The capacity to read content, process it, and comprehend its importance or meaning is known as reading comprehension. An individual's capacity to understand content is affected by their features and cleverness, one of which is the capacity to make derivations. To read singular words, students utilize a lot of their preparing limit, which interferes with their capacity to comprehend what is read; if word recognition is difficult.

This section comprises of questions based upon a brief passage usually consisting of one or two paragraphs. The candidate is required to analyse the contents of the passage and then answer the questions that follow. Type of questions: - Generally one or two brief paragraphs are given, followed 3 to 5 questions based on it. The questions are based on:

• Theme of the passages.
• On the basis of the given passages, select the correct or wrong statement.
• View of the author regarding the main point discussed in the passages.
• Antonyms or synonyms of some chosen words in the passages.

Tips of solving: -

• Read the passages carefully once and detect its theme.
• Note what questions are about.
• Answer the questions.

NOTE: - In questions on Synonyms and Antonyms, remember that the answer is to be offered according to the sense in which the word has been used in the passage, not simply on the basis of its literal meaning.

1. Carefully read the given passage and answer the questions that follows. (N.D.A. 1996) In Bengal, many poor farmers had been forced and compelled to take up indigo cultivation when the British settlers were given the right to purchase and cultivate land in India. Many whites, therefore, either acquired land or advanced loan to poor farmers and pressured them to forsake the farming of food grains and other cash crops for indigo cultivation. Within a few years, most of the fertile lands had undergone forcible indigo cultivation, resulting in a famine situation in Bengal. When the farmers declined to cultivate indigo, they were tortured, jailed and even killed. I. Indigo export was profitable for the British settlers because (a) labour was cheap. (b) they had no competitors. (c) the land was fertile. (d) they could oppress the farmers. II. British settlers bought land in Bengal in order to (a) introduce cultivation of cash crops in India (b) cultivate indigo (c) settle down in India (d) promote export business in Bengal III. The poor farmers in Bengal took up indigo cultivation because (a) the government encouraged them to do so (b) it was a money earning crop (c) they were forced to do so (d) this was the only crop that would grow in that region Solution: I. It is mentioned in the passage that the British held a monopoly of indigo business and this indicates that they had no competitors. Hence, option (b) is the right answer. II. It is clear that, the fact is evident from the statement 'Many whites, therefore, either acquired land or advanced loan to poor farmers and pressured them to forsake the farming of food grains and other cash crops for indigo cultivation'. Hence, option (a) is the right answer. III. The statement that 'Many poor farmers had been compelled to take up indigo cultivation' gives the answer. Hence, option (c) is the right answer. 2. Carefully read the given passage and answer the questions that follows. (I.E.S. 1993) The last half of my life has been lived in one of those painful epochs of human history during which the world is getting worse, and past victories which had seemed to be definitive have turned out to be only temporary. When I was young, Victorian optimism was taken for granted. It was thought that freedom and prosperity would speed gradually throughout the world by an orderly process, and it was hoped that cruelty, tyranny, and injustice would continually diminish. Hardly anyone was haunted by the fear of great wars. Hardly anyone thought of the nineteenth century as a brief interlude between past and future barbarism. I. The author feels and about the later part of his life because (a) The world had not become prosperous (b) he was nostalgic about his childhood. (c) the world was painfully disturbed during that period of time. (d) the author had not won any further victories. II. The victories of the past (a) filled men with a sense of pessimism (b) proved to be temporary events (c) ended, cruelty, tyranny, and injustice (d) brought permanent peace and security III. The word ‘definitive’ as used in the passage means (a) incomplete (b) defined (c) temporary (d) final IV. During the Victorian age people believed that (a) peace would prevail and happiness would engulf the whole world. (b) strife would increase. (c) there would be unlimited freedom. (d) wars would be fought on a bigger scale. V. 'A brief interlude between past and future barbarism’ can be interpreted as (a) a dramatic performance during wars (b) an interval between cruel wars (c) a short space of time between two great events (d) a short period of time between past and future acts of savagery. Solution: I. The author feels and about the later part of his life because the world was painfully disturbed during that period of time. Hence, option (c) is the right answer. II. The victories of the past proved to be temporary events. Hence, option (b) is the right answer. III. The word ‘definitive’ as used in the passage means final. Hence, option (d) is the right answer. IV. During the Victorian age people believed that peace would prevail and happiness would engulf the whole world. Hence, option (a) is the right answer. V. 'A brief interlude between past and future barbarism’ can be interpreted as a short period of time between past and future acts of savagery. Hence, option (d) is the right answer. 3. Carefully read the given passage and answer the questions that follows. (U.D.C. 1995) It is difficult to reconcile the ideas of different schools of thought on the question of education. Some people maintain that pupils of school should concentrate on a narrow range of subjects which will benefit them directly in their subsequent careers. Others contend that they should study a wide range of subjects so that they not only have the specialized knowledge necessary for their chosen careers but also sound general knowledge about the world they will have to work and live in. Supporters of the first theory state that the greatest contributions to civilization are made by those who are expert in their trade or profession. Those on the other side say that, unless they have a broad general education, the experts will be too narrow in their outlook to have sympathy with their fellows or a proper sense of responsibility towards humanity as a whole. I. 'Schools of thought' can be explained as (a) groups of people whose job is to think (b) groups of people who are schooled to think (c) groups of people who study in a particular school thoughtfully (d) groups of people having the same ideas but with different perception on a particular subject. II. Broad general knowledge is necessary because (a) it broadens one's outlook. (b) without it no one would get a job (c) it teaches us about different things (d) specialization is incomplete without it. III. The idea of the first school of thought in the passage is that students should study a few subjects that will help them in their profession. (a) students should concentrate on studies. (b) students should not undertake any specialized work. (c) students should study a few subjects that will help them in their profession. (d) students should study all the subjects they want to. IV. Supporters of the first theory say that (a) experts have contributed most to progress in the modern world. (b) people with general knowledge have contributed to civilization. (c) experts have done nothing to help mankind. (d) people with general knowledge are more useful than experts. V. According to the second school of thought, education will not be very effective if pupils do not have a wide general education. (a) have inadequate knowledge of their own work (b) do not have a wide general education (c) ignore the study of fine arts (d) have nothing but general knowledge Solution: I. 'Schools of thought' can be explained as groups of people having the same ideas but with different perception on a particular subject. Hence, option (d) is the right answer. II. Broad general knowledge is necessary because it broadens one's outlook. Hence option (a) is the right answer. III. The idea of the first school of thought in the passage is that students should study a few subjects that will help them in their profession. Hence, option (c) is the right answer. IV. Supporters of the first theory say that experts have contributed most to progress in the modern world. Hence, option (a) is the right answer. V. According to the second school of thought, education will not be very effective if pupils do not have a wide general education. Hence, option (b) is the right answer. 4. Carefully read the given passage and answer the questions that follows. (C.D.S. 1995) Culture is the cultivation of a plant or garden, not the eradication of its roots, it is an understanding of the roots and seeds, their patient care and instructed nourishment. Culture is not knowledge, nor is it art, still less is its acquaintance with literature and art. By culture I mean first of all what the anthropologists mean; the way of life of a particular people living together in one place. That culture is made visible in their arts, in their social system, in their habits and customs, in their religion. It is an aggregate of customs, institutions, manners, standards, tastes, morals and beliefs. Now these are transmitted rather by the family than by the school, hence when family life fails to play its part, we must expect our culture to deteriorate. It is a delusion to think that the maladies of the modern world can be put right by a system of instruction. On the contrary, universal education, by lowering standards, morals and tastes to a common denominator, and by sharpening the wits rather than disciplining character, tends to break down existing checks and balances. Education should be the drawing forth of potential values, it should not be the destruction of the safeguards that tradition places around young egos naturally inclined to willful and precarious flights. I. According to the passage, education is (a) the sharpening of wits (b) tapping and encouraging the inherent values in man (c) the substitution of old traditions with new ones (d) the development of moral standards II. The culture of a community is transmitted (a) more by school than the family (b) more by the family than school (c) equally by both (d) by the peer groups III. The culture of a community is said to deteriorate when (a) there is a fall in its educational standards (b) the family life fails to play its part (c) there is universal education (d) it adopts the modern system of instruction IV. The passage suggests that universal education (a) is, in fact, aggravating the existing problems of the modern world (b) is the solution to the problems in the modern world (c) would prevent us from transmitting culture to the future generation (d) would help retain the cultural values V. The writer uses the term 'culture' to refer to (a) the cultivation of a plant or garden by a community (b) one's acquaintance with literature and art (c) one's acquisition of knowledge (d) the way of life of a particular people living together in one place Solution: I. According to the passage, education is the sharpening of wits. Hence option (a) is the right answer. II. The culture of a community is transmitted more by the family than school. Hence, option (b) is the right answer. III. The culture of a community is said to deteriorate when the family life fails to play its part. Hence option (b) is the right answer. IV. The passage suggests that universal education would prevent us from transmitting culture to the future generation. Hence option (c) is the right answer. V. The writer uses the term 'culture' to refer to the way of life of a particular people living together in one place. Hence option (d) is the right answer. 5. Carefully read the given passage and answer the questions that follows. (N.D.A. 1996) Among the earliest memories of my childhood are the stories from these epics told to me by my mother or the older ladies of the house, just as a child in Europe or America might listen to fairy tales or stories of adventure. There was for me both adventure and the fairy element in them. And then I used to be taken every year to the popular open-air performances where the Ramayana story was enacted. I. The second sentence shows that the writer (a) tolerated the old stories and open-air performances. (b) analysed old stories for their value. (c) enjoyed them. (d) dismissed them as untrue and silly. II. The author of this passage is (a) a reflective mood. (b) a reminiscent mood. (c) a critical mood. (d) an introspective mood. III. 'Epics' are (a) long narrative poems of the adventures of mythical heroes. (b) poetic works of excellence. (c) long historical stories. (d) popular versions of national histories. Solution: I. The second sentence shows that the writer enjoyed them. Hence option (c) is the right answer. II. The author of this passage is in a reminiscent mood. Hence option (b) is the right answer. III. 'Epics' are long narrative poems of the adventures of mythical heroes. Hence option (a) is the right answer.