Passage Writing

 Class 12  eNGLISH Composition 

Passage Writing

  1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: (RBSE PYQ 2024)

Trees do much more than supply us with the various conveniences. they help to support man's life by supplying the atmosphere with oxygen, which is essential to life. the oxygen in the air is constantly being used up and turned into carbon dioxide when animals breathe and things burn. carbon dioxide is the food that plants 'eat'. the green leaves of trees (infact of all green plants) absorb this carbon dioxide and with the help of sunlight break it down into carbon and oxygen. the carbon is used to make starch, and the oxygen is released into the air, so replacing the oxygen used up by animals. but for this, animals would soon die for the lack of oxygen.

    starch and other carbon compounds made in the green leaves of trees (and of other green plants too) serve as food for animals. the tiny green cells of plants are wonderful laboratories, which produce all the starch in the world. but for this service done by plants, all animals would sooner or later die for lack of food; they must get all their food directly from plants or indirectly by eating animals that have fed on plants.

Questions:

(1) what different conveniences do we get from trees?

(2) what is essential to life?

(3) what makes carbon dioxide increase in air?

(4) how is carbon dioxide and oxygen made by leaves?

(5) where is all the starch of the world made?

(6) what will happen if there is no oxygen?

find out the word from the passage which means:

(7) the layer of air that surrounds us

(8) shortage

(9) very small in size

answer:-

(1) The conveniences we get from trees include supplying us with oxygen and serving as food for animals.

(2) Oxygen is essential to life.

(3) Carbon dioxide increases in the air when animals breathe and things burn.

(4) Carbon dioxide and oxygen are made by leaves through the process of absorbing carbon dioxide and breaking it down with the help of sunlight, releasing oxygen into the air.

(5) All the starch of the world is made in the tiny green cells of plants.

(6) If there is no oxygen, animals would soon die due to lack of oxygen.

Words from the passage:

(7) The layer of air that surrounds us: Atmosphere

(8) Shortage: Lack

(9) Very small in size: Tiny

             2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 

                                                                                     (RBSE PYQ 2023)

There was another Indian with the Professor and his troupe who took no part in the strongman acts but spent the entire time digging a shallow trench about ten feet long and two or three feet wide. By the time Professor had finished his act, this trench had been filled with red-hot coals from the cook-house. There was no funny business about this firetrench either – we gathered around it and the heat from it was intense. This Indian, rather an elderly gentleman, then stood at one end of the trench, splashed water from a nearby bucket over his bare feet, and then proceeded to walk over the red-hot coals along the whole length of the trench. It was an incredible spectacle – we could see the low flames from the red-hot coals licking around his bare feet as he slowly walked to the end of the trench. When he reached it, as if not satisfied, he turned around and walked back the same way. He then squatted down on the ground, gestured to his feet, and invited us all to inspect them. We did, and there was not so much as a blister anywhere to be seen. I had pushed forward through the crowd to get a closer look at this amazing character’s feet, and as I knelt down beside him I felt something thrust into my hand. It was a handkerchief, and it was then that I recognised him. He had looked at me once, briefly, as he passed the handkerchief to me, but when I went to speak to him he looked away again so I kept my mouth shut. If he wanted to pretend that he didn’t understand English then, that was all right by me. Obviously it amused him to listen to the comments of the admiring crowd gathered around him. The Professor by now had recovered from his encounter with the five-ton truck and he came over to say in halting English that the fire-walker would take a volunteer with him across the fire-trench. This, of course, produced a big laugh, but I didn’t join in. I knew then that I was going across the firetrench, although the very thought of it made me go ice cold with fear. 

Questions :

(i) What size was the trench? 

 (ii) What did the elderly person do before walking over the red-hot coals? 

(iii) What harm was caused to the elderly gentleman by this action? 

(iv) When did the narrator recognise the man? 

 (v) What did the crowd do to amuse the man? 

(vi) Who was heading the troupe? 

 Turn Over Find out the word from the passage which means : 

(vii) not very deep 

(viii) scene 

 (ix) opposite of fluent 

Answer - 

(i) The trench was about ten feet long and two or three feet wide.

(ii) Before walking over the red-hot coals, the elderly person splashed water from a nearby bucket over his bare feet.

(iii) The elderly gentleman did not suffer any harm from walking over the red-hot coals; there were no blisters or injuries seen on his feet.

(iv) The narrator recognized the man when he was passed a handkerchief by him.

(v) The crowd amused the man by making comments and admiring him.

(vi) The troupe was headed by the Professor.

(vii) Shallow

(viii) Spectacle

(ix) Halting

3. Read the following passage carefully and choose the correct answer :   (RBSE PYQ 2023)

For three days Inspector Robinson had been completely in the dark. A man had been found unconscious in the car park of the Swan Hotel. He had been robbed and his car had been stolen. The police had no idea of his identity until at last the man was able to tell them who he was and what had happened. He was also able to give them a description of the man, which the police sent to all the newspapers. The next day Inspector Robinson got a message to say that the man had been seen in a small sea-side town. Inspector Robinson immediately went there. When he reached the police-station, the inspector incharge had a second message for him. The owner of a small restaurant on the seafront had just telephoned. According to him, a person like the wanted man was having dinner in his restaurant. The police at once rushed round to the restaurant. Two policemen stayed outside the front entrance, while Inspector Robinson and another man entered through the kitchen. Very excited, the owner of the restaurant showed Inspector Robinson the man he had been watching. He was sitting at a corner table, reading a newspaper. Without doubt it was the right man. Inspector Robinson did not want to disturb the other people in the restaurant. He let the man finish his meal. Then, as he left the restaurant, Inspector Robinson followed him into the street and arrested him.
Questions :
(i) Inspector Robinson had been completely in the dark. The underlined phrase means[1] 

(A) happy                (B) curious 

(C) confusion          (D) unhappy 

(ii) The robbed man was found unconscious in [1] 

(A) hotel             (B) the room 

(C) car park        (D) the middle of the road 

(iii) The police gave the description to the [1] 

(A) manager      (B) newspapers 

(C) man             (D) inspector incharge

(iv) The restaurant owner found ‘the wanted man’ at [1] 

(A) the sea-side   (B) the village 

(C) the car park   (D) the dining table of his restaurant 

(v) Inspector Robinson entered the restaurant through [1]

 (A) the kitchen    (B) the front side 

(C) the corridor    (D) the backyard 

(vi) Inspector arrested ‘the wanted man’ [1]

 (A) at the corner table   (B) at the kitchen gate 

(C) into the street           (D) in the car park

Answer- (i) Answer: (C) confusion

(ii) Answer: (C) car park

(iii) Answer: (B) newspapers

(iv) Answer: (D) the dining table of his restaurant

(v) Answer: (A) the kitchen

(vi) Answer: (C) into the street

4. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow[6×1=6] (RBSE PYQ 2023)

‘I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me firmly in its grip. Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. I went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around me. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope, and we went back and forth, back and forth across the pool, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool a bit of the panic seized me. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and I went under, some of the old terror returned and my legs froze. It was three months before the tension began to slack. Then he taught me to put my face under water and exhale and to raise my nose and inhale. I repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit I shed part of the panic that seized me when my head went under water.’

Questions :
(i) What was the narrator’s fear? [1]
(ii) What decision did the narrator take? [1]
(iii) What tip was given to the narrator? [1]
(iv) How long did the narrator take to slack his fear? [1]
(v) What is the opposite of ‘exhale’? [1]
(vi) One word for ‘sudden uncontrollable fear’ is

answer

(i) The narrator's fear was related to swimming, particularly the fear of putting their head under water.

(ii) The narrator decided to get an instructor and learn to swim.

(iii) The tip given to the narrator was to put their face under water, exhale, and then raise their nose to inhale.

(iv) It took three months for the narrator to slacken their fear.

(v) The opposite of 'exhale' is 'inhale.'

(vi) One word for 'sudden uncontrollable fear' is 'panic.'

5. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (RBSE PYQ 2022)

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty and charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. Our own country is a little world in itself with an infinite variety and places for us to discover. I have travelled a great deal in this country and I have grown 

in years. And yet I have not seen many parts of the country we love so much and seek to serve. I wish I had more time so that I could visit the nooks and corners of India. 

I would like to go there in the company of bright young children whose minds are opening out with wonder and curiosity as they make new discoveries. I should like to go with them, not so much to the great cities of India as to the mountains and the forests and the great rivers and the old monuments, all of which tell us something of India's story. I would like them to discover for themselves that they can play about in the snow in some parts of India and also see other places where tropical forests flourish. Such a trip with children would be a voyage of discovery, of the beautiful trees, of our forests and hill sides and the flowers that grace the changing seasons and bring life and colour to us.

We would watch the birds and try to recognise them and make friends with them. But the most exciting adventure would be to go to forests and see the wild animals, both the little ones and the big. Foolish people go there with a gun and kill them and thus an end to something that was beautiful. It is far more interesting and amusing to wander about without a gun or any other weapon and to find that wild animals are not afraid and can be approached. 

Animals have keener instincts than man. If a man goes to them with murder in his heart, they are afraid of him and run away. But if he has any love for animals, they realize that he is a friend and do not mind him. If you are full of fear yourself, then the animal is afraid too and might attack you in self-defence. The fearless person is seldom, if ever, attacked. 

Perhaps that lesson might be applied to human beings also. If we meet other people in a friendly way, they also become friendly. But if we are afraid of them or if we show our dislike of them, then they behave in the same manner.

What is our wonderful world full of?

Why would the writer like to go in the company of bright young children?

 If we have love in our hearts, what do wild animals do? 

 How do human beings behave if we dislike them? 

Find the similar word for 'bloom and antonym for 'foes' from the passage. 

answer:-

1. Our wonderful world is full of beauty, charm, and adventure.

2. The writer would like to go in the company of bright young children because their minds are open with wonder and curiosity as they make new discoveries. 

3. If we have love in our hearts, wild animals realize that we are friends and do not mind us.

4. If we dislike human beings, they behave in a similar unfriendly or hostile manner.

5. Similar word for 'bloom' from the passage: 'flowers'. Antonym for 'foes' from the passage: 'friends'.

6. (1 – 9) : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (RBSE PYQ 2020)
                          A priest, of a famous temple on a high hill in Assam was widely known and respected to be a great scholar. When he was on his death-bed, he called the trustee of the temple and told him to select and appoint only a ‘human being’ as his successor.
                  After his death, a day was set for the selection of the new priest. On the scheduled day, starting at dawn, the aspirants started trekking the steep and torturous climb to the temple. As the route to the temple was difficult; full of thorns and stones, many aspirants got minor cuts and bruises on their feet and hands.
                    After breakfast, the selection process started. The trustee asked all the aspirants to recite difficult ‘Shlokas’ or verses from the sacred texts. He explained them various procedures of priesthood. By afternoon, as the selection process was about to end, one young man walked slowly into the temple. The trustee noticed him and asked, “Young man, you are very late. What took you so long ? Why are your clothes torn ? Why are your feet and hands bleeding badly ?”
The young man replied, “I know, Sir, I am late and so I cannot participate. But please let me rest a while and let my wounds be treated. Then I will go back.”
      But the trustee was curious. He asked again, “But how did you get hurt so badly, did you follow the same route as the others ?”
“Yes, Sir, I did”, replied the young man, “But I thought, I must remove all the thorns and sharp stones from the path so that when people come to pray in this temple, they must not get hurt. That is why I got late and hurt myself badly. I apologize for the delay and it will not be fair to the others if I participated.”
The trustee heard him intently, smiled and said, “Congratulations ! You have been chosen. You are a true ‘human being’ to be the successor of our holy priest.”

This statement infuriated the other participants. They demanded, “What do you mean ? Are we not human ?”
The trustee replied, “Our old priest used to say that even animals know how to watch for their self-interest; they know how to avoid dangers, how to search food and so on. Only a ‘human being’ knows how to care for others. This young man not only thought about others but he cleared also the path so that no one would get hurt. So he qualifies as a ‘human being’ to be the successor of the great old priest.”
1. Where was the famous temple situated ?                            1

2. When did the selection process start ?                                 1

3. What did the trustee ask to do in selection test to the aspirants ?  1

 4 SS-02-English (C) 4. How did the young man get hurt badly ? 1

5. Why were the aspirants infuriated ? 1 

6. Why was the young man selected as the new priest of the temple ?          1

Find out words from the passage which mean –
7. The persons who are ambitious and want to aspire something. 

8. A person who follows next in order.                                           1

9. Make excuses for by reasoning or express regret.                    1 

Answer :

1. The famous temple was situated on a high hill in Assam.

2. The selection process started after breakfast on the scheduled day.

3. In the selection test, the trustee asked the aspirants to recite difficult 'Shlokas' or verses from the sacred texts and explained various procedures of priesthood.

4. The young man got hurt badly because he took extra time to remove thorns and sharp stones from the path to the temple to ensure that people coming to pray wouldn't get hurt.

5. The aspirants were infuriated because the young man who arrived late and got hurt was chosen as the new priest based on his selfless actions.

6. The young man was selected as the new priest because he demonstrated selflessness by clearing the path to the temple, thinking about others' well-being.

Words from the passage:

7. The persons who are ambitious and want to aspire something: Aspirants

8. A person who follows next in order: Successor

9. Make excuses for by reasoning or express regret: Apologize

7.  (10 – 11) : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (RBSE PYQ 2020)

Agriculture has always been celebrated as the primary sector in India. But the reality is that Indian farmers have to face extreme poverty and financial crisis, which is driving them to suicides. What are the grave adversities that drive the farmers to commit suicide at a time when Indian economy is supposed to be gearing up to take on the world ?
Indian agriculture is predominantly dependent on nature. Irrigation facilities that are currently available do not cover entire cultivable land. If the farmers are at the mercy of monsoons for timely water for their crops, they are at the mercy of the government for alternative irrigation facilities. Any failure of nature, directly affects the fortunes of the farmers.
Secondly, Indian agriculture is largely an unorgainsed sector. There is no systematic planning in cultivation. The farmers work on lands of uneconomical sizes. Institutional finances are not available and minimum purchase prices of government do not in reality reach the poorest farmers.
Added to this, the cost of agriculture inputs have been steadily rising over the years, farmers’ margin of profits have been narrowing because the price rise in inputs is not complemented by an increase in the purchase price of the agricultural produce. Even today, in several parts of the country agriculture is seasonal occupation. In many districts, farmers get only one crop per year and for the remaining part of the year, they find it difficult to make both ends meet.
What then needs to be done to prevent this sad state of affairs ? There cannot be one single solution to end the woes of farmers. Temporary measures through monetary relief would not be the solution. The government efforts should be targeted at improving the entire structure of the small farmers wherein the relief is not given on a drought to drought basis, rather they are taught to overcome their difficulties through their own skills and capabilities. Social responsibilities also goes a long way to help the farmers. General public, NGOs, Corporate and other organizations too can play a part in helping farmers by adopting drought affected villages and families and helping them to rehabilitate.
10. On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings.                              4                                                                                                             
11.Write a summary of the passage and suggest a suitable title.2                                                         

Answer: (10) :

 Notes:

Adversities Faced by Indian Farmers:

- Extreme poverty and financial crisis leading to suicides.

- Dependency on nature for irrigation, limited coverage of current facilities.

- Lack of systematic planning in cultivation and small, uneconomical land sizes.

- Unavailability of institutional finances and inadequate government support.

- Steadily rising costs of agricultural inputs, narrowing profit margins for farmers.

- Seasonal nature of agriculture in many regions, leading to financial difficulties.

**Solutions to Improve Farmers' Situation:**

- Comprehensive government efforts to improve the structure of small-scale farming.

- Shift from temporary monetary relief to empowering farmers with skills and capabilities.

- Social responsibilities: Involvement of general public, NGOs, corporate entities in supporting farmers.

- Adoption of drought-affected villages and families for rehabilitation.

Summary:

The passage highlights the harsh realities faced by Indian farmers, including extreme poverty, dependency on unpredictable nature for irrigation, and the lack of systematic planning. Rising costs of agricultural inputs and inadequate government support contribute to the financial crisis. The passage suggests that a long-term solution requires comprehensive efforts to empower farmers, shifting from temporary relief to skill-building. Social responsibilities from the public, NGOs, and corporate entities can play a crucial role in supporting farmers. 

Answer (11) :

Title:

"Navigating the Agricultural Crisis: Challenges Faced by Indian Farmers and Sustainable Solutions"

8.  1-9 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (RBSE PYQ 2019)

 Rabindranath Thakur was born in Calcutta on May 7, 1861. His father Devendranath Thakur, was a well-known social and religious leader and was called Maharshi Devendranath. Though a religious leader, Devendranath was very broad-minded and he encouraged his son to think independently.
      In school, Rabindranath found the teaching too elementary. It did not take his teacher long to recognise his high intelligence. He was given 'Macbeth' to translate and to everyone's surprise Rabindranath made a very good translation into Bengali. However, his limitless curiosity to know more and newer things could not be satisfied in school. It was, therefore, decided to withdraw him from there. For four years, from the age of thirteen to seventeen, he studied a wide variety of subjects at home. About the same time he was drawn to Nature and Arts. For hours he would go swimming in the Ganga and watch the changing moods of that mighty river. He also started composing verses and learning music. From 1881 onwards his talent as a writer expressed itself in the form of countless compositions in poetry, drama, prose, music, fiction, philosophy and painting. He wrote nearly 50 plays, 100 books of verse and 40 volumes of fiction and philosophical writings.
Rabindranath was also a great educationist. In 1901, he founded a school at Shantiniketan near Bolpur in Bengal. Situated in the midst of natural surroundings, it soon started attracting students from all over the country and even from outside India. In 1922 it was changed into an international university called Vishva-Bharati, the name it continues to have to this day.
The work which brought him universal recognition was a collection of poems named 'Gitanjali'. Originally written in Bengali, it was translated into English by Rabindranath himself. This won him in 1913 the Nobel Prize in Literature and made him internationally famous.
Rabindranath was a great nationalist and patriot. He felt so bitter about the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in 1919 that as a protest, he gave up Knighthood which the British had awarded him earlier. But his nationalism was not based on any narrow loyalties. It was a part of his wider vision of internationalism and world brotherhood.
He died on August 07, 1941, four years before the founding of the U.N.O. and six years before the coming of Indian independence. Though he is no more, his message of universal peace and love among mankind will continue to inspire many generations to come.
1) Why did Rabindranath give up the title of Knighthood?  [1]
(2) When and where was he born? [1]
(3) Which book of him won him the Nobel prize in Literature? [1]
(4) Who was famous as 'Maharshi'? [1]
(5) How does Rabindranath still inspire the generations to come? [1]
(6) Why was Rabindranath not educated at school? [1]
Find out words from the passage which mean -
(7) Freedom. [1]
(8) Easy, not complicated. [1]
(9) A piece of poetry. [1]

Answer:

(1) Rabindranath gave up the title of Knighthood as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in 1919.

(2) Rabindranath Thakur was born in Calcutta on May 7, 1861.

(3) The book that won Rabindranath the Nobel Prize in Literature was 'Gitanjali.'

(4) Rabindranath's father, Devendranath Thakur, was famous as 'Maharshi.'

(5) Rabindranath continues to inspire generations through his message of universal peace and love among mankind.

(6) Rabindranath was not educated at school because he found the teaching too elementary, and his curiosity for newer things could not be satisfied there.

Words from the passage:

(7) Freedom: Independence

(8) Easy, not complicated: Elementary

(9) A piece of poetry: Verse

9.  10-11 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :  (RBSE PYQ 2019)

How often one hears children wishing they were grown up and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and pains and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets. 
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do.
Life is always presenting new things to the child-things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-learned. A child finds pleasure in playing in the rain or in snow. His first visit to the seaside is a marvellous adventure. But a child has his pains : he is not so free to do as he wishes as he thinks older people are : he is continually being told not to do things, or being punished for what he has done wrong. His life is therefore not perfectly happy. 4 SS–02–English (C) 1302 When the young man starts to earn his own living, he becomes free - from the discipline of school and parents; but at the time he is forced to accept responsibilities. He can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of seeing himself make steady progress in his job and of building up for himself his own position in society.
Old age has always been thought of as the worst age to be, but it is not necessary for the old to be unhappy. With old age should come wisdom and ability to help others with advice wisely. The old can have the joy of seeing their children making progress in life, they can watch their grand children growing up around them and perhaps best of all, they can, if their life has been a useful one, feel the happiness of having come through the battle of life safely and of having reached a time when they can lie back and rest, leaving others to continue the fight.
(10) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. [4]
(11) Write a summary of the passage and suggest a suitable title. [2]

Answer: (10):

Notes:

Pleasures and Pains of Different Ages:

- Children often wish to be grown up, and old people wish to be young.

- Each age has its own set of pleasures and pains.

Childhood:

- Few responsibilities, life is less difficult.

- Good parents provide care, food, and love.

- Childhood is marked by the joy of discovering new things.

- However, restrictions and punishments make a child's life not perfectly happy.

Young Adulthood:

- Starts earning, gains freedom from school and parents.

- Faces responsibilities and the need to work for a living.

- Success requires hard work, staying out of trouble, and maintaining good health.

- Progress in job and building a position in society bring happiness.

Old Age:

- Traditionally viewed as the worst age, but it doesn't have to be unhappy.

- With age come wisdom and the ability to offer valuable advice.

- Joy in witnessing children and grandchildren's progress.

- A sense of accomplishment and the ability to rest after a useful life.

Summary:

The passage explores the pleasures and pains associated with different stages of life—childhood, young adulthood, and old age. It emphasizes the importance of embracing each age without futile regrets. Childhood is characterized by fewer responsibilities but comes with restrictions. Young adulthood brings freedom but demands responsibility and hard work. Old age, traditionally considered challenging, can be fulfilling with wisdom, the joy of family progress, and the satisfaction of a well-lived life.

Answer (11) :

**Title:**

"Embracing the Ages: Pleasures and Challenges of Life's Journey"

10. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:- (RBSE PYQ 2016)

              There are several indicators of a developed nation. It is economically, agriculturally and technologically advanced. There is all round prosperity. The benefits of prosperity reach the common people. They have a reasonable life span and enjoy the basic comforts and good health. They are able to educate and feed their children well. Poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, disease and inequalities are reduced to a minimum. Quality goods are produced in abundance and exports keep on rising. The nation is able to protect its security as it is self-reliant in defence and has a standing in the international forum.
India, even after more than sixty five years since independence is branded as a developing country. Achieving the developed status means the major transformation of our national economy to make it one of the largest economies of the world, where people live well and above the poverty line. The transformation can be materialised within the next 15 to 20 years as India has the necessary potential. Our natural resources are richer as compared to those of many other countries. We have abundant supplies of all the ores and minerals. We have rich bio-diversity, abundant sunshine, varied agro-climatic conditions and plenty of rainfall all over India. The country either already has the necessary technologies or can develop them easily. Our people and our farmers not only have a great learning capability but most of them also have an entrepreneurial and competitive spirit. Avenues to channelise this spirit constructively and productively are required. We need the will to take action and commit ourselves to be one of the world leaders. We must resolve to work hard with a long term vision.
Technology is the highest wealth generator in the shortest possible time. It can provide us with infrastructure and help transform education and training, food and processing, industries and agriculture. It is the key to achieving quality products in an increasingly competitive market and to continually upgrading human skills. It is the only vital input for ensuring health security and better living conditions for people. It can enable us to double cereals by 2020 and to make arrangements for their storage, transportation, distribution and marketing. It can make us leaders in machine tool industries. Through Software engineering we can enter computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.
Therefore, the major role in India's development is to be played by the vast pool of our talented scientists, researchers and technologists. They should shed pessimism and think big because they are the only ones who understand the forces of technological modernisation. They should take it as a challenge to make India a developed country. They must spearhead the movement by talking about what can be done and encouraging people that difficulties can be overcome. They must extend all possible help to industries, business managers, administrators and others.
(a) Write the basic fields in which a developed country is advanced. [1]
(b) What kind of life do the people in a developed country live? [1]
(c) What is required for achieving the developed status for India? [1]
(d) "Technology is the highest wealth generator in the shortest time" How?[1]
(e) Who can play a major role in India's development? [1]
(f) How can India enter computer-aided design and manufacturing? [1]
Find out a word from the passage which means:
(g) A machine for producing electricity = _______. [1]
h) A large quantity more than enough = _______. [1]
i) The state of having good fortune, wealth, money etc. _______ . [1]

Answer:

 (a) The basic fields in which a developed country is advanced are economics, agriculture, and technology.

(b) People in a developed country live a life characterized by prosperity, good health, reasonable lifespan, access to basic comforts, and education for their children.

(c) Achieving the developed status for India requires a major transformation of the national economy to become one of the largest economies globally, with a populace living above the poverty line.

(d) Technology is the highest wealth generator in the shortest time because it enables the rapid creation of infrastructure, facilitates education and training, enhances food processing and agricultural practices, improves industries, and upgrades human skills.

(e) The vast pool of talented scientists, researchers, and technologists can play a major role in India's development.

(f) India can enter computer-aided design and manufacturing through software engineering.

(g) A machine for producing electricity = Generator

(h) A large quantity more than enough = Abundance

(i) The state of having good fortune, wealth, money, etc. = Prosperity

11. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (RBSE PYQ 2016)

Work is essential for man. It is a blessing. It is one of the precious privileges he has. It is the source of all other rights. It brings him the good things of life and promotes his well-being. Work is an integral part of life. Without it life is deprived of its substance and character.
Work gives us happiness. It banishes vice and poverty from life. Work, according to Carlyle, is the grand cure of all the maladies that beset mankind. It is key to all progress. Work is life, idleness is death.
The prosperity of any nation depends on the work of the people there. If they remain like lotus-eaters, no nation can progress or achieve anything remarkable. The prosperity achieved by nations like Japan and Israel bears out this. No pains, no gains.

All kind of work deserve our respect. But there are a number of people who consider some kinds of work ignoble and inferior. The work of farmers is much more important than that of teachers. The reason is that if the farmers do not work, we shall not get any food-stuff. If street-cleaners do not work, life in cities and town will prove difficult. "It does not disgrace a gentleman" says Ruskin," to become an errand boy or a day labourer, but it disgraces him much to become a knave and a thief".
For Carlyle, work is worship. According to him, there is perennial nobleness and even sacredness in work. To work is to pray. The worker is the saviour of society, the redeemer of the race, Tagore says God is the tiller of the hard ground and the path-maker. "He is with them in sun and in shower and his garment is covered with dust." The best form of worship, according to Gurudev, is to work and serve others.
It is necessary for our young men and women to recognize the dignity of labour. Most of them prefer white collar jobs to manual work. Manual work according to Gandhiji, gives an opportunity to all who wish to take part in the government and the well-being of the state. We should look up to the worker who earns his livelihood by the sweat of his brow.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. [4]
(b) Write a summary of the passage and suggest a suitable title. [2]

answer:-

(a) Notes:

1. Importance of Work:

   - Essential for human life.

   - Considered a blessing and privilege.

   - Source of rights and well-being.

   - Integral part of life, giving it substance and character.

2. Benefits of Work:

   - Brings happiness and banishes vice and poverty.

   - Key to progress and prosperity.

   - Work is life, idleness is death.

3. Contribution to Nation:

   - Prosperity of a nation depends on its people's work.

   - Examples of nations like Japan and Israel.

   - No pains, no gains.

4. Respect for All Work:

   - All kinds of work deserve respect.

   - Farmers' work is essential for food supply.

   - Importance of street-cleaners and manual laborers.

   - Disgrace lies in dishonesty, not in the nature of work.

5. Work as Worship:

   - Work is worship, according to Carlyle.

   - Work is noble and sacred.

   - Workers are the saviors and redeemers of society.

6. Dignity of Labor:

   - Need to recognize the dignity of manual work.

   - Preference for white-collar jobs.

   - Gandhi emphasizes the value of manual labor in governance and state well-being.

(b) Summary:

Work is portrayed as essential for human life, bringing happiness, banishing vice and poverty, and fostering progress. It is considered a blessing and privilege, integral to life's substance and character. The prosperity of nations hinges on the diligence of their people, as evidenced by examples like Japan and Israel. All forms of work deserve respect, with emphasis on the importance of manual labor such as farming and street-cleaning. Work is revered as worship, embodying nobleness and sacredness. Gandhi stresses the dignity of manual labor, highlighting its role in governance and state well-being. The passage urges recognition of the value of labor and the virtues of hard work, suggesting that true prosperity stems from the diligent efforts of individuals. 

Title suggestion: "The Dignity and Importance of Work"

12. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (RBSE PYQ 2015)

The end of sumptuary laws did not mean that everyone in European societies could now dress in the same way. The French Revolution had raised the question of equality and ended aristocratic privileges, as well as the laws that maintained those privileges. However differences between social strata remained. Clearly, the poor could not dress like rich, nor eat the same food. But laws no longer barred people's right to dress in the way they wished. Differences in earning, rather than sumptuary laws, now defined what the rich and poor could wear. And different classes developed their own culture of dress. The notion of what was beautiful or ugly, proper or improper, decent or vulgar, differed.
Styles of clothing also emphasised differences between men and women. Women in Victorian England were groomed from childhood to be docile and dutiful, submissive and obedient. The ideal woman was the one who could bear pain and suffering. While men were expected to be serious, strong, independent and aggressive, women were seen as frivolous, delicate, passive and docile. Norms of clothing reflected these ideals. From childhood, girls were tightly laced up and dressed in stays. The effort was to restrict the growth of their bodies, contain them within small moulds. When slightly older, girls had to wear tight fitting corsets. Tightly laced, small-waisted women were admired as attractive, elegant and graceful. Clothing thus played a part in creating the image of frail, submissive Victorian women.
Many women believed in the ideals of womanhood. The ideals were in the air they breathed the literature they read, the education they had received at school and at home. From childhood they grew up to believe that having a small waist was a womanly duty. Suffering pain was essential for a woman. To be seen as attractive, to be womanly, they had to wear the corset. The torture and pain this inflicted on the body was to be accepted as normal.
But not everyone accepted these values. Over the nineteenth century, ideas changed. By the 1830s, women in England began agitating for democratic rights. As the suffrage movement developed, many began campaigning for dress reform. Women's magazines described how tight dresses and corsets caused deformities and illness 3 SS—02—English (C) [ Turn over SS-6002 among young girls. Such clothing restricted body growth and hampered blood circulation. Muscles remained underdeveloped and the spines got bent. Doctors reported that many women were regularly complaining of acute weakness, felt languid, and fainted frequently. Corsets then became necessary to hold up the weakened spine.
(i) What was the main question raised by the French Revolution ?
(ii) How were the women groomed in the Victorian England ?
(iii) What defined the wearing of the rich and the poor ?
(iv) Besides, wearing what else the styles of clothing emphasized ?
(v) What qualities made one masculine ?
(vi) What qualities made one feminine ?
Find out a word from the passage which means —
(vii) A person / animal that is quiet and easily controlled
(viii) A person / animal that has a quality of anger and determination.

(ix) A special right or advantage. 

answer:- 

(i) The main question raised by the French Revolution was about equality and the abolition of aristocratic privileges.

(ii) Women in Victorian England were groomed to be docile, dutiful, submissive, and obedient. They were expected to bear pain and suffering, with the ideal woman being one who could endure such hardships. Norms of clothing, such as tightly laced corsets, reflected these ideals.

(iii) The earning differences, rather than sumptuary laws, defined what the rich and poor could wear.

(iv) Besides clothing, the styles of clothing also emphasized differences between men and women.

(v) Qualities considered masculine included being serious, strong, independent, and aggressive.

(vi) Qualities considered feminine included being frivolous, delicate, passive, and docile.

(vii) Docile.

(viii) Determined.

(ix) Privilege.