Passage Reading MCQs

Question 1

Read the passage to answer question 8:It is of course a little absurd to speak of Asia as a unity, and only opposition to Western Imperialism has caused people to think in these terms. Asia contains half the population of the world and at least three very distinct civilizations: that of Islam, that of India, and that of China. These differ from each other just as much as they differ from the civilization of Christened, there is not the faintest reason to expect them all to act in unison. What is to be hoped is, an endeavor after cultural or political unity, but a determination to uphold independence at home and to respect it elsewhere- and when | speak of independence, I am not only thinking of politics but also of culture. There is a great danger of too much cultural uniformity. No great civilization has ever been cosmopolitan.The author is in favour of:

Accepted Answer

Political and cultural independence

Answer

Cultural uniformity

Answer

Cosmopolitan

Answer

Unity cf Asia

Answer

None of these

Question 2

Questions 7-8 are based on the following passage.The fact that we were all as safe as kittens under a cook-stove did not, however, assuage in the least the fine despair and the grotesque desperation which seized upon the residents of the East Side when the cry spread like a grass fire that the dam had given way. Some of the most dignified, staid, cynical, and clear thinking men in town abandoned their wives, stenographers, homes, and offices and ran east. There are few alarms in the world more terrifying than' The dam has broken! There are few persons capable of stopping to reason when that clarion cry strikes upon their ears, even persons who live in towns no nearer than five hundred miles to a dam.The phrase "spread like a grass fire" means

Accepted Answer

Rapid spread

Answer

Fire fighting

Answer

Grass growth

Answer

Dreadful sight

Answer

Hidden news

Question 3

Questions 7-8 are based on the following passage.The fact that we were all as safe as kittens under a cook-stove did not, however, assuage in the least the fine despair and the grotesque desperation which seized upon the residents of the East Side when the cry spread like a grass fire that the dam had given way. Some of the most dignified, staid, cynical, and clear-thinking men in town abandoned their wives, stenographers, homes, and offices and ran east. There are few alarms in the world more terrifying than The dam has broken! There are few persons capable of stopping to reason when that clarion cry strikes upon their ears, even persons who live in towns no nearer than five hundred miles to a dam.Identify the phrase in which the people of the East Side experienced one of the deadliest fears of their lives:

Accepted Answer

"The dam has broken!"

Answer

"The dam has been destroyed!"

Answer

"The dam is safe!"

Answer

"The dam has not broken!"

Answer

"The dam is overflowing!"

Question 4

Read the passage to answer the question:To inquire about the meaning or object of one's own existence or of creation generally has always seemed to me absurd from an objective point of view. And yet everybody has certain ideals that determine the direction of his endeavors and his judgments. In this sense, I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves-such an ethical basis I call more proper for a herd of swine. The ideals which have lighted me on my way and time after time given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Without the sense of fellowship with men of like mind, of preoccupation with the objective, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific research, life would have seemed to me empty. The ordinary objects of human endeavor property, outward success, luxury-have always seemed to me contemptible.The author of the passage followed which of the following objectives?I.TruthII. GoodnessIII. BeautyIV. Saints

Accepted Answer

I, II and III only

Answer

I only

Answer

II only

Answer

I and II only

Answer

I, II, III and IV

Question 5

Read the passage to answer the question:To inquire about the meaning or object of one's own existence or of creation generally has always seemed to me absurd from an objective point of view. And yet everybody has certain ideals that determine the direction of his endeavors and his judgments. In this sense, I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves-such an ethical basis I call more proper for a herd of swine. The ideals which have lighted me on my way and time after time given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Without the sense of fellowship with men of like mind, of preoccupation with the objective, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific research, life would have seemed to me empty. The ordinary objects of human endeavor property, outward success, luxury-have always seemed to me contemptible.Which of the following is contemptible for the author?

Accepted Answer

Property, outward success, luxury

Answer

Truth, goodness and beauty

Answer

Art and scientific research

Answer

Sense of fellowship with men of like mind

Answer

Preoccupation with the objective

Question 6

Questions 9-10 are based on the following passage. However, it must be recognized that science has its limitations. Its methods apply only to those things which can be observed, measured, and treated mathematically. It has nothing to do with values- save those of truth and accuracy. It has nothing to do with happiness, goodness, beauty, courage, adventure, justice, altruism, friendship, love of family, and love of country. Yet all these values enter into a man's conception of what is a good personal life within a good society. Honest and intelligent men can differ profoundly on the nature of these values and their respective degrees of importance. Hence the contrast between the modern world's command of material things and its tragic failure to organize a harmonious world society.It can be inferred from the passage that the author thinks

Accepted Answer

A good personal life can be achieved by recognizing the nature of values and their degree of importance

Answer

Science to be the necessary element of a good personal life

Answer

Science brings happiness, goodness, beauty, courage adventure,justice, altruism, friendship, love of family and love of country to a man's life

Answer

Science has successfully brought a balance between the modern world's command of material things and a harmonious world society

Answer

The limitations of science are negligible

Question 7

Questions 9-10 are based on the following passage. However, it must be recognized that science has its limitations. Its methods apply only to those things which can be observed, measured, and treated mathematically. It has nothing to do with values- save those of truth and accuracy. It has nothing to do with happiness, goodness, beauty, courage, adventure, justice, altruism, friendship, love of family, and love of country. Yet all these values enter into a man's conception of what is a good personal life within a good society. Honest and intelligent men can differ profoundly on the nature of these values and their respective degrees of importance. Hence the contrast between the modern world's command of material things and its tragic failure to organize a harmonious world society.According to the paragraph, science applies certain values, which of the following describes these values?

Accepted Answer

Truth and accuracy

Answer

Truth and justice

Answer

Love of country and accuracy

Answer

Justice and accuracy

Answer

Truth and love of country

Question 8

Read the passage to answer the question:What is life? A little scum of no importance on the surface of an unimportant globe circling round a second-rate star? An accidental conglomeration of atoms which have come together by an odd chance, the result of an exceedingly improbable happening? That is what some astronomers would have us think. Looking out into the depth of space, they have discovered a universe of unthinkable dimensions. A billion suns in our own galaxy, beyond it perhaps abillion galaxies, only revealed to us as tiny smudges on aphotographic plate. No wonder they are impressed by the enormous disparity between the scaffolding and the result. Life seemed to be, as Jeans said, 'an utterly unimportant by-product' in a universe which was clearly not designed for life, and which, to all appearances, is either totally indifferent or definitely hostile to it'. It seemed 'incredible that the universe can have been designed primarily to produce life like our own; had it been so, surely we have might expected to find a a better proportion between the magnitude of the mechanism and the amount of the product.The title of the passage can be:

Accepted Answer

Life versus universe

Answer

Gathering of atoms

Answer

The life outside the earth

Answer

Universe and it's unneeded vastness

Question 9

Read the passage to answer the question:What is life? A little scum of no importance on the surface of an unimportant globe circling round a second-rate star? An accidental conglomeration of atoms which have come together by an odd chance, the result of an exceedingly improbable happening? That is what some astronomers would have us think. Looking out into the depth of space, they have discovered a universe of unthinkable dimensions. A billion suns in our own galaxy, beyond it perhaps a billion galaxies, only revealed to us as tiny smudges on a photographic plate. No wonder they are impressed by the enormous disparity between the scaffolding and the result. Life seemed to be, as Jeans said, 'an utterly unimportant by-product' in a universe which was clearly not designed for life, and which, to all appearances, is either totally indifferent or definitely hostile to it'. It seemed 'incredible that the universe can have been designed primarily to produce life like our own; had it been so, surely we have might expected to find a a better proportion between the magnitude of the mechanism and the amount of the product.According to the author if the universe had been designed primarily to produce life like our own then:

Accepted Answer

there would have been a better proportion for us

Answer

there would have been a smaller proportion for us

Answer

there would have been more luxuries in the universe

Answer

there would have be many galaxies containing many creatures

Answer

there would have been many new stars and earths

Question 10

Read the passage to answer the question:The names of three men - an Englishman, a German, and an Italian stand out from the many who have opened up for us this new path of progress: James Clerk Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz, and Guglielmo Marconi Maxwell prophesied wireless, discovering its principles. Hertz discovered and demonstrated those waves which are its secret, and Marconi invented the instruments which put these ideas to practical use. A crowd of other brilliant men have made their different contributions. Sir Oliver Lodge came very near to doing what Marconi did; indeed, a year before Marconi invented his instrument, Lodge demonstrated the possibility of sending a signal by these Hertzian waves but turned aside under pressure from other work. Professor Righi, Marconi's science master, experimented in the laboratory and showed young Marconi the potentialities Oliver Heaviside, the English telegraphic engineer, subsequently revealed to us the amazing fact that these wireless waves are thrown back to the earth from the two curious 'mirrors' which, moving in the depth of the sky hundreds of miles from the surface of the earth, act as a kind of double sounding board. These are but a few of the men whose work all over the earth has brought the miracle of wireless to its present stage. But the three names stand pre-eminent.Which of the following could be the best title of the paragraph?

Accepted Answer

Discovery of Wireless

Answer

Contribution of Sir Oliver Lodge

Answer

Role of Technology in the Modern World

Answer

The Double Sounding Board

Question 11

Read the passage to answer the question:The names of three men - an Englishman, a German, and an Italian stand out from the many who have opened up for us this new path of progress: James Clerk Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz, and Guglielmo Marconi Maxwell prophesied wireless, discovering its principles. Hertz discovered and demonstrated those waves which are its secret, and Marconi invented the instruments which put these ideas to practical use. A crowd of other brilliant men have made their different contributions. Sir Oliver Lodge came very near to doing what Marconi did; indeed, a year before Marconi invented his instrument, Lodge demonstrated the possibility of sending a signal by these Hertzian waves but turned aside under pressure from other work. Professor Righi, Marconi's science master, experimented in the laboratory and showed young Marconi the potentialities Oliver Heaviside, the English telegraphic engineer, subsequently revealed to us the amazing fact that these wireless waves are thrown back to the earth from the two curious 'mirrors' which, moving in the depth of the sky hundreds of miles from the surface of the earth, act as a kind of double sounding board. These are but a few of the men whose work all over the earth has brought the miracle of wireless to its present stage. But the three names stand pre-eminent.Which of the following is mentioned in the paragraph as the contribution of Heinrich Hertz?

Accepted Answer

Discovered and demonstrated the wireless waves

Answer

Invented the instruments for the practical use of wireless waves

Answer

Demonstrated the possibility of sending signal

Answer

That the waves are thrown back to the earth

Question 12

Read the passage and answer the following question:"What a silly boy you are!" cried the miller. "I really don't know what is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anything. If little Hans came up here and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious. Envy is the most terrible thing and would spoil anybody's nature. I certainly will not allow Hans's nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit, and that I could not do. Flour is one thing and friendship is another and they should not be confused. Why? The words are spelled differently and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that." What does the statement " Flour is one thing, and friendship is another" tell about the nature of Miller?

Accepted Answer

Selfish

Answer

Very kind

Answer

Friendly

Answer

Caring

Question 13

Read the passage and answer the following question:"What a silly boy you are!" cried the miller. "I really don't know what is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anything. If little Hans came up here and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious envy is the most terrible thing and would spoil anybody's nature. I certainly will not allow Hans's nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit, and that I could not do. Flour is one thing and friendship is another and they should not be confused. Why? The words are spelled differently and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that." Why does Miller not want Hans to come inside his home?

Accepted Answer

Both A and B

Answer

Because Miller thinks that after seeing the luxuries of his home Hans will get envious

Answer

Because Miller thinks that Hans will ask for flour

Answer

Because miller thinks that his house was not worth visiting

Question 14

Read the passage and answer the following question:In earlier times, when every substance was believed to have its own qualities, there was no difficulty in believing that some substances were endowed with life, others not. Wood was wood, and water was water, and though transformations did occur, as in the disappearance of wood in the fire, they were not surprising in a world where the most miraculous changes were taking place under everyone's every day. There was nothing but 'doth suffer a sea-change into something rich and strange'. A seed put into the ground became in a short time a plant with leaves and flowers: the white and yolk of an egg turned into the flesh and bones and feathers of a chicken, which, no sooner was the shell cracked, jumped out and started running about. Some substances are alive, and some are not.Which of the following statements best describes this belief?

Accepted Answer

The transformation in natural substances was unnoticed in ancient times

Answer

There was no transformation in natural substances ancient times

Answer

There was no concept of dead and alive things in the past

Answer

The burning of wood is not an example of transformation

Answer

None of these options

Question 15

Read the passage and answer the following question:In earlier times, when every substance was believed to have its own qualities, there was no difficulty in believing that some substances were endowed with life, others not. Wood was wood, and water was water, and though transformations did occur, as in the disappearance of wood in the fire, they were not surprising in a world where the most miraculous changes were taking place under everyone's every day. There was nothing but 'doth suffer a sea-change into something rich and strange'. A seed put into the ground became in a short time a plant with leaves and flowers: the white and yolk of an egg turned into the flesh and bones and feathers of a chicken, which, no sooner was the shell cracked, jumped out and started running about. There was nothing but 'Doth suffer a sea-change into something rich and strange' means:

Accepted Answer

Both A and B

Answer

The transformation of seed into a tree

Answer

In everyday life natural things change drastically

Answer

The suffering of change are always enormous

Answer

Nature does not support any change

Question 16

Read the passage to answer question:Due to the extremely hot weather, the electric company is planning to turn off power in certain districts during the day. This will reduce the total demand for electricity and prevent a city-wide shutdown of electrical services. Power will not be out longer than two hours in your area. For further information, please visit our Web site at www.electricity.com. All areas affected by the shutdown are listed there, as well as the times that the power will be turned off in each area.Why is the power being turned off?

Accepted Answer

To reduce total demand.

Answer

To save money.

Answer

To make it cooler

Answer

To make the city pay its bill.

Question 17

Read the passage and answer the following question:Due to the extremely hot weather, the electric company is planning to turn off power in certain districts during the day. This will reduce the total demand for electricity and prevent a city-wide shutdown of electrical services. Power will not be out longer than two hours in your area. For further information, please visit our Web site at www.electricity.com. All areas affected by the shutdown are listed there, as well as the times that the power will be turned off in each area. How long will power be off?

Accepted Answer

Less than two hours.

Answer

Longer than two hours.

Answer

For one day.

Answer

Until the weather changes.

Question 18

Read the passage and answer the question given at the end of the passage:Recent advances in science and technology have made it possible for geneticists to find out abnormalities in the unborn fetus and take remedial action to rectify some defects which would otherwise prove to be fatal to the child. Though genetic engineering is still at its infancy, scientists can now predict with greater accuracy a genetic disorder. It is not yet an exact science since they are not in a position to predict when exactly a genetic disorder will set in. While they have not yet been able to change the genetic order of the gene in germs, they are optimistic and are holding out that in the near future they might be successful in achieving this feat. However, genetic misinformation can sometimes be damaging for it may adversely affect people psychologically. Genetic information may lead to a tendency to brand some people as inferiors. Genetic information can therefore be abused and its application in deciding the sex of the fetus and its subsequent abortion is now hotly debated on ethical lines. But on this issue geneticists cannot be squarely blamed though this charge has often been leveled at them. It is mainly a societal problem. At present genetic engineering is a costly process of detecting disorders but scientists hope to reduce the costs when technology becomes more advanced. This is why much progress in this area is seen in scientifically advanced and rich countries like the U.S.A, UK and Japan. It remains to be seen if in the future this science will lead to the development of a race of supermen or will be able to obliterate disease from this world.Which of the following is the same in meaning as the phrase ' 'holding out" as used in the passage?

Accepted Answer

Expounding

Answer

Catching

Answer

Sustaining

Answer

Restraining

Question 19

Read the passage and answer the questions given at the end of the passage:Recent advances in science and technology have made it possible for geneticists to find out abnormalities in the unborn fetus and take remedial action to rectify some defects which would otherwise prove to be fatal to the child. Though genetic engineering is still at its infancy, scientists can now predict with greater accuracy a genetic disorder. It is not yet an exact science since they are not in a position to predict when exactly a genetic disorder will set in. While they have not yet been able to change the genetic order of the gene in germs, they are optimistic and are holding out that in the near future they might be successful in achieving this feat. However, genetic misinformation can sometimes be damaging for it may adversely affect people psychologically. Genetic information may lead to a tendency to brand some people as inferiors. Genetic information can therefore be abused and its application in deciding the sex of the fetus and its subsequent abortion is now hotly debated on ethical lines. But on this issue geneticists cannot be squarely blamed though this charge has often been leveled at them. It is mainly a societal problem. At present genetic engineering is a costly process of detecting disorders but scientists hope to reduce the costs when technology becomes more advanced. This is why much progress in this area is seen in scientifically advanced and rich countries like the U.S.A, UK and Japan. It remains to be seen if in the future this science will lead to the development of a race of supermen or will be able to obliterate disease from this world.According to the passage the question of abortion is:

Accepted Answer

Hotly debated

Answer

Ignored

Answer

Unanswered

Answer

Left to the scientists to decide

Question 20

Read the passage and answer the question given at the end of the passage:Recent advances in science and technology have made it possible for geneticists to find out abnormalities in the unborn fetus and take remedial action to rectify some defects which would otherwise prove to be fatal to the child. Though genetic engineering is still at its infancy, scientists can now predict with greater accuracy a genetic disorder. It is not yet an exact science since they are not in a position to predict when exactly a genetic disorder will set in. While they have not yet been able to change the genetic order of the gene in germs, they are optimistic and are holding out that in the near future they might be successful in achieving this feat. However, genetic misinformation can sometimes be damaging for it may adversely affect people psychologically. Genetic information may lead to a tendency to brand some people as inferiors. Genetic information can therefore be abused and its application in deciding the sex of the fetus and its subsequent abortion is now hotly debated on ethical lines. But on this issue geneticists cannot be squarely blamed though this charge has often been levelled at them. It is mainly a societal problem. At present genetic engineering is a costly process of detecting disorders but scientists hope to reduce the costs when technology becomes more advanced. This is why much progress in this area is seen in scientifically advanced and rich countries like the U.S.A, UK, and Japan. It remains to be seen if in the future this science will lead to the development of a race of supermen or will be able to obliterate disease from this world.Which of the following is true regarding the reasons for progress in genetic engineering?

Accepted Answer

Economically sound and scientifically advanced countries can provide the infrastructure for such research

Answer

It has become popular to abort female fetuses

Answer

Human beings are extremely interested in heredity

Answer

Poor countries desperately need genetic information.

Free Passage Reading MCQs with Answers