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ENGLISH PASSAGE ASSIGNMENT

Passage 1
I felt the wall of the tunnel shiver. The master alarm squealed through my earphones. Almost
simultaneously, Jack yelled down to me that there was a warning light on. Fleeting but
spectacular sights snapped into ans out of view, the snow, the shower of debris, the moon,
looming close and big, the dazzling sunshine for once unfiltered by layers of air. The last twelve
hours before re-entry were particular bone-chilling. During this period, I had to go up in to
command module. Even after the fiery re-entry splashing down in 81o water in south pacific, we
could still see our frosty breath inside the command module.
1. The word 'Command Module' used twice in the given passage indicates perhaps that it deals
with
A.
an alarming journey
B.
a commanding situation
C.
a journey into outer space
D.
a frightful battle.
2. Which one of the following reasons would one consider as more as possible for the warning
lights to be on?
A.
There was a shower of debris.
B.
Jack was yelling.
C.
A catastrophe was imminent.
D.
The moon was looming close and big.
3. The statement that the dazzling sunshine was "for once unfiltered by layers of air" means
A.
that the sun was very hot
B.
that there was no strong wind
C.
that the air was unpolluted
D.
none of above
Passage 2
But I did not want to shoot the elephant. I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his
knees, with the preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have. It seemed to me that it would
be murder to shoot him. I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always
seems worse to kill large animal.) Besides, there was the beast's owner to be considered. But I
had got to act quickly. I turned to some experienced-looking Burmans who had been there when
we arrived, and asked them how the elephants had been behaving. They all said the same thing;
he took no notice of you if you left him alone, but he might charge if you went too close to him.
1. The phrase 'Preoccupied grandmotherly air' signifies
A.
being totally unconcerned
B.
pretending to be very busy
C.
a very superior attitude
D.
calm, dignified and affectionate disposition
2. From the passage it appears that the author was
A.
an inexperienced hunter
B.
kind and considerate
C.
possessed with fear
D.
a worried man
3. The author did not want to shoot the elephant because he
A.
was afraid of it
B.
did not have the experience of shooting big animals
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C.
D.

ENGLISH PASSAGE ASSIGNMENT

did not wish to kill animal which was not doing anybody any harm
did not find the elephant to be ferocious

Passage 3
Harold a professional man who had worked in an office for many years had a fearful dream. In it,
he found himself in a land where small slug-like animals with slimy tentacles lived on people's
bodies. The people tolerated the loathsome creatures because after many years they grew into
elephants which then became the nation's system of transport, carrying everyone wherever he
wanted to go. Harold suddenly realized that he himself was covered with these things, and he
woke up screaming. In a vivid sequence of pictures this dream dramatized for Harold what he
had never been able to put in to words; he saw himself as letting society feed on his body in his
early years so that it would carry him when he retired. He later threw off the "security bug" and
took up freelance work.
1.
A.
C.

In his dream Harold found the loathsome creatures

in his village
B.
in his own house
in a different land
D.
in his office

2.
A.
C.

Which one of the following phrases best helps to bring out the precise meaning of
'loathsome creatures'?
Security bug and slimy tentacles
B.
Fearful dream and slug-like animals
Slimy tentacles and slug-like animals
D.
slug-like animals and security bug

3.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The statement that 'he later threw off the security bug' means that
Harold succeeded in overcoming the need for security
Harold stopped giving much importance to dreams
Harold started tolerating social victimisation
Harold killed all the bugs troubled him

4.
A.
C.

Harold's dream was fearful because

it brought him face to face with reality
he saw huge elephant in it
on people's bodies

B.
D.

it was full of vivid pictures of snakes

in it he saw slimy creatures feeding

Passage 4
Laws of nature are not commands but statements of acts. The use of the word "law" in this
context is rather unfortunate. It would be better to speak of uniformities in nature. This would do
away with the elementary fallacy that a law implies a law giver. If a piece of matter does not
obey a law of nature it is punished. On the contrary, we say that the law has been incorrectly
started.

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1.If a piece of matter violates nature's law, it is not punished because

A.
it is not binding to obey it
B. there is no superior being to enforce the law of
Nature
C. it cannot be punished
D.
it simply means that the facts have not been correctly stated by law
2.
A.
C.

Laws of nature differ from man-made laws because

the former state facts of Nature
B.
they must be obeyed
they are natural
D.
unlike human laws, they are systematic

3. The laws of nature based on observation are

A.
conclusion about the nature of the universe. B.
C.
figments of the observer imagination.
D.
facts.
4.
A.
C.

true and unfalsifiable.

subject to change in the light of new

The author is not happy with word 'law' because

it connotes rigidity and harshness
B.
it implies an agency which has made them
it does not convey the sense of nature's uniformity D.
it gives rise to false beliefs

Passage 5
Male lions are rather reticent about expanding their energy in hunting more than three quarters of
kills are made by lionesses are in front, tensely scanning ahead, the cubs lag playfully behind and
the males bring up the rear, walking slowly, their massive heads nodding with each step as if they
were bored with the whole matter. But slothfulness may have survival value. With lionesses busy
hunting, the males function as guard for the cubs, protecting them particularly from hyenas.
1. According to the passage male lions generally do not go for huntings because
A.
they don not like it.
B.
they want lioness to get training
C.
they wish to save their vigour for other things
D.
they are very lazy
2.
A.
C.

Male lions protect their cubs

from the members of their own species
B.
from hyenas as much as from other enemies D.
animals

3. Lioness go for hunting

A.
all alone
C.
with their cubs and male partners

B.
D.

from hyenas only

more from hyenas than from other

with their male partners only

with their cubs only

4. When the lionesses go in search for their prey, they are very
A.
serious
B.
cautious
C.
playful

D.

sluggish

Passage 6

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At this stage of civilisation, when many nations are brought in to close and vital contact for good
and evil, it is essential, as never before, that their gross ignorance of one another should be
diminished, that they should begin to understand a little of one another's historical experience
and resulting mentality. It is the fault of the English to expect the people of other countries to
react as they do, to political and international situations. Our genuine goodwill and good
intentions are often brought to nothing, because we expect other people to be like us. This would
be corrected if we knew the history, not necessarily in detail but in broad outlines, of the social
and political conditions which have given to each nation its present character.
1. According to the author of 'Mentality' of a nation is mainly product of its
A.
history
B.
international position
C. politics D. present character
2.
A.
C.

The need for a greater understanding between nations

was always there
B.
is no longer there
is more today than ever before
D.
will always be there

3.
A.
D.

The character of a nation is the result of its

mentality
B.
cultural heritage
C.
socio-political conditions

4.
A.
C.

According to the author his countrymen should

read the story of other nations
B.
have a better understanding of other nations
not react to other actions
D.
have vital contacts with other nations

5.
A.

Englishmen like others to react to political situations like

us
B.
themselves
C.
others D.
each others

gross ignorance

Passage 7
What needs to be set right is our approach to work. It is a common sight in our country of
employees reporting for duty on time and at the same time doing little work. If an assessment is
made of time they spent in gossiping, drinking tea, eating "pan" and smoking cigarettes, it will be
shocking to know that the time devoted to actual work is negligible. The problem is the standard
which the leadership in administration sets for the staff. Forgot the ministers because they mix
politics and administration. What do top bureaucrats do? What do the below down officials do?
The administration set up remains week mainly because the employees do not have the right
example to follow and they are more concerned about being in the good books of the bosses than
doing work.
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The employees in our country

are quite punctual but not duty conscious
are not punctual, but somehow manage to complete their work
are somewhat lazy but good natured
are not very highly qualified

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ENGLISH PASSAGE ASSIGNMENT

2.
A.
C.

According to the writer, the administration in India

is by and large effective
B.
is very strict and firm
is affected by red tape
D.
is more or less ineffective

3.
A.

The word 'assessment' means

enquiry
B.
report

4.
A.
C.

The leadership in administration

sets a fine example to the employees
is composed of idealists

5.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The central idea of passage could be best expressed by the following

The employee outlook towards work is justified
The employee must change their outlook towards work
The employees would never change their work culture
The employer-employee relationship is far from healthy

C.

evaluation
B.
D.

D.

summary

is of a reasonably high standard

is of a very poor standard

Passage 8
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our
intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude
completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous
word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different
classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike
an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different
meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to
use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express
himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.
1. The best way to win a friend is to avoid
A.
irony in speech
C.
verbosity in speech

B.
D.

pomposity in speech
ambiguity in speech

2.
A.
D.

While talking to an uneducated person, we should use

ordinary speech
B.
his vocabulary
C.
polite language

3.
A.

If one used the same style of language with everyone, one would sound
flat
B.
boring
C.
foolish
D.
democratic

4.
A.
C.

A 'slip of the tongue' means something said

wrongly by choice
B.
without giving proper thought
D.

5.

Speech can be curse, because it can

simple words

unintentionally
to hurt another person

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A.
C.

hurt others
create misunderstanding

ENGLISH PASSAGE ASSIGNMENT

B.
D.

lead to carelessness
reveal our intentions

Passage 9
Mahatma Gandhi believed that industrialisation was no answer to the problems that plague the
mass of India's poor and that villagers should be taught to be self-sufficient in food, weave their
own cloth from cotton and eschew the glittering prizes that the 20th century so temptingly offers.
Such an idyllic and rural paradise did not appear to those who inherited the reins of political
power.
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The meaning of 'glittering prizes that the 20th century so temptingly offers is
pursuit of a commercialised material culture
replacement of rural by urban interests
complete removal of poverty
absence of violence and corruption

2.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The basis of 'an idyllic and rural paradise' is

rapid industrialisation of villages
self sufficiency in food clothes and simplicity of the lifestyle
bringing to the villages the glittering prizes of the 20th century
supporting those holdings powerful political positions

3.
A.
C.
D.

Which one of the following best illustrates the relationship between the phrases:
(i) 'eschew the glittering prizes' and
(ii) 'idyllic and rural paradise'?
unless you do (i), you cannot have (ii)
B.
(i) and (ii) are identical in meaning
first of all you must have (ii) in order to do (i)
the meaning of (i) is directly opposite to (ii)

4.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Mahatma Gandhi's views opposed industrialisation of villages because

it would help the poor and not the rich
it would take away the skill of the villagers
it would affect the culture of the Indians
it would undermine self-sufficiency and destroy the beauty of life of the villager

5.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Mahatma Gandhi's dream of 'an idyllic and rural paradise' was not shared by
those who did not believe in the industrialisation of the country
those who called him the Father of Nation
those who inherited political powers after independence
those who believed that villages should be self-sufficient in food and cloth

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Passage 10
Organisations are institutions in which members compete for status and power. They compete for
resource of the organisation, for example finance to expand their own departments, for career
advancement and for power to control the activities of others. In pursuit of these aims, grouped
are formed and sectional interests emerge. As a result, policy decisions may serve the ends of
political and career systems rather than those of the concern. In this way, the goals of the
organisation may be displaced in favour of sectional interests and individual ambition. These
preoccupations sometimes prevent the emergence of organic systems. Many of the electronic
firms in the study had recently created research and development departments employing highly
qualified and well paid scientists and technicians. Their high pay and expert knowledge were
sometimes seen as a threat to the established order of rank, power and privilege. Many senior
managers had little knowledge of technicality and possibilities of new developments and
electronics. Some felt that close cooperation with the experts in an organic system would reveal
their ignorance and show their experience was now redundant.
1.
A.
C.

The theme of the passage is

groupism in organizations
frustration of senior managers

B. individual ambitions in organizations

D. emergence of sectional interests in organizations

2. "Organic system" as related to the organization implies its

A.
growth with the help of expert knowledge
B.
growth with input from science and technology
C.
steady all around development
D.
natural and unimpeded growth
3.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Policy decision in organization would involve

cooperation at all levels in the organization
modernization of the organization
attracting highly qualified personnel
keeping in view the larger objectives of the organizations

4.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The author makes out a case for

organic system
Research and Development in organizations
an understanding between senior and middle level executives
a refresher course for senior managers

5.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The author tends to the senior managers as

ignorant and incompetent
a little out of step with their work environment
jealous of their younger colleagues
robbed of their rank, power and privilege

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