Unseen Passage
A neighbour is one who lives in the next-door house or the houses across the road in front of yours. Whether you are a town man or a countryman, there must be houses all around yours. The people living in the houses are your neighbour. A neighbour is not your choice. It is by a stroke of good or bad luck that Your Win or lose. So is a neighbour. If you are lucky, you have a good man as Your neighbour. If you are unlucky, you have an undesirable neighbour who pricks all the time the thorn.
Questions :
(a) Who is a neighbour?
(b) Where can you find a neighbour?
(c) Can a neighbour be of your choice”
(d) What happens when you do not get a good neighbour?
Answer :
(a) A neighbour is one who lives in the next-door house or the houses across the road in front of yours.
(b) We can find a neighbour everywhere whether we are town man or countrymen. There must be houses all about ours. The people living in the houses are our neighbours.
(c) No, a neighbour cannot be of our choice.
(d) An undesirable neighbour pricks all the time like a thorn.
Unseen Passage-2
A sailor was returning home after having been in prison for a long time in a foreign country. They walked with light cheerful footsteps for he was happy he would soon be among his near and dear ones. Suddenly his attention was arrested by a man with a cage full of birds. Seeing the birds clamouring to be free, he was reminded of his own miserable life in prison, and his heart went out to the poor creatures. He could not bear to see them shut up in a cage. As he had money in his pocket, he purchased the cage of birds and set the birds free one by one. The bird-seller was amazed. “Why have you done this?” he asked. “My friend, if you had been shut up in a prison as I had been, you would have done exactly what I have done”, he said. Some little boys were standing and they cheered the kind sailor.
Questions
(i) (a) What was the past history of the sailor?
(b) Why did he purchase the cage of birds?
(c) Why did the boys cheer him?
(d) What was the cause of his happiness? —-
Answers
(i) (a) The sailor was in prison for a long time. He was returning home and
was happy to think that he would be free. But he became sorry to see a cage of birds that were trying to be free.
(b) The sailor was reminded of his days in prison. So, he decided to purchase a cage full of birds. Then he set all the birds free.
(c) The little boys who were watching the whole thing cheered the prisoner. They were happy to see the kindness of the prisoner.
(d) The sailor was happy because he would soon be among his near and dear ones after having been in prison for long in a foreign country.
Unseen Passage – 3
Socrates had many disciples and the greatest of them was Plato. Plato wrote many books and it is from these that we know a great deal about Socrates. The Athenian Government did not like Socrates. The Government conducted a trial and sentenced him to death. They said that they would pardon him if he promised to give up his discussions with people and if he changed his ways. But he refused to do so and preferred the cup of poison to give up what he considered his duty. On the point of death, he addressed his accusers and judges and said, “If you propose to acquit me on condition that I abandon my search for truth, I will say, ‘So long as I have truth and strength I will never cease from my occupations with philosophy. I will continue to ask people to care more for wisdom and truth than for wealth or honour.”
Questions
(i) From among the following answers select the most appropriate one to the question.
Why did Socrates prefer to die?
(a) Because his friends and followers had turned against him.
(b) Because he believed that God wanted him to die.
(c) Because he could not give up his search for truth. (
(d) Because he thought nobody was going to listen to him.
(ii) (a) What did the Athenian Government want Socrates to do?
(b) What did Socrates consider greater than wealth and honour?
(c) Pick out from the passage the sentence or the phrase which summarises what Socrates considered his duty.
(iii) Against each of the following words and phrases write a word on the phrase of nearly the same meaning from among the words in italics in Passage.
Give up, when about to die, stop. free from a charge of guilt, liked better.
Answers
(i) Socrates preferred to die because he could not give up his search for truth.
(ii) (a) The Athenian Government wanted Socrates to give up his discussions with people. If he changed his ways, the government was ready to pardon him.
(b) Socrates considered wisdom and truth greater than wealth and honour.
(c) The sentence which summarises what Socrates considered his duty is: So long as I have truth and strength I will never cease from my occupations with philosophy.
(iii) Give up – abandon, When about to die – on the point of the death, Stop – cease, Free from a charge of guilt – acquit, Liked better – preferred.
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