10 Reading Comprehension Practice With Answers Reading Comprehension ❒ INTRODUCTION : First of all, familiarize yourself with the instructi...
10 Reading Comprehension Practice With Answers
Reading Comprehension
❒ INTRODUCTION : First of all, familiarize yourself with the instructions for answering the questions. The wording of the actual test instructions
may differ from the ones in this book, but the general sense will
remain the same. If you are familiar with these instructions, you
will not have to wrestle with their meanings during the test and
can use all your time for answering the questions.
❒ Types of RC Passages: The reading comprehension (RC) part of the test entails reading
passages of about 250–300 words taken from published material
and answering a series of questions based on the contents of the
passages. The reading passages are majorly drawn from several
areas:
■ Social studies and humanities: History, geography, civics,
literature, art, music, philosophy, biographies, essays, short
stories, etc.
■ Socio-economic and political: Indian and world politics,
important current national and international events, economy,
etc.
■ Sciences: Biology, chemistry, physics, medicine,
environmental issues, etc.
❒ WHAT DO RC QUESTIONS TEST?
Questions on the comprehension passage test your ability to state
information in the passage in addition to the following:
- Ability to understand implications and draw inferences,
- Ability to identify the author’s purpose, evaluate the author’s style, or analyze the author’s arguments,
- Ability to recognize the main idea or the central idea presented by the author, and to apply his/her viewpoint,
- Vocabulary by giving questions on synonyms, antonyms, the meaning of phrases, and idioms, for words contained in the passage. In short, the questions are meant to test your ability to read a passage and comprehend its meaning and express that ability by selecting the correct answer from among the answer choices given for each question
❒ Format of RC Section
A passage of about 300–500 words is taken from published
materials and a series of questions about the content of the
passage are asked. Some of the questions test your ability to
understand directly stated information, some test your ability to
recognize implications and draw inferences, and some test your
ability to comprehend the text and recognize the main idea
presented by the author.
Note that since the questions asked are to test your ability
to read a passage and comprehend its meaning, you are to
judge the correctness of an answer on the basis of what is
stated or implied in the passage. Even if the information in
the passage runs counter to what you believe to be correct,
your answers should be based only upon what the author says
in the passage.
Unlike in the vocabulary section, where given a word, you
have to supply its meaning from your own store of knowledge,
in RC questions, all the information needed to answer a question
is in the passage itself, either stated clearly or hinted at.
❒ TACTICS TO TACKLE RC
The following pages list every proven technique for succeeding
in the RC section, which is a pitfall for many test-takers. Before we look at the types of questions asked in the RC section,
let us consider how to approach reading the passage itself. To
answer the questions correctly, one should obviously read and
understand the text. But imagine if you are able to finish only
three of the six paragraphs given because you read slowly! You
will then get only 50 percent marks even if you answer all the
questions correctly.
On the other hand, if you finish the entire paragraph quickly and are able to answer only half the questions correctly, you
will still get 50 percent marks. To correctly answer the questions, it is important to comprehend what you read. But reading and comprehending what you are reading are dependent on
each other. So, you can improve your speed by improving your
comprehension—and your comprehension will further improve
because you have improved your speed. Thus, what you are improving is your speed of comprehension. Thus, your first goal is
to build up enough speed so that you finish reading all the given
paragraphs in the stipulated time and also give as many correct
answers as possible.
❒ Types of Questions
The RC usually includes questions that test the ability to 1. Find the main idea or a suitable title for the text
2. Find information directly specified in the passage
3. Draw inferences from the passage given
4. Determine meaning of strange words used in the passage
5. Determine the author’s style, mood or point of view.
❒ Type I Best Title or Main Idea
A good paragraph generally has one central thought—and that
thought is generally stated in one sentence. That sentence, the
topic sentence, may appear anywhere in the paragraph (although
we are accustomed to look for it in the opening or closing
sentences). However, these days, the topic sentences are often
implied than stated in the passage.
A good title for a passage of two or more paragraphs
should include the thought of all the paragraphs. The central
thought, thus, is the one around which the author tries to build
up the whole text. Usually, the questions of this type take the
following forms:
■ The main idea of the passage may be best expressed as
…………
■ The author wants to say in this paragraph …………
■ The theme of the text is …………
■ The good title for the paragraph would be …………
❒ TIPS TO FIND OUT CENTRAL THOUGHT/THEME OF
THE TEXT
1. Decide on the subject which is being taken up in the text. It
can be person, place, thing, or some idea or concept.
2. Look for the most important thing being said about the
subject of the text. You will find that either the subject is
doing something or something is being done to the subject.
This action then becomes the verb to the headline which will
lead you to the title of the paragraph.
3. Look out for words which you feel are significant to the
subject of the text. Then, there are words like ‘after all’,
‘most important’, ‘obviously’, ‘significantly’, which point to
elements of greater value.
4. Find out words which are likely to be important in
interpreting questions, answers, and the passage itself—
words like ‘always’, ‘never’, ‘mostly’, ‘ever’, ‘exactly’,
‘precisely’, ‘possible’, ‘definite’, ‘impossible’, ‘unless’, ‘all’,
‘no’, ‘least’, ‘without’, ‘entire’, etc
❒ Type II Questions
Asking for Specific Answers
The answers to such questions are in the text. You must be able
to find a word, a sentence, or a group of sentences, justifying the
choice. You must not call on information in other sources. You
must not let yourself be hurried into making unfounded
assumptions. These questions often take following forms:
■ As per the text, which of the following statements is
correct …………
■ The author states that …………
■ The passage includes all the items listed below except
…………
❒ Type III Inference Questions
These type of questions are the most difficult since you are to
draw an answer not stated clearly in the text. This increases the
probability of error, but by grasping the author’s ideas you
should be able to reject inferences which cannot be made. These
questions take the following forms:
■ The passage is intended to …………
■ It may be inferred from the text that …………
■ The author probably feels that …………
❒ TIPS TO DRAW CORRECT INFERENCE
1. Reason your choice and reject—if A is true, B must also be
true.
2. Grasp the author’s idea—how he/she feels about the subject.
3. Figure out whether the passage is part of an argument, a
description, or part of a longer story. You will find out that
you are choosing the answer according to the minutes of the
author
❒ Type IV Vocabulary Questions
The purpose of this kind of question is to determine how well
you can extract the meaning from the text; it is not to test how
extensive your vocabulary is. Don’t assume that you know the
meaning of the word. You must find out the meaning of the word
as used in the text. You must look within the text for clues as
often the clues are given within the same sentence or near it.
❒ KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER
1. Sometimes, the word is common but is used in a special or
technical way.
2. Sometimes, a word may be completely new. The nearby
words and proper punctuation will provide you the clues
(Many times the antonym of the word is given somewhere
in the passage).
3. The unknown word asked bears a deceptive resemblance to a
known word which is also present in the choices.
4. Sometimes, the meaning of the word is given before it is
used or the entire text describes a concept or a situation
which is the definition of the word.
❒ Type V Question on Author’s Style or Mood
Some questions will ask you to identify the mood, style of the
author, or his/her approach of handling the subject. Such questions are usually asked last. Your response to such questions
should be based upon the overall understanding of the text
rather than the bits of evidence.
❒ TIPS TO EVALUATE OR DETERMINE THE AUTHOR’S
STYLE
1. Words like ‘according to’, ‘finally’, ‘therefore’, and ‘hence’ will
lead you to the cause-and-effect relationship being carried
out on the subject.
2. Words such as ‘but’, ‘still’, ‘otherwise’, and ‘however’, yet
indicate to the comparison or contrast being made with the
subject.
3. Words like ‘beware of’, ‘although’, ‘note that’, and ‘importantly’ call attention to the important ideas being
discussed by the author.
4. Sometimes, words like ‘although’, ‘of’, and ‘instead of’
signal a change of direction, i.e., towards new thought, but
not necessarily a comparison is made out nor the cause-effect relationship touched
❒ TIME-SAVING GUIDELINES
For tackling comprehension passages, you have to train your eyes
and mind to function simultaneously. As your mind begins to look
for ideas rather than words, your eyes will begin to obey your
mind. They will skim over words, looking for ideas your mind is
telling them to search for. Good reading is good thinking, and a
good thinker will be a good reader.
Speed in reading and comprehension work together. Therefore, don’t be afraid if you come across difficult words in the passage. Your task is to look for ideas, or what the author wants to
convey. The following approach has been used with great success
in tackling comprehension questions:
❒ Step 1 Glance through the questions quickly: Instead of reading the passage first, it is better to skim through the
questions that are given at the end of the passage. This will help
you determine what you have to look for while reading the passage. As stated earlier, your mind will begin to search for ideas.
But do not spend too much time on looking at the questions. The
purpose of step 1 is to give you an idea of what you should be looking for in the passage.
❒ Step 2 Read the passage as fast as you can: Read the passage without worrying about full comprehension, but
keeping in mind the questions that you have read in step 1. If you
come across material that seems relevant to any of the questions,
underline that portion with a pencil. The purpose of step 2 is to
let you get an overview of the passage and to familiarize you with
the relative position in the passage of keywords, key facts, and
key ideas. It is also advisable to mark the question number in the
margin of the passage alongside the relevant part and circle your
provisional answer choice under the question.
❒ Step 3 Re-read the questions for proper comprehension:
Now, carefully read the questions. If you are able to recollect its
location in the passage, mark the answer in your answer book.
If you fail to recollect the location of the relevant material in the
passage, go on to the next question. This step will help you answer the easy questions before concentrating on the more taxing
ones in the next step
❒ Step 4 Re-read the passage for comprehension:
Now, re-read the passage at a comfortable pace for comprehension.
While reading, keep the unanswered questions in mind, and follow
the same process as in step 2. If you find relevant material to correctly answer a question, mark the question number in the margin
of the passage and encircle the provisional answer choice as you
did in step 2.
❒ Step 5 Re-read questions that are still unanswered: These questions may be more taxing. Go back to the passage once
again very quickly and find the relevant material from the passage by concentrating only on that particular information that is
required to answer the question.
Note: At the outset, this approach may seem quite time-consuming. However, with some practice you will find it simple and
faster than the traditional method of going through the passage
straightaway without reading the questions first, as suggested
here.
❒ Types of Passages
A few sample RC passages are given below, which are
categorized under various subject areas. The size of the passages
has been deliberately mixed in order to give you a feel of the
actual tests. Since different examinations have different
difficulty levels especially for the RC section, this exposure will
help you prepare for all types of entrance exams.
Attempt the passages by following the five steps suggested
earlier. The level of difficulty as well as the size of the passages
are varied in order to allow you to build your own time-speed
systems while reading the passages. It is expected that you
understand the passage and make mental note of the types of
questions asked at the end of each passage
-------------------------
At one time in the history of India, most women knew very well
how to bring up their infants and they lived a perfectly healthy
life, free from diseases. The overall standard of women and children in the country was much better then that of other civilizations of that period. But, ever since India was exposed to frequent
foreign invasions from foreign nations, life was unsafe and property unprotected, the people were forced to congregate in towns
in such a compact way that it led to awful insanitation and diseases. The traditional knowledge of domestic and personal health
and hygiene was ignored. Women were confined indoors for fear
of insults, and a train of social and unhealthy dangers followed all
round. It is a problem how we can now restore the original conditions of healthy and happy life in India. This is a socio-economic
problem which needs to be given priority to bring back the original culture and restore welfare of women and children in India.
EXERCISES
Q1. What was the main cause of poor health conditions of
women in India?
(a) Women were confined indoors.
(b) Illiteracy among women.
(c) Frequent foreign invasions.
(d) Awful sanitation.
Q2. What question has the writer posed before the readers?
(a) How to check foreign invasion?
(b) Why has the traditional knowledge been ignored?
(c) What should be done for infants and women?
(d) How to restore the original condition of healthy and
happy life in India?
Q3. Why did life become unsafe and property unprotected?
(a) Because of awful insanitation and diseases.
(b) Because the women were confined indoors.
(c) Exposure to frequent foreign invasions.
(d) People were forced to congregate in towns.
Q4. Why were the women confined indoors?
(a) To improve sanitation and healthy atmosphere.
(b) To keep them away from disease.
(c) Because of foreign invasions.
(d) None of these.
Q5. When were the women leading a perfectly healthy life?
(a) After being confined indoors.
(b) Before foreign invasions.
(c) After restoring original conditions of healthy and
happy life.
(d) Cannot be determined from the passage.
Q6. What does the word ‘congregate’ mean in the passage?
(a) Forced
(b) Assemble
(c) Live
(d) Settle
Q7. How are foreign invasions responsible for poor health
conditions?
(a) Foreigners maltreated the public.
(b) People were forced to congregate in towns in a compact way, leading to insanitation.
(c) Foreigners brought unhealthy ways of life.
(d) People were made to serve as labor.
Q8. Select the word which is as nearly opposite in meaning to
‘confine’ as used in the passage.
(a) Forced
(b) Directed
(c) To keep out
(d) Reject
Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for
granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider.
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some
few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be
read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some
few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some
books may also be read by deputy and extracts made of them by
others but that would be only in the less important arguments
and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are like
common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full
man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. And,therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a good memory;
if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read
little, he had need have much cunning to seem to know that he
doth not. ‘Histories make men wise, poets witty, the mathematics
subtle, natural philosophy deep, moral, logic and rhetoric able
to contend.’
(From Of Studies—Francis Bacon).
EXERCISES
1. What does the art of writing do to man’s character?
(a) It makes him a full man.
(b) It makes him a ready man.
(c) It makes him an exact man.
(d) It makes him a good author.
2. How should you read books which are to be ‘read wholly’?
(a) By making extracts from them.
(b) They should be chewed and digested.
(c) They should be read in parts.
(d) They should be read with diligence and attention.
3. If a man does not write much, what must he have?
(a) Extracts made of them by others.
(b) A good memory.
(c) Must chew and digest the contents.
(d) A good reading and comprehension speed.
4. What does ‘some books are to be tested’ mean?
(a) To be read only in parts.
(b) To be read with diligence and attention.
(c) To be read, but not curiously.
(d) To be read just for fun.
5. What should be the real object of reading?
(a) To distill the contents.
(b) To understand the author’s view and its application in
day-to-day life.
(c) To weigh and consider.
(d) Not to contradict and confute
6. What can be done with regard to the ‘meaner’ sort of
books?
(a) To be read but not to contradict and confute.
(b) To be read only in parts.
(c) They can be ‘read by deputy and extracts made of them
by others.
(d) To be read, but not curiously.
7. If a man reads very little, what must he pretend?
(a) He must pretend to have a good memory.
(b) He must pretend to know a lot.
(c) He must pretend not to have a good memory.
(d) He must pretend to be wise and witty.
8. The word ‘confute’ in the passage means
(a) To argue
(b) To refuse
(c) To disapprove
(d) To doubt
9. Which of the following words suitably replace the word
‘confer’ used in the above passage?
(a) Differ
(b) Disapprove
(c) Deliberate
(d) Reject
10. What does the author mean by ‘deputy’ in this passage?
(a) A subordinate
(b) A junior student
(c) Acting for someone else
(d) A man of letters
11. Select the word which is as nearly opposite in meaning as
the word ‘contend’ used in the passage?
(a) Compete
(b) Affirm
(c) Yield
(d) Attempt
12. What is usually meant by ‘conference’?
(a) A gathering of people.
(b) A get together.
(c) A meeting where conversation is important.
(d) A group of people assembled to hear a speaker.
Reading Comprehension Practice Exercises
[Passage - 1]
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions
given below.
Through the break between the trees, she looked into
one of the lighted windows above the shop. She could see
the cartons of biscuits neatly piled near the far wall. Against
her conscious wishes, Cissy’s salivary glands started pumping
fluid into her mouth. She felt her heart beating strongly, from
the top of her throat into the back of her mouth. “There is
nobody”, she thought. “I can dash in and take a box and dash
out again. I know it is a sin but the Lord will not punish us if
we are so hungry.
i. Cissy’s reaction when she saw the biscuit cartons
(a) She wanted to take all the cartons.
(b) Her mouth started watering.
(c) She felt hungry.
(d) She was surprised to see the biscuits.
ii. The passage describes
(a) Cissy’s bad habit
(b) Cissy’s temptation before stealing
(c) Cissy’s courage to steal
(d) The good quality of biscuits
iii. How was Cissy able to see the cartons of biscuits?
(a) From the flavour of biscuits in the room.
(b) She saw an opened carton.
(c) She was aided by a light in the room.
(d) Because some biscuit cartons were damaged.
iv. Why did her heart beat strongly?
(a) She was thinking of stealing the biscuits.
(b) The flavour of biscuits was tempting.
(c) She thought nobody was watching her.
(d) She was eager to eat the biscuits.
[Passage - 1] Answer ; i. (b) ii. (b) iii. (c) iv. (a)
[Passage - 2]
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
Once a rich merchant presented a beautiful cat to the Emperor of China. Eventually, the Emperor become fond of the animal and took it with him wherever he went. Everywhere, people kept asking the Emperor, what was the cat named and everyone was surprised, when told, that it had no name. As time progressed, the Emperor realized that the cat should have a name. Thus he decided to find a suitable name for his pet. He called his ministers, the seven wisest men in his empire, and commanded them to find a suitable name within seven days. The ministers were warned that if they did not succeed in finding a name by the end of seven days, they would be punished. Also, the minister whose suggestion would be accepted would receive hundred gold pieces.
The ministers did a lot of research on names that would suit the Emperor’s favorite pet. At the end of this period, they were summoned to the palace again and asked for their suggestions. The youngest of the group thought he had found the perfect name. “TIGER!” he announced proudly, “your majesty, as we all know tigers are powerful animals, it will be the best name for your pet cat.” “Good name,” said the Emperor, after a moment’s reflection. “The tiger is not only a noble and powerful beast but it is also known as the cat’s cousin, “added the Emperor.
“Noble, perhaps,” said the second minister, “but it is not as powerful as the dragon. Can a tiger soar into the sky? No, but dragon can! I think DRAGON Would be a more suitable name for the cat. As the Emperor was contemplating the name DRAGON, the third minister said, “Clouds can go higher than dragons. A cloud is more powerful than a dragon. Let’s call it CLOUD. “Let’s not be hasty,” advised the fourth-wise man “clouds may fly high but they are pushed around by winds. Winds are more powerful then clouds. WIND would be the most appropriate name for a great Emperor’s pet.” The Emperor was still not satisfied with the suggestions. “WIND?” Said the Emperor doubtfully. “Isn’t there anything better?” The fifth wise man took this opportunity to give his suggestion. “BRICK WALL!” he exclaimed. “Why should I name my cat BRICK WALL? Asked the Emperor worth astonishment as it was the most unusual name he had heard till now. “A brick wall can stop the wind, however powerful,” explained the fifth minister. “A brick wall is more powerful than the wind!” “Oh, I see,” said the Emperor. “Well, BRICK WALL is not a bad name. But isn’t it a bit longer?” “I have a shorter name, “said the sixth minister, “RAT.” Everyone started laughing at this suggestion. “So you suggest that I must call my cat RAT?” The sixth minister replied, “yes, you’re Majesty, RAT! A rat can eat through a brick wall, which makes it more powerful than the wall, more powerful than the wind, more powerful than the wall, more powerful than the wind, more powerful than all the suggestions given to you.” “I get your point, “interrupted the Emperor, “but can you call a cat, RAT?” “Indeed you can’t!” piped up the seventh wise man who was the eldest among all seven. “A cat is a cat. How can one call cat RAT? Also if a rat is more powerful then the rat. “The Emperor was impressed with the seventh minister’s suggestion and decided to accept it. So the royal pet remained nameless in a way because form then on it was simply called Cat But the minister who suggested this name was rewarded as promised.
Q1. Why did people get surprised wherever the Emperor
went?
(a) Because the Emperor had a nameless cat
(b) Because the Emperor took his cat wherever he went
(c) Because the Emperor is cat was crazy
(d) Because the Emperor got a cat as a present
Q2. What made the Emperor realize that he should give a
name to his pet cat?
(a) All cats had a name except his pet cat
(b) Everyone laughed at this cat for being nameless
(c) Everyone asked his cat is name wherever he took it
(d) The cat requested that it should be named
Q3. Why did the Emperor not want to name his cat BRICK
WALL?
(a) He did not like brick walls
(b) Brick walls are rough and hard but cats are not
(c) Brick wall is a very long name
(d) He already had a pet called brick wall
Q4. What would be an appropriate name for the passage?
(a) The Emperor
(b) The cat
(c) The wise minister
(d) A cat named cat
Q5. What reason did the first minister give for his suggestion?
(a) Tigers are powerful creatures.
(b) Tigers are the most dangerous of all creatures.
(c) Tigers resemble cats.
(d) Tiger sound royal and majestic
[Passage - 2] Answer : Q1. (a) Q2. (b) Q3. (c) Q4. (d) Q5. (a)
[Passage - 3]
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions
that follow:
Antarctica and its surrounding stormy waters are as pristine, unique and majestic as they are dry, harsh and bleak.
The continent is the iciest, coldest (the lowest temperature
ever recorded being –89° Celsius) and driest place on earth
(rainfall is almost nil, even less than in the Sahara desert).
Almost 98 percent of its total area of 14 millions square kilometers in summer (it doubles in size in winter owing to the
ice that forms around the continent) is covered by ice, that
is, on an average 2.3 km thick (4 km thick in some places).
Winds whistling at a speed of up to 300 km an hour and blizzards cn make visibility so poor, that seeing one’s own hand
becomes impossible, they are as unpredictable as they are
frequent.
The South Pole lies somewhere near the continent’s centre. In some cases, where giant ice sheets that dominate
much of the continent’s landscape have drifted away into the
sea, areas of extensive rock exposure remain. These cold arid
deserts which have one of the harshest environments on the
planet, are called dry valleys. The continent is divided into
two subcontinents—East and West Antarctica—by the 500
millions-year-old Trans-Antarctic Mountains. While East,
Antarctica is a very large pre-Cambrian shield which was
once part of the ancient Gondwana landmass (which existed
a billion years ago and included Africa, India, Australia, arid
South America, and broke up 65 millions years ago), WestAntarctica is much younger and smaller. Again, while EastAntarctica is tied to the base, the West-Antarctic ice sheet,
which was formed by the addition of continental microplates
over the last 500 millions years, is unstable in some places it
even floats just below the sea surface.
Scientists have over the
past four decades discovered that the desolate continent is a
key component in the planet’s ecosystems—in fact recharging and reviving it. Its pure waters comprise 90 per cent of
the earth’s fresh water; its cold water currents which meet the
warm currents from the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans
have a prominent influence on ocean currents worldwide; its
thinning and retreating glaciers, which are very sensitive to
changes in weather, also effect changes in global sea levels
(which have gone up by 33 feet, or 10 metres) and atmospheric circulation; the ice and the icy waters are alive with
life forms, micro-organism and marine life, which in some
places have remained undisturbed for as long as two million,
years; the southern ocean dynamics act like a heat sink in
the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (by elements
in the ocean like phyto-planktons, zoophyto-planktons and
chlorophyll); it stores and transports heat from one part of
the earth to another, thus influencing global temperatures and
rainfall. Antarctica is a barometer for global climatic change.
While temperatures have gone up by 1° Fahrenheit the world
over the last century, they have gone up by 4°F in Antarctica.
The untouched continent’s ice cores, frozen archives that
trap and hold atmospheric gases, provide weather summaries
dating back to 1,00,000 years.
Q1. Which is the driest place on earth?
(a) Sahara desert
(b) Antarctica
(c) South Pole
(d) None of these
Q2. As per the passage, Antarctica is a key component in the
planet’s
(a) Marine life
(b) Giant ice-sheets
(c) Climate change
(d) Ecosystems
Q3. Which one of the following did not include the Gondwana
landmass?
(a) Antarctica
(b) Africa
(c) India
(d) Australia
Q4. The word ‘pristine’ as used in the passage means
(a) Primitive
(b) Original purity
(c) Uncorrected
(d) None of these
[Passage - 3] Answer : Q1. (b) Q2. (d) Q3. (a) Q4. (b)
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