READING SKILLS 

Along with writing skills, it is very important to have reading skills. A comprehension passage will help you to improve both your reading and writing skills.   

PASSAGE 1 OF READING SKILLS

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

PARAGRAPH 1 OF READING SKILLS

Once upon a time, a rich and cruel king made up his mind to marry a young and beautiful girl. But no girl was ready to marry him because he was old and ugly. One day, his eyes fell upon the most beautiful girl of his kingdom. He sent a marriage proposal to her parents. But the girl refused to marry the king and asked her parents to help her.

PARAGRAPH 2 OF READING SKILLS

“It is simply impossible to say ‘no’ to the king. However, if you really want to avoid this situation, you will have to put such pre-conditions before the king that he may not be able to fulfil,” said her mother. “There is a donkey with him which is the real source of his royal power. It has miraculous powers. You may ask for its skin.” But quite contrary to their expectation the king, at once, sent the girl the skin of his most loved donkey. As the young girl was never ready to marry the king, she put the donkey skin and fled to a neighbouring country in her unique disguise. It was very hard to recognize her. There she took up the job of a serving girl in an inn in order to earn her living. She lived alone in a room of the inn and baked fine cakes.

PARAGRAPH 3 OF READING SKILLS

One day, the prince of the land came to stay at the inn for a few days. Once, while he was loitering in the inn, he came across a closed door. Out of curiosity he peeped in the room through the keyhole and saw a beautiful girl inside combing her long hair. Seeing her beauty, the prince fell in love with her at the first sight. The prince enquired who stayed in that room. The people of the inn informed him that an ugly serving girl was living in it. They even showed the Donkey Skinned girl to him. The prince admitted that he had not seen that girl through the keyhole.

PARAGRAPH 4 OF READING SKILLS

But the prince was so love-sick that he lost his appetite and began to grow weak day after day. He was advised by the royal doctor to eat a piece of cake baked by the Donkey Skinned girl. So, the Donkey Skinned girl was asked to bake a cake. But, the prince, while he was taking a bite of the cake, found a golden ring in it. The ring had slipped off from the Donkey Skinned girl’s finger.

PARAGRAPH 5 OF READING SKILLS

The prince remembered having seen the ring on the finger of the girl whom he had seen in the room through the keyhole. The prince was so mad in love with that unknown girl that he decided to marry only that girl on whose finger the ring fitted snugly. The king and queen agreed to his request and a hunt began to find out the girl to whom that golden ring belonged. All the girls were ordered to try the ring. The Donkey Skinned girl was also asked to try the ring and, she had to admit that the golden ring belonged to her and she was herself in love with the prince and wanted to marry him. The king and queen were happy to know her decision. A grand royal wedding took place and the Prince and the Donkey Skinned girl both lived together happily thereafter. 

QUESTIONS ON READING SKILLS

1.What happened to the marriage proposal sent by the king? 

A)It was rejected by the parents of the girl.

B)It was accepted by the girl.

C)It was refused by the girl because the king was old and ugly.

D)Both (A) and (C)

QUESTIONS ON READING SKILLS

2.How did the parents of the girl help their daughter avoid the marriage proposal?

A)By asking her to say ‘no’ to the king.

B)By asking her to place an almost impossible condition before the king.

C)By suggesting her to demand the skin of the donkey which was with the king.

D)Both (B) and (C)

E)All (A), (B), (C)

3.What did the girl do to avoid her marriage with the king? Select the most appropriate answer.

A)She fled to the neighbouring country in a unique disguise.

B)She started baking cakes.

C)She started living alone in a room.

D)None of the above 

QUESTIONS ON READING SKILLS

4.What was the girl doing when the prince saw her for the first time? 

A)She was sleeping in bed.

B)She was serving food to her parents.

C)She was singing a song.

D)She was combing her hair.

E)Other than those given as options.

QUESTIONS ON READING SKILLS

5.Why did the prince lose his appetite?

A)Because he was having problems in his digestive system

B)Because he was a love-starved prince

C)Because he was under the influence of liquor

D)Because he had not eaten tasty food for a long time 

E)None of the above

6.Who did the golden ring belong to? 

A)The king 

B)The prince

C)The Donkey Skinned girl

D)The queen 

E)The owner of the inn

ANSWERS: 

1.(C) It was refused by the girl because the king was old and ugly

2.(D) Both (B) and (C)

3.(A) She fled to the neighbouring country in a unique disguise

4.(D) She was combing her hair

5.(B) Because he was a love-starved prince

6.(C) The Donkey Skinned girl