Reading comprehension practice set | Passages for ssc cgl | comprehension passage for ssc exam

Reading comprehension practice set : Hello everyone,

Comprehension plays a good role in each such examinations in which English segment is a part of that. Most of the aspirants fears by attempting passages this is because they have not done much practice and exercises for this.

There are some reading comprehension passages are given below which have come in ssc exams. You can practice with them. Each passage has few questions and their options. Firstly read the whole passage and after it go for their questions.

Passage : 1 | Reading comprehension practice set

The peacock, which happens to be our national bird, is regarded a good omen. It is also considered to be vain because of its habit to draw attention to itself. Different religions see the peacock as a symbol in varied ways. In Christianity, it represents the all-seeing God and is often used as a symbol of immortality. The Chinese believed that a glance from the bird could impregnate a woman. According to Hinduism, Saraswati -the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom – rides a peacock and, when God Indra transformed himself into an animal, he chose to be a peacock. In Buddhism, the peacock symbolizes purity, and their feathers are used for purification ceremonies.

1. The peacock is said to be a vain bird because
   (a) it is the national bird of our country.
   (b) it is the most colourful of all birds.
   (c) it attracts all focus to itself.
   (d) it is considered a symbol of good omen.
2. ‘Immortality’ refers to
   (a) deathlessness
   (b) hopefulness
   (c) longevity
   (d) tranquillity
3. The Chinese believed that the peacock could bless their women with
   (a) reproduction of healthy offspring
   (b) conception of babies
   (c) maintenance of fertility
   (d) growth of foetus
4. The Hindu Goddess used the peacock as
   (a) a royal throne
   (b) a trusted messenger
   (c) an ornamental bird
   (d) a mode of transport
5. The Buddhists use the peacock feathers in performing
   (a) religious rites
   (b) cleansing rituals
   (c) family functions
   (d) spiritual ceremonies

Passage -2 :

It is a fundamental characteristic of culture that, despite its essentially conservative nature, it does change over time and from place to place. Here it differs strikingly from the social behaviour of animals other than man. Among ants, for example, colonies of the same species differ little in behaviour from one another and even, so far as we can judge from specimens embedded in amber, from other ancestors of fifty million years ago. In less than one million years’ man, by contrast has advanced from the rawest savagery to civilization and has proliferated at least three thousand distinctive cultures

1. The phrase “essentially conservative nature’ implies that culture:
   (a) has an inbuilt resistance to change
   (b) is violently opposed to change
   (c) is essentially static
   (d) is essentially self-contained
2. According to the author, man cannot live
   (a) without creating a thousand distinctive cultures
   (b) like ants and other insects
   (c) without asserting his dignity
   (d) without constantly striving for a better mode of life
3. The author’s chief concern is:
   (a) the social behaviour of animals
   (c) man’s abilities of survival
   (b) evolution of human society
   (d) adaptive techniques perfected by man
4. The author speaks about the ants to bring out there:
   (a) Social solidarity
   (b) fixed pattern of social behaviour of the ants
   (c) instinct for survival
   (d) interior mode of living
5. The word ‘proliferated’ here means:
   (a) spread
   (b) propagated
   (c) popularized
   (d) multiplied

Passage -3 :

Once Alexander was camping near a town that was inhabited by only a helpless woman and some children. The menfolk had already been killed in the battle. Feeling hungry, he stopped a house and knocked at the door. After he had knocked about a dozen times, an old women supported by a stick came out and enquired what he wanted. In a stern voice Alexander commanded her to get him food.

The old woman who recognized Alexander from his Greek dress went inside and presently came out with a covered plate and presented it to him. When Alexander removed the cover, he found that it contained gold and jewellery. He became very angry.

“You stupid woman,” he said angrily, “What have you brought? Can I eat jewellery? I need only food.” The old woman coolly said, “You are Alexander the Great, aren’t you? I thought that you ate only gold and jewellery. That is why you wander from place to place and mercilessly kill innocent people for it. If ordinary loaves could satisfy your hunger, surely you have enough in your own country.”

Alexander was taken aback by the words of the old woman. He realized his foolishness and felt ashamed of himself. The old woman then served him good food with great affection. Alexander learnt his lesson from the old woman.

1. The town had only old woman and some children because the menfolk

(a) went out to find jobs
(b) had to go away from the county
(c) had been killed in the battle
(d) had to help Alexander

2. Alexander knocked at the old lady’s door because
   (a) he was hungry and wanted something to eat.
   (b) he was angry with the lady in the house.
   (c) he wanted to check if she walked with a stick.
   (d) the old lady had asked him to come home.
3. The old lady recognized Alexander from his
   (a) commanding voice
   (b) Greek dress
   (c) stern appearance
   (d) hungry looks
4. The old lady was
   (a) old and lame
   (b) brave and wise
   (c) angry and vindictive
   (d) rich and lived alone
5. Which of the following is not the meaning of ‘stern”?
   (a) harsh
   (b) severe
   (c) demanding
   (d) adjusting

Passage -4 : Reading comprehension passages

The high speed winds have a lot of energy in them as kinetic energy, due to their motion. The driving force of the wind is the sun. The wind energy is harnessed by making use of wind mills, The blades of the wind mill keep on rotating continuously due to the force of the striking wind. A large number of wind mills are installed in clusters called wind farms. These farms are ideally located in coastal regions, open grasslands or hilly regions, particularly mountain passes and ridges where the winds are strong and steady. Wind energy is very useful as it does not cause any air pollution. After the initial installation cost, the wind energy is very cheap. It is believed that by the middle of the century wind power would supply more than 10% of world’s electricity.

1. What are wind farms?

(a) The force of the striking wind
(b) High speed winds having a lot of energy in them
(c) Large number of wind mills installed in clusters
(d) Working of a wind generator

2. Where are the farms located?

(a) In places where there are lots of houses
(b) In industrial areas
(c) In areas where there are water pumps and flour mills
(d) In areas where the winds are strong and steady

3. What is the driving force of the winds?
   (a) The electric generators
   (b) The sun
   (c) The atmosphere
   (d) The continuous rotation

4. How is wind energy harnessed?
(a) By constructing a barrage
(b) By providing commercial energy
(c) By using steam turbine
(d) By making use of wind mills

5. Why is wind energy useful?
(a) It can generate a lot of electricity.
(b) It does not cause any air pollution.
(c) It is easily affordable.
(d) It can be utilized on a range.

Passage : 5

Namita is from the state of Kerala. She has come to Dubai to serve as a governess for the only child of the Nairs. The Nairs are nice and gentle and Namita has no cause to complain. One day she overhears something that makes her jittery. Mr. Nair is not employed in an American company as she has been told. The nature of his business is illegal. She is shocked and wants to go back to her home town to her own people.

Gopal is from a very poor family. His family owns a very small piece of land that can hardly meet their food requirements. One day, Gopal gets a nice offer to work in the Emirates with a construction contractor. In order to meet the expenses on travelling, the family decides to sell their own land and send Gopal to the foreign country, to make money. On arrival, the contractor confiscates Gopal’s passport and gives him a small place to live with ten others like him. Gopal has little idea what he must do.

1. Which word from the ones given below, best describes Namita’s relationship with her employers in the beginning?
   (a) Cordial
   (c) Sympathetic
   (b) Friendly
   (d) Complaining
2. What does the phrase, ‘makes her jittery’ imply?
   (a) sadness
   (b) anger
   (d) anxiety
   (c) trauma
3. Namita and Gopal are in a similar situation,
   A. because they love their families
   (b) are happy with their situations
   (c) are from impoverished families
   (d) are stranded in a foreign country
4. Namita’s situation is better than that of Gopal, because she
   (a) has a well behaved employer
   (b) knows what she wants to do
   (c) loves the new place and the child
   (d) now knows about her employer
5. The conclusion that can be drawn from both situations that people should

(a) stay in their own countries and villages
(b) feel contented and satisfied with their lot
(c) verify details before accepting any job
(d) not travel to these regions of the world

See also :

● Reading comprehension practice set pdf