Passage 1
2. I could never have been a frontbencher for obvious reasons. I had a persistent paranoia of being under the watchful eye of the teacher. It used to make me self-conscious and I hated being under supervision right from childhood. I wanted to be my own boss.
3. I have no regrets about having been a backbencher. It is true that I used to occupy one of the seats in the last row of the class but that does not mean that I did not listen to the teacher or that I cheated on homework.
4. In England, there used to be a dunce’s corner for students who were slow learners. A student in the dunce’s corner was supposed to be the rough equivalent of a backbencher in our country. Some eminent personalities from whom teachers didn’t have very high expectations early on in life included the inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, as well as entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. I feel honoured to be in their company!
5. There are others, of course, who prefer to make funny sounds, complete pending homework and throw chalks at other students - all sitting on those ‘privileged seats’.
6. Believe me, it feels great! Because you not only learn whatever is taught but also get a back-eye-view of everything that happens in the class.
Questions and Answers
(a). The passage describes ______.
(a) the simple joys of the frontbenchers
(b) the simple joys of the backbenchers
(c) the regrets of the author
(d) the achievements of the author
Answer: (b) the simple joys of the backbenchers
Explanation: The whole passage, ending “it feels great!”, is about the joys of being a backbencher.
(b). The backbencher is considered a ______.
(a) popular student
(b) bright student
(c) dull student
(d) teacher’s favourite
Answer: (c) dull student
Explanation: Paragraph 1 says his peers thought of him as a dull boy because he was a backbencher.
(c). The backbencher feels great because he/she ______.
(a) can complete pending homework
(b) can make funny sounds
(c) can have a back-eye-view of everything that happens in the class
(d) gets opportunity to eat snacks in between
Answer: (c) can have a back-eye-view of everything that happens in the class
Explanation: The last paragraph says you get “a back-eye-view of everything that happens in the class”.
(d). The expression ‘privileged seats’ refers to ______.
(a) seats reserved for teachers’ favourite students
(b) the last seats meant for the dull students
(c) seats for eminent persons like Bill Gates and Edison
(d) frontbenchers
Answer: (b) the last seats meant for the dull students
Explanation: In paragraph 5 the writer humorously calls the back seats ‘privileged seats’.
(e). The author preferred to sit in the last row because ______.
(a) he was afraid of his teachers
(b) he always cheated on his homework
(c) he wanted to listen carefully to what was being taught in the class
(d) he hated to be under the watchful eye of the teacher
Answer: (d) he hated to be under the watchful eye of the teacher
Explanation: Paragraph 2 says he hated being under the watchful eye of the teacher.
Passage 2
2. The son answered, “I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.”
3. When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
4. His son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!” Isn’t it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humour and a positive attitude towards life, you’ve got everything!
5. You can’t buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!
Questions and Answers
(a). In the eyes of the boy, ______ were poor.
Answer: he and his own rich family
Explanation: In paragraph 4 the boy thanks his father “for showing me how poor we are”.
(b). The author’s purpose in the passage is to show that ______.
Answer: it all depends on the way you look at things; if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing
Explanation: Paragraphs 4 and 5 state the moral.
(c). The father took his son on a trip to the country because ______.
Answer: he wanted to show him how poor people can be
Explanation: Paragraph 1 states the father’s purpose.
(d). The boy’s father was speechless because ______.
Answer: he was surprised by his son’s view that the poor family was richer than they were
Explanation: Paragraphs 2 and 3 show the boy comparing what the two families had.
(e). The word in the passage which means the same as ‘a short journey’ is ______.
Answer: trip
Explanation: Paragraph 1 speaks of “a trip to the country”.
Passage 3
2. The most important of these festivals were the four national festivals. They were open to sportsmen from all Greek regions and colonies. Each of the festivals was held at a different place and was celebrated in honour of a particular god. The Olympic Games were held in Olympia which was an important religious centre in ancient Greece. A magnificent temple was built there in honour of the god, Zeus. He was regarded as the ruler of both gods and men. People tried to please Zeus by excelling in sports, and many contests of skill and strength were held.
3. It was believed that the Olympic Games were founded by the Greek hero, Hercules who was known as the son of the god, Zeus. He performed twelve seemingly impossible tasks to become the greatest of all Greek heroes. He cleaned in a single day King Augeas’ stables which was an impossible task. The king was fabulously rich and had thousands and thousands of animals. So his stables were extremely dirty and full of stink. Hercules redirected the course of the river, Alpheus through the stables of the king. All the muck and dirt were washed out in a single day. To celebrate this achievement he started the Olympic Games in honour of his father, Zeus.
Questions and Answers
(a). The Greeks celebrated festivals devoted to sport to ______.
(a) gain physical strength
(b) honour their gods
(c) get power
(d) become immortal
Answer: (b) honour their gods
Explanation: Paragraph 1 says “They honoured their gods with festivals devoted to sports.”
(b). In ancient Greece the Olympic Games were held ______.
(a) in Greek regions
(b) in colonies
(c) at religious centres
(d) at Olympia
Answer: (d) at Olympia
Explanation: Paragraph 2 says “The Olympic Games were held in Olympia.”
(c). They honoured Zeus by ______.
(a) building magnificent temples
(b) excelling in sports
(c) excelling in contests of skill and strength
(d) doing all the above things
Answer: (d) doing all the above things
Explanation: Paragraph 2 mentions the temple built for Zeus and the sports and contests of skill and strength held to please him.
(d). The impossible task performed by Hercules was ______.
(a) the cleaning of Augeas’ stables in a day
(b) removing the muck and dirt from the king’s stables
(c) redirecting the course of the river through the stables
(d) all of the above
Answer: (d) all of the above
Explanation: Paragraph 3 shows the task involved all three: redirecting the river to wash out the muck and clean the stables in a day.
(e). The word/phrase in the passage which means ‘deathless’ is ______.
(a) gods
(b) immortal
(c) human beings
(d) religious centre
Answer: (b) immortal
Explanation: Paragraph 1 says the Greeks believed their gods were immortal.
Passage 4
2. At the end of the first day, the carpenter prepared fifteen doors. His boss was happy with his performance and congratulated him. The carpenter tried harder the next day but he was able to prepare only 10 doors. The third day he tried even harder, but he could prepare only seven. Day after day he was preparing less and less doors.
3. “I must be losing my strength,” the carpenter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last time when you sharpened your tools?” the boss asked. “Sharpen! I had no time to sharpen my tools. I have been busy trying to prepare doors,” said the carpenter. Most of us never update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is enough.
Questions and Answers
(a). The carpenter approached the building contractor because ______.
Answer: he was looking for a job
Explanation: Paragraph 1 says he went looking for a job.
(b). The carpenter became extremely happy because he ______.
Answer: got a job at a decent salary and with good working conditions
Explanation: Paragraph 1 says he was thrilled with the job.
(c). The boss congratulated him because ______.
Answer: at the end of the first day he had prepared fifteen doors
Explanation: Paragraph 2 describes his first day’s performance.
(d). His boss advised him ______.
Answer: to sharpen his tools
Explanation: Paragraph 3 shows the boss asking when he last sharpened his tools.
(e). The word in the passage which means the same as ‘asked someone for something’ is ______.
Answer: approached
Explanation: Paragraph 1 says he “approached a building contractor” for a job.