DISCURSIVE PASSAGES

PASSAGE 1:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

During our growing up years we as children were taught - both at home and school - to worship the
photos and idols of the Gods of our respective religions. When we grew a little older, we were to read
holy books like the Bhagwad Gita, Bible and Quran; we were told that there are a lot of life lessons to
be learnt from these holy books. We were then introduced to stories from our mythologies which
taught us about ethics and morality- what is good and what is bad. I also learnt to be respectful
towards my parents who made my life comfortable with their hard work and love and care, and my
teachers who guided me to become a good student and a responsible citizen.

Much later in life, I realised that though we learn much from our respective holy books, there is a lot
to learn from our surroundings. This realization dawned upon me when I learnt to enquire and
explore.Everything around us- the sun, the moon, the stars, rain, rivers, stones, rocks, birds, plants
and animals – teach us many valuable life lessons.

No wonder that besides the scriptures, in many cultures nature is also worshipped. The message that
we get is to save our environment and maintain ecological balance. People are taught to live in
harmony with nature and recognize that there is God in all aspects of nature.

Nature is a great teacher. A river never stops flowing. If it finds an obstacle in its way in the form of a
heavy rock, the river water fights to remove it from its path or finds an alternative path to move
ahead. This teaches us to be progressive in life, and keep the fighting spirit alive.

Snakes are worshipped as they eat insects in the field that can hurt our crops, thus protecting the
grains forus. In fact, whatever we worship is our helper and makes our lives easy for us. There are
many such examplesin nature, but we are not ready to learn a lesson. Overcome with greed, we are
destroying nature. As a result,we face natural disasters like droughts, floods and landslides. We don’t
know that nature is angry with us.

However, it is never too late to learn. If we learn to respect nature, the quality of our life will improve.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the 6 that follow.

i) We are told to worship photos and idols of Gods during our _________.

a. childhood

b. adulthood

c. growing up years

d. none of these
(ii) Parents should be worshiped because __________

a. they gave us Holy books to read

b. they taught us what is good and what is bad

c. they work hard to make our lives easier

d. they have read many mythical stories

(iii) One can learn life lessons from _________

1. Mythology 2. Reading Holy books

3. Nature 4. Worshiping photos and idols of God

a. 1,2,4

b. 1,3,4

c. 1,2,3

d. 2,3,4

(iv) The natural disaster that has not been talked about in the passage is:

a. Drought

b. Earthquake

c. Flood

d. Landslide

(v)A river teaches us to be ___________

a. Stubborn

b. Obstinate

c. Progressive

d. Docile

(vi)Snakes are worshipped because they protect ____________

a. Crops from animals

b. Crops from insects

c. Us from rodents

d. Us from insects
PASSAGE 2:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. It is an indisputable fact that the world has gone too far with the innovation of new technologies
such as mobile phones, the Internet and so on, due to which people are able to tour the cosmos
virtually sitting at one place using their smart devices or other technological gadgets. Though mobile
internet access is oftentimes hurried and short, it can still provide common internet features like
alerts, weather data, emails, search engines,instant messages, and games and music downloading.

2. Due to the easy access of smart phones, communication has been very effective and instant. People
are able to convey their message all around the globe to their loved ones without spending hefty
sums of money. Adults are always fond of such gadgets and they always welcome and adopt such new
technology readily. Further,young people have been able to broaden their minds and improve their
skills by doing research on the Internet.

For instance, they use smart phones to look up any new word they come across. As we know that
most of the universities have online teaching provision and smart phones assist the students to
complete their assignmentson time.

3. The mobile phone has been a lifesaver for a lot of people in case of an emergency. Likewise, the use
of smartphones can be of vital importance in preventing crimes in society by providing information to
the security forces in time.

4. Nonetheless, for the young the use of mobile phones can be like an addiction and they can misuse
it. Young people are also prone to getting involved in undesirable activities on the Internet. This might
have an adverse effect on their academic performance. Therefore, young people should always be
monitored and made aware of its bad outcomes.

5. Also a major contributor to its popularity is the availability of prepaid or pay–as–you–go services
from a phone shop or an online store. This allows subscribers to load text or airtime credits to their
handsets by the use of their credit cards, debit cards or by buying a prepaid card from the network
they subscribe to. This plan also doesn’t commit a particular customer to a contract. If prepaid card is
not that appealing to you, then you can opt to subscribe using the pay–by–month plan.

Q: On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer of the following:

(i) What are the bad outcomes of mobile phones for youth according to passage?

(a) it is very expensive so increase expense.

(b) pay–by–month plan.

(c) an adverse effect on their academic performance

d) None of these

(ii) How the communication become very effective and instant.

(b) With the help of transport

(c) Due to the easy access of smart phones

(d) both (i) and (iii)

(iii) In para 1, the synonym of ‘innovation’ is ........................

(a) Production

(b) sincerity

(c) invention

(d) prevention

(iv) In para 4, the antonym of ‘favourable’ is ........................

(a) positive

(b) prone

(c) outcomes

(d) adverse

(v) Grown-ups should not monitor the use of new technology by young people.

(a) True

(b) False

(c) can’t say

(d) all of the above

(vi) Mobile internet can provide access to ........................

a) emails

b) music download

c) weather data

d) all of the above

PASSAGE 3:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

Subhash Chandra Bose passed through quarters inhabited by Englishmen and also met a large number
of them in the tram cars. The British using these cars were purposely rude and offensive to Indians in
various ways. The sensitive mind of Subhash revolted against such insulting and rude behavior of the
British. On many occasions, there was an exchange of hot words between him and misbehaving
British. Majority of the studentsof the Presidency College, where he studied, were free thinkers. The
college continued to be a storm centre and was looked upon by the British Government “as a hotbed
of sedition, rendezvous of revolutionaries” and was frequently searched by the police. The first two
years of his life were greatly influenced by the group,which styled itself as the neo-Vivekananda group
and Subhash developed intellectually during this period.The group generally followed the teachings of
Rama Krishna and Vivekananda with special emphasis on social service as means of spiritual
development and was non-aligned to a revolutionary group. The shock of the Great World War roused
his political consciousness. He graduated at the age of 22 and enrolled himself for the postgraduate
with experimental psychology as a special subject.

His father, however, wanted him to go to England to appear for the Indian Civil Services. In spite of his
mental reservations, Subhash took it as a challenge. In England, he was greatly impressed with the
freedom allowed to students at Cambridge. Every student behaved in a dignified manner. Not
withstanding his pre occupation with his studies, he displayed his public spirit and fearlessness
throughout his stay in England. He and K. L.

Gouba were selected by the Indian Majlis, to represent the British Government the difficulties the
Indian students encountered for admission to the University Officers’ Training Corps. Though he took
a harsh view of the British high handedness and racial arrogance, he did admire their qualities which
exacted him. He himself behaved there in a dignified way and was of the view that Indians who go
abroad, must consider themselves to be unofficial ambassadors of the country, who should uphold
their country’s prestige. He was quite serious in purpose and disliked anybody wasting time on
trivialities.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.

(i) Who were selected by the Indian Majlis?

a) Subhash Chandra Bose and KL Gouba

b) Jawahar Lal Nehru

c) Mahatma Gandhi

d) none of the above

(ii) Majority of the students of the Presidency college were _______________.

a) radical

b) arrogant

c) unhappy

d) free thinkers

(iii) Whose teachings did the group generally followed?

a) Mahatma Gandhi
b) Rabindranath Tagore

c) Rama Krishna

d) Lala Lajpat Rai

(iv) Subhash Chandra’s father wanted him to go to England and appear for what?

a) Barrister’s exam

b) Indian Civil Services

c) Start the freedom movement

d) Judiciary exam

(v) At what age Subhash enrolled for his postgraduation?

a) 20 years b) 25 years

c) 22 years d) 21 years

(vi) Where is Cambridge University?

a) England

b) Germany

c) United States of America

d) France

PASSAGE 4:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

One day Nandu rode his horse to the village fair. On his way back he met Somendra, the merchant.
The merchant was a crafty man, ready to do anything to earn some money. The villagers knew this. In
fact no one knew what trick he would be up to next. Now, Nandu was poor and had no one in the
world to call his own except a beautiful, white horse. He loved it more than anything else in the
world. The merchant had his eye on the horse for a long time and tried to think of a way to get it for
himself. Seeing Nandu, the merchant thought, Nandu is a simpleton. Let me see if I can trick him out
of his horse. So he said to Nandu, You live all alone. How do you manage? What does a young boy like
you need with a horse? Sell it to me and I shall make you rich in return. Nandu replied, "No I don’t
want to sell my horse."

But the merchant refused to give up so easily. He offered Nandu more money. Finally, when the offer
reached five hundred gold coins, Nandu paused and said. Five hundred gold coins seems like a good
price. But I have a condition. If you agree to it, I shall give you my horse. "What is it?", the merchant
asked impatiently. "Give me the money right now and I shall give you my horse when I have given you
ten lashes." After all he would resell the horse for over a thousand gold coins in the market. He would
take twenty lashes for such a gain. He agreed instantly. He ran home and got the money for Nandu
and

brought along his whip as well. Nandu counted the money carefully. He then took the whip and the
lashes fell on the merchant’s back in quick succession. By the eighth lash the merchant was almost in
tears but he told himself that there were only two lashes to go and the horse would be his. The
merchant held his breath waiting for the final lashes. But Nandu had mounted his horse and was
riding off. "Wait!", shouted the merchant in anger. "What about the last lashes? Where are you going
with the horse? We had a deal.

Nandu stopped and said, "I agree to give you the horse only after I had given you ten lashes. But it is
upsetting my horse. I’ll give you the last lashes later. Till then goodbye!" "Come back you cheat!", the
merchant shouted. But the crowd that had gathered around agreed with Nandu. A deal was a deal. Till
the last lash was given, the horse could not belong to the merchant. Nandu rode away richer by
fivehundred gold coins and Somendra waited in vain for several days for the final lash which never
came.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE from the six questions that
follow.

i)Why did the merchant offer to buy Nandu’s horse?

a) He was very fond of the horse and wanted it for himself

b) It was his way of helping Nandu who was poor.

c) The horse would be useful for carrying goods to the market.

d) He hated Nandu and wanted to deprive him of something he loved.

ii)Which of the following is TRUE in the context of the passage?

1. Nandu was an orphan.

2. The merchant was very persevering.

3. The merchant was fond of Nandu's horse.

a) None

b) Only 1

c) Both 1 & 2

d) All 1, 2 and 3

iii) Why did Nandu set the condition of giving the merchant ten lashes?
a) To discourage the merchant from buying his horse.

b) To demonstrate how painful a whipping was so that the merchant would never hit the horse.

c) To bargain with the merchant to offer more money.

d) To outwit the merchant who was trying to cheat him.

iv) Why did the bystanders take Nandu’s side in the argument?

1. They hoped that Nandu would give them a reward from the five hundred gold coins he had

earned.

2. They were sure that the merchant would ill treat the horse and wanted to prevent that from

happening.

3. They knew that the merchant was a cheat and Nandu would be miserable without his horse of

whom he was very fond.

a) Only 1

b) Both 1 & 3

c) Only 3

d) None of these

v) What reason did Nandu cite for not giving the merchant the final lashes?

a) His horse was distressed by the whipping.

b) He realised that the merchant was in great pain and took pity on him.

c) He was following the advice of the people around.

d) He had changed his mind about selling his horse.

vi) Which of the following can be said about Nandu?

1. He was very cunning.

2. He needed money.

3. He was cruel to people but loved animals.

a)None of these

b)Both 1 & 2

c)Both 2 & 3

d)All 1, 2 and 3
PASSAGE 5:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow

The choices we make on a daily basis—wearing a seatbelt, lifting heavy objects correctly or purposely
staying out of any dangerous situation—can either ensure our safety or bring about potentially
harmful circumstances. You and I need to make a decision that we are going to get our lives in order.
Exercising self-control, self-discipline and establishing boundaries and borders in our lives are some of
the most important things we can do. A life without discipline is one that’s filled with carelessness.

We can think it’s kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the image of “Yeah! That’s me! Living
on the edge! Woo-hoo!” It’s become a popular way to look at life. But if you see, even highways have
lines, which provide margins for our safety while we’re driving. If we go over one side, we’ll go into
the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we could get killed. And we like those lines because
they help to keep us safe. Sometimes we don’t even realize how lines help to keep us safe.

I’m not proud of this, but for the first 20 years of my life at work, I ignored my limits. I felt horrible,
physically, most of the time. I used to tell myself “I know I have limits and that I’ve reached them, but
I’m going to ignore them and see if or how long I can get by with it.” I ran to doctors, trying to make
myself feel better through pills, vitamins, natural stuff and anything I could get my hands on. Some of
the doctors would tell me, “It’s just stress.” That just made me mad. I thought stress meant you don’t
like what you do or can’t handle life,and I love what I do. But I kept pushing myself, traveling, doing
speaking engagements and so on— simplyexhausting myself.

Finally, I understood I was living an unsustainable life and needed to make some changes in my
outlook and lifestyle. You and I don’t have to be like everyone else or keep up with anyone else. Each
of us needs to be exactly the way we are, and we don’t have to apologize for it. We’re not all alike and
we need to find a comfort zone in which we can enjoy our lives instead of making ourselves sick with
an overload of stress and pressure.On the basis of understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN
questions from the twelve that follow.

(1×10=10)

i) Which of the characteristics are apt about the writer in the following context: “I know I have limits
and

that I’ve reached them, but I’m going to ignore them and see if or how long I can get by with it.” ?

1. negligent

2. indecisive

3. spontaneous

4. reckless

5. purposeless
6. patient

a) 2 and 5

b) 3 and 6

c) 1 and 4

d) 2 and 3

ii) The reason why living on the edge has become popular, is because of the

a) constant need for something different.

b) population being much younger.

c) exhausting effort to make changes.

d) strong tendency to stay within our limits.

iii) The phrase “potentially harmful circumstances” refers to circumstances that can

(a) certainly be dangerous.

(b) be fairly dangerous.

(c) be possibly dangerous.

(d) seldom be dangerous.

iv). Choose the option that correctly states the two meanings of ‘outlook’, as used in the passage.

1. A person’s evaluation of life

2. A person’s experiences in life

3. A person’s point of view towards life

4. A person’s regrets in life

5. A person’s general attitude to life

a) (1) and (4)

b) (2) and (3)

c) (3) and (5)

d) (4) and (5)

v) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.

a. It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends.

2. To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.

3. Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
4. Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.

vi) The author explains the importance of discipline and boundaries in our lives using the example
of.........

a) road accidents.

b) traffic rules.

c) lines on the highway.

d) Safe driving.