Passage Comprehension Solutions HSLC
Q.1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: HSLC ’15
The great advantage of early rising is that one can start one’s work long before others. The early riser has done a large amount of hard work before other men have got out of bed. Early in the morning the mind is fresh and no sound or noises disturb our attention. The work done at that time is generally well done. Also one finds time to take some exercise in the fresh morning air. Exercise supplies him with a good deal of energy that enables him to work until the evening. By beginning so early, he knows that he has plenty of time to do his work thoroughly. He needs not have to hurry over any part of his work. He gets to sleep long before midnight. At that time sleep is most refreshing. After a night’s sound rest, he rises early next morning in good health ready for the labour of a new day.
Questions:
(i) What advantage does an early riser have over others?
(ii) Why should one take exercise in the morning and begin one’s work so early?
(iii) What are the uses of going to sleep long before midnight?
Ans: (i) An early riser has the advantage of completing a significant amount of work before others have even started their day.
(ii) It is advisable to exercise in the morning and start work early because the air is fresh at that time. Morning exercise provides a surge of energy, enabling one to work efficiently throughout the day. Additionally, starting early allows ample time to complete tasks thoroughly.
(iii) The advantage of going to sleep well before midnight is that sleep at this time is the most restful. After a night of deep sleep, one wakes up feeling refreshed, in good health, and ready to tackle the challenges of the new day with renewed energy.
Q.2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: HSLC ’15
Over many days and months Valli listen carefully to conversation between her neighbour and people who regularly used the bus and she also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up various small details about the bus journey. The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way- ‘which is almost nothing at all’, she heard one well-dressed man say, but to Valli, who scarcely saw that much money from one month to the next, it seemed a fortune. The trip to the town took forty five minutes. On reaching town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. This meant that she could take the one o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five, and be back home by about two forty-five. On and on Valli went her thoughts as she calculated and recalculated, panned and preplanned.
Questions:
(i) What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details? 1+ 2 = 3
(ii) What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Ans: (i) Valli learned about the bus journey from her neighbors. Over several days and months, she attentively listened to the conversations between her neighbors and people who regularly traveled by bus from the village to the town. She also asked a few questions here and there, which helped her gather information about the bus journey.
(ii) Valli was planning to travel by bus from her village to the town. She found out that the fare for a one-way trip was thirty paise, and the return fare was another thirty paise. So, she saved up a total of sixty paise and made plans to take the bus journey.
Q. 3. Read the folowing extract carefully and asnwer thequestions that follow: HSLC ’17
In life every man has twin obligations : obligation to his family, to his parents, to his wife and children and he has an obligation to his people, his community, his country. In a civil and humane society, each man is able to fulfil those obligations according to his own inclinations and abilities. But in a country like South Africa, it was almost impossible for a man of my birth and colour to fulfil those obligations. In South Africa, a man of colour who attempted to live as a human being was punished and isolated. In South Africa, a man who tried to fulfil his duty to his people was inevitably ripped from his family and home and was forced to live a life apart, a twilight existence of secrecy and rebellion. I did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in attempting to serve my people, I found that I was prevented from fulfilling my oblisgations as a son, a brother, a father and a husband.
Questions:
(i) What was done to a man of clour in South Africa who attempted to live as a human being?
(ii) What are the twin obligations that every man has in life?
(iii) What did the speaker find when he attempted to serve his people?
Ans: (i) A person of color in South Africa who tried to live with dignity and humanity was punished and marginalized.
(ii) Every person has two main obligations in life: the first is to their family — parents, spouse, and children — and the second is to their community, people, and country.
(iii) When the speaker tried to serve his people, he discovered that he was unable to fulfill his duties as a son, brother, father, and husband.
Q.4. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: HSLC ’20
Three-fourth of the Earth is covered by the sea which both separates and unites the various races of mankind. The sea is the great highway along which man may travel at his will, the great road that has no walls or hedges hemming it in. Nobody needs to keep it in good repair with the help of pickax and battles of tar and steamrollers. The sea appeals to man’s love of the perilous and the unknown, to his love of conquest , his love of knowledge and his love of gold, Its blue waters call to him and bid him fare forth in quest of fresh fields. Beyond their horizon he has found danger and death, glory and gain.
Questions:
(i) How much of our planet is not covered by the sea?
(ii) How does the sea help man?
(iii) In What way does the sea appeal to man?
Ans: (i) One-quarter of the Earth’s surface is not covered by the sea.
(ii) The sea assists humans in traveling and transporting goods from one place to another at a very low cost.
(iii) The sea attracts us in many ways. It appeals to man’s fascination with danger and the unknown, his desire for conquest, his thirst for knowledge, and his pursuit of wealth. Its blue waters beckon him, urging him to venture forth in search of new lands.
Q. 5. Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow: HSLC ’20
The river, Kaveri, obtains its water from the hills and forests of Coorg. Mahaseer- a large freshwater fish – abound in these waters. Kingfishers dive for their catch while squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten fruit for the mischief of enjoying the splash and ripple effect in the clear water. Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the river by their mahouts. The most lid-back individuals become converts to the life of high energy adventure with river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock-climbing and mountain biking. Numerous walking trails in this region are a favourite with trekkers.
Questions:
(i) From where does the river Kaveri obtain its water?
(ii) How do the various birds and beasts enjoy in the stream of Kaveri?
(iii) Name the various sports favourite with the visitors to its place.
Ans: (i) The river Kaveri receives its water from the hills and forests of Coorg.
(ii) Different birds and animals find joy in the stream of the Kaveri. Kingfishers dive to catch their prey, while squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten fruits as they play in the splash and ripples of the clear water. Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the river by their mahouts.
(iii) Popular activities among visitors to Coorg include river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, and mountain biking. The region also has numerous walking trails that are favored by trekkers.
