English Reading Comprehension Quiz For IBPS Clerk Prelims: 4th October |

IBPS Clerk Prelims is on its way and a lot of aspirants are heading towards new hopes with this upcoming opportunity. Thus, English Language can be an impetus for their success by
helping them save crucial time and score good points in lesser time and
effort. So, instead of boiling the ocean, try building up a strong
vocabulary, an effective knowledge of grammar, and efficient
comprehension skills so as to be on the ball to face this particular
section. Here is a quiz on English Language being provided by Adda247 to
let you practice the best of latest pattern English Questions for upcoming IBPS Clerk Exam.

Directions (1-15): Read the following passages carefully and answer the respective questions given below each of them. Certain words/phrases/sentences have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Passage 1

Once upon a time Shree Krishna and Arjun went for a short stroll around the city. They saw a poor looking priest begging. Arjun felt pity at him and gave him a bag full of 100 gold coins. The priest became very happy and thanked Arjun. He left for his home. On way, he saw another person who needed help. The priest could have spared a coin or two to help that person. (A) However, he chose to ignore it. But on way to his home, one thief robbed him of his bag of coins and ran away.

The priest became dejected and went back again for begging. Next day again when Arjun saw the same priest begging, he was surprised that after getting a bag full of coins which can last a lifetime, the priest was still begging! He called the priest and asked him the reason for this. The priest told him about the whole incident and Arjun again felt pity at him. So, this time he gave him a diamond.

The priest became very happy and left for home and he again saw someone who needed help but he chose to ignore again. Upon reaching home, he safely put the diamond in an empty pot of water with a plan to cash it out later and live a wealthy life. His wife was not at home. He was very tired so he decided to take a nap. In between, his wife came home and picked up that empty pot of water, walked towards the river close by to fill up the water. She had not noticed the diamond in the pot. Upon arriving at the river, she put the whole pot into the running river water to fill it up. She filled up the pot but the diamond was gone with the water flow.

When the priest woke up, he went to see the pot and asked his wife about the diamond. She told him, she had not noticed it and it must have been lost in the river. The priest couldn’t believe his bad luck and again started begging. Again Arjun and Shree Krishna saw him begging and Arjun inquired about it. Arjun felt bad and started thinking if this priest will ever have a happy life.(B)

Shree Krishna who is an incarnation of God smiled. Shree Krishna gave that priest one coin which was not even enough for buying a lunch or dinner for one person. Arjun asked Shree Krishna, “Lord, I gave him gold coins and diamond, which could have given him a wealthy life, yet it didn’t help him. How will just one coin help this poor guy?” Shree Krishna smiled and told Arjun to follow that priest and find out.

On the way, the priest was thinking that with the one coin Shree Krishna gave him, he can’t even buy a lunch for one person. Why would he give so little? He saw a fisherman who was getting a fish out of his net. Fish was struggling. The priest felt pity at fish. He thought that this one coin won’t solve my problem, why not I save that fish. So the priest paid the fisherman and took the fish. He put the fish in his small pot of water which he always carried with him.

The fish was struggling in a small pot of water, ended up throwing out a diamond from the mouth! The priest screamed with a joy, “I got it, I got it”. At that same point, the thief who had robbed the priest’s bag of 100 gold coins, was passing through there. He thought that the priest recognized him and may get him punished. He got nervous and ran to the priest. He apologized to the priest and returned his bag full of 100 gold coins. The priest couldn’t believe what just happened.

Arjun saw all this and said, “Oh Lord, now I understand your play”

Q1. Why did Shri Krishna ask Arjun to follow the Priest?

He wanted Arjun to see how the priest makes a fool of himself even with just one coin.

He wanted Arjun to enquire about the Priest’s activities.

He didn’t like Arjun questioning his actions and asked him to go and check for himself.

He wanted Arjun to see how helping others would change the fortunes of the Priest.

None of these

Solution:

(Refer para 5) As Arjun asked Shri Krishna that how one coin could help the poor priest when even 100 gold coins and a diamond couldn’t help, Shri Krishna told him to follow the priest to see how helping others would change his fortunes.

Q2. What is the tone of the given passage?

Critical

Elaborative

Educating

Informative

Casual

Solution:

Very clearly, the writing of the author has tone to educate the reader on helping and sharing what we have with other needy people. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer choice here.

Q3. There is line (B) given in BOLD in the passage above; which of the following best describes the meaning of the line?

Arjun was not feeling good after the Priest had lost so much wealth which he had donated to the priest.

Arjun felt bad that the fish had swallowed the diamond

Arjun was upset at the Priest’s bad luck and wondered if the Priest would ever be happy in his life.

Arjun was feeling bad because of the Priest’s careless behaviour.

None of these

Solution:

The given line refers to the incident when Arjun finds out that the priest has lost the diamond as well. Hearing this, he became upset and started wondering if the poor priest would ever have a happy life.

Q4. Why did Arjun give only one coin to the Priest?

Because he was upset with the Priest’s careless behaviour.

Because he wanted him to teach the lesson of sharing.

Because he wanted to see what story the priest comes up with next.

Both (a) & (c)

Arjun did not give one coin to the priest, instead Shri Krishna gave it to him.

Solution:

The starting lines of para 5 clearly mention that it was Shri Krishna who gave one coin to the priest and not Arjun.

Q5. Which of the following is most SIMILAR to the word SCREAMED used in the passage?

Cried

Angered

Laughed

Whispered

Danced

Solution:

SCREAM: make a loud, high-pitched sound; give a long, loud, piercing cry or cries expressing extreme emotion
CRY: a loud inarticulate shout or scream expressing a powerful feeling or emotion

Q6. Why did the Priest’s wife throw away the diamond into the river?

She knew her husband hadn’t earned it and it was just given to him by Arjun out of pity.

She threw it away accidentally.

She was afraid that again something bad would happen if they kept that diamond with them.

She threw it after she had a fight with her husband over the issue of how to spend the money obtained from selling the diamond.

None of these

Solution:
The last lines of para 3 and starting lines of para 4 clearly mention
that the wife had not noticed the diamond in the pot and hence lost it
in the river accidentally.

ACCIDENTALLY: by chance

Q7. Which of the following is most OPPOSITE to the word DEJECTED used in the passage?

Heartbroken

Delighted

Depressed

Sad

None of these

Solution:

DEJECTED: sad and depressed
DELIGHTED: feeling or showing great pleasure

Q8. Why did the Priest scream “I got it, I got it”?

Because he had found a new trick to fool Arjun.

Because he had found the bag full of 100 gold coins.

Because he had found the diamond which his wife had lost in the river.

Because the thief had returned the bag full of gold coins to him.

Because he had finally got a permanent job at the nearby temple.

Solution:

The first lines of the last para vividly mention that, when the fish threw out the diamond, the priest screamed these words in delight that he had got (back) the diamond.

Q9. There is line (A) given in BOLD in the passage above; which of the following best describes the meaning of the line in the context of the passage?

The priest did not spare a single coin for the person who needed help even when he had 100 gold coins.

The priest had enough coins to donate one or two to the person who needed help.

The priest must spare a coin or two for the needy person.

The priest was mean in not giving even a single coin to the need person, despite having 100 of them with himself.

None of these

Solution:

The given sentence is from the first para. The author in these last lines of the para means that the priest had enough coins to help the needy person but chose otherwise. Hence option (b) is the correct answer here.

Q10. What is the moral of the story given in the passage above?

We should donate even if we do not have enough for ourselves.

We must always donate because if donate 1 coin we will get back 100 coins and a diamond as well.

We must seek donations so that we can donate to even more needy people than ourselves.

When you have enough to help others, don’t let that chance go. Your good deeds will always be repaid to you.

None of these

Solution:

On reading the passage it is very clear that it teaches us about sharing and donating things to the needy persons when we are in a position to share/donate. Hence, option (D) is very clearly our answer choice here.

Passage 2

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side. They had been sharing machinery, trading a labour and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference which exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on elder brother’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I am looking for a few days of work”, he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?”

“Yes!” said the elder brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbour, in fact, it’s my younger brother and we don’t get along. Last week he dug a wider passage for water into his farm. But he ended up creating a very wide creek in between our farms and I am sure he did it just to annoy me. I want you to build me something so that we don’t have to stand and see each other’s face from across.”

The carpenter said “I think I understand the situation. I will be able to do a job that will please you.” The elder brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing.

At sunset when the elder brother returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The elder brother’s eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. It was not what he had even thought of or imagined. It was a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, beautiful handrails. And to his surprise, his younger brother across the creek was coming to meet him with a big smile and arms wide open to hug him.

“You are really kind and humble my brother! After all I had done and said to you, you still shown that blood relations can never be broken! I am truly sorry for my behaviour”, the younger brother said as he hugged his elder brother. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I have a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.

“I’d love to stay on”, the carpenter said, “but, I have many more bridges to build!”

Q11. What was the reaction of the Elder brother to the job done by the carpenter?

He was shocked and angered by the work done by the carpenter.

A fine piece of work, beautiful handrails.

He was extremely happy.

He was surprised and amazed at the brilliance of the carpenter’s work.

None of these

Solution:

(Refer para 5) ‘The elder brother’s eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped’ – these words clearly explain that the elder brother was awestruck at the brilliance of the work done by the carpenter.

Q12. Which of the following is most SIMILAR to the word HITCH used in the passage?

Hole

Dig

Deep

Anger

Complication

Solution:

HITCH - a temporary difficulty or problem
COMPLICATION - difficult or complex situation; a difficulty

Q13. Why did the younger brother hug the elder brother despite having animosity towards him?

The carpenter had persuaded him in the absence of the elder brother.

He was touched by the bridge built from his elder brother’s side to connect the two farms.

This was another trick used by the younger brother to trick the elder brother emotionally.

On the previous night he had seen his elder brother cry and pray for peace & love between them.

None of these

Solution:

(Refer para 5&6) The younger brother was touched by the big heart shown by his elder brother by building a bridge connecting the two farms despite his effort to separate the two by digging a wide creek.

Q14. Why had the carpenter come to the elder brother’s home?

He was looking for a job and had knocked on the doors of the elder brother in search of some work.

He was a wanderer and was looking for a stay for few days in the village.

He had come to bridge the gap between the two brothers and help them love each other once again.

He had come to repair the broken door of the elder brother’s home.

None of these

Solution:

Even though the ostensible reason behind the carpenter knocking at the elder brother’s doors was to ask for a job, yet the last line of the passage vividly puts out his real motive. When the elder brother asks him to stay for more work, he replies that he had more bridges to build – which clearly means that work/job was not his priority, rather he had come there to make peace between the two hostile brothers.

Q15. How were the relations between the two brothers before conflict?

Cordial

Hostile

Cold

Adversarial

None of these

Solution:

The first lines of the passage clearly mention that the two brothers lived and farmed together for 40 years with love and peace.
CORDIAL - warm and friendly;