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2 Descriptive Passages

PASSAGE-1
Read the passage given below:
The Art of Living
1. The art of living is learnt easily by those who are positive and optimistic. From humble and simple people


to great leaders in history, science or literature, we can learn a lot about the art of living, by having a
peep into their lives. The daily routine of these great men not only reveal their different, may be unique
life styles but also help us learn certain habits and practices they followed. Here are some; read, enjoy
and follow their footsteps.
2. A private workplace always helps. Jane Austen asked that a certain squeaky hinge should never be


oiled so that she always had a warning whenever someone was approaching the room where she wrote.
William Faulkner, lacking a lock on his study door, detached the doorknob and brought it into the room
with him. Mark Twain’s family knew better than to breach his study door — they would blow a horn to
draw him out. Graham Green went even further, renting a secret office; only his wife knew the address
and the telephone number. After all, everyone of us needs a workplace where we can work on our creation
uninterruptedly. Equally we need our private space too!
3. A daily walk has always been a source of inspiration. For many artists, a regular stroll was essentially


a creative inspiration. Charles Dickens famously took three hours walks every afternoon, and what he
observed on them fed directly into his writing. Tchaikovsky made do with a two-hour jaunt but wouldn’t
return a moment early; convinced that doing so would make him ill. Ludwig van Beethoven took lengthy
strolls after lunch, carrying a pencil and paper with him in case inspiration struck. Nineteenth century
composer Erik Satie did the same on his long hikes from Paris to the working-class suburb where he lived,
stopping under the street lamps to jot down ideas that came on his journey; it’s rumoured that when those
lamps were turned off during the war years, his music declined too. Many great people had limited social
life too. One of Simone de Beauvior’s close friends put it this way. “There were no receptions, parties. It
was an uncluttered kind of life, a simplicity deliberately constructed so that she could do her work.” To
Pablo the idea of Sunday was an “at home day”.
4. The routines of these thinkers are difficult. Perhaps it is because they are so unattainable. The very idea


that you can organise your time as you like is out of reach for most of us, so I’ll close with a toast to all
those who worked with difficulties. Like Francine Prose, who began writing when the school bus picked
up her children and stopped when it brought them back; or T.S. Eliot, who found it much easier to write
once he had a day job in a bank than he had as a starving poet and even F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose early
books were written in a strict schedule as a young military officer. Those days were not as interesting as
the nights in Paris that came later, but they were much more productive — and no doubt easier on his
liver.
5. Being forced to follow someone else’s route may irritate, but it makes it easier to stay on the path. Whenever
we break that trail ourselves or take an easy path of least resistance, perhaps what’s most important is
that we keep walking.

On the basis of your understanding of the above (d) what we can learn from the routines of
passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions


geniuses
given below: 2. The writers in the past ....................
1. The passage is about ....................


(a) followed a perfect daily routine


(a) how to practise walking



(b) enjoyed the difficulties of life



(b) walking everyday


(c) can teach us a lot





(c) the life of a genius (d) wrote a lot in books






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3. In their daily routines .................... 11. In what way did T.S. Eliot’s day job in the bank

(a) they had unique life styles help him to write?



(b) they read books and enjoyed them 12. Find the word in para 4 which is the synonym of




(c) they did not get any privacy ‘suffering hunger’.



(d) they did not mind visitors Answers:


4. Some artists resorted to walking as it was 1. (d) what we can learn from the routine of great


....................

man
(a) an exercise

2. (a) followed a perfect daily routine



(b) a creative inspiration

3. (a) they had unique life styles


(c) essential for improving their health

4. (b) a creative inspiration







(d) helpful in interaction with others 5. (c) Charles Dickens





5. Walking was the source of inspiration for 6. (b) peep





.................... 7. Jane Austen liked a squeaky hinge.

(a) Mark Twain (b) Erik Satie 8. Graham Green hired a secret office so that

(c) Charles Dickens (d) Pablo nobody would disturb him and he could work on




6. Which word in para 1 is similar in meaning to glimpse? his creation uninterrupted.
9. It was the rumour that Eric Satie’s music


(a) Reveal (b) Peep

declined when the street lamps under which he




(c) Learn (d) Read
worked were turned off.




7. What did Jane Austen like?
10. Simon de Beauviore had limited social interaction


8. Why do you think Graham Green hired a secret


and hence she had sufficient time to do her work.


office? 11. T.S. Eliot’s day job in the bank became a main
9. What was the rumour about Erik Satie’s


source of income so he didn’t have any tension
productivity? of getting his livelihood and concentrated on
10. How did Simone de Beauviore manage sufficient writing.


time for her work? 12. Starving


PASSAGE-2
Read the passage given below:
1. Maharana Pratap ruled over Mewar only for 25 years. However, he accomplished so much grandeur during


his reign that his glory surpassed the boundaries of countries and time turning him into an immortal
personality. He, along with his kingdom, became a synonym for valour, sacrifice and patriotism. Mewar
had been a leading Rajput kingdom even before Maharana Pratap occupied the throne. Kings of Mewar,
with the cooperation of their nobles and subjects, had established such traditions in the kingdom, as
augmented their magnificence despite the hurdles of having a smaller area under their command and
less population. There did come a few thorny occasions when the flag of the kingdom seemed sliding
down. Their flag once again heaved high in the sky thanks to the gallantry and brilliance of the people
of Mewar.
2. The destiny of Mewar was good in the sense that barring a few kings, most of the rulers were competent and


patriotic. This glorious tradition of the kingdom almost continued for 1500 years since its establishment,
right from the reign of Bappa Rawal. In fact only 60 years before Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga drove
the kingdom to the pinnacle of fame. His reputation went beyond Rajasthan and reached Delhi. Two
generations before him, Rana Kumbha had given a new stature to the kingdom through victories and
developmental work. During his reign, literature and art also progressed extraordinarily. Rana himself
was inclined towards writing and his works are read with reverence even today. The ambience of his
kingdom was conducive to the creation of high quality work of art and literature. These accomplishments
were the outcome of a longstanding tradition sustained by several generations.
3. The life of the people of Mewar must have been peaceful and prosperous during the long span of time;


otherwise such extraordinary accomplishment in these fields would not have been possible. This is
reflected in their art and literature as well as their loving nature. They compensate for lack of admirable
physique by their firm but pleasant nature. The ambience of Mewar remains lovely, thanks to the cheerful
and liberal character of its people.
4. One may observe astonishing pieces of workmanship not only in the forts and palaces of Mewar but also


in public utility buildings. Ruins of many structures which are still standing tall in their grandeur are
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testimony to the fact that Mewar was not only the land of the brave, but also a seat of art and culture.
Amidst aggression and bloodshed, literature and art flourished and creative pursuits of literature and
artists did not suffer. Imagine, how glorious the period must have been when the Vijaya Stambha which
is the sample of our great ancient architecture even today, was constructed. In the same fort, Kirti
Stambha is standing high, reflecting how liberal the then administration was which allowed people from
other communities and kingdoms to come and carry out construction work. It is useless to indulge in the
debate whether the Vijaya Stambha was constructed first or the Kirti Stambha. The fact is that both the
capitals are standing side by side and reveal the proximity between the king and the subjects of Mewar.
5. The cycle of time does not remain the same. Whereas the reign of Rana Sanga was crucial in raising the


kingdom to the acme of glory, it also proved to be his nemesis. History took a turn. The fortune of Mewar-
the land of the brave, started waning. Rana tried to save the day with his acumen which was running
against the stream and the glorious traditions for sometime.


On the basis of your understanding of the above 7. What was Rana Kumbha’s contribution to the

passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions glory of Mewar?
given below: 8. What does the writer find worth admiration in

1. Maharana Pratap became immortal because the people of Mewar?


.................... 9. How could art and literature flourish in Mewar?

(a) he ruled Mewar for 25 years 10. How did the rulers show that they cared for their

subjects?



(b) he added a lot of grandeur to Mewar
11. What does the construction of Vijaya Stambha


(c) of his valour, sacrifice and patriotism


and Kirti Stambha in the same fort signify?



(d) both (b) and (c) 12. Find the word in para 4 which is similar in




2. Difficulties in the way of Mewar were .................... meaning to ‘evidence’.


(a) lack of cooperation of the nobility
Answers:



(b) ancient traditions of the kingdom
1. (d) both (b) and (c)


(c) its smaller area and less population



2. (c) its smaller area and less population






(d) the poverty of the subjects 3. (c) the people of Mewar showed gallantry





3. During thorny occasions .................... 4. (c) most of its rulers were competent





(a) the flag of Mewar seemed to be lowered 5. (d) both (b) and (c) 6. (c) Famous





7. Rana Kumbha gave a new stature to the kingdom


(b) the flag of Mewar was hoisted high


of Mewar. Literature and art flourished during


(c) the people of Mewar showed gallantry
his reign. He himself had penchant for writing.


(d) most of the rulers heaved a sigh of relief His works are read with reverence even today.


4. Mewar was lucky because .................... 8. The people of Mewar may be peaceful and





(a) all of its rulers were competent prosperous. It is reflected in their art, literature



(b) most of its people were competent and loving nature. The pleasant nature of people


(c) most of its rulers were competent compensate for lack of their admirable physique.
9. The environment of Mewar was conducive to



(d) only a few of its people were incompetent


the creation of high quality work of art and


5. The prosperous life of the people of Mewar is literature. It flourished amidst aggression and


expressed through .................... bloodshed.
(a) their admirable physique 10. Besides the forts and palaces in Mewar, the





(b) their loving nature surprising pieces of architecture are seen in the


(c) their art and literature public utility buildings also. These structures
are testimony to the fact that the rulers cared



(d) both (b) and (c)
for their subjects.


6. Which of the following words is INCORRECT
11. The construction of Vijaya Stambha and Kirti


with reference to the meaning of ‘pinnacle’


Stambha in the same fort signifies the proximity/
(para 2)? close relationship between the king and the
(a) Peak (b) Top subjects of Mewar.




(c) Famous (d) Apex 12. Testimony






Descriptive assages 41
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PASSAGE-3
Read the passage given below:
1. Too many parents these days can’t say no. As a result, they find themselves raising ‘children’ who respond


greedily to the advertisements aimed right at them. Even getting what they want doesn’t satisfy some
kids; they only want more. Now, a growing number of psychologists, educators and parents think it’s
time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what’s really important : values like hard work,
contentment, honesty and compassion. The struggle to set limits has never been tougher—and the
stakes have never been higher. One recent study of adults who were overindulged as children, paints a
discouraging picture of their future : when given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have
difficulty coping with life’s disappointments. They also have distorted sense of entitlement that gets in
the way of success in the work place and in relationships.
2. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids, set them up to be more vulnerable to future


anxiety and depression. Today’s parents themselves raised on values of thrift and self-sacrifice, grew up
in a culture where ‘no’ was a household word. Today’s kids want much more, partly because there is so
much more to want. The oldest members of this generation were born in the late 1980s, just as PCs and
video games were making their assault on the family room. They think of MP3 players and flat screen
TV as essential utilities, and they have developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found
that when they crave for something new, most expect to ask nine times before their parents give in. By
every measure, parents are shelling out record amounts. In the heat of this buying blitz, even parents who
desperately need to say no find themselves reaching for their credit cards.
3. Today’s parents aren’t equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them, raised in the 1960s and 70s,


swore they’d act differently from their parents and have closer relationships with their own children.
Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen to the same music. And they work
more hours; at the end of a long week, it’s tempting to buy peace with ‘yes’ and not mar precious family
time with conflict. Anxiety about the future is another factor. How do well intentioned parents say no to
all the sports gear and arts and language lessons they believe will help their kids thrive in an increasingly
competitive world? Experts agree: too much love won’t spoil a child. Too few limits will.
4. What parents need to find is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life
lessons that come from waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals. That search for balance has
to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour because they feel better and more secure when
they live within a secured structure. Older children learn self-control by watching how others, especially
parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to becoming a successful adult. Few parents
ask kids to do chores. They think their kids are already overburdened by social and academic pressures.
Every individual can be of service to others, and life has meaning beyond one’s own immediate happiness.
That means parents eager to teach values have to take a long, hard look at their own.

On the basis of your understanding of the above 3. Why do children need limits on their behaviour
passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions


when they live within a secured structure?
given below:
(a) They feel more secure.
1. What do the psychologists, educators and parents



(b) They feel insecure.


want to teach the children?


(c) They feel bored.
(a) To teach them about treachery.



(d) None of these.



(b) To teach them about indiscipline.


4. What is the drawback of giving children too much


(c) To teach them about the values of life


too soon?


like hard work, contentment, honesty and
compassion. (a) They fail to cope with life’s disappointments


(d) None of these when they grow up


2. What is essential to become a successful adult? (b) They do not study seriously





(a) learn not to overcome challenges. (c) They become quarrelsome when they grow up





(b) learn how to overcome challenges. (d) None of these




(c) nothing is essential. 5. Today’s parents have learnt much from





(d) none of these. ....................


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6. In para 2, which word is the antonym of ‘resilient’? 7. Parents and teachers want children to learn

(a) Overindulge (b) Vulnerable the values of life like honesty, hard work and





(c) Anxiety (d) Essential contentment.

8. When children are given too much too soon, they




7. What values do parents and teachers want

grow up to be adults who have difficulty in coping


children to learn?
with the disappointments of life. Such children
8. What are the results of giving the children too
may develop distorted sense of entitlement that


much too soon? comes in the way of success in the work place and
9. Why do today’s children want more? relationships.


10. What is the balance which the parents need to 9. Today’s children want much more because they




have in today’s world? are born in the late 1980 when PCs and Video
11. What is the necessity to set limits for children? games were making assault on their room.


12. Find the word in para 4 which is the synonym of Moreover, they desired to get MP3 players Flat,


‘prosperous’. and Screen TV.
10. Parents need to find a balance between the
Answers:

advantages of an affluent society and the critical
1. (c) To teach them about the values of life like lessons of life that come from waiting, saving and



hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion working hard to achieve goals in today’s world.
2. (b) Learn how to overcome challenges 11. Children need limits on their behaviours because



3. (a) They feel more secure

they feel better and more secure when they live



4. (a) They fail to cope with life’s disappointments within a secured structure.



when they grow up 12. Affluent
5. thrift and self-sacrifice 6. (b) vulnerable





PASSAGE-4
Read the passage given below:
1. Did you know that world-wide monitoring has shown that the ozone in the stratosphere has declined,


over the past two decades, with losses of around 10 per cent in winter and spring and around five per
cent in summer and autumn in locations as diverse as Europe, Australia and North America? Are you
aware that a United Nations report stated that the annual dose of harmful ultraviolet radiation striking
the northern hemisphere rose by five per cent during the last decade? Or that scientists estimate that
for each one per cent decline in ozone levels, human beings will suffer as much as a two to three per cent
increase in the incidences of certain cancers of the skin?
2. Do any of these facts make any sense? Why should a declining ozone layer assume so much importance?
Here’s why. Ozone does a wonderful job of absorbing those damaging ultraviolet rays, so harmful to man.
Indeed, without this gaseous shield, harmful radiation would have undisputed access to the earth. Every
year, millions of tonnes of pollutant gases are sent into the earth’s atmosphere. Some remain at low levels
but some accumulate in the upper atmosphere, drastically, altering — the way the sun’s heat energy and
rays pass to and from the earth.
3. Each year since the late 1970s, the stratospheric ozone above Antarctica has disappeared during September


creating what is popularly known as the ozone hole. What is frightening is the fact that this Antarctic
hole measures about 9 million miles — nearly the size of North America! The hole over Antarctica lasts
only for two months but during this time it lets in lethal doses of ultraviolet radiation. After its stay here,
the hole passes over the world’s more populated parts including Australia and New Zealand, where the
ultraviolet radiation which it lets in has the potential to cause various types of skin cancer, injure the
eyes, harm the immune system and upset the balance of an entire ecosystem.
4. Research on ozone and the atmosphere led to a global ban on synthetic gases of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)


production. More than 150 countries signed what is known as the Montreal Protocol, an international
agreement which called for a phased reduction in the release of CFCs. Modifications of the treaty called
for a complete ban on CFCs which began in January 1996. However, even with this ban in effect, chlorine
from the CFCs will continue to accumulate in the atmosphere for about a decade. All of us know that
carbon dioxide, water vapour and certain other gases in the atmosphere act in trapping/absorbing the
sun’s heat, which is then reflected back to the ground. This phenomenon which keeps the earth warm
is known as the greenhouse effect. Without it, the rising heat would escape directly into space and we
would live in much colder conditions.

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5. However, human activity has begun to alter the composition of the atmosphere. The burning of fuels


such as oils in motor vehicles and coal and wood in factories and homes has led to the production of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. These are increasing the greenhouse effect leading to global
warming. Scientists fear that these greenhouse gases may trap so much heat that the earth could warm
up by more than 4 degrees Celsius over the next 50 years. In a moving article about the Gulf War entitled
The War That Wounded the World, William Thomas wrote, “California’s Lawrence Livermore laboratory
had tracked smoke from the Middle East oil fires three times around the planet at altitudes exceeding
10,000 metres. Astronauts would later make headlines describing a haze-shrouded globe. As nuclear and
biological arms proliferate, we must find a better way to resolve future conflicts. This wounded planet
cannot absorb more lessons.” — Nalini Menon


 
On the basis of your understanding of the above 11. How does the greenhouse effect affect human

passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions beings?
given below: 12. Find the word in para 3 which is the synonym of

1. Ozone .................... ‘hidden power or qualities’.


(a) releases CO2 Answers:



(b) absorbs ultraviolet rays 1. (b) absorbs ultraviolet rays






(c) produces oxygen 2. (d) both (a) and (c)






(d) none of these 3. (a) the composition of atmosphere

2. The greenhouse gases .................... 4. False 5. human activity







(a) may trap much heat
6. (d) Proliferate


7. It has revealed that ozone has declined in the



(b) are not detrimental


stratosphere. The losses range from around ten


(c) lead to global warming
per cent in winter and spring and around five per



(d) both (a) and (c) cent during summer and autumn. The affected


3. Human interference has changed ....................

 
areas are as widespread as Europe, Australia


(a) the composition of atmosphere and North America.



(b) the shape of ozone layer 8. Ozone absorbs damaging ultraviolet rays and




(c) the process of greenhouse checks the flow of harmful radiation to the earth.



(d) none of these The accumulation of pollutant gases in the upper


4. The Montreal Protocol called for a complete ban atmosphere alters the passage of sun’s heat
energy and rays to and from the earth.


on carbon dioxide. (True/False)
9. The stratospheric ozone above Antarctica

5. Any transformation in the composition of


disappears during September. The hole which


atmosphere is directly linked to ....................
lasts for two months only measures about 9
6. Which word in para 5 is antonym of ‘dwindle’? million miles—nearly the size of North America.


(a) Increasing (b) Entitle 10. The ozone hole lets in the ultraviolet radiation






(c) Trap (d) Proliferate which causes skin cancer, eye-injury, harm to




7. What has the worldwide monitoring of ozone immune system and upsets the balance of entire


revealed? eco-system.
8. Why has the declining ozone layer assumed so 11. The greenhouse effect warms up the earth. It




much importance? affects human beings by increasing the earth’s
9. What do you learn about the ozone hole? temperature.


10. How does the ozone hole prove harmful? 12. Potential




PASSAGE-5
Read the passage given below:
1. Call it a blessing or a curse of Mother Nature, we have to breathe in over 10,000 litres of air in a day (more


than four million litres in a year) to remain alive. By making it essential for life, God has wished that
we try to keep the air we breathe clean. Everyone can see the food that is not clean and perhaps refrain
from eating it, but one cannot stop breathing even if one can feel the air to be polluted. Several harmful
and noxious substances can contaminate the air we breathe. Generally, much is said and written about
outdoor air pollution, most of which is due to vehicular and industrial exhausts.
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2. Given the fact that most of us spend over 90% of our time indoors, it is most important to recognise that


the air we breathe in at home or in offices can be polluted. It can be a cause of ill-health. Air pollutants
that are generally present in very low concentrations can assume significance in closed ill-ventilated
places. The indoor air pollution can lead to allergic reactions and cause irritation to the skin, the eyes
and the nose. But as is logical to assume, the brunt of insult by pollutants is borne by the lungs. It can
lead to the development of fresh breathing problems, especially in those who have allergic tendencies, or
it can worsen the existing respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis.
3. There can be several sources of indoor air pollution. Tobacco smoke is one of the most important air


pollutants in closed places. “Passive smoking” or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) pollution can lead
to all the harmful effects of tobacco smoking seen in the smokers in their non-smoking companions. ETS
as a health hazard has been unequivocally proven and is also getting social recognition now. One can
occasionally see signs displaying the all-important message: “Your smoking is injurious to my health” in
offices and homes. The children of smoking parents are among the worst affected persons.
The exposure of young children to ETS leads to increased respiratory problems and hospital admissions as

compared to non-exposed children. Several studies, including those done at the PGI, have shown an increased
risk of lung cancer among women exposed to passive smoking. ETS also worsens the existing lung diseases
like asthma and bronchitis. It may be responsible for the development of asthma in children. The next most
important source of indoor air pollution is the allergens. House dust mites (HDM) are very small insects
not visible to the naked eye and are the commonest source of allergy in the house. They are ubiquitous and
thrive in a warm and moist atmosphere. They breed very fast and are very difficult to eradicate. Modern
houses present ample breeding spaces for them in the form of carpets, curtains, mattresses, pillows, etc.
4. Exposure to HDM can be prevented by the frequent washing of linen and by encasing the mattresses


and pillows in a non-permeable cover. Pets form an important part of life for some of us. But they can
add plenty of allergens to our indoor atmosphere. Cats are notorious for doing this. Fine particles from
feline fur can remain stuck to the upholstery and carpets for a long time even after the removal of the
animal and lead to the worsening of asthma and skin allergies. Fortunately, owing to religious and
social customs cats are not very popular pets in India. Dogs, however, are quite popular and can be as
troublesome. Pets should be kept out of the bedrooms and washed frequently. To remove the fur particles
one has to use vacuum cleaners as the ordinary broom and mop are not effective.
5. Moulds, fungi and several other micro organisms thrive in damp conditions and can lead to allergies as


well as infections. Humidifiers in the air-conditioning plants provide an ideal environment for certain
types of bacteria and have led to major outbreaks of pneumonia. It is important to clean regularly the
coolers, air-conditioners and damp areas of the house such as cupboards, lofts, etc to minimise this risk.
Toxic gases can also pollute the indoor environment. Biomass fuels (wood, cowdung, dried plants) and
coal, if burned inside, can lead to severe contamination by carbon monoxide (CO). The poor quality of
stoves and other cooking or heating appliances that cause incomplete combustion of LPG can also lead
to the emission of CO or nitrogen dioxide. Formaldehyde (a gas) can be released from adhesives that are
used for fixing carpets, upholstery and also in making plywood and particle board.
6. The gases are very toxic in high concentrations as may be encountered during industrial accidents, but even


in very minimal amounts, as may be prevalent in homes and offices, they can cause irritation to the skin
or the eyes, rashes, headache, dizziness and nausea. Improving the ventilation is an important preventive
measure, besides trying to eliminate the source that may not be always feasible. Other indoor pollutants
are toxic chemicals like cleansing agents, pesticides, paints, solvents and inferior-quality personal-care
products, especially aerosols. Very old crumbling pipes, boilers, insulation or false roofing can also be
important sources. Asbestos is a hazardous product that can cause cancer in humans. It is important to
realise that the air we breathe at home may not be clean always and we must try to eliminate the source
of pollution. We should give due consideration to ventilation. — Dr. Dheeraj Gupta

 
On the basis of your understanding of the above (b) should not pay attention to pollutants


passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions (c) must ignore ETS



given below: (d) should become passive smokers


1. The Almighty wants that human beings 2. The toxic gases cause ....................




.................... (a) rashes (b) headache




(a) should try to breathe clean air (c) dizziness (d) all the above







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3. Air conditioning plants have become the cause of 4. (a) cause cancer in humans

.................... 5. inside our homes.

(a) allergies (b) pneumonia 6. (a) Ambiguously

(c) heart attack (d) infection 7. Air is essential for our life. We have to breathe in

4. Asbestos is a hazardous product because it can over 10,000 litres of air in a day to keep ourselves
alive.


....................
(a) cause cancer in humans 8. Most of us spend ninety per cent of our time

indoors—in homes or offices. The air we breathe



(b) cause respiratory problems
indoors may also be polluted and can cause


(c) prove fatal to the children
breathing problems. So, we should pay attention



(d) none of these
to the quality of air we breathe indoors.


5. Human beings are the victims of indoor air 9. The main sources of indoor air pollution are:


pollution because a major part of our life is spent

(a) tobacco smoke (e) house dust mites
....................

(b) animal dusts (f) cooking and heating
6. Which word is correct with reference to the

(c) air conditioners (g) toxic chemicals


meaning of ‘unequivocally’ as used in para 3?

(d) moulds or fungi (h) asbestos
(a) Ambiguously (b) Candidly

10. ETS stands for Environmental Tobacco Smoke






(c) Clearly (d) Explicitly or “passive smoking”. It causes all the harms of




7. What is essential for our life? How? tobacco smoking to non-smokers, for example,


8. Why should we pay attention to the quality of air the children of smoking parents suffer from


we breathe indoor? respiratory problems. There is an increased risk
9. What are the main sources of indoor air pollution? of lung cancer among women exposed to passive


10. What do you understand by ETS? How is it smoking.
11. We must first identify the allergies and then


harmful? Give two instances.


11. How can the risk of allergies be minimised? prevent exposure to them. Use of vacuum
cleaners, exposure to sun, washing linen in warm


12. Which word in para 6 means ‘sore feeling’?
water and cleaning coolers, air conditioners, etc


Answers: are some of the important steps to minimise
1. (a) should try to breathe clean air allergies.



2. (d) all the above 3. (b) pneumonia 12. irritation








PASSAGE-6
Read the passage given below:
1. The analysis of handwriting has a long history—some say it goes back to Roman times. Modern graphology


began early in the 19th century when French churchman Jean Hippolyte Michon created the first
graphological “catalogue” examining, for example, where letters fall on the line, their shape and the
pressure exerted. Allan Conway, a professional graphologist for 12 years says, “Handwriting says more
about you than many chosen words, simply because you cannot hide yourself in your handwriting—it’s
not really your hand that’s writing, but your brain. It’s your personality frozen in ink.”
2. Despite public skepticism, graphology plays a covert role in British management. Many companies use


it for executive recruitment and analysis. Graphology tells them about the candidates’ temperaments,
highlighting both weaknesses and strengths.
There are about 300 movements on an unlined A4 page of writing and students must find and interpret

them all. He also needs to know three things about the writers: their sex, their age and if they are
left or right-handed. Then he looks for 16 dominant elements, including the size of the writing, the
pressure, the speed and slant of the words, how connected the characters are as well as the form of
the connections, the proportions of the “middle zone” (covered by small letters such as “o” and “n”) and
“upper” and “lower” zones (where letters extend up or down, as with “d” or “p”), and the rhythm and
regularity of writing. “But there is one golden rule,” Rees says, “No single sign on its own must ever be
taken to mean anything.”
3. The principles, according to Conway, are straightforward. The baseline—whether the writing goes


straight across the page or slants up and down—helps to determine the writer’s state of mind. A very
upward baseline shows a creative, ambitious and outgoing person. A slightly downward one can reveal
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dissatisfaction or unhappiness though it could simply be a sign of fatigue. “A sharp downward baseline
usually indicates serious problems or illness, probably emotional”, says Conway, “while a straight one
is an excellent sign of emotional stability. An irregular baseline can mean an excitable writer with poor
self discipline.” The way letters are formed and connected is important: a writer with angular letters, for
example, is often persistent and decisive.
4. Arched letters suggest the writer is reluctant to express emotions freely and may appear cold. Where the
bottoms of letters are curved like a cup the writer is likely to be open to the world and at ease. And writing
with letters threaded—connected together as if by a length of cotton—can indicate speed or laziness. The
more connected the letters, the more co-ordinated the patterns of thought. Character size can also be
significant. Larger letters tend to suggest vitality, enterprise and self reliance, while small letters can
reveal a lack of self-confidence, but are also found in fields of research where concentration and exactness
are necessary. The slant of a person’s writing indicates their emotional make-up. Where all the letters
are vertical the writer is likely to be someone uncomfortable in groups. For right-handers, left-word slant
shows introversion while rightward slant reveals someone outgoing, friendly and ambitious. A constantly
varying slant betrays an unpredictable personality.
5. The spacing between words points to the writer’s organizational abilities: wide spacing suggests


individuality, extravagance, self-confidence and sociability.
Even the colour of ink a person chooses can be telling. Blue may indicate someone with no desire to be

exceptional or pretentious, green likes to impress and red to shock. Brown is often used by people who
work in high-security jobs, able to keep secrets, while black shows a demanding or forceful character who
wants to make an impression. — Geoffrey Wansell

 
On the basis of your understanding of the above 9. What helps to determine the writer’s state of


passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions mind and how?
given below: 10. How can we learn one’s emotions and patterns


1. The upward baseline proves that the person is of thought through handwriting?


.................... 11. What secret of the writer is revealed by using


(a) creative (b) ambitious large letters?





(c) outgoing (d) all of these 12. Find the word in para 5 similar in meaning to


‘profligacy’.




2. The letters small in size reveal that the writer


may be .................... Answers:
(a) a researcher (b) confident 1. (d) all of these 2. (a) a researcher











(c) arrogant (d) humble 3. forceful







3. The black colour of ink indicates .................... 4. (c) organisational abilities



5. True 6. (c) Hesitant


character.






7. Jean Hippolyte Michon was a French Churchman
4. The spacing between words indicates the writer’s


He had created the first graphological catalogue


.................... in the 19th century.
(a) forceful character 8. Allan Conway thinks that a sharp downward





(b) exceptional talents baseline indicates emotional problems of the


(c) organisational abilities writer when a straight baseline is linked to an



(d) oratorical abilities excellent sign of emotional stability.
9. The study of baseline whether straight or slanted


5. Your personality is embedded in handwriting .


indicates the various mental conditions of the


(True/False)
writer.

6. Which of these words is not an ANTONYM of 10. We can learn of one’s emotions from the way


‘reluctant’ (para 4)?


letters are formed and connected.
(a) Willing (b) Eager 11. The large letters are the significant aspect of





(c) Hesitant (d) Ready a writer’s personality. They point out that the




7. Why do you remember Jean Hippolyte Michon? writer is very important, enterprising and full


8. How is a sharp downward baseline different from of self confidence.


a straight baseline? 12. Extravagance


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PASSAGE-7
Read the passage given below:
1. Do you know the difference between a submarine and a submersible? A submarine is a watercraft that
is capable of independent operation under the sea. Submarines do not require support ships because
submarines can renew their air and power supplies independently. Submersibles also submerge and
operate underwater, but they need the support of a larger vessel. Submersibles cannot renew their air
and power supplies without support. For this reason, submersibles are usually smaller and cannot spend
as much time underwater as submarines.
2. The first documented submersible was constructed in 1620 by Cornelius Drebbel. It was powered by


rowing oars underwater. In 1648 Bishop John Wilkins wrote, “It may be of great advantages against a
Navy of enemies, who by this may be undermined in the water and blown up.” Over one-hundred years
later, the first military submarine was ready to be deployed. The Turtle was the world’s first submarine
used in combat. Designed by David Bushnell in 1775, it was deployed by the Continental Army during the
American Revolutionary War.
3. Another notable submarine originally designed for war was Julius H. Kroehl’s Sub Marine Explorer. Built


between 1863 and 1866, this submarine was created for the North during the American Civil War but the
war ended before it went into use. After the war it was used commercially to harvest pearls in Panamanian
waters during the late 1860s. Unfortunately, the dangers of decompression sickness (a condition that
occurs when divers rise to the water’s surface too quickly) were not understood. While experimenting
with the Sub Marine Explorer in 1867, Kroehl himself perished from decompression sickness. In 1869 a
new engineer put the Sub Marine Explorer back to the task of harvesting pearls. Tragically, use of the
Sub Marine Explorer was discontinued after the entire crew died from decompression sickness.
4. Submarine use increased greatly during World War I. Due to innovations in engineering, such as a dual
power system using both diesel and electric sources, submarines had finally developed into effective war
machines like the U-Boat. Modern submarines are now powered by a nuclear reactor. The nuclear reactor
generates a tremendous amount of power which allows submarines to operate at high speeds for long
durations. The only factor limiting the amount of time that an advanced submarine can remain submerged
is the amount of food and water that it can carry.

On the basis of your understanding of the above 4. How were U-Boats powered?


passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions (a) Hand crank (b) Diesel
given below:





(c) Electricity (d) Both (b) and (c).
1. For what purpose were submersibles originally




5. Which of the following best describes why the


designed?


author most likely wrote this text?
(a) Transporting passengers underwater without
(a) To entertain his audience with stories about


the threat of storms.


submarines.
(b) Exploring under the sea.
(b) To educate his readers about how submarines


(c) Smuggling weapons and outlawed materials.


work.


(d) Attacking ships on the surface of the water.
(c) To inform his readers about the evolution of


2. Why was the Submarine Explorer originally


submarines.


created?
(d) To convince his audience to purchase a
(a) To assist the North in the Civil War.


submarine.

(b) To harvest pearls.
6. Which word is incorrect with reference to the


(c) To explore undersea.


meaning of tragically’ (para 3)?



(d) To experiment with decompression sickness.
(a) Unfortunately (b) Regrettably


3. What is most likely to limit the amount of time




(c) Forcibly (d) Sadly


a modern submarine can remain submerged?




(a) The amount of fuel in the submarine. 7. What is the most likely reason why the author




(b) The air supply in the submarine. wrote the first paragraph?


(c) The amount of food and water aboard the 8. Write an appropriate title for this passage.




submarine. 9. The first paragraph compares and contrasts


(d) There is no limit to the amount of time a between submersibles and submarines.


modern submarine can remain submerged. (True/False)

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10. What was the main reason behind the use of 6. (c) Forcibly





submarines to a great extent in World War I? 7. The author wrote the first paragraph to explain

11. How are modern submarines now powered by a a concept that would be referenced throughout


nuclear reactor? the text.
12. Find the word in para 4 which is the synonym of 8. evolution of Submarines

‘sophisticated’. 9. True

Answers: 10. In the First World War, submarines war effective

machines due to their dual power system having
1. (b) Exploring under the sea
diesel as well as electric sources.




2. (a) To assist the North in the Civil War.
11. The nuclear reactor generates a huge amount of


3. (c) The amount of food and water aboard the

water that enables submarines to operate at high



submarine.
4. (d) Both (b) and (c). speeds for long duration.




5. (d) To convince his audience to purchase a 12. Advanced.

submarine
PASSAGE-8
Read the passage given below:
1. International day of yoga is also called as the World Yoga Day. United Nations General Assembly declared
21st of June International Yoga Day on the 11th of December in 2014. Yoga in India is considered to be
around 5,000 year old mental, physical and spiritual practice. Yoga originated in India in ancient times
when people used to do meditation to transform their body and mind. Launching a particular date of
practising yoga all across the world and celebrating it as Yoga Day was initiated by the Indian Prime
Minister. The World Yoga Day or International Day of Yoga was celebrated by the people throughout the
world second time on 21st June in 2016.
2. Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline, focusses on bringing harmony between body and mind. It is an art

and science of healthy living. Yoga is very necessary and beneficial for all human beings if it is practised
by all on daily basis in the early morning. Official name of this day is UN International Yoga Day and is
also called as Yoga Day. It is a worldwide event celebrated by the people of all countries through practising
yoga, meditation, debates, meetings, discussions, variety of cultural performances, etc.
3. Yoga is a practice of controlled body part movements and control of breath. It enhances the inner and outer
body and mind strength by connecting both to the nature. It is not a physical practice only as it makes a
human able to get control over mental, emotional, and spiritual thoughts. It can be practised by people
at any age during childhood, teenage, adult or old age. It needs only safe, slow and controlled movements
of body with controlled breathing. Yoga can be practised by anyone as it is irrespective of age, religion, or
health circumstances. It improves the discipline and sense of power as well as provides a chance to live
healthy life without physical and mental problems.
4. Yoga is very safe, easy and healthy way to get fit whole life without any problems. It just needs regular
practice in right way of body movements and breathing. It regularizes the connection between three
components of our body such as body, mind and soul. It regularises the functioning of the all body organs
and prevents the body and mind to get disturbed because of some bad situations and unhealthy lifestyle.
It helps in maintaining health, knowledge and inner peace. By providing good health it fulfils our physical
needs, through knowledge it fulfils our psychological needs and through inner peace it fulfils the spiritual
need. Thus it helps in maintaining harmony among all.
5. Regular practice of yoga in the morning provides outer and inner relief by keeping away the countless


ailments at the physical and mental level. Practising postures or asana strengthens the body and mind
as well as creates the feeling of well-being. It sharpens the human mind, improves intelligence and helps
in high level of concentration by steadying the emotions and feelings. The feeling of well-being creates
helping nature within us and thus enhances the social well-being. Improved concentration level helps in
meditating and provides calming effect and inner peace to the mind. Yoga is like a practical philosophy
which develops self-discipline and self-awareness within us through regular practice.
6. We cannot count the benefits of yoga, we can understand it only as a miracle which can be experienced
by doing it regularly. It maintains physical fitness, reduces stress, controls emotions, feelings, controls
negative thoughts, feelings of general wellbeing, improves mental clarity, enhances self-understanding
and connects to the nature.

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On the basis of your understanding of the above (b) Knowledge and experience bring harmony in

passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions ones daily life.
given below. (c) My friend achieved a milestone due to

1. Every year World Yoga Day is celebrated on 21st harmony in his practice.


June because .................. . (d) Harmony in society is essential for its growth.

(a) it originated and initiated in India 7. Choose the option that lists the statements that





(b) it initiates mental, physical and spiritual are NOT TRUE according to the passage.


practice 1. The study of emotions and feelings is needed

(c) it initiates transformation of body and mind for a high level of concentration.



(d) it was initiated by the Indian P.M. 2. Our body and mind get disturbed by

unhealthy lifestyle.


2. Yoga enables us to get control over .................. .
3. Yoga is an exercise of body part movements.


(a) physical health of all individuals
4. Yoga is a modern mental and physical


(b) emotional well-being of people across the
practice.


globe
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) material needs of a person

(c) 3 and 4 (d) 2 and 4



(d) our mental, emotional and spiritual thoughts

8. Yoga practices make human being mentally,


3. Yoga can be practised by .................. .

emotionally and spiritually strong. (True/False)


(a) people at any age 9. According to the passage, one of the reasons



(b) children upto a certain age

for regular practice of yoga in the morning is


(c) teenage and sick people only ...................



(d) old people only 10. What does Yoga lay emphasis on?




4. Yoga regularizes the connection between 11. What is the best time of the day for practising




.................. . yoga?
(a) mind and body of a person 12. Find the word in para 6 which is similar in





(b) mind and soul of a person meaning to ‘wonder’.


(c) body, mind and soul of a person Answers:



(d) None of these. 1. (d) it was initiated by the Indian P.M.





5. Yoga is a pragmatic reality which enhances our 2. (d) our mental, emotional and spiritual thoughts





ability to .................. . 3. (a) people at any age



(a) control our emotions and know one’s 4. (c) body, mind and soul of a person



5. (c) have a clear picture of one’s personality,


character and feelings



character and feelings
(b) appear calm and know one’s feelings
6. (b) Knowledge and experience bring harmony in


(c) have a clear picture of one’s personality,



ones daily life.


character and feelings 7. (b) 2 and 3 8. True
(d) understand other people and know their





9. providing outer and inner relief from ailments at


character and feelings


the physical and mental level.
6. Pick the option to show the meaning of ‘harmony’ 10. Yoga lays emphasis on bringing harmony


NOT the same as it is used in paragraph 4. between body and mind.
(a) The harmony of two welfare policies is 11. Morning is the best time to practise yoga.




praiseworthy. 12. Miracle


PASSAGE-9
Read the passage given below:
1. The importance of sports and games in school encompasses more than just the benefit of physical activity.


Increases in self-esteem and mental alertness makes school sports and games necessary for every school-
age child. Although the benefits of school sports abound with a diminishing economy, many schools are
cutting out sports and physical education programmes to the detriment of students nationwide. According
to Theodore Hesburgh, author of “The Importance of School Sports and Education,” it is imperative for
school-age children to have access to sports and games. Not only does it empower youth and promote
higher self-esteem, it also motivates students, enables them to earn better grades, especially in schools
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where obtaining certain grades is a prerequisite to staying in the team. Numerous physical benefits
include maintaining a healthy weight, preventing chronic diseases and learning the skills necessary to
maintain a healthy lifestyle after graduating.
2. Promoting physical activity should start from the nursery room, according to Jean Zimmerman and Gil


Reavill, authors of “Raising Our Athletic Daughters.” Promoting athletics as a parent is a crucial factor
in determining whether your child will be interested in participating in sports. Playing with your child,
whether throwing a football or baseball with your son, or teaching your daughter how to swim, teaches
them the importance of being active. Encouraging your school-age children to participate in a sport of
their choice may be the reason they continue to play when they enter school.
3. Some children do not consider themselves athletic and may prefer not to play organised school sports.


They may be cut from the school team for lack of ability. For this group, there are intramural teams, which
are sports for those not interested or able to play higher level athletics. It is important to remember in
these cases not to make your children feel badly about not being a higher level athlete, but to remember
the more important benefits of playing sports, and encourage them in this endeavor.
4. With a tough economy, many schools are cutting spending for sports and athletic programmes. Because of
the many benefits of sports, it is imperative to continue the athletic programmes available to children. As
a parent it may be necessary for you to become involved in the school board to have a say about keeping
athletic programmes. Encouraging your children to speak up about their desire for athletics may also
affect whether your school keeps their sports or cuts them out of the budget.
On the basis of your understanding of the above (c) The youth was charged with ability.


passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions
(d) Her smile was a great ability.

given below: 7. “With a tough economy, many schools are cutting


1. Sports and games help to .................. . spending on sports and athletic programmes.”


(a) increase self-esteem Pick the option in which the meaning of ‘tough’
is NOT the same as it is used in the passage.



(b) promote mental alertness


(c) stay in the team (a) It was a tough decision to make.





(d) Both (a) and (b). (b) She’s been having a tough time now.




2. Intramural teams .................. . (c) Don’t be too tough on her—she was only

trying to help.


(a) are organised within the walls of the school
(d) He plays the tough guy in the movie.


(b) are meant for poor schools


8. Parents should help their sons/daughters develop


(c) are meant for those not interested in higher


interest in sports. They can do so by acting as a


level athletics

 
 
 
 
(d) Both (a) and (c). motivator. (True/False)
9. Pick the option which should NOT be done to


3. Parental interest in sports may be the reason for


make a child become interested in sports.


the fact that.................. in school.
4. Apart from empowering the youth and providing (a) Playing with a child.


(b) Throwing a football or baseball with him/her.


self-esteem, sports and games also ................ .


(a) are obstacles for school children (c) Teaching him/her the importance of being





(b) motivate and enable students to get better active.


grades (d) Scolding him/her for not participating in


(c) disturb students to do their best sports.


(d) a r e c u t t i n g o u t p h y s i c a l e d u c a t i o n 10. What message does the author want to convey



in para 3?


programmes
5. Sports provide children .................. . 11. What advice has the author given to schools in


para 4?


(a) techniques to maintain healthy weight



(b) ways to protect themselves from getting hurt 12. Find the word in para 1 which is synonym of


‘includes’.


(c) skills of a differing lifestyle



(d) all of these. Answers:


6. Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of 1. (b) promote mental alertness


the word ‘ability’ as used in para-3




2. (c) are meant for those who are not interested in



(a) A little warm up will increase your ability to higher level athletics


do rigorous exercise. 3. children continue to play


(b) ‘Hamlet’ is the ability of all Shakespeare’s 4. (b) motivate and enable students to get better





plays. grades
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5. (a) techniques to maintain healthy weight 10. In para 3, the author wants to say that all school

6. (a) A little warm up will increase your ability to children should play sports organised by the



do rigorous exercise. schools.
7. (c) Don’t be too tough on her—she was only 11. In para 4, the author has advised schools not to

trying to help. stop any athletic programme for children.
8. True 12. Encompasses

9. (d) Scolding him/her for not participating in



sports.
PASSAGE-10
Read the passage given below:
1. June 26th is being observed as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. I wonder


if this day is merely one for the service providers to gear themselves up and conduct a bunch of awareness
and advocacy programmers among the general public. This day could be a time to review our commitment
to be empathetic to those dependent on alcohol and other drugs. It could also be a warning bell to all
those struggling with drugs; a time for quick self-evaluation. Besides, it could be seen as a gesture of the
government to combat this menace by releasing some money to run a poster exhibition or a rally or a
public meeting.
2. Something to show that it is in the fight against the evil as well, after making good revenue through


liquor sales. This could be an eye-opener to parents on what their college-going children are exposed to
now. As wide and diverse as the culture of India, so wide are the options of drugs available. They consist
of stimulants (uppers), depressants (downers), cannabis, opioids and opiates, solvents and inhalants,
hallucinogens and other psychedelic drugs and the more recent threats like roofies and ketamine. The
long-term effects of these drugs are dangerous and fatal.
3. A drug welcoming/friendly/tolerant trend is permeating our culture today. We need to be warned that
social use does not apply to illicit drugs. These drugs have a very high addictive potential. We’re talking
about chemical substances that change not only the function and structure of the body but also one’s
thinking, feelings, perception and behaviour. These changes occur due to the drug’s action on the brain.
4. A youngster begins with experimenting alcohol and nicotine considered ‘gateway drugs.’ In the beginning,


the consumption is within socially accepted or prescribed limits. For example, drinking some wine at a party.
Slowly, one starts to misuse drugs, meaning unintentional or inappropriate use of prescribed or non-prescribed
drugs. For instance, driving under the influence of alcohol or taking one sleeping pill over and above the
prescribed dose. Eventually, one starts to abuse drugs wherein one deliberately uses chemical substances for
reasons other than their intended medical purposes, resulting in serious physical, mental, emotional or social
impairment. There are thin lines dividing drug use, misuse and abuse. We need to be accountable as a society.
Now, if we are to talk about illicit drugs, there are suppliers, middlemen and traffickers because there is a
huge demand.
5. The geographical location of India between the golden crescent and the golden triangle makes our country


a pathway for drug trafficking through the borders. Governments can play a role here by framing laws
and insisting on law enforcement, whether it be on trafficking in illicit drugs or minimum drinking age
or server liability. A global problem like this calls for a collective effort.
On the basis of your understanding of the above 2. Choose the option that is TRUE about the ideal


passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions locations of India for border drug trafficking
given below: ...................
1. According to the writer, 26 th of June is an (a) strict rules imposed





important day .................. . (b) dense population in the area


(a) as it is the day to be empathetic towards drug (c) non-porous border areas





addicts (d) smooth connection between two border areas


(b) to warn those who are drug addicts 3. Choose the option that lists the statements that




(c) to create awareness among the people are NOT TRUE about the gateway drugs.


especially parents about the drug menace 1. the gateway drugs are hardly available in the


(d) All of these. market.


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2. nicotine and alcohol being gateway drugs can 7. What does the term ‘drug abuse’ mean?




be tried with others drugs. 8. How does drug addiction usually start?

3. the youngsters are very cautious about the 9. Why is drug addiction on the rise today?


gateway drugs.

10. The drugs being called as ‘uppers’ has a reference
4. the gateway drugs are seldom preferred by

to helping as energy givers. (True/False)


the common public. 11. What is the adverse impact of drugs on brain?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3

12. Find the word in para 4 which is opposite in





(c) 3 and 4 (d) 2 and 4

meaning to ‘unknowingly’.




4. “We need to be accountable as a society.” The
Answers:


idea of being accountable as a society is mainly
a reference to .................. . 1. (d) All of these

(a) the college-going students be knowledgeable 2. (d) smooth connection between two border areas

3. (a) 1 and 2


about drug use

4. (b) a society well aware of drug abuse
(b) a society well aware of drug abuse

5. (a) there is a huge demand


(c) the youngsters being victims of drug abuse

6. range and extent of drug exposure


(d) rare availability of illicit drugs

7. The term ‘drug abuse’ refers to the deliberate use


5. There are suppliers, middlemen and traffickers

of drugs for the purpose other than medicinal.


because .................. . 8. Drug addiction usually starts with youngster’s
(a) there is a huge demand


experiments with alcohol and nicotine.


(b) governments can only play a vital role in this 9. Drug addiction is on the rise today because people




way are more tolerant and welcoming of drugs today.
(c) the global problem calls for a collective effort 10. False




(d) they are vital service providers 11. Drugs badly affect our mental states, i.e. feelings




6. The awareness programmes about the drug and behaviour.


menace will help parents know about .................. 12. deliberately


among college-going students.

PASSAGES FOR SELF-EVALUATION

PASSAGE-1
Read the passage given below:
1. Why be a teacher? The short answer is easy
• to witness the diversity of growth in young people and their joy in learning
• to encourage lifelong learning — both for yourself and for others
• to experience the challenge of devising and doing interesting, exciting activities for the young
There is more to be said about the value of teaching. Consider, for instance, the “young people” referred

to above. In one class, they could be six years old; in another, they could be sixteen or even older. They
could be rich, poor or somewhere in between. There are all sorts of possibilities. But whoever the particular
students are, they will have potential as human beings — possibly not yet realised — that can contribute
to society. A teacher’s job — in fact, a teacher’s privilege — is to help particular “young people” to realise
their potential.
2. As a teacher, you will be able to lay the groundwork for lifelong learning. You will often work with students
long enough to convey a crucial message: there is much in life to learn — more than any one teacher or
school can provide in a lifetime. Whatever you teach, its immensity can be a source of curiosity, wonder
and excitement. Learning, when properly understood, is never-ending, though it often focuses on short-
term, immediate concerns. As a teacher, you will have an advantage not shared by every member of society
the excuse not only to teach valuable knowledge and skills, but to point students beyond what they will
be able to learn from you.
3. Whatever you teach, you will be able to feel the satisfaction of designing and orchestrating complex
activities that communicate new ideas and skills effectively. The challenge is attractive to many teachers,

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because that is where they exercise judgment and “artistry” freely and frequently. Teaching will need you
to know how to explain ideas clearly, to present new materials in a sensible sequence and at an appropriate
pace, to point out connections between their new learning and their prior experiences.
4. The complexity of classroom life guarantees that teaching never needs to get boring. Something new and


exciting is bound to occur when you least expect it. A student shows an insight that you never expected to
see — or fails to show one that you were sure he had. After teaching a particular learning objective several
times, you realise that you understand it differently than the first time you taught it. The job never stays
the same; it evolves continually. As long as you keep teaching, you will have a job with novelty.


(431 words)

On the basis of your understanding of the above (a) The ability to follow something exceptionally

passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions (b) The ability to create something new and

given below: valuable
1. Which of these BEST describes the organisation (c) The ability to appreciate something

of the passage? wholeheartedly
(a) comparing and contrasting information from (d) The ability to criticise something in a

different sources constructive manner
(b) bringing in personal accounts of different 6. Which of these options supports the following

statement?


people to make a point
(c) introducing certain points and explaining A teacher’s job — in fact, a teacher’s privilege — is

to help particular “young people” to realise their


them in subsequent paragraphs
(d) reminiscing about events that happened in potential. (paragraph 1)
(a) As a teacher, you will have an advantage


the past to support the details given


2. What is the author MOST LIKELY referring to not shared by every member of society...
(paragraph 2)


when he says ‘Learning, when properly understood,
is never-ending. Even though it often focuses on (b) Teaching will need you to know how to explain


short term, immediate concerns (para 2)’? ideas clearly, to present new materials in a
(a) The excessive focus on quick memorisation of facts sensible sequence... (paragraph 3)


(b) The need to create lesson plans to cater to (c) After teaching a particular learning objective




different grade levels several times, you realise that you understand
(c) The emphasis on learning concepts with a it differently...(paragraph 4)


clear understanding of them (d) The job never stays the same, it evolves


(d) The need to have meticulous plans to help continually. (paragraph 4)


students develop self-learning habits 7. The passage compares the role of teachers with


3. What is the meaning of ‘orchestrating’ in the line those of other professionals in nation-building.


given below? (True/False)

...you will be able to feel the satisfaction of 8. Select the option that correctly explains the



designing and orchestrating complex activities... relationship between (1) and (2).
(paragraph 3) (1) Learners come from all walks of life and


(a) Analysing and evaluating something display great diversity in classrooms.


beforehand (2) The role of teachers is extremely challenging


(b) Planning and organising something carefully as it requires them to cater to the different


(c) Explaining the difficulty in doing something needs of each child.


(d) Introducing something spontaneously (a) (2) furthers the meaning of (1).





4. By instilling lifelong learning in children, (b) (1) is the opposite of (2).




teachers can ensure that students ..................... (c) (1) is the cause of (2).



challenges in life. (d) (2) negates (1).


5. Which of these conveys the meaning of ‘artistry’ 9. According to the details given in the passage, select




as used in the following line? the option that highlights the MANDATORY
... because that is where they exercise judgment qualities that a teacher must have.

and “artistry” the most freely and frequently (i) creative (ii) quick-thinker
(paragraph 3)





(iii) avid reader (iv) emotionally mature





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(v) believes in a strict routine (b) Teachers should share sensitive information





(vi) should be well-versed in various languages in the class.


(a) i), ii) and iv) (b) (i), iii) and v) (c) Teachers should allow students to share new

(c) ii), iv) and v) (d) iv), v) and vi) findings with everyone.



10. Which of these is a VALID conclusion according (d) Teachers should look out for different

to the given line? learning opportunities for themselves.
Something new and exciting is bound to occur 11. What does overburden on teachers in classroom

just when you least expect it. (paragraph 4) ensure for them?
(a) Teachers should surprise the students in the 12. As a teacher what can you do for lifelong learning?

class.
PASSAGE-2
Read the passage given below:
1. To readers who have followed his every word, Ruskin Bond’s autobiography won’t be much of a surprise.


After all, incidents from his life have been fictionalised in many of his stories. In fact, if you’re reading
the book, it might be a good idea to keep a pile of his other books nearby. The book is divided into four
parts —his childhood, school years, life in England, and finally back in India.Bond begins with his earliest
memories; “of a little boy who ate a lot of kofta curry and was used to having his way.” The reader is
introduced first to Osman, the khansama, and via his story to Jamnagar and the Bond family. The senior
Bond found a job as tutor to the prince of Jamnagar’s children and, in attending these classes, Bond junior
learnt the useful art of reading things upside down. After his father, the most important person in his
life during this phase was his ayah who was immortalised in his first “literary effort” that compares her
to a papaya. Quarrels between the parents are noted almost as a footnote to an idyllic childhood.
2. Childhood memories when World War II broke out, Bond senior enlisted in the Royal Air Force while
the family moved to Dehradun to be with the “Dehra Granny”, as Bond calls his maternal grandmother.
Now you learn that all those lovely tales of the eccentric grandfather were “either made up or based on
hearsay”. It is at Dehradun that the pampered child is suddenly forced to grow up: a disapproving grandma,
a mother who is out with another man, a strict school... ending with parents’separation and Bond going
to be with his father. Bond makes no secret of the fact that he preferred life with his father. He ranks the
few months that he was in his father’s custody as the happiest time of his childhood but one does wonder
at how often the eight year old is left all alone. “New Delhi was a safer place in the 1940s than it is in the
21st century,” writes Bond, and you are forced to agree when you read of his life in the capital.
3. But this happy life came to an end when the youngster is packed off to school—Bishop Cotton’s in
Shimla. Within a couple of years, the father, weakened by repeated bouts of malaria, died of hepatitis.

“And so the bottom had fallen out of my world,” writes Bond and the following pages are a poignant
analysis of his relationship with his father. He goes home to his mother for the holidays to find that
no one has come to receive him. The 10 year-old makes his way to his grandmother’s house only
to find out that his mother has remarried. A sense of melancholy, punctuated with wry humour,
pervades the narrative as Bond takes the reader through life in school and with his mother and her
family during the holidays. You can actually conjure up in your mind’s eye the image of a confused
child trying to make sense of a world that has suddenly gone awry. Bond candidly admits that he did
not try to reach out to his mother and stepfather and probably rebuffed their overtures.
4. A little room beckons. Once he finished school, Bond began to look for ways to achieve his ambition:


that of being a writer and going to England, “where all the writers I had admired had made their
careers.” Bond’s account of his sojourn first in Jersey and later London keeps one hooked: whether
it is his interactions with the legendary Diana Athill; his chance encounter with Graham Greene,
pointing to how much things have changed for authors in the years since; his one-sided love affair with
a Vietnamese girl, or his explorations of Britain’s capital. Through all this the reader is conscious of
how much he is missing home. “All I really wanted was my little room back again”, he writes. This
longing leads him to leave London rather suddenly and return to India. Back in Dehra, he begins
writing for magazines like The Illustrated Weekly of India and the reader meets a range of characters



like Bibiji, his stepfather’s first wife; lawyer Suresh; journalist William Matheson.

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5. A stint in Delhi leads to a lovely chapter of what the city was like in 1959. As he writes of “extensive fields


of wheat and other crops that stretched away to the west and north” of Rajouri Gardens, I remember the
urban clutter of the early 1990s and sigh. While working for the Council for Tibetan Relief (CARE), he

also makes peace with his mother and her family. It is through CARE that he finally gets to Mussoorie
and decides that if his dream of being a writer “was to become a reality, this was the time to do something
about it”. All is well.
6. In the summer of 1963, an almost-thirty Bond returns to the hills, never to leave. The last part of the


book is familiar territory for Bond’s readers—a combination of nature writing and stories of people—as we
learn how he became the Ruskin Bond that most of us love. He talks about the arrival of Prem and then
his family, who become his adopted family; of steering a magazine called Imprint through the Emergency;
finding himself under arrest for publishing a story in Debonair; and of meeting Indira Gandhi; of storms
and squirrels; of Maple wood and Ivy Cottage. And of, finally, becoming popular and being in demand. “I’m
like a shopkeeper hoarding bags full of grains, only I hoard words. There are still people who buy words
and I hope I can keep bringing a little sunshine and pleasure into their lives to the end of my days.” We

hope so too, Mr. Bond.
On the basis of your understanding of the above 5. Ruskin Bond’s visit to London and Jersey makes

passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions the reader feel that he ....................
given below: (a) enjoyed meeting Graham Greene

1. According to the author Ruskin Bond’s (b) didn’t like Diana Athill


autobiography won’t be a surprise because


(c) missed his home in India
....................


(d) wanted to settle down in London
(a) his life is quite uninteresting


6. Which of the following is incorrect with reference



(b) his life has been fictionalised


to the meaning of ‘conjure up’ (para 3)?


(c) he is a well-known literary figure
(a) Evoke (b) Recall



(d) he always wanted to write autobiography







2. Happiest part of Ruskin’s childhood was (c) Awaken (c) Bring to mind






.................... 7. What tone does Ruskin Bond use to describe his


(a) with Dehra Granny childhood after his father’s death?



(b) with eccentric grandfather 8. What all contributed to make Ruskin’s life




(c) with his mother unhappy as a child?



(d) with his father 9. What made Ruskin write “And so the bottom had




3. Ruskin Bond wanted to go to London because fallen out of my world”?


.................... 10. Why did Ruskin Bond leave London suddenly?
4. What makes the reader feel that tales of eccentric


11. Which characters made their way into Bond’s


grandfather were made up ..................


writing while he was writing for The Illustrated
(a) as there was no mention of a grandfather
Weekly?



(b) as he had a disapproving grandmother
12. Find the word in para 4 which means ‘a


(c) mother’s remarriage


temporary stay in a place away from your home’.


(d) all the above


PASSAGE-3
Read the passage given below:
1. Other animals go about the world as nature made them. Why then, did man start to adorn himself by


hanging things round his neck, arms, waist and legs or putting things on his head? We can imagine many
reasons. If an exceptionally strong or brave man succeeded in killing an exceptionally large bear, might
he not get the idea of boring a hole through one of its teeth with a sharp flint and tying the tooth round
his neck in order to remind himself of his great achievement and to show his friends what a great man
he was? Gradually it might become the custom in that tribe for all strong and brave hunters to wear a
bear’s tooth, and it might be regarded as a disgrace not to wear one and a sign that one was weak or very
young.
2. Another man might make an ornament of a coloured shell or stone simply because he liked it or because


its shape reminded him of something. Then if he happened to escape from some danger when he was
wearing it he might think the ornament had something to do with it—that it had magic qualities. And

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his friends and relatives would not be satisfied until they had an ornament of the same kind. People who
wore ornaments would soon learn to arrange them in different ways according to their size and colour
in order to make them more decorative and impressive. A necklace found in Italy with the skeleton of a
young man of the Stone Age was quite elaborate. It consisted of stag’s teeth arranged at intervals with,
between them, two upper rows made up of the vertebrae of a fish and one row of shells.
3. Another reason why men might tie feathers, horns, skins and all kinds of other things to themselves


would be in order to make themselves look fierce and more terrifying to animals or to the men of other
tribes. Objects that came from a distance and were therefore scarce—such as sea-shells to people living far
inland—would come in time to have a special value, and might be worn only by chiefs and their families
in order to show that they were particularly important people.
Primitive tribes living today often associate themselves with some particular animal or bird, such as an

angle or lion, or with a particular place, such as a mountain or river. Man may have started doing this
kind of thing very early in his history. Then, every member of a group or family may have worn something
such as feathers, claws or even a stone or wooden object of a certain shape or colour, to represent the
animal or mountain or whatever it might be that they believed themselves to be connected with.
4. So, as we have seen, clothing may have started as ornament or to distinguish one tribe from another or


to show rank or because certain things were believed to have magic qualities. But in some places a time
came when men and women began to wear clothes for other reasons. During the Ice Ages, when the polar
ice spread over far more of the world than it does today, some of the districts in which human beings were
living became very cold and bleak indeed. Man must have learnt that he would be more comfortable and
more likely to survive, if he covered his body with the skins of animals. At first perhaps, he would simply
tie a skin round his waist or over his shoulders but as time passed he learnt how to treat skins in order
to make them softer and more supple and how to join them together in order to make better garments.
5. Flint tools have been found buried deep under the earth floors of caves in which prehistoric men sheltered


when the weather became colder. Some of the tools were probably used to scrape the inner sides of skins
to make them soft. Stone Age people may also have softened skins in the same way that Eskimo women
do today, by chewing them. The teeth of Eskimo women are often worn down to stumps by the constant
chewing of seal skins. Among the wonderful flint and bone tools and implements that later cave men
made have been found some beautiful bone needles, some not much bigger than those we use today.
Although the people who made them had only flint tools to work with, some of the needles are finer and
more beautifully shaped than those of Roman times.
On the basis of your understanding of the above 5. Some ornaments were believed to have ...............


passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions (a) satisfaction (b) magic power




given below: (c) disgrace (d) comforts




1. The habit of wearing a bear’s tooth symbolises 6. Which of these options is ODD one out with




.................... reference to the meaning of ‘exceptionally’
(a) man’s greed (b) hypocrisy (para 1)?





(c) arrogance (d) honesty (a) Extraordinarily (b) Remarkably








2. The flint tools were found .................... (c) Atypically (d) Outstandingly




7. Man adorns himself to look more impressive.


(a) buried in the caves


(True/False)



(b) on the floor of the caves
8. What was special about the necklace found in


(c) at cool places


Italy?


(d) in the forests 9. Why did men tie feathers, horns and skins to


3. The passage justifies that man is ....................


their body parts?


(a) creative (b) innovative 10. Why did man begin to clothe himself? Give two







(c) productive (d) all the above reasons?




4. Some of the flint tools were probably used to 11. What tools did they make use of? Describe the




scrape the inner sides of skins to make them needles they used.
.................... 12. Pick out the word from para 4 which is similar


(a) soft (b) rough in meaning to ‘flexible’.





(c) hard (d) bright qqq




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