MEGAMINDS COACHING CLASSES Unseen passage (TEST) Q1. Read the following passage carefully: [8] Kausani is situated at a height of 6,075 feet in the Central Himalayas. It is an unusually attractive little town. It covers just about 5.2 sq. kms. It lies to the north of Almora in Uttarakhand’s picturesque Kumaon region. Kausani provides a 300-km-wide breathtaking view of the Himalayas. It is the most striking aspect of this place. Snow-capped peaks are spread in a stately row. They stare at you in silvery white majesty. The most famous peak on view is Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India. itis situated at a height of 25,645 feet and 36 miles away as the crow files. The other famous peaks on view are Choukhamba (23,420 feet) and Trishul (23,360 feet). Then there are also Nilkhamba, Nandaghunti, Nandaghat and Nandakot. On a clear day, the blue of the sky makes a splendid background to these peaks, At sunrise and at sunset, when the colour changes to a golden orange, the scene gets etched in your memory. When Gandhi visited this place in 1929, its scenic beauty held him spellbound. He named it the ‘Switzerland of India’. He prolonged his two-day stay to fourteen days, making time to write a book, ‘Anashakti Yoga’. The place where he was staying was originally a quest-house of the tea estate. It was renamed ‘Anashakti Ashram’ after the book. Kausani is the birthplace of Sumitranandan Pant, India's poet laureate. Its natural surrounding inspired many of his poems. Its tea gardens mingle with dense pine forests and fruit orchards. The area is also host to many fairs and religious ceremonies. If Uttaranchal is the abode of gods, Kausani is God’s own backyard. There is no traffic, no one is in a hurry. If serenity could be put on a canvas, the picture would resemble Kausani |. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions: (@) Where is Kausani situated? (b)What is the most striking aspect of Kausani? (©) Which is the most famous peak on view from Kausani? (d)How did Kausani influence Sumitranandan Pant? (©) When does the view of peaks become so memorable? (f How can we say that Gandhiji was greatly charmed by the natural beauty of Kausani? (g) What makes Kausani a calm and quiet place? (h)Why do you think is Kausani known as ‘God's own backyard’? 2. Read the following passage carefully: Neem is very commonly seen in India. Scientifically known as ‘Azadirachta indica, it belongs to the mahogany family Meliaceae. The tree can reach a height of 49-66 ft and is a fastgrowing tree. The entire tree, ie. the bark, leaves and flowers, has a lot of medicinal value as it helps in curing various diseases, The leaves and the bark of this tree are very effective in controlling infections, deworming and in disinfecting and healing wounds. The fresh leaves can be used by extracting the juice or a paste of the leaves can be taken along with a small piece of jaggery. In case of wounds, a few leaves can be boiled in water and then this water, when at tolerable temperature, can be used to wash the wounds. Two drops of neem oil can be used for applying on the wound. Neem also helps in relieving itch in case of allergic rashes. Neem water can be used in case of allergic reactions. The paste of neem seeds can be applied on the scalp and washed off after 10 minutes of application. It also helps in eliminating dandruff, boils on the scalp and prevents hair loss. Neem is very useful in jaundice. The juice can be given along with honey. Neem is very useful in case of fever. Fresh leaves can be taken with tulsi leaves or with honey. Neem water can be used to soak the feet in case of cracks on dry feet. Neem leaf powder is used for preserving grains and pulses. Neem is of special importance on New Year's Day as a symbol of good health and longevity.Answer the following questions: [12] 1. What is the medicinal value of neem? 2. What is the paste of neem seeds used for? 3. How does neem help grains and pulses? 4, Neem belongs to the family is also known as 5. What is neem a symbol of? 6. Which word in the passage is the adjectival form of ‘tolerate’? Ulhas Mandlik, 35, a power-loom owner from Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra, and his mother were homeward-bound one evening when heavy rain forced them to take shelter beneath a bridge. Not far away, a small group of labourers huddled together under a part of the cement housing above a 16 metre deep well used to pump water for irrigation. Suddenly, Mandlik and his mother heard the labourers scream, When the two got to the well, they were told that a five year old boy named Hariya had fallen in through a side opening in the structure. Ignoring his mother’s fears, Mandlik quickly knotted together lengths of flimsy rope belonging to the labourers and asked them to lower him into the dark well. I hope the rope holds,” he thought. As he descended, Mandlik noticed the metal rungs on the wall of the well. He grabbed hold of one and started climbing down, when he saw the boy clinging toa pipe running up the well's centre. Grabbing the child, Mandlik started to climb praying that the old rungs wouldn't give away and plunge them both into the churning water below. Their luck held and within a few minutes, Mandlik clambered to ground level and handed over Hariya to his sobbing father. The man fell at Mandlik’s feet and offered him some money as a reward. Refusing the cash, Mandlik took Hariya and his family to a nearby eatery and offered them steaming tea to warm them up. Several organisations have honoured Mandlik for his bravery and presence of mind on that wet day three years ago. "| am happy | was at the right place at the right time,” he says,” and was able to return a little boy to his family.” Read the questions given below and write the option you consider the most appropriate in your answer sheet. QI: What first drew Ulhas and his mother to the well?({) shelter from the heavy rain. (ji) the return journey home. news of a small boy's fall. (iv) the labourer’s screams. Q2: What were Ulhas’ mother's fears really associated with?(i) the rusted rungs inside the wall. (ji) the risk to the fe of the rescuer. the churning water inside (iv) doubts about the safety the well. of the boy. Q3: Which of the following could be a learning from the report2(i) i should not take shelter even is best not to involve oneself (ii) one uation: wolving others. beneath a bridge in the rain. (iii) one cannot predict when an (iv) metal rungs alongside the wall of accident may befall any person. well may not always be useful. Q4: Which of these expressions best describes Ulhas in view of this incident2(i disregard for an elder’s disbelief in one’s own al faith only in prayers for (iv) concern for others with no success. expect QS: Which of these did Hariya's father express on receiving his son?(i) gratitude. (Ii) relief. peace.