Directions (1-5): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

David Copperfield was born in a village in England. His father had died six months before he was born. David’s mother looked after him well. He was sent to the best school in the village. When David was six years old, his mother married a man by the name of Murdstone. Murdstone did not like David and David did not like Murdstone. Murdstone disliked David so much that he decided to send him to a boarding school. Next day, much to the displeasure of his mother, David’s bags were packed, and he was sent off.

He was in boarding school for two years, when he got the news that his mother had died. He hurried home to find his stepfather seated on a chair, glaring at him. Murdstone said, “Your mother is dead; I have no money to fund your education; you have to start earning. Tomorrow you will leave for London.” So, at the age of ten, David Copperfield was in the streets of London with no money, food or shelter. He remembered his mother having told him that in Dover lived his aunt, his father’s sister. David had never seen her. He walked to Dover to his aunt’s house.

It was morning by the time David reached his aunt’s house. Her name was Miss Trotwood. She was in the garden, when she saw a ragged boy looking at her. She asked, “What is it boy? What do you want?” David said, “I am David Copperfield, your nephew.” He told her everything. Miss Trotwood took David inside, gave him a hot water bath and some food. As days went by, Miss Trotwood put David in a good school and looked after him fondly. Miss Trotwood had a friend, Wickerden, who had a daughter Agnes. David and Agnes became great friends.

Wickerden was a rich lawyer; he had a habit of drinking every night before he went to sleep. His assistant, Micawber, was a dishonest man. He would get valuable documents signed by Wickerden in his drunken state. David would often visit the Wickerden house. One day David happened to see Micawber getting some papers signed by Wickerden. He did not trust Micawber. He asked to see the documents. Micawber said, “David, these papers are related to work and would make no sense to you.” But, David insisted.

When David saw the papers, he realized that Micawber was getting documents signed that would make him a partner in Wickerden’s firm. David had Micawber arrested for deception. Wickerden was happy that David had caught the dishonest Micawber. Agnes too thanked David for saving her father from ruin. A few years later David and Agnes, who were in love with each other, were married. They lived happily for a long time.

1. Which of the following is NOT true as per the passage?
I. David often visited the Wickerden house because he was suspicious about Micawber.
II. David Copperfield went to his aunt’s house because he had no money.
III. At the first sight of Agnes, David fell in love with her.

Ans: 4
The 4th sentence of the 4th paragraph says that “David would often visit the Wickerden house,” but apart from this, nowhere in the passage, has anything been stated in reference to the pretext of David’s visit to the Wickerden house. (I) is not true.The 4th and the 3rd to last sentences of the 2nd paragraph – “So, at the age of ten, David Copperfield was in the streets of London with no money, food or shelter. He remembered his mother having told him that in Dover lived his aunt, his father’s sister” conforms to what (II) is stating. (II) is true.

2. What was Micawber trying to achieve by getting Wickerden to sign the papers?

Ans: 2
The opening sentence of the last paragraph – “When David saw the papers, he realized that Micawber was getting documents signed that would make him a partner in Wickerden’s firm” makes option B the clear answer here. None of the other options have been given in the passage.

3. How did David Copperfield reach his aunt’s house?

Ans: 3
The closing sentence of the 2nd paragraph – “He walked to Dover to his aunt’s house” makes option C the correct answer. None of the other options have been given in the passage.

4. How did David’s mother die?

Ans: 5
The opening sentence of the 2nd paragraph – “He was in boarding school for two years, when he got the news that his mother had died” talks about David’s mother’s death. Now, it can be seen in the passage that the reason for her death has not been outlined anywhere. Also, none of the options have been given in the passage. Hence, option E will be the correct answer.

5. Which of the following is the closest antonym of ‘ragged’, as used in the passage?

Ans: 2
‘Ragged’ means rough, torn or untidy. The opposite of untidy will be ‘tidy’, making option B the correct answer.

Directions (6-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Long ago, in England in Sherwood forest, lived Robin Hood. As a boy, Robin had been cheated by a few noblemen and since then he had decided that he would not spare the rich. He would rob the rich and give to the poor. The Sheriff of Nottingham had placed many rewards for the capture of Robin Hood but nobody had ever caught him. Robin Hood had a number of men who served him; they had made him their leader. They acted as informers and would warn Robin Hood whenever the Sheriff had any new plan to catch him.

The rich were scared of going through Sherwood Forest because they knew Robin Hood would attack. The pressure mounted on the Sheriff of Nottingham to capture Robin Hood. He went to take the help of the king. The king refused to send any of his men to help in the capture of Robin Hood. Finally, the Sheriff thought of a plan. “Let us have a competition to choose the best shooter in Nottingham. Robin Hood cannot resist such a competition. He will surely come and when he does, my guards will capture him,” he told his noblemen. All of them agreed.

Now, Robin Hood was an excellent shooter; there was none better than him with a bow and arrow in the whole of Nottingham. And Robin Hood could surely not resist taking part in any competition to prove that he was the best. Robin Hood’s loyal men dissuaded him. “Robin, this competition is being held to trap you,” said one of the men. “It would be foolish to talk into the lion’s den,” said another. But Robin Hood was not willing to listen. So, the next day all arrangements for the competition were made. The crowds were all seated and ten contestants were there.

The Sheriff turned to one of the guards and asked in a whisper, “Has Robin come?” “No, Your Highness, Robin has red hair. None of the contestants have red hair.” The Sheriff said, “He must be scared.” The competition began. William, the Sheriff’s man, who had also participated and another man in a green outfit were vying for the first prize, a golden arrow, after ten rounds. It was time for the last arrow to be shot; the winner of this round would be declared the best shooter in Nottingham. William took aim first and shot; it was very close to the center. The Sheriff applauded. “Good shot, William,” he said. Then it was the turn of the man in green; he let go of his arrow.

The crowd cheered hysterically. It went through William’s arrow and bull’s eye. And within a flash the man in green let go of two more arrows which came flying towards the chair on which the Sheriff sat and stuck on either side of it. The Sheriff was stunned. The man in green was none other than Robin Hood. Before the Sheriff recovered, he pulled off his black wig, threw it in the ground, jumped over a wall on to his waiting horse and was gone. “Get him, you fools. That is Robin Hood,” shouted the helpless Sheriff, but it was too late. Robin Hood had escaped again.

6. Which of the following will be true as per the passage?
I. The sheriff of Nottingham wanted the help of the king because he was scared to face Robinhood alone.
II. Robinhood used a black wig to hide his red hair, because he didn’t want to get recognized.
III. A number of poor men who served Robinhood, made him their leader.

Ans: 2
The 2nd and 3rd sentences of the 2nd paragraph – “The pressure mounted on the Sheriff of Nottingham to capture Robin Hood. He went to take the help of the king,” is where the context of the question lies. It can be noticed, that the author has not outlined the reason as to why the sheriff was seeking the help of the king. This negates (I).The context of Robinhood’s hair has been mentioned at a couple of places in the passage – the 2nd sentence of the 4th paragraph – “No, Your Highness, Robin has red hair” and the 3rd sentence of the last paragraph – “And within a flash the man in green let go of two more arrows which came flying towards the chair on which the Sheriff sat and stuck on either side of it.” Now, although it’s not explicitly mentioned that the wig was a result of him trying not to get recognized, the passage indicates towards this reasoning. (II) will be true.

Contained in the 2nd to last sentence of the opening paragraph – “Robin Hood had a number of men who served him; they had made him their leader,” it can be clearly seen that nowhere it’s mentioned that the men who served him were “poor”. (III) will not be true.

Since, only (II) is true here, option B will be the correct answer.

7. What was the pretext of the shooting competition conducted by the sheriff?

Ans: 3
The answer is contained in the 3rd to last sentence of the 2nd paragraph – “Robin Hood cannot resist such a competition.” This makes option C the most obvious choice. None of the other options are contained anywhere in the passage, for them to be correct. Hence, option C will be the correct answer.

8. What stunned the sheriff?

Ans: 5
Given in the 3rd sentence of the last paragraph – “And within a flash the man in green let go of two more arrows which came flying towards the chair on which the Sheriff sat and stuck on either side of it,” option E can be clearly deduced from it. Apart from this, options A, B and C are also correct, but they were not the reason that stunned the sheriff. Hence, option E will be the correct answer.

9. Why the king refused to help the Sheriff?

Ans: 5
The context of the question is contained in the 4th sentence of the 2nd paragraph – “The king refused to send any of his men to help in the capture of Robin Hood.” Now, E will be the correct answer here as the passage does not mention the reason as to why the king did not help the sheriff.

10. Which of the following is the closest synonym of ‘dissuade’, as used in the passage?

Ans: 1
Except option A, all the other options are antonyms of ‘dissuade’, and they largely mean to cause/ask (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument. Dissuade means preventing (someone) from taking a particular course of action, which is the same with ‘discourage’ as well. Hence, option A will be the correct answer.

Direction (1-5): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

According to company lore, Yunnan Baiyao, a musty-smelling medical powder, played a vital role during the Long March. As China’s Communist troops fled from attacks in the 1930s, trekking thousands of miles to a new base, they spread its yellow granules on their wounds to staunch bleeding. To this day, instructions on the Yunnan Baiyao bottle recommend application after being shot or stabbed. Many Chinese households keep some in stock to deal with more run-of-the-mill cuts. But the government has recently put its maker into service to treat a different kind of ailment: the financial weakness of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Yunnan Baiyao has emerged as a poster-child of China’s new round of SOE reform. The company, previously owned by the south-western province of Yunnan, sold a 50% stake to a private investor earlier this year. The same firm had tried to buy a slice of Yunnan Baiyao in 2009 but was blocked. Its success this time has been held up in the official press as proof that a push to overhaul sluggish state companies is at last gaining momentum under Xi Jinping, China’s president. But for many investors and analysts, the Yunnan Baiyao case proves just the opposite: that SOE reforms are stuck in a rut. The sale, after all, left half the company in state hands. And a traditional Chinese medical powder is far removed from industries such as energy and finance, which the government deems strategic and is less willing to open to private capital.

It is hard to overstate the importance of getting SOE reforms right. In the 1980s, when China was starting to open to the world, the state sector dominated its economy, accounting for nearly four-fifths of output. A big factor behind China’s remarkable growth since then has been the relative decline of SOEs, to the point that they account for less than a fifth of output today. As state firms stood still, a vibrant private sector sprouted around them. Over the past few years the state sector has, by several measures, stopped shrinking. There are still more than 150,000 SOEs in operation, two-thirds owned by local governments and the rest under central control. Private firms are much more productive, but state firms gobble up a disproportionate share of resources. They take about half of all bank loans and are the main culprits behind China’s big increase in corporate debt. Since 2015 investment by SOEs has grown faster than private-sector investment, reversing a decades-long trend. For China this has the makings of a damaging cycle. As growth slows, the government leans on SOEs to spend more; but this drives up their debt further and so weighs on the economy. Putting a stop to this sequence is vital for China if it is to become wealthy. The IMF estimates that an ambitious programme of SOE reform could expand the Chinese economy by nearly 10%, or about $1trn, over the next decade. The fate of China’s state firms is also a global concern. By international standards, they are already massive. China’s 200 biggest SOEs account for 9% of global revenues in coal mining, 6% in car making and 5% in construction. A series of mega-mergers currently under way is concentrating even more power in the hands of a few, giving them the heft to barge into new markets. For foreign firms this can smack of unfair competition, as if they are fighting against the Chinese state. The temptation for other countries to block foreign investments by SOEs will only increase, setting the stage for bitter disputes.

1. What is false regarding Yunnan Baiyao?

  1. It is a medical powder which is only used by army troops to treat wounds.
  2. Yunnan Baiyao has played a vital role in reform of state owned enterprise.
  3. Government has put a restriction on the sale of Yunnan Baiyao.
Ans: 3
1 and 3 both are wrong because there are no restriction on the sale of Yunnan Baiyao and it is also used by house hold not only by army troops.

2. How author can say that state owned enterprises are getting momentum?

  1. Yunnan Baiyao’s success is a proof that state owned enterprises are getting momentum.
  2. Because governments are talking certain steps for the reform of state owned enterprises.
  3. Because a private investor bought 50 % stake in Yunnan Baiyao.
Ans: 1
According to passage it is true that SOEs are getting momentum because of Yunnan Baiyao’s success.

3. What is true about the state owned enterprises?

  1. In 1980’s SOEs dominated China’s economy.
  2. According to passage, decline of SOEs is responsible for growth of China.
  3. Stop in growth of state owned enterprises is responsible for growth of private firms.
Ans: 5
According to passage all of the three are true about SOE’s.

4. What is true about the state owned enterprises?

  1. In 1980’s SOEs dominated China’s economy.
  2. According to passage, decline of SOEs is responsible for growth of China.
  3. Stop in growth of state owned enterprises is responsible for growth of private firms.
Ans: 4
1 and 2 are the main disadvantages of SOEs.

5. According to the passage, what are the wrong steps taken by government for increasing growth?

  1. For increasing growth governments are focusing more on state owned enterprises.
  2. Focusing on the growth of private sector.
  3. Governments leans on state owned enterprises to spend more.
Ans: 3
According to the passage we can conclude that 1 and 2 are the wrong steps that are taken by government.

Directions (6-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.

The Supreme Court has struck a blow for the rights of the disabled, with a direction to the Central and State governments to provide full access to public facilities, such as buildings and transport, within stipulated deadlines. People with a disability form 2.21% of India’s population according to the 2011 Census. They have had a law for two decades to enable their full participation in society, but successive governments have done little to realise those guarantees. Now, in response to a public interest petition filed by a visually handicapped activist, the court has issued a series of orders: that all government buildings should be made accessible by June 2019; half of all government buildings in the capital cities should meet accessibility norms by December this year; the Railways should present a report in three months from December 15 on implementing station facilities; 10% of government public transport must be fully accessible by March 2018; and advisory boards should be formed by the States and Union Territories in three months. The court’s directions should be welcomed by the government and service providers as an opportunity to steer policy and practice towards a universal and humane system. For too long, planners and designers have built infrastructure for use only by able-bodied individuals, ignoring the aspirations of those with disabilities, and the letter of the law.

A transformation requires governments to also harness the power of newer technologies. Geolocation is one, and it enables targeted provision of services. It is eminently feasible, for instance, to aggregate the travel requirements of disabled people with the help of information technology and smartphones, and provide affordable shared transport using accessible vehicles. Given the emphasis on smart cities and upgraded urban facilities, such schemes should be given the highest priority and start-up ideas roped in. Railway stations and access to train carriages continue to pose hurdles for not just the disabled, but even elderly travellers. The Railways should embark on an urgent programme to retrofit all stations, and try simple solutions such as portable step ladders to help board and exit trains, since level boarding is not possible in most places. Cost is not the barrier to improving facilities; what is in short supply is the political will to change the design of public facilities and stick to professional codes. The Supreme Court said in a 1998 order on a petition seeking air travel concession, that while cost was a consideration, the true spirit and purpose of the law could not be ignored. Today India, which is richer than it was then, and has passed a new law in 2016 to strengthen the rights of the disabled, should demonstrate the will to implement it

6. Why supreme court directed to the central and state governments to provide full access to public facilities to disabled?

  1. Because disabled have lack of public facilities.
  2. Because government don’t have any law regarding the public facilities for disabled.
  3. Because 2.21 % of India’s population are disabled according to the census 2011.
Ans: 1
only 1 is the genuine reason for court direction. 2 is wrong because there is already a law. 3 is wrong because it doesn’t matter how much population are disabled.

7. According to the passage which can be true in given sentences?

  1. There is a law for disabled to enable their full participation in society.
  2. Percentage population of disabled in India is very low which can be neglected easily.
  3. According to law for disabled people , all governments buildings should be made accessible for disabled.
Ans: 3
2 is not true according to the passage.

8. What are the key points of Supreme Court direction given to Central and State governments?

  1. According to direction all government buildings should be made accessible by disabled by June 2019.
  2. An advisory board should be formed by States and Union Territories in three months.
  3. 10 % of governments public transport must be fully accessible by disabled till March 2018.
Ans: 5
All of the given are the key point of Supreme Court direction.

9. What are the suggestions given by author to the government for diabled people?

  1. Government must use new technologies for transformation.
  2. There must be initiative by the government for start up ideas.
  3. Government should made proper law for disabled.
Ans: 4
3 is not the suggestion given by author because there is already law for disabled.

10. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

  1. Need of political will is very important for providing facilities for disabled.
  2. According to author Railway should work swiftly to provide the accessibility to the disabled.
  3. Capital is the main reason that railway don’t have proper access for disabled people.
Ans:3
3 is wrong because according to the author there is need of political will for facilities.
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13 thoughts on “Reading Comprehension for Bank Exams, MBA, SSC and other exams”

  2. KSHITIJA Mishra

    Content relevant for rrb po
    Level and structure is same as banking exams ask for.
    Heartily thanks to the hardworking team who provided this content😊 🙏😇

  3. Kshitija Mishra

    Content relevant for rrb po
    Level and structure is same as banking exams ask for.
    Heartily thanks to the hardworking team who provided this content😊 🙏😇
    Thank you

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