Critical Reading For Exams / Short Reading Comprehension 3


I fretted the other night at the hotel at the stranger who broke into my chamber after midnight, claiming to share  it. But after his lamp had smoked the chamber full and I had turned round to the wall in despair, the man blew out  his lamp, knelt down at his bedside, and made in low whisper a long earnest prayer. Then was the relation entirely  changed between us. I fretted no more, but respected and liked him. 



The probable purpose of the author using the phrase, “lamp had smoked the chamber full” is to

Indicate the lamp was turned up too high
Establish the faultiness of the lamp
Utilize figurative language
Show a low grade fuel was used
Establish a period of time

In line 1, “fretted” most nearly means

Considered
Wondered
Vaguely recognized
Worried
Panicked

What can the reader infer about the speaker based on the passage?

He is a brave man
He is easily put off
He is used to sharing his room with strangers
He easily overcomes fear
He is a religious man