Comprehension

 

 

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

 

 A computer can solve a series of problems and make hundreds, even thousands, of logical decisions without becoming tired or bored. It can find the solution to a problem in a fraction of the time. It takes a human being to do the job. A computer can replace people in dull, routine tasks, but it has no originality; it works according to the instructions given to it and cannot exercise any value judgements. There are times when a computer seems to operate like a "mechanical brain" but its achievements are limited by the minds of human beings. A computer cannot do anything unless a person tells it what to do and gives it the appropriate information, but because electric pulses can move at the speed of light, a computer can carry out vast numbers of arithmetic-logical operations almost instantaneously. A person can do everything a computer can do, but in many cases that person would be dead long before the job was finished.

Questions:

1. What can a computer do ?

2. How does a computer work?

3. What are the limitations of a computer?

4. Give the verb forms of words written in bold.

5. Give a suitable title to the passage.

Answers:

 

1. A computer can solve a series of problems and make numerous logical decisions  without becoming tired or bored.

2. A computer works according to the instructions given to it.

3. A computer has no originality. It cannot do anything unless a person tells it what to  do and gives it the appropriate information.

4. Originate, Instruct.

5. "Uses and Limitations of a Computer."

 

2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

From the time he was a little boy, Lincoln had to help his father in the fields. On many days he was not able to go to school because he was too busy working at home. But he practised reading and worked at arithmetic, keeping awake late into the night. Although he went to school for less than a year in all, he taught himself a great manythings by reading all the books he could get hold of. There are some moving stories of the trouble he used to take to get books. One afternoon he walked twenty miles, just to borrow a book he wanted to read. Another time, he borrowed from a neighbour a biography of George Washington; but two nights later the rain comming through the roof of his poor hut, completely spoilt the book. "Well, you can have the book for yourself if you make good its cost, by working on my farm", the neighbour said. Although Lincoln had to do some hard jobs at the farm for a few days, he had the joy of having the book for himself.

 

Questions:

 1. Why was little Lincoln unable to go to school on many days ?

2. How did he teach himself a great many things?

3. What happened when he borrowed a book from a neighbour ?

 4. How did he get the joy of having the book for himself?

5. Give a suitable title to the passage.

Answers:

1. Lincoln was unable to go to school on many days because he had to help his father

 in the fields.

2. He taught himself a great many things by reading all the books he could get hold of.

3. Two nights later the rain coming through the roof of his poor hut, completely spoilt the book.

 4. He got the joy of having the book for himself by making good the price of the spoilt book by working hard on the farm of his neighbour.

5. "Abraham Lincoln."

 

 

3. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

  Human rights are the rights which every human being is entitled to enjoy and have protected. Hence human rights are of universal concern and are universal in value. Through the right to life, liberty and security of person is equally recognised, an estimated 120 million were killed in the 20th century both in peace time and in armed conflict as a result of government intervention. The toll of economic injustice is still greater: some 14 million children die every year before they reach the age of five. Slavery has been banned the world over, but some 200 million people are held in conditions amounting to slavery, including 100 million children existing through labour and buggery as well as bonded labour and woman forced into prostitution:

Questions:

1. Which right is every human being entitled to enjoy ?

2. How many people were killed during the 20th century both in peace time and in armed conflicts?

3. How many million children die every year before they reach the age of five ?

4. How many people are still under the bonds of slavery ?

 5. Make sentences of the following words:

     (a) Liberty, (b) Peace.

Answers:

1. Human rights are the rights which every human being is entitled to enjoy.

2. An estimated 120 million people were killed during the 20th century both in peace time and in armed    conflicts.

3. Near about 14 million children die every year before they reach the age of five.

4 Near about 200 million people are still under the bonds of slavery.

5. (a) Liberty of speech is the right of every human being in a democratic country.

     (b) The Prime minister of India is trying for peace of Kashmir.

 

4. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

Machines were made to be man's servants yet he has grown so dependent on them at they are on a fair way to become his masters. Already most men spend most of their lives oking after and waiting upon machines. And machines are very stern masters. They must e fed with coal and given petrol to drink and oil to wash with and they must be kept at the ight temperature. If they do not get their meals, when they expect them, they grow sulky and efuse to work or burst with rage and blow up and spread ruin and destruction all around hem. So we have to wait upon them very attentively and do all that we can to keep them in ood temper. Already we find it difficult either to work or play without machines and a time nay come when they will rule us altogether, just as we rule the animals.

 

Questions:

1. What position have the machines take in the present day world?

2.How most men spend most of their lives?

3. What should be given to machines as their food, drink etc.?

4. When do machines get sulky (angry) and refus to do work?

5. How should we wait upon them and what should we do to keep them in good temper?

 

Answers:

1.      In the present day world, machines have become the masters of man.

2.       Most men spend most of their lives looking after their machines and waiting for them.

3.       Machines must be given coal as their food and petrol as their drink

4.       Machines get sulky and refus to do work when they don't get their meals of petrol or coal when they expect.

5.       We must wait upon machines very attentively and we must give them their food drink at the right time when they expect to keep them in good temper.

 

5. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

What is enthusiasm ? It is that mysterious something that turns an average person into an outstanding individual. It makes an old person young and without it a young person becomes old. It is the hidden spring of endless energy. It is that beautiful force that carries us from mediocrity to excellence. It turns on a bright light in a dull face until the eyes sparkle and the personality brightens with joy. It is the spiritual magnet that attracts helpful and happy people to become our fruitful friends. It is the joyful emotional function that bubbles up, attracting persons to come to our side and drink from the joy that rises out of our heart. It is the happy song of a positive person who sings an inspiring message to the world, "I can! Its possible! We'll do it!"

Questions:

1. What is that mysterious something?

2. What is enthusiasm ?

3. How does an old person looks young?

4. How does the spiritual magnet work?

5. Who gives an inspiring message to the world?

 

Answers:

 

1.      The mysterious something which turns an average person individual is enthusiasm.

2.       Enthusiasm is a mysterious thing that turn average person into an outstanding into an outstanding individual.

3.       As enthusiasm is hidden spring of endless energy, so it fills an old man also with full of energy hence an old person also looks young.

4. The spiritual magnet works by attracting happy and helpful people to become our fruitful friends.

       5. Enthusiasm gives an inspiring message to the world.

 

6. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

 

Although the Upnishads and Atharv-Veda mention Yoga, it was only in second century B.C. that its fundamentals and techniques were adequately presented. The man who did this was Patanjali. He gives beautiful analogy to explain how God is attained through Yoga. Our mind, he says, is like the surface of the pond. Just as we as we cannot see the jewel lying at the bottom of the pond because of the breeze disturbing its surface, we do not see divine in us because our mind is in constant agitation. If the surface of the pond is undisturbed. One can see the jewel at the bottom. So also, if the mind is calm with the doors to the external world closed, one can see God within.  Only in the last few decades have scientists begun to recognise the powers of yoga. It has now been established by experiments that through the practice of Yoga several ailments, mental and physical, can be cured. Tests conducted on Yogis show that they do acquire extraordinary powers. For instance, they can live without oxygen or food for a long time. Research is now in progress in laboratories all over the world to probe farther the merits of yoga, what Patanjali advocated several centuries ago is now receiving the attention it deserves.

Questions:

1. Who first presented the fundamentals and techniques of Yoga?

 2. Why we cannot see God within ?

3. What in the paragraph jewel stands for?

4. What can be cured through Yoga?

5. Why Patanjali's Yoga receives attention even today?

Answers:

1.      Patanjali presented the fundamentals and techniques of Yoga first.

2. We cannot see God within because our mind is in constant agitation because various thoughts come and go to our mind.

3. In the paragraph jewel stands for God almighty who is present in ourselves.

 4. Through the regular  practice of yoga several ailments, mental and physical can be cured...

5. Patanjali's Yoga is receiving attention today more because the test in laboratories show that they acquire extraordinary power,

 

7. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: (Jabalpur 2013)

 

Panchatantra is considered to be the best collection of stories in the world as ancient tales. It is believed that there was a king in South India. He had five sons who had not learned the ways of royal life and administration. Many tutors had failed to teach them. Then a Brahmin named Vishnu Sharma was brought to the kings notice. He presented himself in the kings court and took away his sons to teach them. He made them learn five books with tales. Invading men and animals. There books were: The less of friends, the winning of friends, crews and owls, loss of advantage and ill considered action. Through these five books he imparted to them the art of intelligent living. Thus the art of story-telling became a means of educating children as well as grown-ups. Till date Panchatantra has travelled from its place of origin, India, throughout the world without losing its charm.

Questions:

1. How many sons did the king have?

2. What had they not learned?

3. What did the Brahmin teach them?

4. Mention the names of any two books.

 5. What did he try to teach through these books?

Answers:

1. The king had five sons.

2. They had not learned the ways of royal life, administration and good conduct.

 3. The Brahmin made them learn five books with stories and tales.

4. The names of two books are:

  (i) The less of friends and

   (ii) The winning of friends.

5. Through these books he tried to make them learn the act of living intelligently.

 

8. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

Man is the noblest creation of God. He has been blessed with the faculty of criticism. Sometimes we misuse this faculty for our personal profits. This is bad. Criticism for the sake of criticism should be avoided. We should believe in constructive criticism. It is impossible to imagine a democracy without criticism. We suffer from frustration and suppress our resentment. We must express our views through the press. We should criticise the working of the government. The criticism forces the leaders to remain alert, honest and efficient. Thus the people will be able to play a vital role in the society,

 

Questions:

1. Who is the excellent creation of god ?

2. Which type of criticism should be avoided?

 3. What is the impact of criticism on the leaders?

4. Give the antonyms of the following words: (i) Honest (ii) Impossible.

5. Use the following words in sentence of your own : (i) Efficient (ii) Profit.

 

Answers:

1. Man is the noblest creation of god.

2 Criticism for the sake of criticism should be avoided, which is bad.

 3. Criticism helps in maintaining the vital role of people in society. It keeps the leaders alert, efficient and honest to an extent.

 4. The antonyms of following words are

: (1) Honest-Dishonest, (ii) Impossible-Possible.

5. Sentences are:

(1) Efficient : Vishal is very efficient in computer work.

 (ii) Profit: If there will be no profit in business, I will get demotinated.

 

 

9. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

There is a story of a man who thought he had a right to do what he liked. One day, this gentleman was walking along a busy road, spinning his walking-stick round and round in his hand, and was trying to look important. A man walking behind him objected. You ought not to spin your walking stick round and round like that" he said. "I am free to do what I like with my walking-stick," argued the gentleman. Of course you are, "said the other man," but you ought to know that your freedom ends where my nose begins." The story tells us that we can enjoy our rights and our freedom only if they do not interfere with other people's rights and freedom.

Questions:

1. Why was the gentleman on the road moving his walking stick round and round?

2. Who objected the gentleman and what argument did he give?

 

Answers:

1.      The gentleman on the road believed that he had a right to do whatever he liked.

2.      The man behind the gentleman objected. He said that he was free to do what he liked with his walking stick.

 

                                                                                                                ***exercised by Vikram Mishra