Passage Reading MCQs

Question 1

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 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 the same in meaning as the word "obliterate" as used in Passage?

Accepted Answer

Eradicate

Answer

Wipe off

Answer

Give birth to

Answer

Wipeout

Question 2

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 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 the opposite in meaning to the word "charge" as used in the passage?

Accepted Answer

Settled

Answer

Calm

Answer

Disturbed

Answer

Discharged

Question 3

Read the Passage and Answer the Question: Poetry begins in trivial metaphors, pettymetaphors, "grace" metaphors, and goes on to the profoundest thinking that we have.Poetry provides the one permissible way of saying one thing and meaning another.People say. "Why don't you say what you mean?" We never do that, do we? We like to talk in parables and in hints and in indirections whether from diffidence or some other instinct. What selection best describes the word "diffidence" as used in the passage?

Accepted Answer

Shyness

Answer

Consternation

Answer

Bewilderment

Answer

Reservations

Answer

Caution

Question 4

Read the passage and answer the following question:That freedom means freedom only from foreign domination, is an outworn idea. It is not merely governments that should be free but the people themselves who should be free; and no freedom has any real value for the common man or woman unless it means freedom from want, freedom from disease, freedom from ignorance. This is the main task that confronts us if we are to take our rightful place in the modern world. We cannot hold the clock back, and there it is we who must go forward at a double pace bending all our resources and all our energies to this great purpose.An ''outworn'' idea is?

Accepted Answer

Not new

Answer

Great

Answer

Scientific

Answer

Undeveloped

Question 5

Read the passage and answer the following question:That freedom means freedom only from foreign domination, is an outworn idea. It is not merely governments that should be free but the people themselves who should be free; and no freedom has any real value for the common man or woman unless it means freedom from want, freedom from disease, freedom from ignorance. This is the main task that confronts us if we are to take our rightful place in the modern world. We cannot hold the clock back, and there it is we who must go forward at a double pace bending all our resources and all our energies to this great purpose.The great purpose mentioned by the writer at the end of the passage refers to:

Accepted Answer

The real value of freedom

Answer

Freedom from foregin domination

Answer

People themselves should be free

Answer

Taking our rightful place in the modern world.

Question 6

Read the passage and answer the following question:Anglo-Saxon is now, of course, a dead language, but a good deal of its vocabulary has survived, in one form or another to the present day. Most of the very common words in modern English are Anglo-Saxon in origin; nouns like father, mother, food, drink, bed, hunger; most of the prepositions and conjunctions; and nearly all the strong verbs. When it was mixed with Norman French, there were three main results: the grammar was simplified, the pronunciation and spellings became much more complicated and the vocabulary was enormously extended. French is a Latin language, so the major part of our vocabulary is now Latin in origin.A "dead language" is:

Accepted Answer

No more spoken

Answer

A dialect of language

Answer

Latin language

Answer

Mixed with other languages

Question 7

Read the passage and answer the following question:Anglio - Saxon is now, of course, a dead language, but a good deal of its vocabulary has survived, in one form or another to the present day. Most of the very common words in modern English are Anglo - Saxon in origin; nouns like father, mother, food, drink, bed, hunger; most of the prepositions and conjunctions; and nearly all the strong verbs. When it was mixed with Norman French, there were three main results: the grammar was simplified, the pronunciation and spellings became much more complicated and the vocabulary was enormously extended. French is a Latin language, so the major part of our vocabulary is now Latin in origin.The vocabulary was "enormously extended" means vocabulary has:

Accepted Answer

Increased

Answer

Reduced

Answer

Simplified

Answer

Survived

Question 8

But man is not destined to vanish. He can be killed, but he cannot be destroyed because his soul is deathless, and his spirit is irrepressible. Therefore, though the situation seems park in the context of the confrontation between the superpowers, the silver lining is provided by an amazing phenomenon that the very nations which have spent incalculable resources and energy for the production of deadly weapons and desperately trying to find out how they might never be used. They threaten each other, intimidate each other and go to the brink, but before the total hour arrives, they withdraw from the brink. Irrepressible' in the second line means:

Accepted Answer

Unrestrainable

Answer

Harmful

Answer

Incompatible

Answer

Strong

Answer

Oppressive

Question 9

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.Mona doesn't like to ask people for help. But it is hard for her to perform daily activities on her own. She is almost 13, yet she is no larger than a 5-year-old. Mona has trouble keeping her balance and can't walk very far. When she uses a wheelchair, she can't push it herself. Fortunately, Mona has a wonderful service dog named Sam. A service dog is a dog that has been trained to assist someone who has a physical problem. Sam lets Mona lean on him when she walks. He also pulls her wheelchair and turns lights on and off. When Mona drops something, Sam picks it up. He even pulls her socks off at night.Sam also helps Mona with everyday tasks at school. He carries her books from class to class in a special backpack. He puts Mona's completed assignments in her teachers' homework trays. In the lunchroom he throws away her trash.Besides making Mona less dependent on other people, Sam helps her lead a fuller life.Mona's classmates flock around Sam like geese. This has helped her make friends. Sam also helps Mona be more active. With his aid, she raised over $500 in a walk-a-thon for her local humane society.Because of Sam, Mona doesn't have to ask people for help. Sam brings her closer to other kids. And he even helps her contribute to her community.Using the passage as a guide, which of the following dogs is most likely a service dog?

Accepted Answer

Mona's dog Sam, who assist her physical needs and daily activities.

Answer

Raul's dog, who fetches the newspaper for Raul while he is busy getting dressed.

Answer

Mei's dog, who licks Mei's face when she cries.

Answer

Teddy's dog, who loves to play catch, go on walks, and watch movies with the family.

Question 10

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.Mona doesn't like to ask people for help. But it is hard for her to perform daily activities on her own. She is almost 13, yet she is no larger than a 5-year-old. Mona has trouble keeping her balance and can't walk very far. When she uses a wheelchair, she can't push it herself.Fortunately, Mona has a wonderful service dog named Sam. A service dog is a dog that has been trained to assist someone who has a physical problem. Sam lets Mona lean on himwhen she walks. He also pulls her wheelchair and turns lights on and off. When Mona dropssomething, Sam picks it up. He even pulls her socks off at night.Sam also helps Mona with everyday tasks at school. He carries her books from class to class in a special backpack. He puts Mona's completed assignments in her teachers' homework trays. In the lunchroom he throws away her trash.Besides making Mona less dependent on other people, Sam helps her lead a fuller life.Mona's classmates flock around Sam like geese. This has helped her make friends. Sam also helps Mona be more active. With his aid, she raised over $500 in a walk-a-thon for her local humane society.Because of Sam, Mona doesn't have to ask people for help. Sam brings her closer to other kids. And he even helps her contribute to her community.In paragraph 4, the author writes, "Mona's classmates flock around Sam like geese." Which of the following literary techniques is used in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Simile, characterized by the making of a comparison using the words "like" or "as"

Answer

Allusion, characterized by a reference to, or representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication

Answer

Personification, characterized by giving human traits to nonhuman things, such as animals or objects

Answer

Irony, characterized by the use of words to express the opposite of their usual meaning

Question 11

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.Many people like to eat pizza, but not everyone knows how to make it. Making the perfect pizza can be complicated, but there are lots of ways for you to make a more basic version at home.When you make pizza, you must begin with the crust. The crust can be hard to make. If you want to make the crust yourself, you will have to make dough using flour, water, and yeast. You will have to knead the dough with your hands. If you do not have enough time to do this, you can use a prepared crust that you buy from the store.After you have chosen your crust, you must then add the sauce. Making your own sauce from scratch can take a long time. You have to buy tomatoes, peel them, and then cook them with spices. If this sounds like too much work, you can also purchase jarred sauce from the store. Many jarred sauces taste almost as good as the kind you make at home.Now that you have your crust and your sauce, you need to add the cheese. Cheese comes from milk, which comes from cows. Do you have a cow in your backyard? Do you know how to milk the cow?Do you know how to turn that milk into cheese? If not, you might want to buy cheese from the grocery store instead of making it yourself.When you have the crust, sauce, and cheese ready, you can add other toppings. Some people like to put meat on their pizza, while other people like to add vegetables. Some people even like to add pineapple! The best part of making a pizza at home is that you can customize it by adding your own favorite ingredients.As used in paragraph 1, which word means the opposite of complicated?

Accepted Answer

Simple

Answer

Difficult

Answer

Easy

Answer

Manageable

Question 12

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.Many people like to eat pizza, but not everyone knows how to make it. Making the perfect pizza can be complicated, but there are lots of ways for you to make a more basic version at home.When you make pizza, you must begin with the crust. The crust can be hard to make. If you want to make the crust yourself, you will have to make dough using flour, water, and yeast. You will have to knead the dough with your hands. If you do not have enough time to do this, you can use a prepared crust that you buy from the store.After you have chosen your crust, you must then add the sauce. Making your own sauce from scratch can take a long time. You have to buy tomatoes, peel them, and then cook them with spices. If this sounds like too much work, you can also purchase jarred sauce from the store. Many jarred sauces taste almost as good as the kind you make at home.Now that you have your crust and your sauce, you need to add the cheese. Cheese comes from milk, which comes from cows. Do you have a cow in your backyard? Do you know how to milk the cow?Do you know how to turn that milk into cheese? If not, you might want to buy cheese from the grocery store instead of making it yourself.When you have the crust, sauce, and cheese ready, you can add other toppings. Some people like to put meat on their pizza, while other people like to add vegetables. Some people even like to add pineapple! The best part of making a pizza at home is that you can customize it by adding your own favorite ingredients.In paragraph 3, the author writes, "Many jarred sauces taste almost as good as the kind you make at home." The purpose of this statement is to

Accepted Answer

Clarify an earlier statement

Answer

Clarify a later statement

Answer

Provide an example

Answer

Support the previous paragraph

Question 13

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.Many people like to eat pizza, but not everyone knows how to make it. Making the perfect pizza can be complicated, but there are lots of ways for you to make a more basic version at home.When you make pizza, you must begin with the crust. The crust can be hard to make. If you want to make the crust yourself, you will have to make dough using flour, water, and yeast. You will have to knead the dough with your hands. If you do not have enough time to do this, you can use a prepared crust that you buy from the store.After you have chosen your crust, you must then add the sauce. Making your own sauce from scratch can take a long time. You have to buy tomatoes, peel them, and then cook them with spices. If this sounds like too much work, you can also purchase jarred sauce from the store. Many jarred sauces taste almost as good as the kind you make at home.Now that you have your crust and your sauce, you need to add the cheese. Cheese comes from milk, which comes from cows. Do you have a cow in your backyard? Do you know how to milk the cow?Do you know how to turn that milk into cheese? If not, you might want to buy cheese from the grocery store instead of making it yourself.When you have the crust, sauce, and cheese ready, you can add other toppings. Some people like to put meat on their pizza, while other people like to add vegetables. Some people even like to addpineapple! The best part of making a pizza at home is that you can customize it by adding your own favorite ingredients.Which of the following words best describes how the author feels about making a pizza from scratch?

Accepted Answer

Complicated

Answer

Helpful

Answer

Understanding

Answer

Enthusiastic

Question 14

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.When you imagine the desert, you probably think of a very hot place covered with sand. Although this is a good description for many deserts, Earth's largest desert is actually a very cold place covered with ice: Antarctica.In order for an area to be considered a desert, it must receive very little rainfall. More specifically, it must receive an average of less than ten inches of precipitation-which can be rain, sleet, hail, or snow-on the ground every year. Antarctica, the coldest place on earth, has an average temperature that usually falls below the freezing point. And because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, the air in Antarctica does not hold much moisture at all. This is evident in the low precipitation statistics recorded for Antarctica. For example, the central part of Antarctica receives an average of less than 2 inches of snow every year. The coastline of Antarctica receives a little bit more-between seven and eight inches a year. Because Antarctica gets so little precipitation every year, it is considered a desert.When precipitation falls in hot deserts, it quickly evaporates back into the atmosphere. The air over Antarctica is too cold to hold water vapor, so there is very little evaporation. Due to this low rate of evaporation, most of the snow that falls to the ground remains there permanently, eventually building up into thick ice sheets. Any snow that does not freeze into ice sheets becomes caught up in the strong winds that constantly blow over Antarctica. These snow-filled winds can make it look as if it is snowing. Even though snowfall is very rare there, blizzards are actually very common on Antarctica.The best title for this passage would be

Accepted Answer

A Desert of Ice

Answer

Earth's Many Deserts

Answer

Antarctica: The Coldest Place on Earth

Answer

Unusual Blizzards

Question 15

When you imagine the desert, you probably think of a very hot place covered with sand. Although this is a good description for many deserts, Earth's largest desert is actually a very cold place covered with ice: Antarctica.In order for an area to be considered a desert, it must receive very little rainfall. More specifically, it must receive an average of less than ten inches of precipitation-which can be rain, sleet, hail, or snow-on the ground every year. Antarctica, the coldest place on earth, has an average temperature that usually falls below the freezing point. And because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, the air in Antarctica does not hold much moisture at all. This is evident in the low precipitation statistics recorded for Antarctica. For example, the central part of Antarctica receives an average of less than 2 inches of snow every year. The coastline of Antarctica receives a little bit more-between seven and eight inches a year. Because Antarctica gets so little precipitation every year, it is considered a desert.When precipitation falls in hot deserts, it quickly evaporates back into the atmosphere. The air over Antarctica is too cold to hold water vapor, so there is very little evaporation. Due to this low rate of evaporation, most of the snow that falls to the ground remains there permanently, eventually building up into thick ice sheets. Any snow that does not freeze into ice sheets becomes caught up in the strong winds that constantly blow over Antarctica. These snow-filled winds can make it look as if it is snowing.Even though snowfall is very rare there, blizzards are actually very common on Antarctica.Africa's Sahara Desert is the second-largest desert on earth. Based on the information in the passage, what characteristic must the Sahara share with Antarctica

Accepted Answer

Low precipitation

Answer

Low temperatures

Answer

High temperatures

Answer

Frequent blizzards

Question 16

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.When you imagine the desert, you probably think of a very hot place covered with sand. Although this is a good description for many deserts, Earth's largest desert is actually a very cold place covered with ice: Antarctica.In order for an area to be considered a desert, it must receive very little rainfall. More specifically, it must receive an average of less than ten inches of precipitation-which can be rain, sleet, hail, or snow-on the ground every year. Antarctica, the coldest place on earth, has an average temperature that usually falls below the freezing point. And because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, the air in Antarctica does not hold much moisture at all. This is evident in the low precipitation statistics recorded for Antarctica. For example, the central part of Antarctica receives an average of less than 2 inches of snow every year. The coastline of Antarctica receives a little bit more-between seven and eight inches a year. Because Antarctica gets so little precipitation every year, it is considered a desert.When precipitation falls in hot deserts, it quickly evaporates back into the atmosphere. The air over Antarctica is too cold to hold water vapor, so there is very little evaporation. Due to this low rate of evaporation, most of the snow that falls to the ground remains there permanently, eventually building up into thick ice sheets. Any snow that does not freeze into ice sheets becomes caught up in the strong winds that constantly blow over Antarctica. These snow-filled winds can make it look as if it is snowing.Even though snowfall is very rare there, blizzards are actually very common on Antarctica.In paragraph 2 the author writes, "And because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, the air in Antarctica does not hold much moisture at all." Using this information, it can be understood that

Accepted Answer

Air in Africa holds more moisture than the air in Antarctica

Answer

Air surrounding a tropical island holds less moisture than the air in Antarctica

Answer

Air in the second floor of a house is typically warmer than air on the first floor

Answer

Air at the mountains is typically colder than the air at the beach

Question 17

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.When you imagine the desert, you probably think of a very hot place covered with sand. Although this is a good description for many deserts, Earth's largest desert is actually a very cold place covered with ice: Antarctica.In order for an area to be considered a desert, it must receive very little rainfall. More specifically it must receive an average of less than ten inches of precipitation-which can be rain, sleet, hail, or snow-on the ground every year. Antarctica, the coldest place on earth, has an average temperature that usually falls below the freezing point. And because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, the air in Antarctica does not hold much moisture at all. This is evident in the low precipitation statistics recorded for Antarctica. For example, the central part of Antarctica receives an average of less than 2 inches of snow every year. The coastline of Antarctica receives a little bit more-between seven and eight inches a year. Because Antarctica gets so little precipitation every year, it is considered a desert.When precipitation falls in hot deserts, it quickly evaporates back into the atmosphere. The air over Antarctica is too cold to hold water vapor, so there is very little evaporation. Due to this low rate of evaporation, most of the snow that falls to the ground remains there permanently, eventually building up into thick ice sheets. Any snow that does not freeze into ice sheets becomes caught up in the strong winds that constantly blow over Antarctica. These snow-filled winds can make it look as if it is snowing.Even though snowfall is very rare there, blizzards are actually very common on Antarctica.According to the final paragraph, any snow that falls over AntarcticaI. becomes part of the Antarctic ice sheetII. is blown around by strong windsIII. evaporates back into the atmosphere

Accepted Answer

l only

Answer

I and II only

Answer

II and III only

Answer

I, II, and III

Question 18

Right after the Civil War, many distraught soldiers made their way West to find fame and fortune. Some could not go home because there were no homes to go to. The war had devastated them. One young man, Will Goodlad, made his fortune in the hills of Colorado. He found gold in a little river near Grand Junction. His fortune was short lived, however. In 1875, he declared bankruptcy and returned to the land of his birth- the Piedmont of South Carolina. For which side did Will fight during the War?

Accepted Answer

South

Answer

East

Answer

West

Answer

North

Question 19

Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.Mona doesn't like to ask people for help. But it is hard for her to perform daily activities on her own. She is almost 13, yet she is no larger than a 5-year-old. Mona has trouble keeping her balance and can't walk very far. When she uses a wheelchair, she can't push it herself.Fortunately, Mona has a wonderful service dog named Sam. A service dog is a dog that has been trained to assist someone who has a physical problem. Sam lets Mona lean on him when she walks. He also pulls her wheelchair and turns lights on and off. When Mona drops something, Sam picks it up. He even pulls her socks off at night.Sam also helps Mona with everyday tasks at school. He carries her books from class to class in a special backpack. He puts Mona's completed assignments in her teachers' homework trays. In the lunchroom he throws away her trash.Besides making Mona less dependent on other people, Sam helps her lead a fuller life.Mona's classmates flock around Sam like geese. This has helped her make friends. Sam also helps Mona be more active. With his aid, she raised over $500 in a walk-a-thon for her local humane society.Because of Sam, Mona doesn't have to ask people for help. Sam brings her closer to other kids. And he even helps her contribute to her community.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

Accepted Answer

How Mona's Service Dog Helps Her

Answer

Why Mona Loses Her Balance

Answer

Raising Money for the Humane Society

Question 20

Answer to the passage:A four-person crew from Classic Colors is painting Mr Ahmed's house. Ahmed is painting the front of the house. Maira is in the alley behind the house painting the back. Ayesha is painting the window frames on the north side, Hamza is on the south. If Ahmed switches places with Ayesha, and Ayesha then switches places with Hamza, where is Hamza?

Accepted Answer

in front of the house

Answer

in the alley behind the house

Answer

on the north side of the house

Answer

on the south side of the house

Free Passage Reading MCQs with Answers