UNSEEN PASSAGES (S - mt-iconnect.com

1 1 UNSEEN PASSAGES (SOLVED). (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.

2 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 man's boy and congratulate the poor man's 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.

3 Questions & Answers : 1. What is the popular notion about poverty? 1. Ans. The popular notion about poverty is that it is a great evil. 2. Where can one get more genuine satisfaction in life ? 1. Ans. One can get more genuine satisfaction in life in the humble cottage of the poor man. 3. Why does the author pity the rich man's boy? 1. Ans. The author pities the rich man's boy because he does not know the sweetness, happiness and purity of honest poverty. 4. (a) They do not know what they have missed. (Make it affirmative) 1. (b) People moan about poverty.

4 (Frame a wh-type) 1. Ans. (a) They are ignorant of what they have missed. (b) What do people moan about? 5. Find two other words in the passage with similar meanings to confusing'. and self - dependent. 2. Ans. The word perplexed' means confusing' and the word self - reliant' means self - dependent. 6. How has the author compared rich with the poor? What is his conclusion? 2. Ans. The author feels that more genuine satisfaction 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.

5 He knows first hand how sweet and happy and 2 SCHOOL SECTION. MT EDUCARE LTD. English Grammar 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.

6 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.

7 Ours is a great country, we have had for centuries a great history. The whole of the East reflects our culture. Questions & Answers : 1. What is the passage about? 1. Ans. This passage deals with the importance of character formation in moulding the destiny of our nation. 2. What kind of young men and women must we have? 1. Ans. We must have young men and women who look upon others as the living images of themselves as our Shastras have so often declared. 3. How can we reach the great heights we have set before ourselves? 1. Ans.

8 We can reach the great heights we have set before ourselves if our character is built on a strong foundation of sterling qualities. 4. (a) We must have humility. (Use auxiliary of advice) 1. (b) We cannot reach great heights. (Add a question tag) 1. Ans. (a) We should have humility. (b) We cannot reach great heights, can we? 5. (a) That should be the principle which should animate our young men and women. The underlined word means : 1. (i) discourage (ii) encourage (iii) frighten (iv) humour. (b) Give the adjective forms of 1. (i) humility (ii) reflection.

9 Ans. (a) The underlined word animate' means encourage in the above context. (b) (i) humility - humble (ii) reflection - reflective. 6. Why is ours a great country ? 2. Ans. Ours is a great country with a history that goes back for centuries. Its rich cultural heritage makes it unique. It has also contributed a great deal to the world of knowledge and culture. SCHOOL SECTION 3. English Grammar MT EDUCARE LTD. 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.

10 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 doesn't know anything.. The attitude of sly and slightly mischievous humbleness gave him a terrific advantage in an argument. Pretending that he himself didn't know the answers, he would badger people with questions, and lead them to make astounding admissions. Socrates was the evangelist of clear thinking.