Moitri Chowdhury

9820988212 English Language

COMPREHENSION – PRACTICE PAPER

Read the extract given below and answer the questions (a). (b). (c) and (d) that follow:
Rajni had been less than a month in Rajpur when he discovered the pool in the forest.
It was the height of a summer, and his school had not yet opened; and, having as yet made
no friends in this small hill-station, he wandered about a good deal by himself into the hills
and forests that stretched away interminably on all sides of the town.
It was hot at the time of the year, and Ranji walked about in his vest and shorts, his brown
feet white with the chalky dust that flew up from the ground. The earth was parched, the
grass brown, the trees listless, hardly stirring waiting for a cool wind or a refreshing shower of
rain.
It was on such a day – a hot, tired say – that Ranji found the pool in the forest. The water had
a gentle translucency, and you could see the smooth peddles at the bottom of the pool. A
small stream emerged from a cluster of rocks to feed the pool. During the monsoon, this
stream would be a gushing torrent, cascading down from the hills, but during the summer it
was barely a trickle. The rocks, however, held the water in the pool, and it did not dry up like
the pools in these plains.
When Ranji saw the pool, he did not hesitate to get into it. He had often gone swimming,
alone or with friends, when he had lived with his parents in a thirsty town in the middle of
the Rajputana desert. There he had known only sticky muddy pools, where buffaloes
wallowed and women washed clothes. He had never seen a pool like this – so clean and cold
and inviting. He threw off all his clothes, and he had done when he went swimming in the
plains, and leapt into the water. His limbs were supple, free of any fat, and his dark body
glistened in patches of sunlit water.
He was there for almost an hour, sliding in and out of the limpid green water, or lying
stretched out on the smooth yellow rocks in the shade of broad-leaved sal trees. It was while
he lay thus, on a rock, that he noticed another boy standing a little distance away, staring at
him in a rather hostile manner. The other boy was a little older than Ranji, taller thick-set
with a broad nose and thick-set with a broad nose and thick, red lips. He had only just noticed
Ranji and he stood at the edge of the pool, wearing a pair of bathing shorts, waiting for Ranji
to explain himself.
When Ranji did not say anything, the other called out, “What are you doing here, Mister?”
Ranji, who was prepared to be friendly, was taken aback at the hostility of the other’s time. ”I
am swimming, ;he replied. ‘Why don’t you join me?’
‘I always swim alone, ’said the other. ‘This is my pool. I did not invite you here.’
I. Give the meaning of each of the following as used in the passage. one-word answers or a
short phrase will be accepted:
i. height (line 2)
a) top
 Moitri Chowdhury
9820988212 English Language

b) base
c) peak
d) climax
ii. parched (line 8)
a) dry
b) glistening
c) lean
d) excessive
iii. trickle (line 14)
a) gush
b) thin
c) drip
d) pour
II. Answer the following questions in your own words:
i. What made Ranji wander about a good deal?
ii. Describe the natural setting surrounding Ranji. How was he dressed most of the
time? Why?
iii. What did Ranji find while wandering about one day?
iv. Why did Ranji not hesitate to get into it?
v. Describe the pools found in the plains.
vi. What did Ranji notice while lying on the rocks’? Describe what he saw.

III. In not more than 50 words of your own five a description of the pool found by Ranji.
[8].
Question 5:
a) Complete the passage given below with a suitable form of the word given in brackets. Do
not copy the entire paragraph. Write only your answers with the correct number in the
brackets: [4]
‘Aha!’ I ______________ (1) (cry) unable to restrain myself. He ___________ (2)
(brighten) up on hearing my interest. It __________ (3) (be) a monograph on wild life.
Every day we see the papers full of speeches on the problem of ____________ (4)
(preserve) wild life, and most people do not know what they ____________ (5) (talk)
about. What ________ (6) (happen) in this country is that amateurs ____________ (7)
(invade) every field. I ______________ (8) (make) many important points in my book and
I want it to be ready for the conference on wild life at the end of the year.

1. _________________ 5. _________________
2. _________________ 6. _________________
3. _________________ 7. _________________
4. _________________ 8. _________________
Moitri Chowdhury
9820988212 English Language

b) Fill each blank with a suitable word: (Do not copy the sentence.)
[4]
i. The public are cautioned ___________ pickpockets.
ii. It is ten o’ clock ___________ my watch.
iii. Do not cry ___________ spilt milk.
iv. He has recovered ___________ his illness.
v. I come ____________ a big family.
vi. Compare your answers___________ your partner.
vii. Have you got any experience ___________ this?
viii. Take no notice ____________ that bully!

c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or
so: [4]
i. I got wet in the rain. I did not carry an umbrella.
a) I got wet as I did not carry an umbrella.
b) I got wet in the rain since I did not carry an umbrella.
c) I did not carry an umbrella thus I got wet in the rain.
d) I got wet in the rain, I did not carry an umbrella.
ii. Janice is fine. That is all I know.
a) I know Janice is all fine.
b) All I know that Janice is well
c) All I know is that, Janice is fine.
d) It is all I know that Janice is fine.

iii. He is walking slowly. He won’t catch the train.

a) He is walking so slowly that he won’t catch the train.
b) He is walking very slowly to catch the train.
c) He is walking slowly thus he won’t catch the train.
d) He is slow in walking and he won’t catch the train.

iv. The book fell on the floor. It opened a page I had never read before.
a) I had never read the page that the book opened to.
b) The book fell thus opening to a page I had never read before.
c) When the book fell on the floor, it opened a page I had never read before.
d) The book fell on the floor and it opened a page I had never read before.

d) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make
other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence:
[8]
i. I will not be able to join the swimming team this year.
(Rewrite using ‘unable’)
Moitri Chowdhury
9820988212 English Language

a) I will be unable to join the swimming team this year.

b) I will unable to join the swimming team this year.
c) I am unable to join the swimming team this year.
d) I was unable to join the swimming team this year.

ii. I expect that he will complete the work by 10 p. m.

(Begin: I expect him ______ )
a) I expect him to complete the work by 10 p.m.
b) I expect that one will complete work by 10 p.m.
c) I expect him that he will complete work by 10 p.m.
d) I expect him that his work will be complete by 10 p.m.

iii. It is sad that you are leaving your job.

(Begin: How _______!)
a) How sad that you are leaving your job!
b) How sad it is that you are leaving the job!
c) How sad since you are leaving your job!
d) How sad you feel since you are leaving your job!
iv. This pudding is more delicious than any other pudding I have ever tasted.
(Change the degree of comparison without changing the meaning.)

a) I have never tasted a pudding like this.

b) No other pudding I have ever tasted is as delicious as this pudding.
c) This pudding is most delicious that I have tasted.
d) No pudding I have ever tasted is as delicious as this pudding.
v. In spite of the good weather, we are sweating.
(Begin: The weather is_______)
a) The weather is good, we are sweating.
b) The weather is good yet we are sweating.
c) The weather is good so we are sweating.
d) The weather is good and we are sweating.
vi. She is too clever to get caught by them.
(Use: so ___________ that ________)

a) She is so clever that she would not get caught.

b) She is so clever she would not get caught by them.
c) She is so clever enough that she would not get caught by them.
d) She is so clever that she would not get caught by them.

vii. “How far did you go into the woods?” I said to Kapil.
(Begin: I asked _____________)
Moitri Chowdhury
9820988212 English Language

a) I asked Kapil how far he go into the woods.

b) I asked Kapil if he had gone far into the woods.
c) I asked Kapil how far did he go into the woods.
d) I asked Kapil how far did you go into the woods.
e)
viii. I had never seen Shane walk across the road by himself.
(Begin: Never ______)

a) Never did I see Shane walk across the road by himself.

b) Never had I seen Shane walk across the road by himself.
c) Never had Shane walked across the road himself.
d) Never had I seen Shane walk across the road himself.

SOLUTION

Question 2:
e) Complete the passage given below with a suitable form of the word given in brackets. Do
not copy the entire paragraph. Write only your answers with the correct number in the
brackets: [4]
‘Aha!’ I ______cried________ (1) (cry) unable to restrain myself. He ___brightened
________ (2) (brighten) up on hearing my interest. It ___was_______ (3) (be) a
monograph on wild life. Every day we see the papers full of speeches on the problem of
__preserving __________ (4) (preserve) wild life, and most people do not know what
they ______are talking______ (5) (talk) about. What ____happens____ (6) (happen) in
this country is that amateurs ______invade______ (7) (invade) every field. I
_________made_____ (8) (make) many important points in my book and I wanted it to
be ready for the conference on wild life at the end of the year.

5. _________________ 5. _________________
6. _________________ 6. _________________
7. _________________ 7. _________________
8. _________________ 8. _________________

f) Fill each blank with a suitable word: (Do not copy the sentence.)
[4]
ix. The public are cautioned ______against_____ pickpockets.
Moitri Chowdhury
9820988212 English Language

x. It is ten o’ clock _____by______ my watch.

xi. Do not cry _____over______ spilt milk.
xii. He has recovered ____from_______ his illness.
xiii. I come ____from________ a big family.
xiv. Compare your answers_____with______ your partner.
xv. Have you got any experience ______in_____ this?
xvi. Take no notice ______of______ that bully!

g) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or
so: [4]
v. I got wet in the rain. I did not carry an umbrella.
e) I got wet as I did not carry an umbrella.
f) I got wet in the rain since I did not carry an umbrella.
g) I did not carry an umbrella thus I got wet in the rain.
h) I got wet in the rain, I did not carry an umbrella.
vi. Janice is fine. That is all I know.
e) I know Janice is all fine.
f) All I know that Janice is well
g) All I know is that, Janice is fine.
h) It is all I know that Janice is fine.

vii. He is walking slowly. He won’t catch the train.

e) He is walking so slowly that he won’t catch the train.
f) He is walking very slowly to catch the train.
g) He is walking slowly thus he won’t catch the train.
h) He is slow in walking and he won’t catch the train.

viii. The book fell on the floor. It opened a page I had never read before.
e) I had never read the page that the book opened to.
f) The book fell thus opening to a page I had never read before.
g) When the book fell on the floor, it opened a page I had never read before.
h) The book fell on the floor and it opened a page I had never read before.

h) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make
other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence:
[8]
ix. I will not be able to join the swimming team this year.
(Rewrite using ‘unable’)
e) I will be unable to join the swimming team this year.
f) I will unable to join the swimming team this year.
g) I am unable to join the swimming team this year.
h) I was unable to join the swimming team this year.
Moitri Chowdhury
9820988212 English Language

x. I expect that he will complete the work by 10 p. m.

(Begin: I expect him ______ )
e) I expect him to complete the work by 10 p.m.
f) I expect that one will complete work by 10 p.m.
g) I expect him that he will complete work by 10 p.m.
h) I expect him that his work will be complete by 10 p.m.

xi. It is sad that you are leaving your job.

(Begin: How _______!)
e) How sad that you are leaving your job!
f) How sad it is that you are leaving the job!
g) How sad since you are leaving your job!
h) How sad you feel since you are leaving your job!

xii. This pudding is more delicious than any other pudding I have ever tasted.
(Change the degree of comparison without changing the meaning.)

e) I have never tasted a pudding like this.

f) No other pudding I have ever tasted is as delicious as this pudding.
g) This pudding is most delicious that I have tasted.
h) No pudding I have ever tasted is as delicious as this pudding.

xiii. In spite of the good weather, we are sweating.

(Begin: The weather is_______)
e) The weather is good, we are sweating.
f) The weather is good yet we are sweating.
g) The weather is good so we are sweating.
h) The weather is good and we are sweating.

xiv. She is too clever to get caught by them.

(Use: so ___________ that ________)

e) She is so clever that she would not get caught.

f) She is so clever she would not get caught by them.
g) She is so clever enough that she would not get caught by them.
h) She is so clever that she would not get caught by them.
Moitri Chowdhury
9820988212 English Language

xv. “How far did you go into the woods?” I said to Kapil.
(Begin: I asked _____________)
f) I asked Kapil how far he go into the woods.
g) I asked Kapil if he had gone far into the woods.
h) I asked Kapil how far did he go into the woods.
i) I asked Kapil how far did you go into the woods.

xvi. I had never seen Shane walk across the road by himself.
(Begin: Never ______)

e) Never did I see Shane walk across the road by himself.

f) Never had I seen Shane walk across the road by himself.
g) Never had Shane walked across the road himself.
h) Never had I seen Shane walk across the road himself.