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Student Unseen Passage
Student Unseen Passage
Q.1 (A)
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below :
(9 Marks)
PASSAGE 1
People moan about poverty as a great evil and it seems to be an accepted belief
that if people had plenty of money, they would be happy, and get more out of life. As
a rule there is more genuine satisfaction in life and more is obtained from life in
the humble cottage of the poor man than in the palace of rich men, who are attended
by servants and governesses at a later stage. At the same time I am glad to think
they do not know what they have missed.
It is because I know how sweet and happy and pure the home of honest poverty
is, how free from perplexing care and social envies and jealousies, how loving and
united the members are in the common interest of supporting the family that I
sympathise with the rich mans boy and congratulate the poor mans son. It is for
these reasons that from the ranks of the poor so many strong eminent self-reliant
men have always sprung. If you read the list of the Immortals who were not born to
die you will find that most of them have been poor.
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pure the home of honest poverty is. The poor man is free from social envies. The
members of a poor family are united, loving and share a common interest in
being supportive to each other. The rich boy does not know these pleasures.
PASSAGE 2
Character is destiny. Character is that on which the destiny of a nation is
built. One cannot have a great nation with men of small character. We must have
young men and women who look upon others as the living image of themselves as
our Shastras have so often declared.
But whether in public life or student life, we cannot reach great heights,
if we are lacking in character. We can not climb the mountain when the ground at
our feet is crumbling. When the very basis of our structure is shaky how can we
reach the heights we have set before ourselves? We must all have humility. Here is
a country which we are all interested in building up for whatever service we take
up, we should not care for what we receive. We should know how much we can put
into that service. That should be the principle which should animate our young
men and women. Ours is a great country, we have had for centuries a great history.
The whole of the East reflects our culture.
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PASSAGE 3
Not only was he funny-looking, but he had funny ways and notions, and a
good - natured, magnetic stubbornness in sticking to them. One of his friends had
asked the oracle at Delphi who was the wisest man in Athens. To the astonishment
of all, the priestess had mentioned this idler, Socrates.
The oracle, he said, chose me as the wisest Athenian because I am the only
one who knows that he doesnt know anything.
The attitude of sly and slightly mischievous humbleness gave him a terrific
advantage in an argument. Pretending that he himself didnt know the answers, he
would badger people with questions, and lead them to make astounding admissions.
Socrates was the evangelist of clear thinking. He went about the streets of
Athens preaching logic - just as 400 years later Jesus would go about the villages of
Palestine preaching love. And like Jesus without ever writing down a word, he
exercised an influence over the minds of men that a library of books could not surpass.
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PASSAGE 4
We left Dehradun early in the morning and stopped by for breakfast at
Mussouri. From Mussouri the picturesque road heads north to Yamuna bridge,
then to Barkot (where one road branches to Gangotri). The road winds along the
Yamuna river. through luxurious dense green vegetation to Hanumanchatti, the end
of motorable road. The remaining journey has to be undertaken on foot or pony.
Yamunotri is only 13 km. from Hanumanchatti. But it is better to proceed
another 6 km. and have the night halt at Janakibaichatti. The journey to
Yamunotri is simply breathtaking. High snowcovered peaks all around, glaciers,
streams and waterfalls, vibrant green foliage, and the pristine air are a sheer
delight to tired city lungs. Yamunotri, 3322 metres above sea level, is located
on the western bank of the great peak of Banderpunch (meaning - monkeys tail)
which is 6315 metres high.
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PASSAGE 5
The sky blazed with stars. Presently the moon rose. The sight of bear tracks
in the dust - the square front paw and long back one with the shaggy claws-made
him glance round uneasily. He had once seen a man who had been mauled by a
bear all his face torn away. He quickened his steps.
Soon, on a cliff above a river-bed, Sher Singh knew he could go no further
without rest. He set Kunwar down gently. Suddenly all Sher Singhs muscles,
shrinking back to their natural position, thrilled with piercing pain, he lay
against a tree with his eyes shut, recovering.
It was then he heard the jostle and squeal, of elephants. Below him on each
side of the shallow river-bed, the elephants travelled. He could see the cows and
babies and one great old tusker. He was playing his trunk to and fro to learn
whatever the breeze could tell him, and suddenly he hesitated.
Sher Singh chilled with fright, with Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor
run. Prayer after prayer fled up from his frightened spirit.
The tusker snorted, trumpeted, shook his head. Suddenly, he hurried on
angrily up the river-bed, and all the herd with him. They disappeared.
Sher Singh was walking at night time. Give two examples as evidence
to this.
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The sky blazed with stars and the moon rose.
Why did Sher Singh chill with fright?
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Sher Singh chilled with fright as he could neither climb nor run with Kunwar,
and he had seen the elephant coming.
What kind of story is it?
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It is an adventurous story.
(a) The sky blazed with stars. (Frame a wh-type question)
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(b) They disappeared. (Add question tag)
(a) What did the sky blaze with?
(b) They disappeared, didnt they?
(a) Sher Singh was tired. Give words/phrases to support your answer.
(b) Write the meaning of (i) shaggy, (ii) fled
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(a) He could go no further without rest, lay against a tree.
(b) (i) long, thick and untidy hair or fibre (ii) ran away
How do you come to know that Sher Singh was walking through a
jungle?
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We know it because there were bear tracks in the dust, and below the
cliff on each side of the shallow river-bed, a herd of elephants were present.
PASSAGE 6
Most of us take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually
we picture that one day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death
is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. So we go about our pretty task,
hardly aware of our listless attitude towards life.
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The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and
senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold
blessing that lie in sight.
This observation apply to those who have never suffered impairment of sight
or hearing. They seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their
eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without concentration, and
with little appreciation. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have
until we lose it, of not being conscious of health until we are ill.
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken
blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness
would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of
sound.
PASSAGE 7
Once there were only a few million people living on Earth and it took a
thousand years for that number to double. There are now 3,800 million Earth dwellers
and the number doubles about every thirty-five years.
Men have cleared away forests to make fields for growing crops. They have
moved mountains to make room for roads and cities. They have built huge dams
across rivers to turn valleys into lakes and they have built dykes to push back the
sea and create more dry land to live on. Once everyone cheered at the progress that
man made in changing his environment like this, but now many people are worried
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by the problems that such changes can bring. When the Aswan Dam was built across
the River Nile in Egypt, it was meant to help the farmers by giving them water when
they needed it. Unfortunately, people did not realise that much of the nourishing
food for plants in the river would be trapped by the dam so the farmers crops would
suffer. Also, hundreds of kilometres away at the mouth of the River Nile, less fresh
water pours into the Mediterranean Sea. This means that the sea will become more
salty and fewer fish will be able to live in it. When this happens, people who
catch fish for their living will suffer.
Problems like this are caused when men look at only one part of nature and
do not realise that all nature is bound up together. If one part is changed, other
parts may suffer.
How many years did it take for the number of people to double?
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It took a thousand years for a few million people living on Earth to double.
What were the changes made in nature?
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Forests were cleared, mountains were moved and rivers, valleys and the s e a
was also disturbed in the environment.
What did the men not realise when a dam was built across the River
Nile?
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The people did not realise that much of the nourishing food for plants in the
river would be trapped by the dam and the farmers crops would suffer.
(a) They have moved mountains to make roads. (Change the voice)
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The moutains have been moved by them to make roads.
(b) People who catch fish for their living will suffer.
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(Use ing form of the verb)
People catching fish for their living will suffer.
(a) Write 2 pairs of homophones.
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sea - see, by -buy.
(b) Write 2 sets of collocation.
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Earth dwellers, nourishing food.
What are the earths resources used by you?
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Solar energy, land, wind, water are the earths resources used by me.
PASSAGE 8
(March 2008)
I should be the last person to be telling school and college students to take
their studies seriously. I never did so myself and scraped through my exams with
an unbroken record of third divisions. In successive years at school, I distinguished
myself by getting zeroes in arithmetic and just managed to get by with algebra and
geometry. It was almost the same in college and for higher studies in law in England.
Most students did their L.L.B. and Bar-at-Law in three years. I took
five years to pass the same exams. When I returned home, my father quite rightly
belittled my performances. When any of his friends asked him What did your son
pass in England? he would reply, I am not sure what he passed except that he
passed a lot of time.
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Students who take their studies seriously do well in their exams and get a
headstart in life. You will notice that most of those who get into the best services
like administrative, foreign, revenue, education, engineering, police and other
posts of the bureaucracy were among the toppers in their classes. Other who do
equally well or better in professions like law or medicine, have to make up by
studying and working harder in later life. There are no shortcuts to success.
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PASSAGE 9
(Sep. 2008)
From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, its been a long journey. Taking
to Nona Walia on the eve of Teachers Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks
about lifes toughest lessons learnt and his mission being a teacher to the Indian
youth. A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect
among our youth, says President Kalam.
Theres still a child in him though, and hes still curious about learning new
things. Lifes a mission for President Kalam.
Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his
destiny. I was studying in Standard V and must have been all of 10. My teacher,
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Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on
the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then
explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didnt understand.
Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood
how birds fly, he recalls.
That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameshwaram shore, the President
continues, My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them
flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, Where is the birds
engine and how is it powered? I knew then that birds are powered by their own life
and motivation. I understood all about birds dynamics.
When did Nona Walia talk to the President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam?
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Nona Walia spoke to the President Dr. A.P. J. Abdul Kalam on the eve of Teachers Day.
What did the teacher draw on the blackborad?
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The teacher drew a detailed diagram of a bird on the blackboard showing the
wings, tail and the body with the head.
What did Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam learn when the entire class was taken to
the Rameswaram shore?
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He learnt that birds were powered by their own life and motivation.
Do as directed :
(a) I was studying in Std. V.
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(Rewirte using the present perfect continuous tense from the verb phrase)
I have been studying in std V.
(b) Hes curious about learning new things.
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(Frame a wh - question to get the underlined expression as answer)
What is he curious about ?
(a) Give the antonyms of : (i) remembers (ii) toughest.
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(i) forgets
(ii) easiest.
(b) Which words in the passage mean the following :
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(i) fate (ii) forces that produce movement.
(i) destiny (ii) motivation.
What inspiration do you gain after reading about Dr. Kalams experiences as
a student?
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This passage teaches us that one must have a craving to learn more and more
in life. I also learnt that by asking questions we can learn more. If we dont
understand a particular concept, we must ask the teacher and not keep the
doubts to ourselves.
PASSAGE 10
(March 2008)
The Ajanta caves, we were told, lay in the side of a ravine in wild and desolate
country some 350 miles to the northwest, at the extreme tip of Hyderabad state
where it touches the Bombay Province. Properly speaking they were not caves at
all, but temples which had been excavated from the living rock by Buddhist monks.
These monks had first come to the ravine somewhere in the second century before
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Christ and they had begun by hacking out the rock by hand and hurling it
down into the river below. Then, probably with large mirrors to reflect the sunshine
from the ravine outside, they set about the decoration of the walls, the doorways
and the ceilings. They continued for the next eight hundred years, always painting
and sculpturing Lord Buddha, but setting him against an idyllic background of
folk tales and the everyday life of their own time. In much the same way as in the
Italian Renaissance which over a thousand years later, the work was subsidised by
the wealthy merchants and the princes of the surrounding countryside.
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NOUN
reflection
ADJECTIVE
reflecting /reflective
VERB
reflect
surrounding
surrounding
surround
Would you like to see the caves? If so, why? If not, why not?
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I would surely like to see caves. The caves are quite a mysterious feature of
natural physical formation. The paintings and sculpturs on the walls of the
caves are a part of our rich cultural heritages.
PASSAGE 11
(Sep. 2008)
One day, a guru foresaw in a flash of vision what he would be in his next life.
So he called his favourite disciple and asked him what he would do for his guru in
return for all he had received. The disciple said he would do whatever his guru
asked him to do.
Having received this promise, the guru said, Then this is what Id like you to
do for me. Ive learned that when I die, which will be very soon, Im going to be
reborn as a cat. Do you see that cat eating garbage there in the yard? Im going to be
reborn as the fourth kitten of its next litter. Youll recognise me by a mark on my
brow. When that cat has littered, find the fourth kitten with a mark on its brow and,
with one stroke of your knife, slaughter it. Ill then be released from a cats life. Will
you do this for me?
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The disciple was sad to hear all this, but he agreed to do as he had promised.
Soon after this conversation, the guru did die. And the cat did have a litter of four
little kittens. One day, the disciple sharpened his knife and picked out the fourth
little kitten, which did indeed have a mark on its brow. Just as he was about to
bring down his knife to slit its throat, the little kitten suddenly spoke. Stop ! Dont
kill me ! it screamed.
Before the disciple could recover from the shock of hearing the little kitten
speak in a human voice, it said, Dont kill me. I want to live on as a cat. When I
asked you to kill me, I didnt know what a cats life would be like. Its great ! Just let
me go.
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What did the guru foresee for himself in his next life ?
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The guru saw himself as a cat in his next life.
How would the disciple be able to recognise the right kitten?
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The disciple would be able to recognise the right kitten as it would have a
mark on its brow.
What preparations did the disciple make to fulfil the promise he made to
his guru?
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The disciple sharpened his knife and picked out the fourth little kitten as per
his gurus instructions.
Do as directed :
(a) The disciple was sad to hear this.
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(Rewrite the sentence using the -ing form of the infinitive)
The disciple was sad on hearing this
(b) Just as he was about to bring down his knife to slit its throat, the
little kitten suddenly spoke.
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(Rewrite using No sooner... than... and rewrite the sentence)
No sooner was he about to bring down his knife to slit its throat than
the kitten suddenly spoke.
Frame sentences with : (i) litter (ii) vision.
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(i) The child stopped near the litter of puppies, near his school, and kept
admiring them for a long time.
(ii) Every person must have a clear vision of what he wants to do in future.
Why, do you think did the guru change his mind?
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When born as a human being, the Guru must have felt that life as a human
would be far superior than a creature. But once he took the birth of a cat he
realised that life as an animal is far better. So he must have changed his mind.
PASSAGE 12
(Sep. 2010)
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However, the rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world began nine years
before with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to endure. Little
Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in
the United States. That trip to Florida with her father Yuri launched her on the path
to success and stardom. But it also required a heart-wrenching two-year separation
from her mother Yelena. The latter was compelled to stay back in Siberia because of
visa restrictions. The nine-year-old girl had already learnt an important lesson in
life-that tennis excellence would only come at a price.
I used to be so lonely, Maria Sharapova recalls. I missed my mother terribly.
My father was working as much as he could to keep my tennis-training going. So,
he couldnt see me either.
Because I was so young, I used to go to bed at 8 p.m. The other tennis pupils
would come in at 11 p.m. and wake me up and order me to tidy up the room and
clean it.
Instead of letting that depress me, I became more quietly determined and
mentally tough. I learnt how to take care of myself. I never thought of quitting because
I knew what I wanted. When you come from nothing and you have nothing, then it
makes you very hungry and determined .... I would have put up with much more
humiliation and insults than that to steadfastly pursue my dream.
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How many year did Sharapova take to reach the pinnacle as a professional ?
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Sharapova took just four years to reach the pinnacle.
Whom did Maria Sharapova miss terribly ? Why ?
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Sharapova missed her mother Yelena terribly as she could not accompany her
during her training phase in the United States due to visa restrictions.
What penalty did Maria Sharapova have to pay, being younger than the
other players ?
1
Being younger than the other players, Maria Sharapova had to face humiliation
and insults from the senior players in the form of cleaning the rooms.
Do as directed :
(a) All this happened in almost no time.
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(Rewrite as an affirmative sentence)
All this happened very quickly.
(b) I used to be so lonely.
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(Pick out the modal auxiliary and state its function)
used to - past habiltual action / past recurrent event
Match the expressions in Column A with their meanings in Column B and
rewrite the correct pairs :
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Column A
Column B
(i) at odds with
(a) started immediately
(ii) glamorous attire
(b) sent away
(iii) heart wrenching
(c) attractive and exciting clothes
(iv) packed off
(d) in contrast to
(e) causing strong feelings of sadness
(i d), (ii c), (iii e), (iv b)
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What qualities of Maria Sharapova would you like to see inculcated by every
sportsman in the competitive world of sports ?
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Every sportsman must inculcate certain qualities in order to reach the pinnacle
of success. He must be very brave and tough as there is cut throat competition.
He must be hungry for success and must possess the 3 Ds - dedication,
determination and devotion. And last but not the least must have a 'never say
die' attitude.
PASSAGE 13
(Sep. 2010)
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The two world wars are evidence of the fact that the 20th century was perhaps
the deadliest in human history.
Do as directed :
(a) A new insecurity has entered every mind.
(Pick out the verb and identify the tense) 1
has entered - present perfect tense
(b) New threats make no distinction between the races.
(Add a question tag) 1
New threats make no distinction between the races, do they ?
Match the words given in the two boxes to make collocatiove expressions :
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(i) suggestion (ii) behaviour (iii) misery (iv) period.
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untold
impolite
illogical
indefinite
PASSAGE 14
(March 2011)
The natural life span of a domesticated horse is about 2530 years, 10 years
down from what it was in the wild. You can tell a horses age from the number of
teeth he has. They get all their teeth by the age of 5, after which those teeth just get
longer. Horses have close to 360 degree all round vision. The only place they cannot
see is directly behind or right in front of themselves, which is why its dangerous to
stand behind a horse. If they feel something behind them, they may kick first and
ask questions later ! It also means that they cannot see a jump once they are about
four feet from it, and have to rely on memory as to its height and shape ! Each of the
horses two eyes work independently wherever a horses ear points is where the
horse is looking. A horse is able to sleep standing up as he is able to lock his leg
muscles so that he doesnt fall asleep. Nor do all horses in the same field ever lie
down at onceone animal always stands on look out duty.
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Why do the horse owners cover their horses eyes with blinkers ?
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The horse owners cover their horse's eyes with blinkers since the horses have a
360 degree vision and the blinkers limit their vision only to the road ahead .
What prevents a horse from falling while asleep ?
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A horse is able to sleep standing up as he is able to lock his leg muscles so that
he doesn't fall while asleep.
(a) Falls shorter the mane on the side legged.
(Rearrange the words to make a meaningful sentence)
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The mane on the side leg falls shorter.
(b) Form antonyms by adding a prefix :
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(i)
able
(ii)
direct
(i) Unable
(ii)
Indirect
(a) They get all their teeth by the age of five.
(Pick out the prepositions)
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of, by- preposition
(b) If they feel something behind them they may kick.
(Rewrite using unless)
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Unless they feel something behind them, they may not kick.
How have horses helped man through the ages ?
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The earliest mode of transport was a chariot drawn by a horse. Ever since then
horses have helped man in transport. They have also played a major role in
migration when there were no vehicles. Even in wars, horses were preferred to
elephants due do their agility and swiftness. Though in modern times the
dependability on horses for transport has reduced, horses are still in use for the
sake of entertainment e.g. horse racing , polo.
PASSAGE 15
(March 2011)
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PASSAGE 16
(Sept. 2011)
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness,
Sadness, and all of the others including Love.
One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all
reoaired their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to
persevere until the last possible moment. When the island was almost sinking,
Love decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, Richness, can you
take me with you? Richness answered, No I cant. There is a lot of gold and silver
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PASSAGE 17
(Sept. 2011)
He was a funny-looking man with a high, bald, dome-shaped head, a face very
small in comparison, a round upturned nose and a long wavy beard that didnt
seem to belong to such a perky face. His ugliness was a standing joke among his
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friends and he helped them to enjoy the joke. He was a poor man and something of
an idler a stone-cutter by trade, a sort of semi-skilled sculptor. But he didnt work
any more than was necessary to keep his wife and three boys alive. He preferred to
talk. And since his wife was a complaining woman who used her tongue as an irate
wagon driver uses a horse-whip, he loved above all things to be away from home.
He would get up before dawn, eat a hasty breakfast of bread dipped in wine,
slip on a tunic and throw a coarse mantle over it, and be off in search of a shop, or a
temple, or a friendss house, or the public baths, or perhaps just a familiar street
corner, where he could get into an argument. The whole city he lived in was seething
with argumentation. The city was Athens, and the man we are talking about was
Socrates.
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