CBSE Class 12 English Unseen Passages Set B

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

(1) While there is no denying that the world loves a winner, it is important that you recognize 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 marks- sheets and finding that their friend has scored better.

(2) 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 an imbalance between demands and resources, it causes psycho-social stress. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.

(3) 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.

(4) 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, relying on tranquilizers. There are other signs of stress, such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.

(5) 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 the students, executives and professionals.

(6) In a study sponsored by World Health Organization 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.

(7) The heart disease and depression—both stress diseases—are going to rank first and second in 2020. Road traffic accidents are going to be the third largest killers. These accidents are also an indicator of psycho-social stress in a fast moving society. Other stress like ulcers, hypertensions and sleeplessness have assumed epidemic proportions in modern societies.

(8) A person under stress reacts in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight and 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.

(9) When a stress crosses the limit, peculiar to an individual, it lowers his performance capacity. Frequent crossings of the limit may result in chronic fatigue in which a person feels lethargic, disinterested and is not easily motivated to achieve anything. This may make the person mentally undecided, confused and accident prone as well. Sudden exposure to unnerving stress may also result in a loss of memory. Diet, massage, food supplements, herbal medicines, hobbies, relaxation techniques and dance movements are excellent stress busters.

Question: (i) What is stress? What factors lead to stress?
Answer: Stress is a reaction of the body to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Factors, such as imbalance between demands and resources, change in temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions lead to stress

Question: What are the signs by which a person can know that he is under stress?
Answer: The various signs that can be observed :
(a) change in the attitude and behaviour
(b) muscle tension
(c) palpitation, high blood pressure, indigestion and hyperacidity
(d) depression, lethargy, weakness to work

Question: What are the different diseases a person gets due to stress ? 
Answer: The different diseases caused by stress are :
(a) heart diseases
(b) neurological depression
(c) ulcers
(d) hypertension
(e) insomnia
(f ) injuries due to accidents

Question: Give any two examples of stress busters. 
Answer: (a) Relaxation techniques
(b) Hobbies

Question: How does a person react under stress ? 
Answer: A person under stress reacts in different ways. The common ones are flight, fight and flee depending on the nature of the stress and capabilities of the person.

Question: Which words in the above passage mean the same as the following :

(i) fall down (para 1)
Answer: Collapse 

(ii) rebuke (para 3)
Answer: Reprimand

(iii) inactive (para 9)
Answer: Lethargic

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

(1) The word ‘depressed’ in common usage means sad, frustrated, fed up, bored up and pessimistic. The mood of a depressed person is much lower at his or her best moments than the mood of the normal person at his or her worst. Depression is a state of mind, it is specifically a mental disorder characterised by a lowering of the individual’s vitality, his mood, desires, hopes, aspirations and of his self-esteem.

(2) Depression arising out of environmental factors is called reactive depression whereas depression arising out of some biochemical changes in the brain is called endogenous depression. If depression is mild or moderate and if the individual is in touch with his surroundings it is known as neurotic depression. If the individual is severely disturbed and is not able to comprehend what is happening around, such a state is called psychotic- depression.

(3) Old age is one of the stages of human development, where a person attains wisdom, maturity, social and economic stability with social recognition and emotional fulfilment. Generally, societies show a great respect and consideration for the aged. In ancient times old people were considered as the guiding stars in Indian families, since they were symbols of tradition, respect, wisdom and experience. In primitive, ancient and medieval cultures, old persons had a recognized social role. They were of great value because they could impart knowledge and skill to youngsters. The old people were considered as repositories of wisdom and traditions and were not perceived as problems.

(4) At present, social structures and values are undergoing transformation from traditional to modern. There is a rapid stride in urbanization and industrialization leading to the breaking up of joint families and property. This has ultimately weakened the traditional families, social position and status of the aged in the family. From time to time changes in the institutions of marriage and family have diminished the control of parents over their children. It has increased the freedom of children and they view the aged as a useless and non-productive entity. Modernization has eventually led to the degradation of their status and authority. Consequently the integrity of the family and the existence of the elderly as an integral part of the family are being uprooted. The importance of their functional positions thus declines and consequently their authority and much of the respect and prestige that they enjoyed earlier get faded. These changes generally bring about depression in older people.

(5) As old age advances events at home may also contribute more to their problems. The ‘empty nest’ feeling arising as a result of the grown up children leaving the home, daughters departing as a result of wedlock and sons leaving station in pursuit of higher education or jobs may make the aged more lonely. The loneliness also arises because of premature loss of spouse. This would deprive the person of a long standing emotional bond that had provided plenty of emotional succour and security. The loss wherever it might occur in the later years leaves the individual terribly lonely and at the mercy of the sons and daughters-in-law. Added to these the increasing gap and interactional stress and strain in the family may leave the elderly without peace of mind. The elderly as a result of these developments feel marginalised, alienated and left out of the main stream. The foregoing are the common problems faced by most of the elderly. These either directly or indirectly lead to a state of depression and make ageing for many an unwanted and unpleasant event to be abhorred.

(6) Usually the mild depression which is caused due to environmental factors is temporary. The person reconciles within a short time and tries to forget the loss. Kind words, and timely support of friends, relatives and family members help one recover from depression.

Question:  (i) What does ‘depressed’ mean in common usage?
Answer: ‘Depressed’ in common usage means sad, frustrated, fed up, bored and pessimistic.

Question: What is reactive depression?
Answer: Reactive depression is that which arises out of environmental factors.

Question: What was the status of the old people in ancient India?
Answer: In ancient India, old people were considered as repositories of wisdom and traditions.

Question: What are the causes for disintegration of joint family system? 
Answer: The causes for disintegration of joint family system are transformation of social structures and values from traditional to modern and rapid stride in urbanisation and industrialisation.

Question: How does one recover from mild depression?
Answer: For one to recover from mild depression, kind words and timely support of friends, relatives and family members often help.

Question: Pick out the words from the passage that mean the same as the following : 

(i) decreased (para 4)
Answer: Diminished 

(ii) to feel that they do not belong to a group (para 5)
Answer: Alienated

(iii) a husband or wife (para 5)
Answer: Spouse

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

(1) 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.

(2) Air pollutant is defined as a substance, which is present while normally it is not there or present in an amount exceeding the normal concentrations. It could either be gaseous or a particulate matter. 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 outdoor air pollution caused by industrial and vehicular exhausts, the indoor pollution may prove to be as or a more important cause of health problems.

(3) 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.

(4) 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 malaise, headache, dizziness and irritation of mucous membranes. It may also be accompanied by nausea, itching, aches, pains and depression. Sick-building syndrome is getting commoner in big cities with the small houses, which are generallyover-furnished. 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, formaldehydes, hydrocarbon aerosols and allergens. The sources are attributed to a variety of construction materials, insulations, furnishings, adhesives, cosmetics, house dusts, fungi and other indoor products.

(5) By-products of fuel combustion are important in houses with indoor kitchens. It is not only the burning of dried dung and fuelwood which is responsible, but also kerosene and liquid petroleum gas. Oxides of both nitrogen and sulphur are released from their combustion.

(6) 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.

(7) Micro-organisms and allergens are of special significance in the causation and spread of diseases. Most of the infective illnesses may involve more persons of a family living in common indoor environment. These include viral and bacterial diseases like tuberculosis.

(8) Besides infections, allergic and hypersensi- tivity disorders are spreading fast. Although asthma is the most common form of respiratory allergic disorders, pneumonias are not uncommon, but more persistent and serious. These are attributed to exposures to allergens from various fungi, molds, hay and other organic materials. Indoor air ventilation systems, coolers, air-conditioners, dampness, decay, pet animals, production or handling of the causative items are responsible for these hypersensitivity-diseases.

(9) 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.

(Extracted from The Tribune)

Question: (i) What is an air pollutant ?
Answer: An air pollutant is a substance, which is present while normally it is not there or present in the atmosphere in an amount exceeding normal concentration.

Question: In what forms are the air pollutants present?
Answer: Air pollutants can either be gaseous (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, etc.) or it can be in the form of particulate matter (dusts of various inorganic or organic origins).

Question: Why do we feel suffocated in a closed environment?
Answer: A feeling of suffocation occurs due to lack of oxygen.

Question: What is sick building syndrome? How is it increasing?
Answer: Sick-Building Syndrome is a group of symptoms, such as general feeling of malaise, headache, dizziness and irritation of mucous membranes, which come accompanied by nausea, itching aches, pains and depression.
Sick-Building Syndrome is increasing because of small, poorly ventilated and over furnished houses.

Question: How is indoor smoking very hazardous? 
Answer: Indoor smoking is the main source of indoor pollution as there are over 3000 chemical constituents in tobacco smoke, which are harmful for human health.

Question: How can one overcome the dangers of indoor air pollution?
Answer: We can overcome the dangers of indoor air pollution by ensuring proper ventilation in our house. This way we will be able to get rid of increased concentrations of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, carbon monoxide and other indoor pollutants. Care should also be taken to isolate persons suffering from viral and bacterial diseases.

Question: Find the words form the above passage which mean the same as the following :

 (i) giddiness (para 4)
Answer: Nausea

(ii) constant (para 8)
Answer: Persistent

(iii) humidity (para 8)
Answer: Dampness

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

(1) 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 the women. The 1995 World Summit for Social Development had also emphasised the pivotal role of women in eradicating poverty and mending the social fabric.

(2) The Constitution of India had 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.

(3) 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.

(4) 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 50 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 at the threshold of 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. The female literacy rate has gone up in the 20th century from 0.6 per cent in 1901 to 39.29 per cent in 1991 but India still possesses the largest number of illiterate women in the world. The female literacy index for the year 1991 shows that there are eight states which fall below the national average. The most populous states of the country, UP, MP, Bihar and Rajasthan fall in the category of most backward states as far as female literacy is concerned.

(5) The prevailing cultural norms of gender behaviour and the perceived domestic and reproductive role of women tend to affect the education of girls. Negative attitude towards sending girls to schools, restrictions on their mobility, early marriage, poverty and illiteracy of parents affect the girl’s participation in education.

(6) Women’s political empowerment got a big boost with the Panchayati Raj Act of 1993 which gave them 30 per cent reservation in Village Panchayats, Block Samities and Zila Parishads throughout the country. The National Commission for Women was also set up in 1992 to act as a lobby for Women’s issues.

(7) The educational system is the only institution, which can counteract the deep foundations of inequality of sexes that are built in the minds of people through the socialization process. Education is the most important instrument of human resource development. Educational system should be used to revolutionise the traditional attitudes and inculcate new values of equality.

Question: (i) Mention any two attributes of a modern woman.
Answer: (a) Highly self-directed person and alive to the sense of her dignity.
(b) Women are rational in approach careful in handling situations and want to do things as best as possible.

Question: Why are women’s participation and empowerment considered necessary?
Answer: Women’s participation and empowerment are considered necessary because no enduring solution of society’s most threatening social, economic and political problems like eradicating poverty, etc. could be solved without women.

Question: Which factors adversely affect the education of girls ?
Answer: (a) Deep foundation of inequality of sexes.
(b) Early marriage, poverty, etc.
(c) Negative attitude towards sending girls to schools.
(d) Oppressive traditions, superstitions, exploitation and corruption. (give any two)

Question: What benefits did the women get with the enactment of the Panchayati Raj Act of 1993?
Answer: It gave them 30 per cent reservation in Village Panchayats, Block Samities and Zila Parishads throughout the country.

Question: By what process can we remove the sense of inequality of sexes from the minds of the people?
Answer: With the help of education the sense of inequality of the sexes can be removed from the minds of the people.

Question: Pick out words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:

(i) cruel and unfair (para 2)
Answer: Oppressive

(ii) remove (para 3)
Answer: Eradicate

(iii) full of people (para 4)
Answer: Populous

Question. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow :

(1) As dusk falls the neon lights of the jewellery shops in Bowbazaar come alive but the lights have no effect on the face of Mahadeo Yadav who is seated on the footrest of his rickshaw that is parked by the road, feeling very sad. he is sitting on his feet, hugging his knees to keep himself warm in the biting cold, so weakened and lifeless as if he had been dead for days without anyone noticing.

(2) Who would after all notice a rickshaw puller, to check whether he is breathing or not ? Yet when the same rickshaw puller goes about his work pulling his rickshaw like a horse, he becomes the most noticed man in Calcutta. He makes a great subject for photographers, writers and film-makers. He is the symbol of poor Calcutta. Many a famous actor has pulled the rickshaw in films set in the city.

(3) Calcutta is said to have about 6000 rickshaw pullers running on its roads, running mostly in its old neighbourhoods. They have something in common apart from their poverty. All of them come from the country side. All of them wear the lungi to work, perhaps for better movement. Almost all of them are elderly; I am yet to see a young man hand pulling a rickshaw. It can be a sad sight to watch a man almost as old as your father struggling his way through the roads dressed only in a vest and a lungi and often barefoot. 

(4) Mahadeo Yadav, the rickshaw puller is in his seventies and has been pulling the same rickshaw in and around Bowbazaar for fifty years. For him, fifty years, half a century is not an achievement, but merely the time that has passed ever since he came to Calcutta to earn a living.

(5) He lives all alone in Calcutta, in a room in a nearby lane, paying a monthly rent of fifty rupees. He is out with his rickshaw between three in the afternoon and ten at night, sometimes earning sixty or seventy rupees a day and sometimes nothing. Every month without fail he sends ` 300 to his wife back home, and once every year visits her. “I will pull the rickshaw as long as I can”, he says, “this is my only source of livelihood. These days I tire easily. Sometimes my feet hurt and sometimes my back. But do I have a choice?” He answers all my questions without looking at me even once, but continued to stare ahead blankly, his arms folded around his knees. I take a good look at his rickshaw : the two – the rickshaw and the rickshaw puller – make quite a pair.

Choose the correct alternatives from the options given below :

Question: A rickshaw puller is noticed only when he
(i) acts in a film.
(ii) becomes a subject for photographers.
(iii) sits all alone.
(iv) is old and tired.
Answer: b

Question: Pick out the statement which is not true.
(i) Most rickshaw pullers are old.
(ii) The rickshaw puller earn very little.
(iii) Many renowned actors are rickshaw pullers.
(iv) They are neglected by people.
Answer: c

Answer the following questions :

Question: Why does Yadav “stare ahead blankly”?
Answer: Yadav has no choice except for pulling rickshaw to earn his livelihood. So he stares ahead blankly with folded arms around his knees.

Question: Why are rickshaw pullers known as the icons of poor Calcutta ?
Answer: The rickshaw pullers go about their work pulling their rickshaws like horses. They make a great subject for photographers, writers and film- makers as the symbol of poor Calcutta.

Question: Which instance tells you that Yadav loved his family ?
Answer: Every month without fail, Yadav used to send `300 to his wife back home and once in every year visit her too.

Question: Where does Yadav stay ?
Answer: He lives in a room in a nearly lane, paying a rent of fifty rupees.

Question: What comparison does the writer draw between the rickshaw and its puller ?
Answer: The rickshaw and the rickshaw puller make quite a pair. The writer concludes that both are interdependent on each other.

Question: What do the rickshaw pullers have in common ?
Answer: Apart from poverty, they all come from the country side. They all wear lungi and almost all of them are elderly.

Question: Pick out words from the passage that mean the following :

(a) Well-known (para 2)
Answer: Famous

(b) income (para 5)
Answer: Earning