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CBSE | Class 5 | English
Explore 4 extract-based question sets designed to build reading comprehension and exam confidence.
Extract Questions
Passage with linked answers
Extract 1
Reading SetPassage
In a quiet village, a rich merchant kept a bright and talkative parrot in a cage of gold. The parrot had a sharp mind and often entertained the merchant with stories and songs. However, deep inside, the bird longed for the open skies and green trees.
gold
sharp
The parrot used its intelligence and talkative nature to keep the merchant company. It entertained him by telling various stories and singing songs. This made the parrot a very valuable and favorite pet for the merchant in his quiet village home.
Despite living in a luxurious golden cage and being well cared for, the parrot was unhappy. Deep inside, it had a strong longing for its natural home. It wanted to experience the open skies and be among the green trees of the forest.
The phrase suggests that although the parrot was surrounded by wealth and expensive things, it was still a prisoner. A cage, even if made of gold, is still a place that limits freedom. It highlights the irony of being rich but unhappy.
Extract Questions
Passage with linked answers
Extract 2
Reading SetPassage
The parrot replied, "Dear master, you look after my needs so well that I have tasted all the tender fruits and chillies. But, I want to taste the joy of flying in the sky. If you really want me to be happy, please let me fly off into the sky."
tender
flying
The parrot explained that true happiness for a bird comes from freedom, not from good food or a golden cage. It told the merchant that if he truly wanted it to be happy, he should allow it to fly into the sky.
The parrot was polite and acknowledged that the merchant looked after all its physical needs very well. It mentioned that it had been provided with the best foods like tender fruits and chillies, showing it wasn't complaining about the quality of care.
In this context, 'needs' refers to the physical things like food and shelter provided by the merchant. 'Wants' refers to the parrot's deeper emotional and natural desire for freedom. The parrot had its needs met, but its heart's want was ignored.
Extract Questions
Passage with linked answers
Extract 3
Reading SetPassage
As the merchant finished speaking, one parrot dropped like a stone from the tree and fell on the ground. The merchant was distressed at this. He hurried away from there.
stone
distressed
The wild parrot dropped from the tree immediately after the merchant finished delivering the message from the pet parrot. This was a calculated reaction to the news of its relative being kept in a cage, intended as a secret signal for escape.
The merchant hurried away because he was deeply upset and saddened by the sight of the bird falling. He believed that the bird had died because of the message he brought, and he didn't want to stay and watch the tragic scene.
The simile 'like a stone' describes a very sudden, heavy, and direct fall. It suggests that the parrot didn't try to flap its wings or save itself, making the act look very convincing as if the bird had truly lost its life.
Extract Questions
Passage with linked answers
Extract 4
Reading SetPassage
He reached into the cage and gently took the still warm body of the bird and placed it on the windowsill. As soon as he stepped back, the bird stirred, stretched its beautiful green wings and flew off into the open sky.
windowsill
green
The merchant believed that the parrot had died suddenly. He reached into the cage to remove its body and placed it on the windowsill, likely as a gesture of respect or to handle the bird's remains outside of the living space.
As soon as the merchant moved away, the parrot stopped pretending to be dead. It stirred its body, stretched out its green wings, and flew away into the sky. This sudden movement proved that the bird was healthy and had been acting.
The escape shows that the parrot was incredibly wise and patient. It was able to observe the merchant's story and apply the lesson immediately. It had the courage to play dead and wait for the perfect moment to gain its freedom.