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Passage-Based Comprehension and Inference
Practice reading-comprehension with 20 free MCQ questions covering english. Detailed explanations in English and Hindi, perfect for UPSC, SSC, and competitive exam preparation.
FreePrep.inPassage-Based Comprehension and Inference20:00
Passage-Based Comprehension and Inference20:00
reading-comprehension — Answer Key & Explanations (20 Questions)
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Attempt the quiz above first, then review every question with its correct answer and a short explanation below.
Q1.Read the passage: "Regular exercise improves heart health, strengthens muscles and lifts mood. Even a thirty-minute daily walk can bring noticeable benefits." What is the main idea of the passage?
- A.Walking is the only useful exercise.
- B.Exercise should last several hours a day.
- C.Mood depends only on diet.
- D.Regular exercise has many health benefits.✓ Correct Answer
Explanation: The passage lists several benefits of regular exercise (heart, muscles, mood), so its main idea is the general health value of exercise.
Q2.Read the sentence: "The village was so remote that reaching it took two days by road." In the sentence, the word "remote" means:
- A.famous
- B.crowded
- C.far away✓ Correct Answer
- D.modern
Explanation: A place that takes two days to reach by road is far away, so "remote" means distant.
Q3.Read the passage: "Meena carried an umbrella although the sky was clear that morning. By afternoon, heavy rain had begun." What can be inferred from the passage?
- A.Meena dislikes umbrellas.
- B.The sky stayed clear all day.
- C.It never rains in her city.
- D.Meena was prepared for a change in the weather.✓ Correct Answer
Explanation: She took an umbrella and rain did come, so she was prepared. The other options contradict the passage or go beyond it.
Q4.Read the passage: "Delhi is the capital of India. It is home to the Red Fort. It is located on the Yamuna river. It is the most beautiful city in the country." Which sentence from the passage is an opinion rather than a fact?
- A.Delhi is the capital of India.
- B.It is the most beautiful city in the country.✓ Correct Answer
- C.It is home to the Red Fort.
- D.It is located on the Yamuna river.
Explanation: "Most beautiful" is a personal judgement that cannot be checked, whereas the other sentences state verifiable facts.
Q5.Read the passage: "Oh, how wonderful! I have won the first prize, and I can hardly contain my joy." The tone of the speaker is:
- A.joyful✓ Correct Answer
- B.angry
- C.sorrowful
- D.indifferent
Explanation: Words such as "wonderful" and "joy" show a happy, joyful tone.
Q6.Read the passage: "Honey bees visit thousands of flowers each day. In doing so they carry pollen from one flower to another, helping plants to produce seeds and fruit." Which title best suits the passage?
- A.How to Make Honey
- B.A Garden in Spring
- C.The Life of a Beekeeper
- D.The Role of Bees in Pollination✓ Correct Answer
Explanation: The passage is about bees carrying pollen between flowers, which is pollination.
Q7.Read the passage: "Many students believe that late-night study is more productive. However, studies suggest that sleep consolidates memory, so students who sleep adequately often recall more than those who stay up studying." The central argument of the passage is that:
- A.late-night study is the best method of learning
- B.adequate sleep helps students remember better than late-night study does✓ Correct Answer
- C.students should avoid studying altogether
- D.memory is unrelated to sleep
Explanation: The word "However" introduces the author's real point: sleep consolidates memory, so well-rested students recall more.
Q8.Read the passage: "The company's profits rose sharply after it began allowing employees to work from home, and staff turnover fell by half." Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
- A.Flexible work arrangements may have benefited the company.✓ Correct Answer
- B.The company reduced its workforce.
- C.Employees disliked working from home.
- D.Profits rose because prices were cut.
Explanation: Profits rose and fewer staff left after the change, so flexible work may have helped. The passage does not support the other options.
Q9.Read the sentence: "Despite the criticism, the minister remained resolute and refused to withdraw the proposal." The word "resolute" means:
- A.nervous
- B.firmly determined✓ Correct Answer
- C.confused
- D.reluctant
Explanation: Refusing to withdraw despite criticism shows firm determination.
Q10.Read the passage: "Plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose and often end up in rivers and oceans, harming marine life. Cities should therefore encourage the use of cloth bags." The author's purpose is to:
- A.describe how plastic is manufactured
- B.persuade readers to reduce plastic use✓ Correct Answer
- C.entertain readers with a story
- D.compare plastic with metal
Explanation: The word "should" and the recommendation of cloth bags show the author is trying to persuade readers.
Q11.Read the passage: "The library opens at 9 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on Saturdays. It stays closed on Sundays and public holidays." According to the passage, the library is NOT open on:
- A.Saturdays
- B.Mondays
- C.Sundays✓ Correct Answer
- D.Fridays
Explanation: The passage says the library is closed on Sundays; it opens on weekdays and on Saturdays.
Q12.Read the passage: "The scientist's findings were initially dismissed by her peers, but she continued her experiments for ten more years until the results could not be ignored." The passage suggests that the scientist was:
- A.careless
- B.dishonest
- C.persistent✓ Correct Answer
- D.discouraged
Explanation: She kept working for ten more years despite being dismissed, which shows persistence.
Q13.Read the passage: "Because the river had been polluted by factory waste, fish began dying in large numbers and fishermen lost their income." According to the passage, the fishermen lost their income because:
- A.pollution killed the fish✓ Correct Answer
- B.the factory closed down
- C.the river dried up
- D.fishing was banned by law
Explanation: The passage links factory waste to fish deaths and then to lost income.
Q14.Read the passage: "Our so-called expert has once again assured us that the bridge is perfectly safe, just days before it cracked." The tone of the writer is:
- A.admiring
- B.neutral
- C.cheerful
- D.sarcastic✓ Correct Answer
Explanation: "So-called expert" and the mention of the crack mock the expert, giving a sarcastic tone.
Q15.Read the sentence: "The speaker's lucid explanation made the complex theory easy for everyone to follow." The word "lucid" means:
- A.lengthy
- B.clear✓ Correct Answer
- C.confusing
- D.emotional
Explanation: The explanation made a complex theory easy to follow, so "lucid" means clear.
Q16.Read the passage: "Urban parks do more than provide green space. They reduce temperatures, absorb rainwater and give residents a place to meet, which strengthens community ties." The passage mainly discusses:
- A.the many benefits of urban parks✓ Correct Answer
- B.the cost of building parks
- C.why cities are getting hotter
- D.the history of public gardens
Explanation: The passage lists several benefits of parks: cooling, absorbing rainwater and community building.
Q17.Read the passage: "Although the new policy reduced paperwork, several clerks said their workload had not eased; they now spent the saved time answering the many queries it generated." Which statement is best supported by the passage?
- A.The policy increased paperwork.
- B.The clerks had no queries before the policy.
- C.The policy changed the nature of the clerks' work rather than reducing it.✓ Correct Answer
- D.The policy was cancelled quickly.
Explanation: Paperwork fell, but the saved time went to new queries, so the workload shifted in kind rather than shrinking.
Q18.Read the argument: "City A banned private cars from its centre and its air quality improved. Hence, banning private cars will improve air quality in City B as well." The argument assumes that:
- A.City B has no cars at present
- B.air quality is unaffected by traffic
- C.City B is similar to City A in the relevant respects✓ Correct Answer
- D.City A's improvement was caused by the weather
Explanation: Reasoning from one city to another works only if the two cities are alike in the factors that matter, which is the hidden assumption.
Q19.Read the passage: "The politician's remarks were deliberately ambiguous, allowing both supporters and critics to claim she agreed with them." The word "ambiguous" means:
- A.open to more than one interpretation✓ Correct Answer
- B.deliberately offensive
- C.very brief
- D.factually wrong
Explanation: Both sides could read the remarks as agreeing with them, so the remarks had more than one possible meaning.
Q20.Read the passage: "It would be naive to assume that technology alone can solve educational inequality; without trained teachers and reliable electricity, even the best devices lie unused." The author would most likely agree that:
- A.technology has no role in education
- B.teachers matter less than devices
- C.educational inequality has already been solved
- D.devices are ineffective without supporting infrastructure and teachers✓ Correct Answer
Explanation: The author says devices alone are not enough and need teachers and electricity, without rejecting technology altogether.