Passage 1
1. Pingu, the Pelican, lost no opportunity to show off his large beak, but when a fish got stuck in his throat and other birds came to his rescue, he decided never to brag again.
2. Pingu the spot-billed Pelican was very proud of his beak. Everyday, Pingu would catch fish in the estuary with his beak acting like a fishing net. Since his gular pouch stretched many times of its size, Pingu was able to catch very large fish. And, everyday, when he would catch a large fish and gulp it down, he would feel proud and satisfied at having such a unique beak. He felt so proud of his beak that he started boasting about it to every bird he met. Initially, the waders, ducks, geese and herons heard him politely, but when he started making fun of their beaks, they began to avoid him.
3. This spurred Pingu to show off his beak in every chance he got. One day, he caught a particularly large catfish. This catfish had extremely large barbels around its mouth. Now, Pingu generally gulped the fish as fast as he could so that no other birds could steal it. But, today, he really wanted to show off to his friends. So he swam around in the estuary with the fish in his pouch-like throat and searched for his friends.
4. Near the sandy shore, he saw a flock of Sand Plovers. The plovers were catching crabs and insects just on the surface of the sand. He swam near them and in a mocking tone said, "You tiny plovers, have you ever seen a fish this size? Now see, how I gulp it with my glorious beak." Saying so, he gave a loud laugh and gulped the large fish. Down went the fish in his throat and its long catlike whiskers got caught just at the end and he choked.
5. "Cough... Cough! Help! Help! Somebody help! I am choking!" The Sand Plovers all trilled in concern and came running to Pingu. "Oh dear! You poor thing! We wish we could help but... trrr... trrr... our beaks are small, designed to catch insects, worms and crabs from the surface, we cannot pull the catfish from your throat. Wait, we will ask the Redshank, he has a longer beak than ours," ran the Plovers, trilling all the way to ask the Common Redshank to help poor Pingu. The Common Redshank was a handsome bird with a sharp beak and bright orange legs. The Redshank took a long look at Pingu and said, "My beak isn't long enough to help you. But see the Oystercatcher there, the one that has a mussel in its beak, his beak is longer than mine. I am sure he will help you." Pingu could do nothing more than nod.
6. The Eurasian Oystercatcher arrived. He fixed his bright red eye on Pingu and said, "My beak is long but you need a longer and curved beak that can reach inside your throat to pull the catfish out. Only the Curlew can help you. Please look for a brown bird with a long curved beak." The Plovers, Redshank and Oystercatcher all flew away in search of the Curlew, while Pingu waited feeling miserable.
Questions and Answers
(a). How did Pingu catch the fish?
Answer: Pingu, the spot-billed pelican, was very proud of his beak. Everyday Pingu would catch fish in the estuary with his beak acting like a fishing net.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 compares his beak to a fishing net.
(b). Why did other birds begin to avoid Pingu?
Answer: Pingu was so proud of his beak that he started boasting about it to every bird he met. Initially the waders, ducks, geese and herons heard him politely but, when he started making fun of their beaks, they began to avoid him.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 ends with the birds avoiding him once he mocked their beaks.
(c). Which birds eat crabs, insects and worms from the surface of the shore?
Answer: Sand Plovers eat crabs, insects and worms from the surface of the shore.
Explanation: Paragraphs 4 and 5 describe the plovers' small beaks designed for this.
(d). What is the area where the river meets the sea called?
Answer: The area where the river meets the sea is called an estuary.
Explanation: Pingu fishes in the estuary (paragraph 2), the meeting place of river and sea.
(e). What are the whisker-like feelers of a catfish called?
Answer: The whisker-like feelers of a catfish are called barbels.
Explanation: Paragraph 3 mentions the catfish's large barbels, later called catlike whiskers.
(f). What problem did Pingu face when he gulped a large fish?
Answer: One day, Pingu caught a large catfish and, in order to show off to his friends, he gulped it. The fish went down his throat, its long catlike whiskers got caught just at the end and he choked.
Explanation: Described at the end of paragraph 4.
(g). What lesson did Pingu learn? What was his feeling?
Answer: Pingu learnt a great lesson that one should not boast about anything. Every creature on this earth has its own capabilities. Pingu was feeling miserable as he got choked with the catfish stuck in his throat, and he had to ask the other creatures for help.
Explanation: Paragraphs 1 and 6 show his decision never to brag again and his misery.
(h). Do you think Pingu's misery was justified at the end?
Answer: Pingu loved to brag about his beak and mock others for theirs. It was about time that karma showed him the consequence of mocking others, and meanwhile, he also realised his mistake while everyone else flew away to find the Curlew.
Explanation: The birds he mocked were the ones trying to help him, which shows his pride was misplaced.
(i). Rewrite the following sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with a word that means the same from paragraph 2.
The taste of the medicine was so bad that I couldn't quickly swallow it all at once.
Answer: The taste of the medicine was so bad that I couldn't gulp it down all at once.
Explanation: 'Gulp' (paragraph 2) means to swallow quickly.
(j). The synonym of 'teasing' as given in paragraph 4 is ______.
(a) mocking
(b) catching
(c) glorious
(d) gulped
Answer: (a) mocking
Explanation: Pingu spoke 'in a mocking tone', i.e. teasing the plovers.
(k). The synonym of 'sufficient' as given in paragraph 5 is ______.
Answer: enough
Explanation: The Redshank says its beak isn't long 'enough' (paragraph 5).
(l). The antonym of 'moderately' as given in paragraph 3 is ______.
(a) spurred
(b) extremely
(c) generally
(d) really
Answer: (b) extremely
Explanation: 'Extremely large barbels' (paragraph 3) is the opposite degree of 'moderately'.
(m). The antonym of 'contented' as given in paragraph 6 is ______.
Answer: miserable
Explanation: Pingu waited 'feeling miserable' (paragraph 6), the opposite of contented.
Passage 2
1. Like all bad news and the common cold, allergies can pop up when you least expect them. I suddenly developed an allergy to crocin (paracetamol) some years ago after having it all my life to treat everything from headaches to fever and toothache. A seafood-loving friend found himself unable to breathe after having Thai food for dinner. After undergoing a battery of expensive tests, he was told the chest tightness was not caused by a heart attack but by an allergy to shellfish, something he ate once a week and had never reacted to before.
2. A stuffed or drippy nose, frequent sneezing, an itchy throat, rash, sinus, ear pain, difficulty in breathing, stomach cramps and itchy, red or watery eyes are some of the common symptoms of an allergic reaction. Pollen, dust, polluted outdoor air and indoor pollutants such as dust mites, animal dander, cigarette smoke and mould are among the common environmental pollutants, while other triggers include medicines, paint and chemicals in cleaners and cosmetics such as hair colour and skin creams. Among foods, eight allergens account for almost 90% of food allergies: milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.
3. Most of us wrongly believe that people with allergies are either born with the condition or develop identifiable symptoms in early childhood. You couldn't be more wrong. An allergy can occur at any time in your life and experts say its prevalence among adults is rising. While most people who develop allergies as adults have experienced some allergic reaction—either to the same or an unrelated trigger before—a few have no history of sensitivity.
4. In an acute immune reaction, the allergy trigger may be one, but the symptom is usually caused by a combination of factors. Stress, a sterile environment that prevents the body from developing robust natural immunity and lifestyle-induced changes in the body's hormonal balance are thought to be some triggers. This is borne out by clinical evidence that shows that women are more likely to develop allergies at puberty, after pregnancy and at menopause, all of which point to hormonal causes.
5. Of course, avoiding the allergy trigger and taking an anti-allergy medication as soon as you can, after exposure to an allergen is the best possible protection. Since pollen levels generally peak in the morning, people with airway sensitivity and asthma should postpone outdoor exercises to later in the day or stick to exercising indoors as deeper and more rapid breathing induced by aerobic exercise causes more pollen and dust being inhaled, which can wreck your airways and lungs. Since air pollutants tend to cling to clothes and hair, changing your clothes when you come home or washing your hair before going to bed lowers exposure.
6. Allergies in adults can be treated using some anti-allergic medicines. For those who do not respond to the standard treatment, there's always the option of a series of allergy shots to help the immune system to build up a tolerance to the allergy. In most cases, though, identifying and avoiding the allergen is enough to stay free of trouble.
Questions and Answers
(a). What are among the common environmental pollutants?
Answer: Common environmental pollutants are pollen, dust, polluted outdoor air and indoor pollutants such as dust mites, animal dander, cigarette smoke and mould.
Explanation: Listed in paragraph 2.
(b). What is an acute immune reaction?
Answer: In an acute immune reaction, the allergy trigger may be one, but the symptom is usually caused by a combination of factors. For example, stress, a sterile environment, lifestyle-induced changes and hormonal changes are thought to be some triggers.
Explanation: Explained in paragraph 4.
(c). How can you prevent/treat yourself from getting allergies?
Answer: Avoiding the allergy trigger and taking an anti-allergy medicine as soon as there is exposure to an allergen is the best possible protection.
Explanation: Paragraph 5 calls this the best possible protection.
(d). When are women more likely to develop allergies?
Answer: Women are more likely to develop allergies at puberty, after pregnancy and at menopause.
Explanation: Paragraph 4 cites this clinical evidence for hormonal causes.
(e). Give the opposite of 'expensive' from paragraph 1.
Answer: 'Cheap' is the opposite of 'expensive'.
Explanation: 'Expensive' appears in paragraph 1 ('a battery of expensive tests').
(f). What does the word 'prevalence' in paragraph 3 mean?
Answer: The word 'prevalence' in paragraph 3 means 'occurrence' (how common something is).
Explanation: Paragraph 3 says the prevalence of allergies among adults is rising, i.e. they are occurring more widely.
Passage 3
1. In the market for a new pet? Maybe something a bit exotic? For many consumers, reptiles and amphibians are just the thing: geckos, monitors, pythons, tree frogs, boas, turtles and many more species are available in seemingly endless varieties, many brilliantly coloured, some exceedingly rare.
2. Exotic reptiles and amphibians began surging in popularity in the early 1990s, not only in the United States but also in Europe and Japan. From 2004 to 2014, the European Union imported nearly 21 million of these animals; an estimated 4.7 million households in the United States owned at least one reptile in 2016.
3. But popularity has spawned an enormous illegal trade, conservationists say. Many reptiles sold as pets are said to have been bred in captivity and sales of those animals are legal. In fact, many were illegally captured in the wild.
4. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) identified 18 instances in which reptiles and amphibians are exported as captive bred, but likely are not. The examples included Indian star tortoises from Jordan, red eyed tree frogs from Nicaragua and savanna monitors from Ghana and Togo.
5. Dozens of countries export reptiles and other exotic animals labeled captive bred, but Indonesia stands out. At least 80 per cent of the 5,000 plus green pythons, for instance, annually exported from the country as captive bred were caught illegally in the wild, depleting some island populations.
6. Plucking animals from the wild is cheaper and easier than setting up a breeding operation. This is especially true for low profit animals like Tokay geckos, which are traded at such high volumes that it would not make economic sense to invest in breeding them.
7. Generally, villagers capture animals in forests and fields and sell them to middlemen who hand them off to legal reptile farms. The owners of the farms acquire government paperwork certifying that the animals were captive bred.
8. Once a wild caught animal is exported with paperwork certifying it as captive bred, officials in countries like the United States have little choice but to allow it in.
Questions and Answers
(a). How can we say that exotic reptiles and amphibians are in demand in Europe and the United States?
Answer: From 2004 to 2014, the European Union imported nearly 21 million of these animals; an estimated 4.7 million households in the United States owned at least one reptile in 2016.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 gives these figures.
(b). Which animals are in demand for pet trade?
Answer: The animals in demand for pet trade are geckos, monitors, pythons, tree frogs, boas, turtles and many more species, available in seemingly endless varieties, many brilliantly coloured and some exceedingly rare.
Explanation: Listed in paragraph 1.
(c). How do villagers contribute to illegal pet trading?
Answer: Villagers capture animals in forests and fields and sell them to middlemen who hand them off to legal reptile farms. The owners of the farms acquire government paperwork certifying that the animals were captive bred.
Explanation: Described in paragraph 7.
(d). Why do foreign countries approve illegal pet trade?
Answer: Once a wild caught animal is exported with paperwork certifying it as captive bred, officials in countries like the United States are left with no choice but to approve it.
Explanation: Paragraph 8 explains that the false paperwork leaves officials little choice.
(e). The synonym of 'enslaved' as given in paragraph 5 is ______.
(a) captive
(b) exotic
(c) bred
(d) caught
Answer: (a) captive
Explanation: 'Captive' (paragraph 5, 'captive bred') means held in confinement.
(f). The synonym of 'obtain' as given in paragraph 7 is ______.
Answer: acquire
Explanation: Farm owners 'acquire' (obtain) government paperwork in paragraph 7.
(g). The antonym of 'tiny' as given in paragraph 3 is ______.
(a) spawned
(b) enormous
(c) bred
(d) captured
Answer: (b) enormous
Explanation: 'Enormous illegal trade' (paragraph 3) means very large, the opposite of tiny.
(h). The antonym of 'expensive' as given in paragraph 6 is ______.
Answer: cheaper
Explanation: Paragraph 6 says plucking animals from the wild is 'cheaper'.
Passage 4
1. From dropping out of school and working in a shoe polish factory to popularising the spirit of Christmas and touching the zenith of fame, Charles Dickens saw the worst and the best of times. Let's read in this passage how he was able to smile through life's challenges.
2. Like David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and other memorable characters he created, Charles Dickens' life is a rags to riches story. At 12 years of age, only two days after his birthday, young Dickens was forced to drop out of school to pay off his father's debts. He began working in a shoe polish factory while his entire family was dragged off to debtors' prison.
3. A debtors' prison was where people unable to pay their debts were incarcerated in the 19th century. With its dingy rooms and stale food, people lived in wretched conditions in these places. They either had to do hard labour or secure outside funds to repay their debts.
4. At the factory, Dickens worked ten hours a day, Monday to Saturday, pasting labels onto individual pots of blacking, a mixture used for polishing boots. All he received was six shillings per week. He toiled in the factory for nearly a year before his father was released from prison. While working in the shoe polish factory, Dickens used to visit his parents in prison on Sundays.
5. Dickens' relationship with his mother suffered after he quit the blacking factory. His father urged him to continue his education, but his mother wanted him to return to work. Unable to comprehend why she wanted him to go back to a life of misery and toil, Dickens distanced himself from her and joined the Wellington Academy. Perhaps, this is the reason why mothers are often portrayed as feeble and weak in many of his works.
6. Never able to shake off his traumatic past, Dickens recounted the harsh conditions he experienced in the factory in his semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield and it continued to shape his writing. But Dickens did not let his past discourage him. Despite a lack of formal education, he went on to edit a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed readings extensively and campaigned for children's rights.
7. Dickens was fascinated by the theatre. He experimented with acting and stage managing amateur theatricals. In fact, he could have become an actor instead of a writer, but a bad cold prevented him from getting an acting job. Even then, he never abandoned acting completely. He was known to act out characters he was writing in front of the mirror and then describe himself as the character in prose in his novels. Despite achieving fame as a writer, Dickens launched a career as a journalist and continued his journalistic work until the end of his life.
8. His connections to various magazines and newspapers gave him the opportunity to embark on a career in writing. He used to publish several sketches in magazines but it was with 'The Pickwick Papers' that he tasted true success. 'The Pickwick Papers' was published in monthly instalments and sold over 40,000 copies of each issue. Dickens was the first person to make serialisation of novels profitable and was able to expand his audience to include those who could not normally afford such literary works.
9. In 1843, Dickens published one of his most famous works, 'A Christmas Carol'. The greeting 'Merry Christmas' became popular after 'A Christmas Carol' was published. His travels abroad in the 1840s, first to America and then through Europe, marked the beginning of a new stage in his life. His writings became longer and more serious.
Questions and Answers
(a). What kind of childhood did Charles Dickens spend?
Answer: At the age of 12 years, just two days after his birthday, young Dickens was forced to drop out of school to pay off his father's debts. He began working in a shoe polish factory while his entire family was dragged off to debtors' prison.
Explanation: Described in paragraph 2.
(b). How did people have to live in a 'debtors' prison'?
Answer: A debtors' prison had dingy rooms and people used to get stale food. They lived in wretched conditions in these places. They either had to do hard labour or secure outside funds to repay their debts.
Explanation: Described in paragraph 3.
(c). Why are mothers portrayed as feeble and weak in Dickens' works?
Answer: Dickens' relationship with his mother suffered after he quit the blacking factory. His father urged him to continue his education but his mother wanted him to return to work and go back to a life of misery and toil. Therefore, he distanced himself from her, and perhaps this is the reason that mothers are portrayed as feeble and weak in Dickens' works.
Explanation: Paragraph 5 links his strained relationship with his mother to these portrayals.
(d). Which work of Dickens brought him actual success?
Answer: Dickens used to publish several sketches in magazines but it was with 'The Pickwick Papers' that he tasted true success. 'The Pickwick Papers' was published in monthly instalments and sold over 40,000 copies of each issue.
Explanation: Stated in paragraph 8.
(e). The synonym of 'apex' as given in paragraph 1 is ______.
(a) popularising
(b) worst
(c) zenith
(d) spirit
Answer: (c) zenith
Explanation: 'Zenith of fame' (paragraph 1) means the highest point, i.e. the apex.
(f). The synonym of 'gave up' as given in paragraph 7 is ______.
Answer: abandoned
Explanation: 'He never abandoned acting completely' (paragraph 7) means he never gave it up.
(g). The antonym of 'lenient' as given in paragraph 6 is ______.
(a) harsh
(b) traumatic
(c) edit
(d) extensively
Answer: (a) harsh
Explanation: 'Harsh conditions' (paragraph 6) are severe, the opposite of lenient.
(h). The antonym of 'strong' as given in paragraph 5 is ______.
Answer: feeble
Explanation: Mothers are portrayed as 'feeble' (weak) in paragraph 5.