Reading Comprehensions
Unseen Passages (Prose)
1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5
On Dec. 26, 2004 nature shocked us. It was a black day for the world. Nature blinded us by unleashing the demon named as Tsunami, which came to life through a gigantic earthquake in the Indian Ocean. It affected countries from Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia to India, Bangladesh, Maldives and even France, Kenya and Somalia. The worst in four decades, it battered an endless coastline of south and south-east Asia, with the toll nearing some 2,00,000 of which some 11,500 deaths are in India alone. The word 'Tsunami' comes from the Japanese words 'Tsu' (harbour) and 'Nami' (wave). About 80% of all tsunamis occurred in the Pacific Ocean and Japan has suffered many times.
Tsunamis could be better described as a wave train, or series of waves caused in a sea or ocean by submarine earthquakes. These killer waves of the nature which occurred on the fateful Sunday could be generated when the water was disturbed by the uplift or subsidence of the sea floor. Cape Lopakta in Siberia, witnessed the highest tsunami ever recorded, in 1737. The wave rose 210 ft. above sea level. Another demoniac tsunami wave more than seven stories tall, engulfed whole villages along Sanriku, Japan in 1896 drowning almost 26,000 people. We can only pray to Mother Nature not to show this cruelty to us.
Questions:
a. Why is Dec. 26, 2004 a black day for the world? 1 b. What does Tsunami mean? 1 c. What happened in 1737? 1 d. Can anything be done about Tsunami? 1 e. Find a word from the passage which means the same as ‘troubled’. 1
2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5
The Parliament House has seen more than just speeches and legislations since it was inaugurated in 1927. The Central Hall was where Indian Independence was actually realised with the transfer of power. And it was from this magnificently-domed hall Jawaharlal Nehru made his 'tryst with destiny' speech on the night of August 14-15.
Parliament House was also the site of Bhagat Singh's 'propagandist' bomb attack at what was then the Central Assembly Hall. No, it wasn't the present Central Hall, which was then a library, but one of the two Houses. On April 8, 1929 Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt tossed two bombs onto the corridors of the assembly just when the Viceroy's proclamation enacting two bills-Public Safety and Trade Disputes-was to be made despite a majority of the members being opposed to them. No one was hurt as the bombs were deliberately thrown away from people.
The duo shouted lnquilab Zindabad and showered the hall with red leaflets that began with a quote from French anarchist Auguste Valiant. "It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear." The action seemed to have been inspired by Valiant's symbolic gesture of throwing a small bomb into the Chamber of Deputies to highlight the plight of the people in 1893.
As with other aspects of Bhagat Singh's life, myths abound over his association with Delhi. What can be said with a degree of certainty is that in September 1928, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army was born in the ruins of Ferozeshah Kotla (and not at the site of the present
Shaheed Park outside Kotla). Among those present were Bhagat Singh and Ajoy Ghosh, future general secretary of CPI.
Another place linked in popular imagination with Bhagat Singh is the old Viceregal Lodge, What is now the DU vice-chancellor's office. The tale goes thus: After their arrest at Parliament House, Bhagat Singh and his associate were kept in the wine-cellar of the lodge. There are even popular accounts of him being made to sleep over ice slabs here. But all this, says historian Shahid Amin, is pure imagination.
"A trial of 14 persons charged with conspiracy to commit murder and with other arms and explosives offences did start in the main block of the Old Viceregal Lodge on April 15,1931. But that was three weeks after Bhagat Singh had been hanged (on March 23. 1931" he says.
Questions:
a. When was the Parliament inaugurated? 1 b. What was the name of Nehru's first speech? Where was it made? 2 c. Where were Bhagat Singh and his associates kept after their arrest? 1 d. Pick out the words from the passage that mean the same as “Secret Plan by a group to do something unlawful” 1
3. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 Sabarimala is in the Western Ghats and is named after Sabari, the tribal woman mentioned in the Ramayan, who attained salvation after her meeting with Ram. Sabrimala is believed to be the abode of Lord Ayyappa and is visited by about one crore pilgrims every year. For 41 days, devotees follow a controlled lifestyle. They eat only vegetarian food; refrain from consuming alcohol or tobacco and follow personal cleanliness and celibacy. Pilgrims wear only black clothes and don't shave irrespective of caste, creed, social status or religious belief, anyone can worship at the temple. All pilgrims are referred to as 'swamy' during the pilgrimage. Offerings to Ayyappa are tied in a bag with two compartments, known as irumudi. This contains a ghee-filled coconut, puffed and beaten rice, camphor, betel leaves and nuts, and incense sticks. Pilgrims carry the offerings on their heads throughout the arduous journey chanting the slogan Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa, which means, 'Oh Ayyappa ; I seek refuge in you'. The 18 steps to the temple represent the 18 Puranas. Close to the temple's entrance, there is a temple to a Muslim disciple, Vavar Swamy, while those of two tribal Chiefs, Kadutha Swamy and Karuppa Swamy, are positioned on either side of the steps..
Questions:
a. How did the pilgrim centre Sabarimala get its name? 1 b. What ritual preparation do the pilgrims follow? 1 c. What is irumudi and what does it contain? 2 d. What do the 18 steps to the temple represent? 1
4. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 Built by the British after the 1857 uprising the Army barracks inside the Red Fort are an eyesore. They were, however, witness to one of the most crucial events of the final phase of the independence struggle. The historic trials of the captured soldiers of Netaji Subhash Bose's Indian National Army (INA) were held here in 1945.
The INA trials began at Red Fort in November 1945. But much before the trials began, the fate of the INA prisoners had captured popular imagination. In August 1945, Jawaharlal Nehru issued a demand for leniency. Soon there was a groundswell of popular support for the INA detainees. Senior INA officers such as Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon became potent symbols of India’s struggle for Independence.
Celebrated lawyers represented the prisoners. Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, K.N. Katju and Nehru himself appeared in court at barrack no. B 4 where the trials were being held. The Congress set up a Central INA Fund Committee where people donated generously. When the trial was on, Delhi was in ferment. Pamphlets were circulated and posters threatening death to "20 English dogs" for every INA prisoner were pasted all over Delhi.
Now, the barracks stand empty and in dire need of repairs. Some of them will soon be used to house one of the country's biggest museums. Said an official from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) "Plans are underway for a grand museum at the British barracks that have such a strong element of history attached to them."
According to the ASI, two barracks used to imprison Khan, Sahgal, Dhillon and hundreds of' INA soldiers are now being maintained as a memorial. This was originally a guardroom constructed by the British army in 1916.
The ASI took over these barracks from Indian Army in 1993 for conservation and preservation on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Quit India Movement. The uniforms worn by INA soldiers, photographs of Netaji and other items are on display. In one of the galleries, materials found during excavations carried out by the ASI inside the fort in 1995 as well as photographs can be viewed.
Questions:
a. What is the historical importance of the army barracks inside the Red Fort? 1 b. What did Nehru do for the INA prisoners? 1 c. Frame two questions on the basis of the underlined part of the passage. 1 d. What has been done by the ASI to preserve the place where the INA soldiers were kept by the Britishers? 1 e. Pick out the words from the passage that mean the same as “Luck” 1
5. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 Much like the myth about the Abominable Snowman that is believed to make appearances from its habitat on the icy Himalayan slopes, there has grown a legend all over America around an elusive, shy, hairy beast. The sighting of this denizen of the Pacific mode, compelled people form a picture in the mind of an uncouth, gorilla-like creature wandering through the thick vegetation. As if to add credibility to such guesses about the being, there have been several accounts from eye witnesses, who have "identified tracks, heard piercing cries and seen the tree branches broken off too high to be snapped by a human".
But Bigfoot, which has so long offered a fertile field for extensive search and serious effort towards locating and proving its existence, is suddenly turning into a total farce-probably a colossal practical joke! The latest development suggesting a big hoax, has struck at the very roots of a legend that has gone into popular culture. Like a bolt from the blue the news has emerged from the final confessions of Ray Wallace who died in November 2002 at the age of 84 in Washington. Facts presented by his family reveal that Wallace was a lifelong practical
joker who enjoyed every bit of the fun generated out of his indulgences in unusual acts of humour.
Questions:
a. Who is the abominable Snowman believed to be? 1 b. What picture of this gorilla like creature did the Americans form? 1 c. How was the presence of this creature proved? 1 d. What is the practical joke played by Ray Wallace? 1 e. Explain "fertile field for extensive search". 1
6. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 As you walk through the meandering Ballimaran Street in Old Delhi, chances are you would go past Sharif Manzil without noticing it. Today it's just another decrepit structure standing cheekby-jowl with other houses all adding up to a congested mass of concrete. But Sharif Manzil is an address that dates back 267 years. Said to have been constructed in 1740, a year after Nadir Shah sacked Delhi, It's one of the oldest and most illustrious havelis of Delhi.
Built by the royal physicians of the Mughals who came to India during Babur's rule, the haveli was home to Hakim Ajmal Khan, a scion of the family and Delhi's best known Unani practitioner--he was known to charge Rs 1,000 per day for outstation calls, but would treat his patients free of charge if they came to him. Ajmal Khan (1863-1927) dominated political life in the Delhi of the early 1900s. He had a unique double to his name, having been elected president of both Indian National Congress and Muslim League (in those days, it wasn't too odd for nationalistic Muslims to wear both hats).
Ajmal Khan was a friend and ally of Gandhi and stood for Hindu-Muslim unity. As an illustrious citizen of Delhi, he often acted as a bridge between the British government and the people of the city. However, during periods of political tension-like the Rowlatt Satyagraha of 1919--Ajmal Khan sided with the citizens. One of his lasting contributions to the city is as an institution-builder. He set up the Jamia Millia University and the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, among others.
Sharif Manzil fell on bad times after 1947 when Ajmal Khan's grandson shifted to Pakistan. Today the sprawling complex houses a guest house and a market which is partly occupied by Afghan traders.
Other Old Delhi havelies also came to be associated with the national movement. There was the palatial Darus Salaam (Abode of Peace) where M A Ansari lived. Its current address is 1, Ansari Road in Daryaganj. Ansari was an England-educated doctor and an eminent Congressman who became president of the party. The Ansaris would often host Gandhi when he visited Delhi and the house was a hub of Congress politics. Other prominent 'political havelis', like the one owned by Motilal Nehru haven't stood the test of time.
Questions
a. What is the present condition of Sharif Manzil in Old Delhi? 1 b. What is the historical background of this building? 1 c. Who was Ajmal Khan? What role did he play during the British period? 1 d. What is the historical background of 1, Ansari Road? 1 e. Pick out the words from the passage that mean the same as “busy” 1
1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5
On Dec. 26, 2004 nature shocked us. It was a black day for the world. Nature blinded us by unleashing the demon named as Tsunami, which came to life through a gigantic earthquake in the Indian Ocean. It affected countries from Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia to India, Bangladesh, Maldives and even France, Kenya and Somalia. The worst in four decades, it battered an endless coastline of south and south-east Asia, with the toll nearing some 2,00,000 of which some 11,500 deaths are in India alone. The word 'Tsunami' comes from the Japanese words 'Tsu' (harbour) and 'Nami' (wave). About 80% of all tsunamis occurred in the Pacific Ocean and Japan has suffered many times.
Tsunamis could be better described as a wave train, or series of waves caused in a sea or ocean by submarine earthquakes. These killer waves of the nature which occurred on the fateful Sunday could be generated when the water was disturbed by the uplift or subsidence of the sea floor. Cape Lopakta in Siberia, witnessed the highest tsunami ever recorded, in 1737. The wave rose 210 ft. above sea level. Another demoniac tsunami wave more than seven stories tall, engulfed whole villages along Sanriku, Japan in 1896 drowning almost 26,000 people. We can only pray to Mother Nature not to show this cruelty to us.
Questions:
a. Why is Dec. 26, 2004 a black day for the world? 1 b. What does Tsunami mean? 1 c. What happened in 1737? 1 d. Can anything be done about Tsunami? 1 e. Find a word from the passage which means the same as ‘troubled’. 1
2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5
The Parliament House has seen more than just speeches and legislations since it was inaugurated in 1927. The Central Hall was where Indian Independence was actually realised with the transfer of power. And it was from this magnificently-domed hall Jawaharlal Nehru made his 'tryst with destiny' speech on the night of August 14-15.
Parliament House was also the site of Bhagat Singh's 'propagandist' bomb attack at what was then the Central Assembly Hall. No, it wasn't the present Central Hall, which was then a library, but one of the two Houses. On April 8, 1929 Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt tossed two bombs onto the corridors of the assembly just when the Viceroy's proclamation enacting two bills-Public Safety and Trade Disputes-was to be made despite a majority of the members being opposed to them. No one was hurt as the bombs were deliberately thrown away from people.
The duo shouted lnquilab Zindabad and showered the hall with red leaflets that began with a quote from French anarchist Auguste Valiant. "It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear." The action seemed to have been inspired by Valiant's symbolic gesture of throwing a small bomb into the Chamber of Deputies to highlight the plight of the people in 1893.
As with other aspects of Bhagat Singh's life, myths abound over his association with Delhi. What can be said with a degree of certainty is that in September 1928, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army was born in the ruins of Ferozeshah Kotla (and not at the site of the present
Shaheed Park outside Kotla). Among those present were Bhagat Singh and Ajoy Ghosh, future general secretary of CPI.
Another place linked in popular imagination with Bhagat Singh is the old Viceregal Lodge, What is now the DU vice-chancellor's office. The tale goes thus: After their arrest at Parliament House, Bhagat Singh and his associate were kept in the wine-cellar of the lodge. There are even popular accounts of him being made to sleep over ice slabs here. But all this, says historian Shahid Amin, is pure imagination.
"A trial of 14 persons charged with conspiracy to commit murder and with other arms and explosives offences did start in the main block of the Old Viceregal Lodge on April 15,1931. But that was three weeks after Bhagat Singh had been hanged (on March 23. 1931" he says.
Questions:
a. When was the Parliament inaugurated? 1 b. What was the name of Nehru's first speech? Where was it made? 2 c. Where were Bhagat Singh and his associates kept after their arrest? 1 d. Pick out the words from the passage that mean the same as “Secret Plan by a group to do something unlawful” 1
3. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 Sabarimala is in the Western Ghats and is named after Sabari, the tribal woman mentioned in the Ramayan, who attained salvation after her meeting with Ram. Sabrimala is believed to be the abode of Lord Ayyappa and is visited by about one crore pilgrims every year. For 41 days, devotees follow a controlled lifestyle. They eat only vegetarian food; refrain from consuming alcohol or tobacco and follow personal cleanliness and celibacy. Pilgrims wear only black clothes and don't shave irrespective of caste, creed, social status or religious belief, anyone can worship at the temple. All pilgrims are referred to as 'swamy' during the pilgrimage. Offerings to Ayyappa are tied in a bag with two compartments, known as irumudi. This contains a ghee-filled coconut, puffed and beaten rice, camphor, betel leaves and nuts, and incense sticks. Pilgrims carry the offerings on their heads throughout the arduous journey chanting the slogan Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa, which means, 'Oh Ayyappa ; I seek refuge in you'. The 18 steps to the temple represent the 18 Puranas. Close to the temple's entrance, there is a temple to a Muslim disciple, Vavar Swamy, while those of two tribal Chiefs, Kadutha Swamy and Karuppa Swamy, are positioned on either side of the steps..
Questions:
a. How did the pilgrim centre Sabarimala get its name? 1 b. What ritual preparation do the pilgrims follow? 1 c. What is irumudi and what does it contain? 2 d. What do the 18 steps to the temple represent? 1
4. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 Built by the British after the 1857 uprising the Army barracks inside the Red Fort are an eyesore. They were, however, witness to one of the most crucial events of the final phase of the independence struggle. The historic trials of the captured soldiers of Netaji Subhash Bose's Indian National Army (INA) were held here in 1945.
The INA trials began at Red Fort in November 1945. But much before the trials began, the fate of the INA prisoners had captured popular imagination. In August 1945, Jawaharlal Nehru issued a demand for leniency. Soon there was a groundswell of popular support for the INA detainees. Senior INA officers such as Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon became potent symbols of India’s struggle for Independence.
Celebrated lawyers represented the prisoners. Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, K.N. Katju and Nehru himself appeared in court at barrack no. B 4 where the trials were being held. The Congress set up a Central INA Fund Committee where people donated generously. When the trial was on, Delhi was in ferment. Pamphlets were circulated and posters threatening death to "20 English dogs" for every INA prisoner were pasted all over Delhi.
Now, the barracks stand empty and in dire need of repairs. Some of them will soon be used to house one of the country's biggest museums. Said an official from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) "Plans are underway for a grand museum at the British barracks that have such a strong element of history attached to them."
According to the ASI, two barracks used to imprison Khan, Sahgal, Dhillon and hundreds of' INA soldiers are now being maintained as a memorial. This was originally a guardroom constructed by the British army in 1916.
The ASI took over these barracks from Indian Army in 1993 for conservation and preservation on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Quit India Movement. The uniforms worn by INA soldiers, photographs of Netaji and other items are on display. In one of the galleries, materials found during excavations carried out by the ASI inside the fort in 1995 as well as photographs can be viewed.
Questions:
a. What is the historical importance of the army barracks inside the Red Fort? 1 b. What did Nehru do for the INA prisoners? 1 c. Frame two questions on the basis of the underlined part of the passage. 1 d. What has been done by the ASI to preserve the place where the INA soldiers were kept by the Britishers? 1 e. Pick out the words from the passage that mean the same as “Luck” 1
5. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 Much like the myth about the Abominable Snowman that is believed to make appearances from its habitat on the icy Himalayan slopes, there has grown a legend all over America around an elusive, shy, hairy beast. The sighting of this denizen of the Pacific mode, compelled people form a picture in the mind of an uncouth, gorilla-like creature wandering through the thick vegetation. As if to add credibility to such guesses about the being, there have been several accounts from eye witnesses, who have "identified tracks, heard piercing cries and seen the tree branches broken off too high to be snapped by a human".
But Bigfoot, which has so long offered a fertile field for extensive search and serious effort towards locating and proving its existence, is suddenly turning into a total farce-probably a colossal practical joke! The latest development suggesting a big hoax, has struck at the very roots of a legend that has gone into popular culture. Like a bolt from the blue the news has emerged from the final confessions of Ray Wallace who died in November 2002 at the age of 84 in Washington. Facts presented by his family reveal that Wallace was a lifelong practical
joker who enjoyed every bit of the fun generated out of his indulgences in unusual acts of humour.
Questions:
a. Who is the abominable Snowman believed to be? 1 b. What picture of this gorilla like creature did the Americans form? 1 c. How was the presence of this creature proved? 1 d. What is the practical joke played by Ray Wallace? 1 e. Explain "fertile field for extensive search". 1
6. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 5 As you walk through the meandering Ballimaran Street in Old Delhi, chances are you would go past Sharif Manzil without noticing it. Today it's just another decrepit structure standing cheekby-jowl with other houses all adding up to a congested mass of concrete. But Sharif Manzil is an address that dates back 267 years. Said to have been constructed in 1740, a year after Nadir Shah sacked Delhi, It's one of the oldest and most illustrious havelis of Delhi.
Built by the royal physicians of the Mughals who came to India during Babur's rule, the haveli was home to Hakim Ajmal Khan, a scion of the family and Delhi's best known Unani practitioner--he was known to charge Rs 1,000 per day for outstation calls, but would treat his patients free of charge if they came to him. Ajmal Khan (1863-1927) dominated political life in the Delhi of the early 1900s. He had a unique double to his name, having been elected president of both Indian National Congress and Muslim League (in those days, it wasn't too odd for nationalistic Muslims to wear both hats).
Ajmal Khan was a friend and ally of Gandhi and stood for Hindu-Muslim unity. As an illustrious citizen of Delhi, he often acted as a bridge between the British government and the people of the city. However, during periods of political tension-like the Rowlatt Satyagraha of 1919--Ajmal Khan sided with the citizens. One of his lasting contributions to the city is as an institution-builder. He set up the Jamia Millia University and the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, among others.
Sharif Manzil fell on bad times after 1947 when Ajmal Khan's grandson shifted to Pakistan. Today the sprawling complex houses a guest house and a market which is partly occupied by Afghan traders.
Other Old Delhi havelies also came to be associated with the national movement. There was the palatial Darus Salaam (Abode of Peace) where M A Ansari lived. Its current address is 1, Ansari Road in Daryaganj. Ansari was an England-educated doctor and an eminent Congressman who became president of the party. The Ansaris would often host Gandhi when he visited Delhi and the house was a hub of Congress politics. Other prominent 'political havelis', like the one owned by Motilal Nehru haven't stood the test of time.
Questions
a. What is the present condition of Sharif Manzil in Old Delhi? 1 b. What is the historical background of this building? 1 c. Who was Ajmal Khan? What role did he play during the British period? 1 d. What is the historical background of 1, Ansari Road? 1 e. Pick out the words from the passage that mean the same as “busy” 1