Reading Comprehension for IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam: 22nd September 2018

IBPS Clerk Prelims is on its way and lot of aspirants are heading towards new hopes with this upcoming opportunity. Thus, English Language can be an impetus for their success by saving time and scoring well. So, instead of boiling the ocean, try building up a strong vocabulary, an effective knowledge of grammar, and efficient comprehension skills so as to be on the ball to face this particular section. Here is a quiz on English Language being provided by Adda247 to let you practice the best of latest pattern English Questions for upcoming IBPS Clerk exam.

Directions (1-15): Read the following passages carefully and answer the respective questions given below each of them. Certain words/phrases/sentences have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Once upon a time, there was a Kingdom. The king there only had one leg and one eye, but he was very intelligent and kind. Everyone in his kingdom lived a happy and a healthy life because of their king. One day the king was walking through the palace hallway and saw the portraits of his ancestors. He thought that one day his children will walk in the same hallway and remember all the ancestors through these portraits.

But, the king did not have his portrait painted. Due to his physical disabilities, he wasn’t sure how his painting would turn out to be. So he invited many famous painters from his and other kingdoms to the court. The king then announced that he wants a beautiful portrait made of himself to be placed in the palace. Any painter who can carry out this should come forward. He will be rewarded based on how the painting turns up.

All of the painters began to think that the king only has one leg and one eye. How can his picture be made very beautiful? It is not possible and if the picture does not turn out to look beautiful then the king will get angry and punish them. So one by one, all started to make excuses and politely declined to make a painting of the king.

But suddenly one painter raised his hand and said that I will make a very beautiful portrait of you which you will surely like. The king became happy hearing that and other painters got curious. The king gave him the permission and the painter started drawing the portrait. He then filled the drawing with paints. Finally, after taking a long time, he said that the portrait was ready!

All of the courtiers, other painters were curious and nervous thinking, “How can the painter make the king’s portrait beautiful because the king is physically disabled? What if the king didn’t like the painting and gets angry?” But when the painter presented the portrait, everyone in the court, including the king, was left stunned.

The painter made a portrait in which the king was sitting on the horse, on the one-leg side, holding his bow and aiming the arrow with his one eye closed. The king was very pleased to see that the painter has made a beautiful portrait by cleverly hiding the king’s disabilities. The King gave him a great reward.

Q1. Why did the painters start making excuses and politely declining the offer to make a portrait of the King?

The painters were not happy with the reward offered by the King.

The painters knew that the King was one legged and one eyed and making a beautiful portrait would mean compromising on their art.

They were scared of the consequences in case the King did not like the portrait made by them.

They all believed making a beautiful portrait of a disabled person required a lot of time and thinking which was not given by the King.

None of these

Solution:

Second line of the third para of the passage clearly mentions that the painters were worried about the punishment the King might give them if did not like the portrait. Hence, (c) is the correct answer.

Q2. Why were all the courtiers and other painters curious and nervous?

They all were desperate to see how the beautiful portrait of a disabled person looked.

They all wanted to see how the King punishes the painter who made his portrait.

They all were amazed at the masterful portrait made by the painter.

They all wanted to see what has the painter made and how would the King react if he doesn’t like it.

None of these

Solution:

The fifth para talks about the given situation and it is clear that they were all wanted to see what has the painter made and how would the King react if he doesn’t like it. Hence, (d) is the answer.

Q3. According to the passage what is meant by the line given in BOLD in the above passage?

The King did not have a portrait of his in the hallway because he knew his portrait would not look good.

The King did not know how he would look in the portrait.

The portraits of King’s ancestors were very good and the King thought that his portrait will not be as good.

The King was too shy to pose for a portrait to be made by a painter.

None of these

Solution:

‘The King did not know how he would look in the’, is the correct answer.

Q4. Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for the above passage?

World is how we look at it

A beautiful portrait

A wonderful Painter

A disabled King

A disabled but clever King

Solution:

If the passage is read carefully it is very clear that the passage talks about how the same thing may appear with two different points of view. Hence, ‘World is how we look at it’ is the most appropriate title for the given passage.

Q5. Which of the following is incorrect in the context of the above passage?

No one was willing to make the portrait as they were worried about the punishment but then a novice painter raised his hand.

The painter made a stunning portrait of the King and everyone was amazed to see it.

The King invited many famous painters from his and other kingdoms to the court.

Everyone in the King’s kingdom was a prosperous and healthy life because he was an intelligent King.

All of the above are true

Solution:

Nowhere in the passage is it mentioned that the painter who made the portrait of the King was a beginner (Novice). Hence, (a) is the correct answer here.

Nita was recently married and had started living in a joint family with her husband and in-laws. After a few days, she started to realize that she is not able to get along with her mother in law. Nita’s mother in law was conservative whereas Nita was liberal with modern lifestyle. Soon they both started quarrelling due to differences in opinions and lifestyle. As days and months passed, none of them changed their behaviour.

Nita became very aggressive over the time and started to hate her mother in law. She started to think about how to get rid of her mother in law. Once, as usual, when she quarrelled with her mother in law, her husband took his mother’s side, and she became where angry and left to her father’s home. Nita’s father was a chemist and she told him about everything that’s been happening. Then she pleaded with her father that give her something poisonous, so she can mix it up and give it to her mother in law to get rid of her, else she won’t go back to her husband’s home.

Nita’s father felt pity at her situation but told her, “If you give poison to your mother in law, you and I both will end up in jail. It is not the right thing to do”. But, Nita was in no mood to listen and understand. Finally, her father gave in. He told her, “Ok, as you wish but I don’t want to see you in jail, so do as I tell you”. Nita agreed. Her father brought a powder and told her, “Everyday when you make a lunch or dinner, just mix a little pinch of this powder in your mother in law’s meal, since the quantity will be less, she won’t die quickly but will slowly in few months and people will think she has died naturally”.

He also told her, “Because no one should have doubt on you, from today onwards, you will not fight at all with your mother in law but instead you will be very caring towards her, even if she says something which you don’t like, you will not be rude; you will simply be polite only”. Nita agreed thinking she will be free from her mother in law’s quarrelling in few months and came back to her in-laws and as advised by her father, she started mixing the powder in her mother in law’s meals and behaved very caring and polite whenever her mother in law said something.

As time started to pass, Nita’s mother in law’s nature also started to change. Because Nita was being very caring towards her, she too started to be affectionate towards her. Five months passed and Nita had been mixing the powder but atmosphere of the house was changed. There were no quarrels; both were praising each while talking to neighbours. They got very attached to each other like a mother and daughter. Now, Nita started to get worried thinking due to the powder, her mother in law may die soon.

She ran at her father’s home and told him, “Dad! Please give me the antidote to cure the effect of that poisonous powder you gave! I don’t want to lose my mother in law, she is just like my mom and I love her very much”. Her father smiled and said, “Which poison? I had simply given to you a sweetener!”

Q6. What can be the most appropriate title for the given passage?

Developing bonds

Joint family and love

Joint families and associated problems

Tackling problems

None of the above

Solution:

It is very clear that the passage has a message on how one should develop relations with people having different nature then theirs. Hence, ‘Developing Bonds’ is the most appropriate title for the given passage.

Q7. Which of the following is true in the context of the given passage?

Nita was an old fashioned typical housewife.

After Nita’s quarrel with her mother-in-law, Rohit took his mother’s side and this angered Nita.

After Nita argued with her father and insisted on getting some poison, her father gave in and reluctantly provided her a bottle of a strong poison.

After Nita returned to her father’s home they both laughed and celebrated as the poison had started its work and her mother-in-law was about to die.

None of the above

Solution:

None of the given statements is true.

Q8. Why did Nita leave her husband’s home and went to her father’s?

All of these

Because she was unhappy with her husband for taking his mother’s side.

Because Nita’s father was a chemist and she wanted to get some poison which he had specially prepared for Nita’s mother-in-law.

Because she was fed up of fighting with her mother-in-law and was looking for an excuse to leave the house.

None of these

Solution:

Nita left her husband’s home because she was unhappy with him for taking his mother’s side.

Q9. Which of the following is most SIMILAR to ‘Antidote’ used in the above passage?

Remedial

Slay

Line

Destroy

None of the above

Solution:

ANTIDOTE: a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison; something that counteracts an unpleasant feeling or situation.
REMEDIAL: done to correct or improve something; done to cure or treat someone.
SLY: displaying cleverness; clever in a dishonest way.

Q10. Which of the following best describes the moral of the story mentioned in the above passage?

If people are explained, what they otherwise won’t understand, by giving them some poison then they understand better and learn life lessons.

Our fathers are the best teachers we can ever have and must always look up to them in times of difficulty in our lives.

In the world around us all people are different in their nature and behaviour and we must understand each other and adjust a little to develop a cordial relationship.

Joint family may have its share of problems but the best bonds develop in joint families only

All of the above

Solution:

It is very clear that the passage has a message on how one should develop relations with people having different nature then theirs. Hence, ‘In the world around us all people are different in their nature and behaviour and we must understand each other and adjust a little to develop a cordial relationship’, is the moral of the story.

Q11. Why did Nita go back to her father after five months?

The poison that Nita’s father had given to her, had not worked and she wanted a more powerful poison to kill her mother-in-law.

Nita was getting desperate and losing her patience. She was finding it difficult to fake good behaviour to her cruel mother-in-law.

Nita went back to her father to get the antidote about which her father her told her on the phone.

Nita was getting impatient as after being nice to her mother-n-law for five months she had developed a mother-daughter relationship with her and did not want her to die because of the poison.

Both (c) & (d)

Solution:

Last two line of the 5th para talk about the given situation very eloquently. Also, Nita’s father never called her to tell about any antidote.
Hence, ‘Nita was getting impatient as after being nice to her mother-in-law for five months she had developed a mother-daughter relationship with her and did not want her to die because of the poison’, is the correct answer here.

Q12. Which of the following is most OPPOSITE to ‘Pity’ mentioned in the above passage?

Sympathy

Empathy

Apathy

Sadness

None of these

Solution:

PITY: sympathetic sorrow for one’s suffering.
APATHY: lack of feeling or emotion
SYMPATHY: feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune; a feeling of support for something
EMPATHY: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another; the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions.

Q13. There is line given in BOLD in the above passage. Which of the following most nearly describes the same meaning as the original sentence and contextually fits in correctly?

Whenever you prepare food , just mix one spoon of this powder in your mother-in-law’s meal

When you prepare lunch or dinner daily, add a pinch of this powder in your mother-in-law’s food

Everyday make sure your mother-in-law is given good amount of this powder

No day shall pass when your mother-in-law does not get a fist full of this powder including in lunch and dinner.

None of the above.

Solution:

Option (b) most nearly describes the meaning of the original statement given in BOLD as it clearly talks about adding small amount (Pinch) of the powder and ‘a spoon’ or ‘fist-full’ mean a lot of powder. Hence, (b) is the correct answer.

Q14. What was her father’s motive behind asking Nita to be nice to her mother-in-law?

He wanted to teach Nita how to slowly and covertly kill somebody and not get caught.

He wanted Nita to live with her husband happily.

He did not want Nita’s mother-in-law to destroy his daughter’s home.

He wanted to teach Nita a lesson about bonds and relationships with people having different nature and behaviour than yours.

None of these.

Solution:

Nita’s father wanted to teach her a lesson about bonds and relationships with people having different nature and behaviour than yours.

Q15. Which of the following is incorrect in the context of the above passage?

Nita’s father knew the difference between a poison and an antidote as he was a chemist.

Nita’s father received a call from her husband who desperately wanted to get back with Nita and wanted her father to help him.

Nita’s mother-in-law was a conservative woman and hence they quarrelled with each other a lot.

Nita did not like his husband taking his mother’s side.

Both (b) & (c)

Solution:

Nita’s husband never called her father, and also, the first para clearly mentions that Nita’s mother-in-law was a conservative woman and she herself was of liberal and modern views and this meant that they quarrelled a lot.
Hence, option (b) is the correct answer here.

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