INDIAN SCHOOL AL WADI AL KABIR

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
CLASS XI (2024-25)
WORKSHEET ON READING PASSAGES
ANSWER KEY

I. Read the following passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. YOU say that our government is inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the
municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don’t work, the railways are a
joke, the airline is the worst in the world and mails never reach their destinations. YOU say, say and
say.

2. What do you do about it? Take a person on his way to Finland. Give him a name – YOURS. Give
him a face – YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your international best. In
Finland, you don’t throw cigarette butts on the roads. YOU are as proud of their Underground Links
as they are. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket, if you have overstayed
in a restaurant or a shopping mall, irrespective of your status or identity. In Finland, you don’t say
anything, DO YOU?

3. YOU wouldn’t dare to eat in public during Ramadan in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out
without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 kmph) in
Washington and then tell the traffic cop, “Do you know who I am? I am so and so’s son YOU
wouldn’t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in
Australia and New Zealand. Why don’t YOU spit betel on the streets of Tokyo? We are still talking
of the same YOU.

4. YOU, who can respect and follow a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own.
YOU, who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road, the moment you touch Indian ground. If
you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same
here in India?

5. Once in an interview, the famous ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay Mr. Tinaikar had a
point to make, “Rich people’s dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all
over the place,” he said. “And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities
for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom
every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America, every dog owner has to clean up
after his pet has done the job. The same is in Japan. Will Indian citizens do that here?” He’s right.

A. On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by
choosing the most appropriate option. (1 × 5 = 5 marks)

1. How do we blame our government?

(a) It does not work
(b) It is inefficient
(c) It is useless
(d) It does not do anything

2.Finland is proud of
(a) Its cleanliness
1
(b) Its parking system
(c) Its links
(d) Its roads

3. What wouldn’t you dare to?

(a) To eat in public during Ramadan in Dubai
(b) To spit betel on road in Tokyo
(c) To throw garbage on road in Australia
(d) All of these

4.Who was Mr. Tinaikar?

(a) Municipal commissioner of Bombay
(b) Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay
(c) Commissioner of Bombay
(d) Ex-municipal commissioner of Maharashtra

5. In which country/countries a dog owner cleans/clean his dog’s droppings on the roads?
(a) England
(b) America
(c) India
(d) Japan

B. Answer the following questions briefly. (1 × 5 = 5 marks)

1. What are the negative remarks we make about our country?

2. How does an Indian behave in Finland?
3. List two deeds an Indian would not dare to do while traveling abroad.
4. What is our attitude when we are in our own country?
5. Who criticize the government for dirty pavement?

C. Find a word from the passage (1× 2 =2 marks)

1. Which means ‘throw’ (para 3)
2. Which means ‘prosperous or rich’ (para 5)

Answers:

A.
1. (b) It is inefficient
2. (a) Its links
3. (d) All of these
4. (d) Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay
5. (a and d) America and Japan

B
1. Answer: Government is inefficient; laws too old; municipality does not pick up garbage; phones
don’t work; railways a joke; the airline is the worst in the world; mails don’t reach their destinations.
2. Answer: In Finland, an Indian is at his international best; doesn’t throw cigarette butts on roads;
punch parking ticket if overstayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall.
3. Answer: Indians do not dare to eat in public during Ramadan in Dubai; go out in Jeddah without
covering their heads; do not dare to speed beyond 55 mph in Washington; do not chuck empty
coconut shell anywhere; do not spit a betel on streets.
2
 4. Answer: We throw papers and cigarettes on roads.
5. Answer: The rich people whose dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all
over the place.

C
1. Answer: Chuck
2. Answer: Affluent

II. Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.

(1) The average age of India will be just 27 in 2020, which means that much of the country will
comprise young students and youth. But even now with the clock ticking, the unemployment crisis is
raging the country. The main reason behind this problem is that there is a huge number of youths
passing out from schools and colleges every year unaware of the many new career options and job
roles being added to various industries. And a recent survey by Mindler, an online career-counselling
platform, has proved that the majority of Indian students are aware of just seven career paths, even
though there are 250 career options that can be pursued in India -- most new and in- demand.

(2)"Our research on over 10,000 students across India suggests an alarming ignorance of the career
options available to students today," said Prateek Bhargava, founder, and CEO of Mindler, who has
recently launched a platform for career counselling in tier II and tier III cities across India.
This shocking lack of awareness among Indian students regarding their future career options can
spell a death knell for the economic bonus that could have come to India due to its demographic
dividend- the time period where its population is young and
earning.
(3) Since children constantly interact with the environment around them, "effective career planning
would thus need to take into account all the stakeholders in which parents and
teachers are the most important, given the time they spend with the child and the impact they
have,” Bhargava says.
(4) Thus, if parents and teachers can build their own awareness regarding new career options coming
up, then they can be a very helpful part in their child's career decisions rather than being one of those
parents who push their child into one of the most common careers simply because they are unable to
understand which area would be the perfect fit
for their child.
(5) Parents need to remember that shaping a student's profile with the right set of activities in sync with
their strength, capability and dreams is the way forward, Bhargava stresses. "Children feel much more
3
 confident in choosing a particular career when they are supported by their parents. Thus, parents play a
vital role in this entire process," he says.

Answer the following questions, based on given passage.

(i) Which important issues does the passage throw light upon? 2
(ii) According to Fig. 1, ………… is the least popular career option among
students. 1
(iii) State TRUE or FALSE. 1

(iv) Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below. Statement 1:
Indian youth is facing unemployment crisis.
Statement 2: Teachers push students into common career options.
a) Statement 1 is true, but Statement 2 is false.
b) Statement 1 is false, but Statement 2 is true.
c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred. 1
(v) What was the conclusion of the survey conducted by Mindler? 1
(vi) Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word.
Every child is unique. Hence, his/ her .................. should always be taken into
consideration when deciding on a future career. 1
(vii) A Suitable Title for this passage would be ……
a) India’s Economic Downfall
b) Smart Career Planning: Need of the Hour
c) Achieve Your Goals with Mindler
d) India’s Obsession with Engineering. 1
(viii) How do parents play a vital role in their child’s career selection?

Marking scheme:-

Case-based factual passage

(i) • lack of awareness among Indian students regarding their
future career options
• importance parental support and guidance in career selection
(any other relevant point)

(ii) Law
(iii) True
(iv) a) Statement 1 is true, but Statement 2 is false.
(v) alarming ignorance of the career options available to Indian students
today
(vi) strength/ capability/ dreams
(vii) b) Smart Career Planning: Need of the Hour
viii • boosting confidence of children during career selection
• not pushing children into a career for which they have
neither attitude nor aptitude

4
5