English Quiz - Reading comprehension

Directions (Q1. to Q10.): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

Once upon a time there was a shy and quiet octopus. He nearly always went about on his own because, although he wanted to have lots of friends, he was too self-conscious.

One day, the octopus was trying to catch a very slippery oyster. Before he knew it, he had tied himself into one massive knot, and he couldn’t move. He tried with all his strength to wriggle free, but it was no good. In the end, despite the great embarrassment he felt at being seen in such a tangle, he had to ask for help from the passing fish. Many fish swam past, ignoring him, but one very kind little fish offered to help untie all those tentacles from all those suckers.

The octopus felt heartily relieved when he was finally set free, but he was so shy that he didn’t dare talk to the fish and make friends with him. He simply thanked the fish, and quickly swam off. Later, the octopus spent the whole night thinking that he had wasted a great opportunity to make friends with that very kind little fish.

A couple of days later the octopus was resting between some rocks, when he noticed that everyone around was hurriedly swimming past. He looked into the distance and saw an enormous fish coming over to feed in that area. The octopus quickly hid then, peeping an eye out from his hiding place, he saw that the huge fish was chasing the kind little fish who had untied him. That little fish really needed urgent help, but the big fish was so dangerous looking that no one dared to go near. The octopus, remembering how the little fish had helped him, felt that he had to do whatever he could to come to his aid.

Without hesitating, the octopus shot out from the rocks, like a ray. He put himself right in the path of the giant fish, and before the fish could do anything about it, the octopus had shot out the biggest jet of ink of his life. He grabbed the little fish, and swam off back to hide in the rocks. Everything happened so fast that the big fish had no time to react. However, he soon recovered from the surprise. Off he went to the rocks, looking for the octopus and the little fish. Now, he really wanted to gobble them down.

Soon, though, he began feeling a terrible itch; first in his gills, and then in his fins, and then all over his body. It turned out that this giant fish had a very sensitive skin and the octopus’s dark ink had given him a terrible allergy. So the big fish swam away, irritated all over.

As soon as he was gone, all the fish that had been hiding came and congratulated the octopus for being so brave. Then the little fish told them all how he had helped the octopus a few days earlier, but he had never known anyone who would end up doing something so dangerous. Hearing this, the other fish discovered how nice the shy octopus was, and everyone around was keen to be friends with such a brave and honourable octopus.

Q1. How did the octopus save the little fish?
1. By asking the little fish to hide before the big fish could see him
2. By putting himself between the big fish and the little fish and shooting a jet of ink at the big fish
3. By shooting a jet of ink at the big fish and thus managing to kill it
4. By calling out for help from all the other fish and carrying the little fish to safety
5. By offering his life to the big fish instead of the life of the little fish

Q2. Why did the octopus have to ask for help from the passing fish?
1. He was bored of swimming alone and thus asked the fish to accompany him.
2. He desperately needed to make friends and thus needed the fish to help him.
3. Someone had tied him up in a knot and he could not get himself untied.
4. He needed help in order to escape from the big fish that had come to eat him.
5. He had gotten himself tied up in a knot while trying to catch an oyster.

Q3. ‘He nearly always went about on his own because, although he wanted to have lots of friends, he was too self-conscious.’
How can this sentence be best re-framed without changing its meaning?
1. Having many friends, he was self-conscious.
2. Being alone, he had many friends despite being self-conscious.
3. Being self-conscious, he went about alone despite wanting to have many friends.
4. Being alone, he was self-conscious despite wanting to have many friends.
5. Having many friends, he went about alone despite being self-conscious.

Q4. Which of the following characteristics can be attributed to the little fish from the story?
(A) Kind
(B) Persuasive
(C) Shy
1. Only (A) and (C)
2. Only (A)
3. All (A), (B) and (C)
4. Only (B)
5. Only (B) and (C)

Q5. ‘The octopus, remembering how the little fish had helped him, felt that he had to do what ever he could to come to his aid,’ What feeling of the octopus towards the little fish does this line signify?
1. Revenge
2. Suspicion
3. Gratitude
4. Compassion
5. Repentance

Q6. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.
MASSIVE
1. Big
2. Heavy
3. Thin
4. Frail
5. Plenty

Q7. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.
REACT
1. Emote
2. Respond
3. Replay
4. Look
5. Answer

Q8. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.
NEARLY
1. Quietly
2. Closely
3. Next
4. Almost
5. Proximally

Q9. Choose the word which is opposite in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.
HURRIEDLY
1. Sickly
2. Fast
3. Quickly
4. Palely
5. Leisurely

Q10. Choose the word which is opposite in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.
SHY
1. Healthy
2. Timid
3. Happy
4. Polite
5. Bold

Answers:

Q1. 2)
The fifth paragraph of the passage states that the octopus saved the little fish by putting himself between the big fish and the little fish and shooting a jet of ink at the big fish. Refer to the lines, “He put himself….to hide in the rocks.”

Q2. 5)
The second paragraph of the passage states that the octopus asked for help from the passing fish because he had tied himself into a massive knot and couldn’t move. Refer to the lines, “One day, the octopus….couldn’t move.”

Q3. 3)
The given sentence can be re-framed as ‘Being self-conscious, he went about alone despite wanting to have many friends.’

Q4. 2)
The second paragraph of the passage states that the little fish helped the octopus to untie the massive knot. This brings out the generosity of the little fish. Also, the little fish told everyone about the bravery of the octopus. Therefore, we can conclude that the little fish was kind.

Q5. 3)
The given line signifies that the octopus was thankful to the little fish for helping him untie the massive knot. The octopus was grateful to the little fish and wanted to help her. The fifth paragraph of the passage brings out how the octopus saved the little fish from the giant fish.

Q6. 1
Q7. 2
Q8. 4
Q9. 5 
Q10. 5