Introduction
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When I was in school, comprehension passages were one section I always felt a little nervous about.
Sometimes the passages were stories, like “The Thirsty Crow” and other times they were newspaper-style articles about pollution, health, or history.
At first, I used to just copy lines directly from the passage into my answers.
But then I realized teachers expected me to understand the meaning and write in my own words.
For example, if the question was “Why did the crow put stones in the pot?” the answer wasn’t just copying the line.
I had to explain that “The crow wanted to raise the water level so it could drink.”
That’s when comprehension started making sense to me not memorizing, but actually thinking.
Today, I feel this section is one of the easiest to score in exams, if we know how to approach it with focus and practice.
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| A Student is Reading Comprehension |
Comprehension Passage for Class 6 to class 8
Passage - 1
An important turning point in my life was my marriage to Smt. G. Durgabai, then about forty-three years of age.
She said later that she had heard of me form 1946 onwards, of my capacity and character, and that on an occasion when she was in Bombay.
She had requested her friend Narayan Prasad who was in the Reserve Bank to arrange for her to call on me there.
I shall gladly do it Durgabai; but what shall I say your business is I he had asked.
I have no business-this will be just a courtesy call I am sorry, in that case the Governor will not see you.
He sees people in office only on business'. So the matter had been dropped.
For my part, the first time, I had heard about her was in connection with some incident in the Provisional Parliament in 1949.
When John Matthai had been unthinkably discourteous to her, but had apologized later and Durgabai has shown much forbearance according to press reports.
I saw and met her first only after I succeeded Matthai as Union Finance Minister.
I had already noticed her as an active member of Parliament and a good speaker, but took no particular interest in her.
QUESTIONS
1. What office did the writer of this account hold before he was the Union Finance Minister ?
2. Who was the Union Finance Minister immediately before him ?
3. What was Narayan Prasad's opinion of the Reserve Bank Governor's habit in the matter of seeing people in his office ?
4. Why did John Matthai beg apology to Smt. G. Durgabai ?
5. What did the writer know about her before he married her.
ANSWERS
1. The writer of this account held the office of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India before he became the Union Finance Minister.
2. Jonn Matthai was the Union Finance Minister before he held this office.
3. Narayan Prasad knew that, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India would not meet any person in the office without business.
4. John Matthai begged apology to Smt. Durgabai because he had once unthinkably offended her.
5. He only knew her as an active member of the Parliament and a good speaker.
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PASSAGE - 2
Boxing, fist-fighting with gloves worn by two men in a roped square, is both an amateur and professional sport with wide international following and participation.
The aim of all boxers is to win either on points, by scoring more blows on the target (defined as "any part of the front or side of the head or body above the belt') or to out class an opponent so that he is unable to defend himself, or is counted out within ten seconds for a 'knock-out'.
All rounds boxed by both senior amateurs and professionals are of three minutes duration followed by a minute's rest, when the boxers may be seated in their corners.
Amateur boots are all of three rounds but the professionals box from six rounds for beginners up to the championship distance of fifteen rounds.
Governing bodies of professional boxing have agreed on a uniform scale of weights for the recognized eleven divisions-for instance, a light heavy weight boxer's weight can be between 73 kgs, and 79 kgs.
The successful boxer aims at hitting his opponent without being hit in return. He needs speed, judgement, endurance, fitness and, above all courage, but he also needs a cool head.
QUESTIONS
1. What does a boxer do in a roped square?
2. For how many minutes do boxers fight in one round?
3. How are amateur boxes distinguished from professionals?
4. How are boxers classed into heavy-weight and light-heavy weight?
5. What does all boxers aim at ?
ANSWERS
1. A boxer wears gloves in his hands and fights with his fists. scoring blows on any part of the front or sides of the head or body above the belt of his opponent.
2. Boxers fight for three minutes in one round after which they take rest for one minute.
3. Amateur boxers fight for three rounds. Professional boxers fight for six rounds when they are beginners One has to fight for fifteen rounds to qualify for championship.
4. They are classed as heavy-weight or light-heavy weight according to their weight. A light heavy weight boxer weighs between 73 to 79 kgs.
A heavy-weight boxers weighs more than 79 kgs.
5. All boxers aim at defeating an opponent by scoring more blows. They try to outclass the opponent so that he is unable to defend himself.
They aim at making the opponent counted out within ten seconds for a 'knock-out'.
Conclusion
From my own practice, I’ve learned that solving different types of passages regularly stories, biographies, or even descriptions of games improves both speed and accuracy.
Exams reward not memorization but clarity of thought.
So, if you want to score well, focus on understanding the passage, writing in your own words, and practicing daily.
The more passages you attempt, the sharper your comprehension skills will become.
Also, don’t forget to check out other solved comprehension passages on our blog to practice more and build confidence for your exams.
Also read :
FAQ Section on Comprehension
1) What do you mean by comprehension?
Comprehension means the ability to understand a passage and answer questions based on it. It tests how well you can grasp ideas, meanings, and details from written text.
2) What are the 5 basic comprehension questions?
The five basic comprehension questions usually check:
- Main idea of the passage
- Supporting details
- Vocabulary meaning
- Inferences (reading between the lines)
- Critical thinking or opinion-based questions
3) How do I prepare for a comprehension test?
To prepare, read passages regularly, underline key points, practice past exam questions, and focus on writing answers in short, clear sentences.
4) What are the 4 components of comprehension?
The four key components are:
- Literal understanding (exact meaning)
- Inferential understanding (hidden meaning)
- Critical evaluation (your judgment)
- Application (using the idea in another context)
5) What's the best way to improve comprehension?
The best way is daily practice—read newspapers, short stories, or editorials and summarize them in your own words. Discuss with friends or write down key points to remember.
6) What are English comprehension questions?
English comprehension questions are test items based on a passage. They can be factual, inferential, critical, or vocabulary-based, designed to check your understanding of English texts.
7) How can I improve my comprehension skills in English?
Read regularly, practice with solved examples, expand your vocabulary, and focus on answering in your own words instead of copying sentences.
