15 Unseen Passages for Comprehension
Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions given below:
Passage-1.
Rajasthan has a lot of fairs and festivals. These are religious, seasonal and traditional ones. The Pushkar Fair on Kartik Purnima at the Pushkar lake is very famous. Other important regional festivals celebrated in Rajasthan include the Camel Festival Bikaner, Desert Festival Jaisalmer, Elephant Festival Jaipur, Gangaur Festival Jaipur, Mewar Festival Udaipur and Teej Festival Jaipur. There are animal festivals too.
Question:
1. What does Rajasthan have ?
2. Mention three types of Rajasthani fairs and festivals ?
3. When is the Pushkar festival organised?
4. Where is the Elephant festival celebrated?
5. Which festival is organised in Udaipur?
6. Find from the passage the word which means ‘popular’.
Answers:
1. Rajasthan has a lot of fairs and festivals.
2. Rajasthani fairs and festivals are of religious, seasonal and traditional types.
3. The Pushkar festival is organised on Kartik Purnima.
4. The Elephant festival is celebrated in Jaipur.
5. Mewar festival is organised in Udaipur.
6. Famous.
Passage – 2.
Washing machines clean clothing by forcing a water and detergent mixture through clothes. The detergent reacts with the dirt and loosens its grip. Thus, dirt and stains are separated from the clothes. In olden days, people would beat wet clothes against a stoneslab to loosen the dirt. The mechanical system includes the motor, transmission, clutch, inner and outer wash tubs, agitator, pumps, water valve and a bell.
Question:
1. The functioning of which appliance is told here?
2. What is forced through clothes ?
3. What are separated from the clothes?
4. How did people loosen the dirt in olden days?
5. What does the mechanical system include?
6. Write from the passage the word which means ‘process of passing one thing to another’.
Answers:
1. The functioning of washing machine is told here.
2. A water and detergent mixture is forced through clothes.
3. Dirt and stains are separated from the clothes.
4. People would beat wet clothes against a stone-slab to loosen the dirt in olden days.
5. The mechanical system includes the motor, transmission, clutch, inner and outer wash tubs, agitator, pumps, water valve and a bell.
6. Transmission
Passage – 3.
Mount Abu is a popular hill station in the Aravalli Range in Sirohi district of Rajasthan. The mountain forms a plateau 22 km long and 9 km wide. The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 17.22 metres above sea level. Its heights are home to rivers, lakes, waterfalls and evergreen forests. The mountain is home to Hindu temples. The Achalgarh fort is nearby.
Question:
1. Which hill station is described here?
2. What is Guru Shikhar ?
3. Which fort is nearby?
4. What make this mountain beautiful?
5. ‘Its heights are…….. What does the word ‘its’ here refer to?
6. Find from the passage the word which means ‘famous’.
Answers:
1. Hill station, Mount Abu is described here.
2. It is the highest peak of Mount Abu.
3. Achalgarh fort is nearby.
4. Rivers, lakes, waterfalls and evergreen forests make this mountain beautiful.
5. The word ‘its’ here refers to ‘Guru Shikhar’.
6. Popular
Passage – 4.
Birds always attract children. They are of different types, colours and natures. We have the smallest bird the humming bird and the biggest one-ostrich. One national bird peacock is also a large, beautiful bird. Birds are of various colours. Sparrows-grey, white, black; parrots- light green, dappled; pigeons-light grey, white etc. Pigeons, sparrows, parrots etc. are of quiet nature. Hawk, eagle, kite, vulture, crow etc. are predators.
Question:
1. What do birds always do ?
2. Which are the smallest and the biggest birds?
3. Which bird is our national bird ?
4. Who are of quiet nature ?
5. What do you know about hawk, eagle etc.?
6. Find from the passage the word which means ‘kinds’.
Answer:
1. Birds always attract children.
2. Humming bird and ostrich are the smallest and the biggest birds respectively.
3. Peacock is our national bird.
4. Pigeons, sparrows and parrots are of quiet nature.
5. They are predators.
6. Types.
Passage – 5.
Once a mother-parrot gave birth to two baby-parrots. One hunter bought and brought up one baby-parrot. This baby-parrot learnt the harsh words like catch, hit, kill etc. By chance, the other baby-parrot had been bought and brought up by a holy man. This baby parrot learnt the honeyed words like welcome, sit, thanks etc. Your sweet language attracts everyone. You will be liked and loved like a cuckoo bird.
Question:
1. Who bought and brought up one baby parrot?
2. What words did the hunter’s baby parrot learn?
3. What did a holyman do ?
4. What words did the holyman’s baby parrot learn?
5. Why will you be liked and loved?
6. Find from the passage the word which means ‘sacred’.
Answers:
1. One hunter bought and brought up one baby-parrot.
2. He learnt the words-catch, hit, kill etc.
3. A holyman bought and brought up the other baby-parrot.
4. He learnt the words-welcome, sit, thanks etc
5. We’ll be liked and loved because of our sweet language.
6. Holy.
Passage – 6.
Have you ever made friendship with a tree? I have made friendship with a bamboo. Actually, bamboo is a grass. It faithfully supported me in my needs. When I was a child, it gave me a wonderful toy-flute. Whenever I played it, the people loved me much. In my young age, it gave me the business of bamboo selling. I could avail of all the comforts and luxuries of life. In old age it gives fire.
Question :
1. With whom did the speaker of the passage have friendship?
2. What was the wonderful toy ?
3. What was the speaker’s business?
4. In which age of life was the : speaker?
5. ………… it gives fire.’ What does the word ‘it here refer to?
6. Find from the passage the word which means ‘expensive and enjoyable items’.
Answer:
1. The speaker had friendship with a bamboo tree.
2. Flute was the wonderful toy.
3. Bamboo selling was the speaker’s business.
4. The speaker was of the old age.
5. The word ‘it’ here refers to the bamboo’.
6. Luxuries.
Passage – 7.
My big brother was five years older than I, but only three classes ahead. He had begun his studies at the same age as I had, but he did not like the idea of moving hastily in an important matter like education. He wanted to lay a firm foundation. So he took two years to do one year’s work, sometimes he even took three. If the foundation was not strong, how would the building be strong.
I was the younger, he the elder. I was nine, he was fourteen. He had full right by seniority to supervise and instruct me. I was expected to accept every order of his as a law. By nature he was very studious. He was always sitting with a book open. And perhaps to rest his brain he would sometimes draw pictures of birds, dogs and cats in the margin of his note-book.
Question:
1. What idea did the big brother not like?
2. Why did the big brother take two years to do one year’s work?
3. What did the big brother do to rest his mind ?
4. ‘I was nine but he was fourteen. What does the word ‘T’ here refer to ?
5. And I was expected to accept every order of his. Who does the word ‘his’ here refer to?
6. Find the word in the passage which means
Answer:
1. He did not like the idea of moving hastily in an important matter like education.
2. He wanted to lay a firm foundation.
3. He would sometimes draw pictures of birds, dogs and cats in the margin of his note-book.
4. ‘I’ here refers to the writer (or the narrator).
5. The word ‘his’ here refers to writer’s big brother.
6. hastily.
Passage – 8.
A young lady was waiting at the busstop with her small suitcase beside her on the footpath. She kept looking at her watch anxiously. Her train left at half past two and it was already two o’clock. She didn’t want to miss the tram. As there was no bus in sight,she decided to telephone for a taxi. She had already walked some distance in the direction of a friend’s house, where there was a telephone, when a bus came into sight. She ran back at once to catch it and reached the station in time.
Question:
1. What was the lady waiting for?
2. How much time did she have to catch the train ?
3. From where did she decide to telephone for a taxi?
4.”……….ran back at once to catch it……”What does the word ‘it’ here refer to?
5. Why was the young lady worried ?
6. What luggage did she have with her ?
Answers:
1. The lady was waiting for the bus.
2. She had thirty minutes to catch the train.
3. She decided to telephone from her friend’s house.
4. ‘it’ here refers to the ‘bus’.
5. She did not find the bus to reach station in time.
6. She had a small suitcase.