Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage to help you locate them while answering some of the questions. If man began with speech and civilisation with agriculture, industry began with fire. Man did not invent it; probably nature produced a marvel for him by the friction of leaves or twigs a stroke of lightning or a chance union of chemicals; man merely had a saving wit to imitate Nature and to improve upon her. He put fire to thousand uses. First, perhaps he made it serve as torch to conquer his fearsome enemy darkness; then he used it for warmth and moved about freely from his native tropics to less enervating zones, slowly making the planet human. Then he applied it to metals, softening them, tempering them and combining them into forms stronger and more supple than those in which they had come to his hand. It was fire that created the old and honourable art of cooking, extending the diet of man to a thousand foods that could not be eaten before. So beneficent and strange was it that fire always remained a miracle to primitive man fit to be worshipped as God. He offered it countless ceremonies of devotion and made it a centre or focus of his life. He carried it carefully with him as he moved from place to place in his wanderings and would not willingly let it die. The Romans even punished with death the careless virgins of the Temple of Vesta who allowed the sacred fire to be extinguished.
1.Why is fire called a wonder?
1) Civilisation has given man this fascinating thing
2) Industry could utilise it very effectively
3) Man did not invent it nor could understand it
4) It could be put to several uses
5) It has played the role of shaping the destiny of human beings
1) Civilisation has given man this fascinating thing
2) Industry could utilise it very effectively
3) Man did not invent it nor could understand it
4) It could be put to several uses
5) It has played the role of shaping the destiny of human beings
2.Which other single word or pair of words in the passage conveys/ convey the idea that fire is a wonder?
1) Imitate
2) Marvel
3) Civilisation
4) Twig
5) Saving wit
1) Imitate
2) Marvel
3) Civilisation
4) Twig
5) Saving wit
3.Mention the thing which the primitive man feared the most.
1) The fury of nature
2) Wild animals
3) Dangerous chemicals
4) Darkness
5) Insecurity
1) The fury of nature
2) Wild animals
3) Dangerous chemicals
4) Darkness
5) Insecurity
4.What was the result of the application of fire to metals?
1) The metals became soft and tempered
2) They became weak and more supple
3) They disintegrated into separate elements
4) They could be preserved for a longer period
5) None of these
1) The metals became soft and tempered
2) They became weak and more supple
3) They disintegrated into separate elements
4) They could be preserved for a longer period
5) None of these
5.What is the meaning of "saving wit to imitate Nature"?
1) Blindly following the dictates of nature
2) Abject surrender to the forces of nature
3) Rational and objective analysis of nature’s laws
4) Intelligent use of God’s gift
5) Wisdom that carried out of difficult situation
1) Blindly following the dictates of nature
2) Abject surrender to the forces of nature
3) Rational and objective analysis of nature’s laws
4) Intelligent use of God’s gift
5) Wisdom that carried out of difficult situation
6.What was the duty of the virgins in the Temple of Vesta?
1) To light the fire everyday exactly at a designated time
2) To light several other fires from the fire of the Temple of Vesta
3) To see to it that the sacred fire in the temple did not go out
4) To carry the fire from place to place wherever the Roman’s went
5) None of these
1) To light the fire everyday exactly at a designated time
2) To light several other fires from the fire of the Temple of Vesta
3) To see to it that the sacred fire in the temple did not go out
4) To carry the fire from place to place wherever the Roman’s went
5) None of these
7.Choose the word which is SIMILAR in meaning to the word supple as used in the passage.
1) Flexible
2) Hard
3) Powerful
4) Weak
5) Useful
1) Flexible
2) Hard
3) Powerful
4) Weak
5) Useful
8.Choose the word which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning to the word tempering as used in the passage.
1) Bending
2) Hardening
3) Elongating
4) Shortening
5) Softening
1) Bending
2) Hardening
3) Elongating
4) Shortening
5) Softening
9.Which of the following statements is TRUE in the context of the passage?
1) Man invented fire
2) Civilization began with fire
3) Man applied fire first to metals
4) Man’s native place was very cold
5) Nature produced fire
1) Man invented fire
2) Civilization began with fire
3) Man applied fire first to metals
4) Man’s native place was very cold
5) Nature produced fire
10.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE in the context of the passage?
1) Industry began with fire
2) Fire taught man the art of cooking
3) Fire always remained a miracle to primitive man
4) Man invented fire
5) Man worshipped fire as God
1) Industry began with fire
2) Fire taught man the art of cooking
3) Fire always remained a miracle to primitive man
4) Man invented fire
5) Man worshipped fire as God
Directions (Q. No. 11 – 20): In thefollowing passage there are blanks,each of which has been numbered. These numbers are also printed belowthe passage and against each five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.
Agood percentage of the population of India is tribal. The tribals live inthe hills and forests of the country and have been little ___ (11) by the ___(12) currents of the plains. Practically all the states of India have their tribal population. The tribes are numerous,computed to be about 200, some living in ___ (13) regions in dense forests,and others on the borders of villages. Some tribes are ___ (14) to a few souls,while others like the Santhals, run into millions and are steadily ___ (15)in numbers. During the British period some of them were known as "criminal tribes" for they showed ___ (16) respect for the Indian Penal Code. After ind-ependence they have been named Scheduled Tribes. Under modern conditions isolation, however, has become ___(17) and the hill tribes are getting ___(18). The cultural traffic is two - way. Social reformers are taking civilization to the hills, and the tribes, ___ (19) their old occupations of hunting and ___(20) farming, are setting in villages, towns and cities as labourers and industrial workers.
11.
1) affected
2) domiciled
3) motivated
4) deprived
5) favoured
1) affected
2) domiciled
3) motivated
4) deprived
5) favoured
12.
1) financial
2) proud
3) cultural
4) unruly
5) swift
1) financial
2) proud
3) cultural
4) unruly
5) swift
13.
1) comfortable
2) marshy
3) wild
4) unpopulated
5) inhospitable
1) comfortable
2) marshy
3) wild
4) unpopulated
5) inhospitable
14.
1) devoted
2) confined
3) susceptible
4) related
5) attached
1) devoted
2) confined
3) susceptible
4) related
5) attached
15.
1) constant
2) deteriorated
3) developing
4) increasing
5) decreasing
1) constant
2) deteriorated
3) developing
4) increasing
5) decreasing
16.
1) abundant
2) genuine
3) superficial
4) exorbitant
5) scant
1) abundant
2) genuine
3) superficial
4) exorbitant
5) scant
17.
1) crucial
2) necessary
3) difficult
4) convenient
5) indispensable
1) crucial
2) necessary
3) difficult
4) convenient
5) indispensable
18.
1) civilized
2) demoralised
3) wiped - out
4) entertained
5) reduced
1) civilized
2) demoralised
3) wiped - out
4) entertained
5) reduced
19.
1) escaping
2) with
3) enhancing
4) leaving
5) continuing
1) escaping
2) with
3) enhancing
4) leaving
5) continuing
20.
1) productive
2) primitive
3) profitable
4) cultivable
5) scientific
1) productive
2) primitive
3) profitable
4) cultivable
5) scientific
