RBSE Class 12 English Reading Comprehension Unseen Passage Type-I

Rajasthan Board RBSE Solutions for Class 12 English Reading Comprehension Unseen Passage Type-I Exercise Questions and Answers.

RBSE Class 12 English Reading Comprehension Unseen Passage Type-I

Test Comprehension and Vocabulary

प्रत्येक अपठित गद्यांश के अन्तर्गत आपके उत्तर संक्षिप्त, पूर्ण तथा सटीक होने के साथ-साथ प्रश्नों के अनुरूप हों जिससे आप अधिक से अधिक अंक प्राप्त कर सकें। निम्नलिखित महत्वपूर्ण बातों पर विशेष ध्यान दें - 

Some useful hints to attempt an Unseen Passage : 

[अपठित गद्यांश को हल करने के लिये कुछ निर्देश]

1. Passage में प्रस्तुत विचार को समझने के लिए Passage को ध्यानपूर्वक पढ़ें। 

2. दिये गये Passage में यदि आप कठिन शब्दों के अर्थ को ठीक प्रकार से नहीं समझ पाते हैं तो जहाँ कठिन शब्द प्रयुक्त हुआ है, उससे पहले और आगे वाले वाक्यों को एक बार फिर ध्यानपूर्वक पढ़ें और उस शब्द का सामान्य अर्थ समझने का प्रयत्न करें। 

3. अपने उत्तर में ठीक उसी बात का उल्लेख करें जो प्रश्न में पूछी गयी हो। साथ ही उत्तरों को संक्षिप्त (Short) रखें। 

4. उत्तर देते समय ध्यान रखें कि Passage में दिये गये वाक्यों को ठीक वैसा ही लिखने के स्थान पर अपनी स्वयं की भाषा में उत्तर लिखें। जिस प्रकार प्रश्न पूछा गया है उसी प्रकार उत्तर को लिखने की शुरुआत करनी चाहिए। 

5. Vocabulary (शब्दावली) पर आधारित प्रश्नों के उत्तर देने के लिए पहले प्रश्न में दिया गया शब्द (word) या
शब्दों (words) को पढ़ें फिर उससे/उनसे सम्बन्धित शब्द को Unseen passage में खोजें और उसका अर्थ समझने का प्रयास करें, फिर उसका उत्तर दें। 

6. अब सभी उत्तरों को एक बार पुनः पढ़ें और यदि आवश्यक हो तो त्रुटियों को सुधारें। व्याकरण (Grammar) पर ध्यान दें। Spellings और Punctuation भी सही होने चाहिए। 

7. गद्यांश की विषय-वस्तु क्या है, इसे जानने के लिए गद्यांश को 2-3 बार पढ़ें। 

8. अपठित गद्यांश के प्रश्नों में निम्नलिखित Question words हो सकते हैं -
who = कौन / किसने; what = क्या / कौन-सा; where = कहाँ; how = कैसे, किस साधन से; which = कौन-सा; whose = किसका / किसके; whom = किसको; how much = कितना; for how long = कब से; why = क्यों; when = कब आदि। 

9. प्रश्नों के उत्तर देते समय Tense व Person का विशेष ध्यान रखें। उदाहरण के लिए- Present Indefinite
Tense में do, does के प्रयोग तथा Past Indefinite Tense में did का प्रयोग कब और कैसे करते हैं, ध्यानपूर्वक अध्ययन कर लें। 

10. 'Why' से आरम्भ होने वाले प्रश्नों के उत्तरों में because के अलावा to + infinitive का प्रयोग भी कर सकते

He worked hard to pass the exam.
Or
He worked hard because he wanted to pass the exam.

11. When-clause वाले वाक्यों में when-clause को शुरू में ही लिखें
Q. - What was Sita doing when you entered the room ?
A. – When I entered the room Sita was sleeping. 

12. जिन प्रश्नों के बीच में 'there' (introductory subject) आता है तो ऐसे वाक्यों के उत्तर देते समय 'there' आरम्भ में ही लिखें
Q. - How many windows are there in this room ?
A. - There are four windows in this room. 

पाठ्यक्रम के अनुसार आपकी परीक्षा में Factual, Discursive, Literary में से किसी भी प्रकार का Unseen Passage दिया जा सकता है जिसके उत्तर आपको देने हैं।
Factual Passages- ये Passages समाचार पत्र-पत्रिकाओं एवं ऐतिहासिक व सामाजिक तथ्य पर आधारित पुस्तकों से चुने जाते हैं। ये topic (प्रकरण), process (प्रक्रिया), action (कार्यवाही), accident (दुर्घटना) आदि से संबंधित विषयवस्तु को संग्रहित करते हैं।
Discursive Passages - इस प्रकार के Passages तर्कपूर्ण (argumentative), आश्वस्त करने वाले (Persuasive) तथा (Interpretative) व्याख्यात्मक होते हैं।
Literary Passages - इस प्रकार के Passages उपन्यास, नाटक, निबन्ध या जीवनी पर आधारित होते हैं। ये Passages तथ्य (facts) पर आधारित होते हैं। इनमें निम्न बातों का विवरण मिलता है
(i) Descriptions (विवरण / वर्णन) 
(ii) Instructions (निर्देश) 
(iii) Reports (प्रतिवेदन)

Unseen Passages For Practige 

1. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (Discursive) 

We often come across situations and incidents, which appear quite contradictory to the known laws of Nature, creating doubts about the impartiality of divine justice. For instance, an honest, duty-conscious, morally elevated person is often seen caught in adversities in one form or the other, or is suddenly struck with a great misfortune in life as though he/she were being punished by God for a great sin. 

On the other hand, we find persons engaged in worst types of corrupt practices living in peace and prosperity. An idler wins a jackpot or inherits a fortune from unexpected quarters, whereas a hard working intelligent person is found suffering endlessly for want of basic necessities. One person achieves great success with little effort, whereas another does not succeed in spite of his best efforts. Such phenomena are popularly ascribed to the role of fate.

Unprecedented natural calamities like famine, epidemics, tornadoes and floods, damage by lightning and earthquakes and untimely death are also commonly attributed to the will of God and called predestined. Such unexpected happenings as financial loss, accidents, sudden mental/ physical disability and physical separation from a dear one are also attributed to fate.

Such unexpected adversities are rare, but they do occur in life. At times, they leave such deep imprints on the psyche, that it is not possible to ignore them. Those who are not familiar with the mysteries of divine justice become very much perplexed by such experiences and form prejudiced opinions, which, in some form or the other, hinder their mental and spiritual progress. Many become resentful towards God, blame and abuse Him for favouritism and injustice. 

A few even become atheists, considering the futility of worshipping God who does not respond to prayer in distress, despite their prolonged adherence to religiosity. Then there is a class of devotees who serve the saints and worship deities in expectation of some material gains. However, if they are visited with some failure, unfavourable circumstances, or mishap coincidentally, their adoration changes to contempt of disbelief.

There are quite a few believers in this world who correlate people, places and things with good and bad luck. Such superstitions have caused extreme miseries to innocent persons. The root cause for such irrational behaviour is the belief that whatever come to pass is predestined by God and the beings created by Him have absolutely no role in shaping their own destiny. Quite a few persons in this world forsake their responsibility in the mistaken belief that the gain and loss being predestiñed, there is no necessity of personal effort.

Difficult words : impartiality = भेदभाव का अभाव | elevated = उच्च, बुलंद | adversities = विपदाएँ । fortune= धन-सम्पत्ति । phenomema = घटनाएँ । ascribe = मढ़ना । unprecedented = अभूतपूर्व। famine = अकाल । epidemics = महामारियाँ । tornadoes = बवंडर, तूफान । untimely = असामयिक । attributed = आरोपित किया । will = इच्छा । predestined = पूर्वनिर्धारित । imprint = छाप छोड़ना । psyche = मानस । perplexed = हक्का -बक्का । prejudiced = पूर्वाग्रहित । hinder = अड़चन डालना । resentful = नाराज । atheists = नास्तिक | superstitions= अंधविश्वासों । 

Questions
(a) What is a mistaken belief ? 
(b) When do we doubt about the impartiality of divine justice ? 
(c) Give an example of phenomena ascribed to the role of fate. 
(d) How is an intelligent person sometimes seen living ? 
(e) Name a few natural calamities. 
(f) In which category is financial loss put ? Find out words from the passage which mean : 
(g) to say something was written by or belonged to somebody. 
(h) to make it more difficult for somebody to do. 
(i) confused. 
Answers:
(a) That gain and loss being predestined, there is no necessity of personal effort, is a mistaken belief. 
(b) We doubt about the impartiality of divine justice, when we come across a situation or an incident which appears'quite contradictory to the known laws of nature. 
(c) Winning a jackpot by an idler is an example of phenomena ascribed to the role of fate. 
(d) An intelligent person is sometimes seen suffering endlessly for want of basic necessities. 
(e) Famine, epidemics, tornadoes, floods, lightning and earthquakes are a few natural calamities. 
(f) Financial loss is put in the category of fate.
(g) ascribe 
(h) hinder 
(i) perplexed. 

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Discursive)

Every moment of life is precious. Time is the essence of life. It is the wealth given to us by Nature. Everyday all of us get 24 hours; nothing less, nothing more. Now, it is up to us how we use it. People who know how to make the best use of every moment easily open the doors of success in their lives and those who misuse time get failures one after the other. 

There is a saying that, “Spent time and spent words cannot come back.” Everybody is tied by the limits of time; even God respects the boundaries of time. Work wins appreciation only when it gets completed in a requisite time frame. Beyond the time allotted, work loses all its utility however good may have been its quality. Just as falling of rains after the crops have dried up have no use; likewise, when the time has passed the deadline, the work loses its importance and value. 

When iron is hot it can be cast into whichever shape we want. Once it gets cold nothing can be made out of it, however, much we may beat the same. In the same way, a person who has learnt to wisely use his time and has understood how to cast himself according to the need of the time has actually learnt the true mantra of life.

Shakespeare wrote in one of his plays, “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.” It is true that a person who wastes even a little bit of time loses wonderful opportunities that he could have otherwise availed of by utilizing that time. All the great leaders have one thing in common. They wisely utilize every moment of their time. 

When other people are busy in wasting time in laziness, great men are busy in making plans for the future. There is no person in history who wasted his time and still managed to achieve greatness.

Therefore, there is great need to manage time wisely. “Careful Time Management” refers to careful planning of time and sincere execution of this plan. This is the only mantra to attain success in any endeavour. A simple change in outlook and some modification in one's daily routine can result in a big jump forward towards greater achievements.

Difficult words : precious = कीमती। essence = सार। appreciation = प्रशंसा । requisite_ अपेक्षित। beyond = से परे। utility = उपयोगिता। crop = फसल । likewise = इसी तरह से। deadline = अंतिम तिथि। doth= करता है । sincere = गंभीर । execution = सम्पादन । endeavour = प्रयास । outlook = दृष्टिकोण। modification = सुधारI 

Questions
(a) What is the essence of life? 
(b) What kind of work loses its utility? 
(c) What is needed for careful time management ? 
(d) What kind of people open the doors of success of their life ? 
(e) When does the work lose its importance and value ? 
(f) Who has learnt the true mantra of life? Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) limitations 
(h) required 
(i) get 
Answers:
(a) Time is the essence of life. 
(b) The work which is completed beyond the time allotted loses its utility. 
(c) Careful planning of time and sincere execution of this plan is needed for careful time management. 
(d) The people who know how to make the best use of every moment open the doors of success. 
(e) When the time passes the deadline, the work loses its importance and value. 
(f) A person who has learnt to use wisely his time and has understood how to cast himself according to the need of the time has learnt the true mantra of life. 
(g) boundaries 
(h) requisite 
(i) attain. 

3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Factual)

Medicines have become an element of surprise and a cause of concern. This is because they have begun to aggravate diseases instead of curing them. No one has a solution. The doctors are perplexed and the patients are annoyed. The outcome of intensive research and in-depth studies has startled everyone.

These findings show that unnecessary use of medicines has created a trend in which people not only take medicines for every small ailments, but also advise others to do so. This habit is now a fashion, a passion and a mark of being educated and aware. Sometimes, it is even considered a status symbol. People think that they should take strong drugs, irrespective of whether the disease is minor or major. Nowadays, a shelf of medicines is found in every house.

This practice is not merely confined to general medicines, but has now spread even to antibiotics. The literal meaning of the word antibiotics is – ‘against life'. In fact, due to their misuse, they have really begun acting against our life. Experts say that unnecessary consumption of antibiotics is increasing the longevity of the microbes on the one hand, while adversely affecting the patient's health on the other. This is because due to the overuse of these medicines, the resistance of micro organisms is increasing, while the immunity of the individuals is decreasing. 

The medical experts have now begun to accept openly that neither the doctors refrain from prescribing the anitbiotics for even simple aliments, nor the patients observe restraint in consuming them. It is a matter of concern that these medicines are used excessively without understanding their side-effects.

Recently, the World Health Organization has also issued an advisory to the Southeast Asian countries, including India. It has warned that if the unrestricted use of antibiotics continues, the coming times may witness a substantial rise in the number of deaths occurring due to 'microbial resistance.'

Antibiotics either destroy the disease-causing bacteria completely or prohibit their growth. However, their prolonged use gives rise to mutation in the bacteria, which makes them resistant towards these drugs. Consequently, they stop, having any effect on them.

This situation is termed by medical experts as ‘microbial resistance'. Various researches and studies carried out in this context also lead to the conclusion that medicines are becoming poisonous. The chief cause of this situation is the unrestrained use of antibiotics. Studies have revealed that sometimes strong antibiotics are taken even for treating simple problems.

Difficult words: element = तत्व। concern = चिंता। aggravate = बढ़ाना । curing = उपचार करना । perplexed = हैरानी से। annoyed = चिढ़ना । outcome = परिणाम । intensive = गहन। trend = प्रवृत्ति । ailments = बीमारियाँ | passion = जुनून । mark = चिन्ह । considered = माना जाता है । status symbol = प्रतिष्ठा का चिह्न। irrespective = का ध्यान दिये बिना । minor = छोटी । major = बड़ी। shelf = ताक ।

confined= सीमित । literal = आक्षरिक । consumption = उपयोग । longevity = दीर्घ आयु । microbes = जीवाणु । 'adversely = विपरीत तरीके से । overuse = अत्यधिक उपयोग। resistance = प्रतिरोध । immunity = प्रतिरक्षा | individuals = व्यक्ति। decreasing = घट रही है। refrain = रोकना । excessively = अत्यधिक मात्रा में । recently = हाल ही में । prohibit = रोकना । prolong = लम्बा करना। witness = साक्षी । substantial = भारी, कमी । mutation = बदलाव। consequently = परिणामस्वरूप । context = संदर्भ । conclusion = निष्कर्ष। revealed = प्रकट होना। 

Questions:
(a) Why have medicines become an element of surprise ? 
(b) What is the literary meaning of the word antibiotics? 
(c) What is the adverse effect of overuse of antibiotics? 
(d) What do antibiotics do with the disease causing bacteria ? 
(e) What is warned by WHO? 
(f) What can be found in a shelf of every house? Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) considerable 
(h) resistance 
(i) disallow 
Answers:
(a) Medicines have become an element of surprise because they have begun to aggravate diseases instead of curing the patients.
(b) The literary meaning of the word antibiotics is ‘against life”. 
(c) They decrease the immunity of the body against diseases. 
(d) Antibiotics either destroy the disease causing bacteria completely or prohibit their growth. 
(e) It is warned by WHO that if the unrestricted use of antibiotics continues, the coming time may witness a substantial rise in the number of deaths occurring due to “microbial resistance. 
(f) Medicines can be found in a shelf of every house.
(g) substantial 
(h) immunity 
(i) prohibit. 

4. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Literary)

Married life has a significant place in our Indian culture. It is the life of a householder that nurtures and enhances the society. The nation gets its future generation owing to this. Hence it is very important that married life is sweet and pleasant. However, it is seen that there is more of bitterness and tension in the relationship owing to incessant quarrels and differences of opinion. 

Husband and wife get disconnected from each other. The children become orphaned emotionally and the family disintegrates. There are small tips and habits which, when incorporated in daily life, can restore the sweetness of family life and may even lead to a blissful life of togetherness.

Each and every person leading a married life has his own individual life. One's habits, interests, way of life and perspective towards life can be temporarily changed, but cannot be modified permanently. This is the main reason for married life to be smooth for some time and unrest crawling in after prolonged periods. This is the very reason why each of them should allocate sufficient time to each other so that they not only understand each other, but also do a thorough self-introspection and lead a life of their own choice. Being honest in marriage is very important. 

This is the foundation for faith in the relationship. Honesty in talking, honesty in discharging one's responsibilities, honesty in fulfilling promises and honesty in all interactions is the key to strengthening the relationship and enhancing the personality of both husband and wife.

For the couple to understand each other well, it is important that they are able to leave their fears and speak out their minds to each other. They should discuss freely; and even when they are upset with one another, it should be sorted out as soon as possible. There may be differences of opinion, but this should never lead to disruption of harmony in mind.

There is one habit that is noticed largely in people. They seem to have many complaints against all things in the world. This is primarily because of a facet in their personality which makes them focus on the negative aspects of others rather than looking at the positive ones. If we are prone to this habit, then we should ensure that this is kept under check so that our personality is not perceived as dissatisfied and irritable.

Difficult words: significant = महत्वपूर्ण I nurture = पालन-पोषण करना । onhanda = बढावा देना । bitterness = कटुता । incessant = अनवरत, लगातार | orphaned = अनाथ | emotionally = भावनात्मक रूप से। disintegrates = टुकड़े-टुकड़े होना । incorporated = सम्मिलित होना ।

restore = पुनः प्राप्त करना। perspective = दृष्टिकोण | crawling = रंगना । allocate= देना | introspection = अन्तरदृष्टि | interactions: वार्तालाप | strengthening = मजबूत करना । enhahcing = बढ़ावा देते हुए । sorted out = सुलझाया जाना। disruption = बाधित होना । harmony = मधुर संबंध। facet = पक्ष । prone = प्रवृत्ति होना । ensure = सुनिश्चित करना । perceived = कथित । irritable = चिड़चिड़ा ।

Questions
(a) Why is married life important ? 
(b) What is called a kind of bad habit ? 
(c) What is the key to strengthening the relationship? 
(d) What can be temporarily changed ? 
(e) What is important for society ? 
(f) What should never lead to disruption of harmony in mind ? Find out a word from the passage which means 
(g) communications 
(h) give out 
(i) making better 
Answers:
(a) Married life is important for the nation gets its future generation owing to it. 
(b) To have a host of complaint against all things in the world is called a kind of bad habit. 
(c) Honesty in everything is the key to strengthening the relationship. 
(d) One's habits, interests, way of life and perspective towards life can be temporarily changed. 
(e) Happy married life is important for society. 
(f) Difference of opinion should never lead to disruption of harmony in mind. 
(g) interactions
(h) allocate 
(i) enhancing.

5. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below : (Persuasive)

There are no rules to tell us how we ought to behave or ought not to behave in all matters. But in some matters, there are rules that all have to obey. Take, for example the rules of the road. The purpose of these rules is to make the road safe for everybody. The roads in our cities and towns are getting more and more busy with traffic these days. 

All kinds of vehicles, (some slow, some fast), fill the roads during the greater part of the day. If people disobey traffic rules, accidents will happen sooner or later. There are rules for pedestrians as well as for vehicles, and every user of the road ought to know the rules.

Here is an important rule for pedestrians. They ought to keep to the footpath and leave the middle of the road for vehicles. Where there is no footpath, pedestrians must keep close to the edge of the road. If they do not obey this rule, they will cause danger to themselves as well as to others. A driver may turn his vehicle suddenly to avoid a pedestrian and, in doing so, may knock down someone else. He may even lose control of his vehicle and drive over the footpath and . knock down several people.

All vehicles should keep to the left and leave the right half of the road free for those coming from the opposite direction. This is the traffic rule in all parts of India. In some countries in the west, however, vehicles have to keep to the right and not to the left. It does not matter whether it is right or left but, everyone should obey the rule. 

Cyclists should always keep to the edge of the road and not get in the way of other vehicles or pedestrians. We often see two or more cyclists riding together side by side right in the middle of the road. Traffic rules do not allow this. Where the road is busy, this will interfere with the flow of traffic and cause accidents. The rule about overtaking is an equally important rule. One vehicle should overtake another vehicle only on the right, because otherwise it may get in the way of the vehicle which is trying to keep to the left.

There are rules about right of way where roads cross each other. There is usually a roundabout at these places. The vehicle coming from the right has right of way over the one coming from the left. If every driver follows this rule, traffic at roundabouts will flow quite smoothly and accidents can be avoided.

Drivers of vehicles should never fail to give the right signals, because otherwise there is great danger of accidents happening. There are signals for turning right or left, for slowing down and for stopping, and for letting another vehicle overtake yours. Cyclists are often careless about giving signals, thinķing that these are important only for motorists. 

But all road users, cyclists as well as motorists, ought to have the right signals so that others on the road may be warned. Pedestrians too should have a knowledge of these signals so that they may be able to tell which way the vehicles on the road are going to pass. Above all, everyone using the public road ought to obey the policeman on traffic duty. This is the most important rule of all.

Difficult words : pedestrians = पैदल चलने वाले । edge = किनारा । roundabout = चौराहा। interfere = व्यवधान डालना I 

Questions
(a) Which rules should we have to obey ?
(b) What is the traffic rule for vehicles in India ?
(c) Where should a cyclist ride on the road ?
(d) What will happen if the drivers of vehicles do not give proper signals ? 
(e) What is the purpose of traffic rules? 
(f) What is the traffic rule for pedestrians ? Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) a person walking in the street 
(h) strike 
(i) an unpleasant event that happens unexpectedly and causes death or injury. 
Answers:
(a) We have to obey the rules of the road. 
(b) In India, all vehicles should keep to the left and leave the right half of the road free for those coming from the opposite direction.
(c) A cyclist should ride on the left edge of the road. 
(d) If the drivers of vehicles do not give proper signals, there is great danger of accidents happening. 
(e) The purpose of the traffic rules is to make the road safe for everybody. 
(f) Pedestrians ought to keep to the footpath or close to the edge of the road.
(g) pedestrian 
(h) knock down 
(i) accident. 

6. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Factual) 

The culture of Rajasthan is very different and unique. The unique mixture of diverse topography, history and curious life-style is what gives Rajasthani culture its rich heritage. The rich culture in Rajasthan is visible in each and every aspect of the state. The colourful dresses, the heavy jewellery, the palatial mansions and havelis, the diverse and joyous festivals and fairs, all are symbols of the rich and unique culture of Rajasthan.

The dull and harsh living condition of people in Rajasthan is made a bit colourful and lively by the multitude of fairs and festivals that are celebrated there. The only way people here enjoy the simple pleasures of life, is by celebrating each and every occasion and event on a grand scale.

Any festival, big or small, is celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy. Rajasthan comes alive in a riot of colours and activities during fairs and important festivals. Monsoons are also the time to indulge in festivity and grand feasts, as rains are an occasion to celebrate in Rajasthan.

The most commonly spoken language in Rajasthan is Hindi. The people of Rajasthan speak in Rajasthani and Marwari. Hindi is the official language of the state. The people over here are very religious and follow all rituals and traditions piously. Hinduism is the dominant religion here followed by Islam, Jainism, Sikhism and Christianity. 

The architecture of the state is also a very evident aspect of the culture of Rajasthan. The magnificent mansions and havelis speak volumes about the royal historical grandeur of the place. The forts and palaces are living testimonies of the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan is famous for its exquisite embroidery. The most unique thing about this embroidery is that it is totally done by hands and no machines are involved. The designs like block printing, Zari, Bagaru, Tie and Die, Sanganri are famous all over the world and are also exported to many countries abroad. The place is also famous for its Kundan and gold jewellery, brass work, etc. Another famous product of Rajasthan is the famous Rajasthani Bandhni Saris. Come to Rajasthan and experience the royal cultural heritage of this beautiful state.

Rajasthan is a place that is dominated by hot and dry weather almost throughout the year. However, there is no such ideal time to visit Rajasthan. The variation between the day and night is pretty high. This means that though days are hot, the nights can get pretty cold. Each and every weather and season in Rajasthan is enjoyable and has its own charm.

Difficult words : culture = 'संस्कृति | unique = अनोखी या अतुलनीय । topography = स्थानिक भूगोल (स्थान वर्णन) । attires = परिधान । palatial = महलनुमा । dominant = प्रभुत्व करने वाला। mansion = : भवन या महल । harsh = कठोर । multitude = बहुत सारे । riot = एक ही वस्तु के विभिन्न स्वरूपों का संग्रह। enthusiasm = उत्साह । rituals = धार्मिक कृत्य । grandeur = भव्यता । testimonies = प्रमाण, सबूत । heritage=farreal exquisite = अयन्त सुन्दर | embroidery = कढ़ाई.

Questions
(a) What are the symbols of the unique culture of Rajasthan ? 
(b) Describe the living conditions of Rajasthani people. 
(c) What makes the life of Rajasthani people colourful ? 
(d) Why do the people of Rajasthan follow all rituals and traditions piously? 
(e) Why is Rajasthani embroidery famous ? 
(f) How is the weather of Rajasthan ? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) extremely large number of people 
(h) that can be seen easily 
(i) great eagerness for something. 
Answers:
(a) Colourful attires, heavy jewellery, the palatial mansions and havelis, joyous festivals and fairs, etc. are the symbols of the unique culture of Rajasthan. 
(b) The living conditions of Rajasthani people are dull and harsh. 
(c) Large number of joyous fairs and festivals make the life of Rajasthani people colourful.... 
(d) Since the people of Rajasthan are very religious, they follow all rituals and traditions piously. 
(e) Rajasthani embroidery is famous for its handwork, no machines are involved in it. 
(f) The weather of Rajasthan is hot and dry throughout the year.
(g) multitude 
(h) visible 
(i) enthusiasm. 

7. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Factual)

intercellular cement "collagen", which is responsible for keeping various cells of the human body together. As an oxidant, it acts like a cop in the body, apprehending the rowdy molecules called free radicals that are naturally formed during various chemical reactions in the body and have the potential to damage. Vitamin C is also required for dentine formation in the teeth and it also aids in the absorption of iron from the body.

Rats have the capacity to synthesise vitamin C with their body whereas human beings are required to provide it through diet. The richest source of vitamin C is amla . The other sources are lemon, orange, papaya, pineapple, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas and tomato. While cooking above 70 degree centrigrade, Vitamin C gets destroyed.

Scurvy is a disease caused by the deficiency of this vitamin. Due to its deficiency, gums are swollen or bleeding, bones are weak and readily fractured, delayed wound healing and poor teeth formation in children result. A balanced diet with vitamin C is the requirement to avoid scurvy. For pregnant or lactating mothers vitamin C is the remedy.

Each adult is required to consume 75 mg per day; an infant 30 mg per day; a pregnant woman 100 mg per day; a lactating mother 150 mg per day. Doctors use vitamin C for the treatment of infections, healing of ulcers, burns and trauma, quick healing of fractures, etc. 

However, taking vitamin C tablets on a long-term basis is not without side-effects, like the reformation of oxalates, kidney stones, diarrhoea, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to the outer layer of teeth and rebound scurvy if tablets are stopped abruptly. Amla with honey is a supertonic, particularly when treated with solar rays since honey is an ingredient that provides instant energy without consuming insulin for its absorption in the body.

A newly born child in India is first provided with honey to purify his/her internal system since it acts as antibiotic and also without side-effects. Most of us are not aware that during World War II a lot of food material was sent to the British army fighting for and on behalf of the British Government in different parts of the world. 
 
In this food material amla was one of the main ingredients to protect fighting forces from scurvy disease' since during day-time they had to live in bunkers and during night-time they had to fight. Therefore, they were generally deprived of sunlight which is a major source of vitamins for human body. Therefore, vitamin C in the form of amla is the best for human health. 

Difficult words : essential = आवश्यक । ingredient = वस्तु या तत्व | cement = दो वस्तुओं को जोड़ने वाला लसदार पदार्थ | collagen = शरीर में अंगों को जोड़ने वाला मुख्य तत्व । cop = पुलिस अधिकारी। deficiency= अभाव या कमी । gums = मसूड़े । swollen = सूज जाना | stressed = तनावग्रस्त । abruptly= अचानक से । particularly = विशेष रूप से । instant = तुरन्त या अतिशीघ्र । side effects = दुष्परिणाम। deprived of sunlight= धूप से वंचित। lactating= दुग्धपान कराने वाली महिलाएँ। apprehending = पकड़ना, प्रभावहीन करना। rowdy= उपद्रवी । molecules = अणुओं । absorption = सोखना ।।

Questions
(a) Why is vitamin C important for us? 
(b) What are the sources of vitamin C ? 
(c) What is the cause of the disease scurvy ? 
(d) How can the disease scurvy be prevented ? 
(e) What are the side effects of taking vitamin C tablets on long term basis ? 
(f) Why was Amla one of the main food ingredients for army people during World War II ? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean: 
(g) a situation when there is not enough of the people or things that are needed 
(h) suddenly 
(i) a woman producing milk from the breasts to feed a baby. 
Answers:
(a) Vitamin C is important because it is required for the synthesis of intercellular cement “collagen”, which is responsible for keeping various cells of the human body together. 
(b) Amla, lemon, orange, pineapple, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas and tomato, etc. are the sources of vitamin C. 
(c) The disease scurvy is caused due to deficiency of vitamin C. 
(d) The disease scurvy can be prevented by taking a balanced diet enriched with vitamin C.
(e) The side effects of taking vitamin C tablets on long term basis are - reformation of oxalates, kidney stones, diarrhoea, abnormal heart rhythm, etc. 
(f) Amla was one of the main ingredients to save fighting forces from scurvy disease during World War II. 
(g) deficiency 
(h) abruptly 
(i) lactating. 

8. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Literary) 

Most people find their lives purposeless, wasted and worthless. That is why with an ordinary illness or some slightly, unfavourable situation, the individual prays for an end to his life. In the opinion of a psychologist, every person thinks of committing suicide more than once in his life. It is a different thing that he does not develop enough courage to end his life. 

Even then some impulsive individuals commit suicide because of petty reasons like failing in examination, losing a job, quarrels in the family or defeat in a court of law. The number of people committing suicide because of such reasons in on the increase.

Why do people commit suicide ? Psychologists give various answers to this question. Some people say that a man gets such a disappointing atmosphere everywhere around him that he does not find any solution except this. According to some psychiatrists, people with violent tendencies who are unable to express them, destroy themselves by these tendencies.

Some persons find themselves so much lonely and helpless that they find no benefit in living and they think, 'Why not to commit suicide? After all what is there in life ?' Some persons think of committing suicide during emotional excitement and prepare a plan for suicide during such a condition.

The main reason for suicide is said to be depression due to physical illness or failure in examination, love or competition. A tendency of revenge is also said to be behind suicides. According to this opinion some people commit suicide because of a burden of feeling guilty, since they are unable to find a solution to get rid of guilty feelings.

Many others commit suicide because they are fed up of old age, rejection by spouse, unemployment, court cases, etc. the reason for suicide is the experience of worthlessness of this life. It is also true that each person-not just once but many times- thinks of his life as worthless and many times a burden. 

To free himself from this burden, the person thinks of self destruction. The question arises, 'Is life so much worthless that on account of disappointment in small matters, one should think of ending it?' If a self-analysis is made seriously, it will be found that every person finds many times that his life is worthless and burdensome. 

Whatever the reason, but the worthlessness of life is felt with such intensity that by ending it, no difference is felt. Life is like a river, which keeps on flowing from its source to its merger into the sea.

Difficult words : psychologist = मनोचिकित्सक  I impulsive = अवेगपूर्ण I disappointing = निराशाजनक। except = सिवाय । violent = हिंसक | tendencies = प्रवृत्तियाँ | excitement = उत्तेजना । depression = अवसाद। revenge = बदला। burden = बोझ । guilty = अपराधी। to get rid of = छुटकारा पाना। fed up = ऊब जाना। emotional = भावुक । spouse = पति या पत्नी। worthlessness = निरुपयोगिता । intensity = तीव्रता। merger = विलय करने वाला । 

Questions
(a) With what is life compared ? 
(b) When do people with violent tendency commit suicide? 
(c) When do some impulsive individuals commit suicide ? 
(d) How do most people find their lives? 
(e) What is the main reason responsible for depression ? 
(f) What is the opinion of a psychologist about committing suicide ? Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) husband or wife
(h) act of killing oneself 
(i) being responsible for doing something wrong. 
Answers:
(a) Life is compared with a river which keeps on flowing from its source to its merger into the sea. 
(b) People with violent tendency commit suicide when they are unable to express them. 
(c) Some impulsive individuals commit suicide when they fail in examination, lose a job, quarrel in the family or are defeated in a court of law. 
(d) Most people find their lives purposeless, wasted and worthless. 
(e) The main reason of depression is physical illness or failure in examination, love or competition. 
(f) According to him every person thinks of committing suicide more than once in his life. 
(g) spouse 
(h) suicide 
(i) guilty.

9. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Discursive)

Marriage is an important institution of human society. In the remote past of human history, man was living and behaving like an animal. Then he was hardly ever aware of his relationship to his parents, brothers and sisters. In the biological kingdom, this primitive man was ever subordinate in status to the animals, Neither did he have the strength of an elephant nor the sharp teeth and claws of the carnivore. 

He did not even have the hard protective hide of the rhinoceros and could not protect himself by any other extraordinary physical capability. Nevertheless, he did possess the unique human instinct of cooperation and organization, with the help of which, he could dominate over the animals besides protecting and proliferating his own species. 

But in spite of this natural trait, in absence of permanent arragements for housing, food and clothes, the primitive man was living in small groups, in large caves and on trees. Since in those days the institution of family had not come into existence, the relation between man and woman was different from what it is today, in modern times.

There is little doubt that tradition of marriage has made a significant contribution in organization and development of human society and with the help of this institution man has been able to make significant achievements by joining much larger families and thereby enlarging fields of activities. 

Giving due importance to this human necessity, the Indian philosophers declared the ceremony of marriage as a great religious rite, decreeing that the bond between husband and wife be considered ever-lasting, pious in all activities of life. The couple were to participate with absolute cooperation so that their resultant contribution became many times than even their combined individual input.

This institution of family further enlarged to constitute ethnic groups, which later became the foundation stones for the various nations of the world. The tradition of marriage was adopted by people all over the world with ceremonial modifications according to local requirements and local atmosphere of the region. 

Nevertheless, the basic framework of the proceşs continued to be the same in that the suitablity of the would be husband for maiden was first ascertained by the father of the girl and on his approval, the couple was declared as man and wife after participating in some religious ceremony. While handing over the responsibilities for looking after bride (Kanya Dan), the groom was also gifted with articles of domestic requirements like eatables, clothes and kitchenware.

Nowhere in the scriptures there is reference to the so-called tradition of pre-fixing a dowry prior to matrimony, entertaining large number of guests from the groom's party or celebrating the event with pompous dance, music and feasts for days.

Difficult. words : institution = चिरकाल से चली आ रही सामाजिक प्रथा। primitive = प्राचीन । subordinate= कम महत्व का होना। carnivore = मांसभक्षी । hide = खाल। extraordinary = असाधारण। dominate = अन्य की अपेक्षा अधिक सशक्त होना। unique = अद्भुत। instinct = जन्मजात प्रवृत्ति। trait = व्यक्तित्व की विशेषता। proliferating = संख्या की दृष्टि से वृद्धि होना। existence = अस्तित्व। pious = पवित्र । absolute= पूर्ण। scripture = धर्मग्रंथ । pompous = शानदार । feast = दावत ethnic = सजातीय । 

Questions.
(a) How did humans live in the remote past? 
(b) What contributed in developing of human society ? 
(c) What is not mentioned in the scriptures ? 
(d) Where did the primitive man live ? 
(e) How could man dominate over animals ? 
(f) What is Kanya Dan? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean 
(g) complete 
(h) animal that eats meat 
(i) a large cavity in the side of a cliff
Answers:
(a) Humans lived like animals in the remote past. 
(b) Marriage contributed in developing of human society. 
(c) The so-called tradition of pre-fixing a dowry prior to matrimony, entertaining large number of guests from the groom's party or celebrating the event with pompous dance,music and feasts for days are not mentioned in the scriptures. 
(d) The primitive man lived in large caves and on trees. 
(e) Man could dominate over animals because he posessed the unique human instinct of co-operation and organization. 
(f) Handing over the responsiblities for looking after the bride is called Kanya Dan.
(g) absolute 
(h) carnivore 
(i) cave. 

10. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Discursive) 

Today's woman is a highly self-directed person, alive to the sense of her dignity and the importance of her functions in the private domestic domain and the public domain of the world of work. Women are rational in approach, careful in handling situations and want to do things as best as possible. 

The Fourth World Conference of Women held in Beijing in September 1995 had emphasised that no enduring solution of society's most threatening social, economic and political problems could be found without the participation and empowerment of women. The 1995 World Summit for Social Development had also emphasised the pivotal role of women in eradicating poverty and mending the social fabric.

The Constitution of India has conferred on women equal rights and opportunities - political social, educational and of employment - with men. Because of oppressive traditions, superstitions, exploitation and corruption, a majority of women are not allowed to enjoy the rights and opportunities, bestowed on them. 

One of the major reasons for this state of affairs is the lack of literacy and awareness among women. Education is the main instrument through which we can narrow down the prevailing inequality and accelerate the process of economic and political change in the status of women.

The role of women in a society is very important. Women's education is the key to a better life in the future. A recent World Bank study says that educating girls is not a charity, it is good economics and if developing nations are to eradicate poverty, they must educate the girls. The report says that the economic and social returns on investment in education of the girls

considerably affect the human development index of the nation. Society would progress only if the status of women is respected and the presence of an educated woman in the family would ensure education of the family itself. Education and empowerment of women are closely related.

Women's education has not received due care and attention from the planners and policy makers. The National Commission for Women has rightly pointed out that even after so many years of independence, women continue to be treated as the single largest group of backward citizens of India. 

The role of women in overall development has not been fully understood nor has it been given its full weight in the struggle to eliminate poverty, hunger, injustice and inequality at the national level.

Even when we are living in the 21st century, our society still discriminates against women in matters of their rights and privileges and prevents them from participating in the process of national and societal progress. Various committees and commissions have been constituted before and after the independence to evaluate the progress in women's education and to suggest ways and means to enhance the status of women.

Difficult words : dignity = गरिमा । domain = (ज्ञान या कार्य का) क्षेत्र | rational = विवेकशील । emphasise = किसी बात पर जोर देना । endure = चुपचाप पीड़ा सहना | empowerment = अधिकृतीकरण । pivotal = मूलभूत social fabric = सामाजिक ढाँचा । oppressive = दमनकारी । superstition = अंधविश्वास।  exploitation = शोषण । corruption = भ्रष्टाचार | bestow = कुछ प्रदान करना । prevail = प्रचलन में होना। | charity = सहायतार्थ संस्था । investment = निवेश । threshold = किसी घटना के घटित होने का आरम्भ बिंदु। discriminate =(किसी के प्रति) भेदभाव करना। enhance = किसी वस्तु के बेहतर दिखने के लिए सुधार लाना। , eradicate = उन्मूलन करना ।

Questions
(a) Mention some of the qualities of a modern woman. 
(b) Who has conferred equal rights and opportunities on women ? 
(c) Where and when was the Fourth World Conference of Women held ? 
(d) Which is the main instrument through which we can narrow down the prevailing inequality for women? 
(e) Mention the recent World Bank study, according to the passage. 
(f) Why have various committees and commissions been constituted before and after the independence? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) allowing no freedom 
(h) to niake something go faster 
(i) bring to a complete end 
Answers:
(a) There are two main qualities of a modern woman 

• She is alive to the sense of her dignity and the importance of her functions.
• She is rational in approach and careful in handling situations. 

(b) The Constitution of India has conferred on women equal rights and opportunities. 
(c) It was held in Beijing in the month of September 1995. 
(d) Education is the main instrument through which we can narrow down the prevailing inequality for woman. 
(e) A recent World Bank study says that educating girls is not a charity, it is good economics and if developing nations are to eradicate poverty, they must educate the girls. 
(f) Various committees and commissions have been constituted before and after the independence to evaluate the progress in women's education. 
(g) oppressive 
(h) accelerate 
(i) eradicate. 

11. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Factual) 

In India, March 8th has been celebrated as Women's Day for several decades. It received a major boost during the tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later, Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi, who made it a practice to invite a large number of women of substance' to a celebratory get-together in Delhi. 

As more and more Indian women become aware of their equal status and right to education and opportunity, March 8th acquires a greater and wider significance. Today, as 21st century Indian women celebrate their awesome achievements, they continue to spell out their dream for the future of the country. 

March 8th becomes a symbolic day for recognizing their vision and contribution to the building of India. In the last few years, Women's Day celebrations have encouraged them to come together in innumerable seminars, networking gatherings and even sponsored parties. It is a time when powerful men from all walks of life pay rich tributes to Indian women. An example is a priceless remark made by Amitabh Bachchan.

He said, “It is clear that the 21st century belongs to women. They have earned every bit of the power and glory they are enjoying and men should applaud their achievements wholeheartedly." Indian women have discovered three magical mantras of life in the last decade!

These are; One : Beauty and glamour are their birthright. Two : Women are no longer the worst enemies of women. In fact, they can network, mentor one another and reach unprecedented heights of achievement. Three : Energy is a stretchable concept.

Based on these three discoveries, women have upgraded their goals and literally covered every field of endeavour with glory and pride. They have shown beyond doubt, that as the world opens new windows of options and opportunities at the speed of light, they are smart, beautiful and savvy enough to rise to the occasion and turn the tide of fortune in their favour. 

The success of India's beautiful women has also created a huge revolution in the fashion, fitness and beauty industries. Fashion designers of the eighties, who limited their designs to various looks in the basic Salwar Kameez, have acquired a splendid plumage of innovation in the last ten years. Many women designers like Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, Monisha Jaisingh, Anna Singh, Neeta Lulla and others gave Indian fashion-wear a brand new definition. 

Today, Indian designers not only sell their collections each season in India, but they also export their styles to many countries in the UK, US, Europe and Australia and hold shows in the fashion weeks held in many of the world's fashion capitals like Milan and Paris. 

Difficult words: boost = वृद्धि | celebratory = समारोह या उत्सव से संबंधित । significance = किसी बात का महत्व । awesome = अतिविस्मयजनक I contribution = योगदान | innumerable = असंख्य । sponsor = प्रायोजक । tribute = श्रद्धांजलि । glamour = लुभावनापन | unprecedented = अभूतपूर्व । energy is a stretchable concept = शक्ति को जितना बढ़ाना चाहें आप बढ़ा सकते हैं । endeavour= कठोर । परिश्रम करना | savvy = जानना, समझना । splendid = बहुत शानदार | plumage = पक्षियों के पर । | innovation= नवपरिवर्तन ।

Questions
(a) What is the third magical mantra discovered by Indian women? 
(b) Name the fashion capitals of the world. 
(c) When do we celebrate Women's Day in India? 
(d) What is responsible for the revolution in the fashion in India? 
(e) When did the Women's Day celebration receive a major boost? 
(f) What kind of fashion was prevalent during eighties? 
Find out a word from the passage the which means : 
(g) sell goods to another country. 
(h) having practical knowledge of something. 
(i) the social position of somebody in relation to others. 
Answers:
(a) "Energy is a stretchable concept." It is the third magical mantra discovered by Indian women. 
(b) Milan and Paris are the places known as fashion capitals of the world. 
(c) Women's Day is celebrated on 8th March every year. 
(d) Splendid plumage of innovation and exotica is responsible for the revolution in the fashion in India.
(e) During the tenure of Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi, Women's Day celebration received a major boost.
(f) Salwar Kameez was prevalent during the eighties.
(g) export 
(h) savvy 
(i) status. 

12. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Literary) 

Too many parents these days can't say no. As a result, they find themselves raising children who respond greedily to the advertisements aimed right at them. Even getting what they want doesn't satisfy some kids; they only want more. Now, a growing number of psychologists, educators and parents think it's time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what's really important: values like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion. 

The struggle to set limits has never been tougher - and the stakes have never been higher. One recent study of adults who were over indulging in children, paints a discouraging picture of their future: when given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life's disappointments. They also have a distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way of success in the workplace and in relationships.

Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids set them up to be more vulnerable to future anxiety and depression. Today's parents themselves raised on values of thrift and selfsacrifice, grew up in a culture where 'no' was a household word. Today's kids want much more, partly because there is so much more to want. The oldest members of this Generation Excess were born in the late 1980s, just as PCs and video games were making their assault on the family room.

They think of MP3 players and flat-screen TVs as essential utilities, and they have developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found that when they crave for something new, most expect to ask nine times before their parents give in. By every measure, parents are shelling out record amounts. In the heat of this buying blitz, even parents who desperately need to say ‘no' find themselves reaching for their credit cards.

Today's parents aren't equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them, raised in the 1960s and '70s, swore they'd act differently from their parents and have closer relationships with their own children. Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen to the same music. 

And they work more hours; at the end of a long week, it's tempting to buy peace with 'yes' and not mar precious family time with conflict. Anxiety about the future is another factor. How do well intentioned parents say no to all the sports gear and arts and language lessons they believe will help their kids thrive in an increasingly competitive world ? Experts agree: too much love won't spoil a child, too few limits will.

What parents need to find, is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that come from waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals. That search for balance has to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secured structure.

Older children learn self-control by watching how others, especially their parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to becoming a successful adult. Few parents ask kids to do chores. They think their kids are already overburdened by social and academic pressures. Every individual can be of service to others, and life has meaning beyond one's own immediate happiness. That means, parents eager to teach values have to take a long, hard look at their own.

Difficult words: greedily = लालच से | psychologist = मनोवैज्ञानिक | contentment = संतुष्टि । compassion = दया, करुणा । stakes = बाजी की वस्तु, इनाम | overindulging = अत्यधिक आसक्त होना। discouraging= हतोत्साहित करने वाला I disappointment = निराशा I distort = विकृत करना । entitlement = हकदारी । vulnerable = नाजुक । depression = अवसाद । thrift = किफायत । assault= प्रहार । strategy= कौशलपूर्ण योजना, चतुराई | crave = इच्छा होना । shell-out = भुगतान करना । blitz = बमबारी,(यहाँ) अत्यधिक | aren't equipped = योग्य नहीं है । swore = दृढ़तापूर्वक कहा । tempting = ललचाने । वाला। mar = बिगाड़ना I thrive= पनपना | affluent = समृद्ध । critical = महत्त्वपूर्ण । chores = गृह का। कामकाज | overburdened = अत्यधिक बोझे से दबा हुआ।

Questions
(a) What values do parents and teachers want children to learn ? 
(b) What are the results of giving the children too much too soon ? 
(c) Why do today's kids want more?
(d) What is the balance which the parents need to have in today's world? 
(e) What is the necessity to set limits for children ? 
(f) How can children become a successful adult ? 
Pick out words from the passage that mean the same as the following : 
(g) a feeling of satisfaction
(h) valuable 
(i) important 
Answers:
(a) Parents and teachers want children to learn the values like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion. 
(b) Future anxiety and depression are the results of giving the children too much too soon. 
(c) Today's kids want much more because there is so much more to want. 
(d) It is between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that come from waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals. 
(e) Children need limits on their behaviour because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secured structure. 
(f) Children can become a successful adult by learning how to overcome challenges. 
(g) contentment 
(h) precious 
(i) critical.

13. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Argumentative)

Science not only provides knowledge about nature, but also provides means for controlling nature. So, besides general ideas, science also affects practical affairs and everyday life. Perhaps the most obvious example concerns transport. Up to the end of the eighteenth century, transport on land differed very little from what it had been in Roman times. A Roman officer in secondcentury could get from London to New York just about as quickly and comfortably as an eighteenth-century gentleman. 

Owing to the compass and to improved design of ships, sea transport had improved a little, but not much. Then came the invention of the steam-engine, and its improvement, which was dependent on the general scientific knowledge of the time. Steamships, and railways with steam engines, completely changed the business of travel and of the transport of goods. 

The internal combustion engine, again based on the scientific study of heat and how it is generated by gas explosions, made possible first the motor-car and the diesel engine and then the aeroplane. Now people are talking of the possibility of flying at five hundred miles an hour or more by means of rocket propulsion in the thin higher layers of the atmosphere. It is interesting to note down the highest speeds possible for land, sea and air travel every ten years from 1820 to the present day.

Similarly with communications. Not only did the steam engine, and then the aeroplane, speed up the sending of letters and newspapers, but the discoveries about electricity made possible first the telegraph, then the telephone, then wireless, and now television. As a result of science, the possibilities of tying the world together by quick transmission of facts and ideas have completely changed in less than a century.

Or again, think of the lighting of houses and streets, candles-oil lamps - gas – arc-lightselectric filament lamps- now vapour discharge lighting. Or sanitation-all it means to have pure water in every house. Or the differences between a surgical operation before anaesthetics and aseptic method, and a surgical operation today. Not only has science provided all kinds of new substances and machines and sources of power, but in doing so it has changed our everyday life.

However, we should not imagine that the practical applications of science are always necessarily a benefit. We have already described how recklessly men are exploiting the resources of nature. This waste would not be possible but for the applications of science.

Our industrial civilization makes new demands for sources of power : mining responds with increased activity and new scientific methods for getting coal and oil more cheaply and more quickly.

Improved transport brings men more easily into the remote parts of the earth, and enables them to kill the wild creatures. The applied science which makes it possible for everyone to have their morning newspaper, causes the reckless cutting down of forests to provide wood for making paper from.

Difficult words: affairs = मामले | obvious = स्पष्ट | compass = कुतुबनुमा/परिधि/विस्तार I steam = भाप । internal = आन्तरिक | combustion = दहन | explosion = विस्फोट | propulsion = प्रणोदन (गति देने की शक्ति)। transmission = प्रेषण | yapour = वाष्प | anaesthetics = निश्चेतक । aseptic = पूतिहीन, कीटाणुहीन (घाव की सड़न रोकने वाला) | recklessly = अन्धाधुंध । exploiting = उपयोग में ला रहे ।

Questions:
(a) How are we exploiting the resources of nature ?
(b) How do we get paper ? 
(c) What does science provide us ?
(d) What made a motor-car possible? 
(e) What has changed our everyday life?
(f) What had improved the sea transport a little ? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) produces a change in somebody or something 
(h) reformed or modified: 
(i) free from harmful bacteria. 
Answers:
(a) We are exploiting the resources of nature recklessly. 
(b) We get paper from wood. 
(c) Science provides us both knowledge about nature and means for controlling it. 
(d) Internal combustion engine made a motor-car possible. 
(e) Science has changed our everyday life. 
(f) The compass and improved design of ships had improved the sea transport a little.
(g) affects 
(h) improved 
(i) aseptic 

14. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (Discursive) 

Shopping centres are good. They are a sign of dizzying economic growth, and a demonstration of how far Asians have come, in such a short time. Many of the older generation can remember a time when everyone lived in villages and there was no running water but today the multilevel, air-conditioned mall represents comfort, choice, luxury and better times.

But many Asian metropolises with growing middle classes now have such a great number of malls - all full with outlets of Marks & Spencer, Gap, Starbucks, Bulgari, Cartier, Mont Blancthat they appear to have long crossed saturation point. Nowadays, it seems our default place for every activity is the mall - it's where we shop, eat, watch movies, bowl, arrange to meet nur friends, have a romantic date or just generally lie around.

Many young people shop for clothes at the mall so that they can look good when they meet their friends at the mall. My main argument with shopping centres is not that they are often massive concrete blocks that don't take into account the architectural nuances or cultural backdrop of a city, or that they promote ultra-consumerism at a time when our planet can ill afford it. 

My main protest with the excess of malls is that they don't seem to make us happy. Oh, the large advertisements outside the stores could persuade us to think that if we only had this pair of jeans, or if we hung out at this café, then we could feel more fulfilled. But once we buy something, we only want to buy something more.

Shopping malls, even though they try to look as showy and as welcoming as possible, can be unkind places. The very concept of the mega-mall plays on human feelings of inadequacy and competitiveness. To make us buy, it must make us feel that we lack something, or that everyone else has something we do not yet own. 

We must consume to surpass others or, at the very least, to keep up. We purchase to fit in. How can this constant undercurrent of competitiveness, of us always trying to be "cool,” bring us true joy ? The saddest thing is that the modern mall, basically an American import, has made us put aside a whole array of beautiful, worthwhile - and yes, cheaper-activities, many of them inherent to our own cultures or region. 

We have no one to blame but ourselves. Instead of shopping, we could be cooking, visiting a nearby waterfall, beach or temple, reading a novel, writing poetry, starting a blog, making music, taking a long walk, playing a game, learning a dance or - here's a fundamental idea-visiting a friend.

Every time there's a spare piece of land, all we can think of building on it is yet another mall. This way, we show not only our affluent status but also demonstrate our poverty in terms of imagination, adventure and passion. Perhaps instead, we should be building libraries, or theatres, art galleries, museums, sports halls, public swimming pools, parks, animal sanctuariesthe list is endless. 

Difficult words: dizzying = अचंभे में डालने वाला | demonstration = प्रदर्शन | metropolises = महानगरों। luxury = विलासिता । massive = बड़े । protest = आपत्ति. I surpass = अधिक हो जाना saturation = संतुष्टि। nuance = अतिसूक्ष्म अंतर। backdrop = पृष्ठभूमि | ultra-consumerism = । अति-उपभोक्तावाद ।

Questions
(a) Why do many people shop at malls ?
(b) What do we think when there is a spare piece of land ? 
(c) What should we be building instead of malls ? 
(d) What are the shopping centres a sign of ? 
(e) What do malls represent ? 
(f) What do we do. at malls ? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) a sign that something is happening 
(h) to make somebody do something by giving them proper reason for it. 
(i) to oppose 
Answers:
(a) Many people shop at malls so that they can look good when they meet their friends there. 
(b) When there is a spare piece of land we think of building another mall on it. 
(c) Instead of malls we should be building libraries, theatres, art galleries, museums, sports halls, etc. 
(d) The shopping centres are a sign of dizzying economic growth and a demonstration of how far Asians have come, in such a short time. 
(e) Malls represent comfort, choice, luxury and better times. 
(f) At malls we shop, eat, watch movies, bowl, arrange to meet our friends, have a romantic date or just generally lie around. 
(g) manifestation 
(h) persuade
(i) protest. 

15. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Factual) 

Rajasthan is India's largest state, located on its north-western border with Pakistan. It is surrounded by the states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. Rajasthan is bisected by the Aravalli hills, dividing it into two distinct landscapes. On the west is Rajasthan's unique feature, the Thar Desert, an area of sand, scrub and thorn. The other is the region to the east of the Aravallis, which is more rain-fed and hospitable.

The culture of Rajasthan is defined by the Rajputana kingdoms that ruled it for centuries; the word Rajput meaning sons of royalty. The Thar Desert region saw the Desert Kingdoms of Marwar; modern Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner. The east saw the kingdoms of Mewar; modern Chittor and Udaipur, Amber; modern Amber and Jaipur and Hadoti : modern Bundi, Kota and Jhalawar among many others. As a result, Rajasthan has a larger concentration of forts, palaces, and royal riches than any other place in India. 

This is the reason why tourism is a primary pillar of the economy; apart from agriculture and cattle rearing. Several palaces or abandoned fortresses have been converted to Heritage Hotels to attract visitors and provide an income for the erstwhile princes.

The capital Jaipur, with its many imposing buildings made of rosy sandstone, is called Pink City. The City Palace Complex and the Hawa Mahal are examples of Rajasthani-Mughal architecture. The old parts of town offer shopping such as jewellery, hand-dyed clothes, precious stones and craftwork. Jaipur has an international airport.

Udaipur has many lakes, lakeside palaces, and the largest palace complex (City Palace) in Rajasthan. Jaisalmer Fort is made of yellow sandstone and thus it's called the Golden Fort. Jaisalmer also gives access to pristine sand dunes of Sam and Khuri, with camel safaris and nomadic music. The Amber Fort (near Jaipur, 16th century); the Chittor Fort; Junagarh Fort (at Bikaner); Mehrangarh Fort, (at Jodhpur, 15th century) are among the main fortress attractions.

The Shekhawati region in the north-east offers painted havelis belonging to old business families. Ranthambore and Sariska National Parks are for tiger reserves while Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) is a bird-rich wetland, where over 375 species of migratory birds visit every year. Mt. Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan.

Home to over 500 temples of all sizes, Puskhar is revered for its spiritual significance. Brahma Temple is the main attraction here. Pushkar being the only place in the world where Lord Brahma is worshipped. The hilltop temple has a red spire with a symbol of hans or swan at the entrance. The one hour trek uphill offers good views of the lake.

Difficult words: bisected = दो भागों में बाँटा गया । scrub = झाड़-झंखाड़ वाला इलाका । royalty = राजशुल्क | sandstone = बलुआ पत्थर | reserve = शरण स्थली । hospitable = निवास योग्य। concentration = संकेन्द्रण | pillar = स्तम्भ | rearing = पालना | abandoned = त्यागा हुआ | erstwhile = पहले के, भूतपूर्व। pristine = शुद्ध, साफ-सुथरी । sand dunes = बालू के टीले । safari = वन्य प्रदेश में भ्रमण । nomadic= खानाबदोश । spire = शिखर । fortress = कोई किला जिस पर हमला करना कठिन हो ।

(a) What is the main attraction of Pushkar ? 
(b) Where are the painted havelis found ? 
(c) How many species of migratory birds visit Ghana every year ? 
(d) What does Udaipur offer ?
(e) What does the word 'Rajput' mean? 
(f) Name the states which surround Rajasthan. 
Choose from the passage the words that mean: 
(g) to leave somebody/something permanently. 
(h) a tall pointed tower on the top of the church. 
(i) easily seen or clear. 
Answers:
(a) The Brahma Temple is the main attraction of Pushkar. 
(b) The painted havelis are found in Shekhawati region. 
(c) Over 375 species of migratory birds visit Ghana every year. 
(d) Udaipur offers many lakes, lakeside palaces and city palace (largest palace complex). 
(e) The word 'Rajput' means son of royalty. 
(f) The states which surround Rajasthan are Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. 
(g) abandon 
(h) spire 
(i) distinct. 

16. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below : (Literary)

Gandhiji was a first-class nurse to the sick. Where he picked up nursing was a mystery. He certainly did not pass through a nursing school. As in many other things, when nursing became necessary to him in life, he learned it by the hard way of experience. In the Ashram at Sabarmati, all sick persons came directly under his eye and care. 

Doctors were, of course, consulted; but the care of the sick, Gandhiji arranged in person. It was a joke, especially among the people in the Ashram that if you wanted to see Gandhiji every day and talk to him and hear him crack jokes, you had only to be ill and get into bed ! For Gandhiji visited the sick every day, spent a few minutes at every bed-side, himself saw things carefully and never failed to crack a joke or two with the patient. There was no day, too busy for Gandhiji to attend sick persons.

There was once a young lad who went down with dysentery. He had done his best to accustom himself to Ashram food, but failed. He had a great liking for coffee. But in the Ashram there was no coffee for him nor was coffee allowed. In good time, he got rid of his dysentery and was now recovering. Gandhiji visited him for a few minutes every day during his usual rounds. Those few minutes were like a tonic to the poor lad.

He pined for a cup of good coffee. One day he was lying on his back dreaming of it when he heard the welcome sound of the wooden sandals of Gandhiji. A minute later Gandhiji entered with his never-failing smile and cheering word. He looked at the lad and said, "Now you are decidedly better. You must have recovered your appetite. What would you like to eat ? Ah ! some good uppuma or dosai ?" Gandhiji evidently knew all about the lad's partiality for these two good old South Indian dishes. Gandhiji was laughing. The youngster had a sudden brain-wave. "Could I have a cup of coffee, please," he blurted out.

Gandhiji answered with a peal of laughter, "Oh, you old sinner, that is what you want !" And then seeing the look on the lad's face, he added, "You certainly shall have your cup of coffee. Yes, light coffee will soothe your stomach. And what will you have with the coffee ? I don't think we can make uppama or dosai, but warm toast would go well with coffee. 

I shall send you a tray." Gandhiji's cottage was at the other end of the Ashram. Gandhiji himself prepared the coffee because his wife was taking rest. It was an untimely hour. He did not want to give unnecessary trouble to anyone. Coffee was light but excellent. The young lad was troubled when he thought that he had given trouble to Gandhiji to prepare coffee and toast for him. 

Difficult words: picked up = स्वतः सीखा । mystery = रहस्य | crack jokes = हँसी मजाक करना । got rid of = छुटकारा पाया । dysentery = पेचिश accustom = अभ्यस्त बनाना ।pined for = प्रबल इच्छा थी | never-failing = अचूक । appetite = भूख । evidently = स्पष्ट रूप से । partiality = विशेष चाव। soothe= शान्त करना। untimely = असामयिक । brain wave = उत्तम विचार, युक्ति । blurted out = बिना सोचे-समझे कह उठा a peal of laughter = उन्मुक्त हँसी, ठहाका ।

Question :
(a) What was a mystery ? 
(b) What was the joke about Gandhiji ? 
(c) What was served with coffee ? 
(d) Why was the young lad troubled ? 
(e) Where was Gandhiji'seottage in the Ashram? 
(f) Why did Gandhiji himself prepare coffee? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) something that is difficult to understand or to explain 
(h) being used to 
(i) desire for food
Answers:
(a) Gandhiji's expertise as a nurse was a mystery. 
(b) It was that if somebody wanted to see Gandhiji, he should just be ill and get into bed. 
(c) Toast was served with coffee. 
(d) The young lad was troubled by the thought that he had given trouble to Gandhiji to prepare coffee and toast for him. 
(e) Gandhiji's cottage was at the end of the Ashram. 
(f) Gandhiji himself prepared coffee because it was an untimely hour and he did not want to give unnecessary trouble to his wife. 
(g) mystery 
(h) accustomed 
(i) appetite. 

 
17. Read the following poem and answer the questions given below : (Literary) 

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; 
Where knowledge is free; 
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; 
Where words come out from the depth of truth; 
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; 
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; 
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. Rabindranath Tagore 

Questions
(a) Who is called 'My Father' here? 
(b) Which knowledge is preferred by the poet ?
(c) 'Where has the clear stream of reason not lost its way? 
(d) For what do people stretch their arms ?
(e) What divides the world into fragments ? 
(h) How can people achieve perfection ? 
Choose from the stanza the words that mean : 
(g) the continuous movement of a liquid. 
(h) trying very hard. 
(i) small pieces that have broken off from a larger part. 
Answers:
(a) God is called 'My Father' here. 
(b) The knowledge that freely flows keeps us united and leads to perfection. 
(c) The clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit. 
(d) People stretch their arms towards perfection. 
(e) Differences on the basis of cast, creed, language, etc., divide the world into fragments.
(f) People can achieve perfection through continuous hard work.
(g) flow 
(h) striving 
(i) fragments. 

18. Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow : (Literary) 

Whose woods these are I think, I know, 
His house is in the village though; 
He will not see me stopping here 
To watch his woods fill up with snow. 
My little horse must think it queer 
To stop without a farm house near
Between the woods and frozen lake 
The darkest evening of the year. 
He gives his harness bells a shake 
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep 
Of easy wind and downy flake. 
The woods are lovely, dark and deep 
But I have promises to keep, 
And miles to go before I sleep, 
And miles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost 

Questions
(a) Where does the owner of the woods live ? 
(b) Who wishes to stop and where ? 
(c) What type of evening was that of the year? 
(d) Why does the horse think that the rider has made some mistake ? 
(e) What other sounds did the poet hear in woods ? 
(f) Why did the horse shake its harness bells ? 
Choose from the poem the words that mean : 
(g) covered with ice 
(h) the leatherwork by which a horse is controlled 
(i) beautiful 
Answers:
(a) He lives in a village quite close to the place where the poet is with his horse. 
(b) The poet (the rider of the horse) wishes to stop near the woods. 
(c) It was the darkest evening of the year. 
(d) The horse thinks so because his rider stops at night at a place where there is no farmhouse to stay in. 
(e) The other sound the poet hears in the woods was the sweep of wind and of downy flake 
(f) The horse did so as if to ask if there was something wrong.
(g) frozen 
(h) harness 
(i) lovely. 

19. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (Factual) 

Body fat, blood pressure and fasting insulin levels (a marker of diabetes risk) all increased within a decade of moving to a city, and for decades blood pressure and insulin continued to rise above the levels of their rural counterparts. The findings raise public health concerns as the global population progressively becomes more urban.

According to the United Nations, the growth change in India's urban population is 1.1 percent every year, while the change in the proportion of people in rural areas is declining by 0.37 percent.

The proportion of Indians who live in cities is still much smaller than in the United States. Just 30 percent of Indians live in urban areas, while 82 percent of Americans live in urban areas.

That number is expected to rise as the proportion of people who live in rural areas in the United States declines by 1.6 percent each year. The researchers, led by Dr Sanjay Kinra of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, compared rural Indians to their siblings who moved to one of four cities in India: Lucknow, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Siblings who lived in a city the longest had the highest average blood pressures.

For instance, men who lived in a city for more than 30 years had an average systolic blood pressure - the top number in a reading - of 126. Men who lived in a city 10-20 years had an average of 124, and those who stayed in rural areas had an average of 123. A systolic blood pressure above 140 is considered high.

The change in body fat was most evident in the first 10 years after moving to a city, and then it levelled off. Men who stayed in rural areas had 21 percent body fat on average, while those who moved within the past ten years had 24 percent, on average. The recommended body fat percentage from the National Institutes of Health is 13 to 17 percent.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, did not pinpoint the cause of these differences between the siblings who moved and those who stayed behind. Nor did it tease out whether the increased levels of body fat, blood pressure and insulin resulted in more disease.

Though other studies of rural-to-urban migration within developing countries have also found negative health effects related to moving to cities, city dwellers in the United States tend to be healthier than those who live in rural areas and even in the suburbs. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Americans who live in rural areas are more likely to have fair or poor health, develop chronic diseases, and die from heart disease. 

One study of suburbanites across several countries found that people who lived in cities were more likely to be active and to walk places. People in cities also tend to be closer to doctors and hospitals. The authors write that the changes among the Indian city-dwellers might be explained by rapid weight gain once people move to a city, spurred by a less healthy diet and a less active lifestyle.

Difficult words: fasting = उपवास । counterpart = प्रतिरूप । decline = कमी होना | sibling = भाई-बहन | suburbs = उपनगरों । chronic = स्थायी (दीर्घकालिक) । dwellers = रहने वाले । spurred = प्रेरित करना।

Questions
(a) What is the percentage of people living in urban areas in India ? 
(b) Who had the highest blood pressure ? 
(c) How much systolic blood pressure is considered high ? 
(d) What is the recommended body fat percentage ? 
(e) Why do the Indian city-dwellers gain weight ? 
(f) What does the agency for Healthcare Research and Quality say about the health of rural Americans ? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) to become weaker. 
(h) something that encourages you to do something. 
(i) a person or thing that has a similar position. 
Answers:
(a) About 30 percent of Indians live in urban areas. 
(b) Siblings who lived in a city the longest had the highest blood pressure. 
(c) A systolic blood pressure above 140 is considered high. 
(d) The recommended body fat percentage is 13 to 17. 
(e) The Indian city-dwellers gain weight due to a less healthy diet and a less active lifestyle. 
(f) According to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Americans who live in rural areas are more likely to have fair or poor health, develop chronic diseases and die from heart disease. 
(g) decline 
(h) spur 
(i) counterpart. 

20. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (Literary)

Prince Siddhartha, the son of king Suddhodan, lived a very happy life in the pleasure-palace. He was married to a beautiful princess, Yashodhara. There was music, dancing and pleasure all around him. He knew nothing of want, pain, disease, old age or death.
One day, a veena was put on the window sill. 

The wind touched the strings and it produced a music. The prince heard that the Devas were playing on the veena. He heard them giving a message. The voices of the wind told the prince that he was born to save mankind. The world was waiting for him. He should leave worldly love to save humanity from miseries of life. He felt a great desire to see the vast world outside the pleasure-palace.

When the king came to know of the prince's desire, he ordered that the whole city should be decorated beautifully. The prince should not see any ugly and painful sight. No blind, sick, old person or a leper should come out. So the city of Kapilvastu was decorated in a very fine way. It looked quite clean and attractive - 'a capital of some enchanted land'. The people welcomed the prince joyfully. The prince also felt happy to see people's joy.

Then the prince saw an old man. He was wearing dirty and torn clothes. He was very lean and thin. He looked very tired and weak. He had no teeth. The prince asked his charioteer, Channa, who that man was. Channa told him that he was an old man. The prince asked if old age would come to all. Channa told him that it would. This made the prince very sad. He ordered Channa to return to the palace. He did not take food. The entire night, he was sleepless, uncomforted.

That night the king saw a very fearful dream. He dreamed seven signs of fear. He was much disturbed. He lost all peace of mind. He called dream-readers to explain the meaning of the seven visions but none of them could explain the meaning. At last an old hermit came to the palace. He said that the seven fears were seven joys. The prince would shine like the sun. He would leave the world and give a new message of hope and love for the suffering humanity.

The king became very sad. For the prince's second trip, he doubled the number of guards at all the doors of the palace. He tried his best to divert the mind of the prince but his efforts were of no use. The Prince desired to see the city once more. The king gave permission for it. The next day, the prince dressed like a merchant and Channa in the dress of his clerk went out to see the city once more. The prince saw all kinds of people and all the common things.

The prince saw a sick man. He was painfully crying for help. He asked Channa why the man was crying. Channa told him that he (the sick man) was suffering from a fatal disease. The disease would destroy all his powers. Then he would die. Channa further told the prince that all grow old, fall sick and die.

Then the prince saw a dead body being carried towards the river bank. He saw a group of people. They were crying, 'Ram, Ram satya hai'. The sight of the dead man and his cremation moved the prince deeply. Channa told him that no man is immortal. All must die.

The prince was greatly troubled in mind. He said that he would try to remove suffering from the world. He then asked Channa to return home as he had seen enough.

Difficult words: sill = चौखट । strings = तारों | miseries = कष्ट । vast = विशाल । enchanted= जादूई। lean and thin = दुबला-पतला । charioteer = रथ हाँकने वाला । cremation = अंतिम संस्कार । immortal = अमर ।

Questions
(a) How was the old man looking ? 
(b) What did the prince decide finally ? 
(c) Why did the king order to decorate the whole city beautifully? 
(d) What did the prince not know initially? 
(e) What did the old hermit say? 
(f) What did the voices of wind tell the prince ? 
Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) influenced as by charms. 
(h) the incineration of a dead body 
(i) turn aside 
Answers:
(a) The old man was wearing dirty and torn clothes. He was very lean and thin. He looked very tired and weak. He had no teeth. 
(b) The prince decided that he would try to remove suffering from the world. 
(c) The king ordered to decorate the whole city beautifully because the prince felt a great desire to see the vast world outside the pleasure-palace. 
(d) The prince initially knew nothing of want, pain, disease, old age or death. 
(e) The old hermit said that the seven fears were seven joys and the prince would shine like the sun and leave the world and give a new message of hope and love for the suffering humanity. 
(f) The voices of wind told the prince that he was born to save mankind.
(g) enchanted 
(h) cremation 
(i) divert. 

21. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Factual)

Across the world, the stride of migration from rural to urban areas is increasing. By 2050, about 70 per cent of the population will be living in cities, and India is no exception. It will need about 500 new cities to accommodate the influx. Interestingly, urbanisation in India has for the longest time been viewed as a by-product of failed regional planning. Thought it is inevitable, and will only change when the benefits of urbanisation overtake the costs involved, it is an opportunity for achieving faster growth.

With increasing urbanisation and the load on rural land, the government has now realised the need for cities that can cope with the challenges of urban living and also be magnets for investment. The announcement of '100 smart cities' falls in line with this vision.

A 'smart city' is an urban region that is highly advanced in terms of overall infrastructure, sustainable real estate, communications and market viability. It is a city where information technology is the principal infrastructure and the basis for providing essential services to

residents. There are many technological platforms involved, including but not limited to automated sensor networks and data centres. Though this may sound futuristic, it is now likely to become a reality as the 'smart cities' movement unfolds in India.

In a smart city, economic development and activity is sustainable and rationally incremental by virtue of being based on success-oriented market drivers such as supply and demand. They benefit everybody, including citizens, businesses, the government and the environment.

The underway or proposed smart cities include Kochi in Kerala, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Manesar in Delhi NCR, Khushkhera in Rajasthan, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Ponneri in Tamil Nadu and Tumkur in Karnataka. Many of these cities will include special investment regions or special economic zones with modified regulations and tax structures to make it attractive for foreign investment. This is essential because much of the funding for these projects will have to come from private developers and from abroad.

The concept is not without challenges, especially in India. For instance, the success of such a city depends on residents, enterpreneurs and visitors becoming actively involved in energy saving and implementation of new technologies. There are many ways to make residential, commercial and public spaces sustainable by ways of technology, but a high percentage of the total energy use is still in the hands of end users and their behaviour. Also, there is the time factor such cities can potentially take anything between 20 and 30 years to build.

Difficult words : stride = छलाँग । migration = प्रवास । urban = शहरी । exception = अपवाद । accommodate = रहने के लिये जगह देना । influx = भीड़ । regional = क्षेत्रीय । inevitable = अपरिहार्य। over take = आगे निकलना | opportunity = अवसर । cope with = निपटना । magnets = आकर्षक वस्तु। vision = दृष्टिकोण । overall = सम्पूर्ण । sustainable = कायम रहने वाला | real estate = अचल सम्पत्ति। viability = व्यावहारिकता । automated = स्वचालित । futuristic = अत्याधुनिक । unfold = खोलना, आरंभ करना । rationally = समझदारीपूर्ण । virtue = गुण । oriented = अभिविन्यसित । abroad = विदेश । for instance = उदाहरण के तौर पर। entrepreneurs = उद्यमी । implementation = क्रियान्विति । residential = संभावित रूप से

Questions
(a) Who will provide fund for the development of Indian cities? 
(b) On what does the success of Indian cities depend ? 
(c) Which increasing trend has necessitated the development of 'Smart Cities? 
(d) Whom does the economic development benefit ? 
(e) What is a "Smart City" ? 
(f) How much time will the development of these (Smart Cities) take ? 
Find out a word fi in the passage which means :
(g) open
(h) movement from one locality to another 
(i) with a possibility of becoming actual 
Answers:
(a) Private developers and foreigners will provide fund for the development of Indian cities. 
(b) The success of Indian cities depends on residents, entrepreneurs and visitors becoming actively involved in energy saving and implementation of new technologies. 
(c) Increasing urbanization and the burden on rural land has necessitated the development of Smart Cities. 
(d) The economical development benefits everybody, including citizens, businesses, the government and the environment. 
(e) A smart city is an urban region that is highly advanced in terms of overall infrastructure, sustainable real estate, communications and market viability. 
(f) The development of Smart Cities will take 20 to 30 years.
(g) unfold 
(h) migration 
(i) potentially.

22. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow : (Discursive) 

You want to be healthy. You know you need to exercise more. But if you are not ready to grunt through an hour of kick-boxing, don't despair. There is a growing agreement among exercise researchers that the intense physical activities offered by most health clubs are not the only-or even the preferable-path to better health. Indeed, the best thing for most of us may be to just walk. Yes, walk. At a reasonable vigorous clip (five to six kmph) for half an hour or so, may be five or six times a week. You may not feel the benefits all at once, but the evidence suggests that over the long term, a regular walking routine can do a world of preventive good.

Walking, in fact, may be the perfect exercise. For starters, it's one of the safest things you can do with your body. It's much easier on the knees than running and doesn't trigger untoward side effects. Dr (Miss) Johna Manson, chief of preventive medicine at a leading Harvard woman's hospital says, "If everyone were to walk briskly 30 minutes a day, we could cut the incidence of many chronic diseases by 30 to 40 percent." She further says, "Regular physical activity is probably as close to a magic bullet as we will come in' modern medicine."

And for those of us who don't have half an hour chunk of time, the news gets even better. Several recent studies suggest that walking briskly three or four times a day for 10 minutes at a time may provide many of the same benefits as walking continuously for 30 minutes.

Here's how to make the most of your walking routine. First, get into gear. Walker's shoes need to have enough room at the front for the feet to spread. Then, ease on down that road. Avoid muscle aches by starting slowly and incorporating gentle stretches into both your warmup and cool down. You must plot your course. 

Some people walk at a specific time each day. Others shoe horn walking into their routines by parking the car a few minutes from the store or taking the stairs instead of the lift. Record your efforts, including how long and how far you walked. Jotting down improvements keeps you motivated and challenges you to do better. Since walking affects you in so many ways at once, it's difficult to determine precisely why it's good for you. But much of the evidence gathered so far is compelling.

Brisk walking is good for the heart--which makes a lot of sense. The heart is a muscle after all, and anything that makes the blood flow faster through a muscle helps keep it in shape. But regular walking also lowers blood pressure, which decreases the stress on the arteries. It can boost the amount of HDL cholesterol (the good one) in our blood. It even seems to make the blood less "sticky", and therefore less likely to produce unwanted clots. This all adds up to as much as a 50 per cent reduction in the risk of suffering a heart attack.

Walking briskly for at least half an hour consumes a couple of hundred calories and boosts your metabolic rate for the rest of the day, giving you a better chance of winning the bar is of the bulge. Walking is also a great way to lose body fat, even if you don't lose any wert.

Walking not only strengthens the muscles, but also builds up the bones. Millions of people suffer from osteoarthritis - the wear and tear kind of arthritis-of the knees. Walking reduces pain by strengthening the muscle around the joint.

Walking won't cure everything that ails you, of course, and nothing happens overnight. "People who have never exercised regularly should not think that in a week they'll solve their problems by walking," says Dr J. David Curb, a professor of geriatric medicine.!

Difficult words: grunt = असंतोष का शब्द करना। despair = हताश होना । intense = प्रचण्ड । reasonable = उपयुक्त । vigorous = फुर्तीला | evidence = साक्ष्य । preventive = रोग निरोधक दवा । trigger = आरम्भ करना। untoward = प्रतिकूल । leading = अग्रणी I briskly = तेजी से। incidence = घटना।

chronic = पुरानी, गहरी। chunk = बड़ी मात्रा | incorporating = सम्मिलित करते हुए । jotting down = लिखते हुए । motivated = प्रेरित किया । precisely = सटीक रूप से | evidence = साक्ष्य । so far = अभी तक | compelling = बाध्य करने वाले। arteries = धमनियाँ । boost = बढ़ा देना । clot = थक्का । reduction= कम करना | consume = उपभोग करना। metabolic = चयापचय । bulge = उभार | arthritis= जोड़ों की सूजन और दर्द ails = बीमार करना = वृद्धावस्था संबंधित

Questions
(a) What advice is offered to be healthy ? 
(b) What precautions must be taken in undertaking a walking routine ? 
(c) How is brisk walking useful for heart? 
(d) What are the other spheres in which walking is useful ?
(e) What is a great way to lose body fat ? 
(f) How is walking useful in osteoarthritis ?
Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) a substantial amount 
(h) active 
(i) increase 
Answers:
(a) Walking is advised to be healthy. 
(b) Walker's shoes need to have enough room at front for the feet to spread. 
(c) Brisk walking makes the muscles of heart strong and helps one to keep in shape. 
(d) Walking lowers blood pressure which decreases the stress on the arteries. 
(e) Walking is a great way to lose body fat. 
(f) Walking reduces pain by, strengthening the muscle around the joints.
(g) chunk 
(h) vigorous 
(i) boost. 

23. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Discursive)

Today, there is a lot of talk about the environment. All nations are coming to an agreement to save planet earth. We pollute the earth, we pollute the water; we also pollute the subtle environment through our negative feelings and emotions. We have become a victim of our greed and needs. We are not in control of our mind. We hear a lot about other things in life but we spend very little time to hear about ourselves.

How to handle our mind ? How to be in the present moment ? How to be happy and grateful ? This we have not learnt. This is the most unfortunate thing. Then what is the solution ? This is where we are reminded of a very fundamental principle that governs our environment, our mind, our emotions and our life in general.

Our body has the capactiy to sustain much longer the vibration of bliss and peace than it does negative emotions because positivity is in the centre of our existence. As with the structure of atom, protons and neutrons are in the centre of the atom and electrons constitute only the periphery; the same is with our lives; the centre core of our existence is bliss, positivity and joy but it is surrounded by a cloud of negative ions. Through the help of the breath we can easily get over our negative emotions in a short period of time. Through meditation and certain breathing techniques, we can clear this negative cloud.

This life has so much to offer to you. You can see thiş once you take some time off, rejuvenating the soul. Your soul is hungry for a smile from you. If you could give this, you feel energised the whole year and nothing whatsoever can take the smile from you.Everyone wants to be successful in life. But without knowing what is success, you want to be successful. 

What is the sign of success ? Just having a lot of money, is that success ? Why do you think money means success ? Because money gives you freedom so that you can do whatever you want. You may have a big bank balance, but, you have stomachaches, ulcers, you may have to go for bypass surgery; cant'eat this, can't do this, can't do that. We expend half our health to gain wealth and then spend half our wealth to gain back the lost health. Is this success? Infact, it is very bad mathematics.

Look at the those who claim to be successful - are they successful ? No, they are miserable. Then, what is the sign of success ? It is confidence, compassion, generosity and a smile that none can snatch away, being really happy and being able to be more free. These are the signs of a successful person.

Take some time off to look a little deeper into yourself and calm the mind down. Thus erasing all the impressions that we are carrying in our minds and experience the presence of the divine that is the very core of our existence.

Difficult words : victims = भुगत भोगी । subtle = सूक्ष्म | handle = निपटना | grateful = आभारी । fundamental = मूलभूत । principle = सिद्धान्त । govern = नियंत्रण करना । sustain = सहन करना ।। vibration = कम्पन | bliss = आशीर्वाद | positivity = सकारात्मकता । existence = अस्तित्व | periphery= बाह्य क्षेत्र I core = केन्द्र | meditation = ध्यान | rejuvenating = और अधिक शक्तिशाली बनाना । soul= आत्मा । energised = उत्साहित करना । what so ever = जो कुछ भी। stomachaches = पेट दर्द । miserable = दयनीय । confidence = विश्वास | compassion = मेहरबानी । generosity = उदारता ।। erasing = मिटाते हुए । impression = छाप । divine = दैवीय ।

Questions.
(a) What is the most unfortunate thing?
(b) How can we get rid of our negative emotions ? 
(c) What is 'Bad Mathematics', according to the passage ? 
(d) What are the main signs of a successful person ? 
(e) What is said about the environment ? 
(f) How are wę not in control of our mind? 
Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) the outer area 
(h) bear 
(i) making more vital 
Answers:
(a) The most unfortunate thing is that we have not learnt how to handle our mind, to be in the present moment and to be happy and grateful. 
(b) Through meditation and certain breathing techniques, we can get rid of our negative emotions. 
(c) Bad Mathematics is to spend half our health to gain wealth and spend half our wealth to gain back the lost health. 
(d) Confidence, compassion, generosity and a smile that none can snatch away, to be really happy and to be able to be more free are the signs of a successful person. 
(e) It is said about the environment that we pollute the earth, the water and also the subtle
environment through our negative feelings and emotions. 
(f) We are not in control of our mind, for we hear a lot about other things in life but we spend very little time to hear about overselves.
(g) periphery 
(h) sustain 
(i) rejuvenating. 

24. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Factual)

Smoking is the major cause of mortality with bronchogenic carcinoma of the lung and is one of the factors causing death due to malignancies of larynx, oral cavity, oesophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, uterine cervix and coronary heart diseases.

Nicotine is the major substance present in the smoke that causes physical dependence. The additives do produce damage to the body-for example, ammonia can result in a 100-fold increase in the ability of nicotine to enter into the smoke.

Levulinic acid, added to cigarettes to mask the harsh taste of nicotine, can increase the binding of nicotine to brain receptors, which increases the 'kick' of nicotine.

Smoke from the burning end of a cigarette contains over 4000 chemicals and 40 carcinogens. It has long been known that tobacco smoke is carcinogenic or cancer-causing. 

The lungs of smokers collect an annual deposit of 1 to 142 pounds of the gooey black material. Invisible gas phase of cigarette smoke contains nitrogen, oxygen and toxic gases like carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, acrolein, hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides. These gases are poisonous and in many cases interfere with the body's ability to transport oxygen.

Like many carcinogenic compounds, they can act as tumour promoters or tumour initiators by acting directly on the genetic make-up of cells of the body leading to development of cancer.

During smoking, within the first 8-10 seconds, nicotine is absorbed through the lungs and quickly 'moved into the bloodstream and circulated throughout the brain. Nicotine can also enter the bloodstream through the mucous membranes that line the mouth (if tobacco is chewed) or nose (if snuff is used) and even through the skin. Our brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. They communicate with each other by chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.

Nicotine is one of the most powerful nerve poisons and binds stereo-selectively to nicotinic receptors located in the brain, autonomic ganglia, the medulla, neuro-muscular junctions. Located throughout the brain, they play a critical role in cognitive processes and memory.

In high concentrations, nicotine is more deadly. In fact, one drop of purified nicotine on the tongue will kill a person. It has been used as a pesticide for centuries. 

Recent research studies suggest that acute nicotine administration would result in increased · dopamine release from the brain, producing perceptions of pleasure and happiness, increased energy and motivation, increased alertness, increased feeling of vigour during the early phase of smoking.

New research shows that the relationship between smoking and memory loss is the strongest in people who smoke more than 20 cigarettes each day. Smoking may speed up age related memory loss and the details are not yet clear. One of the causes of memory decline in relation to the brain function could be nerve cell death.

Difficult words : major = मुख्य । mortality = मृत्यु संख्या । bronchogenic = श्वास नली सम्बंधी। carcinoma = एक प्रकार का कैंसर । lung = फेफड़ें । malignancies = घातकता । larynx = कंठ । oral cavity = मुख । oesophagus = भोजन नलिका । pancreas = अग्न्याशय । uterine cervix = neck likeopening of the uterus, गर्भाशय का संकरा द्वार । harsh = कर्कश । receptor = ग्राही । gooey = चिपचिपा । toxic = जहरीली | tumour = अबूर्द । promoter = बढ़ाने वाले । absorbed = अवशोषित किया जाना । circulated = संचारित करना। mucous = श्लेष्मा। membrane = झिल्ली । cognitive = ज्ञान सम्बंधी । acute = घातक । administration = दवा देना । decline = कमी । 

Questions.
(a) How fatal is nicotine? 
(b) How is the smoke of cigarette harmful ? 
(c) What is the major substance present in the smoke ? 
(d) What does the new research show ? 
(e) What can be the cause of memory decline ? 
(f) Name the toxic gases present in the smoke of cigarette. 
Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) very serious 
(h) substances added to improve or preserve something 
(i) soft and sticky 
Answers:
(a) One drop of purified nicotine on the tongue will kill a person. 
(b) Smoke of a cigarette contains over 4000 chemicals and 40 carcinogens. 
(c) Nicotine is the major substance present in the smoke. 
(d) The new research shows that the relationship between smoking and memory loss is the strongest in people who smoke more than 20 cigarettes each day. 
(e) The death of nerve cell can be the cause of memory decline. 
(f) The toxic gases present in the smoke of cigarette are carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, acrolein, hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen and sulphur oxides. 
(g) acute 
(h) promoter 
(i) gooey. 

25. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Factual)

Maharana Pratap ruled over Mewar only for 25 years. However, he accomplished so much grandeur during his reign that his glory surpassed the boundaries of countries and time turning him into an immortal personality. He along with his kingdom became a synonym for valour, sacrifice and patriotism. Mewar had been a leading Rajput Kingdom even before Maharana Pratap occupied the throne.

Kings of Mewar, with the cooperation of their nobles and subjects, had established such traditions in the kingdom as augmented their magnificence despite the hurdles of having a smaller area under their command and less population. There did come a few thorny occasions when the flag of the kingdom seemed sliding down. Their flag once again flew high in the sky. Thanks to the gallantry and brilliance of the people of Mewar.

The destiny of Mewar was good in the sense that barring a few kings, most of the rulers were competent and patriotic. This glorious tradition of the kingdom almost continued for 1500 years since its establishment, right from the reign of Bappa Rawal. In fact only 60 years before Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga lifted the kingdom to the pinnacle of fame. 

His reputation went beyond Rajasthan and reached Delhi. Two generations before him, Rana Kumbha had given a new stature to the kingdom through victories and developmental work. During his reign, literature and art also progressed extraordinarily. The Rana himself was inclined towards writing and his works are read with reverence even today. The ambience of his kingdom was conducive to the creation of high quality work of art and literature. These accomplishments were the outcome of a long-standing tradition sustained by several generations.

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

One may observe astonishing pieces of workmanship not only in the forts and palaces of Mewar but also in public utility buildings. Ruins of many structures which are still standing tall in their grandeur are testimony to the fact that Mewar was not only the land of the brave, but also a seat of art and culture. Amidst aggression and bloodshed, literature and art flourished and creative pursuits of litterateurs and artists did not suffer. Imagine, how glorious the period must have been when the Vijaya Stambha which is a glorious example of our great ancient architecture even today, was constructed. 

In the same fort, Kirti Stambha is standing high, reflecting how liberal the then administration was which allowed people from other communities and kingdoms to come and carry out construction work. It is pointless to indulge in the debate whether the Vijay Stambha was constructed first or the Kirti Stambha. The fact is that both the capitals are standing side by side and reveal the proximity between the king and the subjects of Mewar.

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

Difficult words: accomplished = पूरा किया । grandeur = वैभव | reign = शासन I glory = गौरव। surpass = के परे होना । immortal = अमर । personality = व्यक्तित्व । synonym = पर्याय । valour = साहस। sacrifice = बलिदान । patriotism = देशभक्ति । occupied = धारण किया । throne = राजगद्दी । nobles = सामंत। subjects = प्रजा । established = स्थापित किया । tradition = परम्परा । kingdom = साम्राज्य । augmented = संवर्धित । magnificence = भव्यता । despite = के बावजूद। hurdle = बाधा । thorny = कष्टमय । sliding = सरकता हुआ ।

reflected = प्रतिबिम्बित होना । compensate = कमी पूर्ति करना । lack = कमी । firm = मजबूत। ambience = माहौल | astonishing = चकित कर देने वाली । testimony = प्रमाण । aggression = आक्रमण । bloodshed = रक्तपात । flourished = फला-फूला। creative = रचनात्मक | pursuit = व्यवसाय । liberal = उदार। indulge = लिप्त होना । reveal = प्रकट करना। proximity = नजदीकी । crucial = महत्वपूर्ण। acme = पराकाष्ठा, शिखर । nemesis = दुर्दात । acumen = कुशाग्रता

Questions
(a) How was the life of the people of Mewar ? 
(b) How long did Maharana Pratap rule ? 
(c) How can it be said that the destiny of Mewar was good ? 
(d) What is pointless to debate ? 
(e) How did Rana Kumbha give a new stature to the kingdom of Mewar? 
(f) Where can exquisite workmanship be seen in Mewar ? 
Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) very old 
(h) the ability to understand and decide quickly 
(i) in spite of 
Answers:
(a) The life of the people of Mewar was peaceful and prosperous. 
(b) Maharana Pratap ruled over Mewar only for 25 years. 
(c) It can be said that the destiny of Mewar was good because most of its rulers were competent and patroitic. 
(d) It is pointless to debate whether the Vijay Stambha was constructed first or the Kirti
Stambha. 
(e) Rana Kumbha gave a new stature to the kingdom of Mewar through victories and development work. 
(f) Exquisite workmanship can be seen in the forts, palaces and public utility buildings
in Mewar. 
(g) ancient 
(h) acumen 
(i) despite.

26. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Literary)

The role of friends in our lives now has become significantly greater than at any other time in our history. Today many of us live and work at great distances from where we were born or we grew up and are separated from our original families. The pain we feel when we are away from our families can be significant.

The happiness of the individual relies on friendships which form a necessary human connection. It is perfectly normal to need and want friends and depression is more prevalent among those who lack friends. Such people lack the intimacy and richness, friends can bring into their lives. Frequently, friends reflect similar values to us. Yet these values are often different from the ones we grew up with; they are the values we created for ourselves in our adult lives.

Communication skills are fundamental in all friendships. The more friends and acquaintances one has, the greater are one's communication skills. Some call these, people skills. Like watering a plant, we nourish our friendships (and all our relationships) by nurturing them. Friendships need the same attention as other relationships, if they are to continue. These relationships can be delightfullynon-judgemental, supportive, understanding and fun.

Sometimes friendship can bring out the positive side that you never show in any other relationship. This may be because the pressure of playing a 'role' (daughter, partner or child) is removed. With a friend you are able to be yourself and free to change. Of course you are free to do this in all other relationships as well, but in friendships you get to have lots of rehearsals and discussions about changes as you experience them. It is an unconditional experience where you receive as much as you give. 

You can explain yourself to a friend openly without the fear of hurting a family member. How do friendships grow? The answer is simple. By revealing yourself; being attentive; remembering what is most important to your friend and asking them about it; putting yourself in their position; showing sympathy; seeing the world through the eyes of your friend, you will understand the value of friendship. All this means learning to accept a person from a completely different family to your own or perhaps someone from completely different cultural background. This is the way we learn tolerance. 

In turn we gain tolerance and acceptance for our own differences. : Friendships are made by being considerate which needs communication skills, e.g. active listening skills, questioning skills, negotiation skills, reflection skills, emotional skills, and editing yourself. . Friendships offer a great opportunity to learn about yourself because a friend can reflect back to you how you come across in the world. They also allow you to practise skills in dealing with 'personal boundaries' by looking after yourself as well as your friend. They help you develop resilience in relation to the wider social world beyond your family. 

Difficult words: significantly = महत्वपूर्ण रूप से । relies = निर्भर करता है । depression = अवसाद।। prevalent = व्याप्त । lack = कमी । intimacy = घनिष्ठता । frequently = बहुधा । fundamental = मूलभूत। acquaintances = परिचित | nurturing = पालन पोषण I delightfully = प्रसन्नतापूर्वक | rehearsal= दुहराव । revealing = प्रकट करते हुए । tolerance = सहनशीलता । considerate = विचारशील । negotiation = समझौता। reflecting = प्रकट करना | resilience = लचीलापन 

Questions
(a) How do friendships offer a great opportunity to learn about yourself? 
(b) What is necessary if we want to continue friendships ?
(c) In what does the happiness of the individual rely ? 
(d) What is fundamental in all friendships? 
(e) How is friendship better than any others relationship? 
(f) What kind of pressure is removed in friendship? Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) a form of practice 
(h) sad feelings of gloom 
(i) chance 
Answers:
(a) Friendships offer a great opportunity to learn about yourself because a friend can reflect back to you how you come across the world. 
(b) If we want to continue friendships, they need the same attention as other relationship.
(c) The happiness of the individual relies on friendship.
(d) Communication skills are fundamental in all friendships. 
(e) Friendship can bring out the positive side that cannot be brought out by any other relation-ship. 
(f) The pressure of playing a role of relatives is removed in friendship.
(g) rehearsal 
(h) depression 
(i) opportunity.

27. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Discursive)

Air pollution is an issue which concerns us all alike. One can willingly choose or reject a food, a drink or a life comfort, but unfortunately there is little choice for the air we breathe. All, what is there in the air is inhaled by one and all living in those surroundings. Air pollutant is defined as a substance which is present in an amount exceeding the normal concentrations. It could either be gaseous or a particulate substance. 

The important and harmful polluting gases are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone and oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. The common particulate pollutants are the dusts of various inorganic or organic origins. Although we often talk of the air pollution caused by industrial and vehicular exhausts, yet indoor pollution may prove to be as or a more important cause of health problems. 

Recognition of air pollution is relatively recent. It is not uncommon to experience a feeling of 'suffocation' in a closed environment. It is often ascribed to the lack of oxygen. Fortunately, however, the composition of air is remarkably constant all over the world. There is about 79 per cent nitrogen and 21 per cent oxygen in the air - the other gases forming a very small fraction. 

It is true that carbon dioxide exhaled out of lungs may accumulate in a closed and over-crowded place. But such an increase is usually small and temporary unless the room is really air-tight. Exposure to poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide may occur in a closed room, heated by burning coal inside. This may also prove to be fatal.

What is more common in a poorly ventilated home is a vague constellation of symptoms described as the sick-building syndrome. It is characterized by a general feeling of uneasiness, head-ache, dizziness and irritation of mucous membranes. It may also be accompanied by nausea, itching, aches, pains and depression. 

Sick building syndrome is getting more common in big cities with small houses, which are generally overfurnished. Some of the important pollutants whose indoor concentrations exceed those of the outdoors include gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and organic substances like spores, formaldelydes, hydrocarbon aerosols and allergens. The sources are attributed to a variety of construction materials, insulations, furnishings, adhesives, cosmetics, house dust, fungi and other indoor products.

Smoking of tobacco in the closed environment is an important source of indoor pollution. It may not be high quantitatively, but significantly hazardous for health. It is because of the fact that there are over 3000 chemical constituents in tobacco smoke, which have been identified. These are harmful for human health.

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

Difficult words : concern = चिंता का विषय है । willingly = स्वेच्छा से। inhale = स्वास लेना । surroundings = परिवेश | concentration = सघनता । substance = पदार्थ । particulate = कणीय । exhaust = खाली करना । recognition = पहचानना । relatively = अपेक्षाकृत । suffocation = घुटन । ascribed = उत्तरदायी ठहराना । constant = लगातार । fraction = भाग । accumulate = संचित होना । exposure = सम्पर्क में आना । fatal= घातक | ventilated = हवादार | constellation = नक्षत्र । syndrome= किसी रोग के विशिष्ट लक्षण | dizziness = चक्कर आना | irritation = जलन, दर्द । mucus membranes = श्लेस्मा झिल्ली । nausea = मिचली, उबकाई । itching = खुजली । spores = बीजाणु । attributed = योगदान देना जिम्मेदार होना । hazardous = खतरनाक । constituent = घटक | obviously = स्पष्ट रूप से। spectrum = सम्पूर्ण श्रृंखला|

Questions
(a) What is a major source of indoor pollution ? 
(b) What is an issue of deep concern ? 
(c) What are the most harmful polluting gases ? 
(d) What are the symptoms of sick building syndrome ? 
(e) What are the sources of indoor pollution ? 
(f) What is the composition of air ?
Find out a word from the passage which means the following: 
(g) not clear 
(h) feeling of worry 
(i) lasting for a short time 
Answers:
(a) Smoking of tobacco is a major source of indoor pollution. 
(b) Air pollution is an issue of deep concern. 
(c) The most harmful polluting gases are carbon monoxide, carbon-dioxide, ozone and oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. 
(d) The symptoms of sick building syndrome are a generat feeling of malaise, headache, dizziness and irritation in mucous memberanes. 
(e) A variety of construction materials, insulators, furnishings, adhesives, cosmetics, dust,
fungi and other indoor products are the sources of indoor pollution. 
(f) The composition of air is about 79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small fraction of others gases. 
(g) vague 
(h) concern
(i) temporary. 

28. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Literary)

The test of a great book is whether we want to read it only once or more than once. A really great book is one which we want to read the second time even more than we wanted to read it the first time, and every additional time that we read it we find new meanings and new beauties in it. A book that a person of education and good taste does not care to read more than once is very probably not worth much. But we cannot consider the judgement of a single individual infallible. 

The opinion that makes a book great must be the opinion of many. For even the greatest critics are apt to have certain dullness. Carlyle, for example, could not endure Browning; Byron could not endure some of the greatest of English poets. A man must be many-sided to utter a trustworthy estimate of many books. We may doubt the judgement of the single critic at times. But there is no doubt possible in regard to the judgement of generations. 

Even if we cannot at once perceive anything good in a book which has been admired and praised for hundreds of years, we may be sure that by trying, by studying it carefully, we shall at least be able to feel the reason of this admiration and praise. The best of all libraries for a poor man would be a library entirely composed of such great works only, books which have passed the test of time. This then would be the most important guide for us in the choice of readings. 

We should read only the books we want to read more than once, nor should we buy any others, unless we have some special reason for so investing money. The second fact demanding attention is the general character of the value that lies hidden within all such great books. They never become old; their youth is immortal. A great book is not apt to be comprehended by a young person at the first reading except in a superficial way. Only the surface, the narrative, is absorbed and enjoyed. 

No young man can possibly see at first reading the qualities of a great book. Remember that it has taken humanity in many cases hundreds of years to find out all that there is in such a book. But according to a man's experience of life, the text will unfold new meanings to him. The book that delighted us at eighteen, if it be a good book, will delight us much more at twenty-five and it will prove like a new book to us at thirty years of age. At forty we shall re-read it, wondering why we never saw how beautiful it was before. At fifty or sixty years of age the same facts will repeat themselves. A great book grows exactly in proportion to the growth of the reader's mind.

Difficult words : test = कसौटी । probably = संभवतः । infallible = अचूक । apt to = संभावना होना। dullness= संकीर्ण मानसिकता । endure = सहन करना । trustworthy = विश्वसनीय । estimate = आँकलन। at times = कभी कभी । generations = पीढ़ियाँ । percieve = अनुभूति करना । investing = पैसा लगाना । to be comprehended = समझी जाती है । superficial = सतही, ऊपरी । is absorbed = ग्रहण किया जाता है । wondering = आश्चर्य से सोचते हुए । proportion = अनुपात growth = विकास ।

Questions
(a) What is the quality of a great book ?
(b) In which case is a judgement about a book beyond doubt ?
(c) What kind of understanding of a great book is a young person likely to have at the first reading of that book ? 
(d) Whose work did Carlyle find difficult to appreciate ? 
(e) What would a poor man's library contain ? 
(f) What does a person of forty feel when he re-reads some good books ?
Find from the passage the words which mean: 
(g) not capable of making mistakes. 
(h) to suffer something unpleasant or difficult in a patient way. 
(i) the ability to make sensible decision. 
Answers:
(a) The quality of a great book is that we want to read it again and again. 
(b) There is no doubt possible in regard to the judgement of generations. 
(c) A great book is not apt to be comprehended by a young person at the first reading except in a superficial way. 
(d) Carlyle found difficult to appreciate the work of Browning. 
(e) A poor man's library would contain the books which have passed the test of time. 
(f) When a person of forty re-reads some good books, he feels wondering why he never saw how beautiful they were before. 
(g) infallible 
(h) endure 
(i) comprehend. 

29. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (Discursive)

Every man that is born in this world has a desire to live well. The life has various aims for various people. To some, life is an empty dream without a motive. They eat and drink and continue to exist for the sake of living. They have no ideal, no mission for which to struggle and fight. Their ideal is to eat well, to make merry and enjoy the material things of life. Their activities aim at amassing wealth by hook or by crook and using that wealth for the sake of luxury and comfort and pleasures.

Life is, however, not so easy at present. Even to make money for the sake of comforts and luxuries you have to work hard and perform social duties before the society can allow one to earn a lot of money and amass wealth. Modern states work under certain principles of sual behaviour and do not allow people to go about making money without caring to perform certain duties which are useful to society. 

A businessman or an industrialist must pay his labourers well so that the labourer does his duty honestly and diligently and enable the entrepreneur to make profits from the goods produced. The only easy way of making money is cheating or stealing which have consequences of their own. Law has prescribed imprisonment for the robbers, thieves and the cheats.

Life is complicated in these times. It needs be well planned if you want to achieve something worthwhile. Whether your mission or ideal is materialistic or spiritual you should have a clear plan. To make, life worth living you must work hard towards the object of your mission. A life without mission is a life lost.

A life without planning is a life wasted. Discipline, mission and hard work are important virtues of a successful man. If you are a patriot and desire to be a politician to earn name and fame in the service of society, you must plan exactly what you want. If you want to serve the people and to represent their cause in elected assemblies, you must win over the support of the voters by giving them honest account of services. 

You must fight for their interest, show great achievements before you can enjoy the popularity of the masses. It is not simply slogan mongering that matters in politics now-a-days. A successful public man has to be an able administrator who can resolve practical issues with the authorities and win practical benefits for the people.

Difficult words : motive = प्रयोजन । amassing = बड़ी मात्रा में एकत्रित करना । diligent = परिश्रमी। hook or crook = किसी भी प्रकार से entrepreneur = उद्यमी consequence = परिणाम। complicated = जटिल । cause = निमित्त । worthwhile = संतोषजनक, उपयोगी । materialistic = भौतिकवादी | spritual = आध्यात्मिक prescribe = निर्धारित करना

Questions
(a) What is the desire of every man in this world ? 
(b) What is the ideal of the majority of people ? 
(c) What is the easy way to earn money ? 
(d) What is needed to achieve something worthwhile ? 
(e) Write the important virtues of a successful man. 
(f) How can a man reach up to assemblies ? 
Choose from the passage the words that mean : 
(g) useful enough.
(h) purpose of doing something. 
(i) phrase expressing a political or advertising message. 
Answers:
(a) Every man in this world desires to live well. 
(b) It is to eat well, to make merry and enjoy the material things of life. 
(c) The easy way to earn money is by theft, robbery and cheating. 
(d) Good planning is required to achieve something worthwhile. 
(e) Discipline, dedication and hard work are the virtues of a successful man.
(f) A man can reach up to assemblies by winning over the support of the voters.
(g) worthwhile 
(h) aim 
(i) slogan. 

30. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (Factual) 

All-round development of man is the true aim of education. It should train not only the head, but also the hands and the heart. But our present system of education has miserably failed to achieve this aim. It suffers from many grave defects. The present system of education was founded by the British for their own convenience. 

Lord Macaulay was the father and founder of this system. He wanted it to produce clerks to help the British in running their administration. Today the Britishers have gone but the same old system of education still countinues. We are free but we are still slavishly following the system evolved by the British. This system of education has many defects. It must be changed and overhauled.

The greatest defect in our present system of education is that it is too theoretical. An educated man has only bookish knowledge. He knows nothing about practical things. He finds that his education has not made him fit to do any useful work for his society. The present system of education does not teach us the dignity of labour. 

A student is not taught or trained to do things with his hands. Manual or physical labour finds no place in education. Educated young men are fit only to be clerks in offices. They look down upon manual labour. They consider it below their dignity to work with their hands in fields or factories.

Vocational education is the need of the hour. We need more and more technicians, engineers and doctors. But the number of vocational institutions  Engineering and Medical colleges, Polytechnics and I.T.I's - is limited. A large number of young men and women, who can do well as technicians, are deprived of technical or vocational knowledge.

The present system of education gives too much importance to English. At many places, it is the medium of instruction. English may be an international language. It may have rich treasures of science and literature. But it can never be our national language. Education must be imparted in the mother tongue. This will save much talent of the country from going waste.

A number of commissions have been set up since the dawn of independence to plan afresh the country's system of education. After much thought, the 10+ 2 + 3 system was introduced. It was designed to divert the students to different fields and vocations according to their talent and the needs of the society. But different states have taken to it only half-heartedly. As the things stand today, the 10 + 2 + 3 system has become a riddle. No one knows what exactly it is.

Meanwhile, our education system is as rotten and muddy as it used to be. Students find it purposeless. Therefore, they feel restive and go on strikes. They take no interest in their studies because they know that after finishing their education, they will only join the army of the unemployed. There is an urgent need that the present system should be overhauled and made purposeful.

Difficult words: train = प्रशिक्षित करना । grave = गंभीर । convenience = सुविधा | administration = प्रशासन । slavishly = गुलामों की भाँति । evolve = विकसित करना । theoretical = सैद्धान्तिक । dignity = गरिमा। vocational = व्यावसायिक | deprived = वंचित | instruction = शिक्षा, अनुदेश । impart = प्रदान करना | commission = आयोग | dawn of independence = स्वतंत्रता प्राप्ति के समय । half-heartedly = अनमने भाव से। riddle = पहेली । rotten and muddy = (यहाँ) उद्देश्यहीन । restive= बेचैन । overhauled = काया पलट।

Questions
(a) What is the true aim of education ? 
(b) Who was the father and founder of the present system of education ? 
(c) What is the greatest defect in our present system of education ?
(d) What type of education is the need of the hour ? 
(e) Why was the 10 + 2 + 3 system introduced ? 
(f) Why do the students take no interest in their studies ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean
(g) provided 
(h) useless 
(i) without a means to earn good livelihood 
Answers:
(a) All round development of man is the true aim of education
(b) Lord Macaulay was the father and founder of the present system of education. 
(c) Our present education system is too theoretical. This is the greatest defect in it. 
(d) Vocational education is the need of the hour.
(e) The system 10 + 2 + 3 was introduced to divert the students to different fields and vocations according to their talent and the needs of the society. 
(f) Students do not take interest in their studies because they think that present education system is purposeless. 
(g) imparted 
(h) purposeless 
(i) unemployed. 

31. Read the following passage and answer' the questions that follow : (Discursive)

The end of sumptuary laws did not mean that everyone in European societies could now dress in the same way. The French Revolution had raised the question of equality and ended aristocratic privileges, as well as the laws that maintained those privileges. However, differences between social strata remained. 

Clearly, the poor could not dress like rich, nor eat the same food. But laws no longer barred people's right to dress in the way they wished. Differences in earning, rather than sumptuary laws, now defined what the rich and the poor could wear. And different classes developed their own culture of dress. The notion of what was beautiful or ugly, proper or improper, decent or vulgar, differed.

Styles of clothings also emphasised differences between men and women. Women in Victorian England were groomed from childhood to be docile and dutiful, submissive and obedient. The ideal woman was the one who could bear pain and suffering. While men were expected to be serious, strong, independent and aggresive, women were seen as frivolous, delicate, passive and docile. 

Norms of clothing reflected these ideals. From childhood, girls were tightly laced up and dressed in stays. The effort was to restrict the growth of their bodies, contain them within small moulds. When slightly older, girls had to wear tight fitting corset. Tightly laced, small-waisted women were admired as attractive, elegant and graceful. Clothing thus played a part in creating the image of frail, submissive Victorian women.

Many women believed in the ideals of womanhood. The ideals were in the air they breathed, the literature they read, the education they had received at school and at home. From childhood they grew up to believe that having a small waist was a womanly duty. Suffering pain was essential for a woman. To be seen as attractive, to be womanly, they had to wear the c cset. The .torture and pain this inflicted on the body was to be accepted as normal.

But not everyone accepted these values. Over the nineteenth century, ideas changed. By the 1830s, women in England began agitating for democratic rights. As the suffrage movement developed, many began campaigning for dress reform. Women's magazines described how tight dresses and corsets caused deformities and illness among young girls. Such clothing restricted body growth and hampered blood circulation. Muscles remained underdeveloped and the spines got bent. Doctors reported that many women were regularly complaining of acute weakness, felt languid, and fäinted frequently. Corsets then became necessary to hold up the weakned spine.

Difficult words : sumptuary = भव्य | aristocratic = opsita i privileges = fastanter i strata = स्तर। barred = बंद किया। decent = भव्य Ivulgar = भद्दा emphasised = जोर दिया I defined = व्याख्या की। notion = विचार, धारणा। were groomed = चुना जाता था। docile = शांत। submissive = नम्र। aggressive = आक्रामक। frivolous = मूर्ख। delicate = नाजुक। passive = निष्क्रिय। norms = मानक।

laced up = फीतेदार । stays = visits, भ्रमण, वास-अवधि। restrict = पाबंदी लगाना। contain = सीमा के भीतर रखना। mould = साँचा। corset = चोली। elegant = आकर्षक । inflicted = जबरदस्ती लादा.। suffrage = मताधिकार । began campaigning = आंदोलन में भाग लेने लगे। deformity = विरूपता। hamper = रोकना। felt languid = कमजोरी अनुभव की! agitating = आन्दोलन करने लगी।

Questions
(a) What was the main issue raised by the French Revolution? 
(b) How were the women groomed in Victorian England ? 
(c) What defined the apparel of the rich and the poor? 
(d) Besides wearing, what else did the styles of clothing emphasize ? 
(e) What qualities made one masculine ? 
(f) What qualities made one feminine ? 
Find out a word from the passage which means : 
(g) A person / animal that is quiet and easily controlled. 
(h) A person / animal that has a quality of anger and determination.
(i) A special right or advantage. 
Answers:
(a) The French Revolution raised the main issue of equality. 
(b) They were groomed from childhood to be docile and dutiful, submissive and obedient. 
(c) Differences in earning defined the apparel of the rich and the poor. 
(d) Styles of clothing emphasized differences between men and women. 
(e) Qualities of being serious, strong, independent and aggressive made one masculine. 
(f) Qualities of being frivolous, delicate, passive and docile made one feminine.
(g) docile 
(h) aggressive 
(i) privilege. 

32. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Factual)

The elephant is the largest of all living animals and the strongest. It is a strange-looking animal, with its thick legs, huge sides and back, large hanging ears, small tail, little eyes, long white tusks, and above all, its long nose, called the trunk. The trunk is the elephant's unique feature, and it puts it to various uses. 

It draws up water by its trunk, and can squirt it all over its body like a shower bath; and with it, it picks leaves from the trees and puts them into its mouth. In fact its trunk serves the elephant as a long arm and hand. Elephants look very clumsy and heavy, and yet they can move very quickly when they like. Elephants are found in India and in Africa. 

The African elephant differs in some points from the Indian counterpart, being larger, with longer tusks and bigger ears. In fact the two are considered to be different species. In both countries, they live in herds in the jungles, and are naturally shy animals who keep away from humans. Elephants with their great size and strength, are fine advertisement for vegetarianism, for they live entirely on leaves of trees, grass, roots and bulbs.

The elephant is a very intelligent animal, and its intelligence combined with its great strength, makes it when tamed, a very useful servant to man, and it has been trained to serve in various ways.

Elephants can carry heavy loads and they are used to draw heavy wagons and big guns that would require many horses. They are very skilful too in carrying timber. The trained elephant will kneel down, lift a heavy log of wood with its tusks, carry it to the place where it is wanted, and lay it exactly in position.

In olden days elephants were used in battles, and all Indian Rajas had their regiments of trained fighting elephants. And they still have their place in state processions, when they are painted with bright colours and covered with silk and velvet clothes.

Difficult words: trunk = सूंड | unique = अनोखी । draws = खींचता है। squirt = छिड़कना । clumsy = भद्दा । species = प्रजातियां I herds = agroup of animals living and moving together, कुछ जानवरों का समूह। tamed = पाले जाते हैं । wagons = मालगाड़ी का खुला डिब्बा, वैगन। skilful = कुशल । timber = wood that is going to be used for construction purposes, regiments = । सैन्य टुकड़ी I processions = line of people, vehicles moving forward in a ceremonial way, जुलूस,। शोभायात्रा ।

Questions
(a) How does an elephant look like ? 
(b) What is unique about an elephant ? 
(c) What are the various uses of elephant's trunk ? 
(d) How are elephants of Africa different from these of India ?
(e) What do elephants eat ? 
(f) How is an elephant useful to us ? 
(g) What was the use of elephants in olden days ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(h) A line of people, vehicles, etc. moving forward in a ceremonial way. 
(i) A group of animals living and moving together. 
Answers:
(a) An elephant looks like a strange animal. 
(b) The trunk is unique in an elephant. 
(c) Elephant's trunk can draw water, squirt water all over its body like a shower bath. 
(d) African elephants are larger with longer tusks and bigger ears than their Indian counter-parts. 
(e) An elephant eats leaves of trees, grass, roots and bulbs. 
(f) An elephant can carry heavy loads and it can draw heavy wagons and big guns. 
(g) In olden days, elephants were used in battles.
(h) processions 
(i) herd. 

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

One summer day in 1955, on a beach near the village of Opononi, New Zealand, 13 year old Jill Baker waded into the water to join a friend, one of the strangest playmates the world has ever known. A torpedo-like body streaked towards her and swam between her legs, spilling her into the surf. She put her arms around the huge creature, got on its back and took a ride. 

later Jill tossed a beach ball to her playmate. Rising from the water, huge mouth spread in a grin, the creature batted it back with its nose. As the game progressed, people gathered on the beach staring in amazement. Jill Baker's playmate was a porpoise.

The ancients, who called the porpoise a dolphin, knew him as friendly. "He is the only creature who loves man for his own sake", wrote Plutarch. "Some land animals avoid man altogether, and the tame ones such as dogs and horses are tame because he feeds them. To the dolphin alone, nature has given what the best philosophers seek; friendship for no advantage". Pliny the Elder wrote of a wild porpoise that took a boy for a ride at Hippo, a Roman settlement in Africa: Roman coins of 74 B.C. show such a scene.

Everything about the porpoise could be written in superlatives. Not a fish but an air-breathing mammal, he swims incredibly fast, kills sharks, communicates with his own kind, herds fish. He may have the world's best sonar equipment. One scientist believes that his brain is so similar to a human being's that he might even be taught to talk.

Difficult words: beach = समुद्र या झील का किनारा। playmate = बालसखा, बचपन का मित्र। surf = समुद्री झाग या फेन । grin = दाँत दिखाते हुए मुस्कुराना (v); मूर्खतापूर्ण मुस्कान (N)I amazement = अत्यधिक आश्चर्य या विस्मय। porpoise = डाल्फिन जैसा समुद्री जन्तु; सूंस। The ancients = (प्राचीन काल के) सभ्य राष्ट्र या व्यक्ति। incredibly = अविश्वसनीय रूप से; अत्यधिक। sonar = चमगादड़ों तथा समुद्री जन्तुओं में प्रतिध्वनि ग्रहण करने की व्यवस्था (तंत्र)।

Questions 
(a) "Jill Baker waded into the water to join a friend................." Who was Jill Baker's friend ?
(b) What has nature given to the porpoise alone ? 
(c) How did the huge creature react when Jill tossed a beach ball to the creature ? 
(d) What did Jill Baker do when a torpedo-like body swam between her legs ? 
(e) What type of a scene is shown in Roman coins ? 
(f) Why did people gather on the beach ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(g) hit. 
(h) colony 
(i) any of the class of animals which feed their young with milk from the breast. 
Answers:
(a) A porpoise was Jill Baker's friend. 
(b) Nature has given one thing to the porpoise alone, that is 'friendship for no advantage'. 
(c) The huge creature batted the beach ball back with its nose. 
(d) Jill Baker put her arms around the huge creature, got on its back and took a ride. 
(e) In Roman coins a wild porpoise is shown taking a boy ride at Hippo, a Roman settlement in Africa. 
(f) People gathered on the beach to see the game played by the porpoise. They stared at it in amazement. 
(g) batted 
(h) settlement 
(i) mammal. 

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

Rabindranath Thakur was born in Calcutta on May 7, 1861. His father Devendranath Thakur, was a well-known social and religious leader and was called Maharshi Devendranath. Though a religious leader, Devendranath was very broad-minded and he encouraged his son to think independently.

In school, Rabindranath found the teachilg too elementary. It did not take his teacher long to recognise his intelligence. He was given 'Macbeth' to translate and to everyone's surprise Rabindranath made a very good translation into Bengali. However, his limitless curiosity to know more and newer things could not be satisfied in school. 

It was, therefore, decided to withdraw him from there. For four years, from the age of thirteen to seventeen, he studied a wide variety of subjects at home. About the same time he was drawn to Nature and Arts. For hours, he would go swimming in the Ganga and watch the changing moods of that mighty river. He also started composing verses and learning music.

From 1881 onwards his talent as a writer expressed itself in the form of countless compositions in poetry, drama, prose, music, fiction, philosophy and painting. He wrote nearly 50 plays, 100 books of verse and 40 volumes of fiction and philosophical writings. "Rabindranath was also a great educationist. 

In 1901, he founded a school at Shantiniketan near Bolpur in Bengal. Situated in the midst of natural surroundings, it soon started attracting students from all over the country and even from outside India. In 1922 it was changed into an international university called Vishva-Bharati, the name it continues to have to this day.

The work which brought him universal recognition was a collection of poems named 'Gitanjali'. Originally written in Bengali, it was translated into English by Rabindranath himself. This won him in 1913 the Nobel Prize in Literature and made him internationally famous.

Rabindranath was a great nationalist and patriot. He felt so bitter about the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in 1919 that as a protest, he gave up Knighthood which the British had awarded him earlier. But his nationalism was not based on any narrow loyalties. It was a part of his wider vision of internationalism and world brotherhood.

He died on August 07, 1941, four years before the founding of the U.N.O. and six years before the coming of Indian independence. Though he is no more, his message of universal peace and love among mankind will continue to inspire many generations to come.

Difficult words : religious = धार्मिक I broad-minded = उदार विचार वाला I encouraged = प्रोत्साहित किया। elementary = सरल | curiosity = जिज्ञासा । verses = रचनायें । founded = स्थापना की । collection = संग्रह | famous = प्रसिद्ध । patriot = देशभक्त । inspire = प्रेरित किया । 

Questions
(a) Why did Rabindranath give up the title of Knighthood? 
(b) When and where was he born? 
(c) Which book of him won him the Nobel Prize in Literature? 
(d) Who was famous as 'Maharshit?
(e) How does Rabindranath still inspire the generations to come? 
(f) Why was Rabindranath not educated at school? Find out words from the passage which mean 
(g) Freedom 
(h) Easy, not complicated. 
(i) A piece of poetry. 
Answers:
(a) Rabindranath gave up the title of Knighthood as a protest of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in 1919 because he felt very bitter about it.
(b) He was born in Calcutta on May 7, 1861. 
(c) A collection of poems named 'Gitanjali' won him the Noble Prize in Literature. 
(d) Rabindranath's father Devendranath was famous as 'Maharshi'. 
(e) Rabindranath still inspires the generations to come by his message of universal peace and love among mankind. 
(f) Rabindranath was not educated at school because the teaching at school was very elementary. independence 
(h) elementary 
(i) poem.

35. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (Discursive)

A priest, of a famous temple on a high hill in Assam was widely known and respected to be a great scholar. When he was on his death-bed, he called the trustee of the temple and told him to select and appoint only a 'human being' as his successor.

After his death, a day was set for the selection of the new priest. On the scheduled day, starting at dawn, the aspirants started trekking the steep and torturous climb to the temple. As the route to the temple was difficult; full of thorns and stones, many aspirants got minor cuts and bruises on their feet and hands.

After breakfast, the selection process started. The trustee asked all the aspirants to recite difficult 'Shlokas' or verses from the sacred texts. He explained them various procedures of priesthood. By afternoon, as the selection process was about to end, one young man walked slowly into the temple. The trustee noticed him and asked, "Young man, you are very late. What took you so long? Why are your clothes torn? Why are your feet and hands bleeding badly ?"

The young man replied, "I know, Sir, I am late and so I cannot participate. But please let me rest a while and let my wounds be treated. Then I will go back." But the trustee was curious. He asked again, "But how did you get hurt so badly, did you follow the same route as the others ?"

"Yes, Sir, I did", replied the young man, "But I thought, I must remove all the thorns and sharp stones from the path so that when people come to pray in this temple, they must not get hurt. That is why I got late and hurt myself badly. I apologize for the delay and it will not be fair to the others if I participated."

The trustee heard him intently, smiled and said, "Congratulations ! You have been chosen. You are a true 'human being' to be the successor of our holy priest."

This statement infuriated the other participants. They demanded, "What do you mean? Are we not human ?" The trustee replied, "Our old priest used to say that even animals know how to watch for their self-interest; they know how to avoid danger, how to search food and so on. Only a 'human being' knows how to care for others. This young man not only thought about others, but he cleared also the path so that no one would get hurt. So he qualifies as a 'human being to be the successor of the great old priest."

Difficult words : priest = पुजारी| scholar = विद्वान | successor = उतराधिकारी aspirant = आकांक्षी। participate = भाग लेना । wounds = घाव | curious = जिज्ञासु । route = मार्ग, रास्ता I thorns = काँटे । apologize = माफी माँगना । smiled = मुस्कुराया । holy = पवित्र । statement = कथन । | participants = प्रतिभागी। replied = उत्तर दिया | search = तलाशना । cleared = साफ किया । 

Questions
(a) Where was the famous temple situated ? 
(b) When did the selection process start ? 
(c) What did the trustee ask to do in selection test to the aspirants ? 
(d) How did the young man get hurt badly? 
(e) Why were the aspirants infuriated ?
(f) Why was the young man selected as the new priest of the temple ? 
Find out words from the passage which mean : 
(g) The persons who are ambitious and want to aspire something. 
(h) A person who follows next in order. 
(i) Make excuses for by reasoning or express regret. 
Answers:
(a) It was situated on a high hill in Assam. 
(b) The selection process started after breakfast. 
(c) The trustee asked all the aspirants to recite difficult 'Shlokas' or verses from the sacred text and explain various procedures of priesthood in selection test. 
(d) The young man got hurt badly in removing all the thorns and sharp stones from the path of the temple.
(e) The aspirants were infuriated because the trustee called the young man a true 'human being' and chose him as the successor of their holy priest.
(f) The young man was selected as the new priest of the temple because as a human being he not only thought about others but he cleared also the path so that no one would get hurt. 
(g) aspirants 
(h) successor 
(i) apologize. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Difficult words : cobblestone = सड़क पर जड़े पत्थर । judiasm = यहूदीवाद । crucifixion = सूली पर चढ़ा कर मारना। resurrection = ईसा मसीह का पुनर्जीवित होना। venerated = श्रद्धापूर्ण | devout = श्रद्धालु | hemmed = चारों तरफ से घेरे हुए| anointing = सिर में तेल लगने की धार्मिक रस्म

Questions
(a) According to the narrator, why is Jerusalem famous for ? 
(b) How manys tations are clueless there? 
(c) Where is the 'stone of amointing' situated, as mentioned in the passage ? 
(d) What was the narrator enjoying in the city ? 
(e) Which is the most venerated Christian shrine in the world ? 
(f) By whom Rotunda was built ? Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(g) an underground place where a dead person is buried. 
(h) The return of Jesus Christ to life after his death, as a belief. 
(i) a building where Christians go for worship. 
Answers:
(a) Jerusalem is famous as home to the sacred sites of Christianity. 
(b) Nine stations are clueless there. 
(c) 'The stone of anointing' is situated inside the entrance of the first stop. 
(d) The narrator was enjoying the city by watching its cobblestone streets, people riding asses, carrying vine leaves etc. 
(e) The holy Sepulcher is the most venerated Christian shrine in the world. 
(f) Rotunda was built by the emperor Constantine.
(g) tomb 
(h) resurrection 
(i) church. 

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

Education is the fundamental right of every Indian citizen. It is an important pre-requisite for the progress of an individual and of the nation. Other than primary and secondary education, vocational education is also catching up fast with today's generation.

Vocational education refers to a system or course of study which prepares individuals for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities.

The plethora of opportunities available in diverse fields today means that exams are not the end of the world. Gone are the days when students only opted for a traditional carrer in engineering or medical courses. Today, youngsters look for satisfaction in the jobs they do, and thus they refer to purse a career or field of their interest.

Vocational education basically consists of practical courses through which one gains skills and expertise directly linked to a career in future. Moreover, with the Indian economy expanding, different sectors are growing and so is the demand for professionals in various fields.

Professions like hair cutting, fashion designing, palmistry, footwear designing, advertising, public relations, interior designing, wedding planning, gift packing, toy making, tourism industry, mobile and gadget repairing, nutrition and fitness industry, gym culture and many more, have witnessed a surge in demand by the people availing these services, and has resultantly pulled a large number of aspirants into these vocations. Not only do these professions offer umpteen opportunities and a glorious carrer, (but also) most of the time they do not require any major academic qualification. 

All that is needed, is the honed skill required for the profession, the enthusiasm to learn and the passionate desire to create something new. and unique. Then the sky becomes the limit. In fact, through hard work and creativity, one can be far more successful and famous in the world than those pursuing the regular field of study. 

There are endless personalities who did not fare well in exams but, by choosing the career of their own choice and working hard in the field they loved, have made a distinguished name for themselves. Pablo Picasso, Walt Disney, Shiamak Davar, Lata Mangeshkar, Bill Gates, Jawed Habib, Ritu Kumar, Sachin Tendulkar and many more have not pursued an academic career, yet are extremely successful today.

The growing demand for professionals has led to the opening up of institutes and training colleges to provide training for the same. A formal vocational training follows a struct-red training programme, and provides certificates, diplomas or degrees, recognised , statel Central Government or other reputed concerns; informal vocational training helps in acquiring some marketing expertise, which enables a person to pursue the profession of his/her choice. 

Difficult words: fundamental = अतिमहत्वपूर्ण । plethora = बहुत बड़ी मात्रा में | umpteen = बहुत | सारी। honed = परिमार्जित | surge = तीव्र बढ़त । passionate = भावावेशपूर्ण | creativity = रचनात्मकता। 1 distinguished = francia 

Questions
(a) Why is education an important pre-requisite ? 
(b) Write any four examples of professions mentioned in the passage. 
(c) What do the professional courses offer to the youngsters ? 
(d) How does vocational education directly help in making a career ? 
(e) Which kind of education do today's generation prefer the most ?: 
(f) What do the training colleges provide on the completion of a course ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(g) an ability to do something well. 
(h) someone who hopes to get a good job. 
(i) special knowledge learnt through training or experience.
Answers:
(a) Education is an important pre-requisite for the progress of an individual and of the nation. 
(b) Professions like fashion designing, palmistry, advertising, wedding planning, gift packing, toy making etc. 
(c) The professional courses offer endless opportunities to the youngsters. 
(d) Through vocational education, one can gain skills and expertise in any field of career. 
(e) Today's generation prefers practical courses of vocational education the most. 
(f) On the completion of a course, training colleges provide diploma/degrees etc.
(g) skill 
(h) aspirant 
(i) expertise. 

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

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

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

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

Such signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of the individual, as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high blood pressure, indigestion and hyper-acidity.

Ultimately, the result is self-destructive behaviour such as eating and drinking too much, smoking excessively or relying on tranquilisers. There are other signs of stress such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing. The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist. It leads to depression, lethargy and weakness. Periodic mood shifts also indicate the stress status of students, executives and professionals.

In a study sponsored by World Health Organisation and carried out by Harvard School of Public Health, the global burden of diseases and injury indicated that stress diseases and accidents are going to be the major killers in 2020. Persons under stress react in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight or flee, depending upon the nature of the stress and capabilities of the person. The three responses can be elegantly chosen to cope with the stress so that stress does not damage the system and become distress.

Difficult words : denying = खण्डन । surpass = आगे निकलना । reprimand = फटकार/भर्त्सना। adolescent = किशोर/युवा। collapse = अचानक बेहोश होना । palpitation = धड़कन बढ़ना । tranguiliser = मादक पदार्थ| perfectionist = पूर्णतावादी | depression = हताशा/ निराशा

Questions
(a) Which factors generally lead an individual in stress ? 
(b) What are some signs of a stressed person ? 
(c) What is Psycho-social stress ? 
(d) According to WHO study, who are going to be major killers upto 2022 ? 
(e) What are the three ways of reaction shown by person under stress ? 
(f) When does a baby undergo a stress shock ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(g) The word opposite of 'balance' in meaning 
(h) a young boy/girl of 12 to 18 years of age. 
(i) amount of water contained in the air.
Answers:
(a) Change in temperature, pollutants, humidity, competition are some factors which lead a person to stress. 
(b) Tension, palpitation, high blood pressure, acidity etc. are some signs of a stressed person. 
(c) When a person makes up his mind to surpass what has been achieved by others, it
results into an imbalance between demands and resources. It causes psycho-social stress. 
(d) The stress diseases and stress-driven effects are going to be the major killers up to 2020. 
(e) Flight, fight or free are generally three reactions commonly shown by persons under stress. 
(f) The loss of a toy or reprimand from parents might create a stress shock in a child.
(g) imbalance 
(h) adolescent 
(i) humidity. 

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

Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his officers. He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur, and that they would lay down their arms. He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the revolt in no time. 

He ordered that tents be erected on the eastern side for the fighting forces, and a little away on the western slopes, tents be put up for the family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the afternoon and evening of 20th October, the British soldiers were busy making arrangements for these camps.

On the 21st morning, Thackeray sent his political assistants to Kittur fort to obtain a written assurance from all the important officers of Kittur rendering them answerable for the security of the treasury of Kittur. They, accordingly, met Sardar Gurusiddappa and other officers of Kittur and asked them to comply with the orders of Thackeray. 

They did not know that the people were in a defiant mood. The commanders of Kittur dismissed the agent's orders as no documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma.

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

The Kittur soldiers captured about forty persons and brought them to the palace. These included twelve children and a few women from the British officers' camp. When they were brought in the presence of the Rani, she ordered the soldiers to be imprisoned. For the women and children, she had only gentleness, and admonished her soldiers for taking them into custody. At her orders, these women and children were taken inside the palace and given food and shelter. 

Rani came down from her throne, patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them. She, then, sent word through a messenger to Thackeray that the British women and children were safe and could be taken back any time. Seeing this noble gesture of the Rani, he was moved. He wanted to meet this gracious lady and talk to her. He even thought of trying to persuade her to enter into an agreement with the British to stop all hostillities in lieu of an inam (prize) of eleven villages. His offer was dismissed with a gesture of contempt. She had no wish to meet Thackeray.

Difficult words : outskirts = नगर के बाहरी भाग। defiant = आज्ञा नहीं मानना | artillery = सैनिकों का छोटा दल। admonished = डाँटा-फटकारा। persuade = तर्क द्वारा मना लेना । hostilities = युद्ध/लड़ाइयाँ। contempt = तिरस्कार/अपमान।

Questions
(a) How did Rani treat the British women and children, who were brought before her? 
(b) What happened when Thackeray's artillery stormed into the Kittur Fort ? 
(c) Why did Thackeray send his political assistants to Kittur the next day ? 
(d) What did Thackeray think about the people of Kittur ? 
(e) Why did Thackeray wish to meet and talk to Rani ? 
(f) Was Thackeray's offer of in am (prize) accepted by the Rani Chennamma ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(g) a special chair used by a king or queen to sit on. 
(h) a small group of soldiers of an army.
(i) the outer parts of a city or town. 
Answers:
(a) At Rani's orders, the British women and children were taken inside the palace and given food and shelter. She patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them.
(b) The Kittur forces made a bold front and overpowered the Thackeray's artillery. 
(c) Thackeray sent his political assistants to Kittur to get a written assurance regarding the security of the treasury. 
(d) He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the revolt soon. 
(e) He wanted to talk to Rani, as he was much impressed to know about the kind treatment given to his ladies and children in her palace.
(f) No, Thackeray's offer of inañ was not accepted by Rani.
(g) throne 
(h) artillery 
(i) outskirts.

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

When you grow up in a place where it rains five months a year, wise elders help you to get acquainted with the rain early. They teach you that it is ignorant to think that it is the same rain falling every day. Oh no, the rain is always doing different things at different times. There is rain that is gentle, and there is also rain that falls too hard and damages the crops. Hence, the prayer for the sweet rain that helps the crops to grow.

The monsoon in the Naga hills goes by the native name, khuthotei (which means the rice-growing season). It lasts from May to early or mid-October. The local residents firmly believe that Durga Puja in October announces the end of rain. After that, one might expect a couple of short winter showers, and the spring showers in March and April.

Finally, comes the "big rain" in May; proper rainstorms accompanied by heart-stopping lightning and ear-splitting thunder. I have stood out in storms looking at lightning arc across dark skies, a light-and-sound show that can go on for hours.

This is the season when people use the word sezuo or suzu to refer to the week-long rains, when clothes don't dry and smell of mould, when fungus forms on the floor and when you can't see the moon or the stars because of the rainclouds. But you learn not to complain. Rain, after all, is the farmer's friend and brings food to the table. Rituals and festivals centre around the agricultural rhythm of life, which is the occupation of about 70 per cent of the population.

The wise learn to understand its ways. I grew up hearing my grandfather say, "It's very windy this year. We'll get good rain." If the windy season was short and weak, he worried there might not be enough rain for the crops. I learned the interconnectedness of the seasons from childhood, and marvelled at how the wind could bring rain.

Another evening, many rainy seasons ago, my paternal aunt observed the new moon and worried, "Its legs are in the air, we're in for some heavy rain." She was right. That week, a storm cut off power lines and brought down trees and bamboos.

The rains are called after flowering plants and people believe that the blossoming of those plants draws out rain. Once the monsoons set in, field work is carried out in earnest and the work of uprooting and transplanting paddy in flooded terrace fields is done. The months of hard labour are June, July and August. In August, as the phrogu plant begins to bloom, a rain will fall.

This August rain, also called phrogu, is a sign that the time for cultivation is over. If any new grain seeds are sown, they may not sprout; even if they do sprout, they are not likely to bear grain. The rain acts as a kind of farmer's almanac.

The urban population of school-goers and office-goers naturally dislikes the monsoon and its accompanying problems of landslides, muddy streets and periodic infections. For nonfarmers, the months of September can be depressing, when the rainfall is incessant and the awareness persists that the monsoons will last out till October.

One needs to have the heart of a farmer to remain grateful for the watery days, and be able to observe- from what seems to the inexperienced as a continuous downpour--the many kinds of rain. Some of the commonly known rain-weeks are named after the plants that alternately bloom in August and September. The native belief is that the flowers draw out the rain.

Difficult words : acquainted = जानकारी लेना | almanac = पंचांग केलेण्डर । landslide = भूस्खलन। incessant = लगातार। marvelled = आश्चर्यचकित हुआ। । 

Questions
(a) Why is the rain like a calender for farmers ?
(b) What does Durga Puja mean to the farmers of the Naga hills ?
(c) How is the heart of the farmer different from that of the city person ? 
(d) What kind of rain is called "sezuo' ? 
(e) Why do people pray asking the rain to retreat ? 
(f) 'Which months are of hard labour for the farmers of the Naga hills ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(g) a loud noise in the sky during rains. 
(h) season when it rains a lot. 
(i) continuing without stopping. 
Answers:
(a) Rain tells them when to sow and when to harvest. 
(b) Durga Puja in October, announces the end of rain. 
(c) The heart of a farmer remains grateful to the watery days, while the city dwellers dislike the rains and its accompanying problems. 
(d) Sezuo refers to the week-long rains, when clothes don't dry and smell of mould, when there are rainclouds in the sky. 
(e) People, specially from urban population, dislike the monsoon. In this season, the streets
are full of mud, infection is likely to occur, and problems of landslide are common. 
(f) June, July and August are the months of hard labour for them to carry out various field works.
(g) thurnder 
(h) monsoon 
(i) incessant. 

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

All of Earth's oceans share one thing in common : plastic pollution. Discarded plastic bags, cups, and bottles make their way into sea. Today, it seems that no part of the ocean is safe from plastic trash. In recent years, oceanographers have searched in vain for a pristine marine environment. They have found plastic everywhere they have looked, "It is a common global problem, we cannot point to a single habitat or location with no plastic."

Plastic harms wildlife and introduces dangerous chemicals into marine eco systems communities of organisms interacting with their sorroundings. Once plastic enters the environment, it lasts a long time. Scientists are working to prevent plastic pollution from entering sea.

When people litter or when trash is not properly disposed of, things like plastic bags, bottles, straws, foam, be average cups get carried to the sea by winds and waterways. About 80 percent of ocean plastic originates on land. The rest comes from marine industries such as shipping and fishing.

In 2015, Engineer Jenna Jambeck at the University of Georgia and other researchers calculated that at least 8 million tonnes of plastic trash is swept into the ocean from coasts every year. That's the equivalent of a full garbage truck of plastic being dumped into the sea every minute.

If current trends in plastic production and disposal continue, that figure will double by 2025. A report published by the World Economic Forum last year predicts that by 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all the fish in the sea.

In today's world, plastic is everywhere. It is found in shoes, clothing, household items, electronics and more. There are different types of plastics, but one thing they all have in common is that they are made of polymers-large molecules made up of repeating units. Their chemical structure give them a lot of advantages : they are cheap and easy to manufacture, lightweight, water-resistant, durable and can be moulded into nearly any shape.

One way to keep the ocean cleaner and healthier is through cleanup efforts. A lot of plastic waste caught in ocean currents eventually washes up on beaches. Removing it can prevent it from blowing out to sea again. Beach clean-up is ocean clean-up. 

Difficult words: trash = कूड़ा-करकट | oceanographer = सागर वैज्ञानिक | pristine = साफ और ताजा। disposed = बेकार वस्तुओं को फेंक देना । beverage = पेय पदार्थ (पानी के अतिरिक्त) । predict = : भविष्यवाणी करना। polymer = बहुलक (एक जैसे अणुओं की बड़ी श्रृंखला) | mould = साँचे में ढालना ।

Questions
(a) Why is plastic so multipurpose these days ? Give its qualities. 
(b) How can we keep our oceans clean and plastic free ? 
(c) What does the research calculation tell about the plastic trash swept is the oceans? 
(d) What are the plastic things that are generally carried to the sea by winds ? 
(e) What does the report of the World Economic Forum predict regarding plastic pollution in oceans ?
(f) Where does most of the ocean plastic come from?
Find out the words from the passage which mean :
(g) things that do not allow water to enter easily. 
(h) an area on the edge of the sea. 
(i) scientists who study oceans. 
Answers:
(a) Plastic is popular these days, as it is cheap, light in weight, water-resistant, durable and can be easily moulded into any shape. 
(b) We should not let the plastic trash enter the oceans. We can keep the sea beaches clean
and plastic free. 
(c) It fells that at least 8 million tonnes of plastic frash is swept into the ocean from coasts every year. 
(d) Things like plastic bags, bottles, straws, wrappers, foam, beverage cups etc. are generally carried to the sea by the wind. 
(e) The report predicts that by 2050, ocean plastic will overweight all the fish in the sea. 
(f) Most of the ocean plastic comes from land, i.e. ocean beaches.
(g) water-resistant 
(h) beach 
(i) oceanographers. 

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

For many years now, the governments have been promising the eradication of child labour in hazardous industries in India. But the truth is that despite all the rhetoric, no government so far has succeeded in eradicating this evil, nor has been able to ensure compulsory primary education for every Indian child. 

Between 60 and 100 million children are still at work instead of going to school, and around 10 million are working in hazardous industries. India has the biggest child population of 380 million in the world, plus the largest . number of children who are forced to earn a living.

We have many laws that ban child labour in hazardous industries. According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the employment of children below the age of 14 years, in hazardous occupations, has been strictly banned. But each State has different rules regarding the minimum age of child employment. This makes implementation of these laws difficult.

Also, there is no ban on child labour in non-hazardous occupations. The Act applies to the organised or factory sector and not the unorganised sector where most children find employment as cleaners, servants, porters, waiters, etc., among other forms of unskilled work. Thus, child labour continues because the implementation of the existing laws is lax.

There is a lobby which argues that there is nothing wrong with children working as long as the environment for work is conducive to learning new skills, but studies have shown that the children are made to do boring, repetitive and tedious jobs and are not taught new skills as they grow older. In these hell-holes, like the sweet shops of the old times, there is no hope. Children working in hazardous industries are prone to debilitating diseases, which can cripple them for life. 

By sitting in cramped, damp and unhygienic spaces, their limbs become deformed for life. Inside matchstick, fireworks and glass industries, they are victims of bronchial diseases and T.B. Their mental and physical development is permanently impaired due to long hours of work. Once trapped, they cannot get out of this vicious circle of poverty. They remain uneducated and powerless. Finally, in the latter years, they too are compelled to send their own children to work. Child labour perpetuates its own nightmare.

If at all the governments were serious about granting children their rights, an intensive effort ought to have been made to implement the directive of the Supreme Court which recommends punitive action against employers of child labour. Only compulsory primary education can eliminate this child labour. If 380 million children are given a better life and elementary education, India's human capital would be greatly enhanced. But that needs, 'a second vision', as said by the former President, Sh. Abdul Kalam. 

Difficult words : eradication = समूल नष्ट करना, उन्मूलन । rhetoric = वाक्पटुता । hazardous = जोखिम भरा। implementation = कार्यान्वयन, लागू करना। lax = शिथिल व लापरवाह । conducive = सहायक होना। tedious = अत्यधिक थकाऊ। hell-holes = गंदे और अस्वास्थ्यकारी स्थान। prone = प्रबल संभावित। lobby = विशिष्ट उद्देश्य वाला जनसमूह। debilitating = कमजोर करने वाला। perpetuates = बनाये रखता है। punitive = दण्ड विषयक/रुखा व कठोर। eliminate = हटा देना/छुटकारा पाना।

Questions
(a) Which country has the biggest child population in the world ? 
(b) Why does the child labour continue in our country, though we have Child Labour  Acts that ban it ?
(c) How working in hazardous industries is dangerous for children ? 
(d) What does the Supreme Court recommend to eradicate child labour in India ? 
(e) What was our former President Sh. Abdul Kalam's opinion regarding 380 million ..children ? 
(f) Is there nothing wrong with children working ? How ? 
Find out the words from the passage which mean : 
(g) an official order that prevents and action to be done. 
(h) to completely get rid of some social problem. 
(i) something dangerous to people's health or safety. 
Answers:
(a) India has the biggest child population in the world. 
(b) Different states in India have different rules regarding the minimum age of child employment. There is no ban on child labour in non-hazardous occupations also. 
(c) Children working in hazardous industries may suffer from T.B., a physical deformity, mental impairment, weak eyesight etc. 
(d) The Supreme Court recommends strict action agaisnt employers of child labour and
suggests compulsory primary education for children. 
(e) Sh. Abdul Kalam said, "If 380 million children are given a better life and elementary education, India's human capital would be greatly enhanced." 
(f) Yes, there is nothing wrong with children working as long as the environment for work is helpful in learning new skills. 
(g) ban 
(h) eradicate 
(i) hazardous.

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

Selfie is the latest trend in teenagers and hundreds of people are risking their lives to take a selfie which will fetch them more likes' on the social media. Famous social networking platforms encourage users to take selfies. Selfie trend is used in politics and government campaigns too. The Prime Minister of India started a 'Selfie with Daughter' campaign in the country, which was very successful. Even the astronants take selfies in space and it is becoming a staple diet for marketing strategies.

When people take a selfie and post it on the social media, they get “likes' and 'shares'. It makes them feel good about themselves. People who generally don't express themselves can show their emotions through it. All in all, it can boost the confidence of such people for some time.

Though selfies, in themselves are harmless, peoples' behaviour around them add negative connotations to them. There are hundreds of reported deaths because of selfies. People go to dangerous places such as railway lines, cliffs, building tops, dam sites, etc. to take a selfie which will give them more “likes”. Sometimes, an accident happens in such places, causing the death of the person taking a selfie. However, peer pressure makes teenagers and youth take risky actions.

Is a selfie good or bad? It depends on us, how crazy we are for a selfie, how much importance we are giving to it. There is nothing bad in taking selfies, but one should not allow this addiction to take control over our senses.

Difficult words : campaign = अभियान। astronauts = अंतरिक्ष यात्री I staple = मुख्य वस्तु । connotations = शब्द के अन्य अर्थ । peer = साथी । addiction = व्यसन/लत, आसक्ति।

Questions
(a) Which habit shouldn't be allowed to take control over our senses? 
(b) How can people, who generally can't express themselves, show their emotions? 
(c) Can taking selfies sometimes prove to be harmful? 
(d) Why do teenagers generally take selfies and send them? 
(e) Name the campaign which our Prime Minister started, as mentioned in the passage.
(f) Why do astronants take selfies in space?
Write words from the passage which mean : 
(g) friends of the same age, interest and job. 
(h) liking something very much. 
(i) a strong desire to do something again and again. 
Answers:
(a) We shouldn't allow the habit of taking and sending selfies to take control over ourselves. 
(b) People, who generally can't express themselves, can show their emotions by taking . selfies and sending them to their friends and relatives. 
(c) Yes, many times, people go to dangerous places like cliffs, railway tracks, buildings or dam sites to take selfies, it may cause accidents which sometimes prove to be fatal. 
(d) Teenagers generally tăke selfies and send them in order to get more likes' on the social media. 
(e) The Prime Minister of India started “Selfie with Daughter” campaign as mentioned in the passage. 
(f) Taking and sending selfies by astronants is like a staple diet for marketing strategies. 
(a) peer 
(b) crazy
(c) addiction. 

 

44. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow

Coronavirual disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered corona virus. It spreads from animals to humans. It has become a pandemic within a short period. Most of the world's population has come under its influence. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets-generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or exhales or spits out. These droplets are too heavy to hang on in the air and quickly fall on floors or surfaces.

We can be infected by breathing in the virus if we are within a close proximity of someone who is corona positive or by touching a contaminated surface and then our eyes, nose or mouth. As the virus weakens our immunity power, many other complications are likely to develop in the human body. Some of these may prove fatal and cause death.

People of all ages who experience fever, cough, associated with difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain; loss of speech or movement, tiredness, are doubted as corona positive cases.

We should stay safe by taking simple preventions such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, regularly cleaning our hands, coughing into a tissue, keeping rooms well-ventilated and avoiding crowds and close contacts.

Till now, there is no proper cure identified for COVID-19. Scientists and doctors are trying their hands at a number of experiments and treatment plans to control the spread of the disease. COVID-19 vaccines have been worked on and are now available in our country. An intensive vaccine drive has begun strategically under different phases.

In the last ten months, we had succeded in lowering down the number of corona positive cases in India, as the vaccination drive was implemented rapidly and simultaneously. But unfortunately, the second wave of corana is appearing in India and abroad, which may prove to be even more harmful.

It is the result of carelessness shown by the people. They started taking the disease less seriously. People were coming out unmasked, attending meetings, weddings, etc. Schools were also started at many places.

According to the centre's report, around 30 crore people have been vaccinated with their first dose. Second dose can be administered between 12th and 16th week of the first. However, wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining safe distance remain to be the best forms of preventable protection against coronavirus right now.

Difficult words: eradication = समूल नष्ट करना, उन्मूलन । rhetoric = वाक्पटुता । hazardous = जोखिम भरा। implementation = कार्यान्वयन, लागू करना। lax = शिथिल व लापरवाह । conducive = सहायक होना। tedious = अत्यधिक थकाऊ। hell-holes = गंदे और अस्वास्थ्यकारी स्थान। prone = प्रबल संभावित। lobby = विशिष्ट उद्देश्य वाला जनसमूह। debilitating = कमजोर करने वाला। perpetuates = बनाये रखता है। punitive = दण्ड विषयक/रुखा व कठोर। eliminate = हटा देना/छुटकारा पाना।

Questions
(a) What is the probable cause of spread of second wave of corona disease ? 
(b) What are the preventive measures to remain unaffected from corona ? 
(c) After how many weeks, the second dose of vaccination can be administered to the people? 
(d) What are the different symptoms of corona positive cases ?
(e) How does COVID-19 spread among human beings ? 
(f) What may happen when immunity power weakens in our body ?
Find the words from the passage which mean -- 
(g) disease spread by touching one another. 
(h) resulting in death. 
(i) something that covers most of our face to protect.
Answers:
(a) Chiefly, the carelessness shown by the people is the probable cause of the second wave. 
People started taking corona disease less seriously. They are seen unmasked, attending meetings and weddings etc. and not maintaining safe distances. 
(b) We should wear mask, wash our hands regularly and maintain safe distance. We should avoid crowds and close contacts also. We can also use şanitizers. 
(c) After 12th to 16th weeks of the first dose of vaccination, the second dose can be administered. 
(d) A corona positive patient experiences fever, cough, cold, chest pain, difficulty in breathing and tiredness. 
(e) When an infected person coughs, sneezes or exhales, droplets of virus come out. These droplets fall on surfaces and when a healthy person touches such surfaces, he/she also gets infected 
(f) A weak immunity power may cause other complications in the body. Some may even prove fatal and cause death. 
(g) infectious 
(h) fatal 
(i) mask 

45. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Food wastage is a sensitive issue and the bitter truth is that we do not have any law that can prevent it. The wastage of food is more prominent during weddings, festivals and other family events. On the other hand, many people in our country are witnessing hunger and starvation. Actually, food wastage is the culmination of insensitivity.

Not only the government, but also the social organisations are concerned with food wastage. Around 1.3 billion tonnes of food, which is prepared every year world-wide is wasted.

Another report states that with increasing prosperity in India, people are becoming insensitive to food. The tendency to throw away, food is increasing along with the ability to spend. Even today, more than 40% of food is thrown in garbage bins kept near marriage vanues in the country. According to a report by World Food Organisation, every seventh person in the world sleeps hungry. If this waste can be stopped, many people can be fed.

Several countries in the world have enacted legislations to encourage donation of food and grocery products. France has become the first country in the world to ban the wastage of fruits, vegetables and other foods by supermarkets.

In the name of serving more and more dishes on weddings, wastage has become a tradition, and this is an undesirable act. People are spending money on weddings lavishly, resulting in greater increase in social spending on poor families. This tradition should be stopped. Even in homes, housewives should take care of this and be alert to cook food items only as per the requirement of family members.

Religions leaders and voluntary organisations should also take initiative in this direction. Children should have the feeling from the beginning that they take as much food in the plate as they need. The contribution of religion, philosophy, thought and tradition can also create a new environment in this process of change.

In Indian culture, food has been given the status of a God, but in the race of modernity, we have become so blind that leaving food uneaten in the plate is considered as fashion. The government should also consider limiting the number of guests invited at weddings as well as the number of dishes served.

The Marriage Ceremony Act, 2006 takes into account the ban on pretence, performance and extravagance, but it is not strictly adhered to. If a new and effective law is made in this regard, it will certainly be a major reform.

Difficult notes : prominent = प्रमुख/महत्वपूण | modernity = आधुनिकता । culmination = पराकाष्ठा। adhered = पालना करना । legislation = विधान/कानून । pretense = दिखावा/ढोंग | undesirable = अवांछित |extravagance = फिजूलखर्ची/अपव्यय । voluntary = स्वैच्छिक । reform = सुधार ।

Questions
(a) How can the children contribute in stopping wastage of food ? 
(b) Which country in the world has made a law to ban wastage of edibles ? 
(c) What does the Marriage Ceremony Act, 2006 impose a ban on ? 
(d) Approximitely, how much of food is thrown in garbage bins during a wedding dinner in our country ? 
(e) What should housewives do to minimise the wastage of food ? 
(f) Which undesirable act is mentioned in the passage ?
Write the words from the passage which mean - 
(g) condition of being rich and having a good life.
(h) act of giving money to help a person or an organisation. 
(i) spending a lot of money unnecessarily.
Answers:
(a) The children should develop a habit of taking as much food in the plate as they need. 
(b) France has made a law to ban the wastage of edibles. 
(c) The Marriage Ceremony Act, 2006 imposes band on pretence, performance and extravagance during any social function. 
(d) During a wedding dinner, nearly 40% of the cooked food is thrown in garbage bins as wastage. 
(e) Housewives should be alert and take care of cooking that much quantity of food items as required by their family members. The undesirable act mentioned in the passage is the tradition of wasting food in the name of serving more and more dishes at weddings. 
(g) prosperity 
(h) donation 
(i) extravagance