Chapter-wise Worksheets for English Grammar: Reading Comprehension
Review targeted academic worksheets with the Reading Comprehension with Shortcut tricks Set 07. Built according to official educational standards for the 2026-27 term, these downloadable English Grammar resources support effective daily practice and detailed self-evaluation for Reading Comprehension.
Practice English Grammar Worksheets: Reading Comprehension
Access the complete worksheet PDF for English Grammar below. Regular practice with these targeted academic tasks builds familiarity with standard question patterns and helps secure higher marks in final school examinations.
This English Grammar page gives two story-based comprehension passages, a folk tale of a fisherman and a heavenly bird and the well-known story of six blind men and an elephant, with 25 questions in all, with answers and explanations. The questions test details, inference, title selection, idioms like rolling in money and vocabulary in context. It is good practice before bank and other competitive exams.
Passage 13: Kaha the Heavenly Bird
Directions (Qs. 156-165): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.
A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so he began fishing in the river. Every morning he would go down to the river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the heavenly bird. “Have you no one to care for you, grandpa ?” asked the bird. “Not a soul.” “You should not be doing such work at your age,” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As big fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought a cottage near the sea, with a garden around it and engaged a servant to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman.
One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. “Our king has news of a great bird called Kaha,” said the courtier. “Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the kingdom !” The fisherman was sorely tempted by the reward. Half the kingdom would make him a prince !
“Why does the king want the bird ?” he asked. “He has lost his sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you know where she can be found ?” “No…I mean …no, no…” Torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew something about the bird, informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace.
“If you have information about the bird, tell me,” urged the king. “I will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But Kaha is strong. I will need help.” The king sent a dozen soldiers with him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get a chance to thank you for all that you’ve done for me,” he said. “Today I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in.” Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded so earnestly that she finally gave in, and alighted. The moment she was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down.
She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging onto her leg. By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor Kaha were ever seen again.
(a) The king wanted a pet bird.
(b) A wise man advised the king to capture the bird for good luck.
(c) Kaha was the only heavenly bird with silvery feathers.
(d) The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes.
(e) Kaha was known to be the greatest bird alive.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (d) The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes.
Explanation:
1. The courtier explained that the king had lost his sight.
2. A wise man had advised him to bathe his eyes with the blood of Kaha, so (d) is correct.
3. The wise man did not talk of good luck, and the king did not want a pet.
Teacher's Note:
1. “Desperately” points to a serious need, here the lost sight.
2. Match the reason with the courtier’s explanation.
(a) The old man was inexperienced at fishing.
(b) The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him.
(c) The bird had caught more fish than required.
(d) The bird wanted to make the old man rich.
(e) The bird had heard the old man bemoaning his fate.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (b) The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him.
Explanation:
1. Kaha asked the old man whether he had no one to care for him and said he should not do such work at his age.
2. She then offered to bring him fish so that he could live in comfort, which shows she took pity on him, (b).
3. Making him rich was a result, not her aim.
Teacher's Note:
1. Motive = the feeling behind an action: pity here.
2. A result of an action (becoming rich) is not the same as its reason.
(a) The courtier had observed Kaha alight at the fisherman’s house every evening.
(b) The courtier had seen the fisherman talk to Kaha.
(c) The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha.
(d) Word went around that the fisherman was in contact with Kaha.
(e) None of these
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (c) The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha.
Explanation:
1. The fisherman could not give a coherent reply when asked whether he knew where Kaha could be found.
2. The courtier, sensing that he knew something, informed the king.
3. So the cause was the fisherman’s fumbling, (c).
Teacher's Note:
1. Look at what the courtier saw and heard in the scene.
2. Do not accept guesses that the passage never states.
(1) He was a very observant man.
(2) He was jealous of the old fisherman.
(3) He had informed the king about the fisherman.
(a) Only (1)
(b) Only (2)
(c) Only (3)
(d) Only (1) and (3)
(e) Only (2) and (3)
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (b) Only (2)
Explanation:
1. The courtier noticed that the fisherman knew something, so he was observant (1).
2. He informed the king about it, so (3) is true.
3. There is no sign of jealousy, so (2) cannot be said, and the answer is (b).
Teacher's Note:
1. In a “cannot be said” question, find the statement with no support.
2. Jealousy has no evidence in the story.
(a) A Fish a Day
(b) The Lonely fisherman
(c) Kaha the Silvery feathered bird
(d) The Blind King
(e) The Ungrateful old fisherman
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (e) The Ungrateful old fisherman
Explanation:
1. The story shows how an old fisherman is helped by Kaha every day, and then gives in to greed and tries to hand her over to the king.
2. The central theme is his ingratitude, so (e) is the most fitting title.
3. The other titles focus on a small detail of the story.
Teacher's Note:
1. Choose the title that carries the moral of the story.
2. A title with a minor detail (fish, blind king) is a weak choice.
(a) Kaha was a very considerate bird.
(b) The blood of Kaha was precious.
(c) Kaha was a strong bird.
(d) Kaha flew away alongwith the old fisherman.
(e) Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (e) Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.
Explanation:
1. Kaha helped the old man every day, so she was considerate, her blood could cure the king, and she was strong enough to rise with the fisherman and soldiers pulling.
2. She did fly away with the fisherman clinging to her leg.
3. She did not save him from the king’s wrath: he was carried away, so (e) is not true.
Teacher's Note:
1. Four statements are true and one is false in a “NOT true” question.
2. Check the last option even if it sounds noble.
(a) The fisherman thought he was going to be punished for living off the bird.
(b) He was thrilled he would be able to help the king.
(c) He already knew about the reward that was being offered.
(d) He was conflicted between the king’s reward and his gratitude towards the bird.
(e) The fisherman was faced with a very unexpected question by a royal courtier.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (d) He was conflicted between the king’s reward and his gratitude towards the bird.
Explanation:
1. The passage says he was torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird and so could not give a coherent reply.
2. So (d) is correct.
3. Punishment and thrill are not mentioned, and surprise is not the reason given.
Teacher's Note:
1. The reason is in the sentence that begins with “Torn”.
2. Stammering here shows a mental conflict.
(1) The fisherman told Kaha that the King was impressed by her kindness and wanted to meet her.
(2) The fisherman invited Kaha to live in his house as he was a lonely man and wanted company.
(3) The fisherman invited Kaha to his house for a feast in order to thank her for everything.
(a) Only (1)
(b) Only (2)
(c) Only (3)
(d) Only (2) and (3)
(e) Only (1) and (3)
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (c) Only (3)
Explanation:
1. The fisherman said he had laid out a feast inside and asked her to alight and come in, since he had never had a chance to thank her.
2. That is statement (3).
3. He did not mention the king to her or ask her to live with him, so (c) is correct.
Teacher's Note:
1. Each statement describes a different trick; match the exact words.
2. He hid the plan, so he never named the king.
(a) To have a large amount of money.
(b) To have just enough of money.
(c) To live a life that is not affordable.
(d) To live off someone else.
(e) To be self-sufficient.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (a) To have a large amount of money.
Explanation:
1. “Rolling in money” is an idiom that means being very rich.
2. The passage explains it: big fish were in great demand, and he bought a cottage, a garden and a servant.
3. So (a) is correct.
Teacher's Note:
1. Use the details after an idiom to guess its meaning.
2. “Just enough” is far weaker than “rolling in”.
(a) He did not want to lose Kaha.
(b) Kaha was his source of income.
(c) He was worried about his supply of fish.
(d) He had heard that Kaha was going to be killed for her blood.
(e) He felt grateful to Kaha for all her help and did not want to betray her.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (e) He felt grateful to Kaha for all her help and did not want to betray her.
Explanation:
1. The passage says he was torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird.
2. His doubt about revealing her whereabouts came from this gratitude, so (e) is correct.
3. Nothing says he worried about his income or fish supply, and he did not know that she would be killed.
Teacher's Note:
1. Go back to the exact words of the passage: “sense of gratitude”.
2. Material reasons (income, fish) do not appear in the text.
Directions (Qs. 166-168): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
(a) Health
(b) Help
(c) Support
(d) Freedom
(e) Mercy
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (b) Help
Explanation:
1. To rush to someone’s aid is to hurry to help him.
2. Help is the same, (b).
3. Support is related but is more about holding up or backing something over time.
Teacher's Note:
1. Aid = help or assistance.
2. Pick the most direct synonym.
(a) Happily
(b) Painfully
(c) Gainfully
(d) Greatly
(e) Primarily
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (d) Greatly
Explanation:
1. Sorely here is used to mean very much or severely.
2. Greatly is the same, (d).
3. Painfully refers to pain, which is not the sense in “sorely tempted”.
Teacher's Note:
1. “Sorely tempted” = greatly tempted.
2. Do not choose a word because sore means pain.
(a) Conflicted
(b) Alarmed
(c) Frightened
(d) Strained
(e) Frayed
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (a) Conflicted
Explanation:
1. Torn between two feelings means unable to choose because of a conflict.
2. Conflicted has the same meaning, (a).
3. Alarmed and frightened are about fear, and strained and frayed describe stress or worn cloth.
Teacher's Note:
1. “Torn between” = divided between two pulls.
2. Think of the feeling, not the cloth.
Directions (Qs. 169-170): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the words printed in bold as used in the passage.
(a) Settle
(b) Take off
(c) Come by
(d) Rest
(e) Free
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (b) Take off
Explanation:
1. To alight is to come down and land.
2. The opposite is to take off, (b).
3. Settle and rest are similar to alighting.
Teacher's Note:
1. Alight = land; opposite = take off.
2. Alight has another meaning (on fire), so use the sentence.
(a) Caught
(b) Released
(c) Secured
(d) Loosened
(e) Held
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (b) Released
Explanation:
1. To grab is to seize suddenly and hold firmly.
2. The opposite is to let go, that is, released, (b).
3. Caught, secured and held are synonyms, and loosened means made less tight, a weaker contrast.
Teacher's Note:
1. Grab - release.
2. Remove the synonyms first.
Passage 14: The Six Blind Men and the Elephant
Directions (Qs. 171-177): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.
Once upon a time in a village, there lived six blind men. In spite of their blindness, they had managed to educate themselves. Seeking to expand their knowledge, they decided to visit a zoo and try out their skills in recognizing animals by their touch. The first animal they came across, as soon as they entered the zoo, was an elephant.
As the first man approached the elephant, the elephant waved its trunk, and the man felt something brush past him. Managing to hold on to it, he felt it, and found something long and moving. He jumped back in alarm, shouting “Move away ! This is a snake !” Meanwhile, the second man had moved closer, and walked right near its legs. As the man touched the thick, cylindrical-shaped legs, he called out “Do not worry. These are just four trees here. There is certainly no snake !” The third man was curious hearing the other two, and moved forward. As he walked towards the elephant, he felt his hand touch one of the tusks. Feeling the smooth, sharp ivory tusk, the man cried out “Be careful ! There is a sharp spear here”. The fourth man cautiously walked up behind the elephant, and felt its swinging tail. “It’s just a rope ! There is nothing to be afraid of !” he said. The fifth man had meanwhile reached out and was touching the huge ears of the animal. “I think all of you have lost your sense of touch !” he said. “This is nothing but a huge fan !” The sixth man did not want to be left out. As he walked towards the elephant, he bumped into its massive body, and he exclaimed, “Hey ! This is just a huge mud wall ! There is no animal at all !” All six of them were convinced that they were right, and began arguing amongst themselves.
Wondering what the commotion was all about, the zoo keeper arrived at the scene, and was surprised to see six blind men surrounding an elephant, each of them shouting at the top of their voice ! “Quiet” he shouted out, and when they had calmed down, he asked, “Why are all of you shouting and arguing in this manner ?” They replied, “Sir, as you can see, we are all blind. We came here to expand our knowledge. We sensed an animal here, and tried to get an idea of its appearance by feeling it. However, we are not able to arrive at a consensus over its appearance, and hence are arguing. Can you please help us and tell us which of us is right ?”
The zoo keeper laughed before answering, “My dear men, each of you has touched just one portion of the animal. The animal you see is neither a snake, nor any of the other things you have mentioned. The animal in front of you is an elephant !” As the six men bowed their head, ashamed of the scene they had created, the zoo keeper said, “My dear men, this is a huge animal, and luckily, it is tame. It stood by calmly as each of you touched it. You are extremely lucky that it stayed calm even during your argument, for if it had got angry, it would have trampled all of you to death !” He continued further, “It is not enough to gather knowledge, but it is also important to learn to share and pool your knowledge. Instead of fighting amongst yourselves, if you had tried to put all your observations together, you might have had an idea of the animal as a whole ! Also, when you cannot see the entire truth, it is better to go to someone who does know the complete truth, rather than guess about small parts of it. Such half knowledge is not only useless, but also dangerous. If you had come directly to me, I would have helped you identify all the animals without putting you in danger !” The six men apologized to the zoo keeper, and assured him that they had learnt their lesson. From now on, they would seek true knowledge from qualified people, and would also try to work together as a team so that they could learn more.
(a) The wide ears
(b) The mouth
(c) The long slender trunk
(d) The big wrinkled body
(e) The end of the tail
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (a) The wide ears
Explanation:
1. The fifth man touched the huge ears of the animal and said, “This is nothing but a huge fan !”
2. So the part is the wide ears, (a).
3. The trunk was taken as a snake, and the tail as a rope.
Teacher's Note:
1. Match each blind man with the part he touched: trunk - snake, legs - trees, tusk - spear, tail - rope, ears - fan, body - wall.
2. Learn this list for quick answers.
(a) They wanted to touch an elephant
(b) They had heard a lot about animals
(c) They wanted to visit the animals in the zoo
(d) They wished to recognize animals by their touch and feel
(e) They had never been to a zoo before
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (d) They wished to recognize animals by their touch and feel
Explanation:
1. The passage says that, seeking to expand their knowledge, they decided to visit a zoo and try out their skills in recognizing animals by touch.
2. So (d) is correct.
3. Touching an elephant was just what happened first, not the aim.
Teacher's Note:
1. Choose the reason given at the start, not the event that happened.
2. “Try out their skills” = wished to recognise animals by touch.
(a) A large mud wall
(b) The zoo keeper
(c) The trees
(d) The elephant
(e) A snake
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (d) The elephant
Explanation:
1. The first paragraph says the first animal they came across as soon as they entered the zoo was an elephant.
2. So (d) is correct.
3. The wall, the trees and the snake were only what they wrongly thought different parts of the elephant to be.
Teacher's Note:
1. The blind men’s guesses are wrong; the real thing was the elephant.
2. Pick the real object, not the imagined ones.
(A) Each of them touched only a portion of the elephant
(B) Each of the six blind men approached different animals
(C) The blind men were touching the surroundings instead of the elephant
(D) They had never touched an elephant before
(a) Only (A)
(b) Only (A) and (C)
(c) Only (C)
(d) Only (B) and (D)
(e) Only (B)
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (a) Only (A)
Explanation:
1. The zoo keeper said, “Each of you has touched just one portion of the animal.”
2. So (A) is the reason.
3. They all approached the same elephant, so (B) and (C) are wrong, and (D) is not stated as the reason.
Teacher's Note:
1. The zoo keeper’s explanation gives the answer.
2. A statement may be true in the story but not the reason asked for.
(a) Each of them wanted his voice to be heard over and above the others
(b) Each of them thought he was right about the animal
(c) There was a lot of noise in the zoo and they couldn’t hear each other
(d) They were having an interesting debate
(e) None of these
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (b) Each of them thought he was right about the animal
Explanation:
1. The passage says all six of them were convinced that they were right, and began arguing amongst themselves.
2. So (b) is correct.
3. They were not trying to be loud for its own sake, and it was a quarrel, not an enjoyable debate.
Teacher's Note:
1. “Convinced that they were right” is the cause of the argument.
2. Do not choose an extra reason that is not in the text.
(a) That the elephant was tame and obedient
(b) That they were very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit the zoo
(c) That it was important to share knowledge and work together as a team
(d) That they were not qualified to be knowledgeable individuals
(e) That the elephant is made up of different parts
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (c) That it was important to share knowledge and work together as a team
Explanation:
1. The zoo keeper advised them to learn to share and pool their knowledge, and to go to someone who knows the complete truth.
2. The men then said they would work together as a team, so (c) is correct.
3. Telling them the elephant was tame was a remark, not advice.
Teacher's Note:
1. Advice usually follows words like “it is important to”.
2. Facts told to the men are not the same as advice.
(a) The zoo keeper insulted the six men
(b) The zoo keeper presented himself to be as ignorant as they were
(c) The zoo keeper helped them and assisted them further
(d) The zoo keeper was indifferent towards the six blind men
(e) The zoo keeper prohibited the six blind men from entering the zoo
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (c) The zoo keeper helped them and assisted them further
Explanation:
1. The zoo keeper laughed kindly, explained what the animal was, and gave them advice.
2. He also offered that he would have helped them identify all the animals if they had come directly to him.
3. So he was helpful, (c), and not insulting or indifferent.
Teacher's Note:
1. Describe behaviour from the actions in the text.
2. Eliminate options that go against the kind tone of the zoo keeper.
Directions (Qs. 178-180): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
(a) certain
(b) doubtful
(c) pressured
(d) committed
(e) daring
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (a) certain
Explanation:
1. Convinced means completely sure about something.
2. Certain has the same meaning, (a).
3. Doubtful is the opposite, and pressured and daring do not fit.
Teacher's Note:
1. Convinced = certain or sure.
2. Doubtful is a trap because it appears in the same context but gives the opposite sense.
(a) expand
(b) gather
(c) devote
(d) apply
(e) combine
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (e) combine
Explanation:
1. To pool is to put resources together for common use.
2. Combine is the nearest, (e).
3. Gather means collect, which does not carry the idea of putting together for sharing, and expand, devote and apply have other meanings.
Teacher's Note:
1. Pool = combine or merge.
2. The zoo keeper contrasts pooling with fighting alone.
(a) harmony
(b) agreement
(c) information
(d) order
(e) inference
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (b) agreement
Explanation:
1. A consensus is a general agreement among a group.
2. Agreement is the same, (b).
3. Harmony is a peaceful relationship, which is related but not the same as an agreed opinion.
Teacher's Note:
1. Consensus = common agreement.
2. “Arrive at a consensus” = reach an agreement.
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