Passage 1
2. Overconfidence generally leads people into misadventures, endangering their chances in life. It is wisely said that any achievement is a result of two factors—one’s personal planning and support from the external world. People take into account only their planning, generally ignoring external factors. They become unable to foresee future developments. Hence, the great risk of failure. Then there is the question: how can one manage overconfidence? The formula is very simple. Before taking a decision discuss the matter with other informed people with an objective mind and when it is proved that you are about to go off the path, accept reality and say without delay, “I was wrong.”
3. Overconfidence is a flaw characterizing people who lack the virtue of modesty. Modesty makes you a realist; you become a person who is cut down to size. People of this kind become very cautious; before taking an action they assess the whole situation. They adopt a realistic approach. Overconfident people live within their own thoughts. They know themselves but they are unaware of others. Living inside their own cell they are unable to make use of the experience of others. This kind of habit is highly damaging to all concerned.
4. There is a saying that the young man sees the rule and the old man sees the exception. With a slight change, I would like to say that the overconfident person sees the rule and the confident person sees the exception. Overconfident people are always at risk. It is said that taking risk is good but it must be well calculated otherwise it becomes very dangerous.
Questions and Answers
(a). Choose the option that lists the characteristics of an overconfident person. He/she:
1. often boasts.
2. is submissive.
3. often seeks other’s advice.
4. often feels insecure.
5. tries to dominate others.
(a) 1, 2 and 5
(b) 1, 4 and 5
(c) 1 and 5
(d) 2 and 4
Answer: (c) 1 and 5
Explanation: An overconfident person overrates himself (boasts) and lives in his own thoughts, ignoring others (paras 1 and 3); he is neither submissive nor advice-seeking.
(b). Which one of these quotes best captures the central idea of the passage?
(a) “We are generally overconfident in our opinions, impressions and judgement.” — Daniel Kahneman
(b) “When one is young, one can become distracted and overconfident.” — Gerard Pique
(c) “When you get overconfident, then something snaps up and bites you.” — Neil Armstrong
(d) “Confidence is good, but overconfidence always sinks the ship.” — Oscar Wilde
Answer: (d) “Confidence is good, but overconfidence always sinks the ship.” — Oscar Wilde
Explanation: The passage contrasts healthy confidence with overconfidence that leads to disaster (paras 2 and 4), exactly as in the last quote.
(c). The chances of any achievement depend on:
(a) one’s personal planning.
(b) external support.
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Neither (a) nor (b)
Answer: (c) Both (a) and (b)
Explanation: Para 2 says any achievement results from personal planning and support from the external world.
(d). People are at a great risk of failure, when they ignore:
(a) personal planning.
(b) external factors.
(c) future development.
(d) other’s advice.
Answer: (b) external factors.
Explanation: Para 2 says people ignore external factors, hence the great risk of failure.
(e). Which of these would help one greatly to manage one’s overconfidence?
(a) Going off the path
(b) Discussing the matter with informed people
(c) Characterising other people
(d) Making a slight change
Answer: (b) Discussing the matter with informed people
Explanation: Para 2 gives the formula: discuss the matter with other informed people before deciding.
(f). Overconfident people generally:
(a) have the quality of modesty.
(b) adopt a realistic approach.
(c) assess the whole situation.
(d) lack the quality of modesty.
Answer: (d) lack the quality of modesty.
Explanation: Para 3 calls overconfidence a flaw of people who lack the virtue of modesty.
(g). When does a person become overconfident?
Answer: A person becomes overconfident when he over-assesses his capabilities.
Explanation: Para 1 says the reason lies in over assessment of one’s capabilities.
(h). What proved disastrous for Napoleon Bonaparte?
Answer: His overconfident invasion of Russia in the winter of 1812 proved disastrous for him.
Explanation: Para 1 calls the invasion of Russia in 1812 a big disaster.
(i). What are the two factors that bring achievement in life?
Answer: One’s personal planning and support from the external world.
Explanation: Para 2 names these two factors.
(j). Which habit is highly damaging?
Answer: Living within one’s own thoughts and being unable to make use of the experience of others is highly damaging.
Explanation: Para 3 calls this habit of overconfident people highly damaging.
(k). Why are overconfident people always at risk?
Answer: They see only the rule, ignore external factors and take risks that are not well calculated.
Explanation: Paras 2 and 4 explain that uncalculated risk-taking makes them vulnerable.
Passage 2
2. Nature, it is learnt, has blessed almost two-thirds of the human race with musical ability of some sort. Music has the power to bring out the deepest emotions. It can make one cry or bring a smile on one’s face. In fact it is a magic medicine and many seek refuge in it when they are depressed or stressed. It is this intimacy that makes us listen to music or even hum or sing sometimes. This singing, or realistically speaking, expressing one’s emotion musically sometimes takes a serious turn. This desire to show musical expression in public then becomes a serious business profession. And from here the musical journey begins.
3. This desire to sing before an audience is innocent and beautiful and indeed it is perfectly alright to have such a genuine desire. But it is also important to understand that singing is an intricate art — a highly refined one at that, which requires systematic, prolonged and strict training, to be acceptable. This is an aspect we forget in our keen desire to reach the stage and perform. It is almost like preparing a formal meal for some specially invited guests, without even having learnt and trained in the basics of cooking. This is why we have more noise and less music nowadays.
4. These days almost everyone sings and it does not stop here. Most of us want to become professional singers. Result: a complete disregard for and ignorance of the training part, as the need is never felt to go through one and the urge to get to the stage and perform overcomes even a little desire to learn, if any. If at all, somewhere along the way one feels the need to gain some knowledge and training, it leads to hurried shortcuts and half-hearted attempts, best described as ‘Crash Courses’.
5. It is observed that those who have attained the so called partial success, suddenly feel that they lack the required knowledge and are not learned enough. But it is too late by then. It should be understood here that the stage or a performance brings in a different mindset within the artist. It is always recommended and rightly said, that while on stage, cover the mistakes and weaknesses if any, and get along. But the contrary is true when it comes to acquiring knowledge and during the learning process. While under training, the student is expected to make mistakes but then rectify those mistakes under the supervision and guidance of the teacher. Therefore, it is good to make mistakes and then be corrected during the process of learning as this subsequently makes one flawless and educated. This is a different mindset. And these two mindsets discussed above, (those of a performer and that of a student) cannot co-exist.
Questions and Answers
(a). What is the impact of music on our lives?
(a) It can change our mood.
(b) It can lift our spirits.
(c) It can heal us emotionally and mentally.
(d) All of these
Answer: (d) All of these
Explanation: Para 2 says music can make one cry or smile, is a magic medicine and a refuge when one is depressed or stressed.
(b). “This desire to sing before an audience is innocent...” Through this statement, the writer means that some persons:
(a) are not aware of their latent talent.
(b) think that they sing perfectly as they don’t take it as an intricate art.
(c) don’t know the basics of the music but desire to sing before an audience.
(d) are not aware that they cannot sing any song ever.
Answer: (c) don’t know the basics of the music but desire to sing before an audience.
Explanation: Para 3 compares such singers to cooking a formal meal without learning the basics, i.e. they want the stage without training.
(c). What is the central idea of paragraph 5?
(a) The process of making mistakes makes man perfect.
(b) Making mistakes is a human tendency.
(c) Mistakes should be ignored while performing an act.
(d) The process of learning and rectification makes man perfect.
Answer: (d) The process of learning and rectification makes man perfect.
Explanation: Para 5 says making mistakes and having them corrected while learning makes one flawless.
(d). The mindset of a student of music should be to:
(a) never make mistakes.
(b) make mistakes and rectify them.
(c) make mistakes and never rectify them.
(d) None of these
Answer: (b) make mistakes and rectify them.
Explanation: Para 5 says a student is expected to make mistakes and rectify them under the teacher’s guidance.
(e). Most of us:
(a) avoid becoming professional singers
(b) want to become professional singers
(c) are well trained in music.
(d) All of these
Answer: (b) want to become professional singers
Explanation: Para 4 states plainly that most of us want to become professional singers.
(f). ‘Crash Courses’ provide training:
(a) in a hurried shortcut way.
(b) with half-hearted attempts.
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Neither (a) nor (b)
Answer: (c) Both (a) and (b)
Explanation: Para 4 describes crash courses as hurried shortcuts and half-hearted attempts.
(g). Why is music important in our life?
Answer: Music brings out our deepest emotions; it is a magic medicine in which many seek refuge when they are depressed or stressed.
Explanation: Para 2 describes the emotional power of music.
(h). Why is singing an intricate art?
Answer: Singing is a highly refined art which requires systematic, prolonged and strict training to be acceptable.
Explanation: Para 3 calls singing an intricate art needing strict training.
(i). Why should one not make half-hearted attempts in singing?
Answer: Half-hearted attempts and crash courses do not give the systematic, prolonged training that singing needs; they only produce more noise and less music.
Explanation: Paras 3 and 4 explain that singing needs thorough training, not shortcuts.
(j). What is a student under training expected to do?
Answer: A student under training is expected to make mistakes and then rectify them under the supervision and guidance of the teacher.
Explanation: Para 5 states what is expected of a student.
(k). What do the people with partial success in the profession of music realise all of a sudden?
Answer: They suddenly realise that they lack the required knowledge and are not learned enough.
Explanation: Para 5 begins with this realisation of partly successful singers.
Passage 3
2. If your answer is yes, then you are “not a robot.” Unlike robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions, and dreams. We are all meant to grow and stretch despite our circumstances and our limitations. Flourishing and trying to make our dreams come true is great when life is going our way. But what happens when it’s not? What happens when you fail despite all of your hard work? Do you stay down and accept the defeat or do you get up again and again until you are satisfied? If you have a tendency to persevere and keep going then you have what experts call, grit.
3. Falling down or failing is one of the most agonizing, embarrassing, and scariest human experiences. But it is also one of the most educational, empowering, and essential parts of living a successful and fulfilling life. Did you know that perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that have been described as the keys to personal success and betterment in society? The other six are: curiosity, gratitude, optimism, self-control, social intelligence, and zest. Thomas Edison is a model for grit for trying 1,000 plus times to invent the light bulb. If you are reading this with the lights on in your room, you know well he succeeded. When asked why he kept going despite his hundreds of failures, he merely stated that what he had been doing was not failure. There were hundreds of ways not to create a light bulb. This statement not only revealed his grit but also his optimism for looking at the bright side.
4. Grit can be learned to help you become more successful. One of the techniques that helps is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that helps the individual stay in the moment by bringing awareness of his or her experience without judgement. This practice has been used to quiet the noise of their fears and doubts. Through this simple practice of mindfulness, individuals have the ability to stop the self-sabotaging downward spiral of hopelessness, despair, and frustration.
5. What did you do to overcome the negative and self-sabotaging feelings of failure? Reflect on what you did, and try to use those same powerful resources to help you today.
Questions and Answers
(a). According to the passage, how does the author view the experience of failing?
(a) Exclusively negative
(b) Both positive and negative
(c) Insignificant
(d) Inevitable but inconsequential
Answer: (b) Both positive and negative
Explanation: Paragraph 3 calls failing agonizing and scary but also educational and empowering, so the view is both positive and negative.
(b). What is the tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph (2)? Rationalise your response in about 40 words.
Unlike robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions, and dreams. We are all meant to grow and stretch despite our circumstances and our limitations.
Answer: The tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph (2) is inspirational. The author highlights the unique qualities of human beings, emphasising the potential for growth and resilience despite challenges and limitations.
Explanation: The lines stress that humans are meant to grow despite limitations, which encourages and uplifts the reader.
(c). Complete the sentence appropriately.
An inference that can be made about the author's opinion on Thomas Edison's attitude towards failure is ______
Answer: that he viewed failure as a necessary part of the learning process and remained optimistic despite setbacks.
Explanation: Paragraph 3 quotes Edison saying he had only found hundreds of ways not to make a bulb, which the author praises as grit and optimism.
(d). The passage includes some words that are opposites of each other. From the sets (a)-(e) below, identify two sets of antonyms:
(a) Agonising and Empowering
(b) Mindfulness and Despair
(c) Falling and Failing
(d) Hopelessness and Optimism
(e) Grit and perseverance
Answer: (a) Agonising and Empowering; (d) Hopelessness and Optimism
Explanation: Agonising (painful) contrasts with empowering (strengthening), and hopelessness is the opposite of optimism; (e) is a pair of synonyms.
(e). Complete the sentence appropriately.
The author's tone, when referring to the experience of falling down or failing, changes from hopeful to ______
Answer: despairing.
Explanation: Paragraph 3 describes failing as agonizing, embarrassing and scary, words that carry a despairing note.
(f). Based on the reading of the passage, examine, in about 40 words, how Thomas Edison's attitude towards failure is analogous to a painter creating a masterpiece.
Answer: Thomas Edison's perspective on failing is similar to that of a painter working on a masterpiece. In the same way that a painter experiments with different brushstrokes and colour combinations to arrive at the ideal painting, Edison saw his failed attempts as teaching moments that helped him come up with the light bulb invention.
Explanation: Both treat each unsuccessful attempt as a step towards the final result rather than as failure (paragraph 3).
(g). What is the message conveyed by the author, in the following case?
If you are reading this with the lights on in your room, you know well he succeeded.
(a) Thomas Edison's failures were insignificant.
(b) Reading with the lights on is a common occurrence.
(c) Thomas Edison's perseverance led to the successful invention of the light bulb.
(d) The author is assuming the reader has access to electricity.
Answer: (c) Thomas Edison's perseverance led to the successful invention of the light bulb.
Explanation: The line points to the light bulb in everyday use as proof that Edison's perseverance paid off (paragraph 3).
(h). State whether the passage displays an example of expository / informative / persuasive writing.
Answer: The passage displays an example of expository writing. It presents information and insights about the experience of failure, the importance of perseverance, and strategies for overcoming negative emotions without attempting to persuade the reader to take specific actions or adopt particular beliefs.
Explanation: It explains what grit is, gives Edison as an example and describes mindfulness as a technique, which is typical of expository writing.
Passage 4
2. You and I need to make a decision that we are going to get our lives in order. Exercising self-control, self-discipline and establishing boundaries and borders in our lives are some of the most important things we can do. A life without discipline is one that’s filled with carelessness.
3. We can think it’s kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the image of “Yeah! That’s me! Living on the edge! Woo-hoo!” It’s become a popular way to look at life. But if you see, even highways have lines, which provide margins for our safety while we’re driving. If we go over one side, we’ll go into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we could get killed. And we like those lines because they help to keep us safe. Sometimes we don’t even realise how lines help to keep us safe.
4. I’m not proud of this, but for the first 20 years of my life at work, I ignored my limits. I felt horrible, physically, most of the time. I used to tell myself “I know I have limits and that I’ve reached them, but I’m going to ignore them and see if or how long I can get by with it.” I ran to doctors, trying to make myself feel better through pills, vitamins, natural stuff, and anything I could get my hands on. Some of the doctors would tell me, “It’s just stress.” That just made me mad. I thought stress meant you don’t like what you do or can’t handle life, and I love what I do. But I kept pushing myself, travelling, doing speaking engagements and so on—simply exhausting myself.
5. Finally, I understood I was living an unsustainable life and needed to make some changes in my outlook and lifestyle.
6. You and I don’t have to be like everyone else or keep up with anyone else. Each of us needs to be exactly the way we are, and we don’t have to apologize for it. We’re not all alike and we need to find a comfort zone in which we can enjoy our lives instead of making ourselves sick with an overload of stress and pressure.
Questions and Answers
(a). What is the speaker's attitude towards setting boundaries and self-discipline?
(a) Indifferent
(b) Enthusiastic
(c) Dismissive
(d) Critical
Answer: (b) Enthusiastic
Explanation: Paragraph 2 calls self-discipline and boundaries some of the most important things we can do, showing enthusiasm.
(b). What is the tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph (4)? Rationalise your response in about 40 words.
I ran to doctors, trying to make myself feel better through pills, vitamins, natural stuff, and anything I could get my hands on.
Answer: The tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph (4) is one of urgency. The speaker's frantic attempts to find relief through various means convey a sense of urgency and desperation.
Explanation: Running to doctors and trying 'anything I could get my hands on' shows a frantic, desperate search for relief.
(c). Complete the sentence appropriately.
Readers may perceive the speaker's realization as a demonstration of ______
Answer: self-awareness.
Explanation: In paragraph 5 the speaker recognises on his own that his lifestyle was unsustainable, which shows self-awareness.
(d). The passage includes some words that are similar to each other. From the sets (a)-(e) below, identify one set of synonyms:
(a) dangerous and harmful
(b) discipline and carelessness
(c) pushing and exhausting
(d) stress and comfort
(e) happy and elated
Answer: (a) dangerous and harmful
Explanation: Both words describe something that can cause injury (paragraph 1); (e) is not from the passage and the other pairs are not synonyms.
(e). Complete the sentence appropriately.
Based on the speaker's comparison of living on the edge to driving on highways, one can infer that ______
Answer: risking one's safety for excitement may lead to dangerous consequences.
Explanation: Paragraph 3 says crossing the highway lines can land us in a ditch or get us killed, just as living on the edge can.
(f). How does the analogy of highways and lines serve to illustrate the consequences of crossing personal boundaries?
Answer: Just as the lines on highways provide margins for safety while driving, personal boundaries act as limits that protect individuals from harm or negative consequences. Crossing over these personal boundaries can lead to adverse outcomes such as accidents.
Explanation: Paragraph 3 links road lines that keep drivers safe to the limits people should respect in life.
(g). What is the central theme conveyed by the speaker's transformation towards the end of the passage?
(a) The necessity of change for personal well-being
(b) The enjoyment of a carefree lifestyle
(c) The importance of maintaining societal norms
(d) The thrill of pushing personal limits
Answer: (a) The necessity of change for personal well-being
Explanation: In paragraphs 5 and 6 the speaker changes his outlook to stop making himself sick, showing that change is needed for well-being.
(h). State whether the passage displays an example of persuasive / expository / argumentative writing.
Answer: The passage displays an example of persuasive writing. The speaker shares personal experiences and arguments to persuade the audience of the importance of self-discipline and setting boundaries for a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Explanation: Direct appeals like 'You and I need to make a decision' and a personal story aim to convince the reader.