English Reading Comprehension

The word ‘leonine’ in the passage means

PASSAGE-I
Gandhi was not born great. He was a blundering boy, a mediocre student. a poor lawyer, an ordinary individual until he remade himself. He was a self-remade man. He had faith in himself. But above all, he had a deep, touching faith in the peasants, miners, labourers, and young unformed men and women whom he drew into his work. He fed them all an elixir of growth which often transformed nameless, un-educated people into leonine heroes. The elixir was fearlessness.

If it was not so cold the author would have

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

It was a very cold evening and so few people were seen out on the streets. I did not go out myself although it was my habit not to keep indoors after sunset. So I closed all the doors and windows of my room, took the book which had been lying opened on the table, and tried to read it. The cold was getting so severe that I started shivering, so I wrapped myself up with a bigger blanket. But I could not continue reading the book because I was nearly rendered incapable of turning the pages.

The author could not continue reading the book because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

It was a very cold evening and so few people were seen out on the streets. I did not go out myself although it was my habit not to keep indoors after sunset. So I closed all the doors and windows of my room, took the book which had been lying opened on the table, and tried to read it. The cold was getting so severe that I started shivering, so I wrapped myself up with a bigger blanket. But I could not continue reading the book because I was nearly rendered incapable of turning the pages.

The mule - drawn carts staggered up because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

An old man with steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule - drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge with soldiers helping to push against the spokes of the wheels. The trucks wound up and away heading out of it all. The peasants plodded along in the ankle-deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving.

The soldiers were “helping to push against the spokes of the wheels” because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

An old man with steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule - drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge with soldiers helping to push against the spokes of the wheels. The trucks wound up and away heading out of it all. The peasants plodded along in the ankle-deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving.

The term “pontoon bridge” means:

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

An old man with steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule - drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge with soldiers helping to push against the spokes of the wheels. The trucks wound up and away heading out of it all. The peasants plodded along in the ankle-deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving.

There were not many people outside because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

It was a very cold evening and so few people were seen out on the streets. I did not go out myself although it was my habit not to keep indoors after sunset. So I closed all the doors and windows of my room, took the book which had been lying opened on the table, and tried to read it. The cold was getting so severe that I started shivering, so I wrapped myself up with a bigger blanket. But I could not continue reading the book because I was nearly rendered incapable of turning the pages.

The author’s habit was to

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

It was a very cold evening and so few people were seen out on the streets. I did not go out myself although it was my habit not to keep indoors after sunset. So I closed all the doors and windows of my room, took the book which had been lying opened on the table, and tried to read it. The cold was getting so severe that I started shivering, so I wrapped myself up with a bigger blanket. But I could not continue reading the book because I was nearly rendered incapable of turning the pages.

Why did the author consider himself a cripple?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

For more than 3 decades, I achieved great success as a lawyer, till a stroke left my right side totally paralysed. Despite the doctor’s encouragement, I was consumed by rage and self-pity. I yearned to be active again. But what could a middle - aged cripple like me do? One day, glancing at some paintings I owned, I thought suddenly, “What about painting”? In fact, I had always wanted to paint, but had never had the time. Now, I had plenty of time. In the last 25 years, I have completed 300 paintings — one of them appeared on the cover of the Reader’s Digest. The stroke, I realise, has helped me develop a latent talent and enjoy life.

Which one of the following is correct? When big waves struck the raft the six people in it

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

“Westward Ho !” we shouted as the sail of our crudely constructed raft, the Kon-Tiki caught the wind. The sail quickly filled and the Kon-Tiki began to move. The six of us were off to our great adventure. As night fell, the troughs of the sea grew gradually deeper and our first duel with the elements began. Each time we heard the sudden deafening hiss of a roller close by and saw a white crest come towards us out of the darkness, we held on tight and waited for the worst. But invariably the Kon-Tiki calmly swung up her stern and rose skyward, unperturbed.

What does the word ‘duel’ in the passage mean?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

“Westward Ho !” we shouted as the sail of our crudely constructed raft, the Kon-Tiki caught the wind. The sail quickly filled and the Kon-Tiki began to move. The six of us were off to our great adventure. As night fell, the troughs of the sea grew gradually deeper and our first duel with the elements began. Each time we heard the sudden deafening hiss of a roller close by and saw a white crest come towards us out of the darkness, we held on tight and waited for the worst. But invariably the Kon-Tiki calmly swung up her stern and rose skyward, unperturbed.

How was the Kon-Tiki’s performance on the high seas?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

“Westward Ho !” we shouted as the sail of our crudely constructed raft, the Kon-Tiki caught the wind. The sail quickly filled and the Kon-Tiki began to move. The six of us were off to our great adventure. As night fell, the troughs of the sea grew gradually deeper and our first duel with the elements began. Each time we heard the sudden deafening hiss of a roller close by and saw a white crest come towards us out of the darkness, we held on tight and waited for the worst. But invariably the Kon-Tiki calmly swung up her stern and rose skyward, unperturbed.

Both the scenarios teach us the true meaning of

Directions: Read the following two scenarios and answer the question that follows:

Scenario-1
Kartik lives in a distant town and takes half an hour to reach his school daily. One day on his way to school, he spots an old man lying unconscious on the road with no one around to help him. He tries to help the old man by running back to the town and calling the ambulance from the city hospital. He gets scolding from his teacher on reaching late to the school.

Scenario-2
Rashmi is a kind and considerate girl who has a special love for animals. While playing in the garden one day, she comes across a crippled dog, crying in pain. She decides to take it to the veterinary hospital for treatment. She spends all her pocket money on the treatment of the stray dog. Her mother gets annoyed at her for the same.

Which of the following is most likely to happen next in the first scenario?

Directions: Read the following two scenarios and answer the question that follows:

Scenario-1
Kartik lives in a distant town and takes half an hour to reach his school daily. One day on his way to school, he spots an old man lying unconscious on the road with no one around to help him. He tries to help the old man by running back to the town and calling the ambulance from the city hospital. He gets scolding from his teacher on reaching late to the school.

Scenario-2
Rashmi is a kind and considerate girl who has a special love for animals. While playing in the garden one day, she comes across a crippled dog, crying in pain. She decides to take it to the veterinary hospital for treatment. She spends all her pocket money on the treatment of the stray dog. Her mother gets annoyed at her for the same.