39 multiple-choice questions on English: Reading Comprehension from English, each with the correct answer and, where available, a teacher's explanation. Read through them to revise the chapter, then practise the same questions one by one to test yourself.
1. Read the passage and answer. Inflation is often described as a hidden tax. When prices rise faster than incomes, every rupee buys less than before, and the savings of ordinary families quietly shrink. The poor suffer most, because a larger share of their income goes on food and fuel, whose prices tend to be the most volatile. Central banks try to tame inflation by raising interest rates, which makes borrowing costlier and cools spending. The remedy, however, has side effects: businesses postpone investment and unemployment may rise. The word "volatile" in the passage means:
explosive
cheap
liable to change rapidly
stable
Answer: C) liable to change rapidly
Explanation: Context: prices of food and fuel change quickly. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
2. Read the passage and answer. The arrival of artificial intelligence in classrooms has been greeted with both excitement and alarm. Supporters claim that AI tutors can give every student personal attention, something no teacher with sixty pupils can manage. Critics fear that students will stop thinking for themselves and simply copy machine-made answers. The truth probably lies in between: like the calculator before it, AI will be harmful only if it replaces learning rather than supporting it. The real task for teachers is to design assignments that a machine cannot complete on a student's behalf. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
Teachers should design tasks that require students' own thinking.
AI should be banned in schools.
Teachers are no longer needed.
Students should copy answers from AI.
Answer: A) Teachers should design tasks that require students' own thinking.
Explanation: The last sentence. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
3. Read the passage and answer. Every year the monsoon brings life-giving rain to Pakistan, but in 2022 it brought catastrophe. Unusually heavy rainfall, combined with melting glaciers, submerged about a third of the country, destroyed homes and crops, and displaced millions. Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Many argue, therefore, that wealthy industrialised nations bear a moral responsibility to help countries like Pakistan adapt to a crisis they did little to create. The tone of the passage is:
neutral and technical
humorous
light-hearted
serious and persuasive
Answer: D) serious and persuasive
Explanation: It describes a disaster and argues for responsibility. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
4. Read the passage and answer. Allama Muhammad Iqbal was not only a great poet but also a philosopher whose ideas inspired the Muslims of the subcontinent. In his famous Allahabad Address of 1930, he presented the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of north-western India. His poetry, written in both Urdu and Persian, urged young people to discover their khudi, or selfhood, and to rise above despair through action and faith. Although he died in 1938, nine years before the creation of Pakistan, he is rightly called the spiritual father of the nation. The best title for the passage is:
The Creation of Pakistan in 1947
The History of Persian Poetry
The Allahabad Address
Iqbal: Poet, Philosopher and Visionary
Answer: D) Iqbal: Poet, Philosopher and Visionary
Explanation: The passage covers Iqbal's poetry, philosophy and vision as a whole. Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail
5. Read the passage and answer. Sleep is not a waste of time. During deep sleep the brain sorts and stores the information gathered during the day, which is why students who sleep well remember more of what they study. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, weakens concentration, slows reaction time and lowers the body's resistance to disease. Teenagers need about eight to ten hours of sleep a night, yet many get far less because of late-night phone use. Switching off screens an hour before bed is one of the simplest ways to sleep better. The passage mainly argues that:
sleep is essential for learning and health
phones should be banned
students should study at night
teenagers sleep too much
Answer: A) sleep is essential for learning and health
Explanation: The whole passage explains the benefits of sleep. Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail
6. Read the passage and answer. Every year the monsoon brings life-giving rain to Pakistan, but in 2022 it brought catastrophe. Unusually heavy rainfall, combined with melting glaciers, submerged about a third of the country, destroyed homes and crops, and displaced millions. Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Many argue, therefore, that wealthy industrialised nations bear a moral responsibility to help countries like Pakistan adapt to a crisis they did little to create. The main argument of the final sentence is that:
rich nations should help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change
the monsoon should be stopped
Pakistan emits most greenhouse gases
Pakistan caused the floods
Answer: A) rich nations should help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change
Explanation: "Wealthy industrialised nations bear a moral responsibility". Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
7. Read the passage and answer. Social media promised to bring the world closer, and in many ways it has: families separated by oceans can now see one another daily. Yet the same platforms are engineered to capture attention, and their algorithms reward content that provokes outrage, because outrage keeps users scrolling. The result is a paradox: we are more connected than ever and, at the same time, more divided. Recognising how these systems work is the first step towards using them, rather than being used by them. The word "engineered" in the passage means:
discovered
built by engineers only
deliberately designed
broken
Answer: C) deliberately designed
Explanation: The platforms are designed on purpose to capture attention. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
8. Read the passage and answer. Every year the monsoon brings life-giving rain to Pakistan, but in 2022 it brought catastrophe. Unusually heavy rainfall, combined with melting glaciers, submerged about a third of the country, destroyed homes and crops, and displaced millions. Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Many argue, therefore, that wealthy industrialised nations bear a moral responsibility to help countries like Pakistan adapt to a crisis they did little to create. The passage implies that the 2022 floods were:
caused only by poor drainage
limited to one city
predicted exactly in advance
partly a result of climate change
Answer: D) partly a result of climate change
Explanation: Melting glaciers and climate vulnerability are mentioned. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
9. Read the passage and answer. The arrival of artificial intelligence in classrooms has been greeted with both excitement and alarm. Supporters claim that AI tutors can give every student personal attention, something no teacher with sixty pupils can manage. Critics fear that students will stop thinking for themselves and simply copy machine-made answers. The truth probably lies in between: like the calculator before it, AI will be harmful only if it replaces learning rather than supporting it. The real task for teachers is to design assignments that a machine cannot complete on a student's behalf. According to supporters, the main benefit of AI tutors is:
cheaper books
better exam papers
personal attention for every student
shorter school days
Answer: C) personal attention for every student
Explanation: Second sentence. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
10. Read the passage and answer. Social media promised to bring the world closer, and in many ways it has: families separated by oceans can now see one another daily. Yet the same platforms are engineered to capture attention, and their algorithms reward content that provokes outrage, because outrage keeps users scrolling. The result is a paradox: we are more connected than ever and, at the same time, more divided. Recognising how these systems work is the first step towards using them, rather than being used by them. The "paradox" mentioned in the passage is that people are:
busier yet lazier
richer yet poorer
older yet wiser
more connected yet more divided
Answer: D) more connected yet more divided
Explanation: Stated in the third sentence. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
11. Read the passage and answer. The shopkeeper counted the change twice and frowned. The customer, a young boy in a torn shirt, had given him a thousand-rupee note for a loaf of bread – and then hurried away before taking the change. That evening the shopkeeper waited at the door, the folded notes in his pocket. When the boy finally walked past, the old man called him over and pressed the money into his hand. "Your mother must have saved for weeks for this," he said quietly. The boy said nothing, but the look in his eyes stayed with the shopkeeper for the rest of his life. What is the moral of the story?
Children should not go shopping.
Money is the most important thing.
Shopkeepers are always rich.
Honesty and kindness leave a lasting impression.
Answer: D) Honesty and kindness leave a lasting impression.
Explanation: The ending shows the lasting effect of his honest act. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
12. Read the passage and answer. Pakistan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Its agriculture, which employs a large share of the workforce, depends almost entirely on the Indus River system. Yet much of the water that reaches the fields is lost through unlined canals and flood irrigation. Experts argue that lining canals, adopting drip and sprinkler irrigation, and pricing water sensibly could save enormous quantities without building a single new dam. Storage remains important, but conservation is the cheapest and quickest source of "new" water. The phrase "new" water in the passage refers to:
imported water
water saved by conservation
rainwater
water from new rivers
Answer: B) water saved by conservation
Explanation: Saved water acts like an additional supply. Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail
13. Read the passage and answer. Inflation is often described as a hidden tax. When prices rise faster than incomes, every rupee buys less than before, and the savings of ordinary families quietly shrink. The poor suffer most, because a larger share of their income goes on food and fuel, whose prices tend to be the most volatile. Central banks try to tame inflation by raising interest rates, which makes borrowing costlier and cools spending. The remedy, however, has side effects: businesses postpone investment and unemployment may rise. Which is a side effect of the remedy mentioned in the passage?
Prices fall to zero.
Savings increase automatically.
Unemployment may rise.
Food becomes cheaper.
Answer: C) Unemployment may rise.
Explanation: Last sentence. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
14. Read the passage and answer. Allama Muhammad Iqbal was not only a great poet but also a philosopher whose ideas inspired the Muslims of the subcontinent. In his famous Allahabad Address of 1930, he presented the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of north-western India. His poetry, written in both Urdu and Persian, urged young people to discover their khudi, or selfhood, and to rise above despair through action and faith. Although he died in 1938, nine years before the creation of Pakistan, he is rightly called the spiritual father of the nation. It can be inferred from the passage that Iqbal:
was mainly a politician
wrote only in Urdu
did not live to see Pakistan's creation
opposed the idea of a separate homeland
Answer: C) did not live to see Pakistan's creation
Explanation: He died in 1938, nine years before Pakistan was created. Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail
15. Read the passage and answer. Pakistan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Its agriculture, which employs a large share of the workforce, depends almost entirely on the Indus River system. Yet much of the water that reaches the fields is lost through unlined canals and flood irrigation. Experts argue that lining canals, adopting drip and sprinkler irrigation, and pricing water sensibly could save enormous quantities without building a single new dam. Storage remains important, but conservation is the cheapest and quickest source of "new" water. The writer's attitude towards new dams is that they are:
harmful to agriculture
important but not the cheapest solution
the only solution
completely useless
Answer: B) important but not the cheapest solution
Explanation: "Storage remains important, but conservation is the cheapest". Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail
16. Read the passage and answer. Social media promised to bring the world closer, and in many ways it has: families separated by oceans can now see one another daily. Yet the same platforms are engineered to capture attention, and their algorithms reward content that provokes outrage, because outrage keeps users scrolling. The result is a paradox: we are more connected than ever and, at the same time, more divided. Recognising how these systems work is the first step towards using them, rather than being used by them. The author's main purpose is to:
praise social media without reservation
encourage readers to understand and use social media wisely
explain how to build an algorithm
ban social media
Answer: B) encourage readers to understand and use social media wisely
Explanation: Last sentence. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
17. Read the passage and answer. Allama Muhammad Iqbal was not only a great poet but also a philosopher whose ideas inspired the Muslims of the subcontinent. In his famous Allahabad Address of 1930, he presented the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of north-western India. His poetry, written in both Urdu and Persian, urged young people to discover their khudi, or selfhood, and to rise above despair through action and faith. Although he died in 1938, nine years before the creation of Pakistan, he is rightly called the spiritual father of the nation. Iqbal urged young people to overcome despair through:
action and faith
wealth
travel
silence
Answer: A) action and faith
Explanation: Stated in the third sentence. Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail
18. Read the passage and answer. Social media promised to bring the world closer, and in many ways it has: families separated by oceans can now see one another daily. Yet the same platforms are engineered to capture attention, and their algorithms reward content that provokes outrage, because outrage keeps users scrolling. The result is a paradox: we are more connected than ever and, at the same time, more divided. Recognising how these systems work is the first step towards using them, rather than being used by them. The phrase "rather than being used by them" suggests that:
algorithms are fair
social media is a tool for families only
people use too many apps
people can be manipulated by social media
Answer: D) people can be manipulated by social media
Explanation: It warns about manipulation. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
19. Read the passage and answer. The shopkeeper counted the change twice and frowned. The customer, a young boy in a torn shirt, had given him a thousand-rupee note for a loaf of bread – and then hurried away before taking the change. That evening the shopkeeper waited at the door, the folded notes in his pocket. When the boy finally walked past, the old man called him over and pressed the money into his hand. "Your mother must have saved for weeks for this," he said quietly. The boy said nothing, but the look in his eyes stayed with the shopkeeper for the rest of his life. Why did the shopkeeper say, "Your mother must have saved for weeks for this"?
He wanted to scold the boy.
He realised the money was precious to a poor family.
He thought the note was fake.
He knew the boy's mother.
Answer: B) He realised the money was precious to a poor family.
Explanation: The torn shirt suggests poverty; he understood the value of the money. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
20. Read the passage and answer. Every year the monsoon brings life-giving rain to Pakistan, but in 2022 it brought catastrophe. Unusually heavy rainfall, combined with melting glaciers, submerged about a third of the country, destroyed homes and crops, and displaced millions. Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Many argue, therefore, that wealthy industrialised nations bear a moral responsibility to help countries like Pakistan adapt to a crisis they did little to create. According to the passage, Pakistan's share of global emissions is:
not known
the highest in Asia
less than one per cent
about a third
Answer: C) less than one per cent
Explanation: Third sentence. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
21. Read the passage and answer. Allama Muhammad Iqbal was not only a great poet but also a philosopher whose ideas inspired the Muslims of the subcontinent. In his famous Allahabad Address of 1930, he presented the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of north-western India. His poetry, written in both Urdu and Persian, urged young people to discover their khudi, or selfhood, and to rise above despair through action and faith. Although he died in 1938, nine years before the creation of Pakistan, he is rightly called the spiritual father of the nation. In which year did Iqbal deliver the Allahabad Address?
1938
1947
1930
1940
Answer: C) 1930
Explanation: Stated in the second sentence. Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail
22. Read the passage and answer. Social media promised to bring the world closer, and in many ways it has: families separated by oceans can now see one another daily. Yet the same platforms are engineered to capture attention, and their algorithms reward content that provokes outrage, because outrage keeps users scrolling. The result is a paradox: we are more connected than ever and, at the same time, more divided. Recognising how these systems work is the first step towards using them, rather than being used by them. According to the passage, algorithms reward outrage because:
users dislike it
governments demand it
it is true
it keeps users scrolling
Answer: D) it keeps users scrolling
Explanation: Second sentence. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
23. Read the passage and answer. Every year the monsoon brings life-giving rain to Pakistan, but in 2022 it brought catastrophe. Unusually heavy rainfall, combined with melting glaciers, submerged about a third of the country, destroyed homes and crops, and displaced millions. Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Many argue, therefore, that wealthy industrialised nations bear a moral responsibility to help countries like Pakistan adapt to a crisis they did little to create. The word "catastrophe" most nearly means:
rain
blessing
disaster
storm
Answer: C) disaster
Explanation: Context: destroyed homes and displaced millions. Reading Comprehension · Inference & tone
24. Read the passage and answer. Inflation is often described as a hidden tax. When prices rise faster than incomes, every rupee buys less than before, and the savings of ordinary families quietly shrink. The poor suffer most, because a larger share of their income goes on food and fuel, whose prices tend to be the most volatile. Central banks try to tame inflation by raising interest rates, which makes borrowing costlier and cools spending. The remedy, however, has side effects: businesses postpone investment and unemployment may rise. Inflation is called a "hidden tax" because:
the government collects it secretly
it reduces the value of people's money without a formal tax
it is paid only by businesses
it is written in the budget
Answer: B) it reduces the value of people's money without a formal tax
Explanation: Rising prices reduce purchasing power silently. Reading Comprehension · Vocabulary in context
25. Read the passage and answer. Sleep is not a waste of time. During deep sleep the brain sorts and stores the information gathered during the day, which is why students who sleep well remember more of what they study. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, weakens concentration, slows reaction time and lowers the body's resistance to disease. Teenagers need about eight to ten hours of sleep a night, yet many get far less because of late-night phone use. Switching off screens an hour before bed is one of the simplest ways to sleep better. The tone of the passage is:
sarcastic
angry
informative and advisory
humorous
Answer: C) informative and advisory
Explanation: It explains facts and gives advice. Reading Comprehension · Main idea & detail