ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION - TopperLearning.com

ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION

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COMPREHENSION PASSAGES

Types of Comprehension Passages

You may come across many types of passages while attempting the reading comprehension section in

your paper.

Let us look at some sample passages.

A factual passage deals with facts usually shared in the form of reports, scientific

articles and historical descriptions.

A literary passage consists of extracts from works of great writers and can be in the

form of novels, short stories and poetry.

A discursive passage consists of articles which present an opinion or a reasoned

argument on a topic.



Sample Comprehension Passages

SAMPLE 1: Factual Passage

The Holocaust was a systematic elimination and killing of six million Jews by the Nazi rule and its

collaborators. The Nazis came to power in Germany in January 1933 and believed that Germans were

‘racially superior’ and that the Jews, deemed ‘inferior’, were a threat to the so-called German racial

community. In 1933, there were over nine million Jews in Europe and most European Jews lived in

countries that Nazi Germany would occupy or influence during World War II. By 1945, the Germans and

their collaborators killed nearly two out of every three European Jews as part of the Nazi policy to murder

the Jews of Europe. Between 1941 and 1944, Nazi German authorities deported millions of Jews to

ghettos and to killing centres, often called extermination camps. Here, the Jews were murdered in

specially developed gassing facilities.

Anne Frank was one of the over one million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust. In July 1942, Anne

and her family went into hiding in a secret attic apartment behind the office of the family-owned business.

Anne called in her diary as the Secret Annex. On 4 August 1944, the Gestapo (German Secret State

Police) arrested the Franks and sent them to Auschwitz, a concentration camp complex in German-

occupied Poland. Unfortunately, Anne and her sister died of typhus in March 1945. Only Anne's father,

Otto, survived the war. Soviet forces liberated Otto at Auschwitz on 27 January 1945.

While in hiding, Anne kept a diary where she recorded her fears, hopes and experiences. The dairy was

found in the secret apartment and was published after the war in many languages. It is used in middle

school and high school curricula in Europe and the Americas.

Questions:

Q1) Why did the Nazis want to kill the Jews?

Q2) The Nazis came to power in

a. 1941

b. 1945

c. 1933

d. 1939

Q3) Why did Anne and her family have to go into hiding?

Q4) Why were the Jews sent to Auschwitz?

Q5) Find words in the passage that mean

a. removal

b. associate

c. execution

Answers:

A1) The Nazis wanted to kill the Jews because they believed that the Jews were inferior to the ‘racially

superior’ Germans and a threat to the so-called German racial community.



A2) 1933

A3) When the Nazis came to power in Germany, they began arresting Jews to deport them to

concentration camps and kill them. Anne was a Jewish girl and her family went into hiding to escape from

the Nazis.

A4) Auschwitz was a concentration camp complex in German-occupied Poland. Nazi German authorities

deported millions of Jews to concentration camps to kill them.

A5 a) removal: elimination

A5 b) associate: collaborator

A5 c) execution: extermination

SAMPLE 2: Literary Passage

When I was a girl of about twelve, I used to stay in a village in north Karnataka with my grandparents.

Those days, the transport system was not very good, so we used to get the morning paper only in the

afternoon. The weekly magazine used to come one day late. All of us would wait eagerly for the bus,

which used to come with the papers, weekly magazines and the post.

At that time, Triveni was a very popular writer in the Kannada language. She was a wonderful writer. Her

style was easy to read and very convincing. Her stories usually dealt with complex psychological

problems in the lives of ordinary people and were always very interesting. Unfortunately for Kannada

literature, she died very young. Even now, after forty years, people continue to appreciate her novels.

One of her novels, called Kashi Yatre, was appearing as a serial in the Kannada weekly Karmaveera

then. It is the story of an old lady and her ardent desire to go to Kashi or Varanasi. Most Hindus believe

that going to Kashi and worshipping Lord Vishweshwara is the ultimate punya. This old lady also believed

in this, and savouring it as much as possible. Her struggle to go there was described in that novel. In the

story, there was also a young orphan girl who falls in love but there was no money for the wedding. In the

end, the old lady gives away all her savings without going to Kashi. She says, 'The happiness of this

orphan girl is more important than worshipping Lord Vishweshwara at Kashi.'

My grandmother, Krishtakka, never went to school so she could not read. Every Wednesday, the

magazine would come and I would read the next episode of this story to her. During that time, she would

forget all her work and listen with the greatest concentration. Later, she could repeat the entire text by

heart. My grandmother too never went to Kashi, and she identified herself with the novel's protagonist. So

more than anybody else, she was the one most interested in knowing what happened next in the story

and used to insist that I read the serial out to her.

(From How I Taught my Grandmother to Read by Sudha Murthy)

Questions:

Q1) Why was the morning newspaper delayed in the narrator’s village?

Q2) What is special about Triveni’s stories?



Q3) Why did Grandmother depend on the narrator to know the story?

Q4) Why is it important to go to Kashi in Hinduism?

Q5) Find words from the passage that are antonyms of the following:

a. unpopular

b. simple

Answers:

A1) The transport system in the village where the narrator used to stay was not very good. Hence, the

morning paper would arrive only by afternoon.

A2) Triveni was a wonderful writer. Her stories were special because they usually dealt with complex

psychological problems in the lives of ordinary people and were always very interesting.

A3) Grandmother never went to school, and hence, she could not read. Every Wednesday when the

magazine would come, the narrator, her granddaughter, would read the next episode of the story to her.

A4) Most Hindus believe that going to Kashi and worshipping Lord Vishweshwara is the ultimate punya.

Hence, it is regarded important to go to Kashi in Hinduism.

A5 a) popular

A5 b) complex

SAMPLE 3: Literary Passage (Poem)

Last night I had the strangest dream

I'd ever dreamed before,

I dreamed the world had all agreed

To put an end to war.

I dreamed I saw a mighty room

Filled with women and men,

And the paper they were signing said

They'd never fight again.

And when the paper was all signed

And a million copies made,

They all joined hands and bowed their heads

And grateful pray'rs were prayed.

And the people in the streets below

Were dancing 'round and 'round,

While swords and guns and uniforms

Were scattered on the ground.

Last night I had the strangest dream

I'd ever dreamed before,

I dreamed the world had all agreed

To put an end to war.



Questions:

Q1) What is the dream of the narrator?

Q2) What did the speaker see in the room?

Q3) What are swords, guns and uniforms symbolic of?

Q4) Why were the people dancing on the streets?

Q5) What according to you are the effects of war on humanity?

Answers:

A1) The narrator has dreamt that the world has come together to sign a document that puts an end to war.

After the paper is signed, people join hands to pray and abandon their weapons to rejoice the end of war.

A2) The speaker dreamt that a big room was filled with men and women signing a paper saying that they

would never fight again.

A3) Swords and guns symbolise violence and war. Uniforms symbolise military.

A4) People were dancing on the streets to celebrate the end of war across the world.

A5) War has a devastating effect on humanity. It not only destroys life and property but also leaves

permanent scars on the souls of the survivors. War often leads to countries and people living with hatred

for each other for years and sometimes centuries.

SAMPLE 4: Discursive Passage

Educating boys and girls together has always been quite important and stressing. Many parents believe

that the educational process can be more effective if the classes are divided according to the gender of

the children. Same sex schools are considered too conservative and strict in today’s times. Nevertheless,

there are also still supporters of this manner of education.

Some parents are not in favour of a co-educational system as they feel that the representatives of the

opposite gender distract the attention of students and prevent them from the concentration on studies.

Some also feel that as boys are considered more rude and violent, they could harm the aesthetic feelings

of the female gender.

On the other hand, supporters of co-education feel that as boys and girls are different, it is a valuable

experience for both genders to communicate with each other. Moreover, the earlier boys and girls begin to

communicate, the sooner they acquire socialising skills, which is crucial to communicate freely in the

surrounding world. Further, if there are girls in the class, boys may well possibly try to behave better in

order not to lose face in front of the girls.

Apart from all that has been mentioned above, educating boys and girls together helps them understand

and mutually respect each other from an early stage in life. This can possibly help in building a generation

that doesn’t suffer from gender bias and is open to a healthy competition even between the two genders.



Questions:

Q1) Why according to the writer are some parents not in favour of the co-education system?

Q2) Why are socialising skills important?

Q3) Same sex schools are considered ______________________________________.

Q4) How according to the writer can the aesthetic feelings of girls be harmed by boys?

Q5) Find words from the passage that mean

a. traditional

b. attentiveness

c. vital

d. unfairness

Answers:

A1) Some parents are not in favour of the co-education system as they feel that the representatives of the

opposite gender distract the attention of students and prevent them from concentrating on studies.

A2) It is essential to acquire socialising skills as these are required to communicate freely in the

surrounding world.

A3) Same sex schools are considered conservative and strict in today’s times.

A4) According to the writer, some people feel that boys are considered more rude and violent and could

harm the aesthetic feelings of girls.

A5 a) traditional: conservative

A5 b) attentiveness: concentration

A5 c) vital: crucial

A5 d) unfairness: bias




Valley of Flowers is a national park in Uttarakhand, India. Nestled in the West Himalayas, the valley is

located at an altitude of 3,600 metres above sea level and is famous for charming meadows of alpine

flowers. Myriad alpine flowers stretched across 87.5 sq kms make this place a colourful paradise. The

beautiful valley is also a world heritage site with its pristine beauty and mystical surroundings attracting

nature lovers, photographers and botanists. Valley of Flowers is bifurcated by Pushpawati River. The

locals believe that the valley was once inhabited by fairies. It is one of the famous trekking destinations in

India. One cannot stay at the Valley of Flowers. Therefore, Ghangaria, the base camp for the trek to the

Valley of Flowers, remains an ideal place to relax and sleep.

The Valley of Flowers is a 3-km climb from Ghangaria. The Brahmakamal, the Blue Poppy and the Cobra

Lily are some flowers that bloom in the valley. The Himalayan Balsam is the most predominant flower of

the valley. The woolly white Edelweiss is a captivating site. This flower grows in inaccessible places, at

high altitudes in the mountains of Europe, Asia and South America and is associated in Slovenia with

mountaineering. The valley is covered with snow for most of the year. The valley opens on 1st June every

year for visitors. There are huge glaciers in the Valley of Flowers in June. At this time, snow starts melting

and the seeds of the last year’s plants start germinating. By July, all the flowers are at full bloom. One can

find the maximum number of flowers until mid-August. Snowfall starts in October, and the valley is closed

officially for public.

Questions:

Q1) Where is the Valley of Flowers located?

Q2) Based on your reading of the passage, complete the following sentences.

a. The Valley of Flowers is stretched across ____________________.

b. The valley attracts _______________.

Q3) Name some flowers found in the valley and the best time to visit the place.

Q4) Why do visitors have to stay in Ghangaria?


a. unspoiled

b. fascinating

c. growing

d. elevation

Answers:

A1) The Valley of Flowers is located in Uttarakhand, India, in the West Himalayas at an altitude of 3,600

metres above sea level.

A2)

a. The Valley of Flowers is stretched across 87.5 sq kms.

b. The valley attracts nature lovers, photographers and botanists.

A3) The Brahmakamal, the Blue Poppy, the Cobra Lily and the woolly white Edelweiss are some flowers

found in the valley. The best time to visit the valley is from July to September.



A4) One cannot stay at the Valley of Flowers. Therefore, Ghangaria, the base camp for the trek to the

Valley of Flowers, remains an ideal place to relax and sleep.

A5)

a. Unspoiled: pristine

b. Fascinating: captivating

c. Growing: germinating

d. Elevation: altitude


Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Questions:

Q1) Who do you think is the real owner of the woods?

Q2) Why does the horse give his harness bells a shake?

Q3) What other sounds are heard by the poet?


a. strap

b. strange

Q5) What promises according to you does the poet have to keep?

Answers:

A1) The real owner of the woods is a man whose house is in the village.

A2) The horse gives his harness bells a shake to ask his master why he is waiting in the lonely woods.

ENGLISH COMPREHENSION PASSAGES


A3) The other sounds heard by the poet are those of the sweeping wind and the falling snow flakes.

A4)

a. harness

b. queer

A5) The poet is enchanted by the beauty and the solace of the woods. However, the last two lines of the

poem suggest that his family is waiting for him to return from his work. Thus, it is clear that he has

personal commitments that involve other people, and hence, he cannot stay back in the woods.

SAMPLE 7: Factual Passage

At 2 pm on 5 December 1945, five US bombers took off from Fort Lauderdale in the USA for a training

flight in perfect weather. Shortly afterwards, the pilots radioed that their flight instruments were all

malfunctioning. Two hours after take-off, all contact with the planes was lost. A reconnaissance plane was

immediately dispatched to search for the missing planes. Within 20 minutes, radio contact with it had also

been lost. No trace of any of the planes was ever found. In all, six planes and 27 men had vanished into

the air.

The disappearance of the six planes was far from being the first mysterious incident in the area: for years,

navigational problems and strange magnetic forces had been reported. The disappearance was not even

the greatest disaster within the triangle. The Cyclops, a 19,000-ton US ship, was sailing from Barbados to

Norfolk, Virginia. In March 1918, it vanished with its crew of 309 from the surface of the ocean without

making a distress call and without the slightest wreckage ever being found.

The losses of boats and planes in that area defy explanation. The disasters are the origin of a new phrase

in the English language – the Bermuda Triangle — and this phrase has entered legend. The Bermuda

Triangle has been called the Devil’s Triangle, the Triangle of Death and the Graveyard of the Atlantic. It

has swallowed up 140 ships and planes and more than 1,000 people. Today, many airmen and sailors are

still afraid of that area of the Atlantic Ocean.

Questions:

Q1) Where was Fort Lauderdale located?

Q2) What happened on 5 December 1945?

Q3) What happened in March 1918?

Q4) What are the different names given to the Bermuda Triangle?

Q5) Find words from the passage which mean

i. Investigation

ii. Remains

iii. Challenge

Answers:

A1) Fort Lauderdale was located in the USA.



A2) On 5 December 1945, several US planes took off from Fort Lauderdale in the USA for a training flight.

Shortly afterwards, the pilots radioed that their flight instruments were all malfunctioning. Two hours after

take-off, all contact with the planes was lost.

A3) In March 1918, a 19,000-ton US ship named the Cyclops was sailing from Barbados to Norfolk,

Virginia. It vanished with its crew of 309 from the surface of the ocean without making a distress call and

without the slightest wreckage ever being found.

A4) The Bermuda Triangle is also known as the Devil’s Triangle, the Triangle of Death and the Graveyard

of the Atlantic.

A5)

i. reconnaissance

ii. wreckage

iii. defy


Speech is a great blessing but it can also be a great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and

desires known to others, it can also, if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood,

A slip of the tongue, the use of an unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, may create an enemy where

we had hoped to win a friend, Again different classes of people use different words, and the ordinary

speech of an educated man may create the impression to an uneducated listener that he was showing off

with his skill: Unwittingly we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it

does to a man of his own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which

demands careful handling: Only a fool would express himself alike to all kinds and conditions of people

and situations.

Questions:

Q1) In what way is speech a blessing to mankind?

Q2) Describe how words could make an enemy out of someone you would like to be a friend?

Q3) Why is an educated man’s speech considered boastful by an uneducated listener?

Q4) How should speech be used?

Q5) How does one prove himself a fool through his use of language?

Q6) Find words from the passage which mean

a. exceptional

b. mistake

Answers:

A1) Speech is a blessing to mankind because it helps us to make our intentions clear to others.

A2) A slip of the tongue, the use of an unusual word or an ambiguous word may cause misunderstanding.

This can create an enemy out of someone instead of a friend.



A3) An educated man may speak using words which are beyond the realms of an uneducated man’s

understanding. This can be misconstrued by the listener who may believe that the educated man is

showing off.

A4) Speech is not something which has to be used without thought. According to the author, one must

use speech with caution.

A5) A fool is someone who does not know how to change his speech according to the situation. His

ignorance can cause misunderstanding and ambiguity.

A6)

a. unusual

b. slip


Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,

They don't climb out the window sill,

They never fight or kick or punch,

They leave you free to cook the lunch

And wash thedishes in the sink

But did you ever stop to think,

To wonder just exactly what

This does to your beloved tot?

It rots the sense in the head!

It kills imagination dead!

It clogs and clutters up the mind!

It makes a child so dull and blind

He can no longer understand

A fantasy, a fairyland!

His brain becomes as soft as cheese!

His power of thinking rust and freeze!

He cannot think - He only sees!

'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,

'But if we take the set away,

What shall-we do to entertain

Our darling children? Please explain!'

We'll answer this by asking you,

'What used the darling ones to do?'

'How used they keep themselves contented

Before this monster was invented?'

Have you forgotten? Don't you know?



Questions:

Q1) Why according to the poet is excessive watching of TV harmful?

Q2) The figure of speech in the sentence ‘His brain became as soft as cheese’ is _______________.

Q3) The figure of speech in the sentence ‘It clogs and clutters up the mind!’ is

a. Antithesis

b. Anticlimax

c. Alliteration

Q4) What happens to the thinking ability of children who watch too much TV?

Answers:

A1) According to the poem, excessive watching of TV is harmful as it rots the children’s senses and kills

their imagination.

A2) Simile: The softness of the brain is compared to that of cheese.

A3) Alliteration: The initial sound is repeated in the words ‘clogs’ and ‘clutters’.

A4) Watching too much TV causes the power of thinking to rust and freeze.


Today, Yellappa Reddy is one of the most well-known environment specialists in India. With his influence,

he has been able to increase the areas of the Pavitra Vana and has plans to bring about awareness of

Puranic trees and flowers for the knowledge of the Indian citizen. Pavitra Vana is situated at

Ramnagaram, 50 miles from Bengaluru.

The population needs to know about plants and trees mentioned in the puranas which everyone thought

were extinct. These were found in Pavitra Vana. Dr Reddy wants to create near the Pavitra Vana, a

Brihat Panchavati so that parents can show their children the forest where Shakuntala lived or Sita spent

her final days. There will also be a hillock where people can meditate. Plans are also afoot create a

Saptaswara forest, pertaining to different ragas in music. Scientists have found that certain plants react in

a particular way to different ragas. So in such a forest, when a musician performs certain ragas, the plants

will react in such a manner that it will benefit the audience, the musician and the whole environment. The

other idea is an ecopark for children. On celebrations, like birthdays, parents can invest Rs. 200 and plant

a sapling of a tree representing the child's birth star. The plant will also carry the child's name. The Pavitra

Vana also houses a garden of Prophet Mohammed, which has some plants mentioned in the Holy Quran.

There is the date plant - sacred to Islam - and the Mimosops elengi, the latter a highly fragrant variety.

There is also the garden of Eden for housing plants sacred to Christianity, but the Pavitra Vana authorities

have to procure most of them in the new sections.

Questions:

Q1) Pavitra Vana has plants and trees ____________________.

Q2) What is the speciality of the garden of Prophet Mohammed?

Q3) How can birthday celebrations be special at Pavitra Vana?



Q4) What is special about the plans in the Saptaswara forest?

Q5) Find words in the passage which mean

a. Wiped out

b. Scented

Answers:

A1) mentioned in the puranas which everyone thought were extinct.

A2) The garden of Prophet Mohammed has some plants mentioned in the Holy Quran.

A3) At Pavitra Vana on occasions like birthdays, parents can invest Rs. 200 and plant a sapling of a tree

representing the child's birth star.

A4) There are plans to create a Saptaswara forest based on different ragas in music. In such a forest,

when a musician performs certain ragas, the plants will react in a manner that it will benefit the audience,

the musician and the whole environment.

A5)

a. extinct

b. fragrant

ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION - TopperLearning.com

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