Reading Comprehension | English Grammar

 Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension requires you to read and understand the given text and answer the questions based on it. Reading Comprehension is one of the tricky topics because it can be time-consuming and it can go wrong if the candidate doesn’t comprehend the text or paragraph. So, if you are an aspirational student here are a few neat tricks that will help you ace in the Reading Comprehension section.

Reading Comprehension forms an important form of Verbal Ability in Aptitude Test and General English in the Banks and Insurance exams including IBPS PO, CLERK SO, and other exams like SSC, CDS, RRB, and Defence Exams. It is also important for CAT and other Business School Exams. Many other private exams include Reading Comprehension in their preliminary tests.

Why is English Reading Comprehension Asked in Bank Exams?

Reading Comprehension questions are designed to test a wide range of abilities that are required towards count, read and understand the kinds of prose commonly encountered in competitive exams. Those abilities include:

• Understanding the meaning of individual words and sentences.
• Understanding the meaning of paragraphs and larger bodies of text.
• Distinguishing between minor and major points.
• Summarizing a passage.
• Drawing conclusions from the information provided.
• Reasoning from incomplete data to infer missing information.
• Understanding the structure of a text in terms of how the parts relate to one another.
• Identifying the author’s assumptions and perspective.
• Analyzing a text and reaching conclusions about it.
• Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a position.
• Developing and considering alternative explanations.

As this list implies, reading and understanding a piece of text requires far more than a passive understanding of the words and sentences it contains; it requires active engagement with the text, asking questions, formulating and evaluating hypotheses, and reflecting on the relationship of the particular text to other texts and information.

Tips to Accurately Solve English Reading Comprehension in Less Time:

Students generally complain that they are not able to score good marks in this particular section, given below are certain tips to improve your reading and comprehension skills. We have to learn faster. And the most effective way to do that is to improve your reading speed and comprehension. It requires discipline, but developing these skills will put you ahead of the pack. Here are 8 exercises to improve your reading speed and comprehension.

Size-Up the Task

Assess the work you’re about to do. Skim the text first and look for important points. Catch the headings and subheadings; read the first and the last paragraphs of several chapters; get accustomed to the writer’s style. Grasp the forest before focusing on the trees. You should be able to identify the main ideas after a quick skim.

Ask Questions

As you read through the text, create questions you are wanting to find answers to. Then anticipate finding the answers to your questions. Focus on your interests and what you want to take away from the reading; skip the irrelevant information. It is impossible to remember everything you read, so learn to pull out what is relevant to your needs. You know exactly what you need to take away from the reading.

Decrease Subvocalization:

When children first learn to read, they whisper the words or say them softly. At the next level, they read silently but still move their lips as if saying each word. As adults, we say the words in our minds—it’s called “subvocalization.” However, subvocalization doesn’t allow us to read faster because we can only go as fast as we speak. The average speaking rate is about 150 words per minute, while the average reading speed is about 200-300 words per minute. So, to read faster, we need to silence that voice inside. How? Listening to music while reading helps. At first, it will affect your comprehension. But soon you’ll notice your concentration increases. Paradoxically, the music that distracted you earlier, will help you to focus and learn faster.

Read Group of Words:

Children learn to read starting with joining syllables. Later, they join words to understand sentences. We often stop there. But, there is another level—absorbing groups of words at once. Here’s how to get started: Grab a pencil and divide the page into 3 columns, so each of them has 2 to 4 words in a row. Try to read them together jumping from one column to another. It is easier than you think. Once you get the hang of it, you won’t need the columns. We are just applying the same rule from comprehending words. We don’t read every letter but we recognize the whole word. Now, instead of reading separate words, you are reading groups at once.

Use a pointer

Remember as a child when you used a finger to follow the sentence when reading? It turns out this simple method is great for adults to improve reading speed. The trick is not only to point but do it fast. Your finger acts as a tracker for your eyes; not only does it help with staying focused, but also sets the pace for reading. Keep increasing the speed as you read and working on getting faster.

Expand your Vocabulary:

Not knowing the meaning of a word can slow down your reading. The wider your vocabulary is, the less time you have to take to stop and look up the meanings of unknown words. Learn the meanings of new words when you have spare time. It will boost both your reading skills and your overall intelligence.

Play the Recall Game:

At the end of each page in a book or the end of a few paragraphs in an article, pause and recall what you just read. Write a few keywords in the margin. This will help you with comprehension.

Set Goals and Track Your Progress:

Try to consistently read sections of the same word count and the time your results. Slowly push yourself to get faster. Start with a baseline of how many pages/words you are reading per minute and set yourself a goal of how many words per minute you would like to reach.

Types of Questions in English Reading Comprehension

Each Reading Comprehension question is based on a passage that may range in length from one paragraph to several paragraphs. Based on that passage 5-10 questions will be asked. These questions can be direct or inference-based. The different types of questions that can be asked are given below:

• Among the given statements, which statement is true as per the passage?
• Among the given statements, which statement is false as per the passage?
• Choose the correct antonym.
• Select the correct synonym.
• What should be the appropriate tone of the passage?
• Among the given statements, which statement can be inferred?
• Select an appropriate title for the passage.
• Direct questions from the passage.
• Paragraph completion

Do’s and Don’ts for Reading Comprehension in Exams:

The Do’s

• Read the passage at a brisk pace, do not over-try memorizing

You do not need to memorize every word present in the passage. Understanding the flow, structure and the main points in the passage should be your priority. For factual or specific point questions, you can always re-read the passage.

• Try to go through the questions first

Always go through the questions first and then the passage. This will prepare you to focus on the things you need to look at in the passage. Focus only on the questions, and not on a particular answer option. A quick overview of the questions is sufficient.

• Look out for the word expressing ‘exceptions’

One may get entangled in the mesh of ‘trigger words’ if one doesn’t read carefully through the passage. A passage may focus on one point in the major portion of the paragraph and then change it towards the end with trigger words like ‘but’ or ‘however’. This generally confuses readers who just skim through the passage or rush through it in haste and doesn’t pay proper attention while they are reading the passage.

The Don’ts 

• Try not to put too much emphasis on trivialities

Details are important but don’t be obsessed with examples, illustrations, and so on. You just need to get a hang of the main point and not the examples. Comprehending the overall flow and structure will help you analyze and answer the questions.

• Do not overemphasize minute vocabulary skills for RCs

Having a strong vocabulary is great however having Shakespearean vocabulary will not prevent you from understanding the passage. So do not put yourself under stress in this area, and while reading the passage, make sure that you understand the gist of the passage and do not get stuck on particular words.

• Do not spend too much time on an RC that you cannot comprehend

At times we come across a passage that we are not able to comprehend. If you are struggling with one such passage in the exam, make sure you have the patience to avoid such a passage. Focus on the ones that you can manage easily. Go back to the tricky passage in case of absolute necessity.

• Do not overthink, all answers must be based on the passage only

Any of the options that are out of scope is never the correct answer. The right answer is always based on the information given in the passage. Do not focus on any of the options that distract you from the passage.

English Reading Comprehension Passages with Questions and Answers:

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:

Mosquitoes can transmit pathogens that cause many human diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika fever. Many of these diseases can be physically devastating and even fatal. For example, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are over 200 million new cases of malaria per year worldwide, resulting in over 400,000 deaths, most of them children under the age of 5. Zika fever is caused by a virus transmitted to humans primarily by the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Symptoms in infected human adults are typically mild, but if the virus infects a pregnant woman it can be transmitted to the developing fetus and affect brain development, causing a condition called microcephaly. To reduce the number of A. aegypti mosquitoes that may carry the Zika virus, researchers at a biotechnology company called Oxitec have produced genetically modified (GM) A. aegypti mosquitoes that when released into the wild, mate with wild mosquitoes and any offspring produced die before becoming adults. The fluorescence gene is used to_________ GM mosquitoes. The lethality gene, which is more accurately called tetracycline transcriptional activator variant (or tTAV), encodes a protein that blocks the transcription of several other genes that are essential to mosquito development. GM mosquito larvae that produce the tTAV protein die before reaching maturity. However, the tTAV protein cannot prevent the transcription of other genes when it is bound to the antibiotic tetracycline. Therefore, tetracycline acts as a repressor of the lethality gene, or, in other words, its antidote. In the lab, the GM mosquito larvae are reared in water containing tetracycline and develop normally into adult mosquitoes. When adult GM mosquitoes are released into the wild and breed with wild, non-GM mosquitoes, their offspring inherit the lethality gene. Without tetracycline in the environment to protect them, the offspring die. In one study, Oxitec scientists released GM mosquitoes into a neighborhood in Brazil. Sustained release over the course of a year led to a reduction of the local Aedes aegypti population by 80% to 95% according to different measures (Carvalho et al., 2015). The scientists chose densely populated neighborhoods for their study because mosquito-borne diseases can spread most easily in areas where lots of humans and mosquitoes are present. They hypothesized that if they could reduce both the population size of the A. aegypti mosquitoes and the mosquito population density, they would reduce the probability that a person becomes infected with a pathogen spread by these mosquitoes. (An activity that shows how scientists measure mosquito density, based on data from Oxitec scientists, is available on the BioInteractive website as “Tracking Genetically Modified Mosquitoes.”)

Q. What is the tone of the passage?

1. Informative
2. Humorous
3. Sarcastic
4. Apologetic
5. Biased

A. Correct Option – 1

Informative – this is the correct tone of the passage. The whole passage is about mosquitoes, diseases they could carry, genes, etc. and it gives you a sense that the author is giving details with facts and figures so we can easily conclude that the tone of the passage is ‘Informative’. The meaning of the rest of the tones is given below.

1. Humourous: Funny and amusing.
2. Sarcastic: Harsh, bitter derision; taunting.
3. Apologetic: Expressing remorse, regret.
4. Biased: Favouring one thing/person/group over another for personal reasons.

Q. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?

1. Malarial fever is caused by a virus transmitted to humans primarily by the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
2. The fluorescence gene is used to identify GM mosquitoes.
3. The lethality gene, which is more accurately called tetracycline transcriptional activator variant (or tTAV), encodes a protein that blocks the transcription of several other genes that are essential to mosquito development.
4. Oxitec scientists released GM mosquitoes into a neighborhood in Brazil.
5. none of the these

A. Correct Option – 1

Malarial fever is caused by a virus transmitted to humans primarily by the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.- is the correct option After going through the passage we can conclude that the above statement is false.

Q. Choose the synonym for the word ‘transcription’ given in the passage?

1. introduction
2. evidence
3. variation
4. induction
5. None of these

A. Correct option: evidence – is the correct synonym Transcription means an act, process, or instance of transcribing. COPY, TRANSCRIPT: such as

1. an arrangement of a musical composition for some instrument or voice other than the original.
2. a recording (as on magnetic tape) made especially for use in radio broadcasting.

Hence evidence is the most appropriate synonym.

Q. Which of these is an antonym to the word ‘sustained’ given in the passage?

1. nourished
2. sporadic
3. back
4. relieved
5. none of these

A. Correct Option – 2

Sporadic – this is the most appropriate option.

• Sustained means maintained at length without interruption or weakening: LASTING, PROLONGED
• Nourished: to promote the growth of.
• Sporadic: occurring occasionally, singly, or in irregular or random instances.
• Relieved: experiencing or showing relief especially from anxiety or pent-up emotions.
• Sporadic is the most appropriate option.

Q. Which of these words can be filled in the blank given in the passage? The fluorescence gene is used to_________GM mosquitoes.

1. mollify
2. quantify
3. identify
4. rectify
5. No word required

A. Correct Option – 3

Identify – this is the most appropriate option. Here we need a word which means to establish the identity of, ‘identify’ is the most suitable word.

Q. Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage?

1. Mosquitoes and Zika virus
2. Genetically modified mosquitoes
3. Symptoms of mosquito-borne diseases
4. The connection between Brazil and mosquitoes
5. None of these

A. Correct Option – 2

Genetically modified mosquitoes – this is the most appropriate option. After reading the passage we can easily comprehend that the whole passage is about Genetically modified mosquitoes, so it will be the aptest title.

Q. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?

1. The scientists chose densely populated neighborhoods for their study because mosquito-borne diseases can spread most easily in areas where lots of humans and mosquitoes are present
2. Sustained release over the course of a year led to a reduction of the local Aedes aegypti population by 90% to 95% according to different measures
3. Symptoms in infected human adults are typically mild, but if the virus infects a pregnant woman it can be transmitted to the developing fetus and affect brain development, causing a condition called microcephaly.
4. GM mosquito larvae that produce the tTAV protein die before reaching maturity.
5. None of the above

A. Correct Option – 2

Sustained release over the course of a year led to a reduction of the local Aedes aegypti population by 90% to 95% according to different measures – this is the most suitable option. Look at the lines given below – Sustained release over the course of a year led to a reduction of the local Aedes aegypti population by 80% to 95% according to different measures (Carvalho et al., 2015). By reading the lines from the passage we can easily conclude that option 2 is incorrect.

Q. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?

1. In the lab, the GM mosquito larvae are reared in water containing tetracycline and develop normally into adult mosquitoes.
2. When adult GM mosquitoes are released into the wild and breed with wild, non-GM mosquitoes, their offspring inherit the lethality gene. Without tetracycline in the environment to protect them, the offspring die.
3. They hypothesized that if they could reduce both the population size of the A. aegypti mosquitoes and the mosquito population density, they would reduce the probability that a person becomes infected with a pathogen spread by these mosquitoes.
4. However, the tTAV carbohydrate cannot prevent the transcription of other genes when it is bound to the antibiotic tetracycline.
5. None of these

A. Correct Option – 4

However, the tTAV carbohydrate cannot prevent the transcription of other genes when it is bound to the antibiotic tetracycline. – this is the most appropriate option.

Read the excerpt from the passage given below –

However, the tTAV protein cannot prevent the transcription of other genes when it is bound to the antibiotic tetracycline. Therefore, tetracycline acts as a repressor of the lethality gene, or, in other words, its antidote.

Q.Which is the synonym of the word diseases?

1. Fitness
2. Malady
3. Heartiness
4. Robustness
5. None of these

A. Correct Option – 2 Malady – this is the correct synonym.

• Malady – a disease or disorder of the animal body.
• Fitness – the quality or state of being fit.
• Robustness – having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health.
• Heartiness – giving unqualified support.

Q. Which of the following is an antonym of the word accurately?

1. Correctly
2. Precisely
3. Loosely
4. Exactly
5. None of the above

A. Correct Option – 3

Loosely – is the correct antonym. Accurately means in an accurate manner: without mistakes or errors. Now let’s look at the meaning of all the options.

• correctly – to make or set right: AMEND
• precisely – exactly.
• loosely – in a loose manner.
• exactly – precisely.

Hence, loosely is the correct antonym. Hope this article helps you to score good marks in Reading Comprehension. Do practice the tips for improving your skills. Where? On our Itselfu RBI Grade'B'App for free! Download Now!