Reading Comprehension Quiz for IBPS Clerk Prelims

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.

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Directions (1-8): Read the following passage 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.

There was a rich couple who was throwing a big New Year party at their house. So they went shopping at the market where everything was of high cost and fixed price. They wanted to maintain their level of standard so didn’t mind paying for it. After purchasing all they needed, they called a porter to carry everything and drop it at their home. The porter who came was old aged, not very healthy looking, his clothes were torn, looked as if he wasn’t even able to meet his daily needs.

They asked the porter about the charges for delivering their goods at their address. The old porter quoted just a Rs.200, a well below the market rate for delivering goods at couple’s home in his cart. Yet, the couple argued and bargained with the porter and finally settled for Rs. 150. The porter was struggling to make even one time’s meal so he needed anything he can earn.

The couple was very happy thinking how well they bargained with the poor porter and paid him Rs.150 in advance and left after giving the porter their address for delivery. They reached their home and hour passed, two hours passed, but the porter still hadn’t delivered their stuff.

The wife started to get angry at her husband, “I always tell you to not trust such person, but still you never listen to me. Such person who is not even able to earn to feed himself for 1 time in a day, you handed him everything we purchased for our big party. I am sure instead of delivering at our home; he must have disappeared with everything. We must immediately go back to the market to inquire and then to the police station to file the complaint against him”.

They both left towards the market. On their way near the market, they saw another porter. They stopped him to inquire about the old porter and noticed that he was carrying their stuff in his cart! The angry wife asked him, “Where is that old thief? This is our stuff and he was ___A___ to deliver it. It seems you poor thieves are stealing our stuff and going to sell it”.

The porter replied, “Madam, Please calm down. That poor old man was sick since last month. He wasn’t able to earn enough to even have a single meal of the day. He was on the way to deliver your stuff, but he who was hungry and sick, couldn’t gather the strength to go any further in this heat of the summer”. He fell down and while handing me Rs.150, his last words were, “I had taken an advance for this delivery, you take this and please deliver to this address”.

“Madam, He was hungry, he was poor, but he is an honest man. I was just on the way to complete old man’s last delivery at your home”, the porter said. Upon hearing this, the husband had tears in his eyes, but the wife felt so ashamed, she had no courage to see up in her husband’s eyes.

Q1. There is a blank in the given passage, marked ‘A’. Which of the following words can be filled in the blank without making the sentence grammatically or contextually incorrect?

Obeyed

Supposed

Privileged

Asking

None of these

Solution:

In the blank ‘supposed’ fits in grammatically and contextually. In the sentence, the wife says that the old porter was expected to deliver their goods.

Q2. Why did the old porter settle for Rs 150 only as the delivery charges when he had already asked for Rs 200, a price well below the market rate?

Because the old couple was very smart in their bargaining.

Because the old porter was not feeling well and he was in hurry to end his shift

It being a Sunday, there was heavy competition among the porters.

Because he was struggling to make money for even one time’s meal so he preferred anything he could earn.

None of these

Solution:

Clearly, the last line of paragraph 2 mentions that, the porter was struggling to make even one time’s meal so he needed anything he can earn.
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer here.

Q3. What is the moral of the story narrated in the above passage?

One must be honest with one’s profession

One must do one’s job against all odds

One must never judge other people without having any complete knowledge of any event

One must never hire old and sick porters for urgent delivery works.

None of these

Solution:

If read properly, the story in the passage describes how the rich couple felt guilty and ashamed at their half baked assumption that the old porter had ran away with all their stuff. Hence, the moral of the story is that, One must never judge other people without having any complete knowledge of any event.

Q4. According to the passage given above, which of the following statements is correct?

The couple was throwing a big New Year party for about 100 people.

The old porter was very honest with his job and, though a bit late, delivered the couple’s stuff despite his sickness.

The porter who was assigned by the old porter to complete his delivery was on his way to the couple’s address when they saw and stopped him.

The couple was very happy on purchasing everything for the party at cheaper and affordable rates.

None of these

Solution:

The first lines of para 5 clearly mention that on their way near the market, the couple saw another porter. They stopped him to inquire about the old porter and noticed that he was carrying their stuff in his cart!

Hence option (c) is correct here.

Q5. Which of the following describes the MOST SIMILAR meaning of the word BARGAINED used in the passage?

Negotiated

Gained

Bought

Fooled

None of these

Solution:

BARGAIN - negotiate the terms and conditions of a transaction

Q6. Why did the old porter not deliver the couple’s stuff to their address?

As the couple gave him less fare so he wanted to annoy them by delivering it late.

He was ill and could not move further in the summer heat.

He was robbed in the way by three robbers.

The old porter decided to have lunch first as he was hungry for a day.

None of these

Solution:

The 6th para talks about the given condition. It clearly mentions that the old porter was on the way to deliver the couple’s stuff, but he who was hungry and sick, couldn’t gather the strength to go any further in the heat of the summer. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer here.

Q7. Why did the couple buy all the stuff despite the fact that it was of high cost and fixed price?

Not mentioned in the passage

There was no other shop which offered stuff at cheaper prices.

They were in a hurry as they were running late on the party preparations.

The rich couple wanted to maintain their level of standard hence didn’t mind paying for it.

None of these

Solution:

Refer para 1 of the passage; Clearly, the correct answer here is option (d).

Q8. In paragraph 2 there is a line given in BOLD. Which of the following is the grammatically correct alternative way of writing the original statement, WITHOUT altering the meaning and context of it?

They enquired the porter about the charges for delivering their stuff to their home.

They had ask the porter about the charges for delivering their goods at their address.

They had been enquiring about the chargers for delivering their stuff to their home.

They did ask the porter about the fare for delivering their goods at their address.

None of these represents the same meaning in the same context as the original sentence.

Solution:

The statement under consideration says that the couple asked the porter about the fare for delivering their stuff to their home. Among the given options, statement (a) correctly describes the same meaning.

Directions (9-15): Read the following passage 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.

It was an early morning. Mr. Khanna was getting ready for his office when His wife asked him to put a few clothes out for laundry. He asked his wife, “Why?” She told him, “Because our maid is planning to visit her Grand Daughter today, she will have to leave early to catch the bus and she will not be coming for two days”. Mr. Khanna asked her, “Where is she going for two days?” She told him, “Tomorrow is the Birthday of her Grand Daughter, so she is going to spend time with her and celebrate.” Mr. Khanna told her, “Ok, no problem”.

But then his wife asked him, “Oh one more thing! Should I give her Rs. 500 as a bonus?” Mr. Khanna said, “Why now? We will give her during the Diwali”. His Wife said, “Well, She is hardly able to manage her expenses and she is visiting her Grand Daughter, so not sure how she will be able to manage as these days inflation is high. I feel she can use a little bonus”.

Mr. Khanna said, “Oh dear, I feel you are getting too sensitive and worrying too much”. His wife said, “Don’t Worry, I will cancel our plan to go out and have a pizza, that way we can give her extra Rs. 500 as a bonus”. Mr. Khanna said with a smile, “You are ready to take the pizza out of my mouth… Well, do as you feel if you are willing to let go of 6 sliced pizza, it’s fine”.

So, after a couple of days, when the maid had returned, she was cleaning the floor. Mr. Khanna was sitting in his chair. He asked her, “Did you enjoy a good time with your Grand Daughter?” The Maid replied, “Yes Sir, I enjoyed a lot, I spent whole Rs. 500 in 2 days!” Mr. Khanna said, “Oh really! How did you spend Rs. 500 so quickly?”

The Maid replied with a happy smile, “For Rs. 150, I bought a Dress for my Grand Daughter, bought sweets for Rs. 50, Paid Rs. 100 for Bus Tickets, bought bangles for Rs. 50 for my daughter, for my son in law I bought a belt for Rs. 50 and last Rs. 100, I gave to my Grand Daughter to purchase pencil and papers for her school”.

Mr. Khanna was surprised. He started thinking about the 6 slices of pizza. Each slice started hitting in his mind. He started comparing the cost of the pizza with his maid’s expense. He was lost in thoughts that how she bought something for everyone in her family and spent a quality time with them for her Grand Daughter’s birthday. And all these, just for the cost of a pizza. He learned a lesson that day.

Q9. According to the passage given above, which of the following best describes Mrs. Khanna’s nature?

Complaining

Compassionate

Controlling

Candid

Confused

Solution:

Mr. Khanna was very caring and considerate of her maid and even let go off their plan to go out for having Pizza. These incidents clearly show that she was a ‘compassionate’ lady.

COMPASSIONATE - feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others

Q10. There is line given in BOLD in the above passage (paragraph 2). Which of the following best describes the meaning of the statement given in BOLD?

The maid’s Grand Daughter is very hard to manage.

The maid will find it hard to come back after visiting her ill Grand Daughter

The maid hardly manages her financial condition and yet she is going to visit her Grand Daughter.

The maid finds it difficult to manage her financial conditions and she is going to visit her Grand Daughter.

None of the above describes the correct meaning of the BOLD statement

Solution:

The statement given in BOLD is what Mrs. Khanna says to her husband when he asks why they should give her a Rs 500 bonus. She says that the maid finds it difficult to manage her expenses (financial condition) and she is (also) going to visit her Grand Daughter.

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer here.

Q11. Which of the following words, best describes the MOST SIMILAR meaning of the word SENSITIVE given in the above passage?

Involved

Aggressive

Sympathetic

Attentive

None of these

Solution:

SENSITIVE: having or displaying a quick and delicate appreciation of others' feelings.

SYMPATHETIC: showing, or expressing a feeling of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune

Q12. According to the passage given above, which of the following statements is incorrect?

The maid bought a dress for her Grand Daughter, bangles for her daughter and a belt for her Grandson.

Mrs. Khanna persuaded Mr. Khanna to give their maid a bonus of Rs. 500.

Mr. Khanna was sitting in his chair when he asked the maid about her visit to her Grand Daughter.

The maid went on a two days leave.

All of the above are correct

Solution:

Here statement (a) is incorrect. 6th para clearly mentions that the maid bought a belt for his son-in-law and not for his grandson. Hence (a) is the correct answer choice here.

Q13. Why did the maid need a two days leave?

After visiting her ill Grand Daughter she also fell sick

Because Mrs. Khanna was generous enough to grant her 3 leaves.

The maid was unwell and wanted a rest as she hadn’t taken even a single leave in the last two months.

Because it was her Grand Daughter’s birthday the next day and she wanted to celebrate it with her.

No reason is mentioned in the passage.

Solution:

The last lines of the first paragraph describe the reason for maid’s 2 days leave. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer here.

Q14. The last line of the passage given above says that Mr. Khanna learned a lesson that day. Which of the following could be that lesson?

Happiness and satisfaction do not require huge money

Skipping a Pizza can save one a lot of money for buying gifts

One should give bonus to one’s house helps so that they can spend some quality time with their loved ones.

One should be generous towards poor people

None of the above

Solution:

The last para clearly describes how well the maid used the small amount of Rs 500 and enjoyed a quality time with her loved ones. This had a big impact on Mr. Khanna and made him realise that happiness and satisfaction do not require huge money.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer here.

Q15. Which of the following is MOST OPPOSITE to the word INFLATION given in the above passage?

Recession

Deflation

Disinflation

Deduction

None of the above

Solution:

INFLATION: rise in commodity prices

DEFLATION: fall/decrease in commodity prices

DISINFLATION: a decreasing rate of inflation