MCQ
Comprehension of a given passage (factual & vocabulary-in-context) MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers
Solve 15 Comprehension of a given passage (factual & vocabulary-in-context) questions for RAS/RPSC preparation.
Practice questions
Q1Read the passage and answer the question that follows. A village health worker visited ten homes to check whether drinking-water pots were covered. She noticed that most families kept the pots clean but left the ladle on the floor. Instead of scolding them, she demonstrated how a ladle could be hung on a small hook beside the pot. Two days later, she returned and found that seven families had followed the suggestion. She wrote in her diary that a simple demonstration was more persuasive than a warning. Statement 1: The health worker used demonstration as a method of persuasion. Statement 2: All ten families followed her suggestion within two days. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
In a statement-combination question, each statement must be checked separately against the passage. The worker demonstrated a method (hanging the ladle on a hook), and she explicitly noted that demonstration was more persuasive than scolding. Thus Statement 1 is supported. Statement 2 is not supported because only seven families followed the suggestion, not all ten. Therefore, Statement 1 only is correct (Option D).
Q2Read the passage and answer the question that follows. During the first week of summer, a small post office began opening its parcel counter thirty minutes earlier than usual. Many shopkeepers had complained that they lost time waiting in a long queue after the market opened. The postmaster observed the new arrangement for four days and found that most parcels were now booked before 10 a.m. However, he kept the savings counter on its old schedule because pensioners usually came later in the day. The change was reviewed at the end of the month. Which of the following statements is incorrect according to the passage?
In an incorrect-statement question, the correct option is the one that contradicts the passage. The savings counter was explicitly kept on the old schedule, while only the parcel counter was opened earlier. Therefore, the incorrect statement is option D.
Q3Read the passage and answer the question that follows. Ravi was responsible for keeping the village water tank clean. For many weeks, he checked the tank only after complaints were received. This habit saved a little time in the morning, but it often led to urgent repairs later. After one serious blockage, the sarpanch asked him to inspect the tank every Monday and Thursday. Within a month, minor faults were noticed early and the number of complaints fell. Assertion (A): Regular inspection reduced the number of water-tank complaints. Reason (R): Minor faults were noticed before they became serious problems. Choose the correct option.
For assertion-reason questions, first test the truth of each statement and then test the explanatory link. The cue for A is that the number of complaints fell after Monday and Thursday inspections began. The cue for R is that minor faults were noticed early. Early detection explains the fall in complaints because small faults were found before becoming serious problems. Thus both statements are true, and R correctly explains A.
Q4Read the passage and answer the question that follows. Every afternoon, the clerks at the district library sort returned books before placing them back on the shelves. On Monday, they found that several books on farming had been kept with the children's stories. The librarian decided to paste coloured labels on the shelves so that new volunteers could identify each section quickly. She also prepared a small register in which misplaced books would be noted at the end of the day. By Friday, the number of misplaced books had fallen sharply. What was the main purpose of pasting coloured labels on the shelves?
For factual comprehension, the answer must match the stated purpose in the passage. The clue is the phrase "so that new volunteers could identify each section quickly." This directly gives the purpose of the coloured labels. The register was used to note misplaced books, and the other options add purposes not stated in the passage. Therefore, option B is the only correct answer.
Q5Read the passage and answer the question that follows. The training centre opened a small help desk for candidates filling online forms. Many candidates came with incomplete documents, so the volunteer at the desk first checked whether each candidate had an identity proof, a recent photograph, and the required fee receipt. Candidates who had all three items were guided to the computer room. Those with missing papers were asked to return after arranging them. The system kept the computer room free for candidates who were actually ready to submit their forms. Match List I with List II according to the passage. List I: 1. incomplete documents 2. guided to the computer room 3. kept the computer room free List II: a. lacked one or more required papers b. ready to submit the form c. avoided crowding by unprepared candidates Choose the correct matching.
A match-list question requires each phrase to be linked to its exact role in the passage. The cue for 1 is that candidates with missing papers had incomplete documents, so 1-a. The cue for 2 is that candidates with all three required items were guided to the computer room because they were ready to submit, so 2-b. The cue for 3 is that the system kept unprepared candidates out of the computer room, so 3-c. Only option A keeps all three links correct.
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6Read the passage and answer the question that follows. Meena joined the office as a records assistant and was asked to check old files before they were scanned. At first, the shelves looked chaotic: some files had missing labels, some were placed in the wrong year, and a few contained loose papers. Instead of complaining, she prepared a simple list and corrected one shelf at a time. By Friday, the supervisor called her method "meticulous" because even small errors had been traced and fixed. In the passage, the word "meticulous" most nearly means:
7Read the passage and answer the question that follows. During the summer break, the school decided to repair its old playground. The headmaster first wanted to replace everything at once, but the budget was limited. Therefore, the staff adopted a phased plan: the broken boundary wall would be repaired in June, the uneven surface would be levelled in July, and new goalposts would be installed only after the monsoon. Parents were informed that the work would continue gradually so that classes could resume without delay. In the passage, the word "phased" most nearly means:
8Read the passage and answer the question that follows. The town post office introduced a token system to reduce crowding at the counters. Earlier, visitors often stood in one long line even when they needed different services. Under the new system, separate tokens were given for savings accounts, parcels, and general enquiries. A display board showed the next token number for each counter. Some elderly visitors still preferred to ask the guard for help, but most customers said the waiting area had become calmer and fairer. Statement 1: Before the token system, visitors often stood in one long line even when they needed different services. Statement 2: The new system completely removed the need for assistance from the guard. Which of the above statements is/are supported by the passage?
9Read the passage and answer the question that follows. At a small branch library, the staff noticed that many visitors came only to return books and left within minutes. To make the reading room more useful, they began a weekday "quiet hour" from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., during which phones were kept on silent and no group discussions were allowed. Within a month, students preparing for clerical examinations started using the room regularly. The librarian then extended the arrangement to Saturdays because several working candidates requested the same quiet-hour facility. Why was the quiet hour extended to Saturdays?
10Read the passage and answer the question that follows. Ravi was asked to prepare a daily stock note for the stationery room. Earlier, pens and registers were ordered only after they ran out, so urgent requests often delayed routine work. Ravi began noting the opening balance, items issued, and closing balance every afternoon. After two weeks, the office could predict when fresh supplies were needed. The head clerk said the new note was useful because it prevented sudden shortages. Assertion (A): Ravi's daily stock note helped the office plan stationery purchases in advance. Reason (R): The note recorded the opening balance, items issued, and closing balance every day. Choose the correct option.
11Read the passage and answer the question that follows. The municipal reading room had many newspapers, but few students used it in the evening. The caretaker noticed that the only fan near the study tables made a harsh sound whenever it ran. He shifted two tables closer to the windows and arranged for the fan to be repaired the next morning. Within a week, evening attendance increased. The officer in charge concluded that small practical improvements can make a public facility more usable. Assertion (A): Evening attendance at the reading room increased after the caretaker made practical improvements. Reason (R): The caretaker removed all newspapers from the reading room. Choose the correct option.
12Read the passage and answer the question that follows. The office library at Kiran Bhawan had remained unused for many years. When the new clerk, Meera, joined the accounts section, she noticed that most employees borrowed reference books from outside instead of using the dusty shelves near the record room. She prepared a simple catalogue, pasted clear labels on the cupboards, and placed a register near the entrance. Within two months, the number of books issued every week rose steadily. The senior assistant later said that the improvement came from better organisation, not from buying new books. What was the main reason for the increased use of the office library?
13Read the passage and answer the question that follows. The town office had planned to replace its old notice board, but the new board was delayed in transport. To avoid confusion, the staff pinned the weekly announcements on a temporary stand near the entrance. The arrangement was modest, yet it served its purpose because visitors could still read the notices before entering the enquiry room. The officer later said that the staff had found a practical interim solution. The permanent board was installed the following week. In the passage, the word "interim" most nearly means:
14Read the passage and answer the question that follows. During a cleanliness drive at a government hostel, the warden divided the work into three teams. The first team swept the courtyard because dry leaves had gathered there. The second team cleaned the notice board and removed outdated circulars. The third team checked the water taps and reported two leaks to the maintenance clerk. By evening, the maintenance clerk had entered the repair request in the register, and the hostel looked neater. List I: 1. First team 2. Second team 3. Third team 4. Maintenance clerk List II: a. Recorded the repair request b. Swept the courtyard c. Reported leaking taps d. Removed old circulars Choose the correct matching.
15Read the passage and answer the question that follows. The town bus depot introduced a token system at the ticket counter after passengers complained about crowding. Under the new arrangement, passengers first collected a numbered token and then waited on benches until their number was displayed. The change did not reduce the total number of passengers, but it made the queue orderly and reduced arguments near the counter. Elderly passengers were also allowed to sit while waiting, which the staff considered an important improvement. Statement 1: The token system reduced the number of passengers using the depot. Statement 2: The token system helped make waiting more orderly. Which of the above statements is/are correct according to the passage?