Introduction
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| Student reading passage carefully |
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Comprehension passages are one of the simplest yet most effective ways to test a student’s reading and thinking skills.
Unlike subjects that require long hours of memorization, comprehension teaches us how to focus, understand, and explain ideas in our own words.
For students, this section often becomes a scoring part of the exam because the answers are hidden inside the passage, if only we read carefully.
Whether it’s a short story, a historical event, or a description of everyday life, solving comprehension passages sharpens attention, improves vocabulary, and trains the mind to think critically.
That’s why teachers always remind us: “Read between the lines, not just the words.”
Some time students are finding "What are some examples of comprehension?" for learn how to solve comprehension passages.
This collection of the best comprehension passages in English is specially designed for students who want to practice more, gain confidence, and learn how to answer in a smart and exam-ready way.
Some easy comprehension passages with answer for class 7 to 10
PASSAGE-1
Among his few friends at school was a young man whose character was not very good.
Mohandas knew this, but refused to accept the advice of others and felt that he would be able to change the character of his friend.
Being of a Vaishnava family, largely influenced by Jainism, Mohandas was a strict vegetarian.
But Mohandas's friend set out to make him believe that the eating of meat was good for him.
He explained it in this way: "We are a weak people. The English are able to rule over us because they eat meat. I myself am strong and a fine runner. It is because I am a meat-eater. You should eat meat, too. Eat some and see what strength it gives you".
After a time the young Mohandas partly believed his companion. He himself was certainly not strong and could hardly jump or run.
He was afraid of the dark, too, and always had a light burning in his bed-room at night.
The desire to eat meat was great, even though he hated to deceive his father and mother.
QUESTIONS
1. What advice did Mohandas refuse to accept ?
2. What did Mohandas's friend want him to believe?
3. What examples did Mohandas's friend give in support of meat-eating ?
4. Give an idea of Mohandas's physical strength when he was a school student ?
5. Why was there a light burning in his bed-room at night ?
ANSWERS
1. Mohandas refused to hear the advice of others about associating with a school friend whose character was not very good.
He believed that he would be able to change him and bring him to good path.
2. Mohandas's friend wanted him to believe that the eating of meat would be good for him.
3. His friend said that the English were able to rule the Indians because they ate meat.
He himself was stronger than Mohandas because he are meat. Since Indians were a weak people they should all eat meat.
4. While Mohandas was reading at school he was not strong He could hardly jump or run.
5. A light was burning in his bed-room at night because he was afraid of darkness.
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PASSAGE - 2
Life is made up of contradictions. If you think of all the proverbs you have heard or read, you will find that many of them can be arranged in two columns, one saying do this, and another saying don't do this.
Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves. Don't spoil the ship for a hapenny worth of tar.
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Never do today what can wait till tomorrow. And so on.
Yet all this apparently contradictory advice is quite sound advice on certain occasions.
It is true and important to know, that if we take care of the pence the pounds will take care of themselves; but in taking care of the pence we must not be economical that more important things are forgotten or neglected.
We must not put off till tomorrow things which can be done today equally well, and possibly with advantage, yet a wise man, who has clearly in his mind the dangers of delay, often postpones taking action until tomorrow in the hope that by then circumstances will be more favourable for action.
QUESTIONS
1. Bring out briefly the meaning of the proverb, 'Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.'
What proverb in the first paragraph does give us the advice - not to be very economical in our habits.
3. Why does a wise man at times wait till tomorrow to do a work?
4, What guide lines should be taken into consideration in choosing to do a work today?
5. Explain the meaning of the following ; contradictory, ha'penny worth, put off, postpone.
ANSWERS
1. The proverb advocates in favour of thrift. It says that we should not be extravagant. We should be careful in our expenditure even of the smallest measure of a monetary system.
2 The proverb 'Don't spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar' advises us not to be very careful in spending money. Expenditures have to be incurred where it is necessary. The proverb teaches this.
3. Time is a great healer. Sometimes it is necessary to make a little delay in taking a crucial judgement because conditions might have changed in one day to help taking a lenient view of the whole matter.
4. When a work is of a routine nature, there is no point in defering it to be done one day after. It should be done today.
5. contradictory : of opposite points of view
ha'penny worth : worth only half a penny (smallest monetary measure in England)
put off : delay (verb)
postpone : put off until another time,
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Conclusion
Comprehension is more than just a part of English exams, it is a life skill.
The ability to read a text, understand its meaning, and respond accurately is useful not only in classrooms but also in daily life, from reading instructions to analyzing news articles.
For students, practicing these passages regularly can turn confusion into confidence.
Each passage is like a small puzzle, once you get the habit of solving them, you’ll realize they are not difficult at all.
So, keep practicing these best comprehension passages in English and watch how your reading speed, accuracy, and exam marks improve with every attempt.
👉 Checkout other comprehension exercises with solutions
FAQs on Comprehension Passages
Q1. How can I answer a comprehension passage?
First, read the passage fully. Then check the questions. Find the part of the passage where the answer is hidden and write it in your own short words.
Q2. What is meant by the main idea of a passage?
The main idea is the key point the writer wants to tell. It is like the central theme that joins all sentences together.
Q3. What should I do first in a comprehension passage?
Always start by reading carefully. Try to understand what the passage is saying before looking at the questions.
Q4. Is there any trick to solve comprehension easily?
Yes! Read slowly, underline important words, and don’t try to memorize. Just understand and then answer in your own way.
Q5. How can I score full marks in comprehension?
Keep your answers short, correct, and to the point. Use your own words, write in complete sentences, and avoid copying long lines.
Q6. Why do writers give a passage?
A passage is given to share information, explain an idea, or tell a story. Its purpose is to check how well the reader understands.
Q7. How is a passage different from a paragraph?
A paragraph is one section of writing about one idea. A passage can be one or more paragraphs taken from a larger text.
Q8. What is the usual format of a comprehension test?
It has a short passage followed by questions. You need to read, understand, and then write the answers briefly and clearly.
