Reading Comprehension CBSE Class 12 Passages, Exercises,

Worksheets
Step 1: Skim once as rapidly as possible to determine the main idea before you look at the questions. Do not worry about words you do not
know at this stage.
Step 2: Underline the words that you do not understand to facilitate a complete understanding of the passage. This will enable you to solve
the vocabulary questions quicker.
Step 3: Look through the words carefully. You are advised to maintain the order in which the questions appear in the test paper. Read
intensively the portion relevant to the answer.
Step 4; Concentrate on the vocabulary items and puzzle out from the context the meanings of those words you do not know.

♦ Ideas To Follow While Skimming

1. Read the title of the passage/ poem very carefully, if given. Determine what clues it gives you about the passage/poem.
2. Watch for keywords like causes, results, effects etc. Do not overlook signal words such as those suggesting controversy (e.g., versus,
pros and cons), which indicate that the author is intending to present both sides of an argument.
3. Concentrate on the main ideas and ignore details. Most passages require at least two readings. Before writing the answer, check the
questions again to be sure you have understood them.

♦ Guidelines To Attempt Comprehension Passage

1. First of all, read the passage quickly study the questions given at the end of your passage.
2. Start your second reading of the passage. This reading should be thorough. Underline key sentences or words related to the given
questions.
3. An alternate method could be to go through the questions first, which gives a rough idea about the content or subject of the passage. It
becomes easier to underline the keywords while going through the passage and will help to reach the answers faster.
4. While answering the questions, try not to give vague or general answers; be specific; sometimes students use one general description
when four or five points have to be made. Avoid general answers.
5. Write in short, simple sentences unless required to do otherwise.
6. Do not repeat yourself. This is a waste of time. Avoid using slang. Do not use vague words when a precise one will do.
7. Make sure that you use your own words as far as possible. This means that you must summarise and’ interpret information; never copy
whole ‘chunks’ from the passage.
8. When answering factual questions, i.e., questions that involve words like ‘what7, ‘when’, ‘how’ and ‘why’, do not include information not
given in the passage. While answering the ‘why’ question, you may begin your answer with ‘This is because of a similar phrase.
9. While answering vocabulary questions, determine the part of speech of the word. Your answer should have the same part of speech. ,

♦ Previous Years’ CBSE Examination Questions

Question 1.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi, All India 2010)

1. Today’s woman is a highly self-directed person, alive to the sense of her dignity and the importance of her functions in the private
domestic domain and the public domain of the world of work. Women are rational in approach, careful in handling situations and want to do
things as best as possible. The Fourth World Conference of Women held in Beijing in September 1995 had emphasized that no enduring
solution of society’s most threatening social, economic and political problems could be found without the participation and empowerment of
the women. The 1995 World Summit for Social Development had also emphasised the pivotal role of women in eradicating poverty and
mending the social fabric.
2. The Constitution of India had conferred on women equal rights and opportunities political, social, educational and of employment with
men. Because of oppressive traditions, superstitions, exploitation and corruption, a majority of women are not allowed to enjoy the rights and
opportunities, bestowed on them. One of the major reasons for this state of affairs is the lack of literacy and awareness among women.
Education is the main instrument through which we can narrow down the prevailing inequality and accelerate the process of economic and
political change in the status of women.

3. The role of women in a society is very important. Women’s education is the key to a better life in the future. A recent World Bank study
says that educating girls is not a charity, it is good economics and if developing nations are to eradicate poverty, they must educate the girls.
The report says that the economic and social returns on investment in education of the girls considerably affect the human development
index of the nation. Society would progress only if the status of women is respected and the presence of an educated woman in the family
would ensure education of the family itself. Education and empowerment of women are closely related.

4. Women’s education has not received due care and attention from the planners and policymakers. The National Commission for Women
has rightly pointed out that even after 50 years of independence, women continue to be treated as the single largest group of backward
citizens of India. The role of women in overall development has not been fully understood nor has it been given its full weight in the struggle
to eliminate poverty, hunger, injustice and inequality at the national level. Even when we are at the threshold of the 21st century, our society
still discriminates against women in matters of their rights and privileges and prevents them from participating in the process of national and
societal progress.

Various Committees and Commissions have been constituted before and after the independence to evaluate the progress in women’s
education and to suggest ways and means to enhance the status of women. The female literacy rate has gone up in the 20th century from
0.6 per cent in 1901 to 39.29 per cent in 1991 but India still possesses the largest number of illiterate women in the world. The female
literacy index for the year 1991 shows that there are eight States which fall below the national average. The most populous States of the
country, UP, MP, Bihar and Rajasthan fall in the category of most backward States as far as female literacy is concerned.

5. The prevailing cultural norms of gender behaviour and the perceived domestic and reproductive roles of women tend to affect the
education of girls. Negative attitude towards sending girls to schools, restrictions on their mobility, early marriage, poverty and illiteracy of
parents affect the girl’s participation in education.

6. Women’s political empowerment got a big boost with the Panchayati Raj Act of 1993 which gave them 30 per cent reservation in Village
Panchayats, Block Samities and Zila Parishads throughout the country. The National Commission for Women was also set up in 1992 to act
as a lobby for women’s issues.

7. The educational system is the only institution which can counteract the deep foundations of inequality of sexes that are built in the minds
of people through the socialization process. Education is the most important instrument of human resource development. Educational system
should be used to revolutionize the traditional attitudes and inculcate new values of equality.

(a)
(i) Mention any two attributes of a modern woman. 2
(ii) Why are women’s participation and empowerment considered necessary? 2
(iii) Which factors adversely affect the education of girls? 2
(iv) What benefits did the women get with the enactment of the Panchayati Raj Act of 1993? 2
(v) By what process can we remove the sense of inequality of sexes from the minds of the people? 1
Answer:
(i) The modem woman of today is a highly self-dependent person alive to the sense of her dignity. She is rational in her approach and
handles situations carefully.
(ii) At the Fourth World Conference of Women held in Beijing, it was emphasized that without women’s participation and empowerment no
enduring solution to society’s most threatening social, economic and political problems could be found. Also women’s empowerment is
extremely important in eradicating poverty and mending the social fabric.
(iii) The prevailing cultural norms of gender behaviour and the perceived domestic and reproductive roles of women tend to adversely affect
the education of girls. Restrictions on the mobility of girls, early marriage of girls, poverty and illiteracy of parents affect the girl’s participation
in education.
(iv) Women’s political empowerment got a major boost with the Panchayati Raj Act of 1993 which gave them 30 per cent reservation in
Village Panchayats, Block Samities and Zila Parishads throughout the country.
(v) The sense of inequality of sexes can be removed from the minds of the people only through the process of education.

(b) Pick out words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following: 1×3=3
(i) cruel and unfair (para 2)
(ii) remove (para 3)
(iii) full of people (para 4)
Answer:
(i) oppressive
(ii) eradicate
(iii) populous

Question 2.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi, All India 2011)

1. For many years now the Governments have been promising the eradication of child labour in hazardous industries in India. But the truth is
that despite all the rhetoric no Government so far has succeeded in eradicating this evil, nor has any been able to ensure compulsory
primary education for every Indian child. Between 60 and 100 million children are still at work instead of going to school, and around 10
million are working in hazardous industries. India has the biggest child population of 380 million in the world; plus the largest number of
children who are forced to earn a living.

2. We have many laws that ban child labour in hazardous industries. According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986,
the employment of children below the age of 14 in hazardous occupations has been strictly banned. But each state has different rules
regarding the minimum age of employment. This makes the implementation of these laws difficult.
3. Also, there is no ban on child labour in nonhazardous occupations. The act applies to the organised or factory sector and not the
unorganized or informal sector where most children find employment as cleaners, servants, porters, waiters, among other forms of unskilled
work. Thus, child labour continues because the implementation of the existing law is lax.

4. There are industries, which have a special demand for child labour because of their nimble fingers, high level of concentration and
capacity to work hard at abysmally low wages. The carpet industry in U.P. and Kashmir employs children to make hand-knotted carpets.
There are 80,000 child workers in Jammu & Kashmir alone. In Kashmir because of the political unrest, children are forced to work while
many schools are shut. Industries like gem cutting and polishing, pottery and glass want to remain competitive by employing children.

5. The truth is that it is poverty which is pushing children into the brutish labour market. We have 260 million people below the poverty line in
India, a large number of them are women. Poor and especially woman-headed families have no option but to push their little ones in this
hard life in hostile conditions, with no human or labour rights.

6. There is a lobby which argues that there is nothing wrong with children working as long as the environment for work is conducive to
learning new skills but studies have shown that the children are made to do boring, repetitive and tedious jobs and are not taught new skills
as they grow older. In these hellholes like the sweet shops of the old, there is no hope.

7. Children working in hazardous industries are prone to debilitating diseases which can cripple them for life. By sitting in cramped, damp and
unhygienic spaces, their limbs become deformed for life. Inside matchstick, fireworks and glass industries they are victims of bronchial
diseases and T.B. Their mental and physical development is permanently impaired by long hours of work. Once trapped, they can’t get out of
this vicious circle of poverty. They remain uneducated and powerless. Finally, in later years, they too are compelled to send their own
children to work. Child labour perpetuates its own nightmare.

8. If at all the Government was serious about granting children their rights, an intensive effort ought to have been made to implement the
Supreme Court’s Directive of 1997 which laid down punitive action against employers of child labour. Only compulsory primary education can
eliminate child labour.

9. Surely, if 380 million children are given a better life and elementary education, India’s human capital would be greatly enhanced. But that
needs, as former President Abdul Kalam says, “a Second

(a)
(i) On which two counts has the Government not succeeded so far in respect of children? 2
(ii) What makes the implementation of child labour law difficult? 2
(iii) Why do industries prefer child labour?
(iv) What are the adverse effects of hazardous industries on children? Given any two. 2
(v) What does the Supreme Court’s Directive of 1997 provide? 1
Answer:
(i) In respect to children the Government has not yet succeeded in eradication of child labour in hazardous industries and ensuring
compulsory primary education.
(ii) Implementation of child labour becomes difficult because each state has different rules regarding the minimum age of employment and
there is no ban on child labour in the nonhazardous occupations.
(iii) Industries prefer child labour because children have a capacity to work hard, a high level of concentration and can be employed at low
wages.
(iv) Children working in hazardous industries are prone to debilitating diseases which can cripple them for life. By sitting in cramped, damp
and unhygienic spaces their limbs too become deformed for life. In matchstick, fireworks and glass industries, children become victims of
bronchial diseases and T.B.
(v) The Supreme Court’s Directive of 1997 provides punitive action against employers of child labour.

(b) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) risky/dangerous (para 1)
(ii) very unfriendly (para 5)
(iii) intended as punishment (para 8)
Answer:
(i) hazardous
(ii) hostile
(iii) punitive

Question 3.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi, All India 2012)

1. While there is no denying that the world loves a winner, it is important that you recognize the signs, of stress in your behaviour and be
healthy enough to enjoy your success. Stress can strike anytime, in a fashion that may leave you unaware of its presence in your life. While
a certain amount of pressure is necessary for performance, it is important to be able to recognize your individual limit. For instance, there are
some individuals who accept competition in a healthy fashion. There are others who collapse into weeping wrecks before an exam or on
comparing marks sheets and finding that their friend has scored better.

2. Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Whenever there is a change in the external
environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions, it leads to stress. In these days of competition when a person
makes up his mind to surpass what has been achieved by others, leading to an imbalance between demands and resources, it causes
psychosocial stress. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.

3. Stress has a different meaning, depending on the stage of life you are in. The loss of a toy or a reprimand from the parents might create a
stress shock in a child. An adolescent who fails an examination may feel as if everything has been lost and life has no further meaning. In an
adult the loss of his or her companion, job or professional failure may appear as if there is nothing more to be achieved.

4. Such signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of the individual, as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high blood
pressure, indigestion and hyperacidity. Ultimately the result is self-destructive behaviour such as eating and drinking too much, smoking
excessively, relying on tranquilisers. There are other signs of stress such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and
mouth and difficulty in swallowing.

5. The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist. It leads to depression, lethargy and weakness. Periodic mood shifts also
indicate the stress status of the students, executives and professionals.

6. In a study sponsored by World Health Organization and carried out by Harvard School of Public Health, the global burden of diseases and
injury indicated that stress diseases and accidents are going to be the major killers in 2020.

7. The heart disease and depression both stress diseases are going to rank first and second in 2020. Road traffic accidents are going to be
the third-largest killers. These accidents are also an indicator of psychosocial stress in a fast-moving society. Other stress diseases like
ulcers, hypertension and sleeplessness have assumed epidemic proportions in modern societies.

8. A person under stress reacts in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight and flee depending upon the nature of the stress and
capabilities of the person. The three responses can be elegantly chosen to cope with the stress so that stress does not damage the system
and become distressed.

9. When stress crosses the limit, peculiar to an individual, it lowers his performance capacity. Frequent crossings of the limit may result in
chronic fatigue in which a person feels lethargic, disinterested and is not easily motivated to achieve anything. This may make the person
mentally undecided, confused and accident-prone as well. Sudden exposure of unnerving stress may also result in a loss of memory. Diet,
massage, food supplements, herbal medicines, hobbies, relaxation techniques and dance movements are excellent stress busters.

(a)
(i) What is stress? What factors lead to stress? 2
(ii) What are the signs by which a person can know that he is under stress? 2
(iii) What are the different diseases a person gets due to stress? 2
(iv) Give any two examples of stress busters. 1
(v) How does a person react under stress? 2
Answer:
(i) Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its external and internal environment. A change in the external environments such
as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions lead to stress.
(ii) Certain signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of an individual under stress. These include muscle tension in various body parts,
palpitation, high blood pressure, indigestion and hyperacidity. Other stress-related signs are trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of
throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.
(iii) Heart disease and depression are the two major stress-related diseases. Other stress diseases include ulcers, hypertension and
sleeplessness.
(iv) Herbal medicines and relaxation techniques are two examples of stress busters.
(v) A person under stress reacts in different ways, the most common ones being flight, fight and flee depending upon the nature of the stress
and capabilities of a person.

(b) Which words in the above passage mean the same as the following?
(i) Fall down (para 1)
(ii) rebuke (para 3)
(iii) inactive (para 9)
Answer:
(i) collapse
(ii) reprimand
(iii) lethargic

Question 4.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi, All India 2013)

1. Air pollution is an issue which concerns us all alike. One can willingly choose or reject a food, a drink or a life comfort, but unfortunately
there is little choice for the air we breathe. All, what is there in the air is inhaled by one and all living in those surroundings.

2. Air pollutant is defined as a substance which is present while normally it is not there or present in an amount exceeding the normal
concentrations. It could either be gaseous or a particulate matter. The important and harmful polluting gases are carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide, ozone and oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. The common particulate pollutants are the dusts of various inorganic or organic origins.
Although we often talk of the outdoor air pollution caused by industrial and vehicular exhausts, the indoor pollution may prove to be as or a
more important cause of health problems.

3. Recognition of air pollution is relatively recent. It is not uncommon to experience a feeling of ‘suffocation’ in a closed environment. It is
often ascribed to the lack of oxygen. Fortunately, however, the composition of air is remarkably constant all over the world. There is about 79
per cent nitrogen and 21 per cent oxygen in the air the other gases forming a very small fraction. It is true that carbon dioxide exhaled out of
lungs may accumulate in a closed and overcrowded place. But such an increase is usually small and temporary unless the room is really
airtight. Exposure to poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide may occur in a closed room, heated by burning cctal inside. This may also
prove to be fatal.

4. What is more common in a poorly ventilated home is a vague constellation of symptoms described as the sickbuilding syndrome. It is
characterized by a general feeling of malaise, headache, diiiiness and irritation of mucous membranes. It may also be accompanied by
nausea, itching, aches, pains and depression. Sick building syndrome is getting commoner in big cities with the small houses, which are
generally overfurnished. Some of the important pollutants whose indoor concentrations exceed those of the outdoors include gases such as
carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and organic substances like spores, formaldehydes, hydrocarbon aerosols and
allergens. The sources are attributed to a variety of construction materials, insulations, furnishings, adhesives, cosmetics, house dusts, fungi
and other indoor products.
5. Byproducts of fuel combustion are important in houses with indoor kitchens. It is not only the burning of dried dung and fuel wood which is
responsible, but also kerosene and liquid petroleum gas. Oxides of both nitrogen and sulphur are released from their combustion.

6. Smoking of tobacco in the closed environment is an important source of indoor pollution. It may not be high quaniiiatively, but signiiicantly
hazardous for health. It is because of the fact that there are over 3,000 chemical consiiiuents in tobacco smoke, which have been identiiied.
These are harmful for human health.

7. Microorganisms and allergens are of special signiiicance in the causation and spread of diseases. Most of the infective illnesses may
involve more persons of a family living in common indoor environment. These include viral and bacterial diseases like tuberculosis.

8. Besides infections, allergic and hypersensitivity disorders are spreading fast. Although asthma is the most common form of respiratory
allergic disorders, pneumonias are not uncommon, but more persistent and serious. These are attributed to exposures to allergens from
various fungi, moulds, hay and other organic materials. Indoor air ventilation systems, coolers, airconditioners, dampness, decay, pet
animals, production or handling of the causative items are responsible for these hypersensitivitydiseases.

9. Obviously, the spectrum of pollution is very wide and our options are limited. Indoor pollution may be handled relatively easily by an
individual. Moreover, the good work must start from one’s own house. (Extracted from The Tribune)

(a)
(i) What is an air pollutant? 1
(ii) In what forms are the air pollutants present? 2
(iii) Why do we feel suffocated in a closed environment? 1
(iv) What is sick building syndrome? How is it increasing? 2
(v) How is indoor smoking very hazardous? 1
(vi) How can one overcome the dangers of indoor air pollution? 2
Answer:
(i) An air pollutant is a substance which is present while normally it is not there in an amount exceeding the normal , concentrations.
(ii) Air pollutants are present as gaseous or particulate matter. The harmful polluting gases are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone and
oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. The common particulate pollutants are the dusts of various inorganic or organic origins.
(iii) We often feel suffocated in a closed environment due to the lack of oxygen.
(iv) Sick building syndrome is a vague constellation of symptoms in a poorly ventilated room. Sick building syndrome is characterised by a
general feeling of malaise, headache, diiiiness and irritation of mucous membranes. It may also be accompanied by nausea, itching, aches,
pains and depression. This syndrome is increasing in big cities which have an increasing number of small houses which are generally
overfurnished.
(v) Indoor smoking is very hazardous because over 3,000 chemical consiiiuents are present in tobacco smoke and these are harmful for
human health.
(vi) The dangers of indoor pollution can be avoided through well ventilated houses and improving greenery around houses. Also, it can be
avoided by not smoking tobacco inside houses and by not burning coal inside closed rooms.

(b) Find the words from the above passage which mean the same as the following: 3
(i) giddiness (para 4)
(ii) constant (para 8)
(iii) humidity (para 8)
Answer:
(i) diiiiness
(ii) persistent
(iii) dampness

Question 5.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi, All India 2014)

1. Too many parents these days can’t say no. As a result, they find themselves raising ‘children’ who respond greedily to the advertisements
aimed right at them. Even getting what they want doesn’t satisfy some kids; they only want more. Now, a growing number of psychologists,
educators and parents think it’s time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what’s really important: values like hard work,
contentment, honesty and compassion. The struggle to set limits has never been tougherand the stakes have never been higher. One recent
study of adults who were overindulged as children, paints a discouraging picture of their future: when given too much too soon, they grow up
to be adults who have difficulty coping with life’s disappointments. They also have distorted sense of eniiilement that gets in the way of
success in the work place and in relationships.

2. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids, set them up to be more vulnerable to future anxiety and depression. Today’s
parents themselves raised on values of thrift and selfsacriiice, grew up in a culture where no was a household word. Today’s kids want much
more, partly because there is so much more to want. The oldest members of this generation were bom in the late 1980s, just as PCs and
video games were making their assault on the family room. They think of MP3 players and flat screen TV as essential utilities, and they have
developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found that when they crave for something new, most expect to ask nine times
before their parents give in. By every measure, parents are shelling out record amounts. In the heat of this buying blitz, even parents who
desperately need to say no find themselves reaching for their credit cards.

3. Today’s parents aren’t equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them, raised in the 1960s and ’70s, swore they’d act differently from
their parents and have closer relationships with their own children. Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen to the
same music. And they work more hours; at the end of a long week, it’s tempting to buy peace with ‘yes’ and not mar precious family time with
conflict. Anxiety about future is another factor. How do well intentioned parents say no to all the sports gear and arts and language lessons
they believe will help their kids thrive in an increasingly compeiiiive world? Experts agree : too much love won’t spoil a child. Too few limits
will.

4. What parents need to find, is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that come from waiting,
saving and working hard to achieve goals. That search for balance has to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour because they
feel better and more secure when they live within a secured structure. Older children learn selfcontrol by watching how others, especially
parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to becoming a successful adult. Few parents ask kids to do chores. They
think their kids are already overburdened by social and academic pressures. Every individual can be of service to others, and life has
meaning beyond one’s own immediate happiness. That means parents eager to teach values have to take a long, hard look at their own.

(a) Answer the following:

(i) What values do parents and teachers want children to learn? 2
(ii) What are the results of giving the children too much too soon? 2
(iii) Why do today’s children want more? 1
(iv) What is the balance which the parents need to have in today’s world? 2
(v) What is the necessity to set limits for children? 2
Answer:
(i) Parents and teachers want children to learn values like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion.
(ii) When children are given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life’s disappointments. They also
have distorted sense of eniiilement that gets in the way of success in the work place and in relationships.
(iii) Today’s children want more, partly because there is so much more to want.
(iv) The balance that parents need to have in today’s world is between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that
come from waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals.
(v) It is necessary to set limits on the behaviour of children because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secured
structure.

(b) Pick out words from the passage that mean the same as the following: 3
(i) a feeling of satisfaction (para 1)
(ii) valuable (para 3)
(iii) important (para 4)
Answer:
(i) a feeling of satisfaction contentment
(ii) valuable precious
(iii) important essential/critical

Question 6.
Read the passage carefully: (Delhi, Comptt. Delhi, Comptt. All India 2015)

1. For four days, I walked through the narrow lanes of the old city, enjoying the romance of being in a city where history still livesin its
cobblestone streets and in its people riding asses, carrying vine leaves and palm as they once did during the time of Christ.

2. This is Jerusalem, home to the sacred sites of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. This is the place that houses the church of the Holy
Sepulchre, the place where Jesus was finally laid to rest. This is also the site of Christ’s cruciiixion, burial and resurrection.

3. Built by the Roman Emperor Constantine at the site of an earlier temple to Aphrodite, it is the most venerated Christian shrine in the world.
And justiiiably so. Here, within the church, are the last five stations of the cross, the 10th station where Jesus was stripped of his clothes, the
11th where he was nailed to the cross, the 12th where he died on the cross, the 13th where the body was removed from the cross, and the
14th, his tomb.

4. For all this weighty tradition, the approach and entrance to the church is nondescript. You have to ask for directions. Even to the devout
Christian pilgrims walking along the Via Dolorosathe Way of Sorrowsfirst nine stations look clueless. Then a courtyard appears, hemmed in
by other buildings and a doorway to one side. This leads to a vast area of huge stone architecture.

5. Immediately inside the entrance is your first stop. It’s the stone of anointing: this is the place, according to Greek tradition, where Christ
was removed from the cross. The Roman Catholics, however, believe it to be the spot where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial by Joseph.

6. What happened next? Jesus was buried. He was taken to a place outside the city of Jerusalem where other graves existed and there, he
was buried in a cave. However, all that is long gone, destroyed by
continued attacks and rebuilding; what remains is the massiveand impressiveRotunda (a round building with a dome) that Emperor
Constantine built. Under this, and right in the centre of the Rotunda, is the structure that contains the Holy Sepulchre.

7. “How do you know that this is Jesus’ tomb?” I asked one of the pilgrims standing next to me. He was clueless, more interested, like the
rest of them, in the novelty of it all and in photographing it, than in its history or tradition.

8. At the start of the first century, the place was a disused quarry outside the city walls. According to the gospels, Jesus’ cruciiixion occurred
‘at a place outside the city walls with graves nearby. Archaeologists have discovered tombs from that era, so the site is compatible with the
biblical period.

9. The structure at the site is a marble tomb built over the original burial chamber. It has two rooms, and you enter four at a time into the first
of these, the Chapel of the Angel. Here the angel is supposed to have sat on a stone to recount Christ’s resurrection. A low door made of
white marble, partly worn away by pilgrims’ hands, leads to a smaller chamber inside. This is the ‘room of the tomb’, the place where Jesus
was buried.

10. We entered in a single file. On my right was a large marble slab that covered the original rock bench on which the body of Jesus was laid.
A woman knelt and prayed. Her eyes were wet with tears. She pressed her face against the slab to hide them, but it only made it worse.

On the basis of your understanding of this passage answer the following questions with the help of the given options: 1×4=4
(a) How does Jerusalem still retain the charm of the ancient era?
(i) There are narrow lanes.
(ii) Roads are paved with cobblestones,
(iii) People can be seen riding asses.
(iv) All of the above.
(b) Holy Sepulchre is sacred to
(i) Christianity
(ii) Islam
(iii) Judaism
(iv) Both (i) and (iii)

(c) Why does one have to constantly ask for directions to the church?
(i) Its lanes are narrow.
(ii) Entrance to the church is nondescript.
(iii) People are not tourist-friendly.
(iv) Everyone is lost in enjoying the romance of the place.

(d) Where was Jesus buried?

(i) In a cave
(ii) At a place outside the city
(iii) In the Holy Sepulchre
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)

Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(e) What is the Greek belief about the ‘stone of anointing’?
(f) Why did Emperor Constantine build the Rotunda?
(g) What is the general attitude of the pilgrims?
(h) How is the site compatible with the biblical period?
(i) Why did the pilgrims enter the ‘room of the tomb’ in a single file?
(j) Why did ‘a woman’ try to hide her tears?
(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as 1 x 2 = 2
(i) A large grave (para 3)
(ii) Having no interesting features/dull (para 4)
Answer:
(a) (iv) All of the above
(b) (i) Christianity
(c) (ii) Entrance to the church is non-descript.
(d) (iv) Both (z) and (ii)
(e) According to Greek belief the ‘stone of anointing’ is the place where Christ was removed from the cross
(f) Emperor Constantine built the Rotunda to venerate the place of burial of Jesus. He built this structure to protect the Holy Sepulchre.
(g) The pilgrims are not interested in the history or tradition of the place and the tomb where Jesus was buried. They are more interested in
the novelty of it all and in photographing it.
(h) Archaeologists have discovered tombs from that era. So this is compatible with the biblical period according to which Jesus crucifixion
occurred ‘at a place outside the city walls with graves nearby.
(i) The pilgrims enter the room of the tomb in a single file (line) because it has a narrow passage and a low door which leads to a smaller
chamber.
(j) ‘A woman’ tried to hide her tears because she did not want anyone to see her crying. Like a true Christian, she was overwhelmed as
Jesus was buried there, while others seemed unconcerned.
(k) (i) tomb (ii) nondescript

Question 7.
Read the passage given below: (Delhi 2015)

1. We often make all things around us the way we want them. Even during our pilgrimages we have begun to look for whatever makes our
heart happy, gives comfort to our body and peace to the mind. It is as if external solutions will fulfil our needs, and we do not want to make
any special efforts even in our spiritual search. Our mind is resourceful works to find shortcuts in simple and easy ways.

2. Even pilgrimages have been converted into tourism opportunities. Instead, we must, awaken our conscience and souls and understand
the truth. Let us not tamper with either our own nature or that of the Supreme.

3. All our cleverness is rendered ineffective when nature does a dance of destruction. Its fury can and will wash away all imperfections.
Indian culture, based on Vedic treatises; assists in human evolution, but we are now using our entire energy in distorting these traditions
according to our convenience instead of making efforts to make ourselves worthy of them.

4. The irony is that humans are not even aware of the complacent attitude they have allowed themselves to sink to. Nature is everyone’s
Amma and her fierce blows will sooner or later comer and force us to understand this truth. Earlier, pilgrimages to places of spiritual
significance were rituals that were undertaken when people became free from their worldly duties. Even now some seekers take up this
pious religious journey as a path to peace and knowledge. Anyone travelling with this attitude feels and travels with only a few essential
items that his body can carry. Pilgrims traditionally travelled light, on foot, eating light, dried chickpeas and fruits, or whatever was available.
Pilgrims of olden days did not feel the need to stay in special AC bedrooms, or travel by luxury cars or indulge themselves with delicious food
and savouries.

5. Pilgrims traditionally moved ahead, creating a feeling of belonging towards all, conveying a message of brotherhood among all they came
across whether in small caves, ashrams or local settlements. They received the blessings and congregations of yogis and mahatmas in
return while conducting the dharma of their pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is like penance or sadhana to stay near nature and to experience a
feeling of oneness with it, to keep the body healthy and fulfilled with the amount of food, while seeking freedom from attachments and yet
remaining happy while staying away from relatives and associates.

6. This is how a pilgrimage should be rather than making it like a picnic by taking a large group along and living in comfort, packing in
entertainment, and tampering with environment. What is worse is giving a boost to the ego of having had a special darshan. Now alms are
distributed, charity done while they brag about their spiritual experiences!
7. We must embark on our spiritual journey by first understanding the grace and significance of a pilgrimage and following it up with the
prescribed rules and rituals this is what translates into the ultimate and beautiful medium of spiritual evolution. There is no justification for
tampering with nature.

8. A pilgrimage is symbolic of contemplation and meditation and acceptance and is a metaphor for the constant growth or movement and
love for nature that we should hold in our hearts.

9. This is the truth! On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer the questions that follow with the help of the given
options: 1 x 2 = 2
(a) How can a pilgrim keep his body healthy?
(i) By travelling light
(ii) By eating a small amount of food
(iii) By keeping free from attachments
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)

(b) How do we satisfy our ego?

(i) By having a special darshan
(ii) By distributing alms
(iii) By treating it like a picnic
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)

Answer the following as briefly as possible: 1 x 6 = 6

(c) What change has taken place in our attitude towards pilgrimages?
(d) What happens when pilgrimages are turned into picnics?
(e) Why are we complacent in our spiritual efforts?
(f) How does nature respond when we try to be clever with it?
(g) In olden days with what attitude did people go on a pilgrimage?
(h) What message does the passage convey to the pilgrims?
(i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following: 1 x 2 = 2
(i) made/turned (para 3)
(ii) very satisfied (para 4)
Answer:
(a) (iv) Both (i) and (it)
(b) (i) By having a special darshan
(c) During our pilgrimages we have begun to look for whatever makes our heart happy, gives comfort to our body and peace to the mind.
(d) When pilgrimages are turned into picnics, we travel with a large group consisting of our relatives, friends and associates. We live in
comfort, pack in entertainment and tamper with the environment.
(e) We have become complacent in our spiritual efforts. We feel external solutions will fulfil our needs, and we do not want to make any
special efforts in our spiritual search. We often make all things around us the way we want them.
(f) When we try to be clever with nature it does a dance of destruction and we have to face the fierce blows which will sooner or later comer
us and wash away all imperfections.
(g) In olden days when people went on a pilgrimage, they created a feeling of belonging towards all, conveying a message of brotherhood
among all they came across.
(h) The passage conveys the message that a pilgrimage symbolizes contemplation, meditation, acceptance growth and love for nature. The
message the passage conveys to pilgrims is that we must embark on our spiritual journey by first understanding the grace and significance of
a pilgrimage and following it up with prescribed rules and rituals.
(k) (i) rendered (ii) complacent

Question 8.
Read the passage given below: (Delhi, All India 2016)

1. Maharana Pratap ruled over Mewar only for 25 years. However, he accomplished so much grandeur during his reign that his glory
surpassed the boundaries of countries and time turning him into an immortal personality. He along with his kingdom became a synonym for
valour, sacrifice and patriotism. Mewar had been a leading Rajput Kingdom even before Maharana Pratap occupied the throne. Kings of
Mewar, with the cooperation of their nobles and subjects, had established such traditions in the kingdom, as augmented their magnificence
despite the hurdles of having a smaller area under their command and less population. There did come a few thorny occasions when the flag
of the kingdom seemed sliding down. Their flag once again heaved high in the sky thanks to the gallantry and brilliance of the people of
Mewar.

2. The destiny of Mewar was good in the sense that barring a few kings, most of the rulers were competent and patriotic. This glorious
tradition of the kingdom almost continued for 1500 years since its establishment, right from the region of Bappa Rawal. In fact only 60 years
before Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga drove the kingdom to the pinnacle of fame. His reputation went beyond Rajasthan and reached Delhi.
Two generations before him, Rana Kumbha had given a new stature to the kingdom through victories and developmental work. During his
reign, literature and art also progressed extraordinarily. Rana himself was inclined towards writing and his works are read with reverence
even today. The ambience of his kingdom was conducive to the creation of high-quality work of art and literature. These accomplishments
were the outcome of a longstanding tradition sustained by several generations.

3. The life of the people of Mewar must have been peaceful and prosperous during the long span of time; otherwise, such extraordinary
accomplishment in these fields would not have been possible. This is reflected in their art and literature as well as their loving nature. They
compensate for lack of admirable physique by their firm but pleasant nature. The ambience of Mewar remains lovely thanks to the cheerful
and liberal character of its people.

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

5. The cycle of time does not remain the same. Whereas the reign of Rana Sanga was crucial in raising the kingdom to the acme of glory, it
also proved to be his nemesis. History took a turn. The fortune of Mewarthe land of the brave, started waning. Rana tried to save the day
with his acumen which was running against the stream and the glorious traditions for sometime.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer each of the questions given below with the help of options that follow: 1 x 4
=4
(a) Maharana Pratap became immortal because:
(i) he ruled Mewar for 25 years.
(ii) he added a lot of grandeur to Mewar.
(iii) of his valour, sacrifice & patriotism.
(iv) both (ii) and (iii).

(b) Difficulties in the way of Mewar were:

(i) lack of cooperation of the nobility.
(ii) ancient traditions of the kingdom.
(iii) its small area and small population.
(iv) the poverty of the subjects.

(c) During thorny occasions:

(i) the flag of Mewar seemed to be lowered.
(ii) the flag of Mewar was hoisted high.
(iii) the people of Mewar showed gallantry.
(iv) most of the rulers heaved a sigh of relief.

(d) Mewar was lucky because:

(i) all of its rulers were competent,
(ii) most of its people were competent.
(iii) most of its rulers were competent.
(iv) only a few of its people were incompetent.

Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(e) Who is the earliest king of Mewar mentioned in the passage?
(f) What was Rana Kumbha’s contribution to the glory of Mewar?
(g) What does the writer find worth admiration in the people of Mewar?
(h) How could art and literature flourish in Mewar?
(i) How did the rulers show that they cared for their subjects?
(j) What does the erection of Vijaya Stambha and Kirti Stambha in the same fort signify?

(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) surprising (para 4)
(ii) evidence (para 4) 1 x 2 = 2
Answer:
(a) (iv) both (ii) & (iii)
(b) (iii) its small area and small population.
(c) (i) the flag of Mewar seemed to be lowered.
(d) (ii) most of its rulers were competent.
(e) The earliest king of Mewar mentioned in the passage is Bappa Rawal.
(f) Rana Kumbha gave new stature to the kingdom through victories and developmental work. During his reign, literature and art progressed
extraordinarily.
(g) The writer finds the cheerful and liberal character of the people of Mewar and their loving and pleasant nature worth admiration.
(h) Art and literature flourished in Mewar as the ambience of Rana Sanga’s Kingdom was conducive to the creation of high-quality work of art
and literature. Also, the people of Mewar led peaceful and prosperous lives for a long period of time which helped art flourish. The rulers
were inherently inclined towards art and culture.
(i) The rulers of Mewar created an atmosphere where cooperation existed between the nobles and subjects. The people of Mewar lived
peacefully and had prosperous lives. Not just the palaces but public utility buildings built by the rulers had astonishing workmanship.
(j) The erection of Vijaya Stambha and Kirti Stambha in the same fort signifies how liberal the then administration of Mewar was which
allowed people from other communities and kingdoms to come and carry out construction work. It also depicts the proximity between the king
and the subjects of Mewar.
(k) (i) astonishing (ii) testimony

Question 9.
Read the passage given below: (Delhi 2016)

1. To ensure its perpetuity, the ground is well held by the panther both in space and in time. It enjoys a much wider distribution over the
globe than its bigger cousins, and procreates sufficiently profusely to ensure its continuity for all time to come.

2. There seems to be no particular breeding season of the panther, although its sawing and caterwauling is more frequently heard during
winter and summer. The gestation period is about ninety to hundred days (Whipsnade, ninety-two days). The litter normally consists of four
cubs, rarely five. Of these, generally two survive and not more than one reaches maturity. I have never come across more than two cubs at
the heels of the mother. Likewise, graziers in the forest have generally found only two cubs hidden away among rocks, hollows of trees, and
other impossible places.

3. Panther cubs are generally in evidence in March. They are born blind. This is a provision of Nature against their drifting away from the
place of safety in which they are lodged by their mother, and exposing themselves to the danger of their being devoured by hyenas, jackals,
and other predators. They generally open their eyes in about three to four weeks.
4. The mother alone rears its cubs in seclusion. It keeps them out of the reach of the impulsive and impatient male. As a matter of fact the
mother separates from the male soon after mating and forgets all about their tumultuous union. The story that the male often looks in to find
out how the mother is progressing with her cubs has no foundation except in what we wish it should do at least.

5. The mother carries its cubs about by holding them by the scruff of their neck in its mouth. It trains them to stalk and teaches them how to
deliver the bite of death to the prey. The cubs learn to treat all and sundry with suspicion at their mother’s heels. Instinctively the cubs seek
seclusion, keep to cover and protect their flanks by walking along the edge of the forest.

6. I have never had an opportunity to watch mother panther train its cubs. But in Pilibhit forests, I once saw a tigress giving some lessons to
its little ones. I was sitting over its kill at Mala. As the sun set, the tigress materialized in the twilight behind my machan. For about an hour, it
scanned and surveyed the entire area looking and listening with the gravest concern. It even went to the road where my elephant was
awaiting my signal. The mahout spotted it from a distance and drove the elephant away.

7. When darkness descended upon the scene and all was well and safe, the tigress called its cubs by emitting a low halogen. The cubs, two
in number and bigger than a full-grown cat, soon responded. They came trotting up to their mother and hurried straight to the kill in indecent
haste. The mother spat at them so furiously that they doubled back to its heels immediately. Thereafter, the mother and its cubs sat
undercover about 50 feet (15 m) away from the kill to watch, wait, look, and listen. After about half an hour’s patient and fidget less vigil the
mother seemed to say ‘paid for’. At this signal, the cubs cautiously advanced, covering their flanks, towards the kill. No longer did they make
a beeline for it, as they had done before.

8. The mother sat watching its cubs eat, and mounted guard on them. She did not partake of the meal.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage complete the statements given below with the help of options that follow: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) To protect its cubs the mother panther hides them:

(i) among rocks
(ii) in the branches of the trees
(iii) behind the tree trunks
(iv) at its heels

(b) The male panther.

(i) is protective of its cubs
(ii) trains its cubs
(iii) watches the progress of the mother
(iv) is impulsive and impatient

(c) How many cubs does the mother panther rarely deliver?
(d) What may happen if the panther cubs are not born blind?
(e) Why did the mahout drive his elephant away?
(f) Why did the tigress spit at its cubs?
(g) From the narrator’s observation, what do we learn about the nature of the tigress?
(h) Why does the panther not face the risk of extinction?

(i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) moving aimlessly (para 3)
(ii) came down/fell (para 7) 1 x 2 = 2
Answer:
(a) (i) among rock
(b) (iv) is impulsive and impatient
(c) The mother panther rarely delivers five cubs.
(d) If the panther cubs are not born blind they may drift away from the place of safety in which they are lodged by their mother and expose
themselves to the danger of being devoured by hyenas, jackals and other predators.
(e) The mahout did not want to disturb the tigress. Thus, on spotting the tigress the mahout drove his elephant away because he knew the
presence of his elephant there would deter the tigress from summoning her cubs to devour the kill.
(f) The mother was furious with its cubs and so she spit at them to discipline and train them to come back to her heels. The mother spat at
them as they hurried straight to the kill in the indecent haste without watching, waiting, looking and listening.
(g) From the narrator’s observation, we get to know the tigress was extremely concerned about the safety and wellbeing of her cubs. She
was protective and caring and yet remained on guard and was vigilant.
(h) The panther does not face the risk of extinction because it enjoys a much wider distribution over the globe and procreates sufficiently
profusely to ensure its continuity for all times to come.
(i)
(i) drifting
(ii) descended

Question 10.
Read the passage carefully: (Comput. Delhi 2016)

1. Can you imagine a college without walls, professors or classrooms? Educator Bunker Roy can. More than 40 years ago, Roy, now 69,
founded the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan. His school admits rural women, often grandmothers and teaches them the basics of solar
engineering and freshwater technology. His efforts have yielded enormous benefits. When the women return to their homes, they are trained
enough to provide their communities, some of the world’s most lonely places, with electricity and clean water. They also gain something
important: a newfound self-confidence. The Barefoot model has already been used to empower women throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin
America. Last year, former President, Bill Clinton presented Roy with a Clinton Global Citizen Award, which honours leaders who are solving
the world’s problems in effective ways.

2. If you go all over the world, to very remote villages, you will often find only very old people and very young people. The men have already
left. So two ideas were put into practice in order to make the Barefoot Model work. First it was declared that men are untrainable, restless,
always ready to move, ambitious, and they all want a certificate to show for their efforts. And the moment you give one of them a certificate,
he leaves the village looking for a job in the city. That is how, the simple, practical solution of training grandmothers came up. They are
sympathetic, tolerant, willing to learn, and patient. All the qualities you need are there. And the second idea was not to give out certificates.
Because the moment a certificate is given, a woman, like a man, will see it as a passport for leaving rural areas and going to urban areas to
find a job.

3. Barefoot College follows the lifestyle of Mahatma Gandhi: Students eat, sleep, and work on the floor. They can work for 20 years or they
can go home the next day. As of today, 604 women solar engineers from 1083 villages in 63 countries have been trained. The engineers
have given solar power to 45,000 houses. These were done by women who had never left their homes before. They hate the idea of leaving
their families and getting on a plane. When they reach India, sometimes after 19 hours of travel, they are faced with strange food, strange
people, and a strange language. All the training is done in sign language. Yet in six months, they will know more about solar engineering
than most university graduates. Some women face problems at home for attending college. Most of the husbands do not like their wives
going to these colleges and tell them not to come back if they do so. But, on her return when she is able to help provide her village with solar
electricity, her husband wants her to get back home. The respect she now has is enormous and she considers herself no less than solar
engineers. Bunker Roy dreams of providing the world’s 47 least developed countries with Barefoot College trained grandmothers and solar
electrify more than 1,00,000 houses.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer the questions that follow with the help of the given options: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) Why did the promoter of Barefoot Model decide to train grandmothers?
(i) Men do not want to be trained.
(ii) Grandmothers were patient, willing to learn and tolerant.
(iii) Men are lazy, want to make money.
(iv) Men and women are not skilled.

(b) The attitude of the husbands to their wives on their return from training is different because
(i) of the respect they gain from the villagers
(ii) they were away for a long time
(iii) they will again be looked after
(iv) they will not go back

Answer the following questions briefly:lx6=6

(c) How is Barefoot College different from other colleges?
(d) What did the women gain from the college apart from technology?
(e) Why were certificates not given out after training?
(f) What are the difficulties the women have to face during their travel and their life in Tilonia, Rajasthan?
(g) How do the women consider themselves professionally, after their training?
(h) What is the narrator’s dream about solar electrification?

Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following: 1 x 2 = 2
(i) many/great in size (para 1)
(ii) far off (para 2)
Answer:
(a) (ii) Grandmothers were patient, willing to learn and tolerant.
(b) (i) of the respect they gain from the villagers.
(c) Barefoot college is a college without walls, professors or classrooms. It admits rural women, often grandmothers. Students eat, sleep and
work on the floor. They can work for 20 years or they can go home the next day.
(d) Apart from technology the women gain a newfound self-confidence and are trained enough to provide their communities, some of the
world’s most lonely places, with electricity and clean water.
(e) Certificates were not given out after training because the moment a certificate is given a person sees it as a passport for leaving rural
areas and going to urban areas to find a job.
(f) The women hate the idea of leaving their families and getting on a plane. When they reach India, sometimes after 19 hours of travel they
are faced with strange food, strange people and a strange language. Some women also face problems at home for attending the college as
their husbands do not like their wives going to these colleges.
(g) After their training, the women professionally consider themselves no less than solar engineers. They are able to help provide their village
with solar electricity.
(h) The narrator’s dream about solar electrification is to provide the world’s 47 least developed countries with Barefoot college-trained
grandmothers and solar electrify more than 1,00,000 houses.
(i) many/great in size enormous
(j) far off remote

Question 11.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi, All India 2017)

1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open
countryside, with fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no water, the land reverts to desert.
While still on level ground, we see in the distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid horizontally on the desert
surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. Heaven
Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks.

2. As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain
begins to fall. The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat’s cheese. The bus window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful
view. We have passed quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green with grass, the slopes dark with pine.
A few cattle drink at a clear stream flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape. The stream changes into a white torrent,
and as we climb higher I wish more and more that I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have served me so
well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told, rises in Heaven Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we
arrive at Heaven Lake and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to
note that there are thick quilts on the beds.
3. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is long, sardine shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its
head. The lake is an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with distant sheep. At the head of the lake,
beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, is a massive snowcapped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series of peaks that
culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself.

4. For those who live in the resort, there is a small mess hall by the shore. We eat here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the
vendors outside, who sell kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over charcoal braziers, are particularly
good; highly spiced and well done. Horse’s milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so affected by the
cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than
comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a predinner spurt of energy dinner will be long in coming and I ask him whether the lake is good
for swimming in.

5. “Swimming ?” Mr. Cao says. “You aren’t thinking of swimming, are you?”

6. ” I thought I might,” I confess. “What’s the water like?”

7. He doesn’t answer me immediately, turning instead to examine some receipts with exaggerated interest. Mr. Cao, with great
offhandedness, addresses the air. “People are often drowned here,” he says. After a pause, he continues. “When was the last one ?” This
question is directed at the cook, who is preparing a tray of mantou (squat white steamed bread rolls), and who now appears, wiping his
doughy hand across his forehead. “Was it the Beijing athlete ?” asks Mr. Cao.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements given below with the help of the options that follow: 1 x 4
=4
(a) One benefit of sitting in the last row of the bus was that:
(i) the narrator enjoyed the bumps.
(ii) no one stared at him
(iii) he could see the sunflowers.
(iv) he avoided the dullness of the city.

(b) The narrator was travelling to:

(i) Mount Bogda
(ii) Heaven Lake
(iii) a 2,000 m high snow peak
(iv) Urumqi

(c) On reaching the destination the narrator felt relieved because:

(i) he had got away from the desert
(ii) a difficult journey had come to an end
(iii) he could watch the snow peak
(iv) there were thick quilts on the beds

(d) Mount Bogda is compared to:

(i) a horizontal desert surface
(ii) a shining prism
(iii) a Constable landscape
(iv) the overcast sky

Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(e) Which two things in the bus made the narrator feel uncomfortable?
(f) What made the scene look like a Constable landscape?
(g) What did he regret as the bus climbed higher?
(h) Why did the narrator like to buy food from outside?
(i) What is ironic about the pair of trousers lent by Mr. Cao?
(j) Why did Mr. Cao not like the narrator to swim in the lake?
(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) sellers (para 4)
(ii) increased (para 7) 1 x 2 = 2
Answer:
(a) (ii) no one started at him.
(b) (ii) Heaven lake.
(c) (iv) there were thick quilts on the bed.
(d) (ii) a shining prism.
(e) The two things that made the narrator feel uncomfortable in the bus were that the man behind him was eating overpoweringly smelly
goat’s cheese and the bus window leaked inhospitably. Moreover, he had to endure a bumpy ride.
(f) The pasture green with grass, the slopes dark with pine and the sight of a few cattle drinking at a clear stream flowing past moss-covered
stones made the scene look like a Constable landscape.
(g) The stream changed into a white torrent as the bus climbed higher and the narrator regretted that he had not brought something warmer
than a pair of shorts with him.
(h) The narrator likes to buy kababs and naan from outside as the kababs, cooked on skewer over charcoal braziers, are rather good, highly
spiced and well done.
(i) Though the pair of trousers lent by Mr. Cao was several sizes too large for the narrator but they were more than comfortable for him.
(j) Mr. Cao did not like the narrator to swim in the lake as he says many people often drowned in it.
(k)
(i) sellers vendors
(ii) increased exaggeratedly

Question 12.
Read the passage given below: (Delhi 2017)
1. Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his officers. He thought that the very presence of the British on
the outskirts of Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur, and that they would lay down their arms. He was quite confident that he
would be able to crush the revolt in no time. He ordered that tents be erected on the eastern side for the fighting forces, and a little away on
the western slopes tents be put up for the family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the afternoon and evening of
20th October, the British soldiers were busy making arrangements for these camps.

2. On the 21st morning, Thackeray sent his political assistants to Kittur fort to obtain a written assurance from all the important officers of
Kittur rendering them answerable for the security of the treasury of Kittur. They, accordingly, met Sardar Gurusiddappa and other officers of
Kittur and asked them to comply with the orders of Thackeray. They did not know that the people were in a defiant mood. The commanders
of Kittur dismissed the agent’s orders as no documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma.

3. Thackeray was enraged and sent for the commander of the Horse Artillery, which was about 100 strong, and ordered him to rush his
artillery into the fort and capture the commanders of the Desai’s army. When the Horse Artillery stormed into the fort, Sardar Gurusiddappa,
who had kept his men on full alert, promptly commanded his men to repel and chase them away. The Kittur forces made a bold front and
overpowered the British soldiers.

4. In the meanwhile, the Desai’s guards had shut the gates of the fort and the British Horse Artillerymen, being completely overrun and
routed, had to get out through the escape window. Rani’s soldiers chased them out of the fort, killing a few of them until they retreated to
their camps on the outskirts.

5. A few of the British had found refuge in some private residences, while some were hiding in their tents. The Kittur soldiers captured about
forty persons and brought them to the palace. These included twelve children and a few women from the British officers’ camp. When they
were brought in the presence of the Rani, she ordered the soldiers to be imprisoned. For the women and children she had only gentleness
and admonished her soldiers for taking them into custody. At her orders, these women and children were taken inside the palace and given
food and shelter. Rani came down from her throne, patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them.

6. She, then, sent word through a messenger to Thackeray that the British women and children were safe and could be taken back any time.
Seeing this noble gesture of the Rani, he was moved. He wanted to meet this gracious lady and talk to her. He even thought of trying to
persuade her to enter into an agreement with the British to stop all hostilities in lieu of an inam (prize) of eleven villages. His offer was
dismissed with a gesture of contempt. She had no wish to meet Thackeray. That night she called Sardar Gurusiddappa and other leading
Sardars, and after discussing all the issues came to the conclusion that there was no point in meeting Thackeray who had come with an
army to threaten Kittur into submission to British sovereignty.

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

(a) Thackeray was a/an

(i) British tourist
(ii) army officer
(iii) advisor to the Rani of Kittur
(iv) treasury officer

(b) British women and children came to Kittur to

(ii) enjoy life in tents
(iii) stay in the palace
(iv) give company to officers 1 x 2 = 2

Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(c) Why did Thackeray come to Kittur?

(d) Why did the Kittur officials refuse to give the desired assurance to Thackeray?
(e) What happened to the Horse Artillery?
(f) How do we know that the Rani was a noble queen?
(g) How, in your opinion, would the British women have felt after meeting the Rani?
(h) Why did the Rani refuse to meet Thackeray?

(i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) entered forcibly (para 3)
(ii) aggressiv^refusing to obey (para 2)
Answer:
(a) (ii) army officer
(b) (iv) give company to officers
(c) Thackeray had come with an army to threaten the rulers and people of Kittur into submission to British sovereignty and to crush the revolt.
(d) The Kittur officials were in a defiant mood and declared that no document could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma so
they refused to give the desired assurance to Thackeray.
(e) The Horse Artillery was repelled and chased away by Sardar Gurusiddappa’s men who had been kept on high alert by him. The Desai’s
guards shut the gates of the fort and the British Horse Artillerymen were thus completely overrun and routed and had to get out through the
escape window.
(f) The Rani was indeed a noble queen. When the forty captured persons were brought in her presence, she ordered only the soldiers to be
imprisoned. For the women and children, she had only gentleness and admonished her soldiers for taking them into custody. She then
ordered that they be given food and shelter. Moreover, she patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them.
(g) The British women must have felt very relieved and happy to meet the Rani who was a kind and gentle queen. They must have been
overwhelmed by her noble and gracious gesture.
(h) The Rani felt there was no point in meeting Thackeray who had come with an army to threaten Kittur into submission to British
sovereignty.

(i)
(i) entered forcibly stormed
(ii) aggressive/refusing to obeydefiant
Question 13.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (Comput. Delhi, Comput. All India 2017)

The Art Of Living

1. The art of living is learnt easily by those who are positive and optimistic. From humble and simple people to great leaders in history,
science or literature, we can learn a lot about the art of living, by having a peep into their lives. The daily routines of these great men not only
reveal their different, maybe unique lifestyles but also help us learn certain habits and practices they followed. Here are some; read, enjoy
and follow in their footsteps as it suits you.

2. A private workplace always helps. Jane Austen asked that a certain squeaky hinge should never be oiled so that she always had a
warning whenever someone was approaching the room where she wrote. Willliam Faulkner, lacking a lock on his study door, detached the
doorknob and brought it into the room with him. Mark Twain’s family knew better than to breach his study door they would blow a horn to
draw him out. Graham Green went even further, renting a secret office; only his wife knew the address and the telephone number. After all,
every one of us needs a workplace where we can work on our creation uninterruptedly. Equally, we need our private space too!

3. A daily walk has always been a source of inspiration. For many artists, a regular stroll was essentially a creative inspiration. Charles
Dickens famously took three hour walks every afternoon, and what he observed on them fed directly into his writing. Tchaikovsky made do
with a two-hour jaunt but wouldn’t return a moment early; convinced that doing so would make him ill. Ludwig van Beethoven took lengthy
strolls after lunch, carrying a pencil and paper with him in case inspiration struck.

Nineteenth-century composer Erik Satie did the same on his long hikes from Paris to the working-class suburb where he lived, stopping
under streetlamps to jot down ideas that came on his journey; it’s rumoured that when those lamps were turned off during the war years, his
music declined too. Many great people had a limited social life too. One of Simone de Beauvoir’s close friends puts it this way. “There were
no receptions, parties. It was an uncluttered kind of life, a simplicity deliberately constructed so that she could do her work.” To Pablo, the
idea of Sunday was an “at home day”.

4. The routines of these thinkers are difficult. Perhaps it is because they are so unattainable. The very idea that you can organize your time
as you like is out of reach for most of us, so I’ll close with a toast to all those who worked with difficulties. Like Francine Prose, who began
writing when the school bus picked up her children and stopped when it brought them back; or T.S. Eliot, who found it much easier to write
once he had a day job in a bank than he had as a starving poet and even F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose early books were written in his strict
schedule as a young military officer. Those days were not as interesting as the nights in Paris that came later, but they were much more
productive and no doubt easier on his liver.

5. Being forced to follow someone else’s routine may irritate, but it makes it easier to stay on the path. Whenever we break that trail
ourselves or take an easy path of least resistance, perhaps what’s most important is that we keep walking.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete each of the statements given below with help of the options that follow:
1x4=4

(a) The passage is about:

(i) how to practise walking
(ii) walking everyday
(iii) the life of a genius
(iv) what we can learn from the routines of geniuses

(b) The writers in the past:

(i) followed a perfect daily routine
(ii) enjoyed the difficulties of life
(iii) can teach us a lot
(iv) wrote a lot in books

(c) In their daily routines:

(i) they had unique lifestyles
(ii) they read books and enjoyed them
(iii) they did not get any privacy
(iv) they did not mind visitors

(d) Some artists resorted to walking as it was:

(i) an exercise
(ii) a creative inspiration
(iii) essential for improving their health
(iv) helpful in interaction with others

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer the following questions: 1×2=2
(e) What did Jane Austen like?
(f) Why do you think Graham Green hired a secret office?
(g) What was the rumour about Erik Satie’s productivity?
(h) How did her limited social life affect Simone de Beauvoir?
(i) In what way did T.S. Eliot’s day job help him to write?
(j) What makes it easier for one to stay on the path?

Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) glance/look (para 1)
(ii) noisy (para 2) 1×2=2
(a) (iv) what we can learn from the routines of geniuses.
(b) (i) followed a perfect daily routine.
(c) (i) they had unique lifestyles.
(d) (ii) a creative inspiration.
(e) Jane Austen liked a private workplace. She did not want a certain squeaky hinge to be oiled so that it warned her whenever someone
was approaching the room where she wrote.
(j) Graham Green hired a secret office because he needed a workplace where he could work on his creation uninterruptedly.
(g) Erik Satie used to stop under streetlamps on his long hikes from Paris to the place where he lived in the working-class suburb, and jot
down ideas that came to his mind during the walk. It is rumoured that when those street lights were turned off during the war years, his music
too declined.
(h) Simone de Beauvoir led a limited social life. There were no receptions or parties. It was an uncluttered kind of life, a deliberately
constructed simplicity so that she could concentrate on her work.
(i) T.S. Eliot found it much easier to write once he had a day job in a bank than he could as a starving poet.
(j) Following a routine and leading an organized life may be irritating but it makes it easier for one to stay on the path.
(i) glance/look: peep
(ii) noisy: squeaky

Question 14.
Read the passage given below: (Comput. Delhi 2017)

1. Ammon means “fragrant spice plant” in Arabic and Hebraic and in Italian, canella means “little tube”. These are a few of the many terms
given to the popular spice known as cinnamon. Dating back as far as 2800 B.C., Chinese writings describe cinnamon as an important part of
the culture, so much so that over the years this spice was traded right up there with silver. Nowadays we find it in sweetened cereals, baked
goods and sprinkled on various foods such as yoghurt. Yet, many do not consider its wealth of healing capabilities including the potential as
a weight loss remedy.

2. Cinnamon is derived from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree grown and harvested mostly in Sri Lanka but also found in Brazil, Indonesia,
Vietnam, China and Burma. After a cinnamon tree grows for about six to eight years it is cut down leaving a stump to allow it to grow again
making it a very sustainable practice. It is then stripped from the bark, dried and packaged as sticks for export.

3. Several studies have been published regarding the weight loss properties of cinnamon which include its unique ability to be used for type
2 diabetes which is a disease often resulting from obesity. When eaten, the spice seems to slow down glucose absorption within the
intestines while stimulating insulin production. This normalizes blood glucose levels which in turn can indirectly decrease weight gain.

4. “The results of study demonstrate that intake of 1, 3 or 6 g of cinnamon per day reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol and
total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes and suggest that the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will
reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases”.

5. A study from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, called “Effect of ground cinnamon on after-meal blood glucose level in
normal-weight and obese adults” found that cinnamon may be effective in moderating post-meal glucose level in normal weight and obese
adults.

6. Columbia University nutritionist Tara Ostrowe comments to Reader’s Digest on the benefits of this spice: ” Cinnamon really is the new
skinny food ……………………………. Scientists already credit cinnamon with helping lower blood sugar concentration and improving insulin
sensitivity. When less sugar is stored as fat, this translates into more help for your body when it comes to weight loss”.

7. Talk to your doctor about adding cinnamon daily into your healthy diet and exercise program. Add it to your tea, oatmeal, fruit, toast or
anything else you can think of, as a small amount will go a long way and potentially assist in your weight loss mission.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete each of the statements given below with the help of options that follow:
1x2=2
(a) Cinnamon is called _______ in Hebraic.
(i) little tube
(ii) canella
(iii) Ammon
(iv) a fragrant spice plant

(b) In ‘Yet, many do not consider its wealth of healing capabilities ‘ The writer refers to the word ‘wealth’ to:
(i) the payment in silver
(ii) the cost of cinnamon
(iii) health of people
(iv) the healing power of cinnamon

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer the following: 1 x 6 = 6
(c) Which country produces most of the cinnamon in the world?
(d) Pick out the phrase from the passage (para 1) which shows that cinnamon was much in demand in China.
(e) From what is cinnamon derived?
(f) How is it used today?
(g) In what way does cinnamon help people suffering from type2 diabetes?
(h) How is cinnamon helpful in weight loss?

Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) sweet-smelling (para 1)
(ii) reaped/cultivated (para 2)
Answer:
(a) (ii) Ammon
(b) (iv) the healing power of cinnamon.
(c) Sri Lanka produces most of the cinnamon in the world.
(d) Chinese writings describe cinnamon as an important part of the culture, so much so that over the years this spice was ‘traded right up
there with silver’.
(e) Cinnamon is derived from the inner bark of the Cinnamon tree from which it is stripped, dried and packaged as sticks.
(f) Nowadays we find cinnamon in sweetened cereals, baked goods and it is sprinkled on various foods such as yoghurt.
(g) Cinnamon helps people suffering from type 2 diabetes. It seems to slow down the glucose absorption within the intestines while
stimulating insulin production. This normalizes blood glucose levels which indirectly decreases weight gain.
(h) Scientists credit cinnamon with helping lower blood sugar concentration and improving insulin sensitivity. When less sugar is stored as
fat, it helps the body in terms of weight loss.
(i) sweet-smelling fragrant
(ii) reaped/cultivated harvested

MCQ QUESTIONS
Read the following passages carefully:

Passage 1:

1. Too many parents these days can’t say no. As a result, they find themselves raising ‘children’ who respond greedily to the
advertisements aimed right at them. Even getting what they want doesn’t satisfy some kids; they only want more. Now, a growing
number of psychologists, educators and parents think it’s time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what’s really
important : values like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion. The struggle to set limits has never been tougher—and the
stakes have never been higher. One recent study of adults who were overindulged as children, paints a discouraging picture of their
future : when given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life’s disappointments. They also have
distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way of success in the work place and in relationships.
2. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids, set them up to be more vulnerable to future anxiety and depression. Today’s
parents themselves raised on values of thrift and self-sacrifice, grew up in a culture where ‘no’ was a household word. Today’s kids
want much more, partly because there is so much more to want. The oldest members of this generation were born in the late 1980s,
just as PCs and video games were making their assault’ on the family room. They think of MP3 players and flat screen TV as essential
utilities, and they have developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found that when they crave for something new, most
expect to ask nine times before their parents give in. By every measure, parents are shelling out record amounts. In the heat of this
buying blitz, even parents who desperately need to say no find themselves reaching for their credit cards.
3. Today’s parents aren’t equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them, raised in the 1960s and 70s, swore they’d act differently from
their parents and have closer relationships with their own children. Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen
to the same music. And they work more hours; at the end of a long week, it’s tempting to buy peace with ‘yes’ and not mar precious
family time with conflict. Anxiety about the future is another factor. How do well intentioned parents say no to all the sports gear and
arts and language lessons they believe will help their kids thrive in an increasingly competitive world? Experts agree: too much love
won’t spoil a child. Too few limits will.
4. What parents need to find, is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that come from
waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals. That search for balance has to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour
because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secured structure.
Older children learn self-control by watching how others, especially parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to
becoming a successful adult. Few parents ask kids to do chores. They think their kids are already overburdened by social and
academic pressures. Every individual can be of service to others, and life has meaning beyond one’s own immediate happiness. That
means parents eager to teach values have to take a long, hard look at their own.

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) What do the psychologists, educators and parents want to teach the children?

1. To teach them about treachery.

2. To teach them about indiscipline.
3. To teach them about the values of life like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion.
4. None of these

(b) What is essential to become a successful adult?

1. Learn not to overcome challenges

2. Learn how to overcome challenges
3. Nothing is essential.
4. None of these

(c) Why do children need limits on their behaviour when they live within a secured structure?

1. They feel more secure and better.

2. They feel insecure.
3. They feel bored.
4. None of these.
(d) What is the drawback of giving children too much too soon?

1. They fail to cope with life’s disappointments when they grow up.
2. They do not study seriously.
3. They become quarrelsome when they grow up.
4. None of these.

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) What values do parents and teachers want children to learn?

(b) What are the results of giving the children too much too soon?
(c) Why do today’s children want more?
(d) What is the balance which the parents need to have in today’s world?
(e) What is the necessity to set limits for children?
(f) How do older children learn self-control?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) a feeling of satisfaction (para 1)

(b) valuable (para 3)

Answers:

A.

(a) 3. To teach them about the values of life like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion
(b) 2. Learn how to overcome challenges
(c) 1. They feel more secure and better.
(d) 1. They fail to cope with life’s disappointments when they grow up

B.

(a) Parents and teachers want to inculcate the values of life like honesty, hard work and contentment among children.
(b) When children are given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty in coping with the disappointments of life. Such
children may develop distorted sense of entitlement that comes in the way of success in the work place and relationships.
(c) Today’s children want much more partly because there is so much more to want. They crave for something new. They consider even
luxurious items as essential commodities.
(d) Parents need to find a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical lessons of life that come from waiting,
saving and working hard to achieve goals in today’s world.
(e) Children need limits on their behaviours because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secured structure.
(f) Older children learn self-control by watching how others, especially parents act.

C.

(a) contentment
(b) precious

Passage 2:
SPACE TOURISM

If NSYNC singer Lance Bass can’t afford the $20 million price tag for a ride into space now, he should try again in, say, a decade.
But within a decade or so, even some of Bass’s fans could afford a quick and safe trip to the suborbital edge of space — roughly 50-60 miles
above earth, says Frank Seitzen, 5 president of the Space Transport Association.
“I think you’re maybe 10 or 12 years away from having companies that are reliable and that can go through that process for $5,000 or
$10,000,” Seitzen said.
There’s a hungry demand from would-be space tourists and a $10 million prize is inspiring designers. The X Prize, created in 1994 to spur
the development of new space travel 10 technologies, has attracted at least 21 space vehicle designs from people in five countries. The non-
profit X Prize Foundation, founded by a group of donors inspired by the $25,000 Orteig Prize that Charles Lindbergh won in 1927, will give
the prize.

Each design team is hoping to develop the first reusable rocket capable of blasting a pilot and two to five passengers to a height of 62 miles.
NASA awards astronaut status for 15 flights above 50 miles.
Some design contestants boast that such trips will be available by 2005, although the first few travellers will face $100,000 bills until the
market matures.
Despite steep prices and lagging technology, Seitzen and others are convinced that a lucrative travel business awaits. Space Adventures, a
travel agency that helped coordinate the first 20 tourist trip to the International Space Station last year by US businessman Dennis Tito,
claims it has collected $2 million in deposits from more than 120 would-be suborbital tourists. For client Wally Funk, who has paid her
deposit, suborbital travel is a disappointing, yet feasible, alternative to decades of trying to reach space. Funk, a retired aviation safety
investigator says, “I would do (a space station trip) in a heartbeat, but I can’t because I’m 25 not a millionaire.”

Compared to Tito’s groundbreaking effort last year, future suborbital flights look easy. Tito was subjected to rigid medical requirements and a
gruelling six-month training course in Russia.
But suborbital travellers will need only a few days of training and, pending FAA approval, 30 would have to pass a much lower bar for
medical standards.
“We always say that if you can safely ride a rollercoaster, then you are fit for a suborbital flight,” says Space Adventures spokeswoman
Tereza Predescu.
Four commercial spaceports, which launch rockets into space like airports launch planes, are already licensed to operate by the FAA in
Virginia, California, Alaska and Florida, and 35 they are eager to welcome extra business from space tourists, negating the need to catch a
ride to Russia.
For those reasons, suborbital travel may represent a $1 billion a year market, according to Space Adventures President and CEO Eric
Anderson. Translated, that’s 10,000 travellers paying $100,000 each during the first few years of adventure space travel.

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) Space adventure claims that………………….

1. it is a lucrative business
2. it is a business of less profit
3. people don’t want to go to space
4. none of the above

(b) Some design contestants feel convinced that………………….

1. space trips will never be made available

2. space trips are not feasible
3. space trips are disappointing
4. space trips will soon be made available

(c) Tito………………….

1. underwent rigid medical checkups

2. attended a six month training course
3. both (i) and (ii)
4. none of the above

(d) Suborbital travellers will need

1. two years training course

2. a few days of training
3. a lot of money
4. none of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) Name the first tourist to the International Space Station. What difficulties did he face?
(b) Why is Lance Bass unable to have a ride into space now? What is likely to happen in a decade?
(c) Which two factors are inspiring the designers of new space vehicle—the reusable rocket?
(d) How do you think suborbital tourism is a poor alternative to space travel?
(e) What are the prospects of suborbital travel? Give two examples in support of your answer.
(f) What are the prerequisites for space travelling?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) profitable (lines 15 to 25)

(b) severe, exhausting (lines 25 to 30)

Answers:

A.

(a) 1. it is a lucrative business

(b) 4. space trips will soon be made available
(c) 3. both (i) and (ii)
(d) 2. a few days of training

B.
(a) US businessman Dennis Tito was the first tourist to the International Space Station.
Tito had to undergo rigid medical requirements and a severe six month training course in Russia.
(b) Lance Bass can’t afford $20 million for a space ride right now. In a decade, the fare for a space traveller is likely to come down to
$10,000 or even $5,000.
(c) (i) a hungry demand from would-be space tourists
(ii) a $10 million prize to the designers
(d) Travellers to space go beyond the orbit of the earth and reach the orbit of the moon. On the other hand, the suborbital tourist will travel in
a rocket upto the International Space Station only. Space travel is not possible for everyone, but suborbital tourism is a possible alternative.
(e) Suborbital travel is a lucrative business.
(i) Space Adventures, a travel agency has collected $2 million in deposits from more than 120 would-be suborbital tourists.
(ii) Four commercial space ports are already licensed to operate.
(iii) It is likely to be $1 billion a year market with 10,000 travellers paying $100,000 each dining the first few years of adventure space travel.
(f) The space travellers should be medically fit and they need to get proper training. A man who can ride a roller coaster is fit for space
travelling.

C.

(a) lucrative
(b) gruelling

Passage 3:
INDOOR POLLUTANTS

1. Call it a blessing or a curse of Mother Nature, we have to breathe in over 10,000 litres of air in a day (more than four million litres in a
year) to remain alive. By making it essential for life, God has wished that we try to keep the air we breathe clean. Everyone can see the
food that is not clean and perhaps refrain from eating it, but one cannot stop breathing even if one can feel the air to be polluted.
2. Several harmful and noxious substances can contaminate the air we breathe. Generally, much is said and written about outdoor air
pollution, most of which is due to vehicular and industrial exhausts.
3. Given the fact that most of us spend over 90% of our time indoors, it is most important to recognise that the air we breathe in at home
or in offices can be polluted. It can be a cause of ill-health. Air pollutants that are generally present in very low concentrations can
assume significance in closed ill-ventilated places.
4. The indoor air pollution can lead to allergic reactions and cause irritation to the skin, the eyes and the nose. But as is logical to assume,
the brunt of insult by pollutants is borne by the lungs. It can lead to the development of fresh breathing problems, especially in those
who have allergic tendencies, or it can worsen the existing respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis.
5. There can be several sources of indoor air pollution. Tobacco smoke is one of the most important air pollutants in closed places.
“Passive smoking” or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) pollution can lead to all the harmful effects of tobacco smoking seen in the
smokers in their non-smoking companions. ETS as a health hazard has been unequivocally proven and is also getting social
recognition now. One can occasionally see signs displaying the all-important message: “Your smoking is injurious to my health” in
offices and homes. The children of smoking parents are among the worst affected persons.
6. The exposure of young children to ETS leads to increased respiratory problems and hospital admissions as compared to non-exposed
children. Several studies, including those done at the PGI, have shown an increased risk of lung cancer among women exposed to
passive smoking. ETS also worsens the existing lung diseases like asthma and bronchitis.
It may be responsible for the development of asthma in children.
7. The next most important source of indoor air pollution is the allergens. House dust mites (HDM) are very small insects not visible to the
naked eye and are the commonest source of allergy in the house. They are ubiquitous and thrive in a warm and moist atmosphere.
They breed very fast and are very difficult to eradicate. Modem houses present ample breeding spaces for them in the form of carpets,
curtains, mattresses, pillows, etc.
8. Exposure to HDM can be prevented by the frequent washing of linen and by encasing the mattresses and pillows in a non-permeable
cover. Pets form an important part of life for some of us. But they can add plenty of allergens to our indoor atmosphere. Cats are
notorious for doing this. Fine particles from feline fur can remain stuck to the upholstery and carpets for a long time* even after the
removal of the animal and lead to the worsening of asthma and skin allergies. Fortunately, owing to religious and social customs cats
are not very popular pets in India. Dogs, however, are quite popular and can be as troublesome. Pets should be kept out of the
bedrooms and washed frequently. To remove the fur particles one has to use vacuum cleaners as the ordinary broom and mop are not
effective.
9. Moulds, fungi and several other microorganisms thrive in damp conditions and can lead to allergies as well as infections. Humidifiers in
the air-conditioning plants provide an ideal environment for certain types of bacteria and have led to major outbreaks of pneumonia. It is
important to clean regularly the coolers, air-conditioners and damp areas of the house such as cupboards, lofts, etc to minimise this
risk.
10. Toxic gases can also pollute the indoor environment. Biomass fuels (wood, cowdung, dried plants) and coal, if burned inside, can lead
to severe contamination by carbon monoxide (CO): The poor quality of stoves and other cooking or heating appliances that cause
incomplete combustion of LPG can also lead to the emission of CO or nitrogen dioxide.
Formaldehyde (a gas) can be released from adhesives that are used for fixing carpets, upholstery and also in making plywood and
particleboard.
11. The gases are very toxic in high concentrations as may be encountered during industrial accidents, but even in very minimal amounts,
as may be prevalent in homes and offices, they can cause irritation to the skin or the eyes, rashes, headache, dizziness and nausea.
Improving the ventilation is an important preventive measure, besides trying to eliminate the source that may not be always feasible.
12. Other indoor pollutants are toxic chemicals like cleansing agents, pesticides, paints, solvents and inferior-quality personal-care
products, especially aerosols. Very old crumbling pipes, boilers, insulation or false roofing can also be important sources. Asbestos is a
hazardous product that can cause cancer in humans.
13. It is important to realise that the air we breathe at home may not be clean always andwe must try to eliminate the source of pollution.
We should give due consideration to ventilation.
Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) The Almighty wants that human beings…………………

1. should try to breathe clean air

2. should not pay attention to pollutants
3. must ignore ETS
4. should become passive smokers

(b) The toxic gases cause …………………

1. rashes
2. headache
3. dizziness
4. all of the above

(c) Air conditioning plants become the cause of …………………

1. allergies
2. pneumonia
3. heart attack
4. infection

(d) Asbestos is a hazardous product because it can

1. cause cancer in humans

2. cause respiratory problems
3. prove fatal to the children
4. none of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) What is essential for our life? How?

(b) Why should we pay attention to the quality of air we breathe indoor?
(c) Name eight important sources of indoor air pollution.
(d) What do you understand by ETS? How is it harmful? Give two instances.
(e) How can the risk of allergies be minimised?
(f) How can the toxic gases pollute the indoor environment?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) make impure (Para 2)

(b) clearly and unmistakably (Para 5)

Answers:

A.
(a) 1. should try to breathe clean air
(b) 4. all of the above
(c) 2. pneumonia
(d) 1. cause cancer in humans

B.

(a) Air is essential for our life. We have to breathe in over 10,000 litres of air in a day to keep alive.
(b) Most of us spend ninety per cent of our time indoors—in homes or offices. The air we breathe indoors may also be polluted and cause ill
health. So, we should pay attention to the quality of air we breathe indoors.
(c) The important sources of indoor air pollution are:
(i) Tobacco smoke
(ii) Animal dusts
(iii) Air conditioners
(iv) Moulds, bacteria
(v) House dust mites
(vi) Cooking and heating
(viii) Asbestos
(vii) Toxic chemicals
(d) ETS stands for Environmental Tobacco Smoke or “passive smoking”. It causes all the harms of tobacco smoking to non-smokers, for
example, the children of smoking parents suffer from respiratory problems. There is an increased risk of lung cancer among women exposed
to passive smoking.
(e) We must first identify the allergen and then prevent exposure to them. Use of vacuum cleaners, exposure to sun, washing linen in warm
water and cleaning coolers, air-conditioners etc are some of the important steps to minimise allergies.
(f) The indoor environment becomes polluted when biomass fuels and coal are burnt. They release carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide
which are detrimental to us.

C.

(a) contaminate
(b) unequivocally

Passage 4:
ELECTRONIC JUNK MAIL

You would have seen an increasing amount of “junk mail” showing up in your e-mail box. The so-called harmless activities of a small number
of people are increasingly becoming a serious problem for the Internet.
Spam is the flooding of the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not
otherwise choose to receive it.
Spam is basically electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. It is sometimes confused with any unsolicited e-mail. But an old friend
may also find your e-mail address on the Net and send you a message but this could hardly be called spam, even though it is unsolicited.
Real spam is generally e-mail advertising for some product sent to a 10 mailing list or newsgroup.
In addition to wasting people’s time with unwanted e-mail, spam also eats up a lot of network bandwidth. There are many organisations and
individuals who have taken it upon themselves to fight spam with a variety of techniques. The problem is that because the Internet is public,
there is very little that can be done to prevent spam, just as it is impossible to prevent junk mail.

One of the most recent examples of large-scale spamming was the hoax Ericsson e-mail about a free give away, something most people just
cannot resist. The letter begins with a claim that since Nokia is giving away telephones, Ericsson will respond by giving away brand new
WAP phone. But the recipient must forward the letter to a minimum of 20 20 people to receive the phone. The letter is signed by Anna
Swelund, Executive Promotion Manager for Ericsson Marketing. It was later discovered that there was no such person at Ericsson.
There are numerous instances of these e-mails being used maliciously by someone who has a grudge against an ex-spouse, a public
official, a former teacher or someone else with an e-mail address. The person mentioned in the e-mail ends up with thousands of requests
from people looking for confirmation that the e-mail—which they actually had nothing to do with—is true.
Spamming works on our own greed to receive freebies. You are instructed by a total stranger (or a well meaning but not very bright friend) to
forward a message you know 30 nothing about, except for the fact that maybe a friend passed it along to you and about 90 of their other very
close friends.
Very often the victim can receive so many e-mails (and sometimes faxes and phone calls in the more malicious cases) that they have to get
a new e-mail box or phone number— thereby ruining established personal and professional communication channels, which was the original
intent of the sender.

Most spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services. It costs the sender very
little to send—most of the costs are paid for by the recipient or the carriers rather than by the sender.
There are two main types of spam, and they have different effects on internet users. 40 Cancellable Usenet spam is a single message sent
to 20 or more Usenet newsgroups. Usenet spam is aimed at “lurkers”, people who read newsgroups but rarely or never post and give their
address away. Usenet spam robs users of the utility of the newsgroups by overwhelming them with a barrage of advertising or other
irrelevant posts. Furthermore, Usenet spam subverts the ability of system administrators and owners to manage the topics they accept on
theft1 systems.
E-mail spam targets individual users with direct mail messages. They typically cost users money out-of-pocket to receive. Most of us read or
receive our mail through dial-up accounts while the meter is running, so to speak.
There is not much really that can be done to protect yourself except that you can 50 ensure your relative safety by creating internet e-mail
accounts like Hotmail or Yahoo which can be easily and frequently changed. Further, these accounts also generally offer the option of
blocking senders from whom you get spam and you can also opt to block e-mail which has been copied to more than 20 people.
One can also keep oneself informed about spammers through the Blacklist of Internet Advertisers, a popular report that describes the
offending activities of spammers that routinely distribute large mailings via e-mail or post unwelcome advertising on newsgroups. You can
also visit www.spam.abuse.net.
Another organisation devoted to countering the destructive effects of spam is MAPS or the Mail Abuse Prevention System. If an offending
spammer cannot be shut down, the 60 spammer’s ISP may contact MAPS with the subnet addresses allocated to the spammer so those
specific addresses may be used instead of the IP address of the entire ISP. The MAPS website at http://mail-abuse.org will yield more useful
information on how to counter and control spam.
Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) Email spam victimises ……………….

1. group
2. individuals
3. males
4. females

(b) Usenet spam deprives the users of ……………….

1. the utility of the newsgroups

2. net facility
3. actual information
4. none of the above

(c) Name the organisation that counters the devastating effects of spam ……………….

1. MASP
2. MAPS
3. MPAS
4. MSAP

(d) Who has to pay most of the costs of spam?

1. senders
2. receivers
3. carriers
4. either (ii) or (iii)

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) What is spam? What problems are caused to net surfers by spamming?
(b) Give an example of recent large scale spamming.
(c) How does spamming work? Whom does it hit—sender or receiver?
(d) What are the two main types of spams and their effects on Internet users?
(e) How can one protect oneself against spam? Give two options.
(f) Who uses e-mail spam frequently?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) a mischievous trick played on somebody for a joke (lines 10 to 20)

(b) disreputable or risky (lines 31 to 40)

Answers:

A.

(a) 2. individuals
(b) 1. the utility of the newsgroups
(c) 2. MAPS
(d) 4. either (ii) or (iii)

B.
(a) Spamming is basically electronic junk mail or newsgroup posting. It is e-mail advertising for some product sent to a mailing list or group.
The internet is flooded with many copies of the same message. The aim is to force the message on people who would not otherwise receive
it.
Spamming poses a major inconvenience to net surfers as their accounts get jammed with unwanted junk mail.
(b) The offer of Ericsson to give away WAP phone as Nokia is giving away telephones. It later turned out to be a hoax.
(c) Spamming works on our greed to receive freebies. Sometimes a friend or a total stranger instructs someone to pass a message. It hits
the receiver. He receives a large number of e-mails, faxes and phone calls. Most of the costs are paid by the receiver.
(d) The two main types of spams are: Cancellable Usenet spam and e-mail spam. Usenet spam is a single message sent to 20 or more
Usenet newsgroups. It sends them a barrage of advertisements or other irrelevant posts and subverts their ability to manage the topics they
accept on their system. E-mail spam is aimed at individual users.
(e) (i) By creating internet e-mail accounts like Hotmail or Yahoo and changing them frequently—blocking spammers who send copies to
more than 20 persons.
(ii) Consulting Blacklist of Internet Advertisers.
(iii) Mail Abuse Prevention System—The MAPS website at http://mail-abuse-org yields useful information on how to counter and control
spam.
(f) The people who are dissatisfied make use of e-mail spam. The advertising agencies do get its benefit.

C.

(a) hoax
(b) dubious

Passage 5:
BURNING PLASTICS IS NO SOLUTION

When plastic waste is burnt, a complex weave of toxic chemicals is released. Breaking down polyvinyl chloride (PVC) — used for packaging,
toys and coating electrical wires — produces dioxin, an organochlorine which belongs to the family of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
A recent Dioxin Assessment Report brought out by the United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) says the risk of getting
cancer from dioxin is ten times higher than reported by the agency in 1994.
Yet the Delhi government is giving the green signal to a gasification project which will convert garbage into energy without removing plastic
waste. Former transport minister Rajendra Gupta, the promoter of this project, says this is not necessary.
He claims no air pollution will be caused and that the ash produced can be used as manure. An earlier waste-to-energy project set up in
Timarpur failed. The new one, built with Australian assistance, will cost ₹ 200 crore. It will generate 25 megawatts of power and gobble 1,000
tonnes of garbage every day.

“Technologies like gasification are a form of incineration,” says Madhumita Dutta, central coordinator with Toxics Link, New Delhi.
Incineration merely transfers hazardous waste from a solid form to air, water and ash, she points out.
Toxins produced during incineration include acidic gases, heavy metals as well as dioxins and furans. “The ‘manure’ will be hazardous and a
problem to dispose,” says Dutta.
Municipal solid waste contains a mix of plastics. Breaking down this waste emits hydrochloric acid which attacks the respiratory system, skin
and eyes, resulting in coughing, vomiting and nausea.
Polyethylene generates volatile compounds like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, both suspected carcinogenic. Breathing styrene from
polystyrene can cause leukaemia. Polyurethane is associated with asthma. Dioxin released by PVC is a powerful hormone disrupter and
causes birth defects and reproductive problems. There is no threshold dose to prevent it and our bodies have no defence against it.
“Even the best run incinerators in the world have to deal with stringent norms, apart from contaminated filters and ash, making them hugely
expensive to operate,” says Dutta. In Germany, air pollution devices accounted for two-thirds the cost of incineration. Despite such efforts,
the European Dioxin Inventory noted that the input of dioxin into the atmosphere was the highest from incineration.

“India does not have the facility to test dioxin and the cost of setting one up is prohibitively expensive,” says Dutta.
Besides, Indian garbage has a low calorific content of about 800 cal/kg, since it has high moisture and requires additional fuel to burn. Toxics
Link calculates that the electricity generated from such technology will cost between ₹ 5-7 per unit, which is six times higher than
conventional energy. India has chosen a dioxin preventive route and burning of chlorinated plastics is prohibited under Municipal Solid Waste
and Biomedical Rules.
Nearly 80 per cent of Indian garbage is recyclable or compostable. Resident associations, the informal sector and the municipal corporation
can make Delhi’s garbage disappear in a sustainable manner. “Instead, the government promotes end of pipeline solutions,” says Dutta.

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) Dioxine causes ………………..

1. cancer
2. heart attack
3. sickness
4. hypertension

(b) The gasification process transforms ………………..

1. energy into garbage

2. garbage into energy
3. water into energy
4. none of the above

(c) Garbage can be converted into energy by ………………..

1. gasification
2. gratification
3. a chemical process
4. incinators

(d) Indian garbage contains …………………

1. low moisture
2. high moisture
3. no moisture
4. none of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) Which toxic chemical is released on burning plastic waste? How is it harmful?
(b) What is the aim of waste-to-energy project? What is likely to happen during incineration?
(c) How will burning plastic adversely impact the health of citizens?
(d) What two arguments are advanced against the use of incinerators?
(e) Why would gasification of waste prove a wasteful luxury in India?
(f) What facts are revealed in the passage pertaining to Indian garbage?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) Waste material

(b) Swallow

Answers:

A.

(a) 1. cancer
(b) 2. garbage into energy
(c) 1. gasification
(d) 2. high moisture

B.

(a) Dioxin, an organochlorine, belonging to the family of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is produced. It causes cancer.
(b) Converting garbage into energy to produce 25 megawatts of power and swallow 1,000 tonnes of garbage everyday. Incineration simply
changes risky waste from solid form to air, water and ash.
(c)
(i) Hydrochloric acid attacks respiratory system, skin and eyes and results in coughing, vomiting and nausea.
(ii) Polyethylene produces volatile carinogens like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde which cause cancer.
(iii) Breathing styrene from polystyrene can cause leukaemia.
(iv) Polyurethane is linked with asthma.
(v) Dioxin disrupts hormones, causes birth defects and reproductive problems.
(d)
(i) Exorbitantly expensive to operate.
(ii) Release of dioxin is highest from incinerators.
(e) Nearly 80% of Indian garbage is recyclable or compostable.
(f) Indian garbage has a^low calorific content of about 800 cal/kg because it has high moisture. It requires additional fuel to bum.

C.

(a) garbage
(b) gobble

Passage 6:
GRAPHOLOGY—AN INDEX TO PERSONALITY
The analysis of handwriting has a long history—some say it goes back to Roman times. Modern graphology began early in the 19th century
when French churchman Jean Hippolyte Michon created the first graphological “catalogue” examining, for example, where letters fall on the
line, their shape and the pressure exerted.
5 Allan Conway, a professional graphologist for 12 years says, “Handwriting says more about you than many chosen words, simply because
you cannot hide yourself in your handwriting—it’s not really your hand that’s writing, but your brain. It’s your personality frozen in ink.”
Despite public skepticism, graphology plays a covert role in British management. 10 Many companies use it for executive recruitment and
analysis. Graphology tells them about the candidates’ temperaments, highlighting both weaknesses and strengths. There are about 300
movements on an unlined A4 page of writing and students must find and interpret them all. He also needs to know three things about the
writers: their sex, their age and if they are left or right-handed. Then he looks for 16 dominant 15 elements, including the size of the writing,
the pressure, the speed and slant of the words, how connected the characters are as well as the form of the connections, the proportions of
the “middle zone” (covered by small letters such as “o” and “n”) and “upper” and “lower” zones (where letters extend up or down, as with “d”
or “p”), and the rhythm and regularity of writing. “But there is one golden rule,” Rees says, “No single sign on 20 its own must ever be taken
to mean anything.”
The principles, according to Conway, are straightforward. The baseline—whether the writing goes straight across the page or slants up and
down—helps to determine the writer’s state of mind.

A very upward baseline shows a creative, ambitious and outgoing person. A slightly 25 downward one can reveal dissatisfaction or
unhappiness though it could simply be a sign of fatigue. “A sharp downward baseline usually indicates serious problems or illness, probably
emotional”, says Conway, “while a straight one is an excellent sign of emotional stability. An irregular baseline can mean an excitable writer
with poor self discipline.” The way letters are formed and connected is important: a writer with angular 30 letters, for example, is often
persistent and decisive. Arched letters suggest the writer is reluctant to express emotions freely and may appear cold. Where the bottoms of
letters are curved like a cup the writer is likely to be open to the world and at ease. And writing with letters threaded—connected together as
if by a length of cotton—can indicate speed or laziness. The more connected the letters, the more co-ordinated the patterns of
thought. 35 Character size can also be significant. Larger letters tend to suggest vitality, enterprise and self reliance, while small letters can
reveal a lack of self-confidence, but are also found in fields of research where concentration and exactness are necessary.
The slant of a person’s writing indicates their emotional make-up. Where all the letters 40 are vertical the writer is likely to be some one
uncomfortable in groups. For right-handers, left-word slant shows introversion while rightward slant reveals someone outgoing, friendly and
ambitious. A constantly varying slant betrays an unpredictable personality.
The spacing between words points to the writer’s organizational abilities: wide spacing suggests individuality, extravagance, self-confidence
and sociability.
45 Even the colour of ink a person chooses can be telling. Blue may indicate someone with no desire to be exceptional or pretentious, green
likes to impress and red to shock. Brown is often used by people who work in high-security jobs, able to keep secrets, while black shows a
demanding or forceful character who wants to make an impression.

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) The upward baseline proves that the person is……………………

1. creative
2. ambitious
3. outgoing
4. all of the above

(b) The letters small in size reveal that the writer may be……………………

1. a researcher
2. confident
3. arrogant
4. humble

(c) The spacing between words reveals……………………

1. the writer’s organisational abilities

2. the writer’s predicament
3. the writer’s grief
4. the writer’s delight

(d) The spacing between words indicates the writer’s

1. forceful character
2. exceptional talents
3. organisational abilities
4. oratorical abilities

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) What is graphology? How is it more revealing than words?

(b) How is graphology used in British management?
(c) What helps to determine the writer’s state of mind and how? Give two examples.
(d) How can we learn one’s emotions and patterns of thought through handwriting? Give two examples.
(e) How do slant of words and spacing indicate emotional makeup of a person? Give examples.
(f) How does the colour of ink help us in analysing the personality of the writer?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) prominent, very important (lines 10 to 20)

(b) continuing without interruption (lines 25 to 35)

Answers:

A.

(a) 4. all of the above

(b) 1. a researcher
(c) 1. the writer’s organisational abilities
(d) 3. organisational abilities

B.

(a) The scientific analysis and study of handwriting is called graphology. It is more revealing
than words because one can’t hide oneself in one’s handwriting. The hand writes what the brain dictates and freezes the personality in ink.
(b) Companies use it for executive recruitment and analysis of candidates’ temperaments, weaknesses and strengths.
(c) Baseline: whether writing is straight or slanted.
Examples
(i) upward baseline —> creative, ambitious, sociable person.
(ii) slightly downward baseline —> dissatisfaction, unhappiness or fatigue.
(d) from the way letters are formed and connected; e.g.
(i) angular letters: persistent and decisive nature.
(ii) arched letters: reluctance to express feelings freely, coldness.
(iii) bottom curved life cups: frank, comfortable.
(iv) large letters: vitality, enterprize and self-reliance.
(v) small letters: lack of self-confidence/concentration and exactness in research.
(e) (i) vertical letters: uncomfortable in group.
(ii) leftward slant (right handed person): introvert.
(iii) rightward slant (right handed): friendly and ambitious.
(iv) varying slant: unpredictable personality
(v) wide spacing: extravagance, self-confidence and sociability
(f) A person who opts for blue ink has no desire to be extraordinary. The green colour epitomises status. The red colour is used to shock
others. Those who work in high security jobs use the brown ink. Black shows a demanding character.

C.

(a) dominant
(b) persistent

Passage 7:
COFFEE—HEALTHY BODY AND MIND?

1. The idea that coffee is bad for heart pops up periodically. It was found that regularly drinking very strong coffee could sharply increase
cholesterol levels. Researchers even isolated fatlike chemicals, cafestol and kahweol, responsible for the rise.
2. It turned out that the European brewing method—boiling water sits on the coffee grounds for several minutes before straining –
produces high concentrations of cafestol and kahweol. By contrast, the filter and percolation methods remove all but a trace of these
chemicals. Moreover, the studies involved large amounts of coffee—five to six cups a day. Moderate coffee drinkers down only two
cups.
3. Research has also shown that regular, moderate coffee drinking does not dangerously raise blood pressure. And studies have failed to
substantiate fears that coffee might trigger abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) in healthy people.
4. “For heart disease, I think the issue is closed,” says Meir Stampfer, an epidemiologist at Harvard who has studied many aspects of
coffee and health. “Coffee drinking at reasonable levels is unrelated to heart risk.”
5. Evidence suggests that coffee may help fend off Parkinson’s disease. A 30-year study of 8000 Japanese-American men found that avid
coffee drinkers had one-fifth the risk of those who didn’t drink the brew.
6. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, found indirect evidence that Caffeine- the habit forming stimulant in coffee – may
actually combat Parkinson’s disease. The caffeine seemed to protect mice brain cells from depletion of the nerve chemical dopamine –
the problem underlying Parkinson’s disease in humans. However, these are preliminary findings; human studies have- not consistently
supported caffeine’s protective role.
7. The studies on coffee and cancer have focussed on three organs – and are reassuring. You may remember a brief coffee scare in the
early 1980s when a single study linked coffee with pancreatic cancer. A false alarm: Many studies since then have shown that the
association is either extremely weak or non-existent.
8. If there’s a connection between coffee and bladder cancer, it possibly applies just to coffee junkies. A reanalysis of ten European
studies found an increased risk only among people who drank ten or more cups a day. And studies show that coffee seems to have no
adverse influence on the risk of colon cancer.
9. Caffeine is such a powerful stimulant that the International Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association set
limits on how much can remain in the blood during competition. In addition to boosting physical endurance, caffeine increases alertness
and improves mood. The buzz may come at a price, though. People who drink more than they’re used to may become restless and
unable to sleep. Moreover, it’s possible to become physically dependent on caffeine in days.
10. The question now arises: how much to drink? Those with heatburn and anxiety may want to see if cutting back coffee improves their
condition. For most people, however, there’s virtually no risk in consuming up to three normal cups a day. Harvard’s Stampfer tries to
keep his coffee drinking irregular enough to avoid habituation: “That way, I can get a buzz when I feel like it.”

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) Coffee increases……………………….of those people who regularly drink very strong coffee.

1. cholesterol
2. tension
3. the amount of blood
4. fats

(b) A person should not drink coffee……………………….

1. less than 10 cups a day

2. more than ten cups a day
3. more than three cups a day
4. none of the above

(c) It has been proved that coffee does not have any adverse effect on the risk of……………………….

1. colon cancer
2. diabetes
3. lung cancer
4. none of the above

(d) Caffeine boosts

1. physical endurance
2. mental endurance
3. positive feelings
4. none of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) In what respect does coffee harm human heart? How?

(b) What is the finding of latest researches about coffee and human heart?
(c) What problem causes Parkinson’s disease? What is the role of coffee in this respect?
(d) Name the three types of cancer listed in the passage.
(e) ‘Caffeine is a powerful stimulant’. What are the positive and negative effects of Caffeine?
(f) What do studies reveal about moderate coffee drinkers?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) separated (Para 1)
(b) drug that increases physical or mental activity and alertness (Paras 6, 9)

Answers:

A.

(a) 1. cholesterol
(b) 3. more than three cups a day
(c) 1. colon cancer
(d) 1. physical endurance

B.

(a) Drinking very strong coffee could sharply increase cholesterol levels. Fatlike chemicals—cafestol and kahweol are responsible for the
rise.
(b) European brewing method produces high concentrations of cafestol and kahweol. The filter and percolation methods almost remove the
chemicals. Regular, moderate drinking of coffee neither raises blood pressure nor causes abnormal heart rhythms.
(c) Depletion of the nerve chemical dopamine in nerve cells causes the disease. Caffeine seemed to protect mice brain cells effectively.
Caffeine’s protective role for humans is yet to be established.
(d) (i) pancreatic cancer
(ii) bladder cancer
(iii) colon cancer
(e) (i) Advantages : boosts endurance, increases alertness and improves mood.
(ii) Disadvantages : restlessness and sleeplessness on drinking more than usual-possibility of becoming addicts and physically dependent.
(f) Studies reveal about moderate coffee drinkers that it does not dangerously affect their health. They may enjoy three cups of coffee per
day without facing any health problem.

C.

(a) isolated
(b) stimulant

Passage 8:
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

1. Delhi skies were just clear enough last Sunday to let sky-watchers have a ringside view of a close encounter in space: a half-a-mile-
wide asteroid buzzing the earth at a distance a little farther than the moon. It was a rare opportunity to watch a close-up of one of these
visitors from the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter who often drop in without notice and cause the world’s pulse to
quicken.
2. A two-mile wide tumbling rock from space suddenly became the cynosure of all telescopes last month as astronomers proclaimed it
‘the most earth-threatening object’ ever detected. Preliminary calculations even suggested it might hit the earth in 2019. That it proved
to be a false alarm is another matter. What’s important is that such celestial brushes may form part of a countdown to Armageddon.
3. For every asteroid spotted, several whiz by unnoticed, with some actually passing closer to us than the moon. The number of these
Near Earth Objects, or NEOs, far exceeds the known list—a catalogue that needs to be completed before it’s too late.
4. Space agencies have projects to push potential earth-grazers off course. But there’s yet to be a comprehensive global space watch
programme. Most NEOs slip through unnoticed because of limitations to telescope time, technology and funding. So, it’s important for
governments not to grudge asteroid hunters the resources they badly need to keep a close watch.
5. A global asteroid monitoring system of sorts already exists in the form of an assorted group of government and private agencies, along
with amateur and professional asteroid researchers. But it has no mechanism to assess the risk factors of NEOs or to determine what,
and how much, information should be passed on to the public. As a result, the discoveries of more NEOs do not necessarily lead to a
corresponding increase in public awareness of the threat they pose. Newspapers, television and movies aren’t of much help either, and
a confused public is often left wondering what’s fact and what’s fiction.
6. In fact, a kind of ‘cry-wolf syndrome’ sets in after every sighting, lowering the threat perception in the public mind. If or, more likely,
when—there’s an asteroid strike, events like Hiroshima and September 11 would pale in comparison. In the cosmic shooting gallery,
bruisers larger than a mile across probably have a chance of walloping the earth every 100,000 to 300,000 years, while those 330 feet
or larger could score a hit every 1,000 to 2,000 years.
7. The biggies cause the most concern. If a hunk of stone and metal the size of a 20-storey building hits the earth and sets off a million
megaton blast, it’d be like a million city- busting bombs going off simultaneously. Deaths could be counted in millions and most of the
flora and fauna would vanish.
8. Didn’t the dinosaurs once think the planet would forever be one big Jurassic Park? The poor beasts never had a space programme and
became a smorgasbord for a nasty asteroid. The moral then is to have a space watch programme which includes professional and
amateur atronomers maintaining a nightly vigil around the globe. A powerful telescope could be placed outside the earth’s orbit to
monitor the blind spot created by the sun and rule out unexpected impacts.
9. In the northern hemisphere, scores of professional astronomers constantly scan the dark skies for tiny points of light and their telltale
tracks. But the southern hemisphere is yet to have such sky sentinels whose computers could crunch foot-long numbers to find out if
the ultimate destination of any of these shadow mountains in space is Planet Earth.
Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) The warning given by the astronomers…………………………..

1. proved to be a false alarm

2. was right
3. did not frighten the people
4. Proved to be true

(b) Media…………………………..

1. is useless
2. often confuses people
3. enlighten the masses
4. is insensible

(c) What causes the most concern…………………………..

1. biggies
2. human beings
3. scientists
4. none of the above

(d) The northern hemisphere has successfully received the attention of

1. geographers
2. professional astronomers
3. scientists
4. none of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) Which spectacular event is referred to? Where do the visitors come from and what do they cause?
(b) What became the centre of attraction for all eyes? Why?
(c) Which projects aim at saving the earth? Why do NEOs slip through unnoticed?
(d) Why is global asteroid monitoring system essential? What shortcomings does the existing system suffer from?
(e) Why, do you think, the author mentions dinosaurs?
(f) What does the southern hemisphere lack?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) centre of attraction (para 2)

(b) any set of opinions, events, actions, etc. that are characteristic of a particular condition (para 6)

Answers:
A.

(a) 1. proved to be a false alarm

(b) 2. often confuses people
(c) 1. biggies
(d) 2. professional astronomers

B.

(a) It refers to a close encounter in space: a half-a-mile-wide asteroid flying the earth at a distance a little farther than the moon. The visitors
come from the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. They cause excitement and tension.
(b) A two-mile wide tumbling rock from space became the centre of attraction for all eyes. It was called ‘the most earth-threatening object’
ever detected. Though its striking the earth proved a false alarm, such celestial brushes point to the end of the world.
(c) Space agencies have projects to push potential earth-grazers off course. However, some Near Earth Objects (NEOs) slip through
unnoticed because technology, telescope, time and funds are limited.
(d) If there is an asteroid strike, Hiroshima and September 11 would pale in comparison. Deaths could be countecf in millions, and most of
the flora and fauna would vanish. So global asteroid monitoring system is essential. The present system is an ill- assorted group which has
no mechanism to assess the risk factors of NEOs or how much information should be passed on to the public.
(e) The dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid strike.
(f) The southern hemisphere has not received the attention of the astronomers yet. It lacks monitoring.

C.

(a) cynosure
(b) syndrome

Passage 9:
SECOND VISION

1. From the ramparts of the Red Fort for some years now, our prime ministers have been promising the eradication of child labour in
hazardous industries.
The truth is, if the government really wanted, child labour in hazardous industries could have been eliminated long time ago; and yes,
every Indian child would have been in school by 2003.
2. The government has failed to eliminate this dehumanisation of childhood. It has also failed to launch compulsory primary education for
all, despite the rhetoric. Between 60 and 100 million children are still at work instead of going to school and around 10 million are
working in hazardous industries. India has the biggest child population of 380 million in the world, plus the largest number of children
who are forced to earn a living.
3. We have many laws that ban child labour in hazardous industries. According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act,
1986, the employment of children (below the age of 14) in hazardous occupations has been strictly banned. But each state has
different rules regarding the minimum age of employment; this makes implementation of these laws difficult.
4. Also, there is no ban on child labour in non-hazardous occupations. The Act applies to the organised or factory sector and not to the
unorganised or informal sector where most children find employment as cleaners, servants, porters, waiters, among other forms of
unskilled work. Thus, child labour continues because the implementation of the existing laws is lax.
5. There are industries which have a ‘special’ demand for child labour because of their nimble fingers, high level of concentration and
capacity to work hard at abysmally low wages. The carpet industry in UP and Kashmir employs children to make hand-knotted carpets;
there are 80,000 child workers in J&K alone. In Kashmir, because of the political unrest, children are forced to work while many schools
are shut. Industries like gem¬cutting and polishing, pottery and glass want to remain competitive by employing children.
6. The truth is that it’s poverty which is pushing children into the brutish labour market. We have 260 million people below the poverty line
in India, a large number of them are women. Poor, vulnerable parents, especially women-headed families, have no option but to push
their little ones in this hard life in hostile conditions, with no human or labour rights.
7. There is a lobby which argues that there is nothing wrong with children working as long as the environment for work is conducive for
learning new skills. But studies have shown that children are made to do boring, repetitive and tedious jobs and are not taught new
skills as they grow older. In these hell-holes, like the sweatshops of old, there is no hope.
8. Children working in hazardous industries are prone to debilitating diseases which can cripple them for life. By sitting in cramped, damp,
unhygienic spaces, their limbs become deformed for life. Inside matchstick, fireworks and glass industries, they are victims of bronchial
diseases and TB. Their mental and physical development is permanently impaired by long hours of work. Once trapped, they can’t get
out of the vicious circle of poverty. They remain uneducated and powerless. Finally, in later years, they too are compelled to send their
own children to work. Child labour perpetuates its own nightmare.
9. If the government was at all serious about granting children their rights, an intensive effort ought to have been made to implement the
Supreme Court’s directive of 1997 which laid down punitive action against employers of child labour ( ₹ 20,000 per child to be paid by
offending employers). Only compulsory primary education can eliminate child
labour.
10. Surely, if 380 million children are given a better life and elementary education, India’s human capital would be greatly enhanced. But
that needs, as President Abdul Kalam says, a “second vision”. Can our political establishment see beyond the haze of shallow
realpolitik?
Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) Child labour can be eliminated if ……………………..

1. compulsory primary education is given to the poor

2. industries are abolished
3. industries are established in large numbers
4. the poor children are sent behind the bars

(b) Poverty ……………………..

1. enhances creativity
2. encourages child labour
3. kills people
4. humiliates human beings

(c) Human capital may be greatly enhanced ……………………..

1. if child labour is abolished

2. if children are given employment
3. if children are educated
4. all of the above

(d) The state where a large number of children are forced to work because of potential unrest is

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Kanpur
4. Kashmir

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) On what two counts has the government failed in respect of children?
(b) “We have many laws that ban child labour ……………… Even then child labour continues.”
What makes implementation of laws difficult?
(c) What forces the children to work in “hazardous’ industries? Why do these industries prefer child labour?
(d) What are the adverse effects of “hazardous’ industries on children? Give any two.
(e) How can India’s human capital be vastly enhanced?
(f) How is poverty responsible for child labour?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) Complete destruction (Para 1)

(b) Putting into practice (Para 3,4)

Answers:
A.

(a) 1. compulsory primaiy education is given to the poor

(b) 2. encourages child labour
(c) 4. all of the above
(d) 4. Kashmir

B.

(a) (i) Eradication of child labour in hazardous industries.

(ii) Providing schooling to every child in India.
(b) (i) Each state has different rules regarding the minimum age of employment.
(ii) The Act does not apply to unorganised or informal sector.
(c) (i) Poverty is the main cause of child labour. 260 million people exist below poverty line in India.
(ii) Child labour is preferred due to their nimble fingers, high level of concentration and capacity to work hard at extremely low wages.
(d) (i) Children become prone to debilitating diseases (which make a person very weak)
(ii) Their limbs become deformed for life.
(iii) They become victims of bronchial diseases and T.B.
(iv) Their mental and physical development is permanently impaired.
(v) They remain uneducated and powerless. (Any two acceptable)
(e) By giving the 380 million children a better quality of life and elementary education, we can greatly enhance India’s human capital.
(f) Poverty forces parents to get their children employed in order to get basic things for sustaining life such as food and water.

C.

(a) eradication
(b) implementation

Passage 10:

Many of the underdeveloped countries will promote the growth of their economies in one way or the other, no matter whether they receive
substantial outside aid in the process or not. The character of that development, however, is likely to be strongly influenced by the types of
and amounts of aid available. The outcome is much more likely to be favourable, from the standpoint of the objectives for successful
development set up previously, if there is substantial international aid than if there is not.
By substantial aid I mean not only large amounts of technical assistance but also of capital. Initially, the capacity of an underdeveloped
country to use capital productively may be surprisingly small, limited by lack of organisation, trained personnel and other social obstacles. At
this stage technical assistance is the main need from outside, with comparatively small amounts of capital, much of which may have to be in
the form of grants for non-self liquidating projects, in education, health, access to roads in rural areas, and the like, if, at this stage,
substantial capital is available from outside to supplement what can be formed internally (and to simulate internal capital formation, for it does
that too) the rate of economic growth can be consistently increased, and the strains and frustrations and political risks of the development
are likely to be considerably less.
It is possible for underdeveloped economies to modernise themselves with very little capital from outside. Japan imports of capital were small
though some of it came at crucial times. The contribution of foreign direct investments to the advancement of technical know-how also was
greater than would be indicated merely by the size of the investment. The Soviet Union industrialised its economy with practically no aid from
foreign investment capital except for the foreign owned installations confiscated after the revolution, though it imported machinery in the early
days on short term or immediate term credits and hired services of foreign experts.
Both Japan and Russia achieved their development in an authoritarian political and social framework. The outcome in both cases from
standpoint of the peace in the world and democratic ideals, was highly unfavourable.
In the absence of outside aid, the only way to accumulate capital, is to increase production without taking much of the benefit in more
consumption or even while pushing consumption standards down. Where the people are already near the subsistence level this may mean
extreme hardship. Somehow the people must be motivated to change their accustomed ways quickly, to work hard and to forgo present
consumption so that capital investment can be made.

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) The passage says that …………………….

1. without foreign aid no underdeveloped country can grow.

2. underdeveloped country must refrain from taking foreign aid.
3. the economies of the underdeveloped countries are more likely to grow faster with substantial foreign aid than without.
4. underdeveloped countries are economically backward because their governments have not got their priorities right.

(b) Substantial aid in this context means …………………….

1. technical assistance in the form of trained personnel.

2. capital in the form of bank loans and overdrafts.
3. large amounts of technical assistance and capital.
4. a cheap and plentiful supply of labour.

(c) Which of the following points or statements did the writer actually make?
1. Japan and Russia achieved their development in a democratic framework.
2. Japan and Russia achieved their development in an authoritarian political and social framework.
3. Japan and Russia would have developed faster if they had relied on democratic methods.
4. Japan and Russia are still among the underdeveloped countries of the world.

(d) Accumulation of capital without getting outside and may mean

1. extreme hardship
2. more investment
3. high living standard
4. low living standard

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) How does the availability of substantial capital help?

(b) How can a nation accumulate capital if it does not get outside aid?
(c) How did Japan and Russia become developed?
(d) What problems does an underdeveloped country face?
(e) What should an underdeveloped nation do to minimise risk?
(f) What was the contribution of FDI in case of Japan?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) substantial
(b) aid

Answers:

A.

(a) 3. the economies of the underdeveloped countries are more likely to grow faster with substantial foreign aid than without.
(b) 3. large amounts of technical assistance and capital.
(c) 2. Japan and Russia achieved their development in an authoritarian political and social framework.
(d) 1. extreme hardship

B.

(a) The availability of substantial capital gives a nation a great opportunity to develop its infrastructure.
(b) The nation should increase production without taking much of the benefit in more consumption.
(c) Japan and Russia achieved their development in an authoritarian political and social framework.
(d) An underdeveloped country faces the problems of lack of organisation and trained personnel.
(e) The nation should try to increase the economic growth in order to minimise risk.
(f) The contribution of FDI in case of Japan was greater than the technical know-how.

C.

(a) plenty of
(b) assistance

Passage 11:

Among the natural resources which can be called upon in national plans for development, possibly the most important is human labour.
Since the English language suffers from a certain weakness in its ability to describe groups composed of both male and female members,
this is usually described as “manpower”.
Without a productive labour force, including effective leadership and intelligent middle management, no amount of foreign assistance or of
natural wealth can ensure successful development and modernisation.
The manpower for development during the next quarter century will come from the world’s present population of infants, children and
adolescents. But we are not sure that they , will be equal to the task. Will they have the health, the education, the skills, the sociocultural
attitudes essential for the responsibilities of development?
For far too many of them the answer is no. The reason is basic. A child’s most critical years, with regard to physical, intellectual, social and
emotional development, are those before he reaches five years of age. During those critical formative years he is cared for almost
exclusively by his mother and in many parts of the world the mother may not have the capacity to raise a superior child. She is incapable of
doing so by reason of her own poor health, her ignorance and her lack of status and recognition of social and legal rights, of economic parity
of independence. One essential factor has been overlooked or ignored. The forgotten factor is the role of women. Development will be
handicapped as long as women remain second-class citizens, uneducated, without any voice in family or community, decisions without legal
or economic status, married when they are still practically children, and henceforth producing one baby after another, often to see half of
them die before they are of school age.
We can enhance development by improving “women power”, by giving women the ’ opportunity to develop the&selves. Statistics show that
the average family size increases in inverse ratio to the mother’s years of education—is lowest among college graduates, highest among
those with only primary school training, or no education. Malnutrition is most frequent in large families, and increases in frequency with each
additional sibling. The principle seems established that an educated mother has healthier and more intelligent children, and that this is
related to the fact that she has fewer children. The tendency of . educated, upper class mothers to have fewer children operates even without
access to contraceptive services.
The educational level of women is significant also because it has a direct influence upon their chances of employment, and the number of
employed women in a country’s total labour force has a direct bearing on both the Gross National Product and the disposable income of the
individual family. Disposable income, especially in the hands of women, influences food purchasing and therefore the nutritional status of the
family. The fact [ that the additional income derives from the paid employment of women provides a logical incentive to restrict the size of the
family.

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) Among the natural resources which can be called upon in national plans for development………………….

1. the most important is certainly human labour.

2. the most important is possibly human labour.
3. the least developed is certainly human labour.
4. the least developed is undoubtedly human labour.

(b) Without a productive labour force, including effective leadership and intelligent middle management………………….

1. no productive work is possible.

2. entrepreneurs will incur heavy losses.
3. economic development will not keep pace with national movements.
4. no amount of foreign assistance or of natural wealth can ensure successful development and modernisation.

(c) The manpower development during the next quarter century………………….

1. will be adversely affected by the threat of war.

2. will come from the world’s present population of infants, children and adolescents.
3. will be taken care of by the current emphasis on free education for women.
4. will be adversely affected by the country’s economic losses and political instability.

(d) Disposable income in the hands of women strengthen

1. family bond
2. nutritional status of the family
3. spiritual status of the family
4. none of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) What will be the source of the manpower development during the next quarter century?
(b) During which period is the child growth maximum?
(c) Why can’t the first teacher be effective in some of tire regions of India?
(d) What will happen to development if the womenfolk is neglected?
(e) How can we accelerate the rate of progress?
(f) What is the difference between an educated mother and an illiterate mother?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) increase
(b) important

Answers:

A.

(a) 4. the least developed is undoubtedly human labour.

(b) 4. no amount of foreign assistance or of natural wealth can ensure successful development and modernisation.
(c) 1.will be adversely affected by the threat of war.
(d) 2. nutritional status of the family.

B.

(a) The manpower development during the next quarter century will come from the world’s present population of infants, children and
adolescents.
(b) The child grows maximum before he attains the age of five.
(c) The first teacher remains ineffective because of ignorance, poor health, lack of respect and recognition.
(d) There will be no growth and everything will stagnate.
(e) The rate of progress may be accelerated by educating the womenfolk.
(f) An educated mother does not beget children thoughtlessly but an illiterate mother considers children the blessings of God. Education
makes one wise and practical. Those who are uneducated fail to analyse the situation critically.

C.
(a) enhance
(b) significant

Passage 12:
THE STRESS FACTOR

1. While there is no denying that the world loves a winner it is important that you recognise the signs of stress in your behaviour and be
healthy enough to enjoy your success. Stress can strike anytime, in a fashion that may leave you unaware of its presence in your life.
While a certain amount of pressure is necessary for performance, it is important to be able to recognise your individual threshold. For
instance, there are some individuals who accept competition in a healthy fashion. There are others who collapse into weeping wrecks
before an exam or on comparing marksheets and finding that their friend has scored better.
2. It is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Whenever there is a change in the external
environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions, it leads to stress. In these days of competition when a
person makes up his mind to surpass what has been achieved by others, leading to an imbalance between demands and resources, it
causes psycho-social stress. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.
3. Stress has a different meaning depending on the stage of life you’re in. The loss of a toy or a reprimand from the parents might create a
stress shock in a child. An adolescent who fails an examination may feel as if everything has been lost and life has no further meaning.
In an adult, the loss of his or her companion, job or professional failure may appear as if there is nothing more to be achieved.
4. Such signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of the individual, as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high
blood pressure, indigestion, hyperacidity and ultimately in self destructive behaviour such as eating and drinking too much, smoking
excessively, relying on tranquilisers, trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.
5. The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist followed by depression, lethargy and weakness for further work.
Periodic mood shifts also indicate the stress status of students, executives and professionals.
6. In a study sponsored by World Health Organisation and carried out by Harvard School of Public Health, the global burden of diseases
and injury indicated that stress diseases and accidents are going to be the major killers in 2020.
7. The ischaemic heart diseases and neurological depression, both stress diseases, are going to rank first and second in 2020. Road
traffic accidents are going to be the third largest killers. These accidents are also an indicator of psycho-social stress in a fast-moving
society. Other stress diseases like ulcers, hypertension and neuronal disorders including insomnia have assumed epidemic proportions
in modem societies.
8. A person behaves in different ways in stress but the common ones are flight, fight and flow. Depending upon the nature of stress and
capability of the person, the three responses can be elegantly chosen to cope up with the stress so that stress does not damage the
system and become distress.
9. When stress crosses the threshold peculiar to an individual, it deteriorates his/her performance capacity. Frequent jumps over that
threshold may result in a syndrome called chronic fatigue in which a person feels lethargic, disinterested and is not easily motivated to
achieve anything. This may make the person mentally undecided, confused and accident prone as well. Sudden exposure to un-
nerving stress may also result in a loss of memory.
10. The best technique is self-control. This arises by having faith in oneself, on the usefulness of the job he is doing and on any
superpower who would deliver the result of the effort made.
11. There are many stress modifiers or stress busters. Some of these are diet and massage from naturopathy, food supplements and
herbs from herbal medicine hobbies and relaxation techniques, homeopathy and modem medicine. Physical exercise and dance
movements are excellent stress modifiers.

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) The unhealthy competition prevalent in this dog-eat-dog world causes……………….

1. psycho-social stress
2. political stress
3. neuro problems
4. blood pressure

(b) Stress impairs……………….

1. death
2. hypertension
3. the performance of an individual
4. none of the above

(c) The best stress busters are……………….

1. physical exercises
2. dance movements
3. both (i) and (ii)
4. none of the above

(d) Stress leads to

1. road traffic accidents

2. neurological depression
3. hypertension
4. all of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) What is stress? What factors lead to stress?

(b) Does the age of a person have any impact on stress levels? If yes, then how?
(c) What are the symptoms or signs by which a person can recognise he is under stress?
(d) What are the different diseases a person gets due to stress?
(e) How can a person cope with stress?
(f) What are the disadvantages of chronic fatigue?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) person whose physical or mental health has been seriously damaged. (Para 1)
(b) inactivity; apathy (Para 5)

Answers:

A.

(a) 1.psycho-social stress

(b) 3.the performance of an individual
(c) 3. both (i) and (ii)
(d) 4.all of these

B.

(a) Stress is a reaction of the body to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Factors such as imbalance between
demands and resources, change in temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions lead to stress.
(b) No, stress has a different meaning depending on the stage of life. For a child a re-buke or loss of a toy causes stress. An adolescent may
feel tense after failing in the examination. For an adult, loss of job or a dear one causes stress.
(c) (i) Change in the attitude and behaviour
(ii) Muscle tension
(iii) Palpitation, high blood pressure, indigestion and hyperacidity.
(iv) Depression, lethargy, weakness for work.
(d) (i) heart diseases
(ii) neurological depression
(iii) ulcers
(iv) hypertension
(v) insomnia
(vi) injuries due to accidents
(e) (i) Self-control—faith in oneself, usefulness of job and in any super power.
(ii) Use of stress modifiers or stress busters
(f) The chronic fatigue makes one lethargic, disinterested and demotivated.

C.

(a) wreck
(b) lethargy

Passage 13:
TELLY BUSTING

The children probably don’t know, or they don’t care, the hugely popular WWF wrestling matches are actually all staged acts. The Hulks, the
Undertaker or whatever else they are called—never really punch or kick as hard as they might appear doing on the show. It’s all a show, a
thrilling show.
So, you can’t really blame children for getting hooked. But does that necessarily mean the show is entirely responsible for the beating 12-
year-old Subin Kumar got from his WWF-inspired friends? Can viewing or watching violence on TV actually promote aggressive behaviour in
children?
Media experts and social scientists have been wrestling with this question for decades 10 and thousands of studies have been done on it.
And most of them reached the same conclusion—media violence is responsible for aggressive behaviour in children. Research has found
that the more violence children watch on television, the more likely they may act in aggressive ways towards others. Also, they become less
sensitive to others’ pain and are less likely to help a victim of violence.
A study of violence on Indian television and its impact on children commissioned by UNESCO accused the idiot box of “bombarding young
minds with all kinds of violent images, cutting across channels, programmes and viewing times.”
Not only studies, but also incidents go to prove that children who watch violent episodes show increased likelihood of behaving aggressively.
20 There have been reports from all over the country of children hurting themselves while trying to ape the superhuman feats of Shaktimaan,
the superhero of Indian TV. Then there was the six-year-old child of Lucknow who leapt off the balcony of his second -floor flat trying to
imitate a bungee jumping drop shown in a soft drinks commercial. There’s no doubt that media is a powerful teacher and contributes greatly
to the way we act and behave. In some cases like these, the effects are immediate and in others there is a “sleeper effect”, where the results
show up much later.
Experts say it’s incorrect to blame the media squarely. How would you explain the aggressive behaviour of a child who has never been
exposed to television or any other media? So, while there is mounting evidence to link media violence and actual violence, most 30 of it does
not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Because no one so far has been able to prove why and how TV effects some people and
not the others. “We also have to take into account individual differences and vulnerabilities as human behaviour is a result of many factors,”
points out Dr Vasantha R. Patri, a counsellor, adding, “violence viewing is only one of the myriad influences on a growing child.”

Patri says there exists a population of risk individuals whose anger, aggression and anti-social tendencies are already quite high for
whatever reason. Other factors like individual predisposition of the child, parental attitudes and reaction to aggression are probably equally
important. In fact, she says that in most cases media is only the fourth most 40 important influence in a child’s life—with parents, teachers
and peers being the first three. Patri points out that the growing “here-and-now” culture in which kids are getting used to immediate
gratification is leading to an intolerant society on the whole. “Children are not taught how to handle failure and conflict,” she says. “As a
result, they resort to aggression.”
But media critics refuse to buy it. They insist the content of media needs to be monitored and care be taken to reduce violence if not remove
it. But even if all the gore and violence is completely removed from the media, will it make a significant difference in the aggressive behaviour
of children? And then how do you justify the fact that studies have shown that viewing violence on TV also provides an opportunity to
discharge the pent-up, 50 aggressive feelings of anger, hostility and frustration.
“The problem is not with the media, but the lack of media education,” points out Patri. “No one teaches the children how to assess the reality
status of TV programmes.” Good parenting, she says, is perhaps the greatest defense against the negative effects of violent images on TV.
Experts say it’s time that parents and teachers took a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror. Says Patri, “Most parents treat TV as a
baby-sitter when it suits them. And when something goes wrong, they turn around and blame TV for it !”

Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) Violent behaviour is the outcome of………………………

1. lack of media awareness

2. lack of sensitivity
3. increase in population
4. imperfection

(b) Children fail to understand that the stunts shown on the screen are………………………

1. real
2. fake
3. manipulated
4. none of the above

(c) Parents consider TV a………………………

1. babysitter
2. problem
3. boon
4. none of the above

(d) Aggressive behaviour in children can be best handled by

1. teachers
2. parents
3. both teachers and parents
4. children themselves

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) Does violence on TV promote children’s aggressive behaviour? What is the opinion of media experts and social scientists?
(b) What two points have emerged from research on media violence?
(c) What two incidents are cited to prove the aggressive behaviour of children as an outcome of watching violence on television?
(d) What factors other than violence viewing are important for causing aggressiveness in a child?
(e) How, do you think, can the problem be solved?
(f) How are children becoming impatient?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) exciting (lines 1 to 10)

(b) an extremely large number of something

Answers:

A.

(a) 1. lack of media awareness

(b) 2. fake
(c) 1. babysitter
(d) 3. both teachers and parents

B.

(a) Yes, it does. Most of the media experts and social scientists think that media violence on TV is responsible for actually promoting
aggressiveness in children.
(b) (i) The more violence children view on TV, the more aggressively they behave with others.
(ii) They become less sensitive to the pain of others. Hence, they are less likely to help a victim of violence.
(c) (i) Beating that the 12-year-old Subin Kumar got from his WWF inspired friends.
(ii) The six-year-old child of Lucknow who leapt off the balcony of his second-floor flat trying to imitate a bungee jumping drop shown in a
soft-drinks commercial.
(d) Other factors are:
(i) individual predisposition of the child
(ii) parental attitudes
(iii) reaction to aggression
(iv) intolerance.
(e) By providing media education and by teaching the children how to assess the reality status of TV programmes. Most parents and
teachers have to understand their responsibility in imparting media education to children.
(fl Children of this materialistic age are desirous of getting immediate gratification. It ; makes them impatient.

C.

(a) thrilling
(b) myriad

Passage 14:
MAGIC MACHINE

Mohammed Jamshed Khan replaced the ATM card in his wallet and counted the crisp new notes he’d just withdrawn from the machine. ₹
6000? “This can’t be right!” thought the young Mumbai civil contractor. He counted again. It was indeed ₹ 6000. “All I’d asked for was ?
1200,” Khan told his friend Faisal Mukhi who was standing nearby.
“You pressed the wrong buttons, silly,” said Mukhi.
“No way!” exclaimed Khan as he pushed his card back in again, keyed in his numeric password and asked for ? 1000. Beep,
click…………….whirr, beeeep ! Out popped ₹ 5000 and a little transaction slip that read. WITHDRAWAL ₹ 1000.
“Let’s try again,” said Khan. Card, password, 2-0-0-0……….beeeep ! But he got ₹ 10,000. By now it seemed certain that the ATM was giving
away 500-rupee notes instead of hundreds. “May be something’s wrong with your card,” Mukhi told Khan, “let me try mine.” Mukhi’s balance
was low—only ? 1300. He pushed his card in and asked for ? 1000. The machine spat out 5000.
“ATMs (short for automated teller machines) are extremely secure and among the hardest of machines. Look up the Encyclopaedia
Britannica for “ATMs” and you’ll find it entered under “Locks”—it’s virtually impossible to fool an ATM. And the probability of an ATM
overpaying is virtually nil. But here they were, two buddies with ? 26000 between them— ₹ 20,800 of it free money.
There were no other customers in sight on that warm July afternoon. And they could have kept on going. Instead, Khan and Mukhi went
outside the ATM’s enclosure and summoned the guard on duty. “The machine’s all mixed up,” they told him. The two men then gave the
guard a demo: “Look here,” said Khan as he inserted his card one last time and hit the buttons, “I’m withdrawing ? 500 but here’s 2500!
“Don’t let anybody near this place,” they told the guard as they hopped into an autorickshaw and sped off with all the money.-
It looked like a daylight robbery—in reverse. For they drove two kilometres, to the nearest branch of the bank that owned the ATM, placed
the cash-? 28,500 on the bank manager’s desk and complained about their faulty machine.
‘We could have lost a real lot that day,” says the manager. This is the kind of honesty we can only dream about. A human error made while
loading cash in the ATM had caused the problem. Although we could have traced the customers, it might have meant a lot of trouble for us,
had they kept our money.”
But did either Mohammed Khan or Faisal Mukhi ever think of keeping the money during their moment with the magic machine? “Not once,”
says Khan. Adds Mukhi: “Never.”
Questions:
A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

(a) The theme of the passage is……………………..

1. dishonesty
2. loyalty
3. honesty
4. sincerity

(b) The passage proves the machines……………………..

1. do not make mistakes

2. never make mistakes
3. do make mistakes
4. all of the above

(c) The manager says that “This is the kind of honesty we can only dream about”because……………………..

1. most of the people are corrupt

2. man is greedy by nature
3. riches attracts people
4. all of the above

(d) Khan and Mukhi went outside the ATM’s enclosure and summoned the guard on duty to inform him about the

1. erratic behaviour of ATM

2. shortage of notes in the ATM machine
3. suspicious man standing outside the ATM enclosure
4. none of these

B. Answer the following questions briefly: 1 x 6 = 6

(a) Why was Mohammed Jamshed Khan surprised? How did he express it and to whom?
(b) What efforts did the two friends make to verify the behaviour of the machine?
(c) What do you know about ATM? What was peculiar about this particular ATM?
(d) “It looked like a daylight robbery—in reverse.” Substantiate this statement.
(e) How did the manager react to the disclosure?
(f) What did they ask the guard to do?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: 1 x 2 = 2

(a) slightly stiff

(b) almost

Answers:

A.

(a) 3. honesty
(b) 3. do make mistakes
(c) 4. all of the above
(d) 1. erratic behaviour of ATM

B.

(a) He had asked for ₹ 1200, but the ATM machine gave him ₹ 6000. He counted the money twice. He expressed hi! surprise to his friend
Faisal Mukhi who was standing nearby.
(b) Faisal thought Jamshed had pressed wrong buttons. So Khan’s ATM card was in-serted again for ₹ 1000. ₹ 5000 popped out. But the
transaction slip showed with-drawal as ₹ 1000 only. Two other attempts were made: one with Khan’s card and another with Mukhi’s. They
had inserted cards for ₹ 5200, but got five times the money i.e., ₹ 26,000.
(c) ATM is short for Automated Teller Machine. It is a counting device run by automatic machine. It is quite tough and exact. It is almost
impossible to commit an error. This ATM was issuing money five times more.
(d) Here the men were returning the easy money to the rightful owner i.e., the bank. They presented the entire money to the manager.
(e) The manager praised the customers for their dream honesty. A human error while loading cash was responsible for the erratic behaviour
of ATM.
(f) They asked the guard not to allow anybody to use the ATM.

C.

(a) crisp
(b) virtually