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Directions—(Q. 1–12) Read the
following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while
answering some of the questions.
Long ago, the country of Gandhara was ruled by a just and good king Vidyadhara. His subjects were very happy, but as the king grew older, everyone grew more and more worried because the king did not have any children who could take over the kingdom after him. The king was an avid gardener. He spent a lot of time tending to his garden, planting the finest flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. One day, after he finished working in his garden, he proclaimed, ‘I will distribute some seeds to all the children in the kingdom. The one who grows the biggest, healthiest plant within three months will become the prince or the princess.’
The next day there was a long queue of anxious parents and children outside the palace. Everyone was eager to get a seed and grow the best plant. Pingala, a poor farmer’s son, was among the children. Like the king, he too was fond of gardening and grew beautiful plants in his backyard. He took the seed from the king and planted it in a pot with great care. Some weeks passed and he plied it with water and manure, but the plant did not appear. Pingala tried changing the soil and transferred the seed to another pot, but even by the end of three months, nothing appeared.
At last the day came when all the children had to go to the king to show the plant they had grown. They went walking to the palace dressed in their best, holding beautiful plants in their hands. Only Pingala stood sadly, watching them go by. Pingala’s father had watched his son working hard with the seed and felt sorry for him. ‘Why don’t you go to the king with your empty pot ?’ he suggested. ‘At least he will know you tried your best.’ So Pingala too wore his best suit and joined the others outside the palace, holding his empty pot in his hand and ignoring the laughter around him. Soon the king arrived and began his inspection. The pots held flowers of different shades, beautiful and healthy, but the king did not look happy. At the end of the queue stood Pingala, and when the king reached him, he stopped in surprise.
‘My son, why have you come with an empty pot ? Could you not grow anything ?’ Pingala looked down and said, ‘Forgive me, your highness. I tried my best, I gave it the best soil and manure I had, but the plant would
not grow.’
Now the king’s face broke into a smile. He enveloped Pingala in his arms and announced, ‘This boy truly deserves to be crowned the prince ! I had given everyone roasted seeds, which would never grow. I wanted to see which child was the most honest one, and would admit he or she would not be able to grow anything. Only this young boy told the truth. I am sure he will rule this kingdom one day with truth and honesty.’
And indeed that was what happened. When the king grew old and died, Pingala, who had learnt everything from him, came to the throne and ruled Gandhara justly for many years.
1. Why did the king distribute seeds to all children in his kingdom ?
(A) It was part of one of the rituals of the kingdom
(B) He wanted to see who could grow the tallest plant
(C) He finished all his work in the garden and had extra seeds left
(D) He wanted to inculcate the hobby of gardening among the children of his kingdom
(E) None of these
2. Why was Pingala holding an empty pot in his hands ?
(1) He could not grow the seed the king gave him.
(2) His plant did not survive after the second month.
(3) He wanted to be different from the other children.
(A) Only (1)
(B) Only (2)
(C) Only (3)
(D) Only (1) and (2)
(E) Only (1) and (3)
Long ago, the country of Gandhara was ruled by a just and good king Vidyadhara. His subjects were very happy, but as the king grew older, everyone grew more and more worried because the king did not have any children who could take over the kingdom after him. The king was an avid gardener. He spent a lot of time tending to his garden, planting the finest flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. One day, after he finished working in his garden, he proclaimed, ‘I will distribute some seeds to all the children in the kingdom. The one who grows the biggest, healthiest plant within three months will become the prince or the princess.’
The next day there was a long queue of anxious parents and children outside the palace. Everyone was eager to get a seed and grow the best plant. Pingala, a poor farmer’s son, was among the children. Like the king, he too was fond of gardening and grew beautiful plants in his backyard. He took the seed from the king and planted it in a pot with great care. Some weeks passed and he plied it with water and manure, but the plant did not appear. Pingala tried changing the soil and transferred the seed to another pot, but even by the end of three months, nothing appeared.
At last the day came when all the children had to go to the king to show the plant they had grown. They went walking to the palace dressed in their best, holding beautiful plants in their hands. Only Pingala stood sadly, watching them go by. Pingala’s father had watched his son working hard with the seed and felt sorry for him. ‘Why don’t you go to the king with your empty pot ?’ he suggested. ‘At least he will know you tried your best.’ So Pingala too wore his best suit and joined the others outside the palace, holding his empty pot in his hand and ignoring the laughter around him. Soon the king arrived and began his inspection. The pots held flowers of different shades, beautiful and healthy, but the king did not look happy. At the end of the queue stood Pingala, and when the king reached him, he stopped in surprise.
‘My son, why have you come with an empty pot ? Could you not grow anything ?’ Pingala looked down and said, ‘Forgive me, your highness. I tried my best, I gave it the best soil and manure I had, but the plant would
not grow.’
Now the king’s face broke into a smile. He enveloped Pingala in his arms and announced, ‘This boy truly deserves to be crowned the prince ! I had given everyone roasted seeds, which would never grow. I wanted to see which child was the most honest one, and would admit he or she would not be able to grow anything. Only this young boy told the truth. I am sure he will rule this kingdom one day with truth and honesty.’
And indeed that was what happened. When the king grew old and died, Pingala, who had learnt everything from him, came to the throne and ruled Gandhara justly for many years.
1. Why did the king distribute seeds to all children in his kingdom ?
(A) It was part of one of the rituals of the kingdom
(B) He wanted to see who could grow the tallest plant
(C) He finished all his work in the garden and had extra seeds left
(D) He wanted to inculcate the hobby of gardening among the children of his kingdom
(E) None of these
2. Why was Pingala holding an empty pot in his hands ?
(1) He could not grow the seed the king gave him.
(2) His plant did not survive after the second month.
(3) He wanted to be different from the other children.
(A) Only (1)
(B) Only (2)
(C) Only (3)
(D) Only (1) and (2)
(E) Only (1) and (3)
3. Why did Pingala’s father encourage him to go to the king with an empty pot ?
(1) He wanted the king to know that his son tried his best to grow the plant.
(2) He wanted his son to be noticed by the king.
(3) He wanted the king to realise that he had cheated his son.
(A) Only (1)
(B) Only (2)
(C) Only (3)
(D) Only (1) and (2)
(E) None of these
(A) Reject
(B) Deny
(C) Dismiss
(D) Disclose
(E) Confess
(1) He was a farmer by profession.
(2) He was very encouraging towards his son.
(3) He was a poor man.
(A) Only (1)
(B) Only (2) and (3)
(C) Only (2)
(D) Only (3)
(E) All (1), (2) and (3)
(A) he enjoyed gardening
(B) he was taken aback by his plant
(C) he was the only child to have admitted the truth
(D) he had the most beautiful and healthy plant
(E) he was in awe of his upbringing
(1) The finest seeds he had.
(2) Roasted seeds that would never sprout.
(3) Vegetable and fruit seeds.
(A) Only (1)
(B) Only (2)
(C) Only (3)
(D) Only (1) and (3)
(E) None of these
(A) Pingala was fond of gardening just like the king
(B) The king did not have any child who could take over the kingdom
(C) Pingala took great care of the seed the king gave him
(D) The seeds that the king gave to the children grew into beautiful and healthy plants
(E) The children were given three months to complete their assignment
(A) He wanted to see which plant had the most beautiful flower
(B) He wanted to witness the joy on the children’s faces
(C) He wanted to see which plant would be the most useful to him
(D) He wanted to check the children’s gardening skills
(E) He wanted to see which child was honest and would admit the truth
10. Avid
(A) Bright
(B) Intelligent
(C) Enthusiastic
(D) Lazy
(E) Amateur
(A) Depressed
(B) Hopeless
(C) Carefree
(D) Doubtful
(E) Nervous
(A) Best
(B) Thinnest
(C) Ordinary
(D) Common
(E) Cheapest
13. I am very keen to to learned about the town’s history.
(A) to learns
(B) to learn
(C) at learning
(D) to have learn
(E) No correction required
(A) is being closed
(B) has been closed
(C) are closed
(D) to have closed
(E) No correction required
(A) would told you
(B) will tell you
(C) would have told you
(D) would be telling you
(E) No correction required
(A) of being
(B) to have been
(C) to being
(D) having being
(E) No correction required
(A) to seem to think
(B) seem to be thinking
(C) seem to have thought
(D) seemed to think
(E) No correction required
18. We had to (A) / hurry to the airport (B) / as the flight departures (C) / from Mumbai at 6 : 30 pm. (D) No error (E)
23. The tape (A) recordings contained (B) prove (C) of his involvement in the crime. (D) All correct (E)
(1) “My horns are my weapons,” said the deer. “I’m sharpening them.”
(2) Frightened by the deer’s sharpened horns, he turned to the fox instead and shot him dead.
(3) The fox wondered why the deer was wasting time sharpening his weapons when there was no danger in sight.
(4) A wild deer was rubbing his horns against a tree. A fox passing by asked him what he was doing.
(5) Just then a hunter appeared at the scene.
28. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 5
(B) 4
(C) 3
(D) 2
(E) 1
(A) 5
(B) 4
(C) 3
(D) 2
(E) 1
(A) 5
(B) 4
(C) 3
(D) 2
(E) 1
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
One day, it so happened that Emperor Akbar …(33)… on a rock in his garden. He was in a foul mood that day and the accident made him so …(34)… that he ordered the gardener’s arrest and execution. The next day when the gardener was …(35)… what his last wish would be before he was hanged, he…(36)… an audience with the emperor. His wish was …(37)…, but when the man neared the throne he loudly cleared his throat and spat at the emperor’s feet. The emperor was taken aback and …(38)… to know why he had done such a thing. The gardener had acted on Birbal’s advice and now Birbal stepped forward in the man’s defence. ‘Your Majesty,’ he said, “there could be no person more loyal to you than this unfortunate man. Fearing that people would say you hanged him for a trifle, he has gone out of his way to give you a …(39)… reason for hanging him.’’ The emperor, …(40)… that he was about to do great injustice to an innocent man, set the man free.
33. (A) fall
(B) faltered
(C) bruised
(D) trip
(E) stumbled
(B) troubled
(C) disturb
(D) angry
(E) unfortunate
(B) question
(C) told
(D) requested
(E) asked
(B) requested
(C) said
(D) demand
(E) propose
(B) presented
(C) privileged
(D) judged
(E) weighed
(B) asked
(C) demanded
(D) wanting
(E) seemed
(B) some
(C) prized
(D) justly
(E) more
40. (A) understands
(B) realising
(C) foresee
(D) announced
(E) thinks
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thank you madam plz upload total paper of examination .
ReplyDeletewith regards
KUMAR
Thanks Mam,
ReplyDeleteLast year the passage in english section was essay type....The passage which is here is story type. Can you please post essay type passage for practice.
Ok friend. By tomorrow you can expect the Essay type passage :)
DeleteThanks for comment
Please update the answer of Qs no 11.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is E. Nervous.
Thanks for the update Aritra, It was a coding error. Corrected now.
DeleteGood Day