Reading

Comprehension
By
Ms. Lynessa Lynette Linson
The Common Hurdles to Acing Reading Comprehension:
1.“But I don’t like to read at all..!”

2.“I can’t read fast enough”

3.“I zone out while reading”

4.“Why do all the options appear to be correct???”

THE BIG DEBATE:
Passage First, Questions Later

V/S

Questions First, Passage Later

 Reading Comprehension

How to How to
Read Comprehend
Correctly? Correctly?
Developing the Habit of Reading Seamlessly…

❑Begin reading on topics of your interest

❑Practice reading online

❑Read Editorials

❑Learn the art of Skimming

Rdeairng tihs psraaragph, yuo wlil fnid taht our biarns
are acepblae of rcegnoniizg the wdros even if the
leettrs in the mieddlie are inecatrhangd. It is amnziag
how our mnids can mkae snese of txet wtih sruch
alittse, dmnoesrtniatng the asomzing pwoer of our
laungage porscesnig abilites.
 Skim this text
for important
words

Successful people, despite achievements and confidence, often grapple with

anxiety. It's well-kept secret of high achievers that journey to success is
paved with moments of self-doubt, fear, apprehension. This anxiety serves
as force, motivating them to work harder, strive for excellence. It's sword,
pushing them to limits, keeping them on toes. Pressure to maintain success,
fear of losing it can be overwhelming, yet it's anxiety that compels them to
keep innovating, learning, growing. Anxiety can be companion on path to
success, reminding us that individuals are human, experiencing struggles.
Ultimately, it's they manage, channel anxiety that sets them apart,
contributes to success.
Successful people, despite achievements and confidence, often grapple
with anxiety. It's a well-kept secret of high achievers that the journey to
success is paved with moments of self-doubt, fear, and apprehension. This
anxiety serves as a force, motivating them to work harder, strive for
excellence. It's a sword, pushing them to limits, keeping them on toes.
Pressure to maintain success, fear of losing it can be overwhelming, yet it's
anxiety that compels them to keep innovating, learning, and growing.
Anxiety can be a companion on the path to success, reminding us that
individuals are human, experiencing struggles. Ultimately, it's they
manage, channel anxiety that sets them apart, contributes to success.
‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch
The memories still haunt my dreams, the stark images of
barbed wire fences, the haunting echoes of cries in the
concentration camps, and the palpable fear that never left our
hearts. I recall the days of unbearable hunger, the feeling of
frigid winters that seemed to pierce the soul, and the constant
uncertainty of whether I would ever see another sunrise.
The memories still haunt my dreams, the stark images of
barbed wire fences, the haunting echoes of cries in the
concentration camps, and the palpable fear that never left our
hearts. I recall the days of unbearable hunger, the feeling of
frigid winters that seemed to pierce the soul, and the
constant uncertainty of whether I would ever see another
sunrise.
 Word Repetition as an Indicator of the Theme
Laughter and well-being are intricately connected, forming a harmonious
bond that enriches our lives with joy and positivity. The resonance of
laughter reverberates through the corridors of our well-being, acting as a
soothing elixir for both the body and soul. Laughter, with its infectious and
contagious nature, has the remarkable ability to uplift our spirits, fostering a
sense of well-being that is both palpable and profound. In times of
challenge and adversity, the echoes of laughter can serve as a lifeline, a
lifeline to a well-being that endures and perseveres. It is through the shared
experience of laughter that we find a common thread binding our paths to
well-being, a path that is paved with moments of mirth, sprinkled
generously with the healing magic of laughter. So, let us embrace the
symphony of laughter, for in its melodic chorus, we find the key to
unlocking the gates of sustained well-being.
Theme v/s Subject
 Identifying the main theme of the paragraph

One New York publisher has estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United
States want an anthology that includes the complete works of William Shakespeare.
And what accounts for this renewed interest in Shakespeare? As scholars point out, the
psychological insights he portrays in both male and female characters are amazing
even today.

Q. This paragraph best supports the statement that:

a. Shakespeare’s characters are more interesting than fictional characters today.
b. People today are interested in Shakespeare’s work because of the characters.
c. Academic scholars are putting together an anthology of Shakespeare’s work.
d. New Yorkers have a renewed interested in the work of Shakespeare.
e. Shakespeare was a psychiatrist as well as a playwright
One New York publisher has estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United
States want an anthology that includes the complete works of William Shakespeare.
And what accounts for this renewed interest in Shakespeare? As scholars point out, the
psychological insights he portrays in both male and female characters are amazing
even today.

Q. This paragraph best supports the statement that:

a. Shakespeare’s characters are more interesting than fictional characters today.
b. People today are interested in Shakespeare’s work because of the characters.
c. Academic scholars are putting together an anthology of Shakespeare’s work.
d. New Yorkers have a renewed interested in the work of Shakespeare.
e. Shakespeare was a psychiatrist as well as a playwright
Black-and-white camera film, in the old days of film photography, was very
sensitive to blue light but not to red light. Blue skies would often show very little
detail, because the film couldn’t record all that it was seeing. To compensate,
photographers would put a red filter on the lens, darkening the sky enough that the
film could record its fluffy clouds.

Q. This paragraph best supports the statement that:

a. Red filters were very popular in the old days of photography.
b. Infrared rays are invisible to the naked eye.
c. Black-and-white photography used to be very popular.
d. Red filters cut out some blue light on black and white film.
e. Blue filters cut out red light
Black-and-white camera film, in the old days of film photography, was very
sensitive to blue light but not to red light. Blue skies would often show very little
detail, because the film couldn’t record all that it was seeing. To compensate,
photographers would put a red filter on the lens, darkening the sky enough that the
film could record its fluffy clouds.

Q. This paragraph best supports the statement that:

a. Red filters were very popular in the old days of photography.
b. Infrared rays are invisible to the naked eye.
c. Black-and-white photography used to be very popular.
d. Red filters cut out some blue light on black and white film.
e. Blue filters cut out red light
 Building up
Vocabulary
Catharsis
Ambivalence

Mellifluous
Esoteric
Using Context Clues to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words

It was a lucrative offer but I could not take it up due to my family

obligations.

The serendipitous way in which I met him made me feel that this was
meant to be.

Despite his cheerful façade, I could experience the melancholy of his

heart.
 Remember the Location of the Details

On the night of April 14, 1912, at approximately 11:40 PM, the Titanic, then sailing at a
speed of approximately 22 knots, collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, about 370
miles south-southeast of Newfoundland. First Officer William Murdoch, upon spotting
the looming iceberg, ordered the ship to be immediately reversed and the engines to be
put full astern. Chief Engineer Joseph Bell and his team in the engine room worked
tirelessly to halt the massive engines, but the Titanic's momentum carried her into the
iceberg's path. The collision led to a series of punctures along the ship's starboard side,
causing severe structural damage and allowing water to rush into multiple compartments.
This unfortunate event ultimately led to the sinking of the Titanic, resulting in the loss of
over 1,500 lives in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history.
 Remember the Location of the Details

On the night of April 14, 1912, at approximately 11:40 PM, the Titanic, then sailing at a
speed of approximately 22 knots, collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, about 370
miles south-southeast of Newfoundland. First Officer William Murdoch, upon spotting the
looming iceberg, ordered the ship to be immediately reversed and the engines to be put full
astern. Chief Engineer Joseph Bell and his team in the engine room worked tirelessly to halt
the massive engines, but the Titanic's momentum carried her into the iceberg's path. The
collision led to a series of punctures along the ship's starboard side, causing severe
structural damage and allowing water to rush into multiple compartments. This unfortunate
event ultimately led to the sinking of the Titanic, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 lives in
one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history.
 Remember the Location of the Details
Date Time
On the night of April 14, 1912, at approximately 11:40 PM, the Titanic, then sailing at a
speed of approximately 22 knots, collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, about
370 miles south-southeast of Newfoundland. First Officer William Murdoch, upon
spotting the looming Speed iceberg, ordered the ship to be immediately reversed and the
engines
Distance to be put full astern. Chief Engineer Joseph Bell and his team inGave
the order
engine
room worked tirelessly to halt the massive engines, but the Titanic's momentum carried
her into the iceberg's path. The collision ledAttempted
to a series of punctures along the ship's
starboard side, causing severe structural damage executionand allowing water to rush into
multiple compartments. This unfortunate event ultimately led to the sinking of the
Titanic, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 lives in one of the deadliest maritime disasters
in history.
Victims
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

In the narrowest sense, price is the amount of money charged for a product or a service.
More broadly, price is the sum of all the values that customers give up to gain the benefits
of having or using a product or service. Historically, price has been the major factor
affecting buyer choice. In recent decades, however, non-price factors have gained
increasing importance.
Even so, price remains one of the most important elements that determines a firm՚s
market share and profitability. Price is the only element in the marketing mix that
produces revenue; all other elements present costs. Price is also one of the most flexible
marketing mix elements. Unlike product features and channel commitments, prices can
be changed quickly.
At the same time, pricing is the number one problem facing many marketing executives,
and many companies do not handle pricing well. Some managers view pricing as a big
headache, preferring instead to focus on other marketing mix elements. However, smart
managers treat pricing as a key strategic tool for creating and capturing costumer value.
Prices have a direct impact on a firm՚s bottom line. A small percentage improvement in
price can generate a large percentage increase in profitability. More important, as part of
a company՚s overall value proposition, price plays a key role in creating customer value
and building customer relationships. Instead of running away from pricing, says an
expert, savvy marketers are embracing it
The price the company charges will fall somewhere between one that is too low to
produce a profit and one that is too high to produce any demand. It summarizes the
major considerations in setting price. Customer perceptions of the products value set
the ceiling for prices. If customers perceive that the products price is greater that its
value, they will not buy the product. Likewise, product costs set the floor for prices. If
the company prices the product below its costs, the company՚s profits will suffer. In
setting its price between those two extremes, the company must consider several
external and internal factors, including competitor՚s strategies and prices, the overall
marketing strategy and mix, and nature of the market and demand.
Q. 1. Which of the following is the major determinant of pricing for
product or service?
1. High demand
2. Low demand
3. Customers value perception
4.Company՚s quest for high profitability

Answer: 3
Q. 2. What is the perception of smart managers regarding pricing?
1. It is a strategic tool for consumer value
2. It invites issues
3. It is better to focus on other elements in the marketing mix
4. It is of indirect value to the firm

Answer: 1
Q. 3. Why is price different from other elements in the marketing mix?
1. It offsets cost
2. It generates revenue
3. It is rigid in character
4. It ensures channel commitment

Answer: 2
Q. 4. What are the other factors influencing or setting the price for products or services?
A. Competitors strategies
B. Over-all marketing mix
C. Type of market
D. Pricing from one extreme to the other
E. Predators pricing strategies
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
1. A, D and E only
2. A, B and C only
3. C, D and E only
4. B, C and D only

Answer: 2
Q. 5. Historically price was considered important because
1. Sellers were always benefitted
2. Money was charged for product or service
3. It provided options for buyers
4. It promoted non-price factors

Answer: 3
Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
The ceremonial use of slogans and catchwords in educational discussions raises the
suspicion of a tenuous linkage between thought and action. As stock phrases multiply
and the talk begins to take on an idealistic ring, the wary listener might well begin to
wonder whether the lip service paid to these concepts is connected with what actually
goes on in classrooms.
It is difficult in this day and age to be opposed to democracy, creativity, and
innovation in education, but how are these attractive words related to the
more mundane business of teaching practice? The answer, of course, is
that the two are often not related - a fact that accounts for one of the most
frequently recurring complaints among today՚s educators: the all-too-
obvious gap between theory (i.e. educational talk) on the one hand and
practice on the other.
The dissonance between what teachers say, or at least what their leaders
say, and what they do takes many forms and has several important
consequences. For some, it lays the groundwork for the development of a
cynical outlook towards the admonitions of idealists and the advocates of
new and supposedly revolutionary practices. This cynicism, which grows out
of a prior sense of disillusionment, strikes many young teachers as they begin
to appreciate the unrealistic quality of several of the expectations aroused
during the period of their professional training.
Teaching as actually experienced and as described in textbooks and college
courses often turns out to be to quite different states of affairs. The result is
that college instructors of education and other outsiders begin to be looked
upon with suspicion by many practitioners. Even the testimony of fellow
teachers may be viewed suspiciously when it conflicts with the listener՚s
own experience in the classroom.
Q. 1. The use of stock phrases in educational discussions has tended to
reveal
1. The linkage between thought and action
2. The difference between saying and doing in classroom contexts
3. The ceremonial importance of slogans
4. The idealistic ring of talks

Answer: 2
Q. 2. The passage analyses
1. The linkage between language and discussions
2. The schism between theory and actual practice of teaching
3. The need to the use of highbrow language in educational discussions
4. The importance of idealism in education

Answer: 2
Q. 3. What is the sequel of lack of congruence between saying and doing
as evident in teacher behaviour?
1. Opposition to revolutionary practices
2. Lays ground for frequent complaints
3. Emergence of disillusionment among teachers
4. Support to the admonition of idealists

Answer: 3
Q. 4. Why do young teachers appreciate the unrealistic quality of
expectations?
1. Because of the cynical attitude among teachers
2. Because of the testimonial given by fellow teachers
3. Because of their professional training
4. Because of their own experience in teaching

Answer: 1
Q. 5. How are the idealistic concepts related to the routine practices in
education?
1. They intertwine theory and practice
2. They make classroom teaching innovative
3. They make the business of education highly profitable
4. They lead to the identification of gap between theory and practice

Answer:4
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
The separation of work from knowledge was operationalized by separation of training from education. The former was
intended to transfer the skills of labour and the secrets of craftsmanship to the younger generation of the toiling poor
so as to enable them to produce value from the sweat of their Iabour. The latter was intended to pass on the
abstracted generalizations of social practice as gems of knowledge to the younger generations of the propertied class
so as to enable them to wield power through a monopoly of such knowledge and appropriate surpluses generated by
the labour of the former. The essentially integrated task of transferring the accumulated social experience of mankind
to the younger generation was thus fractured. The continuum of the primitive stage was transformed into the
dichotomy of class societies. The world of the master craftsman and his disciples was a world apart from the protected
cloisters where in the wise debated on the number of angles that could comfortably sit on the point of the needle. This
tradition of separating work from knowledge and work from power has been the basis for exclusion from the domain
of knowledge by denying education to them, and from the domain of power by closing its door to the uneducated.
Viewed thus, education may be considered to be the most potent instrument of inequalisation in history. This
distortion was partially corrected in the developed countries of the west under the impact of the Industrial Revolution.
With qualitative transformation of technology, it was no longer possible for the skilled craftsman to participate in
production without transcending the boundaries of training and moving into the work of education. The blacksmith
was to be rooted in the science of metallurgy and tanner in chemical technology. The hitherto unsurmountable wall
between training and education had to be breached in the new situation. It became possible to do so in the
traditionally virgin ethos of the lands across the Atlantic wherever the tanner and the historian, the blacksmith and the
physicist, the tiller and the poet were put together in the wilderness of the wildwest to fashion their common destiny.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
The separation of work from knowledge was operationalized by separation of training from education. The former was
intended to transfer the skills of labour and the secrets of craftsmanship to the younger generation of the toiling poor so as to
enable them to produce value from the sweat of their Iabour. The latter was intended to pass on the abstracted
generalizations of social practice as gems of knowledge to the younger generations of the propertied class so as to enable
them to wield power through a monopoly of such knowledge and appropriate surpluses generated by the labour of the
former. The essentially integrated task of transferring the accumulated social experience of mankind to the younger
generation was thus fractured. The continuum of the primitive stage was transformed into the dichotomy of class societies.
The world of the master craftsman and his disciples was a world apart from the protected cloisters where in the wise debated
on the number of angles that could comfortably sit on the point of the needle. This tradition of separating work from
knowledge and work from power has been the basis for exclusion from the domain of knowledge by denying education to
them, and from the domain of power by closing its door to the uneducated. Viewed thus, education may be considered to be
the most potent instrument of inequalisation in history. This distortion was partially corrected in the developed countries of
the west under the impact of the Industrial Revolution. With qualitative transformation of technology, it was no longer
possible for the skilled craftsman to participate in production without transcending the boundaries of training and moving
into the work of education. The blacksmith was to be rooted in the science of metallurgy and tanner in chemical technology.
The hitherto unsurmountable wall between training and education had to be breached in the new situation. It became
possible to do so in the traditionally virgin ethos of the lands across the Atlantic wherever the tanner and the historian, the
blacksmith and the physicist, the tiller and the poet were put together in the wilderness of the wildwest to fashion their
common destiny.
The author of the passage argues for
(A) Classless society
(B) Technocratic society
(C) Interrelation between theory and practice
(D) Presentation of traditional crafts
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
(1) (A) and (D) only
(2) (A) and (C) only
(3) (B) and (D) only
(4) (C) and (D) only

Answer: 2
Assign a suitable title to the paragraph
(1) Theory without practice infertile, practical benefit of theory is in vain
(2) Theory and practical, complement each other
(3) Dichotomy of theory and practice
(4) Theory lends support to practice

Answer: 1
Given below are two statements: One is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled
as
Reason (R)
Assertion (A) : Education may be considered to be an instrument of inequalization.
Reasons (R) : The separation of work from knowledge was operationalized by separation of training from
education.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given
below:
(1) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(2) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A)
(3) (A) is correct but (R) is not correct
(4) (A) is not correct but (R) is correct

Answer: 1
Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Training is intended to transfer the skills of labour and secrets of craftsmanship to people
who lack it.
Statement II: Education is intended to pass on the abstracted generalizations of social practise to those
who lack it.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given
below:
(1) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
(2) Both statement I and Statement II are incorrect
(3) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
(4) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

Answer: 1
lnequalisation due to education could be addressed by:
(A) Promoting the distinction between theory and practise
(B) Challenging the watertight distinction between training and education
(C) Qualitative transformation of technology
(D) Ushering in as age of specialization based on dichotomy between training and
education
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
(1) (A) and (B) only
(2) (A) and (D) only
(3) (B) and (C) only
(4) (C) and (D) only

Answer: 3
Read the following passage carefully and answer questions:
Let us look at what you can do to eliminate a destructive habit, whether it is habitually being late,
profanity, smoking, having a short temper or alcoholism. The first and foremost things you must do is to
decide that you want to eliminate the habit. That is a decision you and only you can make. Without this
motivation on your part, no person or procedure will have any significant impact. If someone else ‘talks
you into it’ the chances are strong you will perhaps start but the effort will be short lived. Remember, you
generally don՚t reach someone else՚s goal. Many times, you end up further behind than you would have
been had you not attempted to quit a habit which you were not ready to give up. For example, weight lost
and regained. So, first and most importantly, decide you no longer are going to be a slave to any
destructive habit. Decide you want to have control to your life, that you want to be free, that you want to
do things with your life instead of having things done to your life. It is tougher, much tougher to quit a bad
habit, but fortunately the results are fun and much more rewarding. Former smokers and alcoholics
unanimously- and in glowing terms- give us exhaustive details concerning the joy and excitement of
giving up the need, and getting off the bottle. The ex-smoker talks about the exciting taste of the food-the
clean smell of the air, clothes, furniture, among others. The ex-alcaholics talk about the new found self-
respect and satisfaction from whipping a habit that would have taken from two to ten years of their lives,
and a lot of living out of their lives.
The elimination of destructive habits depends upon:
1. External persuasion
2. Social acceptance
3. Impersonal reasons
4. Self-resolve

Answer: 4
The passage is about:
1. Unacceptability of destructive habits
2. Benefits of giving up destructive habits
3. Moral values
4. Prevalence of bad habits in the society

Answer: 2
A person who decides to leave a bad habit is (a):
1. Successful person
2. Susceptible to pressure from others
3. Role model for others
4. In control of his own life

Answer: 4
Fending off bad habits will earn a person:
(A) Self-respect
(B) Better friends in the society
(C) Satisfaction in life
(D) New opportunities
Choose the correct option:
1. (A) and (C) only
2. (B) and (C) only
3. (C) and (D) only
4. (A) and (D) only

Answer: 1
The impact of someone else motivating a person to move away from a bad
habit is:
1. Everlasting
2. None
3. Transient
4. Significant

Answer: 3
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follows:
Throughout history, people have turned to mythology, folklore and religion for explanations of life՚s origins,
and to this day, there are many who firmly believe what has been written in religious books and passed
down from generation to generation. With the advent of the Age of Reason in the 18th century and scientific
advances in the 19th century, however, the quest for deeper knowledge could be satisfied by digging for
empirical evidence and putting it to empirical test.
In 1865, Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk who had been experimenting for eight years with garden peas,
announced to the scientific community that specific characteristics or traits were transmitted from parent
to offspring in an organized and predictable manner. Along with Charles Darwin՚s Theory of Natural
Selection and evolution, as stated in his 1859 publication, ‘On the Origin of Species’, Mendel՚s work set the
stage for the science of genetics to become the prominent explanation of where life comes from. With the
help of improved microscopes, scientists discovered the existence and structure of cells containing
chromosomes. In the early 1900s, experiments with fruit flies revealed that chromosomes located in the
cell՚s nucleus were made of genes. The Drosophila, commonly called fruit fly, was the first living organism
to be genetically mapped. In 1944, Oswald Avery identified genes in bacteria as genetic messengers made
of DNA. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, for which
they received the Nobel Prize nine years later. With each ground breaking discovery, molecular biologists
were able to form an even clearer picture of the mechanics of life. To crack the code of life, prominent
scientists proposed compiling a comprehensive genetic map of a human being.
What is the meaning of ‘empirical evidence’?
(1) based on knowledge from historical empires
(2) based on mythology and folklore
(3) based on observation and capable of being verified
(4) based on received knowledge

Answer: 3
What is the theme of this passage?
(1) Belief versus science
(2) Origin and mechanics of life
(3) Scientific knowledge from ancient times
(4) Structure of cell

Answer: 2
Whose scientific contributions inaugurated the science of genetics?
(1) Charles Darwin
(2) Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin
(3) Gregor Mendel
(4) James Watson and Francis Crick

Answer: 2
According to the author, what were the initial sources of information for
understanding the beginning of life?
(1) Discoveries of Mendel and Darwin
(2) Folk knowledge and scriptures
(3) Imaginative literature
(4) Scientific discoveries

Answer: 2
What helped molecular biologists to form a clearer picture of the
mechanisms of life?
(1) Evidence based discoveries
(2) Incentives like Nobel Prize
(3) Knowledge from myths
(4) Technical limitations

Answer: 1