ABHISHEK'S EDUCATION CENTRE

Reading section
English

Roll No. : Time -

Date : MM - 274

1. Read the passage given below. 10

1. It was 200 years ago that a French doctor when examining a female patient rolled up sheets of
paper and placed them to her heart instead of pitting his ear to her chest. This single act gave birth
to that universal marker of medical practice, the stethoscope. Over two centuries this device has
travelled wide, and is now seen in S&M shops, toy stores, medical exam rooms. Unfortunately on its
two hundredth birthday, instead of celebration there’s talk of dispatching the stethoscope to the
morgue. Last week, Jagat Narula, a cardiologist, provocatively claimed: ‘The stethoscope is dead.’

2. In 2014, India-born 15-year-old Suman Mulumudi invented the Steth 10 in Seattle. He is one
among several who have come up with alternatives to the regular stethoscope. His invention
essentially records heart and lung sounds and converts them into a spectrogram which can be
annotated in an iPhone that amplifies and stores for future reference. The device is in the market.
Besides this, there are other choices in the market. Others have cited a portable ultrasound machine
as a possible successor. An FDA approved digital stethoscope that records the sounds of a patient’s
heart and transmits them into an app is also around. The chip stored in the cloud can be transferred
for a second opinion anywhere in the world. Some stethoscope apps play doctor and deliver snap
diagnosis by applying algorithms to match the patient’s recordings with a re-programmed index of
common sounds detected for listening to internal sounds of the body.

3. The gains, experts say, are greater diagnostic accuracy, real-time results and streamlined
treatment that saves the patient time and money by eliminating superfluous tests and medication.
But not all Indian doctors are convinced about it. Dr Vinita Arora maintains that technology is what
you tell technology. Good history taking and listening to a patient can never be substituted. If the
machine misses even one sign the diagnosis could be incorrect. According to Dr. CT Deshmukh,
ninety per cent of doctors can’t do without a stetho, but some others point out stethos stand-ins will
not penetrate the Indian market until new digital devices are introduced to students right at medical
school. According to Dr Neelesh Bhandari, when you go to techno conferences you realize that
stethoscopes are going out because apps and mobile devices are more accurate and tell you more.’
For manufacturers of steel stethoscopes their devices are a bargain at ` 500 to ` 2000. Even though
electronic stethoscopes have been available for several years you will seldom come across them in
use.

4. The economics of operating the next gen stethoscope may prove a hurdle in India. Logistically
the steep imbalance between doctor-patient ratio – 6 doctors to every 10,000 people could suppose
that quicker, more efficient tools with tele-medicine capabilities would have sped up diagnosis. But
then again 80% of the population is treated in rural India where steady electricity is a luxury.

5. This is why other doctors feel that it is not yet time for the stethoscope to exit although they
believe that will undoubtedly come. For the present the convention is suggestive of the doctor’s
authority because when a patient sees an individual with a stethoscope they feel reassured that they
are in capable hands and feel on the way to recovery. Moreover, if you take away the symbol you take
away the placebo effect of the doctor.

6. Finally it is worthwhile to remember that a conventional stetho may not relay messages but it
has always had a processor—between the ear tips.
11.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements given
below with the help of options that follow:

(a) The French doctor examining a woman patient _______________ .

(i) rolled up his sleeve

(ii) rolled up sheets of paper

(iii) placed a paper to his ear

(iv) invented the stethoscope

(b) The stethoscope can now be seen in _______________ .

(i) medical operating rooms, toy shops

(ii) toy shops and sports goods

(iii) medical examination rooms and toy shops

(iv) book stores and hospitals

(c) The stethoscope has been in use for _______________ .

(i) a century

(ii) 200 years

(iii) since 2014

(iv) before the computer age

(d) The digital stethoscope records the patient’s heartbeat and _______________ .

(i) stores it in its memory

(ii) transmits it to the Iphone

(iii) warns the doctor

(iv) stores it in an app

(e) In rural India, steady electricity is still considered to be a _______________ .

(i) need

(ii) luxury

(iii) history

(iv) demand

11.2 Answer the following.

(a) In 2014, Suman Mulumundi invented the Steth 10, in Seattle.(True/False)

(b) At medical conferences, stethoscopes are becoming outdated because apps and mobile
devices are more ______________ .

(c) The sentence, “The stethoscope is dead”, was given by ______________ .

 (d) The type of stethoscope that records the sounds of a patient’s heart and transmits it into an
app is ______________ .

11.3 Find words from the passage which mean the opposite of the following:

(a) external (para 2)

(b) inefficient (para 3)

2. Read the passage given below and attempt any ten questions. 10

1. Once, Lakshman Singh Potai, Santosh Kumar Usendi and Butia Ram Kurram may have hunted in
the forests of Chhattisgarh in their free time. Now they have social media accounts, know some
English, and Potai at least is the proud owner of a selfie-stick. The first kids from Abujmarh–Gondi
for “unknown highlands” — to take admission in Delhi University, will graduate from Hindu College
this year with honours degrees in physics.

2. Their move to Delhi in the summer of 2013 was momentous. The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister
had organised a farewell; the governor had written a letter of introduction saying, “They are
remarkable in the sense that they come from Abujmarh area of Bastar, which remained impenetrable
to the administration till recently and is Naxal affected.” In 2014, a fourth teen, Nihal Nag from
Matenar in Dantewada, joined DU. Three of them hope to be civil servants; Kurram wants to appear
for CAT.

3. They owe much of their English skills to their friends. “Our Manipuri friends don’t speak Hindi at
all,” explains Potai. He knows Chandni Chowk thanks to a group project in first year; they’ve watched
movies in Connaught Place theatres; sampled the fare at different college canteens and had
Manipuri fish at a friend’s place near North Campus. When he goes home, Potai and Santosh buy
sweets from a shop in Dwarka’s sector 11 and clothes from Karol Bagh. But the long commute
between hostel and college—they stay at Utkarsh, Chhattisgarh government’s Tribal Youth Hostel in
Dwarka—leaves little time for other things they’re good at, football and music. “They’re also doing
well in class. They’re the youngest here but have set an example for the others who are preparing for
civil service exams,” says Dinesh Jha, assistant commissioner with his office at Utkarsh. Potai has
an average score of 80% over five semesters; Usendi has 56% and Kurram—currently at home
recovering from fever—has about 70%. “This experience has given us confidence,” says Potai. He’d
encouraged Nag to pick DU physics over engineering in Hyderabad.

4. Nag is a second-year physics student at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College. His mother, Kamala
Vinay Nag, the district panchayat president, is a bit of a phenomenon back home. “She was
abandoned by her father in Tikanpal. Villagers raised her and funded her education. She’s studied till
Class XII,” says Nag. His father passed away in 2013 and a younger brother has cancer. Their
treatment so debilitated the family’s resources that when Nag came to DU they “didn’t have enough
to eat.” On his 2014 winter break, he’d encouraged his mother to contest elections and walked with
her to the collector’s office to file nominations. On his next visit, in winter 2015, he scuttled a child
marriage.

5. Their homes are changing too. Buses now reach more villages—Usendi’s is 75 kilometres from
Narayanpur, the district headquarters, but now has a road going to it—there are more CRPF
personnel but electricity is still a problem. Nag says Dantewada is very different from its image. “It’s
developing and we have everything. I posted photos of Chitrakoot and Tirathgarh waterfalls on
Facebook and got many likes.

6. Abujmarh was inaccessible even to government surveyors for a long time. Till 2009, the Maoist
stronghold was a no-go zone for “outsiders” and the government itself relied on NGOs to deliver
basic services. Naturally, there’s still much ground to be covered. “People either don’t know about
government schemes or how to sign up,” says Potai.

7. Jha is convinced the boys will speed things up. Potai is already preparing to write the state
public service exams and has an inch-thick folder of notes to show for it. “I want to be in a position
to do something for my people.”

12.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements given
below with the help of options that follow:

(a) Potai, Usendi and Kurram hail from _______________ .

(i) Manipur

(ii) Forests

(iii) Ajubmarh–Gondi

(iv) Outskirts of Delhi

(b) When they moved to Delhi _______________ .

(i) the Chief Minister organized a farewell

(ii) the village headman organized a reception

(iii) their families were reluctant

(iv) their friends came with them

(c) When Potai goes home he takes _______________ .

(i) his Manipuri friends with him

(ii) the manager of the hostel

(iii) sweets from a shop in Dwarka

(iv) sweets from a shop in Connaught Place

(d) Usendi’s home is _______________ .

(i) in Dwarka

(ii) 75 km from Narayanpur

(iii) in Dantewada

(iv) in Maoist stronghold

(e) The fourth teen, Nihal Nag, hails from _______________ .

(i) Gondi

(ii) Dantewada

(iii) Bastar

(iv) Manipur

12.2 Answer the following.

(a) The first kids from Abujmarh-Gondi joined Delhi University in 2013.(True/False)

(b) The Chhattisgarh Tribal Youth Hostel, located in Dwarka in Delhi, is called _____________ .

(c) What rank does Nag’s mother hold in the district panchayat?
 (d) Who said, “I want to be in a position to do something for my people”?

12.3 Find words from the passage which mean the same as:

(a) historic (para 2)

(b) difficult to reach (para 6)

3. Read the passage given below and attempt any ten questions. 10

The cloud-backed heron will not move:

He stares into the stream.

He stands unfaltering while the gulls

And oyster-catchers scream.

He does not hear, he cannot see

The great white horses of the sea,

But fixes eyes on stillness

Below their flying team. 8

How long will he remain, how long

Have the gray woods been green?

The sky and the reflected sky

Their glass he has not seen,

But silent as a speck of sand

Interpreting the sea and land,

His fall pulls down the fabric

Of all that windy scene. 16

Sailing with clouds and woods behind

Pausing in leisured flight,

He stepped, alighting on a stone,

Dropped from the stars of night.

He stood there unconcerned with day,

Deaf to the tumult of the bay,

Watching a stone in water,

A fish’s hidden light. 24

Sharp rocks drive back the breaking waves

Confusing sea with air.

Bundles of spray blown mountain-high

Have left the shingle bare.

A shipwrecked anchor wedged by rocks,

Loosed by the thundering equinox,

Divides the herded waters,

The stallion and his mare. 32

Yet no distraction breaks the watch

Of that time-killing bird.

He stands unmoving on the stone;

Since dawn he has not stirred.

Calamity about him cries,

But he has fixed his golden eyes

On water’s crooked tablet,

On light’s reflected word. 40

Vernon Watkins

13.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above poem complete the statement given
below with the help option that follow.

(a) Besides the heron the other birds in the vicinity are _______________ .

(i) more herons

(ii) stream catchers

(iii) oysters and gulls

(iv) oyster-catchers and gulls

(b) The heron in flight _______________ .

(i) goes over clouds and woods

(ii) stones and rocks

(iii) across the stars at night

(iv) across the bay

(c) The sea is confused with air when _______________ .

(i) there is a wind blowing

(ii) sharp rocks drive back the breaking waves

(iii) the shingles are exposed

(iv) the bird flies in the water

 (d) The bird on the stone has not stirred _______________ .

(i) since daylight

(ii) since landing there

(iii) since dawn

(iv) since the waves broke

(e) The bird has fixed golden eyes even though _______________ .

(i) there’s a disaster around

(ii) there’s no one around

(iii) there’s dark around

(iv) none of these

13.2 Answer the following.

(a) While the heron stands still in the water, the oyster-catchers scream.(True/False)

(b) The heron remains deaf at the sounds of the bay.(True/False)

(c) The heron alighted on a ______________ after sailing across the sky.

(d) The shipwrecked anchor on the seashore is ______________ in-between the rocks.

13.3 Find words from the poem which mean the same as:

(a) steady (lines 1–8)

(b) a situation of loud noise and excitement (lines 17–24)

4. Read the passage given below. 10

1. Every Republic Day security in the city is beefed up. You can see a lot more of the four-legged,
furry ‘canines on duty’ — everywhere from the Metro to the airport. While these trained dogs are
sniffing around your bags, you might be tempted to pet them, but the CISF officials accompanying
them do not approve of such behaviour on the commuters’ part. As one official puts it, “People fawn
over them and ask us questions, but we don’t entertain anyone. Our dogs are soldiers, not
showpieces.”

2. The CISF headquarters in Delhi have three breeds — German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers
and Cocker Spaniels, and the officials claim that these are the best-trained dogs in the country.

3. We have seen Metro commuters fighting, shouting and arguing for seats and space. But if you
have ever seen these four-legged soldiers in the Metro, you must have noticed how they don’t bark or
even look at the commuters. Even in packed Metros, they never lose their cool. A CISF official says,
“They won’t bark at or bite people. These dogs don’t bite anyone, unless given the command to
attack by their trainers.”

4. Usually transported in the women’s coaches of the Metro, it is not uncommon to see girls and
children going crazy as soon as they make an entrance. But they just ignore everyone and move only
at the handler’s command. An official says, “A dog is obedient by nature. Our dogs and their handlers
share a special bond, which is so strong that if the handler is on leave, the dog won’t even eat. They
are trained to not touch or listen to anyone’s command except their handlers’. They also don’t eat
anything given by someone else. We train three handlers with two dogs, so that when one handler is
on leave, the dog doesn’t face an emotional crisis and stop eating or working.”
5. Talking about the training procedure, a CISF official says, “We procure the puppies when they are
only six months old and then they are sent to the Border Security Force Academy, Tekanpur, Gwalior,
for a six-month training period with their handlers (both are trained together). After the training, when
the dog is a year old, he is sent for the appointed service, which he continues for the next nine years.
Each dog is named by his handler and like soldiers, these dogs also have their certificates and
service records.”

6. If you think these canines lead a dog’s life, you are mistaken. Says a CISF official, “He is not a
dog for us; he is a soldier who assists us in our operations.” The official adds, “All the dogs in the
kennel are trained twice a day — morning and evening. They have a fixed diet and feeding time —
what the dog will eat at what time of the day is decided by doctors. As these dogs have to carry out
several duties and have to stand and move for hours, they need to eat healthy.”

7. Pet parents should learn how to take care of their dogs from these CISF officials, who consider
the members of the dog brigade their colleagues. The CISF has four kennels in Delhi and each dog
gets a separate room, which it doesn’t have to share with another dog. Each dog also has its own
belongings — a blanket, shampoo, towel — with its name on it. During the winter, they have heaters
and during the summer, they have a personal cooler.

8. A soldier needs to be fit and if a dog soldier is not fit, its service has to be discontinued. Says an
official, “We can’t help it. If a dog becomes bulky, we can’t take it for duty because it has to travel a lot
and won’t be fit enough for all the activities. At present, we have divided all the Metro lines in two-
three sub-divisions, and each dog has a four-hour duty daily.”

14.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements given
below with the help of options that follow:

(a) People are forbidden to pet sniffer dogs as they are _______________ .

(i) ferocious creatures

(ii) their officials’ pets

(iii) not metro commuters

(iv) soldiers, not showpieces

(b) These dogs do not bite anyone unless _______________ .

(i) they are given a command to do so

(ii) they are hungry

(iii) someone irritates

(iv) their trainers beat them

(c) When their handler is on leave they _______________ .

(i) are given a day off

(ii) do not work willingly

(iii) do not eat

(iv) eat a lot

(d) The diet and timing of meals is decided by their _______________ .

(i) handlers
 (ii) appetites

(iii) duties

(iv) doctor

(e) ‘People fawn over them and ask us questions.’ ‘Fawn over’ in the above line refers to
_______________ .

(i) try to cheat someone

(ii) try to please someone

(iii) hate someone

(iv) both (i) and (ii)

14.2 Answer the following.

(a) The CISF dogs are showpieces and not soldiers.(True/False)

(b) The CISF dogs are usually transported in the women’s coaches on the Metro.(True/False)

(c) All the dogs of the CISF are trained ______________ a day.

(d) The daily duty hours for the CISF dogs is ______________ hours.

14.3 Find words from the passage which mean the same as:

(a) order (para 3)

(b) obtain (para 5)

5. Read the passage given below and attempt any ten questions. 10

I DREAM’D that as I wander’d by the way

Bare winter suddenly was changed to Spring,

And gentle odours led my steps astray,

Mix’d with a sound of waters murmuring

Along a shelving bank of turf, which lay 5

Under a copse, and hardly dared to fling

Its green arms round the bosom of the stream,

But kiss’d it and then fled, as Thou mightest in dream.

There grew pied wind-flowers and violets,

Daisies, those pearl’d Arcturi of the earth, 10

The constellated flower that never sets;

Faint oxlips; tender bluebells, at whose birth

The sod scarce heaved; and that tall flower that wets—

Like a child, half in tenderness and mirth—

Its mother’s face with heaven-collected tears, 15

When the low wind, its playmate’s voice, it hears.

And in the warm hedge grew lush eglantine,

Green cow-bind and the moonlight-colour’d May,

And cherry-blossoms, and white cups, whose wine

Was the bright dew yet drain’d not by the day; 20

And wild roses, and ivy serpentine

With its dark buds and leaves, wandering astray;

And flowers azure, black, and streak’d with gold,

Fairer than any waken’d eyes behold.

And nearer to the river’s trembling edge 25

There grew broad flag-flowers, purple prank’d with white,

And starry river-buds among the sedge,

And floating water-lilies, broad and bright,

Which lit the oak that overhung the hedge

With moonlight beams of their own watery light; 30

And bulrushes, and reeds of such deep green

As soothed the dazzled eye with sober sheen.

Methought that of these visionary flowers

I made a nosegay, bound in such a way

That the same hues, which in their natural bowers 35

Were mingled or opposed, the like array

Kept these imprison’d children of the Hours

Within my hand,—and then, elate and gay,

I hasten’d to the spot whence I had come

That I might there present it—O! to Whom? 40

—P.B. Shelley

15.1 On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the statements given below with
the help of options that follow:

(a) The poet had dreamt that _______________ .

(i) bare summer had given way to spring

(ii) spring suddenly changed to winter

 (iii) summer and winter were together

(iv) bare winter had changed to spring

(b) The poet had wandered in his dream _______________ .

(i) on to a bank of turf

(ii) under the river

(iii) under a copse round the bosom of the stream

(iv) into a dream

(c) What the poet saw growing along the banks were _______________ .

(i) a variety of flowers

(ii) a variety of cows

(iii) his fair eyes awakened

(iv) a dazzling of sunshine

(d) The poet imagined that _______________ .

(i) he kept the flowers as a gift

(ii) he made the flowers into a nosegay

(iii) the flowers present themselves

(iv) the flowers were opposed to one another

(e) ‘Bosom of the stream’ refers to _______________ .

(i) the depth of the stream

(ii) the bottom of the stream

(iii) the breast of the stream

(iv) both (i) and (ii)

15.2 Answer the following.

(a) As the poet wandered by the way, winter suddenly changed to spring.(True/False)

(b) The poet wants to present his nosegay of flowers to himself.(True/False)

(c) The flower that grew in the hedges was ______________ .

(d) The reeds and bulrushes by the river were ______________ in colour.

15.3 Find words from the passage which mean the same as:

(a) earth (lines 10–15)

(b) blue (lines 20–25)

6. Read the passage given below. 12

1. Ghost nets aren’t supernatural, but they are legitimately scary. A ghost net is a fishing net that’s
been lost or abandoned in the ocean. They are one particularly appalling part of the global ghost fishing
problem, which includes fishing gear abandoned in the water. Any net or line left in the ocean can pose a
threat to marine life. Just because a net is no longer used by fishers doesn’t mean it stops working.
These nets continue to trap everything in their path, presenting a major problem for the health of our
oceans and marine life.
2. Ghost nets entangle sea turtles, dolphins and porpoises, birds, sharks, seals and more, apart from
catching fish. The nets keep animals from moving freely, cause injuries and keep mammals and birds
from rising to the surface for air. Since hundreds of animals can be caught in a single net, this threat is
monumental. The ghost nets harm coral reefs too—breaking corals, exposing them to disease and even
blocking the reefs from needed sunlight.
3. Ghost nets are also a major contributor to the ocean plastics’ crisis. Most modern nets are made of
nylon or other plastic compounds that can last for centuries. According to a 2018 study in Scientific
Reports, ghost nets make up at least 46 per cent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Those abandoned
fishing lines and nets that do breakdown never go away; they just become smaller pieces of plastic.
Marine animals mistake this microplastic for food and eat it, which can harm internal organs, keep them
from eating and expose them to toxic chemicals.
4. Exorcising ghost nets from our oceans will require commitment, cooperation and innovation. Many
groups are working to remove ghost nets from the sea and are collaborating with local fishers and
governments around the world to identify target areas and remove as many nets as possible. In 2015, a
single World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)-led mission in the Baltic Sea hauled up 268 tons of nets,
ropes and other material.
5. To stop these nets from becoming ghosts in the first place, conservation organisations advocate
for fishing gear that can be traced to its owner so anyone dumping nets can be fined and refundable
deposits on nets to encourage returning or recycling rather than littering. Tools like sonar reflectors that
can make ghost nets easier to find and working with small-scale fisheries to develop more sustainable
fishing gear and practices are other suggestions. It is only by attacking this problem from all sides,
together with conservation partners, fishers and supporters, can we banish ghost nets and protect our
oceans.(437 words)
Adapted—https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/our-oceans-are-haunted-by-ghost-nets-why-that-s-
scary-and- what-we-can-do—24
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the correct option.
Ghost nets have been named so because they
(i) cause much harm to the marine life.
(ii) are functional though not in use by fishers.
(iii) are not owned by anyone.
(iv) act as a snare for all animals in oceans.
(b) The writer would not agree with the given statements based on paragraph three, EXCEPT:
(a) Most ghost nets take a few years to completely disintegrate.
(b) Ghost nets contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
(c) Most ghost nets provide nutrition to marine animals, upon disintegration.
(d) Ghost nets can curtail freedom of marine animals.
(c) Why is it fair to say that commitment and innovation have to go hand-in-hand to rid the oceans of
ghost nets?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
Exorcising ghost nets from our oceans require ________________ .
(e) Select the option that conveys the opposite of ‘negligible’.
(i) unimpressive
(ii) monumental
(iii) exposing
(iv) threat
(f) List the two ways being entangled in a ghost net is likely to impact a walrus.
(Clue: Think about the type of animal a walrus is)
(g) Some records share that fishing nets used to be made of common rope using natural fibres, prior to
the 1960s. Based on your understanding of paragraph three, list one major advantage that these had
over the fishing nets being used in present times.
(h) Comment on the writer’s reference to the ghost nets in paragraph one, as a health problem for the
oceans.
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. The Scary Side of Ghost Nets
2. Ghost Nets – A Result of Human Dominance
3. Ghost Nets – A Menace to Marine Life
4. Ways to Tackle the Problem of Ghost Nets
5. Ghost Nets – A Major Contributor
Identify the option that displays the options that does/do correspond with the passage.
(i) 1 and 2
(ii) only 3
(iii) 4 and 5
(iv) 3 and 4

7. Read the passage given below. 12

1. Indian tourism industry is growing at a rapid rate. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated
that tourism generated INR 6.4 trillion or 6.6% of the nation’s GDP in 2012. It supported 39.5 million jobs,
7.7% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9% from
2013 to 2023. This gives India the third rank among countries with the fastest growing tourism
industries over the next decade. India’s rich history and its cultural and geographical diversity make its
international tourism appeal large and diverse.
2. The Mehrangarh Fort located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, is one of the largest forts in India and a place
of major tourist attraction. Though the fort was originally built in 1459 by Rao Jodha, founder of
Jodhpur, most of the fort which stands today dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638–78). The
foundation of the fort was laid on May 12, 1459 by Jodha on a rocky hill, 9 kilometres to the south of
Mandore with the trusted aid of Rao Nara. This hill was known as Bhaurcheeria, the mountain of birds.
3. According to a legend, to build the fort, Rao Jodha had to displace the hill’s sole human occupant, a
hermit called Cheeria Nathji, the lord of birds. Upset at being forced to move, Cheeria Nathji cursed Rao
Jodha with “Jodha! May your citadel ever suffer a scarcity of water.” Rao Jodha managed to appease
the hermit by building a house and a temple in the fort, very near the cave, the hermit had used for
meditation. Even today, the area is plagued by drought every 3 to 4 years.
4. The fort’s walls, which are up to 36 metres (118 ft) high and 21 metres (69 ft) wide, protect some of
the most beautiful and historic palaces in Rajasthan. Entry to the fort is gained through a series of seven
gates. The imprints of cannonball hits, by attacking armies of Jaipur, can still be seen on the second
gate. To the left of the fort is the chhatri of Kirat Singh Soda, a soldier who fell on the spot defending the
fort.
5. Within the fort, several brilliantly crafted and decorated palaces are found which are known for their
intricate carvings and expansive courtyards. Of these, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower
Palace), Sheesha Mahal (Mirror Palace), Sileh Khana, and Daulat Khana are notable. The museum in the
fort is one of the most well-stocked museums in Rajasthan. In one section of the fort museum there is a
selection of old royal palanquins, including the elaborate domed gilt Mahadol palanquin which was won
in a battle from the Governor of Gujarat in 1730. The museum exhibits the heritage of the Rathores in
arms, costumes, paintings and decorated period rooms. One can also see royal cradles, miniatures,
musical instruments, costumes and furniture in the museum.
6. Mehrangarh is made of two words: ‘Mihir’ in Sanskrit means Sun-deity; and ‘garh’ in Sanskrit means
fort; i.e. ‘Sun-fort’. According to Rajasthani language pronunciation conventions, ‘Mihirgarh’ has changed
to ‘Mehrangarh’; the Sun-deity has been the chief deity of the Rathore dynasty.
7. The 500-year-old fort is a popular site for filming. The movie The Dark Knight Rises was shot here.
8. The ramparts of the fort are home to not only several excellently preserved old cannons (including
the famous Kilkila) but also offer a breathtaking view of the city.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) According to the writer, where was the location of the Mehrangarh Fort?
(i) It was located on the hill of Jodha, spotted at Bhaurcheeria.
(ii) It was located on a rocky hill in Mandore chosen by Rao Nara.
(iii) It was located nine km south of Mandore in a rocky area.
(iv) It was located at Bhaurcheeria, a rocky hill, nine km to the south of Mandore.
(b) What two reasons are cited for the shortage of water at the fort?
(i) The presence of birds and their hermit lord Cheeria Nathji.
(ii) The occurrence of drought after the departure of Cheeria Nathji.
(iii) The occurrence of drought every 3-4 years and the associated belief of a curse.
(iv) The presence of drought conditions due to the curse of Cheeri Nathji.
(c) How has Rajasthan language pronunciation conventions affected the name of Mehrangarh?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The reason behind India reaching the third highest ranking in terms of tourist growth is
______________ .
(e) Select the option that is similar is meaning to ‘outstanding’.
(i) unnoticeable
(ii) limiting
(iii) notable
(iv) obscure
(f) What legend is related with the scarcity of water as discussed in the passage?
(g) In the line,”... The imprints of cannonball hits, by attacking armies of Jaipur,...”, what does the word
‘imprints’ mean?
(h) Based on your understanding of the text, what is the prized exhibit of the Jodhpur Palace Museum?
(i) Read the titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. Tourism industry – at its peak
2. The Mehrangarh Fort – a tourist attraction
3. Scarcity of water
4. Dilapidated structure of the Fort
5. Deserted look of the city
Identify the option that displays the titles that DOES/DO correspond with the passage.
(i) 1 and 2 (ii) 1, 2 and 3
(iii) 4 and 5 (iv) 3 and 5

8. Read the passage given below. 12

1. I was born on 30th of November, 1835, in the almost invisible village of Florida, Monroe County,
Missouri. I suppose Florida had less than three hundred inhabitants. It had two streets, each a couple of
hundred yards long; the rest of the avenues mere lanes, with rail fences and cornfields on either side.
Both the streets and the lanes were paved with the same material—tough black mud in wet times, deep
dust in dry.
2. Most of the houses were of logs—all of them, indeed, except three or four; these latter were frame
ones. There were none of brick, and none of stone. There was a log church, with a puncheon floor and
slab benches. A puncheon floor is made of logs whose upper surfaces have been chipped flat with the
adz. The cracks between the logs were not filled; there was no carpet; consequently, if you dropped
anything smaller than a peach, it was likely to go through. The church was perched upon short sections
of logs, which elevated it two or three feet from the ground. Hogs slept under there, and whenever the
dogs got after them during services, the minister had to wait till the disturbance was over. In winter there
was always a refreshing breeze up through the puncheon floor; in summer there were fleas enough for
all.
3. A slab bench is made of the outside cut of a saw-log, with the bark side down; it is supported on
four sticks driven into auger holes at the ends; it has no back and no cushions. The church was
twilighted with yellow tallow candles in tin sconces hung against the walls. Week days, the church was a
schoolhouse.
4. There were two stores in the village. My uncle, John A. Quarles, was proprietor of one of them. It
was a very small establishment, with a few rolls of “bit” calicoes on half a dozen shelves; a few barrels of
salt mackerel, coffee, and New Orleans sugar behind the counter; stacks of brooms, shovels, axes, hoes,
rakes, and such things here and there; a lot of cheap hats, bonnets, and tinware strung on strings and
suspended from the walls; and at the other end of the room was another counter with bags of shot on it,
a cheese or two, and a keg of powder; in front of it a row of nail kegs and a few pigs of lead, and behind
it a barrel or two of New Orleans molasses and native corn whisky on top. If a boy bought five or ten
cents’ worth of anything, he was entitled to half a handful of sugar from the barrel; if a woman bought a
few yards of calico she was entitled to a spool of thread in addition to the usual gratis “trimmin’s”; if a
man bought a trifle, he was at liberty to draw and swallow as big a drink of whisky as he wanted.
5. Everything was cheap: apples, peaches, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, and corn, ten cents a
bushel; chickens, ten cents a piece; butter, six cents a pound; eggs, three cents a dozen; coffee and
sugar, five cents a pound; whisky, ten cents a gallon. I do not know how prices are out there in interior
Missouri now, but I know what they are here in Hartford, Connecticut. To wit: apples, three dollars a
bushel; peaches, five dollars; Irish potatoes (choice Bermudas), five dollars; chickens, a dollar to a dollar
and a half apiece, according to weight; butter, forty-five to sixty cents a pound. [An Excerpt from Mark
Twain’s Autobiography]
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Complete the sentence by choosing the appropriate ending.
Both the streets and lanes of Florida in 1835 were paved with ____________.
(i) tough black tar in wet times and dry black tar in dry times
(ii) tough coats of tar in wetter places and dry pack mud in drier places
(iii) tough black mud in wet times and dry dust in dry times
(iv) toughening of black mud for wet days and dry dust sprayed for dry days
(b) With which statement given below would the writer not agree?
(i) Hogs would sometimes enter the church when the service was ongoing and the minister would
stop to let them out.
(ii) Dogs would get after the hogs during the service and the minister would have to stop till the
ruckus subsided.
(iii) The hogs resided with the dogs below the church level.
(iv) The minister’s dogs would get after the hog owners during the service and make the minister
stop his service.
(c) List two unique aspects of the church building.
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
When the narrator was born, the population of Florida was _________.
(e) Select the word that is similar in meaning to ‘elevated’.
(i) exalted (ii) deflated (iii) demeaned (iv) demented
(f) Based on your understanding, why do you think there was no separate schoolhouse and lessons
were held in church during weekdays? Explain in about 40 words.
(g) What were the bonus items for purchases made by (i) Women buying calico, (ii) Boy spending five
to ten cents, (iii) Men who bought a trifle?
(h) Answer the following with reference to this line.
‘Prices were cheap I do not know how prices are out there in interior Missouri now.’
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. Historical Price Index by Mark Twain
2. Life in Nineteenth Century America
3. Mark Twain’s Autobiography
4. Mark Twain’s Florida Days
5. Mark Twain’s Marital Life
Identify the option that displays the titles that Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(i) 1 and 2 (ii) 3 and 5 (iii) only 4 (iv) 2 and 5

9. Read the passage given below. 12

1. Though more than seven years have passed since the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules
came into effect in May 2012, their implementation is still in a nascent stage, at least in Varanasi, one of
the major cities of Uttar Pradesh. In fact, the state ranks fourth among the 10 largest e-waste generating
states in the country.
2. The E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 mandate for safe disposal of electronic and
electrical wastes through private bodies. According to a UPSPCB official, it is mandatory for the
municipal corporation to provide a site to the private firm for proper disposal of e-waste. The site for this
purpose has been made available in Ram Nagar area, he said. The E-waste (Management and Handling)
Rules 2011 also suggest that it is the responsibility of the municipal corporation to ensure that e-waste,
if found to be mixed with municipal solid waste, is properly segregated, collected and channelized to
either authorized collection centre or dismantler or recycler.
3. The Research Unit of the Rajya Sabha has compiled a comprehensive report on e-waste in India.
According to the report, there are 10 states that contribute up to 70 per cent of the total e-waste
generated in the country, while 65 cities generate more than 60 per cent of the total e-waste in India.
Among the 10 largest e-waste generating states, Maharashtra ranks first followed by Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.
4. All over the world, the quantity of electrical and electronic waste generated each year, especially by
computers and televisions, has assumed alarming proportions.
5. Globally, about 20-50 MT (million tonnes) of e-wastes is disposed of each year, which accounts for
5% of all municipal solid waste. A report of the United Nations predicted that by 2020, e-waste from old
computers would jump by 400 per cent on 2007 levels in China and by 500 per cent in India. Additionally,
e-waste from discarded mobile phones would be about seven times higher than 2007 levels and, in
India, 18 times higher by 2020. Such predictions highlight the urgent need to address the problem of e-
waste in developing countries like India where the collection and management of e-waste and the
recycling process is yet to be properly regulated.
6. E-waste releases many toxic substances that are serious health hazards. Unless suitable safety
measures are taken, these toxic substances can critically affect the health of employees and others in
the vicinity — who manually sort and treat the waste — by entering their body through respiratory tracts,
through the skin, or through the mucous membrane of the mouth and the digestive tract. Therefore, the
health impact of e-waste is evident. There is no doubt that it has been linked to the growing incidence of
several lethal or severely debilitating health conditions, including cancer, neurological and respiratory
disorders, and birth defects.
7. This impact is found to be worse in developing countries like India where people engaged in
recycling e-waste are mostly in the unorganized sector, living in close proximity to dumps or landfills of
untreated e-waste and working without any protection or safeguards. Many workers engaged in these
recycling operations are the urban poor and unaware of the hazards associated with them.(Source:INN)
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most appropriate option.
Despite E-waste management rules coming into effect in May 2012, __________ .
(i) their implementation has yet to take off, at least in Varanasi
(ii) Varanasi at least has been able to take off its implementation rules
(iii) their implementation is still in a nascent stage, at least in Varanasi
(iv) their implementation is now out of control, at least in Varanasi
(b) Some commonalities that are found all over the world is that e-waste from computers and TVs
__________.
(i) have reached alarming proportions
(ii) have alarming side-effects
(iii) have alarmed the industry
(iv) have achieved alarming attention
(c) What are the speculations about e-waste made by the U. N. in 2020?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
E-waste releases many ___________.
(e) Select the antonym for the word ‘generating’ in para 3 of the text.
(i) disturbing
(ii) destroying
(iii) disbursing
(iv) deflating
(f) Based on your understanding of the text, what does the comprehensive study done by the Research
Unit of the Rajya Sabha state?
(g) According to the UPSPCB, what are the rules under which municipal bodies mandated to provide?
(h) Suggest why the impact of e-waste is worse in countries like India.
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. The Bane of e-waste in India and the World
2. India–a Computer Hub or e-waste Dump
3. The Urban Poor and e-waste
4. Urgent Measures for e-waste Management
5. The rural poor and e-waste
Identify the option that displays the titles Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(i) 1 and 2 (ii) only 1 (iii) 3 and 4 (iv) only 5

10. Read the passage given below. 12

1. The National Basketball Championship Women’s finals had all the ingredients of the Chak De
climax. Till half-time, the Railways team, playing against the Chhattisgarh girls’ team, led on the
scoreboard. And then, the unexpected happened. The Chhattisgarh girls tore into the Railway’s defences
and every time they took a shot, the ball made it through the hoop. The scoreboard kept moving and at
the final whistle, it stood in Chhattisgarh’s favour.
2. But more important than the victory, it is the stories of some of these players that make it a
fantastic match. Most of the players come from poor families and have dealt with severe setbacks. Take
the story of India’s tallest woman hoopster, Poonam Chaturvedi. A severe headache that had been
bothering her for a long time, was diagnosed with brain tumour six months ago. She had lost her will to
live but had joined the team to please her father, a constable in Uttar Pradesh. Within a few minutes into
the game the headache had returned and she was benched. But when Captain Seema Singh fouled out,
she was forced to return. She went on to put up a brilliant performance, despite the pain and anxiety.
3. Behind this stupendous success is coach Rajesh Patel, who has been running the Chhattisgarh
Basketball Development Academy for 13 years. With financial backing from the steel plants in his area,
he has been mentoring deserving boys and girls from tribal belts and training them for the game. A
promise of employment and promotion if they excel in the game, keeps his girls going, says Patel.
4. So far, Patel has trained 1500 youngsters. Of the lot, the really disadvantaged children are taken into
a hostel run by him and his wife Anita, till they are independent. Many of Patel’s protégés have gone on
to perform at national and international events and the Chhattisgarh girls he has trained, claim a unique
record of bringing home 74 medals in their 80 national-level appearances.
5. Yet none of these players have had an easy life. Seema Singh of the current team is its most
experienced player. She had represented Chhattisgarh for the first time in 2002. When she was dropped
from the Railways team earlier, due to a knee injury, she picked herself up and resumed playing for
Chhattisgarh and won the national trophy for her coach, as she puts it.
6. Another team member, L Deepa, triumphed over a physical drawback. She is short and has found
this a great disadvantage in a sport like basketball where height matters. But when Patel gave her a
chance to come up to his expectations, Deepa more than measured up.
7. Others, like Bharti Nigam, came into the team as she could not make to the Railways team this year.
This daughter of a police constable, she took this snub as a challenge and went on to become a
professional player. Her sports teacher, she feels, motivated her to take up the sport as a career.
8. All these women together have thus scripted an unusual tale of great valour, indomitable courage
and implicit trust in their coach to secure for India a great honour. For their team the win, over the giants,
the Railways team, this victory has spelt a personal rewind of the typical underdog-who-triumphs movie
of how they dunked the odds.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most appropriate option.
At the National Basketball Women’s Finals ______________________ .
(i) the Chhattisgarh team was leading till half time
(ii) the Railway Women’s team were unexpected winners
(iii) the Chhattisgarh Women’s team tore at the opponent’s defences after half time
(iv) the Chhattisgarh Women’s team began to play professionally past half time
(b) With which statement given below would the readers of the passage disagree?
(i) The women’s team owe their success to their brilliant coaching.
(ii) The women’s team owe their success to their sports teacher.
(iii) The women’s team owe their success to how they dunked the odds against them.
(iv) The women’s team owe their success to their taking snubbing as a challenge.
(c) Comment on Poonam Chaturvedi’s role towards the victory of her team.
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The women mentioned in the passage have scripted an unusual tale of _______________.
(e) Select the antonym for the word ‘suspended’ (para 5) from the text.
(i) suspected
(ii) resumed
(iii) subsumed
(iv) subverted
(f) Mention two players whose success is a personal rewind after health and physical disadvantage
came their way.
(g) Based on your understanding of the text tell what role does stature play, in a game of basketball?
(h) List two reasons behind the motivation of coach Rajesh Patel for training tribal girls.
(i) Select a suitable sub-title if the title of the passage is ‘The Women Who Scripted History’. The sub-
title could be ______________________ .
(i) Challenging the underdog syndrome
(ii) Challenging their superiors
(iii) Challenging themselves
(iv) Challenging and winning

11. Read the passage given below. 12

1. The conservation work on the many monuments and sites in the region of Humayun’s Tomb has
been going on for some time. There have been various phases in this work. It started with a massive
renovation of Humayun’s Tomb and moved to the nearby areas of Nizammudin Basti. This time, it is the
16th-century site of Nila Gumbad, near the Humayun’s Tomb Complex that is under consideration. For
the people living in the area, these monuments hold special place.
2. To show their deep-seated involvement in the renovation of their area, the tiles that are being used
for renovating the dome of the monument are being fashioned by local youths who have been trained by
craftsmen who have specially come for this purpose from Uzbekistan. So far, this joint effort under
Uzbek ‘ustads’ has yielded 15,000 tiles. This is not enough because almost 10 per cent of the tiles are
missing from the monument and the current rate of production is not fast enough to meet this demand.
Thus the tile manufacturing process has been sped up to meet the requirement.
3. The Nila Gumbad monument is one of the key components in the development plans drawn up. Its
importance lies in the fact that historically and architecturally, it encompasses the Persian influence on
Mughal architecture, specially through its unique tile work. The Chief Engineer of the tile-making project,
Rajpal Singh, is happy with the youth as he says that the Uzbek masters have taught youths from the
Basti to make tiles identical to the ones used in the Mughal period.
4. The complex nature of the restoration in hand has led to the involvement of several agencies who
initiated the restoration work.
5. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which first renovated Humayun’s Tomb, subsequently took
up the renovation of the Nila Gumbad as part of the Humayun’s Tomb Complex renovation.
6. The work at the site which was first initiated as part of the Humayun’s Tomb Complex was taken up
a few months ago by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The protected monuments for renovation come
under the aegis of the Archaeological Survey of India. Besides the Aga Khan Trust, there is a
multidisciplinary team co-funding the restoration work alongside. Some of the funds are coming from
the Dorabji Tata Trust as well.
7. Another player in the restoration process is the Northern Railways with whom the conservators
have had talks to resolve the issues. The railways have not permitted the ongoing plans for
implementation of a landscaping project that was agreed to in 2011. The railway authorities were also
required to demolish a room which stands in the way of integrating the complex.
8. The millions of visitors who come to Humayun’s Tomb annually are thus denied the chance to
envision the entire complex, due to these issues. Nevertheless, the conservation plans are on in full
swing and are based on exhaustive documentation and an enhanced understanding of the structure’s
potential to throw light on Mughal architecture in the early years and much before it had matured into
the magnificent edifices of the later Mughal era.
9. The Nila Gumbad had remained in a state of neglect for some time. In 2008, the Archaeological
Survey of India had uncovered an arcaded platform that stretches up to the Nila Gumbad and that
established that the Nila Gumbad complex was once part of the Humayun’s Tomb Complex.
10. What few people realise is the fact that the Nila Gumbad is among the earliest buildings in Delhi,
built by the Mughals. It had sandstone ‘jaalis’ which were subsequently removed in the 20th century and
which will now see a comeback with the current restoration.
11. Apart from restoring what was once part of the monument, conservators will also undertake the
massive task of removing those aspects of the monument that were added in the current times and
which have defaced the fair face of this precious structure. The major cement plastering was done on
the interior and exterior of this monument, without giving a thought to its original design and
architecture. These surfaces are now being carefully removed bit by bit, so as not to damage the surface
in the process. Once removed, these surfaces will once again be restored to their pristine glory by being
plastered with traditional lime plaster, so that the restored monument gets back the feel and flavour of
its original importance.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most appropriate option.
The conservation work on the many monuments around the site of Humayun’s Tomb is currently
concentrated on _________________ .
(i) the 16th century site of Nila Gumbad near the Humayun’s Tomb complex
(ii) the 16th century site of Nila Gumbad beyond the Humayun’s Tomb complex
(iii) the massive renovation of Humayun’s Tomb
(iv) in the nearby areas of Nizammudin Basti
(b) With which statement given below would the readers of the passage agree?
(i) The railways have permitted a plan for the landscaping of the project.
(ii) The railways have permitted a plan for the ongoing landscaping of the project.
(iii) The railways have fulfilled the plan they had agreed to in 2011.
(iv) The Northern Railways is in the process of renovating the project.
(c) How are the people in the area showing their deep-seated commitment to the renovation?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
In the Nila Gumbad Monument, we find the___________.
(e) Select the antonym for the word ‘initiated’.
(i) finessed
(ii) finetuned
(iii) completed
(iv) furnished
(f) List two reasons behind the conservation of the Nila Gumbad regarding its influence on the Mughal
architecture.
(g) Give one reason why the renovation of the Nila Gumbad has been undertaken.
(h) Mention how the current cement plastering will be removed and the place be given back its ancient
glory.
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. The Glorious Days of Humayun
2. Bringing Back the Gol Gumbad to its Tile Work
3. A Multi-pronged Restoration Project
4. Restoring the Nila Gumbad Complex to its former Glory
5. The decadent phase of Mughal Expire
Identify the option that displays the titles that Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(i) 1 and 2
(ii) 2 and 3
(iii) only 4
(iv) 3 and 5

12.Read the poem given below. 12

The cloud-backed heron will not move:
He stares into the stream.
He stands unfaltering while the gulls
And oyster-catchers scream.
He does not hear, he cannot see
The great white horses of the sea,
But fixes eyes on stillness
8 Below their flying team.
How long will he remain, how long
Have the gray woods been green?
The sky and the reflected sky
Their glass he has not seen,
But silent as a speck of sand
Interpreting the sea and land,
His fall pulls down the fabric
16 Of all that windy scene.
Sailing with clouds and woods behind
Pausing in leisured flight,
 He stepped, alighting on a stone,
Dropped from the stars of night.
He stood there unconcerned with day,
Deaf to the tumult of the bay,
Watching a stone in water,
24 A fish’s hidden light.
Sharp rocks drive back the breaking waves
Confusing sea with air.
Bundles of spray blown mountain-high
Have left the shingle bare.
A shipwrecked anchor wedged by rocks,
Loosed by the thundering equinox,
Divides the herded waters,
32 The stallion and his mare.
Yet no distraction breaks the watch
Of that time-killing bird.
He stands unmoving on the stone;
Since dawn he has not stirred.
Calamity about him cries,
But he has fixed his golden eyes
On water’s crooked tablet,
40 On light’s reflected word.
Vernon Watkins
Based on your understanding of the poem, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most appropriate option.
Besides the heron, the other birds in the vicinity are _______________ .
(i) more herons
(ii) stream catchers
(iii) oysters and gulls
(iv) oyster-catchers and gulls
(b) The bird on the stone has not stirred _______________ .
(i) since daylight
(ii) since landing there
(iii) since dawn
(iv) since the waves broke
(c) What does ‘the thundering equinox’ refer to?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The sea feels confused when the sharp ______________.
(e) Find out a word from the extract similar in meaning to ‘steady’.
(i) shipwrecked
(ii) paused
(iii) thundering
(iv) unfaltering
(f) What mental ability do the actions of the heron show?
(g) Where does the heron in flight go?
(h) What object was exposed when the waves broke against the rocks?
(i) The bird has fixed golden eyes even though _______________ .
(i) there’s a disaster around
(ii) there’s no one around
(iii) there’s dark around
(iv) none of these
13.Read the passage given below. 12
1. New Year is a holiday celebration that includes New Year’s Eve and lasts through New Year’s Day.
New Year’s celebrations have been around for a long time in one form or another. They can be traced all
the way back to the Babylonians at around 2,000 B.C. New Year’s Day was not always celebrated on
January 1st as it is today. Earlier, the New Year was celebrated in the spring, as new life began to
emerge in the world.
2. This tradition is quite sensible in relation to the seasons, however ancient cultures struggled to
create a calendar that could retain alignment with the sun. The Romans went through several versions
of calendars in which they inevitably changed the first day of the year to January first. Their final change
to the calendar was made by Julius Caesar in the year 46 B.C. (the Julian calendar). Caesar also
adopted January 1st as the first day of the year. The Julian calendar became the basis for our current
calendar, so New Year’s Day is found at the top of the calendar on January 1st.
3. Certain Roman traditions of the New Year have remained in some form to this day. Among the
many Roman gods was Janus, a two-headed God. Janus was considered the God of beginnings and
endings, and the guardian of gates and doors. One of the heads of Janus faced forward and the other
looked back. This figure was a symbol of good beginnings and endings to the Romans. One head was
able to look backward to reflect upon what had passed, while the other could look forward to what was
coming. The word ‘Janus’ is closely related to the word January.
4. The Romans considered the significance of Janus when they established their calendar, and named
the first month after him. This Roman belief has continued on, in tradition to this day. In many ways, the
modern celebration of New Year’s Day carries on ancient traditions. The holiday itself is celebrated from
New Year’s Eve (in the old year) and continued on through New Year’s Day.
5. By observing the holiday in this manner, we are encouraged to look at the previous year as it passes
away and to welcome the new one with renewed enthusiasm and desire to improve ourselves. New
Year’s Day has traditionally been a day to enjoy happiness that will hopefully endure throughout the year.
With the old year gone, and the New Year just beginning, it is a great time to fulfil another New Year’s
tradition—to make resolutions.
6. On New Year’s Day, people begin to work at goals that will improve their circumstances. Some
people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, while others lose sight of them over time. Here are a few
ideas for making resolutions and a few ideas on how to achieve them.
7. It is good to set personal goals, but it can also be beneficial to set goals as a family. Sit down as a
family and discuss a few ideas that you would like to achieve together. Working on goals as a family can
be fun and rewarding. An additional benefit of working on goals as a family is that it gives you a support
system that can make it easier to succeed. Set only a few goals, that are easy to remember and can be
accomplished — reasonably and realistically.
8. Making too many goals can complicate your efforts and make you lose sight of many of them
altogether. It is amazing how the rush of life can quickly overtake the genuinely good intentions of
worthy goals. When goals are not written down, they can be easily forgotten. Write your goals down and
post them somewhere where you will see them regularly. When your goals are written and clearly visible,
you will be more likely to remember them and to follow good habits that lead to success.
9. Choose at least one resolution that will make you happy now. Many of the goals people choose are
ones that lead to greater stress, discomfort, or displeasure, at least for the short term. A few examples
are dieting, getting a better job, and quitting a bad habit like smoking. These are worthy goals, but they
frequently cause greater stress while trying to achieve them.
10. In addition to these kinds of goals, choose a goal that increases your happiness such as taking an
hour to relax each day, starting a new hobby, or spending time daily with the kids. The celebration of
New Year’s Day is all about putting the past behind and looking forward to new and exciting things to
come. Although Roman civilization passed from existence long ago, its traditions continue to influence
the way New Year’s Day is celebrated today.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most appropriate option.
The holiday celebration of New Year’s Day is _____________________ .
(i) since the time of the Babylonians, although not on New Year’s Day of the present time
(ii) since the time of 2000 BC and always on New Year’s Day
(iii) since the time of 2000 BC, under the Babylonians, albeit not on 1st January as it is currently
(iv) on Babylonian New Year’s Day since 2000 BC although not on a fixed January day
(b) With which statement given below would the readers of the passage agree?
(i) The rush of life can easily overtake the good intentions behind the goals we have set.
(ii) The writing down of one’s goals can overtake good intentions.
(iii) Good intentions about goals are remembered when we follow good habits.
(iv) Good habits are the goals that are set when we write them down.
(c) What is the general consensus of opinion about New Year’s Day?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
 The celebration of New Year’s Day is all about ___________.
(e) Select the antonym for the word ‘traditionally’.
(i) divisionally
(ii) divergently
(iii) divisively
(iv) deferentially
(f) Based on your understanding of the text, what are the various advantages of setting New Year
goals as a family?
(g) List two reasons behind the remaining of Roman traditions as regards the New Year.
(h) Mention how the making of too many resolutions is a drawback rather than a benefit.
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. The Need for a Judicious Selection of Goals, on New Year’s Day
2. Judicious Selection of New Year Goals-a Must
3. Judiciary’s Selection of New Year Goals
4. New Year Goals and Judicious Selection are Inseparable Twins
5. New Year Goals-not fixed
Identify the option that displays the options that Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(i) 1 and 2
(ii) 3 and 4
(iii) only 2
(iv) 4 and 5
14.Read the passage given below. 12
1. In this jet age, everyone is interested in having an easy life. Thanks to the advancement in science
and technology, these days life has become more easy and comfortable than earlier with a lot of
domestic gadgets as well as instantaneous food recipes available in the market. This has resulted in
making people develop a mindset of having everything immediately without waiting for even at the
traffic signals!
2. A piano teacher described an interesting encounter she had with a young lady who came to
inquire about music lessons. The young lady asked her, “How long will this course take? My father tells
me that it is in fashion now to be able to play musical instruments and that I should learn one quickly. I
want something that will be quick, fast and easy, like... .” When the amused teacher explained that it
would take a lifetime of meticulous practice to learn music, her face fell and, needless to say, she never
came back.
3. The single most important factor that distinguishes those of us who succeed in any venture
from those of us who don’t is this ‘instant-coffee’ attitude. Most of us want results quickly. We want to
reach the top immediately and get worked up when things go wrong. Perseverance and patience are
forgotten words. We get upset, frustrated and angry when a skill or activity requires us to put in a lot of
effort and time. We get dejected and want to give it up.
4. Success, real success and happiness come to those who have a ‘bread-making’ attitude. Those
who are willing to knead the dough, wait for hours for it to rise only to punch it down and knead some
more, wait for another couple of hours for it to rise again, then bake it before it is ready to be eaten.
Nothing is instantaneous. For every endeavour—whether in the area of career, academics, music, sports,
relationships, physical fitness or even in spirituality—it is a long arduous journey.
5. The major problem with these ‘instant-coffee’ solutions is that they are invariable short-lived. If
we stubbornly refuse to give up this search for quick solutions, all we do is end up on the wrong track.
We never gain anything lasting from them. However, if we just pause to analyse what we are doing, we
will realize how much time we are wasting searching for such magical solutions which simply do not
exist. We actually save time when we stop this futile search and accept the proven methods of treading
the straight and narrow path however difficult it may seem initially.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Complete the most appropriate option.
According to the author, modern life can be compared to the jet age due to _____________ .
(i) everything being fast, easy and comfortable
(ii) availability of domestic gadgets
(iii) advancement in science and technology
(iv) instantaneous food recipes
(b) The writer would not agree with the given statements based on paragraph three, EXCEPT
_____________ .
(i) Getting worked up will help you succeed in any venture.
(ii) Perseverance and patience are nevertheless prized by some.
(iii) Excessive effort and time make us unruffled.
(iv) We give up a little too soon on ventures.
(c) Why is it fair to say that adopting a ‘bread-making’ attitude in life is a sure-shot recipe for real
success and happiness and both go hand-in-hand?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
‘The major problem with instant– coffee’ solutions is that they are __________.
(e) Select the option that conveys the synonym of ‘meticulous’, as contextually used in paragraph two.
(i) scrupulous
(ii) fussy
(iii) painstaking
(iv) detailed
(f) Comment on the writer’s reference to the traffic signals in paragraph one, as a social problem for
Indian society.
(g) The author gives a reference to an anecdote between a piano teacher and a young lady who wished
to learn music. List two reasons why the deal fell through.
(i) __________________________ .
(ii) __________________________ .
(h) For every endeavour—whether in the area of career, academics, music, sports, relationships,
physical fitness or even in spirituality—it is a long arduous journey.
Based on your understanding of paragraph four, list one major reason why the author labels the
journey of every endeavour in life ‘arduous.’
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. The ‘Instant-coffee’ Attitude
2. The Bread-making’ Attitude
3. The Magic of Quick Solutions
4. The Mirage of Instant Results
5. Perseverance and patience necessary
Identify the option that displays the titles that Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(i) only 4 (ii) 1 and 2
(iii) 3 and 5 (iv) 2 and 3
15.Read the passage given below. 12
1. Have you ever caught yourself scratching your head, twitching your ear, tapping your foot or playing
with your keys or pen? If you have, you are a sure fidgeter. And it is very likely that the habit has carried
over from childhood, when your wriggling probably exasperated—and sometimes amused—your parents
and teachers. It is not a pleasant sight to see a grown-up person fidgeting; in fact, it is a distraction.
2. Recently, some doctors in Britain have discovered that not only is fidgeting quite normal, it even
does you good.
3. Almost everybody fidgets when hot, cold, hungry, thirsty or tired. Being kept waiting also brings us
to fidgets. Most of this is normal but then with some this translates into exaggerated mannerisms, that
is where we have a problem. When the British doctors wired up volunteers to an electric ‘fidgetmeter’,
followed by a gruelling interview, some stayed almost completely still. Others made up to 57 movements
in half a minute. Since the rate went up when disturbing topics were raised, it seemed that those who
fidgeted more were the anxious types, needing to release nervous energy.
4. This is what led to the conclusion that fidgeting has its uses too—since it helps get rid of stress that
could sometimes lead to headaches, muscle pain or even ulcers. Fidgeting is also believed to fight the
flab. Add up all those little movements made by fidgeters during their waking hours and they burn up as
much energy as a jog, the report said.
5. While British doctors may feel that fidgeting is an expression of anxious behaviour, doctors here do
not necessarily agree.
6. Meanwhile, a former assistant professor in Los Angeles opines that fidgeting is a sign of “some
underlying tension which is causing anxiety”. While one cannot make generalised statements, some
experts feel that pencil-suckers yearn for babyhood, teeth-grinders and fist clenchers seem to be holding
back their aggression, foot tappers wish to be on the move and people who scratch may wish to injure
themselves.
7. A leading psychiatrist gives a positive side to the anxiety angle. According to him, “a bit of anxiety is
not harmful since it induces one to do better. It often brings out the best in people—while meeting
deadlines, submitting reports or at interviews and examinations.” He gives the example of tennis players
who play with “manageable anxiety”, but warns that when the fidgets turn to restlessness, it might affect
performance. Often, he says, a person suffering from a neurological illness ends up fidgeting
deliberately, “mainly to distract his companion from his actual problem. It could be something as
harmless as the shaking of the hand or twitching of the eye.”
8. Refuting this, another psychiatrist insists that fidgeting in no way should be considered good. “It
may be innocuous unless it is harming the fidgeter or annoying others, but, what fidgeting really reveals
is a lack of confidence and even social phobia, besides, of course, anxiety. It, in fact, sends non-verbal
messages to people who then treat the person accordingly — as nervous or anxious individuals,” he
adds.
9. Unfortunately, fidgeters often find it hard to kick the habit, even when it’s socially unacceptable.
10. While those fidgeting are themselves perturbed by the habit, efforts in controlling it could cause
other problems, because, “the person could get hypertense or worried about being unable to tackle it
and get more fidgety in the process.” Experts, in the meantime, keep suggesting remedies or tricks to get
out of fidgeting habits, like playing with a coin in your pocket or glove, or wearing a ring which you can
rub without others noticing. In Greece, many taxi-drivers carry worry-beads which they click while
waiting to combat fidgeting, while some stores in London’s West End once sold pieces of polished stone
designed for gently stroking with the thumb.
11. Dr James Buyers, a neurologist of London, hopes for a more lasting and practical solution.
“Anything that will stop the speed of modern life for even half a minute will definitely be beneficial,” he
says.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most appropriate option.
The habit of fidgeting in a grown up person is ______________________ .
(i) a childish habit in a grown up
(ii) a sign of exasperation and amusement
(iii) not a pleasant sight and a distraction
(iv) normal and does good
(b) Given below are some ways by which people who fidget can rid themselves of the habit with a
lasting solution. Select the practical solution given by Dr Buyers.
(i) Playing with a coin in one’s pocket
(ii) Stopping the speed of life for even half a minute
(iii) Clicking on worry beads like Greek taxi drivers
(iv) Stroking polished stones with one’s thumb
(c) What are the positive speculations that the author makes about anxiety?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
According to British doctors, fidgeting is an expression of ___________.
(e) Select the antonym for the word ‘gruelling’.
(i) facile
(ii) facial
(iii) faceted
(iv) factice
(f) What are some commonalities noticed among various kinds of fidgeters?
(g) According to the author, what were the findings of British doctors using a fidgetmeter?
(h) State two ways by which people were assessed through the fidgetmeter.
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. The Curative Remedies for Fidgeting
2. The Jury is Still Out on Fidgeting
3. Tennis Players and Their Manageable Anxiety
4. Many Aspects of Fidgeting
5. Fidgeting – a necessity
Identify the option that displays the titles that Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(i) 1 and 2
 (ii) 2 and 3
(iii) only 4
(iv) 3 and 5
16.Read the passage given below. 12
1. Giving soothes an individual with the vibration of joy. Unconditional giving is a natural principle and
evident everywhere in nature which gives us solids, liquids and minerals. Water gives itself away for our
agriculture and other uses. Trees give flowers, fruits and wood. Air gives us the very life-breath and the
sun gives us light of life.
2. Even the animals give us milk, egg, meat, skin and various services. But what do we humans
contribute to the cosmos in return? Isn’t our role predominately selfish and destructive? We expand
civilisation to disturb ecological balance, spread pollution in the fresh natural atmosphere, indulge in
ruthless deforestation, kill animals even for sport and consume all natural resources for our own selfish
interest.
3. It is always great to make donations, but what about giving your own time? It’s wonderful to drop off
used clothing, books and toys at a shelter for the homeless, but what about spending an hour each week
reading and playing with the deprived children? Come face to face with the person you are helping. It will
make your giving more meaningful.
4. It is not about just the time that you give to the deprived children, but what you give to your family.
Are you there when they need you? Or, is it always you who demand help and cooperation from the rest
of your family members? How much do you care for the elderly that live with you or are far away from
you? How do you utilise your spare moments? Isn’t it that you just sit before the television and keep on
flipping the channels trying to find something that suits your interest? Shut it down! ... You can use these
precious spare moments making a ‘Get Well Soon’ card for your grandmother, or someone dear to you
not in good spirits, or send a letter via Internet. Why be on the ‘Facebook’ all the time chatting with your
friends whom you already meet daily at school?
5. The law of karma is a natural law whereby we are paid back in the same coin. We have added much
to our comforts but we have not been able to attain peace and tranquillity. We are constantly haunted by
excessive greed for grabbing which is severely disturbing peaceful coexistence. We rarely do what we
can for preservation of nature and even our own fellowmen. We have not moved much from the
primitive selfish mentality where self-preservation was the law for survival.
6. What can we give back to the cosmos? We humans are predominantly gifted with mind and
intellect. These are very sharp instruments indeed which can be used as surgeon’s knife for healing or
an instrument for killing. Instead of nurturing anger, jealousy, hatred, selfishness and animosity, we can
spread love, care, kindness and benevolence to all and thereby transform the earthly vibration into a
heavenly one. If not anything else, we can at least pray for the happiness and well-being of all. We are
here in the image of God. We have divine inheritance of love, wisdom and self-transformation. We may
resolve to be engaged in divine enjoyment of nature and God’s creation with love. Jesus said, “Those
that give shall receive.”
7. Instead of being always at the receiving end, let us abide by the principle of giving by all means and
see how things change for humanity at large.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most appropriate option.
Unconditional giving is a natural principle that
(i) gives us solids, liquids and in-betweens
(ii) solidifies nature and gives us minerals
(iii) liquefies nature into solids and minerals
(iv) gives us solids, liquids and minerals
(b) Choose the doable ways by which you can serve your family, without overexerting yourself.
(i) Donate your spare moments towards the family.
(ii) Making a ‘get well soon’ card for someone who is indisposed.
(iii) Chatting on Facebook.
(iv) (i) and (ii)
(c) What is the general consensus of opinion about civilisational growth and ecological balance?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
Human beings are predominantly gifted with ___________.
(e) Select the antonym of the word ‘ruthless’.
(i) composite
 (ii) compassionate
(iii) composure
(iv) callous
(f) Mention how can we bring about a change in humanity by our actions?
(g) In the line “..... We are constantly haunted by excessive greed for grabbing which is severely
disturbing peaceful existence.” What does the word ‘grabbing’ mean here?
(h) Based on your understanding of the text what are the prime responsibilities that make you a perfect
donor?
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. Ask and thou shall receive.
2. The art of giving of oneself is the true soul liberator.
3. Poverty and giving are not co-related.
4. Our personal bounty is meant for giving away.
5. Divine inheritance of love and wisdom.
Identify the option that displays the title that Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 3 and 4
(c) only 2
(d) 3 and 5
17.Read the passage given below. 12
1. My first tryst with Shakespeare several years ago was an enforced one. The Merchant of Venice
was a prescribed book in class 9 when I was at school. I had read the wonderful Lamb’s Tales from
Shakespeare and considered myself an authority on the stories. I did not think it necessary to read the
antiquated language or trudge through several seemingly abstruse paragraphs to get to the main point.
To spend a whole year to decipher a play when I had understood the story in a few pages seemed to be
a sheer waste of time. Yet, somewhere along the way, I was drawn into the world of The Merchant of
Venice, their portly argosies, the signors and rich burghers and the news on the Rialto. The language
yielded its riches slowly, the characters became well drawn, more rounded and the impassioned
speeches of Shylock and Portia stirred up a flurry of unexamined questions. Since then, I have read
several other plays, have seen a couple of theatrical performances and watched young Leonardo Di
Caprio in a modern Romeo and Juliet film. Shakespeare has been around.
2. Shakespeare has shaped the writing and storytelling in the English language like no other writer
has. He liberally borrowed, bent and brought new words into the English language from addiction, bump
critic to worthless and zany. The phrases that he coined roll off our tongues as over-used adages — All
that glitters is not gold (The Merchant of Venice), Jealousy is a green-eyed monster (Othello), and the
perennial ‘All is well that ends well’. He has influenced several writers and been quoted by many of them.
One of my favourite authors P.G. Wodehouse had the odd Shakespearean phrase popping up in whacky
situations like the ‘milk of human kindness’ sloshing inside someone or references to Banquo and
Macbeth explained to Bertie by the estimable Jeeves who knew his Shakespeare. The plays have been
translated into most languages, including several regional Indian bhashas. They have lent themselves to
film adaptations, including the Vishal Bharadwaj’s Maqbool (Macbeth) and Omkara (Othello).
3. The tragedies and comedies of Shakespeare cover every possible theme, and idea—love, greed,
jealousy, racism, friendship, mistaken identities, murder, mutiny, politics, feminism and revenge. Like any
other celebrity, he has been the subject of speculation and controversy. There have been several
conspiracy theories afloat on the ‘real’ authorship of the plays, including a recent claim by a professor in
Sicily that Shakespeare was actually Italian. Despite everything, Shakespeare’s appeal is universal, the
stories transcend language and nationalities. However, more than 400 years after Shakespeare’s birth, I
can’t help wondering if anyone will read his works in the days to come.
4. The average attention span in front of a television channel is about 4 seconds before flicking on the
remote to move to another. It is perfectly acceptable to massacre the rules of grammar and syntax b4 u
cn say ‘why dis kolaveri di?’ When you can tell a whole story in 140 characters, reading 14 sentences can
be a chore. Who will have the desire or patience to dredge up the treasures that lie within?
5. Shakespeare’s works have proved to be sturdy, unshakable through the centuries, moving with the
times, lending themselves to newer forms. I hope they don’t get relegated to a few diehard literature
students or musty libraries. Who knows, we might yet have a different form of Shakespeare that will
appeal to the GenNext, a form that will induce them to approach an original play with a sense of
anticipation, of beginning a quest to understand and appreciate a good story, well told.
 Nothing of him that does fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Choose the most suitable option.
When did the author consider himself an authority on Shakespeare?
(i) After reading Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare
(ii) After reading the prescribed book for class 9
(iii) After finding no use for antiquated languages
(iv) After mastering the abstruse paragraphs to get to the main point
(b) Below are given the reasons why Shakespeare’s popularity as an author might decline. Select the
reason that is not relevant to the context.
(i) the rules of grammar are being mutilated currently in both the spoken and written form of the
language.
(ii) attention spans are curtailed and reading complete sentences is unlikely.
(iii) The televised editions of Shakespeare are far more appealing.
(iv) No one will have the desire and patience to dredge up the treasure of Shakespeare’s content in
the coming days.
(c) Based on your understanding of the text, what accounts for the tremendous popularity of
Shakespeare in our times?
(d) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The tragedies and comedies of Shakespeare cover _________________.
(e) Select the antonym for the word ‘zany’.
(i) conventional
(ii) conversational
(iii) contemptible
(iv) condemnable
(f) What are some commonalities that Shakespeare shares with celebrities of today?
(g) What are the speculations that the author makes about Shakespeare’s works?
(h) According to the author, what drew him into reading Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’?
(i) Read the five titles (1)-(5) given below.
1. Shakespeare–Then and Now
2. Shakespeare of the Future
3. Shakespeare–a Man for All Ages
4. Shakespeare’s Literary Appeal is Ageless and Evolutionary
5. Shakespeare–a famous playwright.
Identify the option that displays the title that Does/Do correspond with the passage.
(a) 1 and 2
(b) only 4
(c) 3 and 5
(d) 4 and 5
18.Read the passage given below. 10
1. Though the municipal corporations have been entrusted with the responsibility of removing
encroachments across the city, an internal report shows that about 70 acres of land in 964 parks, which
are run by the civic bodies themselves, have been taken over by squatters.
2. The worst affected civic body is North Delhi Municipal Corporation where 461 parks with a
cumulative area of 32.6 acres are encroached upon. It is followed by East Delhi Municipal Corporation,
where 221 parks with an area of 29.4 acres are overrun by squatters. The report added that North
Corporation was able to remove encroachments in only five parks.
3. Out of the 6,802 parks run by South Delhi Municipal Corporation, 7.24 acres of 282 such green
areas are encroached upon. The three municipal corporations cumulatively manage 14,851 of the
16,299 parks in Delhi. While the North Corporation has 5,944 parks under its jurisdiction, East Delhi
Municipal Corporation runs 2,105.
4. A comparison of the 12 administrative zones has revealed that the maximum scale of
encroachment was in Shahdara (South), where 27.7 acres were encroached upon in 187 parks. This was
followed by Rohini zone in which 21.7 acres in 240 parks had been taken over by squatters. These two
zones alone account for over 70% of the encroachments.
5. The report states that the encroachments are both religious and non-religious in nature. “There are
encroachments in the shape of jhuggies, houses, temporary structures, chabutra, transformers,
boundary walls and car parking. Concerted efforts should be made to free the land from
encroachments. The non-removal of encroachments from municipal land and parks valued at crore of
rupees is a major irregularity,” it added.
6. A senior official said the matter was being taken up at various forums and some encroachments
like religious structures could only be removed after approval from the religious committee headed by
the lieutenant governor. Another official said many such cases were pending in courts or with the
special task force.
7. Section 498 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act mandates that “no person can remove earth, sand
or other material or deposit any matter or make any encroachment on any land vested in the
corporations or in any way obstruct the same.”
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Do you think the encroachments have been done everywhere in Delhi? What should be done to get
them free?
(b) An internal report shows that about _____________ of land in 964 parks has been taken over by
squatters.
(i) 50 acres
(ii) 60 acres
(iii) 70 acres
(iv) 80 acres
(c) What is a major irregularity?
(d) The issue of non-removal of encroachments from municipal land is a major _____________ .
(i) irregularity
(ii) an uphill task
(iii) risky job
(iv) challenge
(e) Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option.
In Shahdara (South) 277 acres were encroached upon in _____________ parks.
(i) 139
(ii) 156
(iii) 187
(iv) 193
(f) What does Section 498 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act mandate?
(g) Complete the sentence appropriately.
Concerted efforts should be made to free the land so that ________________.
(h) State TRUE or FALSE
In the matter of encroachment, North Delhi Municipal corporation is the wrong affected civil body.
19.Read the passage given below. 10
1. Over the last five years, more companies have been actively looking for intern profiles, according to
a 2018-19 survey by an online internship and training platform. This survey reveals that India had 80%
more internship applications — with 2.2 million applications received in 2018 compared to 1.27 million in
the year before. The trend was partly due to more industries looking to have fresh minds and ideas on
existing projects for better productivity. What was originally seen as a western concept, getting an
internship before plunging into the job market, is fast gaining momentum at Indian workplaces.
2. According to the survey data, India’s National Capital Region has been the top provider of
internships, with a total of 35% internship opportunities, followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru at 20% and
15%, respectively. This includes opportunities in startups, MNCs and even government entities. The
survey also revealed popular fields to find internships in the figure. There has been growing awareness
among the students about the intern profiles sought by hiring companies that often look for people with
real-time experience in management than B- school masters.
3. The stipend has been an important factor influencing the choice of internships. The survey data
reveals that the average stipend offered to interns was recorded as 7000 while the maximum stipend
went up to 85,000. According to statistics, a greater number of people considered virtual internships
than in-office internships. Virtual internships got three times more applications than in-office, since a
large chunk of students were the ones already enrolled in various courses, or preferred working from
home.
4. Internship portals have sprung up in the last three to four years and many of them already report
healthy traffic per month. Reports suggest that on an average, an internship portal company has around
200,000-plus students and some 8,000 companies registered on it. It gets around two lakh visits online
every month. The Managing Director of a leading executive search firm says that though these web
platforms are working as an effective bridge between the industry and students, most established
companies are still reluctant to take too many interns on board for obvious reasons. (355 words)
Source: (1) https://www.businessinsider.in/internships-in-india-on-the-rise-with-startups-leading- the-
way/articleshow/67655265.cms
(2) https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/features/story/online-portals-helping-college-
students-paid-internships-46215-2014-06-03
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Do you think the stipend has been an important factor that influences the choice of internships?
Support your answer with reference to the text.
(b) Select the option that displays the true statement with reference to the figure.
(i) Internships for Engineering and Management are the top two favourites.
(ii) Design & Architecture internships are significantly more popular than others.
(iii) Internships for Media and Others have nearly equal popularity percentage.
(iv) Management internships’ popularity is more than twice that for Media.
(c) Give one reason why virtual internships got more applications than in-office applications.
(d) Select the correct inference with reference to the following:
Over the last five years, more companies have been actively looking for intern profiles…
(i) the past five years have seen active applications by interns to several companies.
(ii) the activity for intern profiling by the companies has reached a gradual downslide over the past
five years.
(iii) there were lesser companies searching for intern profiles earlier, as compared to those in the
recent five years.
(iv) several companies have initiated intern profiling five times a year in the recent past.
(e) Select the option that displays the correct cause-effect relationship.
 (i)Cause Effect

Several students had

Students applied for
academic courses to
online internship.
complete.

(ii)Cause Effect

A large chunk of students Applications were three

preferred in-office times more than for virtual
internships. internships.

(iii)Cause Effect

A greater number of students Several students had

wanted to work from home. courses to complete.

(iv)Cause Effect

Students applied for An equal number of students

online internship. applied for work from home.

(f) What is the opinion of the Managing Director of a leading company about web platforms?
(g) Complete the sentence appropriately based on the following statement.
According to the survey data, India’s National Capital Region has been the top provider of
internships.
We can say this because______________
(h) State True or False.
India’s National Capital Region has been the top provider of internships.

20.Read the passage given below. 10

1. What’s up with WhatsApp, specifically its newish payments business? Contrary to the expectations
of many market observers, WhatsApp has processed just 1.6 million of the over 6.7 billion transactions
on India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) since its launch in November.
2. WhatsApp insiders said this was part of its strategy. “We are in it for the long haul; it’s a marathon,
not a sprint and we are in no hurry and want to get this piece right,” a person close to the company told
The Economic Times, requesting anonymity. “To get the simplicity of WhatsApp’s interface for payments
is a complex task. We want to ensure that the experience for customers is smooth.”

Transaction Volumes on UPI in Million

UPI
WhatsAppPhonePeGooglePaytmAmazon
(Total)

January 0.56 968 853 281 46 2,302

December 0.81 902 854 261 41 2,230

November0.31 868 960 260 37 2,200

3. Market observers said the challenge of India’s sophisticated payments architecture, a raging
political debate around ownership of digital data, coupled with the social messenger’s global
experiences such as in Brazil could be the reasons. Within a few days of WhatsApp’s payment service
going live, the Central Bank of Brazil had taken it down owing to an uncertain regulatory climate.
4. A WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed the development. “That’s correct,” the spokesperson said,
responding to ET’s mailed query on whether the slow start was a conscious decision to enhance
customer experience before gaining scale.
5. As per the latest data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), WhatsApp
Pay processed just 0.56 million transactions worth 36.44 crore in January 2021 against 0.81 million
transactions worth 29.72 crore it recorded in December 2020.
6. At the same time, the NPCl-run UPI yet again clocked record volumes processing 2.3 billion
transactions worth 4.3 lakh crore in the month, cementing its credential as one of the fastest-growing
retail payment channels in the world.
7. “We have knowingly gone slow with onboardings and are working on building the right technology
and teams to emerge as an important player in enabling India’s digital ecosystem,” the person close to
WhatsApp quoted above said, adding: “If we want, we can be a much larger player in the market; we
haven’t started any marketing at all.”
8. Walmart-backed PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm that is funded by SoftBank and Ant Financial, and
Amazon Pay cornered a significantly higher share of transactions in this period. PhonePe clocked 968
million transactions in January, whereas Google Pay processed 853 million payments. Paytm came a
distant third with 281 million payments on UPI, whereas Amazon Pay did 46 million.
9. “WhatsApp wants to get the payments absolutely right in India because it ties together all its
long‑term ambitions for growth in the country,” said a chief executive of a domestic payments company,
speaking off the record.
10. Experts also pointed that WhatsApp’s bid to capture the digital payments market in India has also
not been sufficiently focused on the technology and talent acquisition front.
[Courtesy: The Economic Times]
Based on your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) What did the market observers say about the challenge of WhatsApp’s payment?
(b) Within a few days of WhatsApp’s payment services going live, the Central Bank of Brazil had taken it
down owing to an _____________ .
(i) unfavourable climate
(ii) uncertain regulatory climate
(iii) unforeseen contingency
(iv) ecological problem
(c) WhatsApp’s bid to capture the digital payments market in India has not been sufficiently focused.
Write on which front could it not focus on?
(d) According to the chart, Walmart-backed PhonePe clocked 968 million transactions where Google
pay processed _____________ .
(i) 753 million payments
(ii) 853 million payments
(iii) 789 million payments
(iv) 700 million payments
(e) NPCI-run UPI cemented its credential by processing 2.3 billion transactions worth 4.3 lakh crore as
one of the _____________ .
(i) fastest-growing retail payment channels in the world
(ii) slowest-growing payment channels
(iii) largest retail payment channels
(iv) busiest-growing payment channels in the world
(f) What did the chief executive say about the domestic payments company of WhatsApp?
(g) Complete the sentence appropriately based on the following statement.
According to the passage, WhatsApp wants to get the payments absolutely right in India.
We can say this because____________.
(h) State TRUE or FALSE.
According to the latest data of NPCI, WhatsApp pay processed just 0.28 million transactions worth
36.24 crore in January against 0.81 million transactions.
21.Read the passage given below. 10
1. Though the municipal corporations have been entrusted with the responsibility of removing
encroachments across the city, an internal report shows that about 70 acres of land in 964 parks, which
are run by the civic bodies themselves, have been taken over by squatters.
2. The worst affected civic body is North Delhi Municipal Corporation where 461 parks with a
cumulative area of 32.6 acres are encroached upon. It is followed by East Delhi Municipal Corporation,
where 221 parks with an area of 29.4 acres are overrun by squatters. The report added that North
Corporation was able to remove encroachments in only five parks.
3. Out of the 6,802 parks run by South Delhi Municipal Corporation, 7.24 acres of 282 such green
areas are encroached upon. The three municipal corporations cumulatively manage 14,851 of the
16,299 parks in Delhi. While the North Corporation has 5,944 parks under its jurisdiction, East Delhi
Municipal Corporation runs 2,105.

4. A comparison of the 12 administrative zones has revealed that the maximum scale of
encroachment was in Shahdara (South), where 27.7 acres were encroached upon in 187 parks. This was
followed by Rohini zone in which 21.7 acres in 240 parks had been taken over by squatters. These two
zones alone account for over 70% of the encroachments.
5. The report states that the encroachments are both religious and non-religious in nature. “There are
encroachments in the shape of jhuggies, houses, temporary structures, chabutra, transformers,
boundary walls and car parking. Concerted efforts should be made to free the land from
encroachments. The non-removal of encroachments from municipal land and parks valued at crore of
rupees is a major irregularity,” it added.
6. A senior official said the matter was being taken up at various forums and some encroachments
like religious structures could only be removed after approval from the religious committee headed by
the lieutenant governor. Another official said many such cases were pending in courts or with the
special task force.
7. Section 498 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act mandates that “no person can remove earth, sand
or other material or deposit any matter or make any encroachment on any land vested in the
corporations or in any way obstruct the same.”
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Do you think the encroachments have been done everywhere in Delhi? What should be done to get
them free?
(b) An internal report shows that about _____________ of land in 964 parks has been taken over by
squatters.
(i) 50 acres
(ii) 60 acres
(iii) 70 acres
(iv) 80 acres
(c) What is a major irregularity?
(d) The issue of non-removal of encroachments from municipal land is a major _____________ .
(i) irregularity
(ii) an uphill task
(iii) risky job
(iv) challenge
(e) Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option.
In Shahdara (South) 277 acres were encroached upon in _____________ parks.
 (i) 139
(ii) 156
(iii) 187
(iv) 193
(f) What does Section 498 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act mandate?
(g) Complete the sentence appropriately.
Concerted efforts should be made to free the land so that ________________.
(h) State TRUE or FALSE
In the matter of encroachment, North Delhi Municipal corporation is the wrong affected civil body.
22.Read the passage given below. 10
1. Work on four major road infrastructure projects planned as part of a 50,000 crore plan to
decongest Delhi and curb vehicular pollution will begin this year. The new road links will not only reduce
the traffic load on arterial roads such as Ring Road but also make it easier to travel between various
zones of the city.
2. The four projects, announced in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, are National Highway
709B (Akshardham to Eastern Peripheral Expressway to Saharanpur bypass), Delhi‑Noida Direct Flyway
to KMP interchange via Kalindi Kunj bypass (part of Delhi-Mumbai expressway), Urban Extension Road
(UER)-II and Dwarka Expressway.
3. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is executing the four projects, said while
work on some has already begun, on others it will start this year.
4. Of the four projects, UER-II and Kalindi Kunj bypass were planned by the Delhi Development
Authority and the Delhi government’s Public Works Department decades ago. But they got stuck due to
technical and land acquisition related issues, said senior DDA and PWD officials.
5. The 31.1 km corridor between Akshardham and EPE, part of national highway 709B, will start from
Akshardham flyover and pass through densely populated areas such as Geeta Colony, Shastri Park,
Khajuri Khas, etc. Of the 31.1 km, 14.7 km will be in Delhi and the entire stretch will be elevated, officials
said.
6. Though tenders for the project were floated in January 2019, the project got delayed as the ministry
of road transport and highways asked NHAI to reassess the financial viability of the project and explore
options to bring down the cost.
7. After the evaluation, the total cost of the project has been revised to 2,388 crore from the earlier
estimate of 2,820 crore. A senior NHAI official said, “We have opened the financial bids for the project.
The work on the 31.1 km stretch will be done in two packages. Based on the financial bids, we have
declared the contractors for the two packages. The work will be awarded soon.”
8. The official added, “The work should start soon. Some clearances such as environment, fire, setting
up a temporary bitumen plant, etc. has to be taken.”
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) Why did the projects of (UER)-II and Kalindi Kunj bypass planned by the Delhi Development
Authority and the Delhi government’s Public Works Department get stuck?
(b) The work on the 31.1 km stretch will be done in _____________ .
(i) 5 packages
(ii) 2 packages
(iii) 6 packages
(iv) 7 packages
(c) What has happened after the evaluation?
(d) The projects are planned as part of a
(i) 20,000 crore plan
(ii) 50,000 crore plan
(iii) 30,000 crore plan
(iv) 40,000 crore plan
(e) The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is executing __________ projects.
(i) two
(ii) three
(iii) four
(iv) five
(f) What did a senior NHAI official say after the evaluation?
(g) Complete the sentence appropriately.
 Though tenders for the project were floated in January 2019, the project got delayed because the
ministry of Road Transport and Highways asked NHAI to _____________.
(h) State TRUE or FALSE.
Delhi Development Authority has executed four projects.
23.Read the passage given below. 10
1. Earthquakes are one of the largest threats from moving plate tectonics in Indonesia as they come
sudden and can strike in densely populated areas, such as the bigger cities. Earthquakes with a
magnitude of around five or six on the Richter scale happen almost on a daily basis in Indonesia but
usually cause no or little damage. When the magnitude becomes over seven on the Richter scale
however, an earthquake can potentially do a lot of damage. Yearly, two or three earthquakes with a
magnitude of seven or higher occur in Indonesia and cause casualties and damage the infrastructure or
environment.
2. The table shows the location, date, magnitude and number of casualties that have resulted from
recent earthquakes in Indonesia. There is a general trend for Sumatra and Java to be most heavily
affected by earthquakes, at least in terms of lives lost, as suggested by the table. This is because both
cities are located on the coast of Indonesia, meaning they are also potentially affected by underwater
earthquakes that cause tsunamis. Furthermore, Sumatra has experienced the largest magnitude
earthquakes with the 2004 earthquake registering 9.3 on the Richter scale and resulted in a staggering
283,106 casualties.
3. An earthquake that occurs underwater, in the oceans, almost always results in mass displacement
of the water surrounding it. The height and destructive power of these waves depend on the magnitude
of the earthquake that generated it. When the force of the waves created is strong enough, it is
specifically identified as a tsunami. On average, it has been identified that a large tsunami (caused by an
earthquake of magnitude 7+) reaches areas of Indonesia every five years, with most hitting the cities of
Sumatra and Java. In general, evacuations are often made in time in tsunami-prone areas, as many
Indonesians living in coastal cities are able to flee to the hills located further inland to avoid loss of life
after being notified of an offshore earthquake. However, the existing infrastructure and agriculture are
unable to be saved, meaning tsunamis often devastate the Indonesian economy.

LocationDate MagnitudeCasualties

25
Sumatra October 7.7 435
2010

30
Sumatra September 7.6 1,117
2009

17 July
Java 7.7 730
2006

26 May
Java 6.3 5,780
2006

28 March
Sumatra 8.6 1,313
2005

26
Sumatra December 9.2 2,83,106
2004

4. Just over a decade ago, on the 26th of December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami resulted from a
giant underwater earthquake that occurred off the coast of northern Sumatra, in Banda Aceh, a city in
Indonesia, This underwater earthquake was the result of a thrust fault that occurred in a subduction
zone where the Australian plate was subducting under the European plate. As a result, the ocean floor
broke, releasing its energy in a massive 9.1 magnitude earthquake, which subsequently caused large
scale displacement of water in this region, ultimately generating massive tsunami waves which hit
coastal communities surrounding the epicentre of the disaster, with the region of Aceh in Indonesia
being hit the hardest in particular.
6. Indonesia was both the first and worst hit by this tsunami, which swamped the northern and
western coastal areas of Sumatra, and the smaller outlying islands of Sumatra. However, nearly all the
casualties and damage took place on the province of Aceh, Indonesia, where three devastating
earthquakes struck the western shore in succession within 30 minutes. Each of these waves ranged
from 4 to 39 metres high and due to the relatively flat ground of the region, extended inland for as far as
250 kilometres, subsequently affecting a large portion of Indonesia of up to an estimated 300,000
people, while also destroying 250 coastal communities in Indonesia with its rampant movement.
7. Residential neighbourhoods and fishing villages in coastal areas of Indonesia were entirely
devastated, and houses were swept inland or out to sea. While the traditional construction of the
buildings was able to resist the shaking from the underwater earthquake, they could not resist the
continuous forces from the onslaught of tsunamis, meaning most were completely obliterated.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) What are one of the major threats in Indonesia?
(b) Indonesia’s prosperity suffers because of _____________ .
(i) man-made calamities
(ii) natural calamities
(iii) pollution
(iv) deforestation
(c) What does Indonesia practise to resist and shield themselves from the earthquakes?
(d) The table points out which city recorded the highest number of casualties.
(i) Java
(ii) Sumatra
(iii) Province of Aceh
(iv) both (i) and (ii)
(e) The table shows two cities which had the same magnitude of earthquake on Richter scale but
different number of casualties. The difference in casualty was _____________ .
(i) 295
(ii) 387
(iii) 682
(iv) 730
(f) What has been identified about a large tsunami on average?
(g) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The existing infrastructure and agriculture of Indonesia are unable to be saved because
_____________________ .
(h) State TRUE or FALSE.
An earthquake always results in mass displacement of the water surrounding.

24. Read the passage given below. 10

1. The unappealing vultures serve as the ultimate scavengers in the ecological cycle: processing
dead bodies of animals. The near-extinction of vultures has caused disease in the country, as rats
and dogs moved in to take their place—spreading pathogens that would have otherwise been
destroyed by the vultures.

2. Only 20 years ago, India had plenty of vultures. But by 1999, their numbers had dropped due to a
mysterious kidney ailment. By 2008, 99.9 per cent of India’s vultures were gone, killed by a drug
called diclofenac (a pain reliever along the lines of aspirin or ibuprofen). Although India banned it for
veterinary use in 2006, it’s still widely administered to cattle. The vultures eat the corpse and cannot
digest diclofenac.

3. Vultures need large ranges to scan for food and undisturbed areas in which to nest. They also
need an abundance of prey species since they rely more on chance than their own hunting skills to
eat. Increased human activity and a dramatic rise in secondary poisoning is exterminating vultures
that feed on carcasses laced with poison, intended to kill jackals or other predatory carnivores. Or
they are poisoned by the lead in animals left behind by hunters.
4. In one of the first birds examined, the internal organs were covered with a chalky white paste
indicating visceral gout, a result of kidney failure. When a cow is given diclofenac, the drug breaks
down quickly and becomes undetectable in the body. The vultures are exquisitely sensitive to
diclofenac. Like other NSAIDs, such as aspirin, the drug suppresses production of compounds called
prostaglandins, which reduces inflammation but can also have a number of other effects, including
restricting blood flow in the kidneys. The malfunctioning organs stop removing uric acid from the
blood, leading to rapid gout and death. The lethal dose of diclofenac in vultures is about one-tenth of
the therapeutic dose for mammals by weight. In addition, it only takes the occasional tainted buffalo
carcass to cause an outsized effect on the local vulture population. The scavengers soar high and
spot every single large, dead animal over vast distances; dozens of birds then strip it clean in an
hour, and die within days. If this happens enough times, deaths in a vulture colony soon outpace
births. Most vultures don’t breed until they’re four or five years old, and the females lay only one egg
a year, which may or may not hatch. Young birds face a number of threats in addition to poisoning,
and as many as half do not survive to adulthood. Mathematical modelling suggests that as few as 1
in 760 contaminated carcasses could drive down the vulture population 30% per year.

5. The health impact of the vulture decline, including treatment costs, loss of life, and lost income,
has been estimated at $34 billion just for the period from 1993 to 2006.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

(a) Do you think those who leave Facebook are at one end of a spectrum? Support your answer
with reference to the text.

(b) The company’s user base in the last quarter of 2019 was 195 million in US–Canada shrank
when 15 million users bade goodbye to FB. Which of these graphical representations correctly
shows the trend in percentage?

(i) 1

(ii) 2

(iii) 3
 (iv) 4

(c) What is social commitment generating?

(d) Even personal networks of individuals on Facebook have lost their edge and become
_______________ .

I. unmanageable owing to their large friend lists

II. by and large useless and irrelevant

III. less trustworthy

IV. riddled with chinks despite tight privacy settings

(i) IV

(ii) II

(iii) I and III

(iv) all of the above

(e) The hitherto active users who have not much love lost for Facebook are ironically immune to
_______________ .

I. recent gigantic political scandals in the US

II. networks becoming too large

III. leakage of personal data

IV. privacy policy of Facebook riddled with loopholes

(i) all of the above

(ii) all except II

(iii) all except III

(iv) all except IV

(f) What is one of the reasons for the success of social media?

(g) Complete the sentence appropriately.

Deletion is a profound response to a set of emerging tensions between an evolving technology

and _____________ .

(h) State TRUE or FALSE

Approximately 12% of the global population now uses social media.

25.Read the passage given below. 10
1. An analysis of the seven IITs that stand in the top 10 of the National Institute Ranking framework
shows that the disproportion in number of dropouts is starker at some institutions. IIT Guwahati holds
the worst record, with 88% of its 25 dropouts hailing from the reserved categories. IIT Kharagpur has
had the highest number of dropouts, with a whopping 79 students leaving the institution over the last
five years. More than 60% are from the reserved categories.
2. The MHRD said high attrition rate in the undergraduate programmes could be attributed to
“withdrawal due to wrong choices filled, poor academic performance, personal and medical reasons”.
The MHRD added that the institutes were taking correctional measures to de-stress students; fee
reductions, institute scholarships, priority access to national level scholarships to aid students with poor
financial backgrounds to pursue their education are a few steps taken to prevent dropouts.
3. Somesh Kumar, Dean of Students Affairs at the IIT Kharagpur, said the the numbers are not
alarming as 15% seats were reserved for the SC category, 7.5% for the STs and 27% for the OBC
category, which makes it 49.5%. A counselling centre and a student welfare group that help students to
manage stress have been set up.

PERCENTAGE OF DROPOUT IN SOME INSTITUTES

YEAR IIT IIM OTHER INSTITUTIONS

2015–16 2.25 1.04 7.49

2016–17 1.60 1.06 8.56

2017–18 1.71 1.03 6.76

2018–19 1.46 0.50 5.36

2019–20 0.68 0.78 2.82

(Courtesy: MHRD)

4. Some social researchers disagree with Prof. Kumar. The usually high dropouts from the two IITs
reflect that there could be some institutional factors. They should undertake a social climate
assessment survey.
5. A coaching class for qualifying JEE provides students with enough superficial knowledge to clear
the entrance, but the emphasis on fundamental knowledge is minimal. Consequently, studying the
actual courses in IITs is a shocker. Reserved quota students who got admission on the basis of low cut-
offs fail to gross qualifying marks during the semester assessments. The privilege for them ends with
the entrance and only merit is what sustains an IITian.
6. Lack of English communication skills especially of those who studied in regional language medium
pulls their overall academic performance down. Though the institute offers verbal proficiency classes,
but either they are too late or too less. There are innumerable co-curricular opportunities in the IITs that
can be overwhelmingly engaging. They can be a distraction when students over-invest themselves in
them.
7. Then there’re those who take up a branch that they do not completely understand or which matches
their ranks or looks glamorous to them until the time the academic session actually commences and
reality hits them. Then the interest level falters.
8. Preparing for engineering is a part of the herd mentality. Peer pressure or family ambitions can
pressure them into joining IIT with very little interest in the subject that they are going to study for the
next four years; they obviously give up midway after suffering from poor grades.
9. To fail is human but not factoring in one’s aptitude and passion will guarantee failure.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) What is the main reason for the worst performance of the students who studied in regional
languages? Why?
(b) Ironically, students who get into IITs due to a special privilege of low cut-offs for them, realize that
_______________ .
I. their fundamental concepts are always shaky
II. the actual course content is tough
III. only merit is going to sustain them
IV. getting even minimum qualifying marks is a tough job
(i) only III
(ii) only IV
(iii) I and II
(iv) all except I
(c) How do you think that only merit sustains an IITian?
(d) Which of the following graphical representations show the correct data (to nearest approximation)
for seat reservations in the IITs on the basis of socio-economic backwardness?
(i) 1
(ii) 2
(iii) 3
(iv) 4
(e) One is guaranteed a successful stint in any of the IITs, provided one has _______________ .
(i) good command over English and completing high school in English medium
(ii) qualifying JEE and knowing about different branches
(iii) the aptitude and passion for engineering
(iv) having a national level or an institutional scholarship
(f) What did MHRD say about correctional measures?
(g) Complete the sentence appropriately.
Preparation for engineering is a part of the _______________.
(h) State TRUE or FALSE.
There are innumerable co-curricular opportunities in the IITs.