NGEC

Unseen Passage 1:
Sacred Trees
Sacred trees form an important part of the ecological heritage of India. Most temples, towns,
villages—and sometimes even Muslim dargahs— are associated with trees. Some plants are
sacred to the individual deity; others are sacred to the place… Several plants have been
worshipped in India from time immemorial. Wherever the tulsi grows—from the Indo-Gangetic
plains to the shores of the Indian Ocean at Kanyakumari— it occupies a position of pride in the
central courtyard of the house, tended to, carefully, by the housewife.
Apart from the elaborate myths connecting it to Krishna, the tulsi plant has several medicinal
properties. To protect and revere this plant with so many medicinal properties, it was
designated as sacred, a fitting tribute to its role in providing invaluable healthcare. The worship
of plants is an ancient phenomenon in India. It is probably the oldest form of worship. The
association of a single tree with a sacred sthala or sthana is reflected in the chaitya vriksha and
sthala vriksha or literature and society.
When people turned to food production, the Mother Goddess or the Earth Mother became the
chief deity. Fertility, creation, and the world of plants and animals became her blessings to her
devotees. The worship of the tree was the adoration of her creative abilities, symbolising
fertility so essential or the survival of the early people. Spirits—good or bad—were believed to
reside in trees. If the trees were worshipped, then the resident spirits were pleased. As sacred
forests were replaced by agriculture, a single tree was left and was designated as ‘sacred’ tree.
The earliest temples were little more than images placed under trees. Later, the tree and the
image were enclosed by a fence made of wood, followed even by stone. Numerous references
are made in literature to trees as abodes of gods.
Q. On the basis of your reading of the passage given above, answer the following questions.
1. __________ form an important part of the ecological heritage of India.
1. Indo-gangetic plains
2. Mother Goddess
3. Sacred trees
4. Kanyalcumari
2. The worship of plants is an __________ phenomenon in India.
1. ancient
2. invaluable
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3. immemorial
4. elaborate
3. The __________ has several medicinal properties
1. chaitya vriksha
2. sthala vriksha
3. tulsi plant
4. sacred tree
4. Tulsi was designated as sacred
1. to protect it
2. to respect it
3. as it has many medicinal properties
4. all of these
5. The most important things given by the mother Earth to us are:
1. air and fire
2. creative abilities
3. plants and animals
4. spirits
6. All trees except one were felled down by the early people for:
1. their shelter
2. agriculture
3. earning money
4. fuel
'sacred'
7. A single tree left by the early people which was designated as __________.
8. The worship of plants has been started by the modern people. (True/False)
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Unseen Passage 2:
Challenges of Film Industry
The film industry is facing the challenge of the television screen which, because of
its ready availability and nearness to entertainment seekers, is becoming very
popular, particularly in the West where television programmes are as
indispensable to people as newspaper material. Sustained entertainment for
multitudes lasting two or three hours is possible only in big cinema halls. Scenic
beauty, background effects and colour techniques which have made the products
of cinema industry so attractive and delightful may not be reproduced by
television programme organisers, and therefore, this important invention in the
field of wireless communication, in spite of having become a big rival of the
cinema, may not succeed in replacing it.
The motion picture has also stepped into the international sphere as an agent of
goodwill and co-operation among nations. Cultural contacts which tend to reduce
tension in the world and bring harmony in international relations have been
established through the medium of films. The more people understand and
appreciate the past history, present aims, customs, habits and beliefs of men and
women in foreign lands, the more will they realise that their interests can best be
served by establishing friendly relations with them and by removing those
irritants which breed distrust, lack of co-operation and the desire to punish those
whose views and attitudes are such as they do not like. As cultural agents movies
can cement ties of love and brotherhood among nations and teach them to confer
on each other the benefits of all the rich and glorious achievements of the
present enlightened age. In recent years, artists of the film world have been
visiting foreign lands with a view to presenting before audience in those countries
the best products of their cultural heritage. Film festivals which many European
and Asian countries have been organising from time to time have also proved to
be of immense value in reducing social barriers, colour prejudices and other
causes of friction between nations.
Q. On the basis of your reading of the passage given above, answer the
following questions:
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1. The film industry is facing the challenge of:

1. the theatre
2. financial crunch
3. waning people’s interest
4. the television screen
2. The TV has become popular because of:
1. its entertaining programmes
2. its educative value
3. its ready availability and nearness
4. its wide appeal
3. Three things which make cinema so attractive are:
1. scenic beauty, background effects and beautiful faces
2. scenic beauty, good sets and colour techniques
3. scenic beauty, gaudy dresses and colourful techniques
4. scenic beauty, background effects and colour techniques
4. Films have become agents of:
1. pioneering
2. providing
3. confercing
4. goodwill and cooperation
5. Which of these reduces the tension of the people and bring harmony?
1. film industry
2. television programme
3. beauty of nature
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4. cultural context
6. The artists of the film industry visit foreign lands with the purpose of:
1. establishing friendly relations with them
2. presenting best products of their cultural heritage
3. bringing harmony in international relations
4. getting better opportunity.
7. Film festivals have proved to be of immense value in reducing social
barriers and colour ___________.
prejudices

8. Irritants only breed mistrust and conflicts among nations. (True/False)

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