WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions – Reading Comprehension
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions – Reading Comprehension
West Bengal Board 9th Class English Solutions – Reading Comprehension
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions
WORKED-OUT EXAMPLES
PASSAGE – 1
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Lucknow, May 26: At least 22 passengers were killed when a speeding express crashed into a waiting goods train from behind near Gorakhpur today, with preliminary accounts suggesting signalling error as the cause. The Hisar-Gorakhpur Express was running at 80 kmph when it rammed into the goods train barely 45 km from its destination, causing the engine and six coaches next to it to derail.
The two drivers of the superfast train were among the dead in the accident that occurred around 10.35am when the train was passing Chaurib station in Uttar Pradesh. The station master of Chaurib, responsible for the signalling lapse, is absconding as is the driver of the stationary goods train.
“My condolences to families of those who lost their lives in the Gorakhdham Express tragedy. Prayers with the injured,” the Prime Minister tweeted. At the accident site, officials said the casualties could go up as many of the 100 injured passengers are in critical condition. Most of those who died were in the three unreserved coaches-including one reduced to a mass of mangled metal, the official said.
Bharat Lal, the Sant Kabirnagar District Magistrate who was at the spot and oversaw rescue operations, said at least 20 passengers had died. Most of the injured have been admitted to hospitals in Gorakhpur and Basti, over 30 km away.
Some of the passengers alleged delay in rescue and relief. Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar denied the allegations. The Railways announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the families of the dead.
[adapted from The Telegraph, 27 May 2014]
Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. The accident between a speeding express and a goods train occurred near-
A. Allahabad
B. Bareilly
C. Gorakhpur
D. Kanpur
2. The Hisar-Gorakhpur Gorakhdham Express was running at-
A. 80km/hr
B. 90km/hr
C. 70km/hr
D. 100km/hr
3. The train accident occurred around-
A. 10.35am
B. 11.35am
C. 10.30am
D. 10.25am
4. For the families of the dead, the railway authorities announced a compensation of rupees-
A. 2 lakh
B. 3 lakh
C. 4 lakh
D. 1 lakh
5. The District Magistrate of Sant Kabirnagar was-
A. Arunendra kumar
B. Bharat Lal
C. Chaurib
D. none of the above
6. The given excerpt is taken from-
A. The Times of India
B. The Statesman
C. The Telegraph
D. The Indian Express
Write T’ for True and ‘F’ for False
1. The Express train was nearly 55 km away from its destination when the accident took place.
Ans. F
2. The person responsible for the signalling lapse was the station master.
Ans. T
3. Most of the people who died in the train accident were passengers of three reserved coaches.
Ans. F
Answer the following questions:
1. How did the train accident occur?
Ans. The train accident occurred when the speeding HisarGorakhpur Express crashed into a waiting goods train from behind near Gorakhpur.
2. When did the train accident occur?
Ans. The train accident occurred at about 10.35 a.m. on May 26, 2014.
3. Suggest a suitable title for the report.
Ans. 20 Died in Train Crash
4. Find words in the passage that mean the following: (a) primary (b) save (c) declared
Ans. (a) preliminary, (b) rescue, (c) announced
PASSAGE – 2
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Mr and Mrs Johnson were very happy. They lived in a little house near the town. They did not have much money, but they were not poor. They loved each other very much. There was only one thing about which they did not agree. Mr Johnson liked to buy old books. Whenever he passed a shop which sold old books, he went in and bought some. He came home with one or two more books nearly every day. There were bookshelves on the walls of all the rooms in their little house. Now the shelves were full. There were books on the floor and on the tables and on the chairs. For a long time Mrs Johnson said nothing. She loved her husband, and she knew he liked to buy these old books. But one day she was tired of dusting them, so she said, ‘Why don’t you sell some of these books? You will never read them all.’ ‘No, I don’t want to sell them,’ her husband said. ‘I like to see them on the shelves. The books look beautiful when the firelight shines on the old leather.’ Mrs Johnson did not say any more. But every day there were more and more books, until one day she became very angry. ‘Don’t bring another book into this house,’ she cried, ‘or I shall go away and leave you.’
Mr Johnson was very sorry about this, so for three or four days he walked quickly past every shop selling old books and did not look inside. Then one day he was walking down High Street, past the best bookshop in town, when it started to rain. He hadn’t an umbrella, so he went into the shop to get out of the rain and there on the counter was a small, brown, leather book with gold letters on the cover. It was just the kind of books he liked best. He picked it up and read the name, ‘The River Amazon’.
‘How much?’ he asked the shopkeeper.
‘Five shillings
So Mr Johnson bought it, and as soon as the rain stopped he returned home, forgetting about his wife’s threat. When Mrs Johnson saw another book coming into the house she was very angry.
‘I told you I won’t have another book in the house,’ she said. She took the leather book from his hand and threw it out of the window. Mr Johnson looked out into the garden and saw the head and saw the beautiful book lying on the wet grass.
Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. Mr and Mrs Johnson lived in a little house near the-
A. village
B. town
C. valley
D. hills
2. Mr Johnson liked to buy old-
A. furniture
B. watches
C. stamps
D. books
3. The price of the book ‘The River Amazon’ was-
A. five shillings
B. two shillings
C. six shillings
D. eight shillings
4. Mr Johnson saw the beautiful book lying on the wet-
A. pavement
B. lawn
C. grass
D. floor
5. The shop from which Mr Johnson bought ‘The River Amazon’ was on-
A. High Street
B. Low Street
C. Broad Street
D. Amazon Street
6. The name of the book ‘The River Amazon’ was written on its cover in-
A. silver colour
B. golden colour
C. black
D. white
Write T for True and ‘F’ for False
1. Whenever Mr Johnson passed a shop which sold old books, he went in to have a chat with its owner.
Ans. F
2. Old books never look beautiful.
Ans. F
3. Mrs Johnson took leather book from her husband’s hand to throw it out of window.
Ans. T
Answer the following questions:
1. Why did Mrs Johnson want some books to be sold?
Ans. The bookshelves in the house were full and Mrs Johnson was tired of dusting old books which her husband would never read.
2. Where did Mr Johnson keep the books in his house?
Ans. The bookshelves in Mr Johnson’s house were full. So, the books were kept on the floor, on the tables and on the chairs also.
3. What did Mr Johnson do to save himself from the rain?
Ans. Mr. Johnson did not have an umbrella. So, he went into the bookshop.
4. What was the title of the book that Mrs Johnson threw out of the window?
Ans. The title of the book was The River Amazon’.
PASSAGE – 3
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Swami Vivekananda, the great soul loved and revered in East and West was born on Monday, January 12, 1863. It was the day when special worship is offered to the Ganga by millions of devotees. His mother, Bhuvaneswari Devi, named him Vireswara. The family, however, gave him the name of Narendranath Datta, calling him, for short, Narendra, or more endearingly, Naren. The Datta family of Calcutta, into which Narendranath had been born was well known for its affluence, philanthropy, scholarship, and independent spirit. The grandfather, Durgacharan, after the birth of his first son had renounced the world in search of God. The father, Viswanath, an attorney-at-law of the High Court of Calcutta, was versed in English and Persian literature and often entertained himself and his friends by reciting from the Bible and the poetry of Hafiz, both of which, he believed, contained truths unmatched by human thinking elsewhere. He derived a large income from his law practice and unlike his father, thoroughly enjoyed the worldly life. An expert in cookery, he prepared rare dishes and liked to share them with his friends. Travel was another of his hobbies.
Narendra grew up to be a sweet, sunny-tempered, but very restless boy. Two nurses were necessary to keep his exuberant energy under control, and he was a great tease to his sisters. Naren felt a child’s love for birds and animals, and this characteristic reappeared during the last days of his life. Among his boyhood pets were, a family cow, a monkey, a goat, a peacock, and several pigeons and guinea-pigs. The coachman of the family, with his turban, whip, and bright-coloured livery, was his boyhood ideal of a magnificent person, and he often expressed the ambition to be like him when he grew up.
[adapted from Swami Vivekananda-A Biography by Swami Nikhilananda]
Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. Swami Vivekananda was born on-
A. January 10, 1968
B. January 12, 1863
C. March 20, 1963
D. January 13, 1876
2. Swami vekananda’s mother was-
A. Bhubanmohini Devi
B. Bindubasini Devi
C. Sarda Devi
D. Bhuvaneswari Devi
3. The name given to Swami Vivekananda by his mother was-
A. Vireswara
B. Narendranath
C. Viswanath
D. Naren
4. By profession Viswanath Dutta was –
A. teacher
B. attorney-at-law
C. doctor
D. soldier
5. In his boyhood Naren had –
A. a lion
B. a tiger
C. a donkey
D. a cow
6. Narendra’s hobby was-
A. collecting stamps
B. reading books
C. playing cricket
D. keeping birds and animals as pets
Write T’ for True and ‘F’ for False
1. Narendranath Datta was born in an affluent family. Supporting Statement/Expression:
Ans. T
2. Naren’s father renounced worldly life.
Ans. F
3. The boyhood ideal of Narendranath was the gardener of the house.
Ans. F
Answer the following questions:
1. What was the Datta family well-known for?
Ans. The Datta family was well-known for its affluence, philanthropy, scholarship, and independent spirit.
2. Why were two nurses necessary to look after little Naren?
Ans. Naren was a very restless boy and so, to keep his exuberant energy under control, two nurses were necessary.
3. What was Narendranath’s grandfather?
Ans. Narendranath’s grandfather Durgacharan was an ascetic. He renounced the world in search of God.
4. Who was Naren’s ideal in his boyhood days?
Ans. The coachman of Datta family, with his turban, whip and bright-coloured livery was Naren’s boyhood ideal.
PASSAGE – 4
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Some 30 years ago, a wide-eyed, impressionable girl stood beneath a towering rocket inside one of India’s earliest rocket launching stations in Kerala. The rocket was readying to be fired in a few days. The student, on a school trip to the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, quietly relished the experience of being near a real rocket-“fascinated” by something she knew “little about”.
Today Tersy Thomas-dubbed “agniputri” or the daughter of fire by the media is the project director of Agni V at the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) station in Hyderabad. She was a member of the team that developed the long range Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)-Agni V. The missile was success-fully test-fired from Wheeler Island in Odisha.
Young Tersy’s life took a significant turn when after a B. Tech in Electrical Engineering in Kerala, she applied for a postgraduate course in Guided Missile Technology. When Agni V took off, Thomas says it was an indescribable and a great moment.
After the launch, she visited her former boss and mentor, APJ Abdul Kalam.. “He is the role model for all our Indian scientists. He praised us for doing a good job and gifted me his latest book of poems,” Thomas says with enthusiasm. She was a junior in the DRDO when Kalam took over as its director. Kalam often cites her case when he encourages young woman students in colleges to take up science.
[Madhyamik Pariksha 2013]
Choose the correct alternative from the following
1. Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station is in –
A. Odisha
B. Hyderabad
C. Kerala
D. Karnataka
2. The first time Tersy was close to a real rocket, she was a student of a-
A college
B. school
C. university
D kindergarten
3. Agni V was launched from-
A. Odisha
B. Hyderabad
C. Kerala
D. Karnataka
4. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the-
A. president of DRDO
B. researcher of DRDO
C. director of DRDO
D. research coordinator of DRDO
5. Tersy’s example can inspire young woman students to-
A. make rockets
B. study science
C. be the director of DRDO
D. be the researcher of DRDO
6. The text is an excerpt from-
A. a science fiction
B. an autobiography
C. an interview report
D. a biography
Write T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
1. The official post held by Tersy at present is director of DRDO.
Ans. F
2. The turning point in Thomas’s career was her taking up science in college.
Ans. F
3. Tersy, the school girl was ‘fascinated’ at the sight of a real rocket.
Ans. T
4. ‘Agniputri’ means the girl who came out of fire.
Ans. T
5. 30 years ago Thomas came to Thumba Rocket Station on a school trip.
Ans. T
Answer the following questions
1. When did Thomas first visit a rocket station?
Ans. Thirty years ago, Thomas first visited a rocket station as a school girl.
2. Why, do you think, Thomas paid a visit to APJ Abdul Kalam?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam was Thomas’ former-boss. She probably visited APJ Abdul Kalam to pay respect to him for the encouragement he had given her.
3. What does Kalam do to encourage girl students?
Ans. Kalam often cites Tersy Thomas’ case to encourage girl students to take up science.
4. How did Thomas describe APJ Abdul Kalam?
Ans. Tersy Thomas described APJ Abdul Kalam as the role model for all Indian scientists. He praised his juniors for the good work done and gave them gifts to encourage them.
PASSAGE – 5
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Kolkata: Basanta Singha Roy and Debabrata Biswas of the Mountaineers’ Association of Krishnanagar (MAK) in West Bengal’s Nadia district set foot on the peak of Mt. Everest at 7.45 a.m. on Monday, 17 May, 2010.
“The team had intended to climb Everest from the Tibetan side through the North Col and the Northeast ridge. But they had trouble getting the necessary permissions from the Chinese Government.” Alok Ray, son of Ashok Ray who was one of the members of the expedition, thus informed The Hindu over telephone from Krishnanagar.
The seven-member expedition, including five members of MAK and two locals, Pasang Sherpa and Pemba Sherpa, had started off on April 4 to scale the peak from the Nepalese side of the mountain. They crossed the treacherous Khumbu Icefall on May 12. According to the schedule, they were to have reached the peak on Sunday morning but bad weather caused a delay.
“This is a momentous achievement and when the climbers return the State Government shall felicitate them,” said West Bengal’s Sports Minister, Kanti Ganguly.
Members of the Association have earlier successfully climbed several peaks of the Himalayan range. The decision to climb Everest was to commemorate the Association’s silver jubilee year.
The State Government has awarded Rs. 5 lakh to the Association to encourage its activities.
[Madhyamik Pariksha 2011]
Choose the correct alternative from the following
1. Because of bad weather, climbing the peak was delayed by-
A. a day
B. two days
C. five days
D. a week
2. The given text is-
A. a newspaper report
B. an excerpt from a novel
C. a short story
D. a biography
3. ‘MAK’ stands for –
A. Main Achievers of Krishnanagar
B. Male Athletes of Krishnanagar
C. Mountaineers’ Association of Krishnanagar
D. Mountaineers’ Association of Kolkata
4. The team of mountaineers dropped the plan to climb Everest from-
A. the Nepalese side
B. the Tibetan side
C. the Indian side
D. the Chinese side
5. Those who climbed Mt. Everest on 17 May, 2010 were-
A. Alok Ray and Ashok Ray
B. Basanta Singha Roy and Ashok Ray
C. Debabrata Biswas and Alok Ray
D. Debabrata Biswas and Basanta Singha Roy
6. The news of climbing Mt. Everest was given to the press by-
A. Basanta Singha Roy
B. Debabrata Biswas
C. Alok Ray
D. Ashok Ray
Write T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
1. Basanta Singha Ray and Debabrata Biswas set foot on the peak of Mt. Everest one evening.
Ans. F
2. The expedition team had five members altogether.
Ans. F
3. Pasang Sherpa and Pemba Sherpa live in Krishnanagar.
Ans. F
4. The climbers crossed the Khumbu Icefall on Wednesday.
Ans. T
5. The State Government had no plan to encourage the mountaineers.
Ans. F
Answer the following questions
1. Why did the team of mountaineers have to drop the plan of scaling Mt. Everest from the Tibetan side ?
Ans. The team of mountaineers had trouble getting the necessary permissions from the Chinese Government. So, they had to drop the plan of scaling the peak from the Tibetan side.
2. Why could the team of mountaineers not reach the peak of Mt. Everest as per their schedule ?
Ans. According to the schedule, the team was to reach the peak on Sunday. But because of bad weather, they had to delay for a day.
3. How did the State Government congratulate the climbers ?
Ans. The State Government awarded Rs. 5 lakh cash prize to MAK. Besides, it planned to felicitate the climbers on their return to Kolkata. The State Government Sports Minister, Kanti Ganguly said it was a momentous achievement.
4. What do you know about MAK from the given text?
Ans. MAK stands for the Mountaineers’ Association of Krishnanagar. It was founded 25 years ago. Its members successfully climbed many Himalayan peaks including Mt. Everest.
PASSAGE – 6
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
A wonder in the plant kingdom, the Great Banyan Tree of the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanic Garden at Shibpur Howrah occupies a unique position in the Guinness Book of World Records. It is now regarded as the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of canopy. The present crown of the tree has a circumference of 450 metres and the highest branch rises to 24.5 metres.
The tree was first noticed in 1786, three years before the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, came into existence. The Great Banyan Tree has captured the fancy of many artists across the world, who have both sketched and sculpted it. The government has released postage stamps on the tree.
The Great Banyan Tree also holds the distinction of being the emblem of the Botanical Survey of India.
The garden authority is now busy recovering its lost glory. “There were only two living beings which were as old as the city of Kolkata. One was the giant turtle of the Alipore Zoo, which died a few years ago after living for 304 years. Now the only surviving witness of the city’s history spanning over 300 years is the Great Banyan,” said H. S. Debnath, the Joint Director of the garden.
[Madhyamik Pariksha 2012]
Choose the correct alternative from the following
1. The widest tree in the world in terms the area of canopy is-
A. the Great Banyan Tree
B. the Great Pipal Tree
C. the Great Coconut Tree
D. the Great Mango Tree
2. The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanic Garden is situated at-
A. Shibpur, Howrah
B. Belur, Howrah
C. Shibpur, Kolkata
D. Sreerampore, Hooghly
3. The Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta was founded in-
A. 1786
B. 1789
C. 1450
D. 1245
4. The emblem of the Botanical Survey of India is-
A. the Great Pipal Tree
B. the Great Mango Tree
C. the Great Cherry Tree
D. the Great Banyan Tree
5. H. S. Debnath is-
A. the Joint Director, Botanical Survey of India
B. the Joint Director, AJC Bose Botanic Garden
C. the Director, Bose Institute, Kolkata
D. the Joint Director, Alipore Zoological Garden
6. The giant turtle of the Alipore Zoo died at the age of-
A. 300 years
B. 304 years
C. 450 years
D. 245 years
Write T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
1. Only Indian artists and sculptors have been greatly fascinated by the Great Banyan Tree.
Ans. F
2. There are now only two living beings which are as old as the city of Kolkata.
Ans. F
3. Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose planted the Great Banyan Tree in the inaugural ceremony of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta
Ans. F
4. The Botanic Garden at Shibpur, Howrah has been named after a great Indian scientist.
Ans. T
5. One of the postage stamps of India bears the picture of the Giant Banyan Tree printed on it.
Ans. T
Answer the following questions
1. What do you know about the physical features of the Great Banyan Tree?
Ans. The Great Banyan Tree is now the widest tree in world in terms of the area of canopy. It has a crown of 450 metres. Its highest branch is 24.5 metres.
2. Why is the garden authority now busy in recovering the lost glory of the Great Banyan Tree ?
Ans. The Great Banyan Tree is now witness of Kolkata’s history spanning over 300 years. So, the garden authority is now busy in recovering its lost glory.
3. What do you know about the age of the Great Banyan tree?
Ans. The Great Banyan Tree is older than the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. It was first noticed in 1786, three years before the garden came into existence.
4. What is called ‘a wonder in the plant kingdom’ in the given text, and why?
Ans. The Great Banyan Tree is called a wonder in the plant the world. kingdom because it is the widest tree Besides, it has been surviving for over 300 years.
PASSAGE – 7
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Rome, Feb. 12 (Reuters): Italian scientists say they have proved that Napoleon was not poisoned, scotching the legend that the French Emperor was murdered by his British jailors.
Napoleon’s postmortem said that he died of stomach cancer aged 51. However, the theory that he was assassinated to prevent any return to power has gained credence in recent decades as some studies indicated his body contained a high level of the poison arsenic.
“It was not arsenic poisoning that killed Napoleon at Saint Helena,” said researchers at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics and the University of Pavia who tested the theory that the British killed him while he was in exile on the South Atlantic Island in 1821.
The Italian research, which studied hair samples from various moments in his life which are kept in museum in Italy and France, showed Napoleon’s body did have a high level of arsenic, but that he was already heavily contaminated as a boy.
The scientists used a nuclear reactor to irradiate the hair to get an accurate measure of the levels of arsenic. Looking at hair from several of Napoleon’s contemporaries, including his wife and son, they found arsenic levels were generally much higher than is common today.
“The result? There was no poisoning in our opinion because Napoleon’s hair contains the same amount of arsenic as his contemporaries,” the researchers said in a statement published on the university’s website.
The study found the samples taken from people living in the early 1800s contained 100 times as much arsenic than the current average. Glues and dyes commonly used at the time are blamed for high environmental levels of the toxic elements.
[Jaynagar Institution]
Write T for True and ‘F’ for False
1. To trace the exact amount of toxin the scientists used an age old method.
Ans. F
2. Napoleon was a bachelor.
Ans. F
3. In the eighteenth century people were much exposed to arsenic poisoning.
Ans. T
4. Napoleon was banished in Africa.
Ans. F
5. The recent research claims that Napoleon was not poisoned.
Ans. T
Fill in the following with information from the passage:
1. Napoleon was the emperor of ……………………..
Ans. Napoleon was the emperor of France,
2. The researchers are from ……………………
Ans. The researchers are from Italy.
3. Postmortem report says ……………………
Ans. Postmortem report says that he died of stomach cancer
4. Napoleon died at ……………………
Ans. Napoleon died at Saint Helena.
5. Napoleon died in ……………………
Ans. Napoleon died in 1821.
6. People who allegedly killed Napoleon were ……………………
Ans. People who allegedly killed Napoleon were British Jallors.
7. Things responsible for contaminations In Napoleon’ time were ……………………
Ans. Things responsible for contaminations in Napoleon’s time were glues and dyes.
8. The name of the institute is ……………………
Ans. The name of the institute is National Institute of Nuclear Physics.
PASSAGE – 8
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
It was springtime. From alle alleys From the shadow lanes and emerged a gaily-clad humanity thick as a crowd of bright coloured rabbits from a warren. The men, women and children were all going to the fair. Some walked, some rode on horses, others went on bullock carts. One little boy ran between his parents’ legs as the joyous smiling morning. 19. He was very happy and filled with life and la and laughter.
“Come, child, come,” called his parents, as he lagged behind, attracted by the toys in the shops that lined the way.
He hurried towards his parents, his feet obedient to their call, his eyes still lingering on the receding toys. As he came to where they had stopped to wait for him, he could not suppress the desire of his heart, even though he knew well the old, cold stare of refusal in their eyes. W
[Berhampore K. N. College School (HS))
Complete the sentences with information from the text:
1. Attraction towards the toys made the boy ……………………
Ans. Attraction towards the toys made the boy lag behind his parents.
2. The boy’s mood has been compared to ……………………
Ans. The boy’s mood has been compared to the joyous smiling morning.
3. The boy came to his parents and ……………………
Ans. The boy came to his parents and he could not suppress the desire of his heart.
Write T’ for True and ‘F’ for False
1. The child looks morose.
Ans. F
2. A countryside scene has been described in the passage.
Ans. T
3. The child obeys his parents very much.
Ans. T
4. The child knew that his parents would give him the toys.
Ans. F
PASSAGE – 9
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below
Music is, according to Spencer, an aid to the achievement of higher happiness. It ranks as the highest of the fine arts; as dance is an artistic expression of movement and painting of colours, so music is of sounds. What a pretty sight is to the eyes, aroma is to the nose, delicious dish is to the palate and soft touch is to the skin, so music is to the ears. Plato considers music as an important aspect of education. In his scheme of education, he has laid emphasis on three disciplines-Gymnastics for the training and development of the body, Mathematics for the training and development of brain and Music for the realisation of the soul. Love for music is a characteristic, not only of man but of nearly all living creatures. Mythology as well as folk tales bear evidence to the fact that even animals respond with joy to the melodious vibrations of the harp. Music has a soothing and healing power. The melodious notes of music have the capacity to cure the mental or physical fatigue of a weary person. Just as a child forgets everything and feels joy in mother’s lap, in the same way we forget all worries and anxieties in a musical environment.
[Howrah Zilla School]
Complete the sentences with information from the above text:
1. The rank of music in the gamut of fine arts is ……………………..
Ans. The rank of music in the gamut of fine arts is highest.
2. An aesthetic expression of movement is crystallized in ……………………..
Ans. An aesthetic expression of movement is crystallized in dance.
3. The aim and objective of Gymnastics is ……………………..
Ans. The aim and objective of Gymnastics is training and development of body.
4. Almost all animate creatures are amorous of ……………………..
Ans. Almost all animate creatures are amorous of music.
Write T for True and ‘F’ for False
1. Music has a therapeutic power.
Ans. T
2. In the Platonic view music has a great educative value.
Ans. T
3. That animals respond joyfully to music has got sanction. mythological
Ans. F
4. The fatigue of a tired person may be cured by music.
Ans. T
PASSAGE – 10
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Rabies is spread only by the bite of an infected animal. The virus of the disease is introduced into the nerves torn by the bite. It takes three to six weeks to develop, though sometimes much longer. The victim of the disease has a wild desire for water but it is useless to attempt at pouring water down his throat because it leads to more fits that close the muscles around his throat and force him to fight for every breath he takes. In the end, death mercifully puts an end to his suffering. The bitten dogs show typical signs of rabies. They become restless, wander aimlessly, hitting against objects; they eat strange things-cloth, sticks, stones. They bark as if something were stuck in their throats. They bite other dogs and so the circle of infection widens. The vaccine for treatment of rabies was first discovered by Louis Pasteur, the celebrated French scientist. Since then the terror of rabies has been controlled. But the dog must be taken care of, and if necessary, killed. It is not possible to vaccinate everybody, because vaccination sometimes makes some people ill.
[Vidyasagar Vidyapith]
Choose the correct alternative from the following:
1. The victim of the disease has an overpowering desire for —
A. food
B. clothes
C. water
D. biting others
2. The disease develops-
A. one week after the bite
B. three weeks after the bite
C. three to six weeks after the bite usually
D. three to six weeks after the bite invariably
Write T’ for True and ‘F’ for False
1. The affected dogs can bark normally
Ans. F
2. Some people become ill because of vaccination.
Ans. T
3. The inventor of the vaccine of rabies was an English man.
Ans. F
Answer the following questions
1. How do the infected dogs behave?
Ans. The infected dogs bark abnormally, behave oddly and eat strange things.
2. When has the terror of the rabies been controlled?
Ans. The terror of the rabies has been controlled after the discovery of a vaccine by Louis Pasteur, the celebrated French scientist.
3. What should we do to the affected dog to control the disease effectively?
Ans. To control the disable effectively, we should take care of the dog and if necessary, kill it.
4. How do the virus of the disease attack?
Ans. The virus of the disease is introduced into the nerves torn by the bite.
5. Why should we not try to quench the thirst of the victim?
Ans. It leads to more fits that close the muscles around his throat and make him breathless.
PASSAGE – 11
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
The study of biography is a pleasant occupation. Particularly if it happens to be the life of a great man, a hero, it is even more delightful than reading a novel. For we read fiction knowing all the time that it is a work of imagination. But to read the life of a great man is to read things that have actually happened. We have a sensation that truth can be stranger than fiction. And then there is the thought that if these have actually happened, why may not they happen again and why not in my own life?
This indeed is a splendid thought, an ennobling idea. Biography acts as an inspiration to achievement. We read how from a small provincial lawyer Abraham Lincoln rose to be the most memorable President of the USA by dint of his integrity, idealism and earnestness and today his name is a household word in America and well-known all over the world. We read how the great Vidyasagar raised himself from poverty to eminence by his iron will and high character. Such examples fill us with inspiration. They tell us that we also can make ourselves great and famous if we have character, idealism, perseverance and courage.
[Lake Town Govt. Spons. Girls’ High School]
Choose the correct alternative from the following:
1. Abraham Lincoln was-
A. the Prime Minister of the USA
B. the President of the USA
C. eminent businessman of the USA
D. none of these
2. Fiction is-
A. a work of imagination
B. a work of real happenings
C. a work of nature
D. none of these
3. To study the life of a great man is more delightful than-
A. reading short stories
B. reading a poem
C. reading a novel
D. none of these
4. Biography inspires us to-
A. research
B. achieve
C. think noble
D. none of these
Write T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
1. The study of biography is a delightful experience.
Ans. T
2. Vidyasagar came from a poor family.
Ans. T
3. We can make ourselves great by powerful imagination.
Ans. F
Answer the following questions:
1. How does the reading of a biography benefit us?
Ans. The reading of a biography inspires us to achieve.
2. How did Abraham Lincoln become the most memorable President of the USA?
Ans. Abraham Lincoln became the most memorable President of the USA by dint of his integrity, idealism and earnestness.
PASSAGE – 12
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
A rich man had a neighbour who was very poor. A fortune teller once told the rich man that some day his poor neighbour would get all his wealth. On hearing this the rich man was terribly worried. He could not even sleep for many nights. At last he hit upon a plan to save this great wealth. He sold everything and with all his money he bought one large diamond and he sewed up the diamond carefully in his turban. “Now” said he, “my poor neighbour can never have my money.”
Sometime afterwards the rich man was travelling in a ship and a strong wind blew off his turban and it sank into the water. The rich man lost his diamond but he thought that his neighbour could never find it. But he was wrong. A few days later the poor man bought a fish and when he cut it open he found the diamond which had been swallowed up by the fish.
[Ballygunge Govt. High School]
Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. The rich man hid the diamond in his-
A. safe
B. pocket
C. cushion
D. turban
2. The diamond had been swallowed up by-
A. the rich man
B. the poor man
C. a fish
D. a dog
Write T’ for True and ‘F’ for False
1. A fortune teller told the rich man that he would get all his neighbour’s wealth.
Ans. F
2. The turban sank into water.
Ans. T
3. The rich man thought that he could never find his diamond.
Ans. F
4. The poor man found the diamond in a fish.
Ans. T
Answer the following questions:
1. Why was the rich man terribly worried?
Ans. A fortune teller once told the rich man that some day his poor neighbour would get all his wealth. So, the rich man was terribly worried.
2. What did the fortune teller tell the rich man?
Ans. The fortune teller told the rich man that some day his poor neighbour would get all his wealth.
3. How did the diamond get lost?
Ans. The diamond got lost when the rich man was travelling in a ship. A strong wind blew off his turban and it sank into the water.
4. How did the poor man get the diamond?
Ans. The poor man bought a fish. When he cut it open he found the diamond.
PASSAGE – 13
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Ahmedabad: Sudden family tragedies stupefy even the wealthy and powerful, making it difficult for them to think clearly. But one girl from an underprivileged home proved that you don’t need deep pockets or education to be generous a large heart will do.
When Nilam, a 20 year-old girl who works as a domestic help, lost her mother in an accident, she decided to donate the latter’s organs. Her mother, Savita Prajapati, lived in the Sabarmati area and was also a domestic help. She was 50 when she died in was in February, 2015.
“My mother was under treatment in hospital after the accident,” said Nilam. “But doctors could not revive her and declared her brain-dead after 4 days.”
She said she then remembered that the organs of one of her friends had also been donated after she was killed in an accident.
“My mother had studied only till class 2,” Nilam said. “She had lived a hard life working at six bungalows to earn a living. But she had a generous heart. She would have approved that her organs be donated after her death if they could give life to somebody critically ill.”
Nilam has studied till class 9 and works in four houses to earn a living. Savita’s kidneys were transplanted in two women patients of renal failure; they had been waiting for a donor for two years.
Priya Shah is transplant co-ordinator at the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC), where Savita’s kidney were transplanted on their recipients.
“It was moving to see Nilam and her brother donate their mother’s organs,” said Shah. “Many educated families have to be told why organ donation is necessary. But this poor family was selfless in giving-they never asked a question even about the recipients.”
[Habra Kamini Kumar Girls’ High School (HS)]
Choose the correct alternative and put a (✔) mark:
1. When she lost her mother she was-
A. 20 years old
B. 50 years old
C. 25 years old
D. none of these
2. Nilam decided to donate-
A. her organ
B. her mother’s organ
C. her brother’s organ
D. none of these
3. The doctors declared her mother brain-dead after-
A. fourteen days
B. four days
C. forty days
D. none of these
4. The kidneys were donated to-
A. two male patients
B. two little children
C. two female patients.
D. none of these
5. Savita’s kidneys were transplanted at-
A. the Sabarmati Hospital
B. at the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre
C. at the Institute of Kidney Transplantation Centre
D. none of these
Write T against true statements and ‘F’ against false statements:
1. Nilam proved that to be generous we need much education.
Ans. F
2. Priya Shah is transplant co-ordinator at the IKDRC.
Ans. T
3. Nilam studied till Class IX.
Ans. T
4. Savita Prajapati died in an accident in February, 2015.
Ans. T
5. To earn a living Savita worked hard at five bungalows.
Ans. F
6. The organs of one of Savita’s friends had also been donated after her death.
Ans. T
PASSAGE – 14
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Have you ever heard the sound of a humming bird? They make a buzzing noise when they fly. They make this noise because they beat their wings very fast. They beat their wings up to 80 times in a second. All that flapping makes a lot of noise. That’s why we call them hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds fly in a unique way. They move their wings so fast that can hover. This means that they o fast thet spot in the middle of the air, like a can stay in one helicopter. Sometimes they fly or hover upside down. They are the only bird that flies backward.
Hummingbirds are small. One type called the bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world. Bee hummingbirds weigh less than a penny. They are just a little bit bigger than bees. I guess that’s where they get their name from.
Bee hummingbirds build tiny nests. They use cobwebs and bits of bark to make their homes. Their homes are only an inch around. This is big enough for their eggs though. Their eggs are smaller than peas. People have found these tiny nests on a clothespin.
Hummingbirds move fast. It takes lots of energy to move as fast as they do. This means that they need to eat a lot of food. Their favourite food is nectar, a sweet liquid inside of some flowers. They drink more than their own weight in nectar daily. They have to visit hundreds of flowers to get enough nectar to live. They can only store enough energy to survive through the night. They live on the edge.
Hummingbirds don’t use their long beaks like straws. They have a tongue just like you. They use their tongues for eating. They flick their tongues in and out of their mouths while inside of flowers. They lap up nectar. Flowers give them the energy that they need.
Hummingbirds help flowers too. They get pollen on their heads and bills when they feed. Flowers use pollen to make seeds. Hummingbirds help pollen get from one flower to the next. This helps flowers make more seeds. More seeds mean more flowers. More flowers mean more food for hummingbird. Isn’t it nice how that works out?
Tick the correct alternative:
1. According to the text, which does the bee, hummingbird, use to make nests?
A. straw
B. concrete
C. bark
D. sticks
2. Why are they called hummingbirds?
A. They are very light
B. They sing when they fly
C. Their wings make a humming sound
D. Their song sounds like humming
3. How do hummingbirds eat?
A. They drink nectar through their beaks like a straw
B. They chew up flower petals with their beaks
C. They use their heads and bills to eat pollen
D. They lap up nectar with their tongues
4. How do hummingbirds help flowers?
A. They drink nectar
B. They eat pollen
C. They bring pollen from one flower to the next
D. They plant seeds
5. Which best describes the main idea of the fifth paragraph?
A. Hummingbirds move fast
B. Hummingbirds like to eat nectar
C. Hummingbirds use lots of energy and eat often
D. Hummingbirds drink their own weight in nectar every day.
6. Which statement about bee hummingbirds is not true?
A. Bee hummingbird’s eggs are smaller than peas
B. Bee hummingbirds weigh less than a penny
C. Bee hummingbirds have built nests on clothespins
D. Bee hummingbirds do not grow larger than bees
Answer the following questions:
1. Why is the ability to hover useful to a hummingbird?
Ans. The ability to hover helps the hummingbird to stay in one spot in the middle of the air, like a helicopter.
2. How do flowers and hummingbirds benefit each other?
Ans. Flowers provide the hummingbirds with nectar. Thus they give them the energy that they need. Hummingbirds help pollen spread from one flower to the next. This enables flowers to make more seeds, helping them to germinate.
PASSAGE – 15
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
There are hundreds of organizations woking all over the world for the elimination of leprosy, but the 66-year-old Japanese social worker Yohei Sasakawa has gone a step farther.
Sasakawa has brought to the notice of the United Nations sub-committee on protection of Human Rights the great level of social discrimination that is prevailing along with leprosy. Though the disease is purely curable, a patient is not accepted in the social fold even after he or she has been completely cured.
In spite of curing some 14 million people worldwide and some 10 million people in India by his Nippon Foundation, Sasakawa has found that these patients have not been totally rehabilitated by the society. Apart from taking up the matter with the UN platform he is also trying to make the ‘cured’ people speak out, tell people how they have won the battle against the disease and are now living a normal life.
(The Statesman, July 6, 2001)
[Barrackpore Govt. High gh School]
PASSAGE – 16
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
New Delhi, Oct. 2: If you can’t go to the Taj Mahal, the Taj Mahal will come to you, virtually.
The Archaeological Survey of India is signing a memorandum of understanding with Google tomorrow that will allow the Internet services company to host panoramic images of 100 Indian monuments, including the Taj and the Red Fort.
The tagline for the project is: “Taking heritage online”. The idea is to take the monument as close as possible to people who cannot visit it.
Google will take panoramic 360 degree images of the monuments, which will be hosted on Google Earth, Google Maps and also on Google Cultural Institute. The cultural institute is a new initiative in which Google partners museums and cultural institutions to host paintings, artwork artwork and monuments online.
A user will get a “street view of the monuments”. Museums across the world, from the Louvre in Paris to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, have relied on virtual tours.
In the first phase, 24 World Heritage Sites will be taken up for the online project. All 100 sites are expected to be covered within six months. Google is not charging anything for the project.
While Google will take its own photographs, the ASI will also provide it with high resolution photographs that will be integrated into site view to allow users to see them in greater detail. For the Google Cultural Institute, the ASI will provide text to go with the 3D images. Architectural floor plans of the monuments will be converted into digital models to help navigate the site.
Complete the following sentences with information from the passage:
1. The signing of a memorandum of ……………………
Ans. The signing of a memorandum of understanding with Google will allow the company to host panoramic images of 100 Indian monuments.
2. The project targets those ……………………
Ans. The project targets those people who cannot visit the monuments.
3. The first phase of the project includes ……………………
Ans. The first phase of the project includes 24 World Heritage Sites.
4. For the greater details of the sites ……………………
Ans. For the greater details of the sites the ASI will provide Google with high resolution photographs that will be integrated into site view.
Write T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
1. Arrangements will be made to bring you to the Taj physically, if you can’t go to it.
Ans. F
2. The project will enable the visitors to see the monuments with 360 degree images of the monuments.
Ans. T
3. A user of Google will get a view of the streets of the monuments.
Ans. F
4. Google will not claim any fee from its users for using the project.
Ans. T
5. The Navy personnels will help Google to convert the architectural floor plans of the monuments into digital models.
Ans. F
PASSAGE – 17
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
This earth, the only beautiful planet inhabited by people, is now a mess. Our ignorance and greed have upset the balance of nature. The forests have fewer trees now, numerous animals are on their way to extinction. Clean air has become a scarcity, chemical water of industries is poisoning our streams and rivers.
The choices are either we cry a halt to this problem or we cry aloud with the planet. The West Bengal Pollution Control Board, along with other agencies, are straining their every nerve to control and reduce air, water, land and sound pollution. Thousands of people conscious of their social and human responsibility have come forward to help us. Laws to control environmental pollution have been proclaimed. But this is not enough for survival.
We need you. We need everyone of you to join us. Millions of hands must assist us in our fight against pollution. We have a sacred trust. We must leave a greener and cleaner earth for the future generation. For we have just one earth in this entire universe-one single planet that has life on it. Let us save it from destruction.
Write T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
1. Deforestation is beneficial to the environment.
Ans. F
2. The law is enough for pollution control.
Ans. F
3. Sound can affect the environment.
Ans. T
4. We are not responsible for disbalance in the world of nature.
Ans. F
PASSAGE – 18
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Once upon a time there was a man who went around selling small rattraps of wire. He made them himself at odd moments from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms. But even so, the business was not especially profitable, so he had to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together. Even so, his clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes.
One dark evening as he was trudging along the road he caught sight of a little gray cottage by the roadside, and he knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. Nor was he refused. Instead of the soar faces which ordinarily met him, the owner, who was an old man without wife or child, was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness.
Immediately he put the porridge pot on the fire and gave him supper; then he carved off such a big slice from his tobacco roll that it was enough both for the stranger’s pipe and his own. Finally he got out an old pack of cards and played ‘mjolis’ with his guest until bedtime.
The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and tobacco. The guest was informed at once that in his days of prosperity his host had been a crofter at Ramsjo Iron works and had worked on the land. Now that he was no longer able to do day labour, it was his COW which supported him. Yes, that bossy was extraordinary. She could give milk for the creamery every day and last month he had received all of thirty kronor in payment.
[Bidhan Chandra Memorial Govt. Girls’ High School]
Tick the correct alternatives:
1. The rattraps the man sold were made of-
A. iron
B. wire
C. wood
D. copper
2. One day the man took shelter in a-
A. big cottage
B. small cottage
C. gray cottage
D. village cottage
3. For supper the old man served-
A. porridge and tobacco
B. soup
C. milk
D. porridge
Complete the following sentences:
1. The man made the rattraps from …………………………
Ans. The man made the rattraps from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms.
2. After supper was over the old man spent the time …………………………
Ans. After supper was over the old man spent the time smoking tobacco and playing ‘mjolis’ with his guest until bedtime.
3. The old man was not only generous with his porridge and tobacco but also …………………………
Ans. The old man was not only generous with his porridge and tobacco but also his confidences.
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