Boost your English section score by attempting these Questions for CLAT 2026 English.
QUESTIONS
Passage 1:
It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime. I was 12 when Hassan stopped smiling. I have been the reason Hassan stopped smiling. I treated Hassan badly. I treated him so badly I’m bewildered by it now. I wanted to do it to save Baba’s love—for me. But there was so much more to this betrayal, so much more than Hassan’s grief. Why didn’t I take a stand? Why didn’t I tell Baba what happened? That was supposed to be the end of my journey as a coward. I was wrong.*
1. What theme is central to the passage?
A. Friendship
B. Betrayal and Guilt
C. Social Inequality
D. Selflessness
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The narrator admits betraying Hassan and reflects on his guilt, showcasing the theme of betrayal and guilt.
2. How does the narrator’s perspective contribute to the story’s message?
A. By emphasizing Hassan’s emotional pain
B. By illustrating the flaws in their friendship
C. By showcasing the narrator’s struggle for redemption
D. By exploring themes of love and hate
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The narrator’s regret amplifies his personal struggle for redemption, a central message of the novel.
Passage 2:
“Afghans cherish custom but abhor rules. And so the rule was that all male children sign up for the kite-flying tournament where winning was both an honor and a sign of prosperity. The sky was a sea of rippling colors, as if happiness itself had taken flight. That year was mine. But happiness and honor carried their price.”
3. What literary device is prominently used in “the sky was a sea of rippling colors”?
A. Metaphor
B. Hyperbole
C. Simile
D. Personification
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The phrase compares the sky to a sea through metaphor, indicating vibrancy and emotion during the kite-flying contest.
4. What does the passage reveal about Afghan culture?
A. It celebrates individuality.
B. It values customs over regulations.
C. It focuses on economic prosperity.
D. It prioritizes personal happiness.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The text highlights the importance of traditional practices like kite-flying competitions despite its seemingly contradictory stance on strict rules.
Passage 3:
Baba was a force of nature, a man who could wrestle a bear and win, or so the legend went. But beneath the towering presence, the and the booming voice, lay a man wrestling with his own demons. He built an orphanage, a testament to his generosity, yet his relationship with his own son, Amir, was a landscape of unspoken tension and unmet expectations.
He was revered in the community, a figure of unwavering principles, yet held a secret that would unravel the very fabric of his carefully constructed life. His disapproval of Amir’s penchant for writing and quiet nature was palpable, a constant, heavy cloud. It was as if he saw in Amir everything he wasn’t, everything he perhaps secretly feared.
This complex, often contradictory nature of Baba is not just a character study; it is a reflection of the turbulent times and the multifaceted Afghan identity struggling with tradition, modernity, and personal integrity in a rapidly changing world.
5. The description of Baba as a “force of nature” and a man who could “wrestle a bear” primarily serves to:
A. Illustrate his physical strength and dominance.
B. Highlight his larger-than-life persona and reputation.
C. Suggest his unpredictable and untamable character.
D. Emphasize his connection to the natural world.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The phrases are hyperbole used to depict Baba’s imposing presence and the almost mythical status he held in the community.
6. What can be inferred about Baba’s internal struggles based on the passage?
A. He regretted his past actions and sought redemption.
B. He was unable to reconcile his public image with his private life.
C. He secretly wished Amir was more like him.
D. He feared his secrets would be exposed.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The passage highlights the contrast between his revered public persona (building an orphanage, unwavering principles) and his internal “demons” and “secret,” suggesting a struggle with reconciling these aspects of his life.
7. The author’s perspective on Baba in this passage is one of:
A. Uncritical admiration.
B. Sympathetic analysis of his complexities.
C. Harsh judgment of his flaws.
D. Indifference to his struggles.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The passage acknowledges Baba’s flaws and secrets (“wrestling with his own demons,” “a secret that would unravel”) but also presents his positive actions (“built an orphanage”) and frames his struggles within the context of Afghan identity, indicating a sympathetic and analytical perspective.
Passage 4:
The winter of 1975 changed everything. Not just for me, but for Hassan, for Baba, for Afghanistan. The kite-flying tournament was supposed to be a celebration, a brief reprieve from the growing tensions that simmered beneath the surface of Kabul. Instead, it became the stage for a brutal act that would forever scar our lives.
My cowardice that day, my failure to intervene, was a turning point, a moment where the trajectory of our intertwined fates diverged irrevocably. The silence that followed, the unspoken truth that lay between Hassan and me, was a chasm that widened with each passing day.
This event, rooted in the social hierarchy and ethnic tensions between Pashtuns and Hazaras, was more than a personal tragedy; it was a microcosm of the larger conflicts brewing in Afghanistan, a nation on the cusp of decades of turmoil and displacement. The snow that fell that winter seemed to bury not just the city, but also the innocence we once shared.
8. The phrase “microcosm of the larger conflicts brewing in Afghanistan” suggests that:
A. The event was a direct cause of the Afghan civil war.
B. The personal tragedy mirrored the broader societal issues and tensions.
C. The kite-flying tournament was a significant political event.
D. The author believes the event was symbolic but not impactful.
Correct Answer:
B Explanation: A microcosm is a small representation of a larger system. The passage argues that the personal tragedy reflects the wider ethnic and social conflicts present in Afghanistan.
9. How does the author use the setting to enhance the narrative?
A. The cold symbolizes the characters’ emotional frigidity.
B. The season provides a stark backdrop for the unfolding events.
C. The snow represents the purity of the characters’ past.
D. The winter weather hinders the characters’ actions.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The “winter of 1975” is presented as a time of significant change and the “snow that fell that winter seemed to bury…the innocence,” suggesting the setting is used to emphasize the gravity and transformative nature of the events that occurred.
10. The “chasm that widened with each passing day” between the narrator and Hassan represents:
A. Their physical separation after the event.
B. The growing distance caused by the unspoken betrayal.
C. Their differing interpretations of what happened.
D. The influence of external forces on their friendship.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The “chasm” is explicitly linked to “the silence that followed, the unspoken truth that lay between Hassan and me,” indicating the emotional and relational distance created by the unaddressed betrayal.
Practice Reading Comprehension Questions for CLAT 2026
Subscribe for updates
Join 10,000+ subscribers.
RU
Ruchika Mohapatra
Contributing author
Have a doubt about this?Ask Doubts
