English comprehension tests help to gain knowledge from the information shared in the passage, develop a good vocabulary, review the author’s ideas, form an opinion on the facts or information in the passage, and understand the passage stylistically.
Introducing a curated selection of over 25 English Comprehension Tests accompanied by detailed explanations, outcome analysis, and time tracking.
English Comprehension Test
English Comprehension Test #1
Time and tide wait for none. Man has many responsibilities in his short life, so time is the most important factor in one’s life. We must remember that we cannot go back in time. We can stop the clock, but not the time. If we waste our time, our assigned work will suffer and success will be difficult to achieve. Time lost is time lost forever. We must complete our work as soon as possible. We must always remember the proverb “A stitch in time saves nine.”
English Comprehension Test #2
Our greatest asset is our own health. A healthy body can earn a lot of money, but a wealthy person cannot. We live in a fast-paced world where people have no time for themselves. The majority of their lives are spent in pursuit of materialistic wealth in order to outshine others, but they lose their health along the way. Wealth is important, but it is not as important as health. Spending a lot of money on junk food in five-star hotels or other forms of entertainment, such as watching movies for a day, has no benefits other than self-satisfaction.
English Comprehension Test #3
Everyone knows that paper is made from trees. But when one looks at trees, one cannot imagine that something so soft and fragile as the paper is made is so hard and strong. Plant materials such as wood are made of fibers known as cellulose. It is the primary ingredient in paper making. Raw wood is first converted into pulp consisting of a mixture of Cellulose, lignin, water, and some chemicals. The pulp can be made mechanically through grinders or through chemical processes.
Short fibers are produced by mechanical grinding. The paper produced in this way is weak and is used to make newspapers, magazines, and phonebooks. Through the chemical pulping process, strong paper is produced. Cellulose pulp is sprayed to form mats on moving conveyor screens. These mats are then dried, dyed, and cut as required.
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English Comprehension Test #4
You probably already know that it is important to have a king-size breakfast every morning. do you know why Your body is hungry in the morning because you haven’t eaten for about 8-10 hours? Breakfast is therefore the first meal of the day, and therefore, the most important. Imagine driving without fuel; This is exactly how your body feels without fuel from a nutritious breakfast. Nowadays many people skip breakfast to lose weight.
Nutritionists are alarmed by this trend, as it is mandatory to eat breakfast within two hours of waking up. Depriving the body of energy can lead to serious health problems in the long run. Forget silly celebrities and their absurd ways to lose weight. Never miss breakfast!
English Comprehension Test #5
Any unwanted loud sound which causes stress and irritation can be termed noise pollution. Of late, sound or noise pollution has adversely affected our normal life in a major way. It is chasing us at almost every step. In schools, colleges, offices, and even hospitals we have an explosion of deafening sound. The main sources of noise pollution are Means of transport, the Use of loudspeakers, the Industrial sector, and the Celebration of festivals and wedding ceremonies. We are almost deafened by the blaring mikes or the record players which are often played at full volume.
Secondly, we have noise pollution caused by various groups of people shouting out their slogans or impatient automobiles always honking their horns. During some social and religious festivals, crackers are burst indiscriminately. Noise pollution can have serious effects on human health. It may cause impairment of hearing and can cause sleep disruption. People who are frequently subjected to a high level of noise pollution may suffer from hypertension, depression, and panic attacks. It may lead to an abnormal increase in heartbeat and heart palpitation. It can also cause migraine headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
Some Measures to Minimise Noise Pollution are Prohibiting the blowing of horns, The use of loudspeakers should be banned, Airports should be located away from residential areas, and People restraining themselves from lighting firecrackers. In recent times laws have been passed to take effective steps to control sound pollution. People must also be made aware of the dangers of noise pollution.
English Comprehension Test #6
There is truth in the common saying: “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Cleanliness is a great virtue. It makes a man healthy and happy. The healthy habit of cleanliness should be formed from childhood in our everyday routine. A clean environment keeps us free from pollution. Cleanliness comes out of a taste for decency.
Cleanliness is of two types—cleanliness of body and cleanliness of mind. Cleanliness of the body makes for physical health. Health is an impossibility without bodily cleanliness. The disease is the handmaid of dirt. The germs of disease breed and multiply in the dirt. Epidemic diseases like cholera and typhoid which often sweep over villages and towns and take a heavy toll on life are the result of dirty habits and the surroundings of the people.
Cleanliness of the mind is as necessary as that of the body for self-respect. No one loves and respects a man if he is not clean in mind-free from impure desires and evil thoughts. Mental cleanliness makes for one’s success in any sphere of life. The effects of cleanliness are great. It contributes to the character of a noble personality not only with clean clothes but also with clean ideas, clean thoughts, and clean ways of life. In every walk of life, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness in body and mind as well as indoors and outdoors. Cleanliness is truly next to godliness. All should cultivate it.
English Comprehension Test #7
In a faraway desert, there was a proud rose who loved her beauty but disliked growing next to an ugly cactus. Every day, the beautiful rose made fun of the cactus, while the cactus stayed silent. Other plants tried to help the rose understand, but she cared too much about her own looks.
During a hot summer, the desert dried up, and there was no water. The rose began to wilt, losing her lovely petals. Seeing a sparrow getting water from the cactus, the rose felt sorry. She asked the cactus for water, and he kindly agreed. Together, they helped each other through the tough summer and became friends.
English Comprehension Test #8
When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee–and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings………………..by William Shakespeare
English Comprehension Test #9
History is the study of the past. The study of history involves examining the past and exploring the heroic deeds of remarkable individuals whose exemplary performances have earned them a place in the annals of history. Such people and their remarkable accomplishments serve as a source of inspiration for others to follow. By studying history, one’s character can be influenced positively.
However, the present generation, driven by the materialistic culture of modern society, tends to prioritize making money and leading a lavish lifestyle over reflecting on historical events. They fail to see the value in studying history unless it can help them win competitions or prepare them for a worthwhile career.
On the other hand, those with an interest in history tend to have a more altruistic mindset and aspire to achieve something significant for the betterment of humanity. They strive for excellence and take inspiration from the accomplishments of those who have gone before them.
Throughout history, many extraordinary individuals have contributed significantly to mankind’s progress. Emperors who governed their countries gloriously and those who displayed bravery, self-sacrifice, exceptional leadership skills, and noble deeds have earned their place in history books.
English Comprehension Test #10
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep…………………by Robert Frost
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English Comprehension Test #11
In a village lived a hardworking farmer with four sons. Sadly, the sons were lazy and constantly fought among themselves. They spent their days sleeping and arguing while their father worked hard in the fields. The father’s attempts to involve them in work fell on deaf ears. Wanting to teach them a lesson, he devised a plan.
One day, the father asked his sons to bring a bundle of sticks. They did so, and he told them to break the bundle. Try as they might, they couldn’t break the bundle of sticks. Then, the farmer instructed them to break the sticks individually. When they separated the sticks and tried breaking them one by one, they succeeded easily. The farmer then explained, “See, my sons, these sticks have a lesson for you. When you’re united, like the sticks in the bundle, you’ll be strong and nobody can harm you. You can achieve a lot together. But if you’re apart and divided, like the separate sticks, you’ll be weak and won’t achieve much.”
These words opened the sons’ eyes. They realized the importance of unity and stopped quarreling. Instead, they started working hard and working together, making their father very happy.
English Comprehension Test #12
The Maurya Empire is regarded as the first and greatest empire in India. It is called an empire because it annexes and brings under its control several smaller states. Chandragupta Maurya established the Maurya Empire in the 4th century BC by ousting the Nandas from Magadha. His son Bindusara further expanded the boundaries of the Maurya Empire. Bindusara’s son, King Ashoka is considered one of the greatest kings of ancient India.
Kautilya’s Arthasastra is one of the most important sources of Mauryan history. Kautilya or Chanakya was Chandragupta Maurya’s chief advisor. The book contains important information on politics, rules of diplomacy, principles of administration, and other state affairs.
The Indika was written by Megasthenes who was the Greek ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya. A Greek ruler named Seleucus sent him to Chandragupta’s court. Megasthenes lived in Chandragupta’s court for about five years. He observed the social customs, culture, and people of the country. His work in India was later mentioned by scholars like Arrian, Strabo, and Diodorus.
English Comprehension Test #13
Human evolution has been a remarkable journey, extensively studied using various tools like excavations, carbon dating, fossil analysis, and DNA sequencing to trace evolutionary relationships.
The diversity in the human body and its features has always been vast.
Research indicates that early Homo sapiens originated in Africa. Over a hundred years ago, some of our ancestors migrated from Africa, while others remained. Thus, regardless of our current locations, all human species can be traced back to Africa. The earliest human fossils include Australopithecus, followed by Homo habilis, H. erectus, H. heidelbergensis, and eventually modern-day Homo sapiens.
Around 25-30 million years ago, hominoid stock began transitioning from tree-dwelling to ground-dwelling creatures, leading to the evolution of apes and humans.
The separation between apes and human ancestors is estimated to have started around 5 million years ago, which eventually led to the development of the Pongidae (apes) and Hominidae (humans) families.
English Comprehension Test #14
The Harappan civilization is regarded as an advanced stage of human cultural development. Between 4000 BC and 3000 BC was a period when many civilizations were flourishing. Ancient civilizations started near river banks as rivers provided water for drinking and irrigation. The discovery and use of metals enabled man to advance to a new stage in the progress of civilization. Copper was the first metal used by humans. The period in which both stone and copper were used to make tools is called the Chalcolithic period.
Later, people began mixing copper with tin or zinc to create an alloy called bronze. Since bronze was hard, it began to be used to make agricultural implements and weapons. As a result four civilizations developed in the world. Bronze played an important role in the development of these civilizations, hence they came to be known as Bronze Age civilizations. Harappan civilization, Mesopotamian civilization, Chinese civilization, and Egyptian civilization were Bronze Age civilizations.
English Comprehension Test #15
I’m leaving now to slay the foe
Fight the battles, high and low
I’m leaving, mother, hear me go!
Please wish me luck today.
I’ve grown my wings, I want to fly
Seize my victories where they tie,
I’m going Mom, but please don’t cry
just let me find my way
want to see and touch and hear
Though there are dangers, there are fears.
I’ll smile my smiles and dry my tears –
Please let me speak my say
I’m off to find my world, my dreams,
Carve my niche, sew my seams,
Remember, as I sail my streams –
I’ll love you, all the way. – Brooke Muller
English Comprehension Test #16
Weavers, weaving at break of day,
Why do you weave a garment so gay?
Blue as the wing of a bluebird wild,
We weave the robes of a new-born child.
Weavers, weaving at fall of night,
Why do you weave a garment so bright?
Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green,
We weave the marriage-veils of a queen.
Weavers, weaving solemn and still,
What do you weave in the moonlight chill?
White as a feather and white as a cloud,
We weave a dead man’s funeral shroud.
—
Sarojini Naidu
English Comprehension Test #17
Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869 at Porbandar in the Kathiawar district of Gujarat. He went to England in 1888 to study Law. From 1893 to 1914, he practiced law in South Africa. He witnessed racial discrimination in South Africa and soon became the leader of a struggle against racist authorities in the country. He formed the Natal Indian Congress to fight against the racist policies of the South African government. It was here that the unique technique of Satyagraha evolved. Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha was based on truth and nonviolence.
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 and made an extensive tour of the country in the next three years. In 1917 and 1918, he was involved in three significant struggles in Champaran (Bihar), Ahmedabad, and Kheda in Gujarat.
English Comprehension Test #18
Education is an essential part of our life. It not only helps us acquire knowledge and skills but also helps in building our character and values. Education plays an important role in our personal and professional development and is an investment in our future. Education is an essential part of our life. It not only helps us acquire knowledge and skills but also helps in building our character and values. Education plays an important role in our personal and professional development and is an investment in our future.
Education has many benefits. It helps us understand the world around us and think critically and creatively. It also gives us the skills we need to succeed in the workforce and contribute to our communities Education can open up new opportunities and give us a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction.
Additionally, education helps promote equality and social mobility. It gives individuals the tools and knowledge they need to rise out of poverty and achieve their full potential. Education is also a key factor in reducing discrimination and promoting understanding and tolerance between different cultures and groups. In short, education is an important part of our lives and has the power to transform individuals and communities.
English Comprehension Test #19
The All India Congress Committee met in Mumbai on 8 August 1942 and passed the Quit India Movement which was adopted at Wardha in July 1942. Before the movement could start, the government arrested Gandhi and other prominent Congress leaders and declared the party illegal. Strikes and demonstrations were organized all over the country. People attacked the symbols of British rule such as post offices, police stations, and railway stations.
In many towns of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh, people set up a parallel government. Some popular leaders of the movement were Aruna Asaf Ali, Jai Prakash Narayanan, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Nana Patil. These leaders kept the movement alive despite the brutal suppression by the government. The government intended to crush the movement. The press was censored and the protesting crowds were fired upon and even bombarded.
About ten thousand people were killed and sixty thousand were arrested by the government by the end of 1942. The military was deployed in many villages and towns. It has been said that India had not witnessed such kind of repression since the Revolt of 1857. In the end, the government successfully crushed the movement.
English Comprehension Test #20
The Roman Empire was one of the greatest and most influential civilizations in world history. At its height, it spanned three continents and included more than 50 million people. The Romans were known for their military prowess, their sophisticated system of government, and their impressive architectural achievements, including the construction of roads, aqueducts, and public buildings.
The Roman Republic, which lasted from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC, was a model of governance that influenced many later civilizations. It was a federal system of government that divided power between the Roman Senate and the People’s Assembly.
In the 1st century BC, the Roman Republic was replaced by the Roman Empire, which was ruled by a dictator called the Roman Emperor. The Roman Empire saw the construction of many impressive buildings and the expansion of the Roman military. However, it has also seen numerous internal conflicts, including the rise of various factions vying for power.
Despite these challenges, the Roman Empire was able to endure for more than five centuries, until it finally collapsed in the 5th century. Today, the legacy of the Roman Empire can be seen in the many cultural and architectural achievements it left behind.
English Comprehension Test #21
A commercial bank is a financial institution that provides services such as accepting deposits, giving business loans, mortgage lending, and basic investment products such as savings accounts and certificates of deposit. The commercial bank is also called a joint-stock bank because it is organized on the lines of joint-stock companies. A commercial bank deals with money accepts deposits and advances short-term loans to traders. Its main aim is to earn profit and create demand deposits which serve as a medium of exchange.
A commercial bank helps traders and industrialists by providing financial assistance. Its cheques and drafts are useful for large-scale trading. It accepts deposits from people who have a surplus amount and provides loans to investors who are in need of productive activity. Thus, they encourage savings and promote production activities by investing in them. It helps in the distribution of surplus capital from regions where it is abundant and transfers it to a scarce region. It provides concessional loans to the priority sectors such as agriculture, small-scale industry, retail trade, and export.
English Comprehension Test #22
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said:—Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
English Comprehension Test #23
The athletes had come from all over the country
To run for the gold, for the silver and bronze
Many weeks and months of training
All coming down to these games.
The spectators gathered around the old field
To cheer on all the young women and men
The final event of the day was approaching
Excitement grew high to begin.
The blocks were all lined up for those who would use them
The hundred-yard dash and the race to be run
These were nine resolved athletes in back of the starting line
Poised for the sound of the gun.
The signal was given, the pistol exploded
And so did the runners all charging ahead
But the smallest among them, he stumbled and staggered
And fell to the asphalt instead.
He gave out a cry in frustration and anguish
His dreams and his efforts all dashed in the dirt
But as sure as I’m standing here telling this story
The same goes for what next occurred.
The eight other runners pulled up on their heels
The ones who had trained for so long to compete
One by one they all turned around and went back to help him
And brought the young boy to his feet. ——David Roth
English Comprehension Test #24
It is important that you recognize the signs of stress in your behavior, and be healthy enough to enjoy your success. Stress can strike anytime, in a fashion that may leave you unaware of its presence in your life. While a certain amount of pressure is necessary for performance, it is important to be able to recognize your individual threshold. For instance, some individuals accept competition healthily. Others collapse into weeping wrecks before an exam or compare mark sheets and find that their mates have scored better.
Whenever there is a change in the external environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity, and working conditions, it leads to stress. In these days of competition, when a person makes up his mind to surpass what others have achieved, leading to an imbalance between demands and resources causes psycho-social stress. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.
Stress has a different meaning depending on the stage of life you’re in. The loss of a toy or a reprimand from the parents might create a stress shock in a child. An adolescent who fails an examination may feel as if everything has been lost and life has no further meaning. In an adult, the loss of a companion, job, or professional failure may appear as if there is nothing more to be achieved.
Stress can be seen in the attitude and behavior of the individual, such as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high blood pressure, indigestion, and hyperacidity, and ultimately in self-destructive behavior such as eating and drinking too much, smoking excessively, relying on tranquilizers, trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing. The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist followed by depression, lethargy, and weakness for further work. Periodic mood shifts also indicate the stress status of students, executives, and professionals.
English Comprehension Test #25
The first two years of life are a critical ‘window of opportunity.’ In this period, it is possible to prevent the largely irreversible damage that follows early childhood undernutrition. There are 805 million undernourished people in the world today. That means one in nine people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life.
Hunger and malnutrition are in fact the number one risk to health worldwide—greater than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Three-quarters of all hungry people live in rural areas, mainly in the villages of Asia and Africa. An estimated 146 million children in developing countries are underweight—the result of acute or chronic hunger. Poverty trap, lack of investment in agriculture, natural calamities, war and displacement, unstable markets, and food wastage are the major causes for the presence of hunger in the world. Hunger leads to malnutrition, which in turn causes diseases. Malnutrition is the largest single, According to the UN’s Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN), a contributor to disease in the world.
Malnutrition at an early age leads to reduced physical and mental development during childhood. According to the World Bank, India is one of the highest-ranking countries in the world for the number of children suffering from malnutrition. One of the major causes of malnutrition in India is gender inequality. Because of the low social status of Indian women, their diet often lacks in both quality and quantity. Women who suffer from malnutrition are less likely to have healthy babies. In India, mothers generally lack proper knowledge in feeding children. Consequently, newborn infants are unable to get an adequate amount of nutrition from their mothers.
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar have very high rates of undernutrition. Studies show that individuals belonging to Hindu, Jain, or Muslim backgrounds in India tend to be more malnourished than those from Sikh or Christian backgrounds. The Akshaya Patra Foundation runs the world’s largest NGO-run midday meal program serving freshly cooked meals to over 1.3 million schoolchildren in government and government-aided schools in India. However, the challenge for all these programs and schemes is how to increase efficiency, impact, and coverage.
English Comprehension Test #26
In these trying times, when buying ordinary foodstuff can burn a hole in our pockets, comes the news that can actually help us save some hard cash when we go out to shop the next time. According to a Stanford University study, a first of its kind in the world, there is no evidence to suggest that there are more nutritional benefits from expensive organic food than those grown by conventional methods.
The researchers add that there is no difference in protein and fat content between organic and conventional milk and the vitamin count is similar in both types. The only benefit is that organic foods are not contaminated with pesticides, but then, before you chew on that plate of organic okra with roti made from organic wheat, they are not 100% pesticide-free either.
In India, organic food has been growing at 20–22% and the export market is valued at `1,000 crores. Obviously, the study is not good news for that sector and for people who are big on organic food.
In India, eating organic food is more of a style statement than due to health worries because the stuff is expensive. But people can, do indulge in not only organic vegetables but even organic eggs laid by ‘happy hens’, who are allowed to roam around freely, whereas ‘unhappy hens’ are kept in coops.
Then some companies have installed music channels in their cowsheds and the milk from those sheds is sold at a marked-up price since it has more nutritional value because the animals are happy thanks to lilting 24 × 7 music. We don‘t know yet of any farmer using music to improve his crop quality, but then you never know: plants are known to respond to music.
Why such pickiness about food? These days, the huge number of TV shows and articles that we see and read on food provide bread and butter for specialists. But instead of decoding food, its sources, and what has gone into growing it, isn‘t it much better to enjoy what‘s on the plate?
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