Reading Comprehension
23 JIPMAT English previous year questions (PYQs) from 5 papers, 2021 to 2025, with answers, and worked solutions for some.
About this chapter
- Most-asked subtopics: Passage Comprehension (21), Paragraph Summary (2).
- Updated 22 September 2026.
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#1ModeratePassage Comprehension
One of the peculiarities which distinguish the present age is the multiplication of books. Everyday brings new advertisements of literary undertakings, and we are flattered with repeated promises of growing wise on easier terms than our progenitors. How much either happiness or knowledge is advanced by this multitude of authors, is not very easy to decide. He that teaches us anything which we know not before, is undoubtedly to be loved as a benefactor; and he that supplies life with innocent amusement, will certainly be caressed as a pleasing companion. But a few of those who fill the world with books, have any pretensions to the hope either of pleasing or instructing. They have often no other task than to lay two books before them out of which they compile a third, without any new materials of their own, and with little application of judgement to those which former authors have supplied. That all compilations are useless, I do not assert. Particles of science are often widely scattered upon topics very remote from the principal subject, which are often more valuable than formal treatises, and which yet are not known because they are not promised in the title. He that collects those under proper heads is laudably employed; for though he exerts no great abilities in the work, he facilitates the progress of others, and, by making that easy of attainment which is already written, may give some mind more vigorous or more adventurous than his own, leisure for new thoughts and originality of designs. But the collections poured lately from the press have seldom been made at any great expense of time or inquiry and therefore only serve to distract choice without supplying any real want.#2ModeratePassage Comprehension
One of the peculiarities which distinguish the present age is the multiplication of books. Everyday brings new advertisements of literary undertakings, and we are flattered with repeated promises of growing wise on easier terms than our progenitors. How much either happiness or knowledge is advanced by this multitude of authors, is not very easy to decide. He that teaches us anything which we know not before, is undoubtedly to be loved as a benefactor; and he that supplies life with innocent amusement, will certainly be caressed as a pleasing companion. But a few of those who fill the world with books, have any pretensions to the hope either of pleasing or instructing. They have often no other task than to lay two books before them out of which they compile a third, without any new materials of their own, and with little application of judgement to those which former authors have supplied. That all compilations are useless, I do not assert. Particles of science are often widely scattered upon topics very remote from the principal subject, which are often more valuable than formal treatises, and which yet are not known because they are not promised in the title. He that collects those under proper heads is laudably employed; for though he exerts no great abilities in the work, he facilitates the progress of others, and, by making that easy of attainment which is already written, may give some mind more vigorous or more adventurous than his own, leisure for new thoughts and originality of designs. But the collections poured lately from the press have seldom been made at any great expense of time or inquiry and therefore only serve to distract choice without supplying any real want.#3ModeratePassage Comprehension
One of the peculiarities which distinguish the present age is the multiplication of books. Everyday brings new advertisements of literary undertakings, and we are flattered with repeated promises of growing wise on easier terms than our progenitors. How much either happiness or knowledge is advanced by this multitude of authors, is not very easy to decide. He that teaches us anything which we know not before, is undoubtedly to be loved as a benefactor; and he that supplies life with innocent amusement, will certainly be caressed as a pleasing companion. But a few of those who fill the world with books, have any pretensions to the hope either of pleasing or instructing. They have often no other task than to lay two books before them out of which they compile a third, without any new materials of their own, and with little application of judgement to those which former authors have supplied. That all compilations are useless, I do not assert. Particles of science are often widely scattered upon topics very remote from the principal subject, which are often more valuable than formal treatises, and which yet are not known because they are not promised in the title. He that collects those under proper heads is laudably employed; for though he exerts no great abilities in the work, he facilitates the progress of others, and, by making that easy of attainment which is already written, may give some mind more vigorous or more adventurous than his own, leisure for new thoughts and originality of designs. But the collections poured lately from the press have seldom been made at any great expense of time or inquiry and therefore only serve to distract choice without supplying any real want.#4ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. Literary criticism does not necessarily have to choose between textual or verbal and contextual study. The distinction between the two types of linguistic meaning is seen at two levels, formal and textual. Formal meaning in poetry is the level at which stylistic patterns occur but these are not restricted to mere form. Panini discusses, in a few sutras scattered over his works, the influence of the concept of language in various spheres of suffixes, primary and secondary derivatives and compounds. Poetics is also indebted to grammar for the terms 'Jati' (genus), 'Kriya' (action), 'Guna' (quality) and 'Dravya' (individual/substance) which it uses in connection with certain poetic figures or while dealing with the expressive function of words. Literary criticism, in the Sanskrit tradition, has been understood to be a sastra by which is meant any systematic, well-formulated body of knowledge. A 'sastraic' exposition is supposed to involve inquiry into the nature of substance, nature of language and the validity of critical statements. Thus, a basic understanding of the grammatical and philosophical issues is a prerequisite for the understanding of critical questions.#5ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. Literary criticism does not necessarily have to choose between textual or verbal and contextual study. The distinction between the two types of linguistic meaning is seen at two levels, formal and textual. Formal meaning in poetry is the level at which stylistic patterns occur but these are not restricted to mere form. Panini discusses, in a few sutras scattered over his works, the influence of the concept of language in various spheres of suffixes, primary and secondary derivatives and compounds. Poetics is also indebted to grammar for the terms 'Jati' (genus), 'Kriya' (action), 'Guna' (quality) and 'Dravya' (individual/substance) which it uses in connection with certain poetic figures or while dealing with the expressive function of words. Literary criticism, in the Sanskrit tradition, has been understood to be a sastra by which is meant any systematic, well-formulated body of knowledge. A 'sastraic' exposition is supposed to involve inquiry into the nature of substance, nature of language and the validity of critical statements. Thus, a basic understanding of the grammatical and philosophical issues is a prerequisite for the understanding of critical questions.#6ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. Literary criticism does not necessarily have to choose between textual or verbal and contextual study. The distinction between the two types of linguistic meaning is seen at two levels, formal and textual. Formal meaning in poetry is the level at which stylistic patterns occur but these are not restricted to mere form. Panini discusses, in a few sutras scattered over his works, the influence of the concept of language in various spheres of suffixes, primary and secondary derivatives and compounds. Poetics is also indebted to grammar for the terms 'Jati' (genus), 'Kriya' (action), 'Guna' (quality) and 'Dravya' (individual/substance) which it uses in connection with certain poetic figures or while dealing with the expressive function of words. Literary criticism, in the Sanskrit tradition, has been understood to be a sastra by which is meant any systematic, well-formulated body of knowledge. A 'sastraic' exposition is supposed to involve inquiry into the nature of substance, nature of language and the validity of critical statements. Thus, a basic understanding of the grammatical and philosophical issues is a prerequisite for the understanding of critical questions.#7ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. Literary criticism does not necessarily have to choose between textual or verbal and contextual study. The distinction between the two types of linguistic meaning is seen at two levels, formal and textual. Formal meaning in poetry is the level at which stylistic patterns occur but these are not restricted to mere form. Panini discusses, in a few sutras scattered over his works, the influence of the concept of language in various spheres of suffixes, primary and secondary derivatives and compounds. Poetics is also indebted to grammar for the terms 'Jati' (genus), 'Kriya' (action), 'Guna' (quality) and 'Dravya' (individual/substance) which it uses in connection with certain poetic figures or while dealing with the expressive function of words. Literary criticism, in the Sanskrit tradition, has been understood to be a sastra by which is meant any systematic, well-formulated body of knowledge. A 'sastraic' exposition is supposed to involve inquiry into the nature of substance, nature of language and the validity of critical statements. Thus, a basic understanding of the grammatical and philosophical issues is a prerequisite for the understanding of critical questions. Which inquiries are undertaken in 'Sastraic' expositions?#8ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. All great thinkers live and move on a high plane of thought. It is only there they can breathe freely. It is only in contact with spirits like themselves they can live harmoniously and attain that serenity which comes from ideal companionship. I have always thought that the strongest argument in favour of the Baconian theory was, that no man, however indubitable his genius, could have written the plays and sonnets that have come down to us under Shakespeare's name who had not the liberal education of Bacon. How this habit of intercourse with the gods makes one impatient of mere men. The magnificent ideals that have ever haunted the human mind, and given us our highest proofs of a future immortality by reason of the impossibility of their fulfillment here, are splintered into atoms by contact with life's realities. Hence comes our sublime discontent. It may be spiritual or intellectual pride that is engendered on the high plane of intellectual life. But whatever it is, it becomes inevitable. A habitual meditation on the vast problems that underline human life, and are knit into human destinies. It is easy to understand, therefore, why such thinkers fly to the solitude of their own thoughts, or the silent companionship of the immortals; and if they care to present their views in prose or verse to the world, that these views take a sombre and melancholy setting from "the pale cast of thought"in which they were engendered.#9ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. All great thinkers live and move on a high plane of thought. It is only there they can breathe freely. It is only in contact with spirits like themselves they can live harmoniously and attain that serenity which comes from ideal companionship. I have always thought that the strongest argument in favour of the Baconian theory was, that no man, however indubitable his genius, could have written the plays and sonnets that have come down to us under Shakespeare's name who had not the liberal education of Bacon. How this habit of intercourse with the gods makes one impatient of mere men. The magnificent ideals that have ever haunted the human mind, and given us our highest proofs of a future immortality by reason of the impossibility of their fulfillment here, are splintered into atoms by contact with life's realities. Hence comes our sublime discontent. It may be spiritual or intellectual pride that is engendered on the high plane of intellectual life. But whatever it is, it becomes inevitable. A habitual meditation on the vast problems that underline human life, and are knit into human destinies. It is easy to understand, therefore, why such thinkers fly to the solitude of their own thoughts, or the silent companionship of the immortals; and if they care to present their views in prose or verse to the world, that these views take a sombre and melancholy setting from "the pale cast of thought"in which they were engendered.#10ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. All great thinkers live and move on a high plane of thought. It is only there they can breathe freely. It is only in contact with spirits like themselves they can live harmoniously and attain that serenity which comes from ideal companionship. I have always thought that the strongest argument in favour of the Baconian theory was, that no man, however indubitable his genius, could have written the plays and sonnets that have come down to us under Shakespeare's name who had not the liberal education of Bacon. How this habit of intercourse with the gods makes one impatient of mere men. The magnificent ideals that have ever haunted the human mind, and given us our highest proofs of a future immortality by reason of the impossibility of their fulfillment here, are splintered into atoms by contact with life's realities. Hence comes our sublime discontent. It may be spiritual or intellectual pride that is engendered on the high plane of intellectual life. But whatever it is, it becomes inevitable. A habitual meditation on the vast problems that underline human life, and are knit into human destinies. It is easy to understand, therefore, why such thinkers fly to the solitude of their own thoughts, or the silent companionship of the immortals; and if they care to present their views in prose or verse to the world, that these views take a sombre and melancholy setting from "the pale cast of thought"in which they were engendered.#11ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow. All great thinkers live and move on a high plane of thought. It is only there they can breathe freely. It is only in contact with spirits like themselves they can live harmoniously and attain that serenity which comes from ideal companionship. I have always thought that the strongest argument in favour of the Baconian theory was, that no man, however indubitable his genius, could have written the plays and sonnets that have come down to us under Shakespeare's name who had not the liberal education of Bacon. How this habit of intercourse with the gods makes one impatient of mere men. The magnificent ideals that have ever haunted the human mind, and given us our highest proofs of a future immortality by reason of the impossibility of their fulfillment here, are splintered into atoms by contact with life's realities. Hence comes our sublime discontent. It may be spiritual or intellectual pride that is engendered on the high plane of intellectual life. But whatever it is, it becomes inevitable. A habitual meditation on the vast problems that underline human life, and are knit into human destinies. It is easy to understand, therefore, why such thinkers fly to the solitude of their own thoughts, or the silent companionship of the immortals; and if they care to present their views in prose or verse to the world, that these views take a sombre and melancholy setting from "the pale cast of thought"in which they were engendered.#12ModeratePassage Comprehension
The night was cold and dark. There was a great storm, thunder and lightning also. Most men and animals, adequately protected, were asleep in their homes. They were warm and happy. But some monkeys were running through the forest. They had no warm home and there was cold. Worried monkeys looked everywhere for shelter. They had almost resigned themselves to be flattened out by the cold. Suddenly they saw some fireflies. Now, fireflies have a light in their tails, as all our children know. The monkeys took the light for fire. Poor things, they did not know any better. They said, 'We will go near the fire and warm ourselves.' There was a flock of birds in a tree nearby. One bird had a kind heart, and it felt sorry for the monkeys. It called out, 'That is not fire, my friends! Those are fireflies. They give no heat. It is futile to run after them.' Then monkeys got furious and their rage knew no bounds. They did not thank the bird. One monkey said rudely, 'Is it so? We do not want unsolicited advice. I will teach you to say there is no fire.' He jumped up the tree and pulled the poor bird out of its nest. 'Alas!' said the poor bird. 'Why did I try to help a fool?'#13ModeratePassage Comprehension
The night was cold and dark. There was a great storm, thunder and lightning also. Most men and animals, adequately protected, were asleep in their homes. They were warm and happy. But some monkeys were running through the forest. They had no warm home and there was cold. Worried monkeys looked everywhere for shelter. They had almost resigned themselves to be flattened out by the cold. Suddenly they saw some fireflies. Now, fireflies have a light in their tails, as all our children know. The monkeys took the light for fire. Poor things, they did not know any better. They said, 'We will go near the fire and warm ourselves.' There was a flock of birds in a tree nearby. One bird had a kind heart, and it felt sorry for the monkeys. It called out, 'That is not fire, my friends! Those are fireflies. They give no heat. It is futile to run after them.' Then monkeys got furious and their rage knew no bounds. They did not thank the bird. One monkey said rudely, 'Is it so? We do not want unsolicited advice. I will teach you to say there is no fire.' He jumped up the tree and pulled the poor bird out of its nest. 'Alas!' said the poor bird. 'Why did I try to help a fool?'#14ModeratePassage Comprehension
The night was cold and dark. There was a great storm, thunder and lightning also. Most men and animals, adequately protected, were asleep in their homes. They were warm and happy. But some monkeys were running through the forest. They had no warm home and there was cold. Worried monkeys looked everywhere for shelter. They had almost resigned themselves to be flattened out by the cold. Suddenly they saw some fireflies. Now, fireflies have a light in their tails, as all our children know. The monkeys took the light for fire. Poor things, they did not know any better. They said, 'We will go near the fire and warm ourselves.' There was a flock of birds in a tree nearby. One bird had a kind heart, and it felt sorry for the monkeys. It called out, 'That is not fire, my friends! Those are fireflies. They give no heat. It is futile to run after them.' Then monkeys got furious and their rage knew no bounds. They did not thank the bird. One monkey said rudely, 'Is it so? We do not want unsolicited advice. I will teach you to say there is no fire.' He jumped up the tree and pulled the poor bird out of its nest. 'Alas!' said the poor bird. 'Why did I try to help a fool?'#15ModeratePassage Comprehension
The night was cold and dark. There was a great storm, thunder and lightning also. Most men and animals, adequately protected, were asleep in their homes. They were warm and happy. But some monkeys were running through the forest. They had no warm home and there was cold. Worried monkeys looked everywhere for shelter. They had almost resigned themselves to be flattened out by the cold. Suddenly they saw some fireflies. Now, fireflies have a light in their tails, as all our children know. The monkeys took the light for fire. Poor things, they did not know any better. They said, 'We will go near the fire and warm ourselves.' There was a flock of birds in a tree nearby. One bird had a kind heart, and it felt sorry for the monkeys. It called out, 'That is not fire, my friends! Those are fireflies. They give no heat. It is futile to run after them.' Then monkeys got furious and their rage knew no bounds. They did not thank the bird. One monkey said rudely, 'Is it so? We do not want unsolicited advice. I will teach you to say there is no fire.' He jumped up the tree and pulled the poor bird out of its nest. 'Alas!' said the poor bird. 'Why did I try to help a fool?'#16ModerateParagraph Summary
#17ModerateParagraph Summary
#18ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Man’s growth from barbarism into civilization is supposed to be the theme of history. But sometimes, looking at great stretches of history, it is difficult to believe that we are very much civilized or advanced. There is enough of want of co-operation today as we see one country or people selfishly exploiting another. Man in many ways has not made very great progress from other animals. Still, we look down upon the insects as almost the lowest of living things and yet the tiny bees and ants have learnt the art of co-operation and of sacrifice for the common good far better than man. If mutual co-operation and sacrifice for the good of society are the test of civilization, we may say that the bees and ants are superior to man. The old saying goes as follows: “For the family, sacrifice the individual, for the community, the family, for the country, the community, and for the soul, the whole world.” It teaches us the lesson of co-operation and sacrifice for the larger good which we may have forgotten. How wonderful it is to see men and women, and boys and girls smilingly going ahead on the path of progress without caring any pain or suffering? Well, may they smile and be glad for the joy of serving a great cause which is theirs; and for those who are fortunate, comes the joy of sacrifice too.#19ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Man’s growth from barbarism into civilization is supposed to be the theme of history. But sometimes, looking at great stretches of history, it is difficult to believe that we are very much civilized or advanced. There is enough of want of co-operation today as we see one country or people selfishly exploiting another. Man in many ways has not made very great progress from other animals. Still, we look down upon the insects as almost the lowest of living things and yet the tiny bees and ants have learnt the art of co-operation and of sacrifice for the common good far better than man. If mutual co-operation and sacrifice for the good of society are the test of civilization, we may say that the bees and ants are superior to man. The old saying goes as follows: “For the family, sacrifice the individual, for the community, the family, for the country, the community, and for the soul, the whole world.” It teaches us the lesson of co-operation and sacrifice for the larger good which we may have forgotten. How wonderful it is to see men and women, and boys and girls smilingly going ahead on the path of progress without caring any pain or suffering? Well, may they smile and be glad for the joy of serving a great cause which is theirs; and for those who are fortunate, comes the joy of sacrifice too.#20ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Man’s growth from barbarism into civilization is supposed to be the theme of history. But sometimes, looking at great stretches of history, it is difficult to believe that we are very much civilized or advanced. There is enough of want of co-operation today as we see one country or people selfishly exploiting another. Man in many ways has not made very great progress from other animals. Still, we look down upon the insects as almost the lowest of living things and yet the tiny bees and ants have learnt the art of co-operation and of sacrifice for the common good far better than man. If mutual co-operation and sacrifice for the good of society are the test of civilization, we may say that the bees and ants are superior to man. The old saying goes as follows: “For the family, sacrifice the individual, for the community, the family, for the country, the community, and for the soul, the whole world.” It teaches us the lesson of co-operation and sacrifice for the larger good which we may have forgotten. How wonderful it is to see men and women, and boys and girls smilingly going ahead on the path of progress without caring any pain or suffering? Well, may they smile and be glad for the joy of serving a great cause which is theirs; and for those who are fortunate, comes the joy of sacrifice too.#21ModeratePassage Comprehension
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Man’s growth from barbarism into civilization is supposed to be the theme of history. But sometimes, looking at great stretches of history, it is difficult to believe that we are very much civilized or advanced. There is enough of want of co-operation today as we see one country or people selfishly exploiting another. Man in many ways has not made very great progress from other animals. Still, we look down upon the insects as almost the lowest of living things and yet the tiny bees and ants have learnt the art of co-operation and of sacrifice for the common good far better than man. If mutual co-operation and sacrifice for the good of society are the test of civilization, we may say that the bees and ants are superior to man. The old saying goes as follows: “For the family, sacrifice the individual, for the community, the family, for the country, the community, and for the soul, the whole world.” It teaches us the lesson of co-operation and sacrifice for the larger good which we may have forgotten. How wonderful it is to see men and women, and boys and girls smilingly going ahead on the path of progress without caring any pain or suffering? Well, may they smile and be glad for the joy of serving a great cause which is theirs; and for those who are fortunate, comes the joy of sacrifice too.#22ModeratePassage Comprehension
Earth is the only planet so far know with the suitable environment for sustaining life. Man has been tampering with the ecosphere for a long time and is forced to recognize that environmental resources are scarce. Environmental problems are really social problems. They begin with people as cause and end with people as victims. Unplanned use of resources has resulted in the depletion of fossil fuels, pollution of air and water, deforestation which has resulted in ecological imbalance and draining away of national wealth through heavy expenditure on oil and power generation.#23ModeratePassage Comprehension
There are many types of protein molecules in the body, and each type is specific to its function. For example, proteins such as keratin and collagen give strength and elasticity to hair, as well as to skin and tendons; haemoglobin and myoglobin are the oxygenbinding proteins of the blood and the muscle respectively; and ovalbumin, the principal protein off egg white is responsible for setting and foaming properties of eggs. A particularly important group of proteins know as enzymes, direct all the body cells to produce chemical reactions. These reactions provide the basis of every type of cell activity, including growth, repair, the production of energy and the excretion of waste products.