Question : Comprehension:

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

For birds to survive, they must learn to live with and off humans, and those birds, like crows, sparrows, and mynahs, who do this to perfection, continue to thrive as our cities grow, whereas the purely wild birds, who depend on forests for life, are rapidly disappearing because forests are disappearing. If you have just a bit of garden and perhaps a guava tree, you will be visited by innumerable bulbuls, mynahs, tailor birds, parrots, etc. Or, if you own an old house, you will have to share it with pigeons and sparrows. And, if you have neither a garden nor a rooftop, you will still be visited by the crows.

Where man goes, the crow follows. He has learned to perfect the art of living off of humans. He will, I am sure, be the first bird on the moon, scavenging among the paper bags and cartons left behind by untidy astronauts. Crows favour the densest areas of the human population, and there must be one for every human. Many crows seem to have been humans in their previous lives; they possess all the cunning and sense of self preservation of man. At the same time, there are many humans who have obviously been crows, we haven't lost their thieving instincts.

Watch a crow sidling along the garden wall with an eye at the kitchen door and any attendant humans. He waits in the background till his chance comes, and then he pounces! I have even known a crow to make off with an egg from the breakfast table. The mynah, however, is more of a gentleman. He prefers fruit on the tree to scraps from the kitchen and visits the garden in expectation of handouts. He is quite handsome, too, with his bright orange bill. Although the blue jay is quite capable of making his living in the forest, he seems to show a preference for human haunts. He would rather perch on a telegraph wire because he finds it a better launching pad for his sudden rocket flights and aerial acrobatics!

Question:

Which of these birds has been called a ‘thief’ by the narrator?

Option 1: parrot

Option 2: crow

Option 3: mynah

Option 4: bulbul

Question : Comprehension:

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

For birds to survive, they must learn to live with and off humans, and those birds, like crows, sparrows, and mynahs, who do this to perfection, continue to thrive as our cities grow, whereas the purely wild birds, who depend on forests for life, are rapidly disappearing because forests are disappearing. If you have just a bit of garden and perhaps a guava tree, you will be visited by innumerable bulbuls, mynahs, tailor birds, parrots, etc. Or, if you own an old house, you will have to share it with pigeons and sparrows. And, if you have neither a garden nor a rooftop, you will still be visited by the crows.

Where man goes, the crow follows. He has learned to perfect the art of living off of humans. He will, I am sure, be the first bird on the moon, scavenging among the paper bags and cartons left behind by untidy astronauts. Crows favour the densest areas of the human population, and there must be one for every human. Many crows seem to have been humans in their previous lives; they possess all the cunning and sense of self preservation of man. At the same time, there are many humans who have obviously been crows, we haven't lost their thieving instincts.

Watch a crow sidling along the garden wall with an eye at the kitchen door and any attendant humans. He waits in the background till his chance comes, and then he pounces! I have even known a crow to make off with an egg from the breakfast table. The mynah, however, is more of a gentleman. He prefers fruit on the tree to scraps from the kitchen and visits the garden in expectation of handouts. He is quite handsome, too, with his bright orange bill. Although the blue jay is quite capable of making his living in the forest, he seems to show a preference for human haunts. He would rather perch on a telegraph wire because he finds it a better launching pad for his sudden rocket flights and aerial acrobatics!

Question:

What is the theme of the passage?

Option 1: Receding forests

Option 2: Survival of the birds in cities

Option 3: Alarming crow population

Option 4: Migration of birds

Question : Comprehension:

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

On a cold, wintry Christmas day in 1998, the ice and snow were beating down upon the windows of the vehicles as we travelled to an obscure orphanage in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We battled unstable hills blanketed with two feet of snow. The narrow road forced us to drive perilously close to the edge. This would be my first Christmas away from home and family. I could imagine my wife and my two little daughters opening their gifts on Christmas day. Today, I was going to learn for the first time how it would be to spend Christmas day with other children.

Enemy activity had devastated the villages. I had heard stories and seen pictures of this particular village where we were headed. What I did not know was that it would be a camp full of destitute families and children. As we entered the village, the children lined the roads on both sides and cheered. They ran to us in excitement as we climbed out of our vehicles. Within moments, I saw my soldiers passing out sweets and chocolates and talking with the children. The adults, who were not sure if we could be trusted, kept their distance. But soon, they too were won over by my men. The soldiers unloaded 87 boxes of toys, clothes, shoes, school supplies, and candy. We were soon surrounded by the people of the village, who shook our hands and smiled shyly in thanks for our gifts and our presence.

After the two hour visit, as we rose to leave, the camp leader said to us, "Please come again, even if you have nothing to give. We enjoyed having you here." We had loved every moment we had been there. This year, we truly learned the Christmas spirit of loving and giving!

Question:

Which of these statements is NOT true?

Option 1: The village had been reduced to a camp for the destitute families.

Option 2: The villagers wanted only gifts from the soldiers.

Option 3: Children were excited to meet the soldiers.

Option 4: It was the narrator’s first Christmas away from home.

Question : Comprehension:

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

On a cold, wintry Christmas day in 1998, the ice and snow were beating down upon the windows of the vehicles as we travelled to an obscure orphanage in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We battled unstable hills blanketed with two feet of snow. The narrow road forced us to drive perilously close to the edge. This would be my first Christmas away from home and family. I could imagine my wife and my two little daughters opening their gifts on Christmas day. Today, I was going to learn for the first time how it would be to spend Christmas day with other children.

Enemy activity had devastated the villages. I had heard stories and seen pictures of this particular village where we were headed. What I did not know was that it would be a camp full of destitute families and children. As we entered the village, the children lined the roads on both sides and cheered. They ran to us in excitement as we climbed out of our vehicles. Within moments, I saw my soldiers passing out sweets and chocolates and talking with the children. The adults, who were not sure if we could be trusted, kept their distance. But soon, they too were won over by my men. The soldiers unloaded 87 boxes of toys, clothes, shoes, school supplies, and candy. We were soon surrounded by the people of the village, who shook our hands and smiled shyly in thanks for our gifts and our presence.

After the two hour visit, as we rose to leave, the camp leader said to us, "Please come again, even if you have nothing to give. We enjoyed having you here." We had loved every moment we had been there. This year, we truly learned the Christmas spirit of loving and giving!

Question:

Why did the villagers want the soldiers to come back again?

Option 1: They wanted clothes and other stuff.

Option 2: They were afraid of the enemies.

Option 3: They enjoyed the soldiers’ company.

Option 4: The children appeared more cheerful.

Question : Comprehension:

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

On a cold, wintry Christmas day in 1998, the ice and snow were beating down upon the windows of the vehicles as we travelled to an obscure orphanage in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We battled unstable hills blanketed with two feet of snow. The narrow road forced us to drive perilously close to the edge. This would be my first Christmas away from home and family. I could imagine my wife and my two little daughters opening their gifts on Christmas day. Today, I was going to learn for the first time how it would be to spend Christmas day with other children.

Enemy activity had devastated the villages. I had heard stories and seen pictures of this particular village where we were headed. What I did not know was that it would be a camp full of destitute families and children. As we entered the village, the children lined the roads on both sides and cheered. They ran to us in excitement as we climbed out of our vehicles. Within moments, I saw my soldiers passing out sweets and chocolates and talking with the children. The adults, who were not sure if we could be trusted, kept their distance. But soon, they too were won over by my men. The soldiers unloaded 87 boxes of toys, clothes, shoes, school supplies, and candy. We were soon surrounded by the people of the village, who shook our hands and smiled shyly in thanks for our gifts and our presence.

After the two hour visit, as we rose to leave, the camp leader said to us, "Please come again, even if you have nothing to give. We enjoyed having you here." We had loved every moment we had been there. This year, we truly learned the Christmas spirit of loving and giving!

Question:

The narrator was not with his family at Christmas because:

Option 1: the journey was dangerous

Option 2: he was going to an orphanage

Option 3: the snow had blocked the roads

Option 4: the enemies were destroying villages