Passage-based Reading Comprehension Questions for CLAT 2026

Major found our hurrying troubles amusing. He’d come to Denver to write leisurely. He treated Dean with extreme deference. Dean paid no attention. Major talked to Dean like this: Moriarty, what’s this I hear about you sleeping with three girls at the same time? And Dean shuffled on the rug and said, Oh yes, oh yes, that’s the way it goes, and looked at his watch, and Major snuffed down his nose. I felt sheepish rushing off with Dean – Major insisted he was a moron and a fool. Of course he wasn’t, and I wanted to prove it to everybody somehow.

We met Eddie. Dean paid no attention to him either, and off we went in a trolley across the hot Denver noon to find the jobs. I hated the thought of it. Eddie talked and talked the way he always did. We found a man in the markets who agreed to hire both of us; work started at four o’clock in the morning and went till six P.M. The man said, I like boys who like to work.

You’ve got your man, said Eddie, but I wasn’t so sure about myself. “I just won’t sleep,” I
decided. There were so many other interesting things to do. Eddie showed up the next morning; I didn’t. I had a bed, and Major bought food for the icebox, and in exchange for that I cooked and washed the dishes.

Meantime I got all involved in everything. A big party took place at the Rawlinses’ one night. The Rawlins mother was gone on a trip. Ray Rawlins called everybody he knew and told them to bring whisky; then he went through his address book for girls. He made me do most of the talking. A whole bunch of girls showed up. I phoned Carlo to find out what Dean was doing now. Dean was coming to Carlo’s at three in the morning. I went there after the party.

Carlo’s basement apartment was on Grant Street in an old red-brick rooming house near a church. You went down an alley, down some stone steps, opened an old raw door, and went
through a kind of cellar till you came to his board door. It was like the room of a Russian saint: one bed, a candle burning, stone walls that oozed moisture, and a crazy makeshift ikon of some kind that he had made. He read me his poetry. It was called “Denver Doldrums”.

Source: On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Question 1: What is the narrator’s initial reaction to Major’s opinion about Dean?

a) The narrator completely agrees with Major.
b) The narrator feels indifferent to Major’s opinion.
c) The narrator feels embarrassed and wishes to defend Dean.
d) The narrator tries to convince Major of Dean’s intelligence but fails.

Correct Answer: c) The narrator feels embarrassed and wishes to defend Dean.

Explanation: The passage states, “I felt sheepish rushing off with Dean – Major insisted he was a moron and a fool. Of course he wasn’t, and I wanted to prove it to everybody somehow.” This shows the narrator’s embarrassment and desire to prove Dean’s worth.

Question 2: What can be inferred about Eddie’s character from his behavior in the passage?

a) Eddie is diligent and enthusiastic about work.
b) Eddie is lazy and unreliable.
c) Eddie is indifferent towards finding a job.
d) Eddie is manipulative and tries to avoid responsibilities.

Correct Answer: a) Eddie is diligent and enthusiastic about work.

Explanation: Eddie’s enthusiasm is evident when he confidently tells the employer, “You’ve got your man,” and shows up for work the next morning, unlike the narrator who does not show up. This highlights his readiness and diligence.

a) A lavish and modern space filled with luxurious furniture.
b) A cozy and welcoming apartment with warm decor.
c) A damp and minimalistic space resembling a hermit’s abode.
d) A poorly lit room with no distinguishing features.

Correct Answer: c) A damp and minimalistic space resembling a hermit’s abode.

Explanation: The passage describes Carlo’s apartment as “like the room of a Russian saint: one bed, a candle burning, stone walls that oozed moisture, and a crazy makeshift ikon.” These details highlight the austere and minimalistic atmosphere.

a) The narrator is determined and hardworking.
b) The narrator is distracted and lacks focus on responsibilities.
c) The narrator is frustrated and looking for an escape.
d) The narrator is reluctant but resigned to his duties.

Correct Answer: b) The narrator is distracted and lacks focus on responsibilities.

Explanation: The narrator decides not to sleep because of the allure of other activities, indicating a lack of commitment to work and a preference for distractions over responsibilities.

a) Respectful and admiring.
b) Critical and dismissive.
c) Neutral and objective.
d) Casual and indulgent.

Correct Answer: d) Casual and indulgent.

Explanation: The passage portrays Dean as carefree and nonchalant, seen in the lines, “Dean shuffled on the rug and said, ‘Oh yes, oh yes, that’s the way it goes,’ and looked at his watch.” The narrator describes Dean’s actions without judgment, reflecting an indulgent tone.

Outside El Paso, in the darkness, we saw a small huddled figure with thumb stuck out. It was our promised hitchhiker. We pulled up and backed to his side. «How much money you got, kid?»

The kid had no money; he was about seventeen, pale, strange, with one undeveloped crippled hand and no suitcase. «Ain’t he sweet?» said Dean, turning to me with a serious awe. «Come on in, fella, we’ll take you out – » The kid saw his advantage. He said he had an aunt in Tulare, California, who owned a grocery store and as soon as we got there he’d have some money for us. Dean rolled on the floor laughing, it was so much like the kid in North Carolina. «Yes! Yes!» he yelled.

«We’ve all got aunts; well, let’s go, let’s see the aunts and the uncles and the grocery stores all the way ALONG that road!!» And we had a new passenger, and a fine little guy he turned out to be, too. He didn’t say a word, he listened to us. After a minute of Dean’s talk he was probably convinced he had joined a car of madmen. He said he was hitchhiking from Alabama to Oregon, where his home was. We asked him what he was doing in Alabama.

«I went to visit my uncle; he said he’d have a job for me in a lumber mill. The job fell through, so I’m comin back home.»

«Coin home,» said Dean, «goin home, yes, I know, we’ll take you home, far as Frisco anyhow.» But we didn’t have any money. Then it occurred to me I could borrow five dollars from my old friend Hal Hingham in Tucson, Arizona. Immediately Dean said it was all settled and we were going to Tucson. And we did.

We passed Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the night and arrived in Arizona at dawn. I woke up
from a deep sleep to find everybody sleeping like lambs and the car parked God knows where, because I couldn’t see out the steamy windows. I got out of the car. We were in the mountains: there was a heaven of sunrise, cool purple airs, red mountainsides, emerald pastures in valleys, dew, and transmuting clouds of gold; on the ground gopher holes, cactus, mesquite. It was time for me to drive on. I pushed Dean and the kid over and went down the mountain with the clutch in and the motor off to save gas. In this manner I rolled into Benson, Arizona.

Source: On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Question 1: What does the kid claim as his reason for hitchhiking to Tulare, California?

a) He wants to meet his aunt, who owns a grocery store.
b) He is looking for a job in a lumber mill.
c) He plans to return to his home in Oregon.
d) He wants to visit his uncle, who promised him a job.

Correct Answer: a) He wants to meet his aunt, who owns a grocery store.

Explanation: The kid mentions that he has an aunt in Tulare who owns a grocery store and promises that he’ll have money for the travelers once they reach her. This becomes part of the group’s decision to pick him up.

Question 2: What does Dean’s reaction to the kid’s story reveal about his personality?

a) Dean is highly skeptical of the kid’s story and distrusts him.
b) Dean finds the story amusing and enthusiastically decides to pick up the kid.
c) Dean is indifferent to the kid’s background and picks him up without much thought.
d) Dean feels pity for the kid and reluctantly offers him a ride.

Correct Answer: b) Dean finds the story amusing and enthusiastically decides to pick up the kid.

Explanation: Dean’s excitement is evident when he rolls on the floor laughing and exclaims, “We’ve all got aunts; well, let’s go, let’s see the aunts and the uncles and the grocery stores all the way ALONG that road!!” This shows his humorous and carefree nature.

a) They wanted to enjoy the scenic beauty of Arizona.
b) Dean wanted to visit an old friend in Tucson.
c) The narrator hoped to borrow money from his friend Hal Hingham.
d) The kid suggested they pass through Tucson on their way to California.

Correct Answer: c) The narrator hoped to borrow money from his friend Hal Hingham.

Explanation: The narrator suggests borrowing five dollars from his friend Hal Hingham in Tucson, which immediately convinces Dean to adjust their route. This decision highlights their financial struggles and impulsive planning.

Question 4: What can be inferred about the narrator’s state of mind during the dawn in Arizona?

a) He feels anxious about their financial situation.
b) He is overwhelmed by the natural beauty around him.
c) He is tired and frustrated by the journey.
d) He is focused on calculating their next destination.

Correct Answer: b) He is overwhelmed by the natural beauty around him.

Explanation: The narrator vividly describes the sunrise with phrases like “a heaven of sunrise, cool purple airs, red mountainsides, emerald pastures in valleys, dew, and transmuting clouds of gold,” indicating his admiration for the serene landscape.

a) The narrator is experimenting with a new driving technique.
b) The travelers are trying to conserve fuel due to limited resources.
c) The narrator is in a rush to reach their next stop.
d) The car has mechanical issues, forcing the narrator to drive cautiously.

Correct Answer: b) The travelers are trying to conserve fuel due to limited resources.

Explanation: The line “I pushed Dean and the kid over and went down the mountain with the clutch in and the motor off to save gas” clearly highlights their financial constraints and the need to economize on fuel during the journey.