10 Comprehension Passages Practice exercise examples with Question and Answers for Class 8, 9, 10, 12 Students. Part 3.

10 Comprehension Passages with Questions and Answers Part 3.

Passage-1

As far as industrial pollution is concerned, a commendable job has been done by the department of environment in making environmental impact assessment studies and ensuring that new big industries have built-in systems for pollution abatement and control, the problem of controlling pollution caused by small new units and existing plants has so far eluded solution. The 1986 Act has undoubtedly given greater legal powers to State Pollution Boards and other concerned authorities to penalise offenders. However, it must be recognised that punitive action alone will not suffice. If we are really serious about controlling industrial pollution, the carrot must be used along with the stick.

QUESTIONS
1. What should be done to control industrial pollution?

2. Why is the problem of controlling industrial pollution remain unsolved?

3. When can industrial pollution be controlled?

4. What does the author feel about the 1986 Act?

ANSWERS
1. In order to control industrial pollution, only such new big industries should be allowed to come up that have built-in systems for pollution control.

2. The problem of controlling industrial pollution remains unsolved because the problem has not been dealt with in a comprehensive manner.

3. Industrial pollution can be controlled only when the State Pollution Boards and other concerned authorities are given more legal powers to deal with the offenders.

4. The author feels that the 1986 Act gives more legal powers to State Pollution Board and other concerned authorities.

Passage-2

The hope cherished immediately after the Second World War that one world would now emerge out of it. Instead, there arose two politico-military blocs at seemingly incompatible enmity with each other, headed by the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. There were some critics who think that Nehru’s concern for world peace was exaggerated. But they do not realise how close mankind was to a world war in the fifties on more than one occasion. For instance in 1950, during the Korean War, when General MacArthur unauthorisedly crossed into North Korea and carried the war right up to the Chinese frontier, and China intervened and started moving down American troops, there was a cry in the U.S.A. for pre-emptive use of the atom bomb against China. Then prodded by Nehru, British Prime Minister Attlee flew to the U.S.A. to dissuade President Truman from taking any such disastrous step. Our policy of non-alignment was a factor that contributed to the elevation of tensions between the rival blocks and the gradual demise of the cold war.

QUESTIONS
1. What made China intervene in Korean War?

2. Immediately after the World War II there was a feeling that.

3. Which of the following is the result of India’s adopting the non-alignment policy?

4. What was the outcome of World War II?

5. What was the purpose of Attlee’s visit to the U.S.A.?

ANSWERS
1. China intervenes in Korean War because of the arrival of American troops up to the Chinese border.

2. All countries will stay peacefully with one another.

3. The result of India’s adopting the non-alignment policy is lessening the tension between rival blocks.

4. The outcome of World War II was the emergence of two power blocs opposed to each other.

5. The purpose of Attlee’s visit to the U.S.A. was to urge the
U.S. President to refrain from using nuclear weapons.

Passage-3

The history of Indian music is brimming with stories and anecdotes. Why the very origin of music and other fine arts is in itself a story. The creator, Brahma made this universe. He created a variety of wonderfully beautiful and enchanting things. He created the majestic mountain ranges, the thundering waterfalls, and the giant forest trees, as also the nimble deer, the colouful peacock, and the exquisite flowers. He filled his creation with beauty, charm, and splendor. But he was sad. His consort Saraswati asked him the reason for his sadness. Saraswati understood his feelings and told him, “Well, let me do my share in the great work. You have created all this beauty and splendor; I shall create in our children the power to respond, to appreciate, and be lifted by them.

QUESTIONS
1. Who is Brahma? What did he do?

2. What did he fill his creation with?

3. What did Saraswati ask him?

4. Who shared in the great work?

5. Who has created beauty and splendor in this world?

6. What did Saraswati promise to do?

ANSWERS
1. Brahma is the creator of this universe. He created mountains, waterfalls, forests, trees, animals, flowers, and many other things.

2. He filled his creation with beauty, charm, and splendor.

3. Saraswati asked him the reason of his sadness.

4. Saraswati, the goddess of learning, shared in the great work.

5. Brahma has created beauty and splendor in this world.

6. Saraswati promised to create in their children the power to respond and to appreciate the beauty and splendor around.

Passage-4

Television is changing people’s lives quite dramatically. They are sleeping less, reading less, and communicating less with their families. In a countrywide survey, a tenth of television viewers have admitted that the care of their children and the elderly are getting neglected. While television has contributed to the popularity of games and sports, ironically enough, children have reported that they play less. Television has increased the general knowledge of children, in particular, their knowledge of the various products being advertised. The survey shows that hardly any children are watching educational programmes. The parents interviewed said their children’s studies were affected.

QUESTIONS
1. Inspite of increasing children’s general knowledge, how television is affecting their studies?

2. What is the influence of television on people’s lives?

3. Find out the word from the passage which means ‘contrary to speaker’s real meaning’?

4. How are the children and old people affected by television viewing?

5. Suggest a suitable title for the passage.

ANSWERS
1. The children waste their time seeing advertisements instead of watching educational programmes. These results in affecting their studies.

2. The lives of the people are affected badly by television. Their life suffers and the children and the elderly are neglected.

3. Ironically.

4. The care of the children and the old gets neglected. 5. The title for the passage is ‘Effects of Television’.

Passage-5

Reckless driving, violation of road rules, pitiful maintenance of buses, rude staff, and overcrowding (with attendant problems such as eve-teasing and pickpocketing) are but a few of the ills that characterise the capital’s private bus system. Many, who would prefer to utilise public transport, are today compelled to shift to more expensive modes of transport on account of the appalling condition of private buses. All efforts to tame the system’s excess have been in vain. A good and fast-expanding public transport system is important not just to provide affordable commuting options, but discourage the use of private vehicles which are invariably the chief contributors to urban pollution and rising fuel consumption.

QUESTIONS
1. According to the passage, many would prefer to utilise public transport, why?

2. What does the “Violation of road rules” in this passage mean?

3. Why are many forced to shift to more expensive modes of transport?

4. In this passage ‘ills’ refer to

5. Efforts in this passage refer to

ANSWERS
1. Many would prefer to utilise public transport because it is affordable and will discourage use of private vehicles and hence reduce pollution.

2. Violation of road rules means not obeying traffic rules.

3. Many are forced to shift to more expensive modes of transport because they save on fuel consumption and do not contribute to urban pollution.

4. Sills in this passage refers to reckless driving, poor maintenance of buses, and arrogant staff.

5. ‘efforts’ in this passage refer to improving the condition of the private bus system.

Passage-6

Success in life depends largely on good health. Keep your body fit and strong by being clean, inhaling fresh air, and following regular habits and suitable entertainment. Avoid anything that will weaken your strength. Smoking harms the body and clouds the brain. Beware of drink. It is the deadly enemy of health and efficiency. Above all, remember that your character is a precious possession. Be truthful in all things, courteous and considerate to everybody, fair to your opponents, kind and helpful to all who are weak and suffering, and do not be afraid to have the courage to stand up for what is good, pure, and noble.

QUESTIONS
1. What are the things we should avoid?

2. How should we behave with the weak?

3. How can we keep good health?

4. What are the ill effects of smoking?

5. Find a word in the passage which means ‘breathing in’.

ANSWERS

1. We should avoid all those things which weaken us.

2. We should be kind and helpful to those who are weak and suffering.

3. We can keep good health by keeping fit, clean, inhaling fresh air, enjoying entertainment, and avoiding smoking and drinking.

4. Smoking harms the body and clouds the brain.

5. ‘Inhaling’ is the required word from the passage means ‘breathing in’.

Passage-7

Lemon has numerous uses in the kitchen. It enhances the flavour of vegetables. It is full of vitamins and minerals. It makes a cool, refreshing drink on a hot summer day. Mixed with water, salt, and sugar, it banishes the danger of sunstrokes. Have a glass before you have the hot sun, and you will be safe. A glass of lemon juice in lukewarm water can get rid of the toxins which routinely accumulate in the body, first thing every morning. You can add two teaspoons of honey to it for added benefits. Infact, lemon juice is very effective in destroying bacteria from the intestinal tract. This popular drink is a storehouse of vitamins ‘C’, ‘B’, and ‘A’. It improves the general health of a person, besides boosting his natural immune system. Its high potassium content is good for people who have heart disease.

QUESTIONS

1. What should we do to keep away the danger of sunstroke?

2. What does naturopathy say about the use of lemon?

3. How does the lemon benefits the intestine?

4. Name the vitamins found in lemon juice?

ANSWERS
1. We should take the solution of lemon mixed with water, salt and sugar to keep away the danger of sunstroke.

2. Naturopaths say that a glass of lemon in lukewarm can get rid of the toxins from the body.

3. Lemon benefits the intestine by destroying the bacteria present in the intestinal tract.

4. The vitamins present in lemon juice are vitamins ‘C’, ‘B’, and ‘A’.

Passage-8

The world is getting nosier and the noise is not only hard on our nerves-it is hard on our health. A UNESCO report published recently on noise-pollution states that in the United States alone, 20 million people suffer hearing loss from noise-pollution-more than all other disabilities combined. In fact, the report further says, noise-induced hearing loss is the most common industrial disease in that country.
Besides exposure to high rock music, even such household appliances which are found everywhere as kitchen blenders produce noise at levels that may cause hearing loss. The problem is greater with noise in the workplace. Another study from the Federal Republic of Germany showed that workers in noisy environments were more prone to cardiovascular disease than those in noise-free environments.

QUESTIONS
1. Give a suitable title for the passage.

2. What are the causes of the noise pollution?

3. Why do workers suffer from cardiovascular disease?

4. What does the UNESCO report on noise pollution say about the United States?

ANSWERS
1. Suitable title for the passage is ‘Noise Pollution-its Effects’.

2. Noise pollution is caused by high-pitched rock music, sounds produced by kitchen blenders at levels that may cause hearing loss.

3. The workers suffer from cardiovascular diseases because they work in noisy environments at their workplace.

4. UNESCO report on noise pollution states that the United States alone has 20 million people suffering from hearing loss and this disease is most common in that country.

Passage-9

In our generation, we have had two world wars. We won the war but lost the peace. The victors were unable to find the patience necessary for reconciliation. After the First World War, we set up the League of Nations but it failed on account of our nationalist obsessions. After the Second World War, we set up the United Nations Organisation with the objective of maintaining peace by removing the causes of international tensions and creating an international order based on justice, freedom, and tolerance. Its work is greatly hampered by its lack of universality and the division of great powers into two camps. It is this division that carries the threat of war which weighs on all people of the world. There is tension between the ideal of the international order and that of international politics. The prospects of peace are bound up with cooperation among the great powers.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the aim of the U.N.O.?

2. Why could there be no peace after the wars?

3. What did a man try to do to achieve peace?

4. When was the United Nations Organisation set up?

5. What are the main difficulties before U.N.O.?

6. Why did the League of Nations fail?

ANSWERS
1. The aim of the U.N.O. is to maintain peace and international order based on justice, freedom, and tolerance.

2. There could be no peace after the wars because the victors were not having the patience for reconciliation.

3. To achieve peace, man established first the League of Nations and the United Nations Organisation.

4. The U.N.O. was set up after the Second World War.

5. Lack of universality and the division of the great powers into two camps are the main difficulties before the U.N.O.

6. The League of Nations failed on account of our nationalist obsessions.

Passage-10

A good transport system is very essential in the world today. The word ‘transport means carrying of people and goods from place to place. Millions of people travel from place to place every day all over the world. They travel from town to town, country to country, and continent to continent. They travel over the land, on the water, through the air, under the ground, and even into the space. People travel for service, business, sightseeing and to meet other people. A good transport system is very important for the progress of agriculture, mining, and industry. It is also very important during the war, floods, and famines. All means of transport have made travel easy, comfortable, and fast.

QUESTIONS
1. What does the word ‘transport mean?

2. Where do people travel all over the world?

3. What are the reasons for travel?

4. Why is a good transport system so important?

ANSWERS

1. The word ‘transport’ means carrying of people and goods from place to place.

2. The people travel from town to town, country to country, and continent to continent.

3. People travel for service, business, sightseeing and to meet other people.

4. A good transport system is important for the progress of agriculture, mining, and industry. It is also important during the war, floods, and famines.