Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers

Q: This passage suggests that there

The passage suggests that there may be other planets like the Earth in this universe.The author rejects an exact replica of the Earth as an unlikely idea, but says it is possible that, if planetary systems are common, there are planets whose conditions are similar to the Earth's and to which our form of life could adapt. That makes similar planets a possibility, not a certainty.Option A claims there cannot be another such planet, which is stronger than the text says. Option B treats other Earth-like planets as found only in stories, but the passage says they are possible. Option D asserts a planet exactly like the Earth, which the author calls not worth considering.

Q: The hypothesis about the possibility of planets parallel to the Earth gets its strength from the fact that

The hypothesis gets its strength from the fact that the planetary system exists.The author says that 'if planetary systems are common as they seem to be', planets with Earth-like conditions are possible. So the case rests on planetary systems being common, which is the existence of planetary systems.No planet like the Earth is said to have been discovered, so A is wrong. The stories written about such planets and the interest of many people are only what prompts the question, and the passage does not treat them as evidence.

Q: The statement, 'if life had gained a foothold on such a planet' means that

The phrase means that if there is life on the planet, it would be like ours.'Gained a foothold' means became established. The sentence continues that life closely paralleling our own could then have developed, so the clause is about life that has taken hold on such a planet and what it would resemble.Option B has people going there and developing life, which the text does not say. Option C says we cannot go and live there and option D says life could not develop, and neither is stated; the passage says that development is possible.

Q: This passage mainly

The passage mainly informs the reader about solar eclipses.Para 1 defines a solar eclipse and its three kinds (partial, annular and total), and para 2 explains how the moon can cover the sun and how long a total eclipse lasts. Together these give general information about the topic.The duration of a total eclipse is only one detail, so A is too narrow. The passage uses facts about the moon only to explain eclipses, so B misses its purpose. Option C reverses the relation: it is the moon that obscures the sun, not the sun the moon.

Q: In which types of eclipse is the sun obscured in its entirety ?

The sun is obscured in its entirety in a total eclipse.The passage says that 'in a total eclipse, the sun is completely covered by the moon'.In a partial eclipse the moon covers only part of the sun, and in an annular eclipse it covers the centre and leaves a bright ring of light. 'A celestial eclipse' is not a type described in the passage.

Q: The word "ring" in para 1 could best be replaced by

In para 1 the word 'ring' is best replaced by circle.The sentence describes 'a bright ring of light around the moon', that is, a circle of light, which is what is seen in an annular eclipse.'Piece of gold' and 'jewel' treat 'ring' as an ornament, which does not fit a ring of light. 'Bell' fits the sense of a ringing sound, which is unrelated to the sentence.

Q: A "celestial body" in para 2 is most probably one that is found

A 'celestial body' in para 2 is most probably one found somewhere in the sky.The sentence names the moon as 'a celestial body of the size of the moon', so a celestial body is an object in the heavens, like the moon or the sun.The moon's shadow is a patch on the earth and is not where the moon itself is found, and the surface of the sun is only one place for one such body. The earth's atmosphere is where weather occurs, and the moon and sun lie far beyond it.

Q: What is the meaning of "block out" in para 2 ?

'Block out' in para 2 means cover.The sentence says it seems improbable that a body of the moon's size could 'completely block out' the immense sun, and the next sentences explain how the moon is able to cover the sun. 'Block out' therefore means hide from view by covering.The moon does not square, evaporate or shrink the sun, and none of those meanings fits the idea of one object hiding another.

Q: How did men spend most of their time in earlier times ?

The passage says men spent most of their time looking for food.Its first sentence reads "Long ago men spent most of their time looking for food." The rest of the first paragraph shows the same thing: they ate anything they could find, fruits, stems, leaves, roots, bark, eggs, fish and small animals.Shelter, clothes and luxury are never mentioned in the passage as what took their time. Questions of this kind are answered from the opening statement of the passage, not from general ideas about early life.

Q: What did men eat if there was shortage of food ?

When food was scarce, men ate the bark of trees.The passage says: "When food was scarce, they ate the bark of trees." That is the direct answer to the question about a shortage of food.The other options also appear in the passage but in other situations. The roots of plants were part of their ordinary diet, a bird's nest with eggs was a stroke of luck ("if they are lucky"), and rotten whales were what people living near water ate when something washed ashore. The question links the item to scarcity, and only the bark does.

Direction for [ Question No: 1 To 3 ] :

Read the passage given below which is followed by Question Nos. 28, 29 and 30. Choose the best answer to each question.

What interests many people is the possibility of finding an Earth-like planet and many science fiction stories have been woven around the possibility of there existing a planet somewhere in the universe which is an exact replica of the Earth.

There are too many variable quantities for this to be a possibility worth considering. What is possible, if planetary systems are common as they seem to be, is the existence of planets where the conditions are similar to conditions on the Earth and to which our form of life could rapidly adapt. If life had gained a foothold on such a planet, it is possible that life closely paralleling our own planet could have developed. What sorts of conditions is necessary for life as we know it to develop ? First of all, of course a suitable planetary body is essential. Given this, then two vital conditions must be satisfied. The temperature must be neither too hot nor too cold, since intense heat breaks down organic molecules and severe cold prevents activity from going on. Too much short-wave radiation also upsets living organisms.

The other prerequisite is a suitable atmosphere sufficiently dense to give protection from radiation and meteorites and containing oxygen and water vapour in reasonable quantities.

This passage suggests that there

A.cannot be another planet like the Earth
B.are other planets like the Earth mentioned only in stories
C.may be other planets like the Earth in this universe
D.is a planet, which is exactly like the Earth

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: C

The passage suggests that there may be other planets like the Earth in this universe.

The author rejects an exact replica of the Earth as an unlikely idea, but says it is possible that, if planetary systems are common, there are planets whose conditions are similar to the Earth's and to which our form of life could adapt. That makes similar planets a possibility, not a certainty.

Option A claims there cannot be another such planet, which is stronger than the text says. Option B treats other Earth-like planets as found only in stories, but the passage says they are possible. Option D asserts a planet exactly like the Earth, which the author calls not worth considering.

Discuss in Forum

The hypothesis about the possibility of planets parallel to the Earth gets its strength from the fact that

A.the scientists have discovered them
B.books have been written about them
C.the planetary system exists
D.many people have shown interest in it

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: C

The hypothesis gets its strength from the fact that the planetary system exists.

The author says that 'if planetary systems are common as they seem to be', planets with Earth-like conditions are possible. So the case rests on planetary systems being common, which is the existence of planetary systems.

No planet like the Earth is said to have been discovered, so A is wrong. The stories written about such planets and the interest of many people are only what prompts the question, and the passage does not treat them as evidence.

Discuss in Forum

The statement, 'if life had gained a foothold on such a planet' means that

A.if there is life on the planet, it would be like ours
B.if we go there, we can develop it like the Earth
C.even if we try, we cannot go and live there
D.it is impossible for life to develop there

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: A

The phrase means that if there is life on the planet, it would be like ours.

'Gained a foothold' means became established. The sentence continues that life closely paralleling our own could then have developed, so the clause is about life that has taken hold on such a planet and what it would resemble.

Option B has people going there and developing life, which the text does not say. Option C says we cannot go and live there and option D says life could not develop, and neither is stated; the passage says that development is possible.

Discuss in Forum

Direction for [ Question No: 4 To 8 ] :

The following questions are based on the passage given below :

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves in front of the sun and hides at least some part of the sun from the earth. In a partial eclipse, the moon covers part of the sun ; in an annular eclipse, the moon covers the centre of the sun, leaving a bright ring of light around the moon ; in a total eclipse, the sun is completely covered by the moon.

It seems rather improbable that a celestial body of the size of the moon could completely block out the tremendously immense sun, as happens during a total eclipse, but this is exactly what happens. Although the moon is considerably smaller in size than the sun, the moon is able to cover the sun because of their relative distances from the earth. A total eclipse can last upto 7 minutes, during which time the moon's shadow moves across the earth at a rate of about 0.6 kilometres per second.

This passage mainly

A.describes how long an eclipse will last
B.gives facts about the moon
C.explains how the sun is able to obscure the moon
D.informs the reader about solar eclipses

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: D

The passage mainly informs the reader about solar eclipses.

Para 1 defines a solar eclipse and its three kinds (partial, annular and total), and para 2 explains how the moon can cover the sun and how long a total eclipse lasts. Together these give general information about the topic.

The duration of a total eclipse is only one detail, so A is too narrow. The passage uses facts about the moon only to explain eclipses, so B misses its purpose. Option C reverses the relation: it is the moon that obscures the sun, not the sun the moon.

Discuss in Forum

In which types of eclipse is the sun obscured in its entirety ?

A.A partial eclipse
B.An annular eclipse
C.A total eclipse
D.A celestial eclipse

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: C

The sun is obscured in its entirety in a total eclipse.

The passage says that 'in a total eclipse, the sun is completely covered by the moon'.

In a partial eclipse the moon covers only part of the sun, and in an annular eclipse it covers the centre and leaves a bright ring of light. 'A celestial eclipse' is not a type described in the passage.

Discuss in Forum

The word "ring" in para 1 could best be replaced by

A.piece of gold
B.circle
C.jewel
D.bell

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: B

In para 1 the word 'ring' is best replaced by circle.

The sentence describes 'a bright ring of light around the moon', that is, a circle of light, which is what is seen in an annular eclipse.

'Piece of gold' and 'jewel' treat 'ring' as an ornament, which does not fit a ring of light. 'Bell' fits the sense of a ringing sound, which is unrelated to the sentence.

Discuss in Forum

A "celestial body" in para 2 is most probably one that is found

A.within the moon's shadow
B.on the surface of the sun
C.somewhere in the sky
D.inside the earth's atmosphere

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: C

A 'celestial body' in para 2 is most probably one found somewhere in the sky.

The sentence names the moon as 'a celestial body of the size of the moon', so a celestial body is an object in the heavens, like the moon or the sun.

The moon's shadow is a patch on the earth and is not where the moon itself is found, and the surface of the sun is only one place for one such body. The earth's atmosphere is where weather occurs, and the moon and sun lie far beyond it.

Discuss in Forum

What is the meaning of "block out" in para 2 ?

A.Square
B.Evaporate
C.Shrink
D.Cover.

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: D

'Block out' in para 2 means cover.

The sentence says it seems improbable that a body of the moon's size could 'completely block out' the immense sun, and the next sentences explain how the moon is able to cover the sun. 'Block out' therefore means hide from view by covering.

The moon does not square, evaporate or shrink the sun, and none of those meanings fits the idea of one object hiding another.

Discuss in Forum

Direction for [ Question No: 9 To 10 ] :

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to Question No. 28 – 30.

Long ago men spent most of their time looking for food. They ate anything they could find. Some lived mostly on plants. They ate the fruits, stems and leaves of some plants and the roots of others. When food was scarce, they ate the bark of trees. If they are lucky, they would find a bird's nest with eggs. Pepole who lived near the water ate fish or anything that washed ashore, even, rotten whales. Some people also ate insects and small animals like lizards that were easy to kill. Later, men learned to make weapons. With weapons, they could kill larger animals for meat.

These early people had big appetites. If they killed an animal, they would drink the blood, eat the meat and chew and bones. When they finished the meal, there was nothing left.

How did men spend most of their time in earlier times ?

A.looking for shelter
B.looking for food
C.looking for clothes
D.looking for luxury

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: B

The passage says men spent most of their time looking for food.

Its first sentence reads "Long ago men spent most of their time looking for food." The rest of the first paragraph shows the same thing: they ate anything they could find, fruits, stems, leaves, roots, bark, eggs, fish and small animals.

Shelter, clothes and luxury are never mentioned in the passage as what took their time. Questions of this kind are answered from the opening statement of the passage, not from general ideas about early life.

Discuss in Forum

10.

What did men eat if there was shortage of food ?

A.Rotten whales
B.the root of trees
C.the bark of trees
D.a bird's nest with eggs

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: C

When food was scarce, men ate the bark of trees.

The passage says: "When food was scarce, they ate the bark of trees." That is the direct answer to the question about a shortage of food.

The other options also appear in the passage but in other situations. The roots of plants were part of their ordinary diet, a bird's nest with eggs was a stroke of luck ("if they are lucky"), and rotten whales were what people living near water ate when something washed ashore. The question links the item to scarcity, and only the bark does.

Discuss in Forum

Loading…

Topics

Other Subjects

Tags: Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers || Reading Comprehension MCQ Questions and Answers || Reading Comprehension GK Questions and Answers || Reading Comprehension GK MCQ Questions || Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice Questions and Answers || Reading Comprehension GK || GK on Reading Comprehension || English Language Questions and Answers || English Language MCQ Questions and Answers || English Language GK Questions and Answers || GK on English Language

Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers

Direction for [ Question No: 1 To 3 ] :

Direction for [ Question No: 4 To 8 ] :

Direction for [ Question No: 9 To 10 ] :

Topics

Other Subjects

About Us

Stay informed about all important Dates & Notifications