Solved Examples (Reading Comprehension)

Directions: Each passage in this group is followed by questions based on its content. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question. Answer all questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.

Questions 1-6

Passage: The history of literature really began was the earliest of the arts. Man danced for joy round his primitive camp fire after the defeat and slaughter of his enemy. He yelled and shouted as he danced and gradually the yells and shouts became coherent and caught the measure of the coherent and caught the measure of the dance and thus the first war song was sung. As the idea of God developed prayers were framed. The songs and prayers became traditional and were repeated from one generation to another, each generation adding something of its own.

As man slowly grew more civilized, he was compelled to invent some method of writing by three urgent necessities. There were certain things that it was dangerous to forget and which, therefore, had to be recorded. It was often necessary to communicate with persons who were some distance away and it was necessary to protect one's property by making tools and so on, in some distinctive manner. So man taught himself to write and having learned to write purely for utilitarian reasons he used this new method for preserving his war songs and his prayers. Of course, among these ancient peoples, there were only a very few individuals who learned to write, and only a few could read what was written.


Before man invented writing

  1. Literature was passed on by word of mouth
  2. Prayers were considered literature
  3. Literature was just singing and dancing
  4. There was no literature

(C). The first line of the passage describes the beginning of the literature as sing and dance for joy around the campfires after the defeat and after slaughter of enemy. Gradually these literature forms converted to advance literature. Hence it is obvious; literature was just singing and dancing before the invention of writing, The right answer choice is C.


As for the war songs and prayers each generation

  1. Added something of its own to the stock
  2. Blindly repeated the songs and prayers
  3. Composed its own songs and prayers
  4. Repeated what has handed down to it

(A). In the second last line of the first part the sentence "each generation adding something of its own", gives the right answer choice A.


The first war-song

  1. was inspired by God
  2. developed byspontaneously
  3. was a song traditionally handed down
  4. was composed by leading dancers

(B). Middle of the fourth line of the passage gives the idea that war songs were developed spontaneouslyby yells and shouts. The right answer choice is B.


The war song evolved out of

  1. Creative inspiration
  2. There was no literature
  3. Artistic urge
  4. Yelling and shouting

(D). Same as question there. The right answer choice is D.


Man invented writing because he wanted

  1. To be artistic
  2. To write war song
  3. To write literature
  4. To record and communicate

(D). The second line of the second part of the passage describes the urgency of developing some tool to remember. For the man at that time it was dangerous to forget, therefore he wanted to record for the communication to the people who were at distance from him.


The word 'measure' in the context of the passage means

  1. Weight
  2. Rhythm
  3. Size
  4. Quantity

(B). The writer uses "coherent and measure" simultaneously in the passage. They stand for almost the same meaning of rhythm. Moreover, according to passage both "measure of the coherent" and "measure of the dance" led towards the development of the first war song. This idea also leads towards the implied meaning of the word "measure" as rhythm.