SECTION A – READING
1. Read the following passage carefully.
1.“What a very peculiar name!” Sir William Jones pondered the name of the ship that had carried him for five months from England to India. He and his wife Anna Maria were now travelling up Hugli, on their way to Calcutta.
2. India was so new to them-her skies, seas, birds and animals were so alien, “Oh! Look, there’s a tiger, come down to drink water from the river!” Anna Maria had pointed out with awe and delight. She was excited as her husband decided to move to this new country. For Sir William Jones, this journey satisfied a deep-seated longing, for he had an obsession with this land. India- her literature, beauty and history had attracted him for years.
3. Indeed the whole of Asia, and many were the hours he had spent, reading every book he could lay his hands on. Yet, to his starved mind, there seemed to be so little material. He began to prepare a document, setting out everything he wished to study.
4. “The history of the ancient world, traditions, modern politics and geography of
Hindustan,” he added, ‘’Indians, agriculture, medicine, wild life, natural products of India……” the list went on.
I. On the basis of your reading, answer the questions that follow:
a) What did Sir William Jones find peculiar?
(i) the people in the ship (ii) name of the ship (iii) the language (iv) food
b) He had an obsession with this land. Which land is referred to here?
(i) India (ii) America (iii) Britain (iv) Russia
c) How long were the husband and wife travelling by ship?
(i) five years (ii) two months (iii) five months (iv) two years
d) How did Anna Maria feel during their travel?
(i) depressed (ii) delighted (iii) bored (iv) none of the above
II. Complete the statements suitably:
a) Sir William Jones and his wife were travelling_____________________________
b) Sir William decided to move to India as he had____________________________
c) India’s ___________________________________ attracted him very much.
d) The journey to India was a _______________________ to William Jones.
III. Choose ONE word from the passage which means the same as the following.
a) creature from outside world (para 2) b) a yearning desire (para 2)
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