Reading Comprehension

CSB, Ch-17, Ph: 044-24333346 TOEL-BOOK/Page-1

TEST OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE Ex/RC-01

COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 12): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. Once upon a time, there were three were three brothers. They were all very clever and one day decided to make a fortune by using their powers of reasoning and logic. As they walked to the nearest city to look for work, they saw some footprints on the mud road. As they stood looking at the marks, a merchant came rushing towards them. ‘Did you see anyone go by this road?’ He asked in panic. The first brother looked closely at the prints and said, ‘Yes, a large camel. ‘The second said, ‘the camel could see with only one eye.’ The third, who had been looking further down the road, said, ‘the camel was carrying a women and a child on its back.’ Now the merchant was furious and shouted, ‘You have kidnapped my wife and child. Come with me to the king.’ The brothers could not get him to reason out and the four men ended up in the king’s court. ‘Hmm’ the king said, after he had heard the entire story. ‘If you three claim to be so clever, let me set a task for you. I will place before you a wooden box which will be locked. You will have to tell me what it contains without looking inside.’ The three brothers agreed, and soon the king’s men placed before them a stout wooden box, firmly shut. The first brother said immediately, ‘It has something round inside. The second said, ‘It is a pomegranate.’ ‘An unripe pomegranate,’ added the third. The box was opened and indeed, inside there was an unripe pomegranate. The king now asked them for an explanation. The first man said, ‘When your servant was bringing the box, I heard something rolling inside. That meant there was a round object in it. ‘The second man said, ‘I saw your servant coming from the pomegranate orchard, so I knew he had placed a pomegranate in the box.’ ‘And this is not the season for pomegranates, so it had to be an unripe one,’ commented the last brother. The king had now witnessed the brother’s powers of observation and was curious to know how they had discovered about the merchant’s wife and child being on the camel’s back. The footprints we saw were large ones, so I deduced it was a big camel that had passed that way, said the first brother. The camel had grazed on only one side of the road,’ said the second, ‘so I knew it was one-eyed.’ ‘And I saw the footprints of a woman and a child where the camel had sat down to rest,‘ said the third, ‘which meant they were on the camel’s back’. The king, now convinced of their cleverness, appointed the three brothers as ministers in his court. 1. How did the second brother arrive at the conclusion that the camel could see with only one eye?

(A) He saw the camel pass by (B) He took a guess (C) The grass on only one side of the road was eaten (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (B) and (C) (5) Only (A) and (C)


2. Why did title merchant take the three brothers to the king’s court? (1) They confessed to having kidnapped his wife and child. (2) He found them acting very strange. (3) He thought they were responsible for his missing wife and child. (4) He found their observations hilarious and wanted them to narrate them to the king. (5) The king had heard about the clever brothers and was on the lookout for them. 3. Why did the three brothers come to the city? (1) They had an appointment with the king. (2) They were in search of the merchant’s wife and child. (3) They wanted to earn a living in the king’s court. (4) They were in search of work wherein they could put their skills to use. (5) They came in search of their lost camel. 4. Which of the following statements is false according to the passage? (1) One of the brothers saw the king’s servant come out from the pomegranate orchard. (2) One of the brothers saw the camel carrying a lady along with a child on its back. (3) The three brothers were appointed as ministers in the king’s court. (4) The king was convinced with the brothers’ story after listening to their logic. (5) The merchant doubted the brothers and so took them to the king. 5. Why did the king challenge the three brothers with a task? (1) He wanted to see if they would pass the test in order to be ministers in his court. (2) He wanted to show them off to his ministers. (3) He wanted to put their reasoning skills to the test. (4) He wanted the merchant to witness their cleverness. (5) None of these 6. Which of the following word is most opposite to the word panic printed in bold in the above

story? (1) Calm (2) Fright (3) Hesitation (4) Anxious (5) Worried 7. What task did the king give to the three brothers on their arrival to the court? (A) He asked them to reveal the contents of a wooden box that he placed before them. (B) The task of handling the day to day affairs of the state. (C) He asked them to explain the secret of their reasoning abilities. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (B) (5) None of these 8. Which of the following sentence’s is true of the brothers? (A) They were fortune tellers. (B) They were responsible for kidnapping the merchant’s wife and child. (C) They used logic in order to determine the contents of the wooden box. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) and (C) (3) Only (B) (4) Only (C) (5) All (A), (B) and (C)


9. The king appointed the three brothers as ministers to his court because _______. (1) the ministers in his court were not as intelligent (2) he was in awe of their upbringing (3) they were in search of a job (4) they were ill-treated by the merchant (5) he was assured of their cleverness Directions (Qs. 10 to 12): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 10. Firmly (1) Unevenly (2) Drastically (3) Tightly (4) Steadily (5) Gracefully

11. Deduced (1) Predicted (2) Presented (3) Inferred (4) Confirmed (5) Targeted 12. Closely (1) Openly (2) Watchfully (3) Personally (4) Slyly (5) Carefully Self-Evaluation

Total Qs. No. of Attempt No. of Wrong No. of Correct 12

Ans: 1-3, 2-3, 3-4, 4-2, 5-3, 6-1, 7-1, 8-4, 9-5, 10-3, 11-3, 12-5. Qs.10. The meaning of the word Firmly (Adverb) as used in the passage is: in a strong or definite way; tightly. Look at the sentences: Keep your eyes firmly on the road ahead. He held on firmly fixed her arm. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Deduce (Verb) as used in the passage is: to form an opinion about something based on the information or evidence that is available; infer. Look at the sentence: We can deduce a lot from what people choose to buy. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Closely (Adverb) as used in the passage is: Carefully. Look at the sentence: I sat and watched everyone very closely.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. In the city of Manmathapura, there lived a young man named Veeravara. He was brave and intelligent. He longed for adventure and when he was eighteen years old, he took up a job on a ship so that he could travel and see other countries. He travelled to many places on the ship and had many adventures. One day, a storm hit the sea, the ship tossed about and everyone was thrown overboard, including Veeravara. He managed to clutch on to a piece of wood and save his life. As he was floating in the sea, he lost consciousness. When at last he woke up, he found himself lying on the sandy shore of an unknown island, under the piercing rays of the sun. Glad to be alive, he got up. He was on a large island, and some miles inland he could see a city. Veeravara started walking in that direction. When he reached the city, to his surprise, he was greeted by a great crowd that cheered him. He did not know what was happening. An elephant was brought forward and he was made to sit on his back. A sad-looking man was also sitting there silently. The elephant marched towards a palatial building. Veeravara asked the old man, ‘Why do the people welcome a stranger like me in this grand fashion? What are they celebrating, and where are they taking me?” The old man now looked sadder. “This is an unusual island,” he explained. “The people here are very intelligent but they have some funny rules. They are prosperous but they don’t have a king. They feel that if they choose a king from within themselves, he will be partial. So they wait for an unknown person to come to this island. When someone like you, a shipwrecked traveller, gets washed to the shore, they make him their king. They are taking us to the place. You are our new king now.” “What happens to the previous king? And who are you?” Veeravara asked. “I was the king till you came along. The old king is given a day to teach the new one the ropes, Then he is sent off to the next deserted island, where he has to look after himself. That’s the rule.” Saying this, the old man pointed to an island. Veeravara could see it was covered with dense forest. Now he realised why the old man was sad. Veeravara was crowned king with great pomp. He quickly learnt his new job and became a good and fair king. But deep inside, a little part of him remained unhappy. When would the next ship-wrecked person show up and he be sent off to the other island to live till the end of his days with wild animals and other retired kings? As he thought about this, he came up with an idea. As long as he was the king, he had absolute power. He ordered his men to go to the island and clear a part of the forest. Then he ordered roads and houses to be built. Soon there were roads, shops and pretty little houses on the island. People would go to the forest and see the wild animals; they gathered honey and fruits from the trees there, and in few years, the island was no longer deserted but a cheerful little town. Now Veeravara was not worried at all. When the next king appeared, he would not have to fend for himself in the forest. Instead, he would live in a little cottage and grow vegetables. Years passed and he got older. The people loved him and were sad whenever they thought he would no longer be their king. Then one day Veeravara called his people and said, “It is good when you make a person from outside the island a king. He is fresh and unbiased. But this may not always be a good idea. What if the next person who comes here is a crook? You will make him king without knowing anything about him.


Instead, let’s have a system where the cleverest people of this island are chosen and rule the place together. Then no one person will have absolute power, and if one of them turns out dishonest, you can always remove him from the council.” The islanders liked the idea, and in a few days, chose their new rulers. Veeravara handed over the kingdom to them and retired happily to his cottage, where he stayed till the end of his days. 1. Why did Veeravara take up a job on the ship? (1) He enjoyed the sea (2) It was the only job available (3) He wanted to visit an island (4) Jobs on the ship paid well and Veeravara needed the money (5) Life on the ship was filled with adventure. 2. How did Veeravara land on an unknown island? (A) He swam across to the nearest island after the shipwreck. (B) The ship lost its way and docked on the island. (C) He was unconscious while he floated across to the island. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (B) (5) None of these 3. Why did the crowd cheer when they saw Veeravara approaching them? (1) They were happy he was saved (2) They were expecting his visit (3) They were going to make him their king (4) They were happy Veeravara accepted their invitation to visit their island (5) They wanted their present king to retire as soon as possible. 4. Why was the old man who was accompanying Veeravara sad? (A) He was going to be sent off to a deserted island. (B) He had no sons who were adventurous like Veeravara. (C) He had no heir who could take over the kingdom after him. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (C) (5) All (A), (B) and (C) 5. What was the rule put forth by the people of the island? (1) Every stranger would get a warm welcome (2) No one was allowed to clear the forest area (3) The retired king would be sent off to a deserted island to look after himself (4) The island would be ruled by a council of rulers (5) The king had absolute power and could do as he wished. 6. Which of the following statements about Veeravara is false in the context of the passage? (1) He was responsible for bringing about a change in the island (2) He cleared the dense forest and built roads and cottages for his people (3) He wanted to have a comfortable retirement (4) He introduced the concept of a council (5) He was envious of the previous king.


7. Why did the villagers wait for an unknown person to arrive to their island in order to make him their king?

(1) They wanted their king to be someone who was not from among them (2) They did not have any young boys who were capable of carrying out the duties of a king (3) The people of the village were not educated (4) They found it easier to disrespect unknown people (5) Nobody in the island was willing to take up the responsibility of governance 8. Although Veeravara was a successful king, there was an element of unhappiness because_____

(1) he knew that he would not be able to stay on the island as he would have to return home one day. (2) he always felt that he was as foreigner on the island (3) he felt responsible for the dethronement of the previous king (4) he was not sure when he would be sent off to the deserted island (5) he lost his companions after the shipwreck

9. What advise did Veeravara give to the people of his kingdom?

(1) To choose a king from within the island (2) To send all the retired kings to the farthest deserted island (3) To have a system where a council of rulers could rule the island (4) To place complete trust in their king (5) None of these

Directions (Qs. 10 to 12): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 10. Piercing

(1) Intense (2) Loud (3) Vibrant (4) Violent (5) full 11. Deserted

(1) Secured (2) Inhabited (3) Isolated (4) Protected (5) Safe 12. Dense

(1) Dark (2) Thick (3) Tall (4) Natural (5) Lively Directions (Qs. 13 to 15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 13. Fair

(1) Unjust (2) Unlucky (3) Honest (4) Sensible (5) Dark

14. Remove (1) Indulge (2) Adjust (3) Derive (4) Include (5) Eliminate

15. Partial

(1) Complete (2) Unbiased (3) Favourable (4) Unfamiliar (5) Prejudiced Self-Evaluation



Ans: 1-5, 2-3, 3-3, 4-1, 5-3, 6-5, 7-1, 8-4, 9-3, 10-1, 11-3, 12-2, 13-1, 14-4, 15-2. Qs.10. The meaning of the word Piercing (Adjective) as used in the passage is: affecting you very strong and feeling as if it can pass through your skin; intense. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Deserted (Adjective) as used in the passage is: with no people, left by people who do not intend to return; abandoned; isolated. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Dense (Adjective) as used in the passage is: thick; containing a lot of people, things, plants etc. with little space between them. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Fair (Adjective) as used in the passage is; just; impartial; treating everyone equality and according to the rules or law. Look at the sentences: He has always been scrupulously fair. We have to be fair to both players. Its antonym should be unjust. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Remove (Verb) as used in the passage is: to dismiss somebody from their position or job; to take something/somebody away from a place. Look at the sentence: The election removed the government from power. Its antonym should be include which means: if one thing includes another, it has the second thing as one of its parts; to make somebody part of something. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Partial (Adjective) as used in the passage is: biased; showing or feeling too much support for one person, team, idea etc. in a way that is unfair.

Its antonym should be unbiased.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. There is a story told of a king who lived long ago in a country across the sea. He was a very wise king, and spared no effort to teach his people good habits. Often he did things which seemed to them strange and useless; but everything he did, he did to teach his people to be industrious and careful. “Nothing good can come to a nation, whose people complain and expect others to fix their problems for them” he said. “Good things from life come to those who take matters into their hands”. One night, while everyone was asleep, he placed a large stone in the middle of the road that led past the palace. Then he hid behind a bush, and waited to see what would happen. First came a farmer with his wagon heavily loaded with grain, which he was taking to the mill to be ground. “well, whoever saw such carelessness ?” he said crossly, as he turned his wagon and drove around the stone. “Why don’t these lazy people have that stone taken off from the road?” And so he went on complaining about the uselessness of others, but not touching the stone himself. Soon afterwards, a young soldier came singing along the road. The long trail of his cap waved in the breeze, and a bright sword hung at his side. He was thinking of the wonderful bravery he would show in the war. The soldiers did not see the stone, but struck his foot against it and went tossing in the dust. He rose to his feet, shook the dust from his clothes, picked up his sword, and complained angrily about the lazy people who had no more sense than to leave such a huge stone in the middle of the road. Then he, too, walked away, not once thinking that he might move it himself. And so the day passed. Everyone who came by complained and whined because the stone lay on the road, but no one touched it. At last, just before nightfall, the miller’s daughter came past. She was a hard-working girl, and was very tired because she had been busy since early morning at the mill. But she said to herself, “It is almost dark. Somebody may trip over this stone in the night, and perhaps he could be badly hurt. I will move it out of the way.” So she tugged at the heavy stone. It was hard to move, but she pulled and pushed, and lifted until at last she moved it from its place. To her surprise, she found a box underneath. She lifted the box. It was heavy, for it was filled with something. Upon it was written: This box belongs to the one who moved the stone. She opened the lid, and found that it was filled with gold! The miller’s daughter went home with a happy heart. When the farmer and the soldier and all the others heard what had happened, they gathered around the spot on the road where the stone had been. They scratched at the dust with their feet, hoping to turn up a piece of gold. “My friends,” said the king, “we often come across obstacles and burdens our way. We may complain out loud about them or we may choose to walk around them. Alternatively, we can analyse them and find out what they mean. Disappointment is usually the price of laziness.” Then the wise king mounted his horse and rode away. 1. Why was the miller’s daughter happy?

(1) She finished all her work at the mill (2) She won the bet placed by the king (3) The king declared her the most industrious person in his kingdom. (4) She was rewarded with a box full of gold that lay beneath the stone. (5) The king offered her a hundred gold coins.


2. Why did the king place a stone in the middle of the road? (1) He enjoyed troubling others (2) He wanted to watch people trip and fall (3) He wanted to cover a manhole in the road. (4) He wanted to obstruct people from visiting the palace (5) He wanted to teach his people to take matters into their own hands.

3. The people complained while passing the road that led past the palace because

(A) there was a huge stone lying on the road (B) there was a manhole in the road (C) nobody was allowed to shift the stone on the road (1) Only (A) (2) Only (C) (3) Only (A) and (C) (4) Only (B) (5) None of these

4. Which of the following adjectives given below would best describe the king?

(1) Evil (2) Industrious (3) Lazy (4) Careless (5) Suspicious 5. Why did the people from the country, including the farmer and the soldier gather around the

spot where the stone lay? (1) They were hoping to discover a gold mine (2) They were told that the king was waiting for them at the very spot (3) They were hoping to discover some more gold for themselves (4) They wanted to make sure that the stone was really removed (5) They wanted to inspect the damage done to the road

6. Who among the following did not attempt to move the stone?

(A) The farmer (B) The miller’s daughter (C) The young soldier (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (C) (5) Only (A) and (B)

7. Why did the king hide behind the bush?

(1) He wanted to see how his people would react to the stone (2) He was spying on the young soldier (3) He was not getting sleep (4) He wanted to guard the palace (5) None of these

8. Which of the following statement is true of the miller’s daughter according to the passage?

(1) She was a very considerate girl (2) She was greedy (3) She misguided the farmer and the young soldier (4) She was very busy and had no time for others (5) None of the above is true

9. Which of the following statements is true of the king according to the passage?

(A) He often did useless things like placing stones on the road to irritate his people (B) He tried his best to teach his people to be industrious (C) He was responsible for placing the box of gold beneath the stone. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (C) (3) Only (B) and (C) (4) Only (B) (5) Only (A) and (C)


10. Why did the miller’s daughter decide to move the stone? (1) She wanted the gold that lay beneath the stone (2) She was afraid that someone would get hurt (3) She knew that the king was watching her from behind the bush (4) The girl loved challenges and wanted to show her strength to the king. (5) She wanted to escape work at the mill.

Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. LOADED

(1) Completed (2) Filled (3) Secured (4) Adjusted (5) Weighed 12. OFTEN

(1) Sometimes (2) Hardly (3) Rarely (4) Deliberately (5) Frequently 13. MOUNTED

(1) Climbed (2) Took (3) Tapped (4) Moved (5) Called Directions (Qs. 14 to15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage 14. CARELESSNESS

(1) Negligence (2) Carefulness (3) Worthiness (4) Harshness (5) Laziness 15. HARD (1) Difficult (2) Light (3) Easy (4) Complicated (5) Soft

Self-Evaluation Total Qs. No. of Attempt No. of Wrong No. of Correct

15

Ans: 1-4, 2-5, 3-1, 4-2, 5-3, 6-4, 7-1, 8-5, 9-2, 10-2, 11-2, 12-5, 13-1, 14-2, 15-3. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Loaded (Adjective) as used in the passage is: carrying a load; laden; full and heavy; filled. Look at the sentence: He came into the room carrying a loaded tray.

Qs.12. The meaning of the word Often (Adverb) as used in the passage is many times; frequently; commonly. Look at the sentences: How often do you go to the theatre? I see her quite often. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Mount (Verb) as used in the passage is: to get on a bicycle horse etc in order to ride it; climb. Look at the sentence: He mounted his horse and rode away. Qs.14. The antonym of the word Carelessness is carefulness. Qs.15. The meaning of the word hard is soft.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. Amrutananda was a well-known and rich landlord in his village. He and his wife were both cunning and extremely sly. They made a lot of money by cheating and ill-treating their labourers who worked in their fields. One day, a young man named Manikya came to Amrutananda, asking for work. Amrutananda was pleasantly surprised. No one ever wanted to work for him because of his reputation, and here was someone walking right into his house! Manikya’s next few words made him even happier. Manikya said, ‘I will work for you for free. You need not pay me a salary, only give me a place to sleep, two sets of clothes and two meals a day.’ Amrutananda was filled with joy when he heard this and was about to agree, when Manikya added, ‘I have only one condition: I will tell you the truth always, but one day of the year I will lie to you.’ Amrutananda, who lied happily every day of the year, agreed to this odd condition. So Manikya joined him. He was a wonderful worker – hard- working and trustworthy. He was very honest and soon became Amrutananda’s right hand man. A year went by, and because of Manikya’s hard work, Amrutananda had an excellent harvest. He and his wife Mandakini, decided to have a big feast to celebrate. They invited all their relatives and friends, who came from across the village and outside to participate in this celebration. Everyone was looking forward to the delicious feast being planned. On the morning of the feast, Amrutananda decided he would also give away some gifts to his relatives, just so that he could show-off. So he set off for the market in his cart. As soon as he was out of sight, Manikya went running to his mistress, Mandakini. He wept loudly and beat his chest. Then he fell on the floor sobbing, and announced, the master is dead.’ The cart overturned on the road. Our master has been flattened like a Chapatti” As soon as Amrutananda’s wife and relatives heard this, they started wailing. Manikya rushed out, saying he would bring back the body, while everyone started preparing for the last rites Manikya now went running to his master and said “Master! Your wife is dead. My kind, loving mistress is dead. A cobra bit her and she fell to the ground, as blue as the spring sky.” Amrutananda was stunned. His beloved Mandakini, his partner in all his schemes, was dead! He couldn’t believe it. He rushed back home shouting her name. Mandakini was weeping loudly, sitting in the courtyard. When she saw her husband run in, she stopped mid wall, and Amrutananda too, stood open-mouthed and speechless. Then they fell into each other’s arms, unable to believe their eyes. At once they turned to Manikya, “What is the meaning of this. Manikya?’ his master demanded in a stern voice. Manikya smiled, “Remember my condition, that I would lie only once in a year? Well, I choose today. You see what lies can do? They nearly destroyed your life. Now think about what happens to the people you lie to every day. Saying this he walked out, leaving behind a stunned and ashamed landlord. 1. Why didn’t anyone want to work for Amrutananda?

(1) He always ill-treated and cheated his labourers (2) He wanted people to work for him for free (3) He never paid their dues on time (4) He hardly made them work (5) He had too many conditions


2. Why did Manikya volunteer to work for Amrutananda for free? (1) His food and shelter would be taken care of. (2) He was fond of Amrutananda. (3) He had heard many stories of Amrutananda’s generosity. (4) He wanted to teach Amrutananda a lesson. (5) He could not find work anywhere else.

3. What was Manikya’s intention for lying to his master? (A) He wanted to draw some attention to himself. (B) He was jealous of his master (C) He wanted to cause trouble during the celebration. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) and (C) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (B) (5) None of these

4. What could be an appropriate moral to the story?

(1) Lying destroys lives. (2) Never employ anyone for free. (3) Always think before you cry. (4) Never show off your wealth (5) Feasts always lead to tragedy.

5. Which of the following statements is false as inferred from the passage? (1) Amrutananda’s wife was bitten by a cobra snake (2) Manikya was a very hard working and trustworthy servant. (3) Amrutananda was known for his shrewdness. (4) Manikya chose to work for Amrutananda for free. (5) Amrutananda’s harvest was successful because of Manikya.

6. On what condition did Manikya agree to stay and work for Amrutananda? (1) He would be treated like a family member. (2) He would be allowed to lie on anyone day in the year. (3) He would leave the day his master, Amrutananda, lied to him. (4) He would not accept any salary, either in kind or in cash from Amrutananda. (5) That he could leave whenever he pleased without prior notice.

7. What important lesson did Amrutananda learn from Manikya? (1) To never hire anyone for free (2) That hardwork is the only key to success (3) To never show off his wealth (4) That it is okay to lie for one day of the year. (5) None of these

8. Why did Amrutananda and his wife, Mandakini, wish to have a celebration? (1) They wanted to treat Manikya to a feast for his effort in the successful harvest. (2) They wanted to give Manikya a farewell. (3) They received a rich harvest and so wanted to have a feast. (4) They had abundant food and did not know what to do with it. (5) They wanted to show off their wealth to their neighbours.

9. Why was Amrutananda’s wife crying in the house?

(1) Nothing was going right during the feast (2) Her relatives could not make it for the celebration. (3) Her best servant, Manikya announced that he was quitting. (4) She received news that her husband was dead. (5) None of these


10. Which of the following could be an appropriate title for the story? (1) The Unfortunate Landlord. (2) Manikya-the wise labourer. (3) The Evil Labourer (4) The Glorious Feast (5) The Feast that turned into a Disaster.

Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. Overturned

(1) Slipped (2) Rotated (3) Inverted (4) Accident (5) Blocked

12. Odd (1) Acceptable (2) Normal (3) Favorable (4) Unique (5) Strange

13. Stunned

(1) Shocked (2) Confused (3) Doubtful (4) Hesitant (5) Scared

Directions (Qs. 14 to15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. Cunning

(1) Pure (2) Sly (3) Innocent (4) Harsh (5) Superior 15. Ashamed

(1) Happy (2) Proud (3) Grateful (4) Peaceful (5) Guilty Self-Evaluation


Ans: 1-1, 2-4, 3-5, 4-1, 5-1, 6-2, 7-5, 8-3, 9-4, 10-2, 11-3, 12-5, 13-1, 14-3, 15-2. Qs.11. The meaning of the Overturned (Verb) as used in the passage is: if something overturns or if somebody overturns it, it turns upside down; invert. Look at the sentence: The car skidded and overturned. Hence, the synonym of the word overturned should be inverted. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Odd (Adjective) as used in the passage is: strange; unusual. Look at the sentence: There is something odd about that man. Qs.13. The meaning of the word stunned (Adjective) as used in the passage is; shocked; knocked down. Look at the sentence: She was too stunned to speak. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Cunning (Adjective) as used in the passage is: crafty; alever and skillful; ingenious. Look at the sentence: He was as cunning as fox. Its antonym should be innocent. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Ashamed (Adjective) as used in the passage is: feeling shame or embarrassment. Look at the sentence: He was deeply ashamed of his behaviour at the party. Its antonym should be proud.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

The Sun, while going on his daily rounds saw a princess and fell in love with her. Whenever he could slip away from the heavens he would take human form and go down to the princess to spend some time with her. The princess too became quite fond of him and would wait for him to come. One day the Sun decided to send her a bloodred ruby as a token of his love for her. He put the gem in a silk bag, and calling a crow that was flying past, asked the bird to deliver the gem to his beloved. Crows had milky white feathers in those days and it was considered auspicious if a crow came anywhere near you. So the Sun was pleased that he had found a crow to deliver the gem. As the crow sped through the sky with the silken bag, the aroma for food lured him. Looking down the crow saw that a wedding feast was in progress, and immediately it was distracted from its mission. Food was one thing it could never resist! Alighting on a tree nearby, it hung the bag on a twig and went off to find some food. While the crow was feasting, a merchant passing by saw the bag on the tree, and knocked it down with a pole. When he opened the bag and saw its contents he almost swooned in joy. Quickly pocketing the ruby, he filled the bag with dry cow dung that was lying there, and then deftly returned the bag to the branch. It was all done so quickly that the crow missed all the action. After having its fill, it flew up to the tree, and picking up the bag took it to the person it was intended for. The princess was in the garden. When the crow gave her the bag, she took it eagerly, knowing that it was from the Sun. But when she saw its contents she reeled back in shock and anger. Believing that it was the Sun’s way of telling her that he did not care for her, she flung the bag away, rushed to her palace, and never came out again. When the Sun learnt of what had happened he was furious. So great was his anger that when he turned his scorching gaze on the crow, its feathers were burned black. Its feathers have been black ever since. The ruby did not stay with the man who stole it. It fell out of his pocket and rolled into a deep pit. Men have been trying to dig it out ever since. Many precious stones have been found in the process, making Myanmar one of the richest sources of rubies and sapphires, but the ruby that the Sun sent to the princess is yet to be found. 1. What did the Sun send for the princess as a token of his love?

(1) He sent her the crow (2) He sent her dry cow dung (3) He sent her a red ruby (4) He gifted her the city of Myanmar (5) None of these

2. Why did the princess fling the gift away?

(1) She did not like rubies. (2) The crow was known to bring bad luck. (3) She had found cow dung in the bag. (4) She thought the Sun was playing a cruel joke on her. (5) She had wanted the Sun to personally deliver it.

3. What led to the discovery of precious stones in Myanmar?

(1) Humans discovered the stones in their search for the lost ruby (2) The crow spread the news of the lost ruby. (3) The princess went in search of the lost ruby and discovered other precious stones. (4) The merchant went in search of the ruby that fell off his pocket. (5) The merchant’s clumsiness led to the discovery of precious stones.


4. While on its way to the princess, the crow was distracted by (1) The merchant calling out to him. (2) The wedding that was taking place below. (3) The ruby that the Sun sent for the princess. (4) The temptation of the smell of food. (5) The huge crowd at the wedding.

5. Why did the Sun send his gift for the princess along with the crow?

(1) The princess loved crows. (2) The crow was the only bird available at the time. (3) The crow was considered to be an auspicious bird (4) The crow knew where the princess lived. (5) The Sun trusted the crow.

6. The joy of the merchant of finding the ruby was short lived because

(1) He did not succeed in stealing the ruby. (2) The ruby fell out of his pocket. (3) The crow returned just in time and caught him red handed. (4) He soon discovered many more precious stones. (5) None of these

7. How did the crow get its black color?

(1) The crow was punished by the Sun for its clumsiness. (2) The crow was burned black by the scorching gaze of the angry Sun. (3) The crow was not considered auspicious any more. (4) The crow was cursed by the merchant. (5) None of these

8. What could be an appropriate title for the story?

(1) The Careless Black Crow (2) Myanmar and its Mineral Riches (3) The Sun and the Princess (4) The Depressed Princess (5) The Sun and the Ruby

9. What was the crow’s mission?

(1) To deliver the gift to the princess (2) To attend the wedding. (3) To make the Sun angry (4) To keep the princess in her palace (5) To protect the princess from the harmful Sun.

10. What message did the princess get after opening the bag?

(1) That the Sun truly loved her. (2) That the crow was an evil bird. (3) That the crow was playing a joke on her (4) That the Sun did not love her anymore (5) That the cow dung was a token of the Sun’s love for her.


Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. Token

(1) Symbol (2) Insurance (3) Slip (4) Assurance (5) Investment 12. Deftly

(1) Skillfully (2) Blindly (3) Eagerly (4) Rightfully (5) Innocently 13. Auspicious

(1) Religious (2) Lucky (3) Fulfilling (4) Charming (5) Normal Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. Scorching

(1) Cool (2) Heated (3) Warm (4) Silent (5) Composed 15. Furious

(1) Beaming (2) Angry (3) Forgiving (4) Calm (5) Sulking

Self-Evaluation


Ans: 1-3, 2-3, 3-1, 4-4, 5-3, 6-2, 7-2, 8-3, 9-1, 10-4, 11-1, 12-1, 13-2, 14-1, 15-4. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Token (Noun) as used in the passage is: something that is a symbol of a feeling, a fact, an event; expression; mark. Look at the sentence: Please accept this gift as a token of our gratitude. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Deftly (Adverb) as used in the passage is: skillfully and quickly. Look at the sentence: I threw him a towel which he deftly caught. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Auspicious (Adjective) as used in the passage is: lucky; bringing god luck. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Scorching (Adjective) as used in the passage is: very hot, baking. Its antonym should be cool. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Furious (Adjective) as used in the passage is very angry. Look at the sentence: He was absolutely furious at having been deceived. Its antonym should be calm.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Directions (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following two passages carefully and answer the questions given below them. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in passage to help you locate them while answering some of the questions. Passage I: (For Qs. 1 to 10): Ghanshyam Das Birla was a great architect of India’s Industrial growth. He started his career in Kolkata at the beginning of 20th century. He set up many industries. He entered the field of business during the days of the First World War and established himself after the war years. First, he established a cotton mill in Sabzi Mandi, Delhi, followed by Keshoram Cotton Mills and Birla Jute Mills around 1920. The Keshoram Mills were set up with the efforts of Andrew Yule. In 1919, with an investment of Rs.50 lakhs, Birla Brothers Limited was formed and thereafter a mill was set up in Gwalior. Mr. Birla realised that political freedom from British rule was imperative for the industrial growth of India. In 1920, he came into contact with Gandhiji and became his disciple. In the decade of the 30’s he set up sugar and paper mills. From 1943 to 1946, with the stock exchange gaining ground, Birla Brothers ventured into the areas of cars, cotton, machinery and manmade fabrics. United Commercial Bank was set up during this period. Prior to this, he had established Ruby, Asiatic Insurance Co. and Inland Air Service. After independence, the Birlas expanded their business and started production in many fields. Near Mirzapur, he, in collaboration with Caesar, an American friend, set up an aluminium plant Hindalco in record time. He bought the Century Mill from Sir Chunnilal V. Mehta, the cousin of Sir Purshottam Das Thakur Das. He also bought tea estates and started cement and fertiliser factories. He established a new style of management. In his birth place Pilani, and at many other places he started many educational institutions. To his credit go many temples, planetariums and hospitals. In 1983; he died while in London, but not before seeing his business flourish as one of the topmost establishments in India. During the decades of 70’s and 80’s Birla Brothers was among the topmost Industrial Houses in India. Passage II: (For Qs. 11 to 15): Anna Saheb Karve’s life was as simple and clean as that of an ancient ascetic (Rishi Muni). He was liberal in his views and sympathetic in his attitude. He was deeply moved by the troubles and tribulations of women folk. What Anna Saheb did for the upliftment of women in the last decade of the nineteenth century was beyond the imagination of the people. He created an awakening among women through his writing in Kesari. He was a staunch supporter of widow remarriage. On March 11, 1893, he set an example for society by taking the bold step of marrying a widow. The couple dedicated their lives to social work and reform. He established an orphanage in Pune. Anna Saheb realised the importance of education for women. He spared no effort in starting the Bharatiya Mahila Vidyapeeth, the first University for women. In 1921, he travelled to Europe and America and met famous people like Albert Einstein and formulated his opinions regarding work. In 1958, he was awarded the ‘Bharat Ratna’ in recognition of his services in educational and social reforms.


1. Ghanshyam Das Birla was better known to India as (1) a freedom fighter against British rule (2) an architect of temples in various cities (3) a pioneer of India’s industrial growth (4) an architect of the textile industry in India (5) None of these

2. Ghanshyam Das Birla’s first industrial venture was (1) a textile related Industry (2) a cotton mill, Gwalior (3) Keshoram Cotton Mills, Delhi (4) car manufacturing company (5) None of these

3. What was Andrew Yule’s role in Ghanshyam Das Birla’s career?

(1) He helped Ghanshyam Das Birla in setting up cotton mills in Sabzi Mandi, Delhi. (2) He invested Rs.50 lakh in Keshoram Cotton Mills. (3) He extended a lot of help to Ghanshyam Das Birla in his second venture. (4) He helped Ghanshyam Das Birla in the field of business before the First World War. (5) None of these

4. What was Ghanshyam Das Birla’s view about the British rule in India?

(1) The British rule was very atrocious. (2) The British rule was counter productive to India’s industrial growth. (3) The British rule was not a hindrance to India’s industrial growth. (4) The industrial growth of India had nothing to do with gaining freedom from the British (5) None of these

5. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

(A) Ghanshyam Das Birla could set up a large number of diverse industries due to British rule in India. (B) Ghanshyam Das Birla, with his family member, started various industries due to flourishing of the Stock Exchange. (C) Ghanshyam Das Birla was impressed by Gandhiji’s philosophy. (1) Both (A) and (B) (2) Both (A) and (C) (3) All the three (4) Only (B) and (C) (5) None of these

6. Which of the following statements is FALSE in the context of the passage?

(A) Ghanshyam Das Birla unfortunately died before realising the progress his business had made. (B) Hindalco was set up in a very short time span. (C) Ghanshyam Das Birla’s management style was different from the traditional one. (1) (A) Only (2) (B) only (3) (C) Only (4) Both (A) and (B) (5) Both (A) and (C)

Directions (Qs. 7 to 8): Choose the word/group of words which is/are most nearly the SAME in meaning to the word/group of words given in bold as used in the passage. 7. IMPERATIVE

(1) trivial (2) dispensable (3) inadequate (4) improper (5) unavoidable


8. GAINING GROUND (1) obtaining land (2) making advances (3) losing heavily (4) grounding due to losses (5) having level playing field

Directions (Qs. 9 to 10): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in the meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 9. EXPANDED

(1) increased (2) extended (3) banned (4) curtailed (5) perished 10. FLOURISH

(1) flower (2) tarnish (3) gain (4) disgrace (5) deteriorate

11. Which of the following makes Anna Saheb Karve comparable to an ascetic? (1) His emphasis on the importance of education (2) His efforts in founding Bharatiya Mahila Vidyapeeth (3) His liberal views and deep sympathy and sensitivity for women and simple and clean life. (4) His winning the ‘Bharat Ratna’ Award.

(5) He was an old man 12. What did Anna Saheb Karve do to prove that he practised what he preached?

(1) He wrote articles in ‘Kesari’ for creating awareness among women. (2) He established an orphanage in Pune. (3) He expressed very strong views in support of widow remarriage. (4) He married a widow (5) None of these

13. What was Karve’s ideology in starting Bharatiya Mahila Vidyapeeth? (1) Women must have greater access to and opportunities for education. (B) Widows and forsaken women should get opportunities for being self-reliant. (C) Uplifting of women who had remained underprivileged for years. (1) All the three (2) Both (A) and (C) (3) Both (B) and (C) (4) Only (C) (5) Only (A)

14. Anna Saheb Karve was felicitated with the ‘Bharat Ratna’ Award for:

(A) his recognising that educational reform alone was the solution to all the problems that women faced. (B) his contribution to the education of women and their social transformation. (C) his intellectual discussions with world famous scientists and social reformers. (1) (A) only (2) (B) only (3) (C) only (4) Only (A) and (5) All the three

15. Which of the following statements is definitely TRUE in the contest of the passage? (A) Before the last decade of 19th century, widow remarriages were socially unacceptable.

(B) Anna Saheb Karve thought that educating women was one of the most effective ways of their upliftment.

(C) Anna Saheb Karve’s wife actively joined him in his social service. (1) Both (A) and (B) (2) Both (B) and (C) (3) Both (A) and (C) (4) All the three (5) None of these.


15


Ans: 1-3, 2-1, 3-3, 4-2, 5-4, 6-1, 7-5, 8-2, 9-4, 10-5, 11-3, 12-4, 13-2, 14-2, 15-4. Qs.7. Imperative (Adjective) means very important and needing immediate attention; vital. For example, It is absolutely imperative that we finish by next week. It is imperative to continue the treatment for at least three months. Therefore, imperative and avoidable are synonymous. Qs.8. Gain Ground means to become more powerful or successful. For example, Pound sterling continues to gain ground against the dollar. Therefore idioms gaining ground and making advances are synonymous. Qs.9. Expand (Verb) means to make something greater in size, number or importance, to open new branches. For example, We have expanded the business by opening two more stores. Curtail means to limit something or make it last for a shorter time. For example, Spending on books has been severely curtailed. Therefore, Expanded and curtailed are antonymous. Qs.10. Flourish (Verb) means to develop quickly and be successful; thrive; to grow well. For example, Many businesses are flourishing in the present economic climate. Some plants flourish in a damp climate. Deteriorate (Verb) means to become worse. For example, Her health deteriorated rapidly and she died shortly afterwards. The discussion quickly deteriorated into an angry argument. Therefore Flourish and deteriorate are synonymous.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. Once upon a time, there was a royal elephant which used to reside in the premises of the king’s palace. The elephant was very dear to the king, so he was well-fed and well-treated. There was also a dog who lived near the elephant’s shed. He was very week and skinny. He was always fascinated by the smell of rich sweet rice being fed to the royal elephant. One day, the dog could no longer resist the aroma of the rice and somehow managed to sneak into the elephant’s shed. He ate the grains of sweet rice that fell from the elephant’s mouth. He liked the rice so much, that he started going there daily to eat the rice. For days, the huge elephant didn’t notice the small dog as he was busy enjoying the delicious food. Gradually, the dog grew bigger and stronger eating such rich food. Finally the elephant noticed him and allowed him access to the food. The elephant enjoyed the company of the dog and started sharing his food with him. They also started spending time with each other and soon became good friends. They ate together, slept together and played together. While playing, the elephant would hold the dog in his trunk and swing him back and forth. Soon neither of them was happy without the other. They became great friends and didn’t want to be separated from each other. Then one day, a man saw the dog and asked the elephant-keeper, “I want to buy this dog. What price do you want for it?” The elephant-keeper didn’t own the dog but sold it and extracted a sum of money from this deal. The man took the dog to his home village, which was quite far away. The king’s elephant became very sad after this incident. He missed his friend a lot and started neglecting everything. He didn’t want to do anything without his dear friend, so he stopped eating, drinking and even bathing Finally, the elephant-keeper reported this to the king; however he didn’t mention anything about the dog. The king had a wise minister, who was known for his keen understanding of animals. The king ordered the minister, “Go to the elephant’s shed and find out the reason for the elephant’s condition”. The intelligent minister went to the elephant’s shed and found the elephant very sad. He examined the elephant and asked the elephant elephant-keeper, “There is nothing wrong with this elephant’s body, then why does he look so sad? I think this elephant is grief stricken, possibly due to the loss of a dear friend. Do you know if this elephant shared a close friendship with anyone?” The elephant-keeper said, “There was a dog who used to eat, sleep and play with the elephant. He was taken by a stranger three days ago”. The minister went back to the king and said, “Your majesty, in my opinion, the royal elephant is not sick, but he is lonesome without his dear friend, the dog”. The king said, “You’re right, friendship is one of the most wonderful things of life. Do you know where that dog is?” The minister replied, “elephant-keeper has informed me that a stranger took him away and he didn’t know his whereabouts”. The king asked, “How can we bring back my elephant’s friend and make him happy again?” The minister suggested, “Your Majesty, make a declaration, that whoever has the dog used to live at the royal elephant’s shed will be penalized”. The king did the same and the man who had taken the dog, instantly turned him loose when he heard the proclamation. As soon as he was freed, the dog ran back as fast as he could to the elephant’s shed. The elephant was so delighted to see the dog that he picked up his friend up with his trunk and swung him back and forth. The dog wagged his tail, while the elephant’s eyes sparkled with happiness. The king was content to see the elephant happy once again and rewarded the minister for his wise judgement.


1. What was the Minister’s diagnosis of the elephant’s condition? (1) The elephant hated his keeper (2) The elephant was lonely (3) The elephant was starving (4) The elephant had hurt his leg and was in pain (5) None of these

2. What method did the Minister suggest to king to get back the dog?

(1) To declare that whoever had that particular dog would be punished (2) To keep a bowl of rice for the dog in the elephant’s shed so that he could be lured back to the

place (3) To command the elephant-keeper to look for the dog in the village (4) To persuade the elephant to call out to the dog (5) None of these

3. Why had the elephant become very sad?

(1) He no longer got his daily bowl of rice (2) He was unhappy with the king for having sold the dog (3) He missed his friend the dog (4) He was sold to an unknown man by his keeper (5) None of these

4. What did the elephant-keeper do to the dog?

(1) He sold the dog to an unknown man for a price (2) He hit the dog as the dog was eating the elephant’s food (3) He killing the dog (4) He complained to the king about the dog (5) None of these

5. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?

(1) Friends and Enemies (2) The Playful Dog (3) The King and the Minister (4) The Elephant-keeper (5) The Bond of Friendship

6. Why was the elephant taken care of?

(1) He was a very special elephant as he could talk to dogs (2) He was a very loyal elephant (3) He was the strongest elephant in the kingdom (4) He was weak and the king had a lot of sympathy for him (5) The elephant was very dear to the king

7. Why did the dog start going to the elephant’s shed everyday?

(1) He liked the elephant a lot and wanted to become friend with him (2) He was being fed by the king everyday (3) He was found of the elephant’s shed (4) He liked the taste of the rice being fed to the elephant (5) None of these

8. What did the dog do once he was set free?

(1) He ate rice to his heart’s content (2) He thanked the king for his kindness (3) He ran away from the kingdom to a place far away (4) He ran back to his friend the elephant (5) None of these

9. What of the following can definitely be said about the elephant-keeper?

(A) He was greedy (B) He was insensitive (C) He was brave (1) Only (A (2) Only (B) (3) Only (A) and (B) (4) Only (B) and (C) (5) All (A), (B) and (C)


10. Which of the following can definitely be said about the king? (A) He was compassionate, (B) He was deceitful, (C) He loved animals (1) Only (A) (2) Only (A) and (C) (3) Only (A) and (B) (4) Only (B) (5) All the three

Directions (Qs.11 to 13) : Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. EXTRACTED

(1) pulled (2) inserted (3) wring (4) dug out (5) received 12. DECLARATION

(1) pact (2) praise (3) announcement (4) writ (5) resolve 13. KEEN

(1) shallow (2) urgent (3) concentrated (4) deep (5) eager Directions (Qs.14 to 15) : Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word/ group of words printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. RESIST

(1) give in (2) please (3) struggle (4) try out (5) defy 15. SEPARATED

(1) stuck (2) united (3) estranged (4) bound (5) joined Self-Evaluation


Ans: 1-2, 2-1, 3-3, 4-1, 5-5, 6-5, 7-4, 8-4, 9-3, 10-1, 11-5, 12-3, 13-4, 14-1, 15-2. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Extract (Verb) as used in the passage is: to obtain information money etc. often by taking it from somebody. Hence, the words extracted and received are synonymous. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Declaration (Noun) as used in the passage is: a written or spoken statement. Hence, the words declaration and announcement are synonymous. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Keen (Adjective) as used in the passage is: strong or deep. Look at the sentence: He took a keen interest in his grandson’s education. Hence, the words keen and deep are synonymous. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Resist (Verb) as used in the passage is: to refuse to accept something and try to stop it from happening oppose; to use force to stop something from happening. The idiom Given in means; to admit that you have been defeated by somebody/something. Hence, the words resist and give in are antonymous. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Separate (Verb) as used in the passage is: to divide into different parts or groups; to move apart. The word Unite (Verb) means: to join together with other people in order to do something as a group. Hence, the words separate and united are antonymous.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. He was a funny looking man with a high, bald, dome shaped head, a face very small in comparison and a long wavy beard. His unusual features were a standing joke among his friends. He was a poor man-an idler. He didn’t work at his trade-a stonecutter, more than what was necessary to keep his wife and three boys alive. He preferred to talk but since his wife was an irate complaining woman, he loved to be away from home. The whole city he lived in was seething with argumentation. The city was Athens and the man was Socrates the Greek philosopher. He had funny ways and notions. And to the astonishment of all, the Oracle at Delphi, the priestess when asked, “Who is the wisest man in Athens?” mentioned Socrates. Socrates was the evangelist of clear thinking: he would present people with questions pretending he didn’t know the answers and get them to make astounding admissions. Socrates would go upto a prominent statesman coming to the end of a speech on “courage”, about the glory of dying for one’s country and say, “Forgive my intrusion, but just what do you mean by courage?” “Courage is sticking to your post in danger” would be the reply. “But supposing good strategy demands that you retire?”, Socrates would ask. “You wouldn’t stay in that case” the man would be forced to admit. Socrates would persist, “Then is courage sticking to your post or retiring?” “I’m afraid I don’t know.” I don’t either”, Socrates would say “but perhaps it is not different from just doing the reasonable thing regardless of the danger.” 1. Socrates by profession was _____

(1) Philosopher (2) Idler (3) Politician (4) Evangelist (5) None of these 2. The author’s main objective in writing the passage is to:

(A) describe the situation prevalent in Athens in Socrates’ time. (B) describe Socrates’ physical characteristics. (C) criticize Socrates’ way of life. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (C) (3) Both (B) and (C) (4) Both (A) and (C) (5) None of these

3. How did Socrates perceive courage?

(1) Not abandoning one’s post (2) Retiring from one’s post (3) Dying for one’s country (4) Rightful action in the face of danger (5) Not changing one’s opinion

4. Which of the following best describes Socrates?

(1) He loved to argue with his wife (2) He was a handsome man (3) He was not the wisest man (4) He had no sense of humour (5) None of these

5. Which of the following is true in the context of the passage? (1) The Oracle at Delphi did not know anything (2) Socrates could not support his family (3) Socrates ideas were the same as those of other citizens of Athens (4) Socrates believed in reason and logic (5) All of these


6. What was Socrates’ style of arguing? (1) Make fun of people by pointing out the flaws in their arguments (2) Preach till his audience was convinced about his point of view (3) Question a person’s assumptions to lead him to a different point of view (4) Rudely interrupt speeches and question the orator (5) Insult the speaker so that he would get angry and lose the argument

7. An appropriate title for the passage would be

(1) Ancient Greece (2) He Taught Us To Think (3) True Courage (4) The Oracle at Delphi (5) Arguing

8. Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage?

(1) Socrates valued logic (2) Socrates had an unhappy personal life (3) Socrates was considered the wisest man in Athens (4) Socrates worked very hard so that his family could live in comfort (5) None of these

9. Why did the Oracle name Socrates as the wisest man in Athens?

(1) Socrates had the answer to all questions (2) Socrates had a sense of humour (3) Socrates believed in reasoning; not in blind faith (4) Socrates was a good orator (5) Socrates valued friendship

Directions (Qs. 10 to 12): Pick out the word which is closest in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 10. notion

(1) rules (2) clothes (3) thoughts (4) advice (5) gestures

11. seething (1) assembling (2) suffering (3) receiving (4) searching (5) None of these

12. astonishment

(1) disgust (2) offence (3) realization (4) interest (5) wonder Directions (Qs. 13 to 15): Pick out the word which is opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage 13. irate

(1) irritable (2) easygoing (3) sleepy (4) calm (5) weak 14. prominent

(1) ordinary (2) dull (3) unprofessional (4) intelligent (5) incapable 15. forgive

(1) exempt (2) abstain (3) lenient (4) pardon (5) condemn


15


Ans: 1-5, 2-5, 3-4, 4-5, 5-4, 6-3, 7-2, 8-4, 9-1, 10-3, 11-5, 12-5, 13-4, 14-1, 15-5. Qs.10. The meaning of the word Notion (Verb) as used in the passage is: an idea, a belief or an understanding of something: thought. Look at the sentence: He had only a vague notion of what might happen. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Seethe (Verb) as used in the passage is: to be extremely angry about something but try not to show other people how angry you are; fume; to move around quickly and violently. Look at the sentence: She seethed silently in the corner. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Astonishment (Verb) as used in the passage is: a feeling of very great surprise; amazement; wonder. Look at the sentence: He stared in astonishment at the stranger. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Irate (Adjective) as used in the passage is: very angry, Its antonym should be calm. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Prominent (Adjective) as used in the passage is: important or well known; easily seen, noticeable. Look at the sentence: He was prominent in the fashion industry. Its antonym should be ordinary (Adjective) which having not interesting feature. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Foreign (Adjective) as used in the passage is: to stop feeling angry with somebody who has done something to harm you. The word condemn (Verb) means: show guilt; sentence, punish; express disapproval

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. The wife of the headman of a village died soon after giving birth to a baby boy. The headman was inconsolable but was persuaded by his family and friends to marry again so that the child would have someone to look after him. Fortunately, his second wife turned out to be a large-hearted and sensible woman who gave the child all the love and care he would have received from his own mother. In the course of the years she presented the headman with two more sons, but her affection for the oldest never diminished. She treated all three boys alike and the two younger ones never realised they had a step-brother. When the headman passed away, the widow entrusted the responsibilities of the household and the fields to the eldest son and he managed them so well that the family prospered. This made the neighbours envious. One day, one of them told the widow’s sons the truth about their eldest brother and advised them to drive him away from the house lest he should deprive them of their share of their father’s property. The boys shocked at the revelation and frightened by the prospect of losing their share of the property, decided to murder him. When they told their mother about what they planned to do, she said to them: “Don’t dirty your hands, I will get rid of him for you. “ “That night when everybody was asleep, she suddenly jumped out of bed and started shouting: “Snake! Snake!” “Where? Where did you see it, mother?” asked the eldest son, getting up from his mat. “Alas,” said the widow. “I saw it disappearing into your stomach. “The young man turned pale. From that day on, he lost all appetite for food and would lie on his mat the whole day long. Soon he became so weak that he could not even sit up on his mat. The neighbours rejoiced and took advantage of the situation. They built a wall across the widow’s courtyard and claimed a part of the house as their own. In the fields they shifted their boundaries to enclose large portions of the widow’s lands. The younger sons could not deal with the situation and one day they said to their mother: “If our elder brother was not bed-ridden, such terrible things would not have happened to us.” The widow kept quiet, but in the dead of the night she again started shouting: “Snake! Snake!” Everyone woke up. “Where …. Where did you see it mother?” asked the eldest son, weakly. “Son, I saw it coming out of your stomach, “ replied the woman. “It disappeared into the darkness. “From that day on, the condition of the eldest son started improving. Soon he was able to walk into the courtyard where he saw the new wall. “Who has built this!” he thundered. The neighbours came running and meekly pulled down the wall. The following week he went to the family fields and seeing the new boundaries shouted: “Who has done this!” The neighbours trembled in fear and quickly vacated the land they had grabbed. The widow and her three sons lived in peace and harmony ever after.

1. Why did the headman marry again?

(1) His family and friends threatened him into a second marriage. (2) So that his wife could take care of his child. (3) He was a rich and lonely man and needed someone to share his wealth with (4) His wife had made him promise that he would marry again. (5) He fell in love with a large hearted and sensible woman who promised to take care of his son.


2. Why were the neighbours envious of the headman’s family? (A) The family was prospering and doing well. (B) The headman left his widow wife with three dutiful sons. (C) The widow discriminated between her younger sons. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (C) (5) Only (B) and (C)

3. Which of the following is/are true regarding the widow’s sons?

(A) They thought of murdering their elder brother. (B) They were responsible for placing a snake in the house. (C) They were envious of their step-brother. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (C) (5) None of these

4. What does the phrase ‘don’t dirty your hands’ refer to in context with the passage?

(1) Don’t work in the fields. (2) Don’t make a mess of your hand (3) Don’t soil your hands (4) Don’t get involved (5) Don’t engage in gossip with the neighbours.

5. How did the neighbours take advantage of the widow?

(1) They invaded into her property and claimed a part of her house as their own. (2) They claimed that her eldest son was possessed by a snake. (3) They destroyed her relationship with the eldest son. (4) They taunted her about the property her husband had left behind. (5) They convinced her to drive her sons away from the house.

6. Which of the following sentence/s is/are true with reference to the passage?

(A) The snake really did enter the eldest son’s stomach. (B) The widow was handicapped without the eldest son. (C) The boys helped their mother plot against their step-brother. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (B) (5) Neither (A), (B) nor (C)

7. Why did the widow’s sons want to drive their step-brother away from the house?

(1) They felt that their mother loved him the most. (2) They were envious of their step-brother. (3) He was always sickly and having nightmares about snakes. (4) They feared that he would deprive them their share of their father’s property. (5) He was bed-ridden and posed as additional responsibility to the family.

8. How did the widow provoke a change in the eldest son’s behaviour?

(A) She was biased towards her younger sons (B) She made him believe that a snake had entered his body. (C) She urged him to get married as advised by the neighbours. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (C) (5) Only (A) and (B)

9. According to the passage, who was responsible for a change in the eldest son’s behaviour?

(1) The younger brothers (2) The widow step-mother. (3) The neighbours (4) The village headman (5) The actual snake.

10. What incident in the passage changed the eldest boy’s behaviour?

(1) The neighbours intruding into his property. (2) The time when his father the village headman, married again. (3) The time when his mother expired after giving birth to him. (4) The incident where the snake came out of his stomach and disappeared into the darkness (5) None of these


Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word/s printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. Vacated

(1) Sold (2) Interchanged (3) Left (4) Changed (5) Took 12. Envious

(1) Rude (2) Angry (3) Cautious (4) Proud (5) Jealous 13. Revelation

(1) Calling (2) Disclosure (3) Testimony (4) Confession (5) Announcement Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word given in bold as used in the passage. 14. Weak

(1) Soft (2) Energy (3) Firm (4) Mild (5) Strong 15. Improving (1) Reducing (2) Advancing (3) Worsening (4) Increasing (5) Progressing

Self-Evaluation


Ans: 1-2, 2-1, 3-1, 4-4, 5-1, 6-2, 7-2, 8-4, 9-2, 10-2, 11-3, 12-5, 13-2, 14-5, 15-3. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Vacate (Verb) as used in the passage is: to leave a building, seat etc. especially so that somebody else can use it; to leave a job, position of authority. Look at the sentence: Guests are requested to vacate their rooms by non on the day of departure. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Envious (Adjective) as used in the passage is; wanting to be in the same situation as somebody else; jealous. Look at the sentences: He saw the envious look in the other boy’s eyes. They are envious of his success. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Revelation (Noun) as used in the passage is: disclosure; a fact that people are made aware of, especially one that has been secret. Look at the sentence: The company’s financial problems followed the revelation of a major fraud scandal. Qs.14. The antonym of weak should be strong (Adjective). Qs.15. The meaning of the word Improve (Verb) as used in the passage is: to become better than before; to make something better than before. Look at the sentence: I need to improve my English. The antonym of improving should be worsening which means: becoming or making something worse than it was before; deteriorating. Look at the sentence: Her health was worsening considerably by the flu epidemic.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Directions (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so he began fishing in the river, Every morning he would go down to the river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the heavenly bird. “Have you no one care for you, grandpa?” asked the bird. “Not a soul”. “You should not be doing such work at your age,” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As a big fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought a cottage near the sea, with garden around it and engaged a servant to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman. One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. Our king has news of a great bird called Kaha, said the courtier. “Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the kingdom!” The fisherman sorely tempted by the reward. Half the kingdom would make a prince! “Why does the king want the bird?” he asked. “He has lost his sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you where she can be found?” “No….I mean…no, no….” Torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew something about the bird, informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace. “If you have information about the bird, tell me;’ urged the king. “I will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But Kaha is strong. I will need help.” The king sent a dozen soldiers with him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get chance to thank you for all that you’ve done for me.” He said. Today I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in.” Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded so earnestly that she finally gave in and alighted. The moment she was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down. She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging onto her leg. By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor Kaha were ever seen again. 1. Why was the king desperately looking for Kaha the bird?

(1) The king wanted a pet bird. (2) A wise man advised the king to capture the bird for good luck. (3) Kaha was the only heavenly bird with silvery feathers. (4) The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes. (5) Kaha was known to the greatest bird alive.


2. Why did the bird volunteer to bring fish for the old man? (1) The old man was inexperienced at fishing. (2) The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him. (3) The bird had caught more fish than required. (4) The bird wanted to make the old man rich. (5) The bird had heard the old man bemoaning his fate.

3. What led the courtier to sense that the fisherman might know something about Kaha? (1) The courtier had observed Kaha alight at the fisherman’s house every evening. (2) The courtier had seen the fisherman talk to Kaha. (3) The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha. (4) Word went around that the fisherman was in contact with Kaha. (5) None of these

4. Which of the following cannot be said about the royal courtier?

(A) He was a very observant man. (B) He was jealous of the old fisherman. (C) He had informed the king about the fisherman. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (C) (5) Only (B) and (C)

5. What could be appropriate title for the story?

(1) A Fish a day (2) The Lonely fisherman (3) Kaha the silvery feathered bird (4) The Blind King (5) The ungrateful old fisherman

6. Which of the following is not true about Kaha?

(1) Kaha was a very considerate bird (2) The blood of Kaha was precious (3) Kaha was a strong bird (4) Kaha flew away along with the old fisherman. (5) Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.

7. Why did the fisherman stammer when asked if he knew about the bird?

(1) The fisherman thought he was going to be punished for living off the bird. (2) He was thrilled he would be able to help the king. (3) He already knew about the reward that was being offered. (4) He was conflicted between the king’s reward and his gratitude towards the bird. (5) The fisherman was faced with a very unexpected question by a royal courtier.

8. How did the fisherman get Kaha get down?

(A) The fisherman told Kaha that the king was impressed by her kindness and wanted to meet her. (B) The fisherman invited Kaha to live in his house as he was a lonely man and wanted company. (C) The fisherman invited Kaha to his house for a feast in order to thank her for everything. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (B) and (C) (5) Only (A) and (C)

9. What does the phrase ‘rolling in money’ as highlighted in the passage refer to?

(1) To have a large amount of money (2) To have just enough of money (3) To live a life that is not affordable (4) To live off someone else (5) To be sell-sufficient

10. Why was the fisherman doubtful about revealing information about Kaha to the courtier?

(1) He did not want to lose Kaha (2) Kaha was his source of income (3) He was worried about his supply of Fish (4) He had heard that Kaha has going to be killed for her blood. (5) Kaha had asked the fisherman not to tell anyone about her whereabouts


Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. AID

(1) Health (2) Help (3) Support (4) Freedom (5) Mercy 12. SORELY

(1) Happily (2) Painfully (3) Gainfully (4) Greatly (5) Primarily 13. TORN

(1) Conflicted (2) Alarmed (3) Frightened (4) Strained (5) Frayed

Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. ALIGHT

(1) Settle (2) Take off (3) Come by (4) Rest (5) Free 15. SORELY

(1) Caught (2) Released (3) Secured (4) Loosened (5) Held


15

Ans: 1-4, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-5, 7-4, 8-3, 9-1, 10-4, 11-2, 12-4, 13-1, 14-2, 15-2. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Aid (Noun) as used in the passage is : help that you need. Look at the sentence: One of the staff saw he was in difficulty and came to his aid. Qs.12. The meaning of the word sorely (Adverb) as used in the passage is : seriously; very much; greatly. Look at the sentence: I was sorely tempted to complain, but I did not. Qs.13. Idiom be torn between A and B means : to be unable to decide or choose between two people, things or feelings. Look at the sentence: He was torn between his parents and his friend. The word Conflicted (Adjective) means : confused about what to do or choose because you have strong but opposing feelings. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Alight (Verb) as used in the passage is : to land in or on something after flying to it. Idiom take off means : to leave the ground and begin to fly. Hence, its antonym should be take off. Qs.15. Ans (2): The meaning of the word Grab (Verb) as used in the passage is : to take or hold somebody/something with your hand firmly; seize. Hence, the antonym of grabbed should be released.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Directions (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases/ sentences have been printed in bold/italics to help you locate them while answering some of the questions. Once upon a time there was a shy and quit octopus. He nearly always went about on his own because, although he wanted to have lots of friends, he was too self-conscious. Once day, the octopus was trying to catch a very slippery oyster. Before he knew it, he had tied himself into one massive knot, and he couldn’t move. He tried with all his strength to wriggle free, but it was no good. In the end, despite the great embarrassment he felt at being seen in such a tangle, he had to ask for help from the passing fish. Many fish swam past, ignoring him, but one very kind little fish offered to help untie all those tentacles from all those suckers. The octopus felt heartily relieved when he was finally set free, but he was so shy that he didn’t dare talk to the fish and make friends with him. He simply thanked the fish, and quickly swam off. Later, the octopus spent the whole night thinking that he had wasted a great opportunity to make friends with that very kind little fish. A couple of days later the octopus was resting between some rocks, when he noticed that everyone around was hurriedly swimming past. He looked into the distance and saw an enormous fish coming over to feed in that area. The octopus quickly hid; then, peeping an eye out from his hiding place, he saw that the huge fish was chasing the kind little fish who had untied him. That little fish really needed urgent help, but the big fish was so dangerous – looking that no one dared to go near. The octopus, remembering how the little fish had helped him, felt that he had to do whatever he could to come to his aid. Without hesitating, the octopus shot out from the rocks, like a ray. He put himself right in the path of the giant fish, and before the fish could do anything about it, the octopus had shot out the biggest jet of ink of his life. He grabbed the little fish, and swam off back to hide in the rocks. Everything happened so fast that the big fish had no time to react. However, he soon recovered from the surprise. Off he went to the rocks, looking for the octopus and the little fish. Now he really wanted to gobble them down! Soon, though, he began feeling a terrible itch; first in his gills, and then in his fins, and then all over his body. It turned out that this glant fish had a very sensitive skin and the octopus’s dark ink had given him a terrible allergy!! So the big fish swam away, irritated all over. As soon as he was gone, all the fish that had been hiding came and congratulated the octopus for being so brave. Then the little fish told them all how he had helped the octopus a few days earlier, but he had never known anyone to end up doing something so dangerous. Hearing this, the other fish discovered how nice the shy octopus was, and everyone around was keen to be friends with such a brave and honourable octopus.

1. How did the octopus save the little fish? (1) By asking the little fish to hide before the big fish could see him. (2) By putting himself between the big fish and the little fish and shooting a jet of ink at the big fish. (3) By shooting a jet of ink at the big fish and thus managing to kill it (4) By calling out for help from all the other fish and carrying the little fish and carrying the little fish to safety. (5) By offering his life to the big fish instead of the life of the little fish.


2. Why did the octopus have to ask for help from the passing fish? (1) He was bored of swimming alone and thus asked the fish to accompany him. (2) He desperately needed to make friends and thus needed the fish to help him. (3) Someone had tied him up in a knot and he could not get himself untied. (4) He needed help in order to escape from the big fish that had come to eat him. (5) He had gotten himself tied up in a knot trying to catch an oyster.

3. ‘He nearly always went about on his own because, although he wanted to have lots of friends, he was too

self-conscious,’ How can this sentence be best reframed without changing its meaning? (1) Having many friends, he was self-conscious despite being alone. (2) Being alone, he had many friends despite being self-conscious. (3) Being self-conscious, he went about alone despite wanting to have many friends. (4) Being alone, he was self-conscious despite wanting to have many friends.

(5) Having many friends, he went about alone despite being self conscious. 4. Which of the following characteristics can be attributed to the little fish from the story?

(A) Kind (B) Persuasive (C) Shy (1) Only (A) and (C) (2) Only (A) (3) All (A), (B) and (C) (4) Only (B) (5) Only (B) and (C)

5. ‘The octopus, remembering how the little fish had helped him, felt that he had to do whatever he could to

come to his aid.’ What feeling of the octopus towards the little fish does this line signify? (1) Revenge (2) Suspicion (3) Gratitude (4) Compassion (5) Repentance

6. ‘Now he really wanted to gobble them down!’ What emotion of the big fish does this sentence convey?

(1) Happiness (2) Pleasure (3) Anger (4) Helplessness (5) Fear 7. Why did all the fish congratulate the octopus?

(1) He had bravely saved the little fish from being eaten by the big fish. (2) He had successfully gotten himself united all by himself. (3) He had managed to kill the big fish all alone and thus saved the lives of all the other fish. (4) He had finally managed to make a large number of friends in the ocean. (5) He had saved the little fish from the clutches of the oyster.

8. Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the passage/story?

(1) The Brave But Shy Octopus (2) The Tiniest Fish (3) The Fishes of the Ocean (4) The Big Hungry Fish (5) The Dumb Octopus

9. Which of the following characteristics can be attributed to the octopus from the story?

(A) Troublesome (B) Noble (C) Brave (1) Only (B) (2) Only (A) (3) Only (A) and (B) (4) Only (B) and (C) (5) All (A), (B) and (C)

10. Why did the big fish swim away?

(1) He got scared looking at the huge octopus and decided not to attack the little fish. (2) He was driven away by the other fish. (3) He was unable to locate the octopus and the fish. (4) He got a terrible itch all over his body from the octopus ink. (5) He decided that he would not be able to handle both the octopus and the fish together.


Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. MASSIVE

(1) big (2) heavy (3) thin (4) frail (5) plenty 12. REACT

(1) emote (2) respond (3) replay (4) look (5) answer 13. NEARLY

(1) quietly (2) closely (3) next (4) almost (5) proximally Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. HURRIEDLY

(1) sickly (2) fast (3) quickly (4) palely (5) leisurely 15. SHY

(1) healthy (2) timid (3) happy (4) polite (5) bold


15

Ans: 1-2, 2-5, 3-3, 4-2, 5-3, 6-3, 7-1, 8-1, 9-4, 10-4, 11-2, 12-2, 13-4, 14-5, 15-5. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Massive (Adjective) as used in the passage is : very large, heavy and solid; extremely large or serious. Look at the sentences: The explosion made a massive hole in the ground. He suffered a massive heart attack. Qs.12. The meaning of the word React (Verb) as used in the passage is : reply; respond; to do something as a reaction to something that somebody has done or said. Look at the sentence: The market reacted by falling a further two points. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Nearly (Adverb) as used in the passage is : almost; not quite; not completely. Look at the sentence: I have worked here for nearly ten years. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Hurriedly (Adverb) as used in the passage is : done too quickly because you do not have enough time. Look at the sentence: I hurriedly got up and dressed. The word Leisurely (Adverb) means : done without hurrying. Look at the sentence: Couples strolled leisurely along the beach. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Shy (Adjective) as used in the passage is : bashful; timid; nervous or embarrassed about meeting and speaking to other people. It antonym should be bold.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Directions (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage very carefully and answer the questions given below appropriately. There are certain words in the passage printed in bold letters to lead you to find them out easily in order to help you in answering some of the questions. I worked as health secretary for about five years from the middle of 1962 to the middle of 1967. Thereafter I worked as finance secretary until the end of 1969. Indiscipline was rampant in the health department. Intense lobbying to secure plum postings was the order of the day. Ministers, legislators, senior officers and other influential people openly pleaded the cause of their protégés. The Health Minister was an honest, well-meaning politician. He approved my proposals to bring about some system and objectivity in postings and transfers and put an end to lobbying. But those efforts met with only limited success. Doctors succeeded in getting desired postings by resorting to bribery. On the eve of the elections, the then minister send down over 100 transfer orders from his camp office. They were in conflict with the guidelines and quite a few were confusing in as much as two doctors were posted to the same place, or one person was posted to more than one post. I did not carry out the orders. I submitted a note to Chief Minister through the Chief Secretary point out why the orders should not be implemented. The Chief Secretary supported me. The Chief Minister decided that the minister’s orders should not be implemented. All the doctors who had paid money were disappointed. In several other departments also corruption became widespread. In the works departments corruption had existed since a long time in the matter of awarding contracts. Now bribes were freely offered to secure transfer to particular posts, and even for getting promotions. As Finance Secretary I found that the finances of the state were in a precarious condition. Financial discipline had evaporated. Long before the advent of the wireless and the telephone, the British had included in the Treasury Code a rule (Rule 27) empowering collectors to draw money from the treasury to meet emergencies like floods, earthquakes, devastating fires, etc. To my dismay I found that collectors were freely drawing money for all manner of trivial purposes under Rule 27 of the Treasury Code. In one case a collector had drawn money under the rule to buy a staff car for the SDO of another district. All check and balances had disappeared. There was no accountability and any one could do what he pleased. Resorting to a number of harsh measures I could restore a measure of financial discipline. But the administration continued to be in disarray.

1. How many years did the author work as health secretary? (1) He worked as health secretary until the end of 1969 (2) He worked as health secretary before he took over as finance secretary (3) He worked as health secretary till the health minister was found to be a man of integrity (4) He worked as health secretary for about five years (5) He did not work as health secretary at all

2. According to the author what was the order of the day? (1) Strict discipline (2) Cut throat competition (3) Racial discrimination (4) Intense lobbying (5) None of these

3. How did the doctors succeed in getting desired postings? (1) Through dedicated service (2) By working in the health minister’s constituency (3) By joining hands with the underworld criminals (4) By resorting to sycophancy (5) By resorting to bribery


4. When the health minister sent down 100 transfer orders from his camp office, how did the author react? (A) He immediately obeyed the minister (B) He did not carry out the orders (C) He submitted a note to Chief Minister through the Chief Secretary. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (A) & (B) (4) Only (B) & (C) (5) Only (A) & (C)

5. What happened when the Chief Minister decided that the minister’s orders should not be

implemented? (1) The author was very happy (2) The author arranged to tea party to celebrate his victory (3) The doctors resigned and left the hospitals (4) The health minister submitted his resignation (5) All the doctors who had paid money were disappointed

Directions (Qs. 6 to 15): Choose the word, which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning of the word given in BOLD as used in the passage. 6. Intense

(1) Active (2) Vigorous (3) Feeble (4) Inferior (5) Devise 7. Success

(1) Defeat (2) Succeed (3) Abrupt (4) Failure (5) Difficult 8. Conflict

(1) Conformity (2) Disagreement (3) Attest (4) Combat (5) Manifest 9. Supported

(1) Advocated (2) Betrayed (3) Opposed (4) Abandoned (5) Proposed 10. Promotion

(1) Premonition (2) Facilitate (3) Demotion (4) Obstruction (5) Encourage 11. Precarious

(1) Menacing (2) Threatening (3) Secured (4) Firmly (5) Unsafe 12. Discipline

(1) Orderly (2) Restrain (3) Indiscipline (4) Turbulence (5) Confusion 13. Devastating

(1) Ravaging (2) Wrecking (3) Refreshing (4) Restoring (5) Replenishing 14. Trivial

(1) Perilous (2) Frivolous (3) Important (4) Weighty (5) Momentous 15. Harsh

(1) Peculiar (2) Blunt (3) Mild (4) Melodious (5) Coarse Self-Evaluation



Ans: 1-4, 2-4, 3-5, 4-4, 5-5, 6-3, 7-4, 8-1, 9-3, 10-3, 11-3, 12-2, 13-3, 14-5, 15-3. Qs.6. The word ‘intense’ means very strong. Out of the given answer choices the word ‘feeble’ means weak, faint. Hence, the words intense and feeble are antonymous. Qs.7. The words success and failure are antonymous. Qs.8. In the passage, the word ‘conflict’ means a serious disagreement. Out of the given answer choices, the word ‘conformity’ means behaviour etc. that conforms to established rules, customs etc. Hence, the words conflict and antonymous. Qs.9. In the passage the word support (Verb) means to help somebody/something by one’s approval. Out of the answer choices, the word oppose (Verb) means to express strong disapproval of or disagreement with the aim of preventing or changing a course of action. Hence, the words supported and opposed are antonymous. Qs.10. The words promotion and demotion are antonymous. Qs.11. In the passage, the word precarious (Adjective) means not safe, uncertain. Out of the answer choices, the word ‘secured’ means protected, safe. Hence, the words precarious and secured are antonymous. Qs.12. The opposite meaning is – Restrain. Qs.13. The word devastating (Adjective) means causing great destruction. Its antonym will be refreshing. Qs.14. In the passage the word ‘trivial’ means of little importance, concerned with unimportant things. Out of the given answer choices the word momentous (Adjective) means very important serious. Hence, the words trivial and momentous are antonymous. Qs.15. The word ‘harsh’ (Adjective) means sevre. The word ‘mild’ means not severe. Hence, the words harsh and mild are antonymous.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Directions (Qs.1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. A pundit was visiting a remote town. The people of the town worried him everyday with invitations for lunch or dinner. “I will only eat in a house where no one has ever told a lie, “ said the pundit. A very rich man stepped up and said, “Come to my house, Oh Master. No one in my home has ever told a lie. “The pundit accepted the invitation. Before going to the rich man’s house, the pundit inquired about the rich man and learned everything he could about him. Walking along with the rich man, the pundit asked, “How many children do you have?” “Only one son, replied the rich man. “The people of this town said he had three sons! Why is he saying he has only one? Is he lying’?” wondered the pundit, “but I should not be too hasty to judge him. Perhaos he is telling the truth. Let me wait.” “How old are you now?” asked the pundit. “I am ten years old,” answered the rich man. ‘There he goes again! His hair is grey, his face has wrinkles, he can barely walk, and he says he is only ten years old! No, No. I should not come to a rushed conclusion, I shall gave him one more chance,” decided the pundit. “How many acres of land do you have?” asked the pundit. “I have only six feet of land for myself,” said the rich man. “This is like trying to hide a whole pumkin in a spoonful of rice!” though the pundit. “This man is indeed the king of liars! How can I eat in his house? Will it turn me into a liar as well? Let me see how far he can go.” When they arrived at the house the rich man told his wife, we have a special guest today so make him your best lunch. I will take him to the lake for a walk. I will be back soon. On their way back from the river, thy passed an orchard. The rich man plucked two ripe mangoes, and cut a bunch of ripe bananas. “Whose orchard is this?” asked the pundit. “This orchard belongs to the ones who do not sleep a wink at night” replied the rich man. At the house, the rich man’s wife had laid out the lunch. “Please come and eat” she said. “I need to clarify a few things first,” declared the pundit. “What is it ?” asked the rich man. “I know you have three sons, why did you say you had only one?” demanded the pundit. The rich man immediately called for his sons and gave them a task. The eldest and the youngest both said, “Father, you are forever ordering us around”. Only the middle son promptly agreed to obey. “Did you see that, Oh Master?” asked the rich man. “I do have three sons, but only one of them truly listens to me.” “Fine, but why did you claim that you were only ten years old?” asked the pundit. “I am over sixty,” replied the rich man. “But for the last ten years, I have devoted myself to a spiritual life. I believe that it is only then since I have truly lived, “replied the rich man. Excellent answer applauded the pundit. “But you own thousands of acres of fertile land. Why did you claim to have only six feet?” “I have acquired thousands of acres of land. I did every trick in the trade to become rich, but it has only made my sons proud and arrogant. What use is all this wealth to me? When I die, the six feet of land where I will be buried is all that will truly be mine, “said the rich man. The pundit sat down to eat. As he was taking his leave: he asked the rich man, “What did you mean when you said the orchard belongs to the ones who do not sleep a wink at night?: “I do own the orchard and work hard tending to my trees, but at night, I am so tired that I fall asleep. Meanwhile the thieves, who stay awake all night, steal most of my yield. So in truth the orchard belongs to them. The ones who do not sleep a wink at night” said the rich man. 1. On what condition did the pundit agree to invitations for lunch or dinner?

(1) He would only eat from a rich man’s plate. (2) He would only eat in a house where no one had lied. (3) He would eat in a house that cooked only vegetarian food. (4) He would only eat from a banana leaf. (5) None of these


2. Which of the following is said to be true of the rich man? (A) The rich man had three sons. (B) The rich man was fifty years old (C) The rich man owned vast acres of land (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (B) (5) Only (A) and (C)

3. What was the rich man trying to imply when he said that he was only ten years old?

(1) He had a near death experience ten years ago. (2) The rich man was trying to appear younger than his actual age. (3) He had truly lived only after he devoted himself to spiritual life. (4) The rich man was trying to convey his innocence to the pundit. (5) The rich man wanted the pundit to know that he was still a child at heart.

4. In the passage, why did the rich man say that he had only six feet of land, when he owned the whole orchard? (1) He did not want the pundit to know that the orchard belonged to him. (2) The orchard was distributed equally among his sons and he had only six feet for himself. (3) He believed that when he died, he would have only six feet of land that would truly be his. (4) The land that was productive in the whole orchard was only six feet long. (5) The orchard belonged to his ancestors and only six feet was rightfully his.

5. In the passage, what did the pundit imply by using the phrase trying to hide a pumpkin in a spoonful of rice? (A) That only pumpkin and rice was served for dinner. (B) That the rich man was a liar. (C) That the rich man grew only pumpkins in his orchard. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (B) (5) Only (B) and (C)

6. What did the rich man mean when he said that the orchard belonged to the ones who do not sleep a wink at night? (1) The orchard belonged to his sons who looked after it. (2) The orchard belonged to the thieves who robbed from it. (3) The owls looked after the orchard during the night. (4) The orchard belonged to the neighbours. (5) The orchard was donated to charity.

7. Why was the pundit hesitant to eat at the rich man’s house? (1) The pundit was not accustomed to having rich food. (2) He felt that the rich man was proud and a two-faced human being. (3) The rich man’s sons were not at home for lunch. (4) He did not want to cause any trouble to the rich man’s wife (5) He felt that the rich man lied to him.

8. Why did the pundit feel that the rich man was lying? (1) The pundit was spying on the rich man. (2) The pundit had inquired and learned about the rich man prior to the lunch. (3) The rich man was avoiding certain questions asked by the pundit. (4) The pundit found it hard to believe that the rich man never lied. (5) The rich man had too many secrets.

9. The rich man claimed to have only one son because (1) His middle son was the only child who obeyed him. (2) His eldest and youngest sons had long been married. (3) He had adopted his other tow sons. (4) He did not want to introduce his eldest and youngest sons to the pundit. (5) He only loved his second son, who was taking care of him.


10. Why did the pundit agree to eat at the rich man’s house? (1) The rich man claimed to have never told a lie. (2) The rich man was an old friend of the pundit. (3) The rich man could afford to treat the pundit. (4) The rich man owed the pundit a favour. (5) The pundit traveled a long distance and he was tired.

Directions (Qs.11 to 13): Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. Tending

(1) Growing (2) Supplying (3) Watching (4) Attending (5) Contributing

12. Clarify (1) Confirm (2) Explain (3) Simplify (4) Describe (5) Express

13. Barely (1) Easily (2) Hardly (3) Scantily (4) Poorly (5) Completely

Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. Tired

(1) Drained (2) Sleepy (3) Relaxed (4) Energised (5) Exhausted

15. Special (1) Unique (2) Exclusive (3) Rare (4) Important (5) Ordinary

Self-Evaluation


Ans: 1-2, 2-5, 3-3, 4-3, 5-2, 6-2, 7-5, 8-2, 9-1, 10-1, 11-3, 12-1, 13-2, 14-4, 15-5. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Tend (Verb) as used in the passage is: To care for something/somebody; to serve; watch. Look at the sentence: Ambulance crews were tending to the injured. Hence, the synonym of the word tending is watching. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Clarify (Verb) as used in the passage is: to make something clearer or easier to understand; confirm. Look at the sentence: He asked her to clarify what she meant. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Barely (Adverb) as used in the passage is: just; scarcely; hardly; in away what is just possible but only with difficulty. Look at the sentence: She was barely able to stand. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Tired (Adjective) as used in the passage is: weary; feeling that you would like to sleep or rest; needing rest. The word Energised (Adjective) means; enthusiastic; energetic. Qs.15. The antonym of the word special should be ordinary.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Directions (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering the questions.

Every afternoon, on their way back from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant’s garden. It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that bore rich fruit. The birds would sit on the trees and sign sweetly to the children playing below. One day the Giant came back. He had been on a long tour and was now determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived to saw the children playing in the garden and was outrageous. “What are you doing here?” he shouted in a very gruff voice and the children ran away. “I will not allow anybody to play in my garden but myself” said the Giant. And so, he built a high wall around it, and put up the notice-board that read TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. He was a very selfish Giant. The poor children had now, nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of stones; and they did not like it. On their way back from school, they used to wander around the high wall and remember the good times. They came to spring, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of selfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and that the tree forgot the blossoms. The only people who were pleased were the snow and the frost. “Spring has forgotten this garden,” they cried, “so we will live here all the year round.” “I cannot understand why the spring is so late to coming,” said the selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden, “I hope there will be change in the whether.” But the spring never came, nor did the summer. The autumn gave golden fruit to every garden. She gave none. “He was too selfish,” she said. So it was always winter there. One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard the birds singing, “I believe the spring has come at last.” said the Giant, and he jumped out of the bed and looked out. He saw the most wonderful sight. Through the little hole in the wall the children had crept in and they were sitting on the branches of the trees. On every tree there was a child. The birds were flying about and twittering with delight and the flowers were looking up through the green glass and laughing. It was a lovely scene however in one corner it was still winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all around it crying bitterly. The Giant’s heart melted as he looked out. “How selfish I have been!” he said, “now I know why spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children play ground for ever and ever. ” He was really sorry for what he had done. 1. Why was the Giant outraged when he got back from his holi days?

(1) He had a bad journey back home (2) He saw the children playing in the garden (3) His castle was disorderly and not maintained (4) It was still in this garden (5) The tour was a waste of money

2. What did the Giant do to keep the children away from the garden?

(1) He built a high wall around the garden (2) He displayed a message on the notice board (3) He threatened to complaint to their parents (4) Only (1) and (2) (5) He made it snow all around the years


3. “Spring has forgotten this garden.” They cried. Who is the author referring to? (1) The children (2) The snow and the frost (3) The autumn trees (4) The spring (5) None of these

4. Why did the autumn trees refuse to bear the fruit?

(1) The snow and the winter took over (2) The Giant was enjoying the winter in his garden (3) It is one way of keeping the children away (4) The Giant refused to change his behaviour (5) The Giant was selfish

5. What does the author compare the flowers in the garden to?

(1) Stars (2) pearls (3) Soft grass (4) frost (5) None of these 6. When did the Giant realize that he was being selfish?

(1) When the long winter would not end (2) When he was witnessed the spring after the children re-entered the garden (3) When he heard the song of the bird (4) When he felt he was lonely (5) When he realized he had no friends to play with in the garden

7. What he made the Giant believe spring had finally arrived?

(1) He heard the sounds of the children playing (2) He smelt the flowers blooming in the garden (3) He heard singing by the birds (4) He saw a hole in the compound wall (5) He saw the trees bearing the fruits

8. What incident brought about a change in the Giant’s heart?

(1) The little boy in the corner of the garden (2) The long unending winter (3) The change of whether from winter to spring (4) The blossoming of the trees (5) The singing of the birds

9. Why did the Giant put up the sign ‘Trespassers will be prosecuted‘in front of his garden? (1) He did not want anybody to play in the garden (2) It was a strategy to keep the children in (3) Trespassers had ruined his garden in the past (4) He was possessive about his property (5) None of these

10. What could be an appropriate title for the story?

(1) The corner boy (2) The winter season (3) The selfish Giant (4) The Little children (5) The paradise garden


Directions (Qs.11 to 13): Choose the word/phrase which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word/phrase printed in bold as used in the passage 11. knock down

(1) Demolish (2) Build (3) Elevate (4) Raise (5) setup

12. Delight (1) Skill (2) Love (3) Happiness (4) Freedom (5) Majesty

13. Scene

(1) Wish (2) Drawing (3) Fantasy (4) Picture (5) Dream

Directions (Qs.14 to 15): Choose the word/phrase which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage 14. Pleased

(1) Upset (2) Satisfied (3) Happy (4) Torture (5) Critical 15. Farthest

(1) Extreme (2) Nearest (3) Distant (4) Shortest (5) Endless


15

Ans: 1-2, 2-4, 3-2, 4-5, 5-1, 6-4, 7-3, 8-1, 9-1, 10-3, 11-1, 12-3, 13-4, 14-1, 15-2. Qs.11. The meaning of the phrase Knock down as used in the passage is: to destroy a building by breaking its walls; demolish. Look at the sentence: These old houses are going to be knocked down. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Delight (Noun) as used in the passage is: a feeling of great pleasure; joy; happiness. Look at the sentence: He takes great delight in proving others wrong. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Scene (Noun) as used in the passage is: a view that you see; picture. Look at the sentence: They went to England for a change of scene (= to see and experience new surroundings). Qs.14. The meaning of the word Pleased (Adjective) as used in the passage is: feeling happy about something. Look at the sentence: The boss should be pleased with you. The word Upset means: unhappy or disappointed because of something unpleasant that has happened. Look at the sentence: There is no point getting upset about it. Qs.15. The word Farthest (Adjective) as used in the passage is: at the greatest distance in space, direction or time. Its antonym should be nearest.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Directions (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. Once upon a time, there lived a cruel lion by the name of Bhasuraka, in a dense forest. He was very powerful, ferocious and arrogant. He used to kill the other animals in the forest to gratify his hunger. His behaviour caused the other animals in the forest to worry. They were worried that after sometime none of them would be left alive. They discussed their problem amongst themselves and decided to hold a meeting with the lion. One day as per the plan, all the animals of the forest gathered under a big tree. They invited the lion, the king of the forest to attend the meeting. In the meeting, the representative of the animals said, “Your Majesty, we are grateful, that you are our king. We are all the more happy that you are attending this meeting”. The lion thanked them and replied, “What is the matter? Why have we gathered here?” One of the animals stood up and said,” Sir, it’s natural that you have to kill us for food. But, killing more than what is required is not a good approach. If you go onno killing the animals without any purpose, very soon a day will come, when there will be no animal left in the forest.” The lion roared, “So what are you proposing?” One of the animals replied, “Your Majesty, we have already discussed the problem among ourselves and have come, up with a solution. We have decided to send one animal daily to your den. You can kill and eat it, the way you like. This will also save you from the trouble of hunting.” The lion replied. “Fine, I agree to this proposal, but make sure that the animal reaches me on time, otherwise, I will kill all the animals of the forest.” The animals agreed. From that day onwards, an animal was sent to the lion daily to become his meal. The lion was very happy to have his food right before him without taking any pains of hunting. A day came when it was the turn of the rabbit to go to the lion’s den. The rabbit was old and wise. He was unwilling to go, but the other animals forced him to go. The rabbit thought of a plan that would save his life and the lives of the other animals in the forest. He took his own sweet time to go the lion and reached the lion’s den a little later than the usual time. The lion was getting impatient and, he was extremely furious when he saw a small rabbit for his meal. He swore to kill all the animals. The rabbit with folded hands hesitatingly explained, “Your Majesty, I am not to be blamed for my delay. Actually, six rabbits were sent to make your meal, but five of them were killed and devoured by another lion. He also claimed to be the king of the forest. I have somehow escaped to reach here safely. “The lion howled in great anger and said, “Impossible, there cannot be another king of this forest. I’ll kill him. Take me to the place where you saw him.” The intelligent rabbit agreed and took the lion towards a deep well, filled with water. When they reached the well, the rabbit said,” This is the place where he lives. He might be hiding inside.” The lion looked into the well and saw his own reflection. He thought it was the other lion. The lion was furious and started growling. Naturally the image in the water, the other lion, was also equally angry. In order to kill the other lion, he jumped into the well and drowned. Thus, the jubilant rabbit saved all the animals from the lion and they all lived cheerfully thereafter. 1. What did the lion see when he looked into the well? (1) The other animals (2) The rabbit’s reflection (3) The five other rabbits (4) A well half filled with water (5) His own reflection


2. What could be an appropriate title for the story? (1) The Foolish lion and the Wise Rabbit (2) The Foolish Animals (3) The Lion’s Reflection (4) The Empty Well (5) Bhasuraka, the king of the Forest 3. Where did the animals schedule to have the meeting? (1) In the lion’s den (2) At the outskirts of the forest (3) In the forest under a big tree (4) Beside the well (5) None of these 4. Why was the rabbit unwilling to go to the lion? (1) He didn’t want to be killed (2) He was scared of the lion (3) He felt intimidated by the lion (4) He was too old to walk (5) He wanted to spend time with his rabbit friends 5. The animals had a problem with their king because (A) He was killing more animals than was required (B) He was a very selfish king (C) He chose to eat one animal a day as his meal (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (B) (5) None of these 6. The rabbit took his own sweet time to reach the lion as (A) He got lost on the way (B) He wanted to make the Lion angry (C) He met five of his friends on the way (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) (3) Only (C) (4) Only (A) and (C) (5) None of these

7. Why was the lion called for a meeting? (1) The animals in the forest wanted to discuss their problem about the other lion who lived in the Well with him

(2) The animals in the forest were not satisfied with him (3) The animals wanted to organize a party for him in gratitude (4) The animals wanted to nominate another king (5) The animals wanted to propose a solution to their problem

8. What did the animals decide at the meeting?

(1) That the lion kill them together once, and for all. (2) That the lion be transferred to another forest. (3) That it was time for the lion to retire (4) To send one animal daily to the lion’s den as his meal (5) None of these

9. Why did the lion, the king of the forest jump into the well?

(1) He liked to swim (2) He was thirsty (3) He saw his reflection (4) He committed suicide (5) He wanted to kill the other lion

10. On what condition did the lion agree to the proposal?

(1) That he would not have to hunt ever again (2) That he be given only the best (3) That the animal for his meal reaches him on time (4) That he would have a lasting supply of food (5) That he would still remain the king of the forest


Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. DEVOURED (1) Appreciated (2) Consumed (3) Sacrificed (4) Cherished (5) Valued 12. GRATIFY (1) Indulge (2) Cease (3) Submit (4) Satisfy (5) Quiet 13. PROPOSAL (1) Fact (2) Application (3) Suggestion (4) Routine (5) Wish

Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. GATHERED (1) Collected (2) Arrived (3) Dispersed (4) Joined (5) Met 15. ESCAPED (1) Rescued (2) Withdrew (3) Return (4) Captured (5) Disappear

Self-Evaluation


Ans: 1-5, 2-1, 3-3, 4-1, 5-1, 6-2, 7-5, 8-4, 9-5, 10-3, 11-2, 12-4, 13-3, 14-3, 15-4. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Devour (Verb) as used in the passage is: to eat all of something quickly; gobble up; consume). Look at the sentence: The hungry lion devoured the prey. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Gratify (Verb) as used in the passage is: to please or satisfy somebody; to satisfy a need, wish etc. Look at the sentence: It gratified him to think that it was all his work. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Gather (Verb) as used in the passage is: a formal suggestion or plan: the act of making a suggestion. Look at the sentence: His proposal that the system should be changed was rejected. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Gather (Verb) as used in the passage is: to come together at or bring people together in one place. Look at the sentence: The whole family gathered together at Ray’s home. The word Disperse (Verb) means: to move apart and go away in different directions; to spread. Look at the sentence: The crowd dispersed quickly. Hence, the antonym of gathered should be dispersed. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Escape (Verb) as used in the passage is: to get away from a place. Look at the sentence: Three prisoners escaped from jail today. The word Capture (Verb) means to catch a person and keep as a prisoner. Look at the sentence: The animals are captured in nets. Hence, the antonym of escaped should be captured.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. One day while talking to his ministers, the Emperor, on a whim, ordered that all the merchants of the city would have to guard the city at night. The merchants were deeply concerned to hear this. How could they, who had been selling goods for years suddenly, take up the duty of guarding the city? For hours on end they discussed the matter. At last one of them said. “We have no alternative but to obey the Emperor’s orders. Let us go to the old commander who lives near the palace and ask him to guide us how to fulfill this task”. His idea was met with approval by the other merchants and they proceeded to the commander’s house. Upon hearing the merchants’ dilemma he said, “Relax. There is no need to worry. Do as I tell you.” The merchants agreed. The next evening, as instructed, they wore their armour back to front, carried their weapons in baskets on their heads and began to chant. “It is our turn now. “Soon a crowd gathered and people began to laugh and point at the strangely dressed merchants.” Word of this reached the Emperor‘s ears. He ordered merchants to be rounded up and brought to the court. Red faced the emperor commanded angrily. “Explain this odd behaviour!”. The commander had told them what to say when they met the Emperor. The leader of the merchants, accordingly, folded both his hands and politely said, “Your Majesty, we are merchants, deft in business, in purchasing and selling, in keeping accounts and making profits. We cannot patrol the kingdom .We did not mean any disobedience but this task is simply beyond our capability. We have no training”. The Emperor said. “I am pleased with you truthful reply and appreciate your ingenuity”. “Thank you, Your Majesty, but the credit goes to the retired commander”, was the merchant’s reply. “I think I shall visit him. He deserves a reward for his sound advice. The order stands withdrawn from this day onwards!” announced the Emperor. 1. Why were the merchants dressed strangely?

(1) They were unaccustomed to wearing soldier’s uniforms (2) To provide entertainment to the people (3) As a deliberate act of defiance to show their disrespect to the Emperor (4) The retired commander had instructed them about how to dress. (5) None of these

2. What made the Emperor ask the merchants to guard the kingdom?

(1) He was dissatisfied with the performance of his soldiers (2) It was a test to see if the merchants were loyal and would obey him (3) He wanted to try out an idea he had had (4) To test the merchants’ resourcefulness (5) To reduce the burden on the soldiers and allow them much needed rest at night

3. Why were the merchants worried?

(1) The Emperor had issued an order for them to give up their old profession without consulting them.

(2) They earned more money as merchants than they would as soldiers. (3) They were lazy and did not want to watch over the kingdom at night after working hard the

whole day (4) They lacked the necessary qualities such as courage which were require for being a soldier (5) None of these


4. Which of the following describes the Emperor? (A) He lacked respect for his soldiers (B) He was uncertain of his views and was easily influenced (C) He had no experience in running a kingdom (1) None (2) Both (A) and (B) (3) Only (B) (4) All (A), (B) and (C) (5) Only (C)

5. Why did the Emperor withdraw his order?

(1) The retired commander advised him to do so when the Emperor visited him (2) He had been embarrassed by the way the merchants had behaved (3) He realised that he had made an error in ordering the merchants to act as guards (4) He realised that he had been unfair to his soldiers. (5) None of these

6. How did the news of the merchants’ behaviour reach the Emperor? (1) He sent people to check that his orders had been carried out (2) The Emperor himself went to see how they were coping (3) The leader of the merchants informed him (4) The Emperor heard the news form his subjects (5) None of these

7. Why did the Emperor visit the commander?

(1) Out of respect for the elderly commander (2) He had never met the commander before (3) To reward him for his quick wittedness (4) To ask his advice on other matters (5) The merchants requested him to do so

8. What advice did the retired commander give the merchants?

(A) To enjoy a good night’s rest (B) How to approach the Emperor the next morning and plead their case (C) To prepare themselves during the day so that they could do their job well (1) None (2) Both (A) and (C) (3) Only (C) (4) All (A), (B) and (C) (5) Only (B)

9. What action did the Emperor take against the merchants?

(1) He rewarded them handsomely. (2) He praised them for their business silks (3) He criticised their inability to defend their Kingdom. (4) He appreciated their honesty and cleverness (5) He ordered them to be trained as soldiers.

10. Which of the following is NOT true in the context of the passage? (A) The Emperor’s ministers did not take an active part in governance (B) The merchants were selfish and only interested in making money (C) The soldiers were irreplaceable (1) Only (A) (2) All (A), (B) and (C) (3) Both (A) and (C) (4) Both (A) and (B) (5) None of these


Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. CHANT

(1) pray (2) recite (3) song (4) verse (5) narrate

12. DEFT (1) expert (2) genius (3) lively (4) flexible (5) master

13. PATROL

(1) alert (2) caution (3) defence (4) safeguard (5) security Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. CREDIT

(1) debit (2) ungrateful (3) reject (4) condemn (5) blame 15. ODD

(1) rare (2) ordinary (3) abnormal (4) similar (5) even


15

Ans: 1-4, 2-3, 3-4, 4-3, 5-5, 6-4, 7-3, 8-5, 9-4, 10-4, 11-2, 12-1, 13-4, 14-5, 15-5. Qs.11. The meaning of the Chant (Verb) as used in the passage is: to sing or shout the same words or phrases many times. Look at the sentences: The crowd chanted their hero’s name. Resign! Resign! They chanted. Hence, the words chant and recited are synonymous. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Deft (Adjective) as used in the passage is: skillful and quick. Look at the sentences: He has deft command of the language. Ram finished off the painting with a few deft strokes of the brush. Hence, the words deft and expert are synonymous. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Patrol (Verb) as used in the passage is: to go around an area of a building at regular times to check that it is safe and there in no trouble ; safeguard. Look at the sentences: Army patrolled the border day and night. Guards can be seen patrolling everywhere. Hence, the words patrol and safeguard are synonymous. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Credit (Noun) are used in the passage is: praise or approval because you are responsible for something good that has happened. Look at the sentences: Rahul is a player who rarely seems to get the credit he serves. Credit will be given in the exam for good spelling and grammar. Out of the given alternatives the word Blame (Noun) means: responsibility for doing something badly or wrongly; saying that somebody is responsible for something. Look at the sentence: The government will have to tale the blame for the riots. Hence, the words credit and blame are antonymous. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Odd (Adjective) as used in the passage is: strange, unusal, peculiar. Look at the sentence: The odd thing was that the he didn’t recognize me. Hence, the words even and odd are antonymous.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. In village in the East, there lived an old couple. They did not have any children and never spent an extra paisa on themselves. They never repaired their house or cooked good food. One day, a family moved into the village. It was their son’s second birthday and they sent two delicious laddoos to the old couple. The couple ate the laddoos with great relish. For days after they could talk of nothing else. Finally the old man could take it no more. He said to his wife, “Let’s buy the ingredients to make just two laddoos.” His wife agreed but said, “If I make the laddoos at home, the neighbours will know and will want a share. Let’s cook in the woods behind our hut. That way to one will ever know.” The next day the old man purchased the ingredients from the market and they set off to the woods. Having never prepared food like this before, they ended up with three laddoos instead of two. The old couple returned home with the sweets, dying to eat them. But there was a problem. “It was my idea and I went to the market, so I ought to get two,” said the old man. But his wife refused to give in so easily and said, “Since I prepared the sweets, I ought to have two. “The day wore on and the argument continued. At least, the old man suggested, “Let us not talk to each other. Whoever breaks the silence first will get one laddoo and the other persons two. “His wife agreed. Hours passed, but neither of them spoke an finally they fell asleep with the bowl of sweets between them. That evening one of the neighbours knocked on the door but the couple did not answer for fear of losing the bet. Peering through the window, the man saw the couple lying on the floor with an untouched bowl of food. “They are dead!” He shouted and alerted the other villagers. Soon the door was broken down and the house was swarming with villagers. They discussed everything from the funeral to where the couple had hidden their wealth. But the couple lay still. Finally, the villagers carried them to the cremation ground. As the flames licked his feet, the old man jumped up screaming “You win!” His wife jumped up too, happy that she had won. The two then rushed home leaving the bewildered villagers present there behind. But when they got home …. Alas the door had been left open and they found a stray dog licking the last crumbs of the sweets from the bowl. 1. What caused the old couple’s sudden longing for laddoos?

(1) They hadn’t eaten good food for several days (2) They had attended their neighbour’s party and enjoyed the laddoos served (3) They saw the mouth watering laddoos being served to guests at the party (4) They had tasted the laddoos prepared for their neighbour’s son’s birthday (5) They thought that the laddoos would satisfy their hunger for days to come.

2. Why did the old couple cook in the woods? (1) It was very convenient to gather firewood (2) To avoid the risk of their hut burning down (3) To keep the fact that they were preparing laddoos a secret from their neighbours (4) To hide the fact that they did not know how to prepare laddoos from their neighbours (5) They did not have the ingredients to make enough laddoos for their neighbours as well


3. Which of the following can be said about the old couple? (1) They did not have any relatives to look after them in their old age (2) They were misers and did not spend even on keeping their house in good condition (3) They were not allowed to eat sweets as they were old (4) They were fond of animals and sometimes shared their food with stray animals (5) They were afraid of the villagers and hid from them.

4. Which of the following is/are True in the context of the passage?

(A) The old woman had prepared more laddoos than she had intended. (B) The family who had recently moved into the village were fond of the old couple (C) The villagers were saddened by the death of the old couple and gave them a grand funeral. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (B) and (C) (3) Only (A) and (B) (4) All (A), (B) and (C) (5) None of these

5. Why did the neighbour peep into the old couple’s house?

(1) To learn what they were being so secretive about (2) To spy on them and discover where their wealth was hidden (3) To complain as they had cooked in the forest (4) To check up on the old couple as he did everyday (5) Not clearly mentioned in the passage

6. What puzzled the villagers?

(1) The old couple did not die in the fire (2) The sight of the old couple whom they had presumed dead, alive (3) The fact that the old couple had wasted good food (4) The lack of concern the old woman had for her husband (5) The old couple fed the laddoos to the dog

7. Why did the old man scream when surrounded by the villagers?

(1) He was afraid that his wife would get burned (2) To scare away the villagers who wanted to kill him for his money (3) His wife refused to allow him to eat more than one laddoo (4) To indicate to the villagers that he was alive (5) The fear of being hurt in the fire

8. What did the old couple disagree about?

(1) Where they would cook their meal (2) Which of them was entitled to the first laddoo (3) Whether to share the extra laddoo with their neighbours (4) The quantity of laddoos that they had made (5) None of these

9. What was the villager’s reaction to the old couple’s presumed ‘death’?

(1) They were upset and all came to pay their last respects (2) They were worried about how to pay for the funeral (3) They could not decided what to do with the couple’s wealth (4) They disliked the old couple and demolished their house (5) They dutifully arranged the couple’s last rites

10. Why did the old couple initially not reveal that they were alive to the villagers?

(1) To learn the villagers’ true opinion of them (2) They did not like the villagers and were mocking them (3) Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak and lose the bet (4) To test the honesty of the villagers (5) None of these


Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Which of the following is most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage. 11. SHARE

(1) half (2) part (3) participate (4) divide (5) common 12. BREAKS

(1) interrupts (2) separates (3) solves (4) defeats (5) escapes

13. PASSED (1) overtook (2) occupied (3) unnoticed (4) elapsed (5) succeeded

Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Which is most opposite in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage. 14. STILL

(1) restless (2) noisily (3) conscious (4) calmly (5) lifeless 15. LAST

(1) new (2) begin (3) constant (4) discontinue (5) first


15

Ans: 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1, 5-5, 6-2, 7-5, 8-4, 9-5, 10-3, 11-2, 12-1, 13-4, 14-1, 15-5. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Share (Noun) as used in the passage is: portion; one part of something that is divided between two or more people. Look at the sentence: How much was your share in the profit? Hence, the words share and part are synonymous. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Break (Verb) as used in the passage is: to interrupt something so that it ends suddenly. Look at the sentence: He broke the silence by coughing. Hence, the words breaks and interrupts are synonymous. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Pass (Verb) as used in the passage is: when time passes, it goes by; elapse. Hence, the words passes and elapsed are synonymous. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Still (Adjective) as used in the passage is: not moving; calm and quite. Look at the sentence: The kids found it hard to stay still. Hence, the words still and restless are antonymous because the word restless means; unable to stay still or be happy where you are; disturbed. Qs.15. The meaning of the word Last (Adjective) as used in the passage is; final; only remaining. Look at the sentence: The last thing he needed was more work. Hence the word last and first are antonymous.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

Keshav and Yash lived in neighbouring villages. Once, a fair was held nearby and they set off from their homes hoping to do some business there. Keshav filled his sack with cheap cotton, overlaid it with a layer of fine wool, and set off for the fair. Meanwhile Yash, collected some old clothes, put a layer of sheer cotton on top and made his way to the fair. Each stopped to rest under a tree and got to talking. “I have the finest wool in my sack boasted Keshav. Not to be outdone. Yash said, “I have cotton of the most superior quality. The two struck a deal. They would exchange their goods and since wool was more expensive, Yash would pay Keshav an extra rupee. But Yash had no money on him. So after agreeing to pay Keshav later, they went home, laughing at each other’s folly. It did not take them long to discover that they had been duped. The next day, Keshav landed at Yash’s house, “You cheat! Give me my rupee at least. ”Yash was untroubled by Keshav’s words, “Of course. But first help me find the treasure at the bottom of this well. We can divide it.” So Keshav went into the well. But each time Yash, hauled up the bucket Keshav had filled, he said, “Oh! No treasure here. Try again.” Keshav soon realised he was being used as free labour to clean the well. So he gave a loud shout, “Here is the treasure! Watch out its heavy!” Yash was amazed that there actually was treasure in the well. As soon as he pulled up the bucket he threw away the rope so that Keshav could not come up. But, what did he find in the bucket? Keshav covered in mud! They began fighting again. Soon it got too dark to continue and they left for their homes. But Keshav did not give up easily. He arrived at Yash’s house a few days later. Yash spotted him and told his wife, “I will pretend to be dead. Keshav will have to give up.” But when Keshav heard Yash’s wife wailing, he rushed out to gather the villagers. “My friend has died. Let’s take his body for cremation.” Yash’s wife got scared, “Go away. I shall arrange for cremation myself!” But the villagers thought she was too grief stricken. Once they reached the cremation ground, Keshav told the villagers. “It is getting dark. I shall watch over him during the night.” When the villagers had left, Keshav said to Yash, “Stop pretending. Give me my money!” Now, a gang of thieves came upon them and seeing one figure seated on the funeral pyre and another standing next to him talking, they assumed them to be ghosts and dropped their bag of stolen goods and left at top speed. The two, saw the bag full of gold and silver ornaments and divided it between themselves. Keshav made sure he got an extra gold coin and the account was settled at last! 1. What made the two young men decide to visit the fair?

(1) They thought they could get jobs and support themselves. (2) They wanted to trade their goods at the fair and earn some money. (3) To sell the produce they had grown for a handsome profit. (4) Being unemployed they thought they could entertain people at the fair. (5) Not clearly mentioned in the passage

2. What were Keshav and Yash quarelling about? (1) The cost of wool (2) The interest on the loan Yash had taken (3) Dividing the thieves’ treasure equally (4) The money Yash owed Keshav (5) The wages for digging the well


3. Why were the two men happy despite not going to the fair? (1) They had managed to buy whatever they needed on the way. (2) They had got a good deal in exchange for a rupee. (3) They had become fast friends and had made a lot of money in the bargain. (4) Each thought he had got the better deal and had swindled the other. (5) None of these

4. Why did the villagers gather at Yash’s house? (1) Yash’s wife was very upset seeing Keshav and her husband arguing (2) To help Yash’s wife carry Yash’s body home as night had fallen (3) To give Yash’s wife the news of her husband’s death (4) They wanted to keep watch over Yash’s wife during the night. (5) Villagers gathered to cremate yash.

5. Why did Yash request Keshav to go down into the well? (1) He knew Keshav was smart and would clean it thoroughly. (2) He was in search of treasure that he had buried. (3) To trick Keshav into cleaning it. (4) His wife had refused to help him. (5) To make Keshav earn the extra gold coin.

6. Which of the following cannot be said about the two young men? (A) They were lazy and made their wives work. (B) They were a match for each other in shrewdness. (C) They were dishonest and tried to swindle each other. (1) Only (A) (2) Only (A) and (C) (3) Only (B) and (C) (4) All (A), (B) and (C) (5) None of these

7. Why did Keshav get an extra gold coin from the thieves’ treasure?

(1) As payment for digging the well. (2) It was the amount Yash owed Keshav for protecting him from the thieves. (3) As repayment of the rupee that Yash owed him. (4) It was his idea to spend the night at the cremation ground. (5) He had proved to be cleverer than Yash.

8. What was Keshav’s reaction to Yash’s presumed death?

(1) He immediately sent for the villagers to comfort Yash’s wife. (2) He was very upset because he realised that he would never recover his money. (3) He paid for all Yash’s funeral arrangements. (4) He could not be consoled and kept a watch over Yash’s body all night. (5) He knew Yash was pretending and decided to trick him too.

9. What frightened the thieves? (1) The sight of what they thought were the spirits of the dead. (2) The realisation that the villagers would soon return. (3) Someone had discovered their hiding place. (4) Their loot had been stolen by other thieves. (5) The villagers had lit a funeral pyre for them.


10. Which of the following is NOT TRUE in the context of the passage? (1) Keshav was persevering by nature. (2) There was no treasure buried in Yash’s well. (3) Keshav guarded Yash’s body because he knew thieves lived there. (4) Yash’s wife supported her husband in his crooked dealings. (5) Neither Keshav nor Yash could be trusted to keep his word.

Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Which of the following words in most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage? 11. DISCOVER (1) invent (2) explore (3) locate (4) realise (5) research

12. STRUCK

(1) reached (2) impacted (3) slapped (4) attacked (5) occurred 13. TOP

(1) height (2) lid (3) finest (4) upper (5) maximum

Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Which of the following words in most opposite in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage?

14. DARK

(1) bright (2) cheerful (3) shadow (4) fair (5) shining

15. FREE (1) occupied (2) paid (3) captured (4) busy (5) dependent

Ans: 1-2, 2-4, 3-4, 4-5, 5-3, 6-1, 7-3, 8-5, 9-1, 10-3, 11-4, 12-1, 13-5, 14-1, 15-2.

Self-Evaluation


Qs.11. The meaning of the word Discover (Verb) as used in the passage is: realise. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Strike (Verb) as used in the passage is: Idiom strike a deal means; make an agreement with somebody in which both sides have an advantage. Hence, the words struck and reached are synonymous. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Top (Adjective) as used in the passage is: highest in position. Look at the sentence: He lives on the top floor. Hence, the words top and maximum are synonymous. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Dark (Adjective) as used in the passage is: with no very little light. Look at the sentence: It was dark outside and I couldn’t see much. The words dark and bright are antonymous. Qs.15. The words fee and Paid are antonymous.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions There once lived a shrewd shopkeeper named Makarand. He had a friend, Mihir, who had saved a lot of money. Now, Mihir was keen to go on a pilgrimage, but did not know whom to trust with his precious savings. So he came to Makarand’s shop and said, “Friend please look after my life savings till I return.” Makarand pretended to think seriously and said, “No, Money spoils relationships. What if something happens to it when your not here? You will no longer be my friend.” As Mihir stood there thinking about this, an old woman entered the shop and bought some things. One of the shop boys gave her less change than he should have. Makarand saw this and pretended to scold the boy, ordering him to return the remaining money to the woman. Mihir, unaware this was an act to make him to believe in Makarand’s honesty, said, “I have decided. I will leave the money only with you.” Makarand smiled, “Let’s take the bag of coins and bury it in a place that only you and I know of. So, even if something happens to me when you are gone, you will know where your money is.” Mihir thought this was a good idea and the two went and hid the bag in a secret place. Mihir left the next day on hid pilgrimage, happy his savings were in safe hands. Six months later, he returned, dumped his luggage at home and went to recover his money. Although he searched high and low, there was no sign of bag. In panic, he ran to Makarand, who was busy at his shop. When Mihir asked him about the bag, Makarand pretended to be surprised. “But I haven’t been that way in all these months. Why don’t you search for it again? ” he said, putting on his most innocent look. Mihir had no choice and sadly he made his way to home. On the way, he met the old woman he had seen in Makarand’s shop. At the sight of his sad face, she asked him what the matter was. Mihir told her the whole story. Then she smiled and whispered a plan to him. The next day, the woman came to Makarand’s shop, carrying a big box. ”I heard you are a good and honest man. My son went to pilgrimage many months ago and has still not returned. I am worried and have decide to go look for him. Will you look after my box of two hundred gold coins while I am away?”. Makarand could not believe his luck. He was about to become rich at the expense of the old woman. He was about to launch into his idea about hiding the box, when an angry Mihir entered the shop. “Where is …” But before he could complete his sentence. Makarand, afraid of being accused in front of the old woman, said quickly. “I forgot, I had seen some pigs digging around there and had removed your bag to keep it safe.” And he handed Mihir the bag he had stolen many months ago. Now the old women pretended she was seeing Mihir for the first time. “Son, did you also go on a the pilgrimage? Tell me, did you meet my son anywhere? ” Mihir clutching his precious bag, replied, “Yes Aunty, I met him on his way home. He should be here in a week.” Hearing this old woman took her box away from Makarand. “Thank you, you saved an unnecessary trip. Now I will use the money to prepare for my son’s welcome!” And the two departed, leaving Makarand staring open-mouthed 1. Why did Mihir approach Makarand to keep his savings while he went on a pilgrimage? (1) Makarand was a clever businessman and would increase his savings. (2) Makarand was the only one he knew who was not going on the pilgrimage. (3) Makarand knew of a very safe place to hide the money. (4) Makarand had an excellent memory and was Mihir’s best friend. (5) Mihir felt that he could trust Makarand.


2. Why did Makarand scold his shop assistance for not refunding the correct balance? (1) It was pretense to trick the customer into buying something more. (2) To convince Mihir to leave his money behind with him for safekeeping (3) Makarand himself was very honest and demanded the same from his employees. (4) To ensure that the assistance would never steal again (5) He knew Mihir trusted the old woman and wanted to make the good impression 3. What did Makarand plan to do with the old woman’s money? (1) Use it repay what he had borrowed from Mihir (2) Keep it safe till her returned (3) Hide it where the animals would not be able to digit up. (4) Keep the money for himself (5) Invest it in his business so that it would earn interest 4. Which of the following is TRUE in the context of the passage? (A) The old woman was the wisest of the villagers (B) Mihir was trustworthy and kind to the villagers (C) Makarand was greedy and dishonest (1) Only C (2) Only A and B (3) Only A and C (4) All A, B and C (5) None of these 5. What upset Mihir when he returned home from the pilgrimage? (1) He could not remember where he had buried his saving (2) Makarand had failed to regularly check up on Mihir’s savings (3) He had lost his entire life savings (4) Makarand’s refusal to help him search for his savings (5) Makarand had revealed where Mihir’s savings were hidden to the old woman 6. Why did the old woman help Mihir recover his money? (1) She had a similar experience with the Makarand and wanted to teach him a lesson (2) Mihir had become friends with her son during the pilgrimage (3) Mihir promised to help her find her son in return (4) She felt sorry for Mihir who had always been kind of her. (5) Not clearly mentioned in the passage 7. Why did Mihir and the old woman hatch a plot? (1) To trick Makarand into returning what rightfully belonged to Mihir. (2) To swindle Makarand out of all his money (3) To ruin Makarand’s reputation so that he would not cheat people. (4) To learn how Makarand had spent Mihir’s wealth. (5) None of these 8. Why did Makarand remove Mihir’s money from its original hiding place? (1) He was afraid that someone would discover it and steal it. (2) He was worried that he would forget where it was hidden. (3) Since Mihir had not returned within six months he had claimed the money. (4) To teach Mihir a valuable lesson about entrusting money to others. (5) None of these 9. What was Makarand’s initial reaction when Mihir was distressed about having lost his life’s

savings? (1) He asked Mihir to return home as he was very busy (2) He comforted him by promising to loan him the money the next day (3) He pretended not to known what had happened to the money (4) He assured him that he would help find the money (5) He asked him to return later as he did not want to discuss it in front of customers


10. Why did Makarand interrupt Mihir when he came to claim his money the second time? (1) He was busy serving a customer did not want to distracted (2) To prevent the old woman from doubting his integrity (3) He had quarrled with Mihir and they were no longer friends (4) He suddenly remembered where he had hidden the money and was anxious to tell him. (5) None of these Directions (Qs. 11 to 13): Which of the following is most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage. 11. sign (1) authorise (2) warning (3) gesture (4) indication (5) notice 12. expense (1) profit (2) amount (3) cost (4) charge (5) rate 13. matter (1) substance (2) problem (3) relevance (4) material (5) object Directions (Qs. 14 to 15): Which of the following is most opposite in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage. 14. unnecessary (1) needy (2) excessive (3) surplus (4) avoidable (5) essential 15. spoils (1) enhances (2) accepts (3) increases (4)indulges (5) recovers

Self-Evaluation


Ans: 1-5, 2-2, 3-4, 4-1, 5-3, 6-5, 7-1, 8-5, 9-3, 10-2, 11-4, 12-2, 13-2, 14-5, 15-5. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Sign (Noun) as used in the passage: an event, an action, a fact etc, that shows that something exists; indication. Look at the sentences: There is no sign of Mohan anywhere. Call the police at the first sign of trouble. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Expense (Noun) as used in the passage: with loss or damage to somebody/something; cost. Look at the sentences: He built up the business at the expense of his health. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Matter (Noun) as used in the passage: affair; problem; a subject or situation that you must consider or deal with. Look at the sentences: There is something the matter with his eyes. Qs.14. The meaning of the word unnecessary (Adjective) as used in the passage; not needed; more than is needed; unjustified. Hence, the words unnecessary and essential are antonymous. Qs.15. The meaning of the word spoil (Verb) as used in the passage: to change something good into something bad, unpleasant, useless etc; ruin. The word recover (Verb) means: to return to a normal state after an pleasant experience or a period of difficulty. Hence, the words spoils and recovers are antonymous.

- - - × - - -



COMPREHENSION TEST

Direction (Qs. 1 to 15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. A Jackal, a crow and a wolf had developed friendship with him. However, all the three had a selfish motive behind this so-called friendship. They knew that the lion was the king of the forest and friendship with such a fierce creature would always help them. To meet their selfish ends, they started obeying and were always at the service of the lion. They didn’t have to make any efforts to search for their food, as the lion gave his leftover meals to them. Moreover, they became powerful as they were next to the king of the forest. One day, a camel, who came from some distant land, lost his way and entered the same forest where these friends lived. In the meantime, these three friends happened to pass the same way that the camel was wandering. When they saw the camel, they realized that he did not belong to their forest. The jackal suggested to his other two friends, “Let’s kill and eat him.” The wolf replied, “It is a big animal. We cannot kill him like this. I think, we should first inform our king about this camel. “The crow agreed with the wolf’s idea. All of them went to meet the lion. On reaching the lion’s den, the jackal approached the lion and said, “Your Majesty, an unknown camel has dared to enter your kingdom without your consent. Let’s kill him; he could make a nice meal. “The lion roared loudly on hearing this and said, ‘What are you saying? The camel has come for refuge in my kingdom. It is unethical to kill him. We should provide him the best shelter. Go and bring him to me.” All of them were dispirited to hear these words from the king. They unwillingly went to the camel and told him about the lion’s desire to meet him. The camel was scared about the strange offer. He thought that his end had come and in a little while he would become the lion’s meal. As he couldn’t even escape, he decided to meet the lion. The selfish friends escorted the camel to the lion’s den. The lion welcomed the camel warmly and assured him of a safe stay in the forest. The camel was totally amazed to hear the lion’s words. He happily started living with the jackal, the crow and the wolf. One day, when the lion was hunting for food, he had a struggle with a mighty elephant. The lion was badly injured in the struggle and became incapable of hunting for his food. Thus the lion had to sustain without food for days. Due to this, his friends too had to go hungry for days as they totally depended on the lion’s kill for their food. But the camel was satisfied grazing around in the forest. All the three friends were worried and discussed the matter among them. As the jackal, the crow and the wolf had set their evil eyes on the camel, they met once again and devised a plan to kill the camel. They went to the camel and said, “Dear Friend, you know our king has not eaten anything for many days now. He is unable to hunt due to his wounds and sickness. Under such circumstances, it becomes our duty to sacrifice ourselves to save the life of our king. Come with us, we will offer our bodies as food for him.” The camel didn’t understand their plan, but innocently nodded in favour of it. All of them approached the lion’s den. First of all, the crow came forward and said, “Your Majesty, I can’t see you like this. So please eat me.” The lion replied, “I would prefer to die than to perform such a sinful deed.” Then, the jackal came forward and said, “Your Majesty, crow’s body is too small for your appetite. I offer myself to you, as it is my duty to save your life.” The lion politely rejected the offer. As per the plan, now it was the wolf’s turn to offer himself to the king. So, the wolf came forward and said, “Your Majesty, jackal is quite small to gratify your hunger. I offer myself for this kind job. Please, kill me and appease your hunger.


But the Lion didn’t kill any of them. The camel, who was watching the whole scene felt reassured of his safety and also decided to go forward and complete the formality. He marched forward and said, “Your Majesty, why don’t you kill me? You are my friend. Please allow me to offer you my body.” The lion found the offer quite appropriate as the camel himself had offered his body for food. The lion attacked the camel at once, ripped open his body and tore him into pieces. The lion and his friends feasted on the poor camel for days together. 1. Why could the lion not hunt anymore?

(1) He had become lazy as his friends had provided him with food all the time (2) There were no animals left in the forest besides his friends (3) He had injured himself badly in a flight with an elephant (4) He was too old and his bones were weak (5) None of these

2. Why were the jackal, the crow and the wolf friends with the lion?

(1) As they got food easily and were also powerful in the lion’s presence (2) As the lion was really weak and they could take over the kingship soon (3) As they loved to hunt along with the lion and he taught them new tricks every time (4) As there was no other powerful animal in the forest (5) As they were scared of the lion and had no other alternative

3. Why had the camel come to the forest in the first place?

(1) He wanted to meet the lion (2) He was starving and was looking for food (3) He was in search of friends (4) He lost his way (5) None of these

4. Why did the camel feel afraid when the lion desired to meet him?

(1) He had breached the lion’s secure forest and was sure to be punished (2) He felt that the lion would eat him (3) He knew that the lion would ask him to fight with the elephant (4) The three friends had told him that the lion wanted to arrest him (5) None of these

5. Which of the following can definitely be said about the camel in the story?

(A) He was fierce (B) He was young (C) He was trusting (1) Only (A) (2) Only (A) and (C) (3) All (A), (B) and (C) (4) Only (C) (5) Only (B) and (C)

6. How did the jackal, the crow and the wolf finally manage to eat the camel? (1) They tricked him into offering this body to the lion (2) They poisoned him (3) They requested him to be their meal (4) They killed him as soon as they saw him in the forest (5) The forced the lion to eat him


7. What made the camel offer his body to the lion? (1) He felt very sorry for the lion as he had grown thin and weak (2) He wanted to end his own life (3) He knew that the lion would die on consuming him (4) The camel would rather have his body eaten by his friend the lion than an unknown elephant (5) Since the lion had rejected the other friends bodies the camel was sure that the lion would not

eat him as well 8. Which of the following cannot be said about the jackal, the crow and the wolf?

(A) They were sensitive, (B) They were selfish, (C) They were cunning (1) Only (B) (2) Only (C) (3) Only (A) (4) Only (B) and(C) (5) Only (A) and (C)

9. Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the story?

(1) The old lion (2) The Mighty Elephant (3) The Selfish camel and the Brave Friends (4) The lion and the forest (5) The Shrewd Friends and the Innocent camel

10. What reason did the lion give for not eating the crow? (1) He would prefer to eat the camel (2) It was wrong to eat friends (3) The crow was too tiny to be eaten (4) The crow was not good to taste (5) He wanted to eat the fox instead

Directions (Qs.11 to 13): Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage. 11. GRATIFY

(1) delight (2) humour (3) grateful (4) please (5) satisfy 12. AMAZED

(1) surprised (2) emotional (3) appalled (4) scared (5) troubled

13. WORRIED (1) angry (2) concerned (3) relaxed (4) annoyed (5) confused

Directions (Qs.14 to 15): Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage. 14. APPROPRIATE

(1) unique (2) harmful (3) proper (4) unsuitable (5) vicious

15. INNOCENTLY (1) knowingly (2) offensively (3) secretly (4) lovingly (5) blissfully

Self-Evaluation



Ans: 1-3, 2-1, 3-4, 4-2, 5-4, 6-1, 7-5, 8-3, 9-5, 10-2, 11-5, 12-1, 13-2, 14-4, 15-2. Qs.11. The meaning of the word Gratify (Verb) as used in the passage is: to please or satisfy somebody; to satisfy a wish, need etc. Look at the sentence: He only gave his consent in order to gratify her wishes. Hence, the words gratify and satisfy are synonymous. Qs.12. The meaning of the word Amazed (Adjective) as used in the passage is: very surprised. Look at the sentence: We were amazed at her knowledge of English. Qs.13. The meaning of the word Worried (Adjective) as used in the passage is: thinking about unpleasant things that have happened and feeling unhappy; anxious; trouble. Hence, the words worried and concerned are synonymous. Qs.14. The meaning of the word Appropriate (Adjective) as used in the passage is: suitable, acceptable or correct for the particular circumstances. Hence, the words appropriate and unsuitable are antonymous. Qs.15. Ans (2): The meaning of the word Innocent (Adjective) as used in the passage: not having done something wrong; not intended to cause harm or upset somebody. The word offensive (Adjective) are used in the passage is: connected with an act, of attacking somebody/something; extreme unpleasant. Hence, the words innocently and offensively (Adverb) are antonymous.

- - - × - - -

Date post:	19-Jul-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	mathigangadhar
View:	125 times
Download:	2 times

Reading Comprehension

Documents