Unseen passages are the easiest way to increase your score in an English exam. Why am I saying so? Because it is like an open book test. You don’t have to remember anything from your literature books. If you make a habit to practise at least one reading comprehension daily, your reading and comprehending skills will improve and you can easily score full marks in comprehension passages asked in your exams. This article will give you the ultimate guide to reading unseen texts in the English exam.
How to Solve Unseen passage with MCQ for CBSE/ICSE Class 9-12 / Competitive Exams
Tips and Tricks to solve an Unseen Passage with MCQ
- First, a general reading will give you an idea of what the passage is all about.
- Don’t stress yourself with the words that you did not understand. You may later on find out that these words were not important from questions point of view. In other words, if any question was not directly related with those unknown or strange words. So, you can easily skip them in he examination hall. Well, you must check them in the dictionary after coming back home.
- Most of the time question are put up in the sequence that follows in the passage. It means first and second question will be asked from the 1st paragraph. Hence, focus only on that paragraph from which question has been asked. It will save you from getting confused.
- Out of 10 questions only 2 or 3 questions can be language or vocabulary based questions that test your word power. If you have read that word for the first time, try to perceive its closest meaning from the sentence in which it is used.
- Never leave any answer unmarked in multiple choice question paper unless you are negatively marked. CBSE and ICSE do not cut marks for wrong answers. So, you are free to answer the doubtful question with your best judgement.
The following reading comprehension will clear the doubts in a practical way.
Benefits of solving unseen passages
It will improve your
- Reading skills
- Writing skills
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Comprehending skills
- Communication skills
- General knowledge
- Verbal ability
- Reading speed
- Argumentative skills
- Overall language proficiency
CBSE Unseen passage with MCQ
During our growing up years we as children were taught both at home and school-to worship the photos and idols of the gods of our respective religions. When we grow a little older, we were to read holy books like The Bhagwad Gita, Bible and Quran; we were told that there are a lot of life lessons to be learnt from these holy books. We were then introduced to stories from our mythologies which taught us about ethics and morality-what is good and what is bad.
I also learnt to be respectful towards my parents who made my life comfortable with their hard work and love and care, and my teachers who guided me to become a good student and a responsible citizen. Much later in life, I realised that though we learn much from our respective holy books, there is a lot to learn from our surroundings. This realisation dawned upon me when I learnt to enquire and explore.
Everything around us- the sun, the moon, the stars, rain, rivers, stones, rocks, birds, plants and animals-teach us many valuable life lessons. No wonder that besides the scriptures in many cultures nature is also worshipped. The message that we get is to save our environment and maintain ecological balance. People are taught to live in harmony with nature and recognise that there is God in all aspects of nature. Nature is a great teacher.
A river never stops flowing. If it finds an obstacle in its way in the form of heavy rock, the river water fights to remove it from its path or finds an alternative path to move ahead. This teaches us to be progressive in life, and keep the fighting spirit alive. Snakes are worshipped as they eat insects in the field that can hurt our crops, thus protecting the grains for us. In fact, whatever we worship is our helper and makes our lives easy for us. There are many such examples in nature, but we are not ready to learn a lesson, overcome with greed, we are destroying nature. As a result, we face natural disasters like drought, floods and landslides. We don’t know that nature is angry with us. However, it is never too late to learn. If we learn to respect nature the quality of our life will improve.
Q 1 When are we taught to worship the photos and idols of Gods?
a. in our childhood
b. in our adulthood
c. in our old age
d. all through our life
Show Answer
a. in our childhood
Q 2 Why are we told to read holy books as per the passage?
a. to be aware of mythological stories
b. to learn life lessons from them
c. to enrich our knowledge
d. to enrich our vocabulary
Show Answer
b. to learn life lessons from them
Q 3 Why are we taught mythology according to the passage?
a. to make history rememberable
b. these stories tell us what is good and what is bad
c. mythological stories appear interesting to children
d. None of the above
Show Answer
b. these stories tell us what is good and what is bad
Q 4 Why should we respect our parents and teachers? because…
a. parents give us money and teachers give us education
b. parents make our life comfortable and teachers guide us.
c. our elders did the same so we should follow them.
d. none of the above
Show Answer
b. parents make our life comfortable and teachers guide us.
Q 5 What did the writer realise when he learnt to enquire and explore? He realised that…
a. we should respect our elders
b. we should worship the pictures and idols of Gods.
c. we can learn from holy books.
d. we can learn from our surroundings too.
Show Answer
d. we can learn from our surroundings too.
Q 6 What message do we get when we worship nature?
a. nature is very powerful and can destroy humans.
b. to utilise natural resources conservatively
c. that cleanliness is Godliness
d. we should save our environment and maintain ecological balance.
Show Answer
d. we should save our environment and maintain ecological balance.
Q 7 How does a river face an obstacle that comes in its way?
a. it stops then and there instantly
b. it demolishes everything that comes in its way.
c. it either removes the obstacle or changes its way to move ahead
d. All above
Show Answer
c. it either removes the obstacle or changes its way to move ahead
Q 8 What moral education lies behind the continuous flowing of a river?
a. it teaches us to keep progressing in life.
b. if the hurdle is stubborn, find an alternative way.
c. both a and b
d. none of the above
Show Answer
c. both a and b
Q 9 According to the passage why do we face natural disasters?
a. because humans are destroying nature
b. nature is near its expiry.
c. humans have overused natural resources.
d. all above
Show Answer
a. because humans are destroying nature
Q 10 Choose the quote that best expresses the central idea of the passage.
We are all born idolaters, and idolatry is good, because it is in the nature of man.
(a)
Swami Vivekananda
You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.
(b)
Saint Bernard
Be like the river encountering a rock – flow with grace around any obstacle.
(c)
Scott Shaw
Nobody on earth can ever love you more than your parents.
(d)
Show Answer
b “You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.“
If you found it interesting, you can practise more unseen passage with multiple choice questions.