The Last Bargain - Reading Comprehension

AP/ NCERT  Grade 8 Honeydew
Poem The Last Bargain Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension 1

“Come and hire me,” I cried, while in the morning

I was walking on the stone-paved road.

Sword in hand the King came in his chariot.

He held my hand and said, “I will hire you with my power,”

But his power counted for naught, and he went away in his chariot.

1. What does the speaker ask of the King in the passage?

   a) To hire them with his power

   b) To join him in a morning walk

   c) To lend him his chariot

   d) To give him a sword

2. How does the King respond to the speaker's request?

   a) He agrees to hire the speaker with his power

   b) He refuses to hire the speaker

   c) He gives the speaker a sword

   d) He joins the speaker for a walk

3. What happens to the King's power in the passage?

   a) It proves to be invaluable

   b) It is enhanced by the speaker's presence

   c) It counts for naught

   d) It helps the speaker get hired

4. What mode of transportation does the King arrive in?

   a) On foot

   b) On a horse

   c) In a chariot

   d) In a carriage

5. What is the outcome of the encounter between the speaker and the King?

   a) The King hires the speaker

   b) The King goes away in his chariot

   c) The speaker takes the King's place

   d) The King and the speaker become friends

 Reading Comprehension 2

In the heat of the mid-day the houses stood with shut doors.

I wandered along the crooked lane.

An old man came out with his bag of gold.

He pondered and said, “I will hire you with my money.”

He weighed his coins one by one, but I turned away.

1. When did the speaker go wandering in the passage?

   a) In the morning

   b) In the evening

   c) In the mid-day

   d) At night

2. How did the houses appear during the mid-day in the passage?

   a) With open doors

   b) With shut doors

   c) Covered in flowers

   d) Full of people

3. Who approached the speaker with a bag of gold?

   a) A young woman

   b) An old man

   c) A child

   d) A group of travelers

4. What does the old man offer to hire the speaker with?

   a) His wisdom

   b) His friendship

   c) His bag of gold

   d) His house

5. What was the speaker's response to the old man's offer?

   a) The speaker accepted the offer.

   b) The speaker turned away.

   c) The speaker weighed the coins.

   d) The passage doesn't mention the speaker's response.

Reading Comprehension 3

It was evening. The garden hedge was all aflower.

The fair maid came out and said, “I will hire you with a smile.”

Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went back alone into the dark.

 The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke waywardly.

A child sat playing with shells.

He raised his head and seemed to know me and said, “I hire you with nothing.”

From henceforward that bargain struck in child’s play made me a free man.

 1. What time of day is it when the fair maid came out to speak with the speaker?

   a) Morning

   b) Evening

   c) Afternoon

   d) Night

2. How did the fair maid offer to hire the speaker?

   a) With money

   b) With a smile

   c) With a bag of gold

   d) With a promise

3. What happened to the fair maid's smile after she made the offer?

   a) It brightened and became even more beautiful.

   b) It remained the same.

   c) It paled and turned into tears.

   d) It disappeared.

4. What was the setting described in the passage when the child approached the speaker?

   a) A dark garden

   b) A flowery hedge

   c) A sunny beach

   d) An evening sky

5. How did the child "hire" the speaker?

   a) With money

   b) With shells

   c) With a smile

   d) With a promise