the argument is unconvincing. (1) affirms that knitting needles are in fact dangerous, thereby affirming the analogy between the two types of needles.
(2) and (3) each in its own way supports the bare assertion that the proposed law might not be effective. However, none of these answer choices affirms the argument's essential reasoning.
(4) actually weakens the argument, by providing a reason why hypodermic needles and knitting needles are not relevantly similar.

Read the passage and answer the following question:


It must be realized to make compulsory education a success, it is absolutely necessary to make it entirely free. India is a poor country and we cannot expect our people to pay directly for the education of their children. Even in rich countries like England and U.S.A. mass education is not only free but there are many additional facilities like mid-day meal for children, free medical service, and scholarship on a generous scale. Since education is a fundamental civil and human right and basic to the health of the body politics, funds must be found for the purpose whatever the cost of the scheme. If we consider educational and cultural activities to be important, funds will be forthcoming. What we have to do is to rearrange our priority. With this in view, we have to adopt a many-sided programme of national planning and economic and industrial reconstruction. If not there will always be arguments and statistics to prove that it is impossible to introduce free, compulsory and universal education in India.

Which is the central argument of the passage?

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. Compulsory education should be introduced.

  2. For making compulsory education a success, it should be free.

  3. Mass education is not possible in India.

  4. Priority should be given to education.

Show answer
Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Option B: It's mentioned in the topic sentence: "It must be realized to make compulsory education a success, it is absolutely necessary to make it entirely free."
A topic sentence usually presents the main idea of the passage.
The central argument of this passage is "For making compulsory education a success, it should be free."
It is supported by other instances in the passage as well:
Free education is necessary because education is a basic and fundamental right.
"Since education is a fundamental civil and human right and basic to the health of the body politics, funds must be found for the purpose whatever the cost of the scheme."
Also, we need to give priority to education and adopt measures that will help raise funds for free education."If we consider educational and cultural activities to be important, funds will be forthcoming. What we have to do is to rearrange our priority."
Hence OPTION B is correct.
Options A, C and D are incorrect because the passage is not about these aspects of education: education should be made compulsory (it should be, but the passage is about free education), mass education is not possible in India (some people will always say this, but the passage here is about free education), and priority should be given to education (this is a tool to achieve funds for education).

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Once upon a time, I went for a week's holiday to the Continent with an Indian friend. We both enjoyed ourselves and were sorry when the week was over, but on parting our behaviour was absolutely different. He was plunged in despair. He felt that because the holiday was overall happiness was over until the world ended. He could not express his sorrow too much. But in me, the Englishman came out strong. I could not see what there was to make a fuss about. It wasn't as if we were parting forever or dying. 'Buck up', I said, 'do buck up'. He refused to buck up and I left him plunged in gloom. 


What is the author's intention in the passage?

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. To contact the Indian character with the English character

  2. To show that an Indian is sorrowful

  3. To ridicule the Indian traditions

  4. To praise the Englishman

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The given passage shows the Indian as sorrowful and gloomy. Thus option B is the correct answer. Options B,C and D are incorrect.

Why people agreed to accept change in family trend?

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. High expectations

  2. High income

  3. High education

  4. All of above

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:

In old family trend people had less expectations. They were happy with all they have. But increase in expectations forced people to accept the change in family trend. Now days people have their own desire for which they do any thing. In old family trend things were different.

Who is responsible for change in behavior of children?

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. Old family trend

  2. Current family trend

  3. Education

  4. All of above

Show answer
Correct Option: B
Explanation:

In current family trend parents has no time for children, due to which there is no guardian who help them to differentiate between good or bad. They do not know how to interact  with elders. These all are the main reason for change in behavior in children.

Read the following dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [1] with the most appropriate option:
Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. Who it was

  2. Who is it

  3. Who you are

  4. Who are you

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:

A poet asked the rain who he was (1). The rain answered that he was the "poem of the earth"(2). The poet again asked the rain why has the rain come to earth (here)(3). The rain replied that it has come to beautify "its origins" (the earth)(4). It further told that it (rain) had come to give life to "unborn seeds" (5).

Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].


Read the dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [4] with the most appropriate option.

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. To beautify its origin

  2. To beautify my origin

  3. It had come to beautify its origin

  4. None of these

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Rain: "To beautify my origin."

As the given sentence in the direct speech is an incomplete answer, we will give a complete answer in the indirect speech. 
For example:
Mom: "What are you doing?" - Mom asked what he was doing. 
Raj: "Studying." - Raj answered that he was studying.
Option A - 'To beautify its origin' can't be used as it is similar to the direct speech. We have to write the complete answer in the indirect speech. Thus option A is incorrect. 
Option B - 'To beautify my origin' can't be used as it is used in the direct speech. Thus option B is incorrect. 
Option C - 'It had come to beautify its origin' can be used here as it answers the question completely in the past perfect tense. The question was in the present perfect tense, hence the answer should be in the past perfect tense. Thus option C is the correct answer. 
Option D is incorrect as option C is the correct answer. 
'The rain replied that it had come to beautify its origin.'

Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].


Read the following dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [5] with the most appropriate option.

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. It also wanted to give life to unborn seeds

  2. It also wants to give life to unborn seeds

  3. I also want to give life to unborn seeds

  4. None of these

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Rain: "I also want to give life to unborn seeds."

As the given sentence in the direct speech is in the simple present tense, we will change it to simple past tense in the indirect speech.
Option B - 'It also wants to give life to unborn seeds' is in the simple present tense. Thus option B is incorrect.
Option C - 'I also want to give life to unborn seeds' is the direct speech and can't be used in the indirect speech. Thus option C is incorrect.
Option A - 'It also wanted to give life unborn seeds' can be used here as 'I' is changed to 'it' according to the subject 'rain'. And, the sentence is formed in the simple past tense in the indirect speech. Thus option A is the correct answer.
Option D - Option D is incorrect as option A is the correct answer.
'It further told that it also wanted to give life unborn seeds.'

Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].


Read the following dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [2] with the most appropriate option.

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. It has been the poem of the earth

  2. It was the poem of the earth

  3. I was the poem of the earth

  4. I am the poem of the earth

Show answer
Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."

As the given sentence is in the simple present tense, we will change it to simple past tense in the indirect speech. 
Option A - 'It has been the poem of the earth' is in present perfect tense. Thus option A is incorrect. 
Oprion C - 'I was the poem of the earth' is incorrect as 'I' can't be used in the indirect speech. We need another pronoun according to the subject 'rain'. Thus option C is incorrect. 
Option D - 'I am the poem of the earth' can't be used here as it is the direct speech. We can only use the same tense when the speech is a universal truth. Thus option D is incorrect. 
Option B - 'It was the poem of the earth' can be used here as 'I' is changed to 'it' and the sentence is in the simple past tense. Thus option B is the correct answer. 
'The rain answered that it was the poem of the earth.'

Ram scored overall 99% marks. No other students of his class could do this. On the basis of his performance we may say:

theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

  1. Ram is an intelligent student of his class.

  2. Ram is more intelligent student in his class

  3. Ram is the most intelligent student of his class

  4. Ram is one of the more intelligent boys of his class.

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:

From the given data we may say that Ram scored the highest among all the students in he class. So, it can be said that Ram is the most intelligent student of his class. Thus option C is the correct answer. Options A,B,D are incorrect.