Unseen Passage for Class 11

Read the following passage carefully. 

1. The protests against police brutality and systemic racism have seen several American and international celebrities donate to U.S. nonprofits and organizations dedicated to racial justice. On June 5, racial justice organisation Black Lives Matter confirmed it had received a $1 million donation from South Korean pop group BTS and its record label, Big Hit Entertainment.

2. Shortly after the news became public, BTS fans organized an online campaign to match the donation under the hashtag #MatchAMillion and reached their goal in just 25 hours.

3. K-pop fans are known for their prolific social media activity and have used their influence to support social justice issues. On Instagram and Twitter, they have taken over white supremacist hashtags with fancams – short videos of their favourite pop idols performing. When the Dallas Police Department asked the public to submit videos of “illegal activity” during protests to its iWatch Dallas app, fans encouraged each other to submit fancams instead, and the app went temporarily offline.

4. These fanbases are sometimes generalized as young and obsessive individuals who occasionally take collective action. But they have a history of raising money for charity and breaking social media records, and BTS fans in particular are enabled by the semi-structured organization of the fanbase and the diversity within their ranks.

5. BTS is a seven-member K-pop group whose music draws from several genres, including hip-hop, pop and R&B.
Since their 2013 debut, they’ve become known for their meticulous choreography, elaborate music videos with connected storylines and youth-focused lyrics that touch on themes such as self-confidence, mental health and societal norms. (Source: Reuters.com)
Choose the correct option to answer the questions based on the above passage and graphics. Do any ten.

Question. The racial justice organization Black Lives Matter confirmed that ______ .
(a) it had received a $1 million donation from BTS Army
(b) it had received a $1 million donation from a celebrity
(c) it had received a $1 million donation from South Korean pop group BTS
(d) it had received a $3 million donation from South Korean pop group BTS

Question. Why have American celebrities donated to U.S. nonprofits and organizations dedicated to racial justice?
(a) due to systemic racism
(b) for George Floyd’s death
(c) for the injustices in general
(d) for coronavirus pandemic

Question. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the inherent qualities of fan bases. (Img 6)
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 5 and 6
(d) 2 and 5

Question. What online campaign did the BTS fans launch?
(a) raise funds to match the donation
(b) raise funds to organize a concert
(c) get more BTS followers
(d) raise funds amounting to double the donation

Question. Choose the option that lists the CORRECT answers for the following:
1. Shan has a prolific social media presence and uses his influence to support social justice issues?
What category of people does he come in according to the passage?
2. Reema is part of a pop group whose music draws from several genres, including hip-hop, pop and R&B and touches on themes such as selfconfidence,mental health and societal norms. Name the group based on the passage.
(a) (1) is a fan cam and (2) is fan base group
(b) (1) is K-pop fan and (2) is BTS
(c) (1) is BTS and (2) is fan cam
(d) (1) is K-pop fan and (2) is fan base group

Question. What did the fans encourage each other to submit fancams in place of?
(a) “any activity” during protests
(b) “illegal activity” during police action
(c) “illegal activity” during protests
(d) the protests

Question. Which app went temporarily offline?
(a) iWatch Dallas app
(b) iWitness Dallas app
(c) iSee Dallas app
(d) iWent Dallas app

Question. Which Twitter account put up screenshots of the funds collect for #MatchAMillion initiative?
(a) BTS_History616
(b) BTS_History613
(c) BTSI_History613
(d) BTS-History613

Question. BTS army has a history of:
(a) raising money for events
(b) raising money for the band
(c) raising money for concerts
(d) raising money for charity

Question. Which word in the passage means “spread across or embedded in the whole group/body”?
(a) systemic
(b) obsessive
(c) genres
(d) meticulous

Question.The BTS band is known for ________.
(a) music
(b) charity work
(c) choreography, elaborate music videos
(d) stage performances

Question. Which word in the passage is opposite to the meaning of ‘flawed/careless’?
(a) systemic
(b) obsessive
(c) meticulous
(d) genres

Unseen Discursive Passage Class 11 English

Discursive Passage Read the passage carefully:

The Life of a Flea

1. Fleas are perfectly designed by nature to feast on anything containing blood. Fleas are ideally equipped to do what they do, making them very difficult to defeat. The bodies of these tiny parasites are wellsuited for their job.

2. A flea has a very hard exoskeleton, which means the body is covered by a tough, tile-like plate called a sclerite. Because of these plates, fleas are almost impossible to squish. The exoskeletons of fleas are also waterproof and shock-resistant and therefore, they are highly resistant to the sprays and chemicals used to kill them.

3. Little spines are attached to the sclerite. The spines lie flat against the flea’s thin, narrow body as it scurries through an animal’s fur in search of food. If anything tries to pull a flea off the hair coat, these spines extend and stick to the fur-like velcro.

4. Fleas are some of the best jumpers in the natural world. A flea can jump seven inches, or 150 times its own length, either vertically or horizontally. An equivalent jump for a person would be 555 feet. Fleas can jump 30,000 times in a row without stopping and they are able to accelerate through the air at an incredibly high rate.

5. Fleas have very long rear legs with huge thigh muscles and multiple joints. Several of their joints contain a protein called resilin, which helps catapult fleas into the air as they jump. Outward-facing claws on the bottom of their legs grip anything they touch when they land.

6. The adult female flea mates after her first blood meal and begins producing eggs in just 1 to 2 days. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs in one day and over 2,000 in her lifetime. Flea eggs can be seen with the naked eye, but they are about the size of a grain of salt. Shortly after being laid, the eggs begin to transform into cocoons.

7. In the cocoon state, fleas are fully developed adults and hatch immediately if conditions are favourable. If not, it can remain dormant in the cocoon state for extended periods. Under ideal conditions, the entire life cycle may only take 3 weeks. Because of these characteristics, fleas are intimidating opponents. The best way to control fleas, therefore, is to take steps to prevent an infestation from ever occurring.

Choose the correct option to answer any ten of the following questions :

Question. According to the passage, the fleas are resistant to sprays and chemicals because .………….
(a) they have waterproof sclerites
(b) they have oily sclerites
(c) they have serrated sclerites
(d) they have bony sclerites

Question. The best way to control fleas is to take steps to prevent .………….
(a) an infestation from ever occurring
(b) an infestation from occurring the second time
(c) an infestation in large quantities
(d) none of the above

Question. The entire life cycle of a flea only takes .………….
(a) 7 weeks
(b) 8 weeks
(c) 2 weeks
(d) 3 weeks

Question. The exoskeletons of fleas are .………….
(a) weatherproof and shock resistant
(b) waterproof and shock resistant
(c) waterproof and spray resistant
(d) none of these

Question. Which word in the passage is opposite in meaning to ‘decelerate’?
(a) infestation
(b) catapult
(c) accelerate
(d) scurries

Question. The primary purpose of the passage is to .………….
(a) explain why a flea can live a long life
(b) explain why a flea is strong
(c) explain why a flea infestation is hard to get rid of
(d) explain why a flea infestation is become an adult quickly

Question. Fleas can jump .………… imes in a row, both .………… and .………….
(a) 30,000, horizontal and vertical
(b) many, vertical and horizontal
(c) 3,000, vertical and horizontal
(d) none of these

Question. The fleas become .………… in cocoons.
(a) young
(b) worms
(c) adults
(d) larvae

Question. Fleas are one of the best jumpers in the natural world because of a protein called .……… and huge .………….
(a) resilin, multiple joints
(b) resilin, thigh muscles
(c) resilience, thigh muscles
(d) resilin, joint muscles

Question. The author’s tone in the passage is best described as.………….
(a) Argumentative
(b) Informative
(c) Persuasive
(d) Pedantic

Question. Which word in the passage means “to move quickly with short steps”?
(a) resistant
(b) scurries
(c) catapult
(d) infestation

Question. Fleas are some of the .………… in the natural world.
(a) best swimmers
(b) best hoppers
(c) best jumpers
(d) best kickers

Unseen Passage with multiple choice questions for Class 11

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:

1.Till 1988, the Pamban Bridge was the only surface transport that connected Tamil Nadu’s island of Rameswaram to the mainland. Said to be an engineering marvel, the Pamban Bridge was once India’s longest sea bridge, till the Bandra-Worli sea link came up in 2009. What makes Pamban Bridge more wonderful is that it was built more than 100 years ago.

2.The 2.057 km long bridge, also known as Bridge No. 346 in Indian Railway reference, consists of over 140 spans. The amazing feature of a double-leaf section that can be raised to allow movement of ships and boats was designed by German engineer Scherzer. The 114th span, midway along the bridge, is called the Scherzer span.

3.Interestingly, the Scherzer span is now being replaced by a modern one to improve the life of the bridge. Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge, that has structures that project horizontally into space, supported only on one end.

4.Until recently, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers, says Indian Railways. Following cyclone-induced tragic train accident in 1964, Indian Railways installed devices to check the wind velocity across the Pamban via duct. Train movement on the bridge is halted when the wind speed exceeds 58 kmph.

5.The construction of the Pamban Bridge began in 1911 and it was opened in 1914. It was only in 2007 that the railway line on Pamban Bridge was converted from metregauge to broad-gauge.

6.According to Indian Railways, the famed Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram and the Pamban Bridge draw scores of foreign tourists and inland pilgrims to the island.

7.Even as Indian Railways’ Pamban Bridge continues to be an engineering marvel, yet another railway bridge that is likely to be a stunning site is coming up in Jammu and Kashmir. Said to be the world’s highest railway bridge, the Chenab bridge, is set to be completed by 2019. The bridge will be taller than Paris’ famous Eiffel Tower and is being built to withstand earthquakes.

8.Yet another bridge that will be a landmark is the Bogibeel Bridge – India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge. The Bogibeel double-deck bridge is being built over the Brahmaputra in the Dibrugarh district of Assam and will connect the North and South banks of the river. The total length of the rail-cum-road bridge will be 4.9 km.

Question. The Pamban bridge used to be:
(i) the only surface transport of India
(ii) the longest sea bridge
(iii) operated manually
(iv) all of the above

Question. Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
1. “Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom.” —Phyllis Theroux
2. “The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross, and which to burn.” — David Russell
3. “What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal.” — Friedrich Nietzsches
4. “Travel is the bridge between you and everything.” —Rumi
(i) Option 1
(ii) Option 2
(iii) Option 3
(iv) Option 4

Question. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the Pamban Bridge?
(i) Pamban Bridge connects Tamil Nadu’s island of Rameswaram to the mainland.
(ii) Pamban bridge is longer than the Bandra-Worli sea link.
(iii) Pamban bridge draws a lot of foreign tourists.
(iv) Pamban bridge is also known as Bridge No. 346 in Indian Railway reference.

Question. The Chenab bridge:
(i) is over Brahmaputra river
(ii) will be taller than the Eiffel tower in Paris
(iii) is a rail-cum-road bridge
(iv) is one of the oldest bridges

Question. Which of the following statements is not true?
(i) The Bogibeel Bridge will be a single deck rail-cum-road bridge.
(ii) The Pamban bridge was constructed in the twentieth century.
(iii) Chenab Bridge is a railway bridge.
(iv)The 114th span of the Pamban Bridge was named after its designer, the German engineer Scherzer.

Question. The bridge that will connect the north and south bank of river Brahmaputra in Assam is:
(i) Pamban bridge
(ii) Chenab bridge
(iii) Bogibeel bridge
(iv) Worli Sea link

Question. The railway line on Pamban Bridge was converted from metre-gauge to broad-gauge in:
(i) 2008
(ii) 2009
(iii) 2007
(iv) 2010

Question. Choose the option that CORRECTLY states the two aspects of Pamban bridge.
1.Pamban Bridge was the only surface transport that connected Tamil Nadu’s island of Rameswaram to the mainland.
2.The amazing feature of a double-leaf section that can be raised to allow movement of ships and boats was designed by German engineer Scherzer.
3.The Scherzer span is now being replaced by a modern one to improve the life of the bridge.
4.Indian Railways installed devices to check the wind velocity across the Pamban via duct.
5.Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge, that has structures that project horizontally into space, supported only on one end.
(i)1 and 5
(ii)2 and 4
(iii) 3 and 5
(iv) 3 and 4

Question. Which of the following words means the opposite of ‘started’?
(i) Installed
(ii) Stunning
(iii) Marvel
(iv) Halted

Question. Which of the following words means the same as ‘eye-catching’?
(i) Stunning
(ii) Marvel
(iii) Landmark
(iv) Velocity

Case based factual Passage for Class 11

1. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:

1.Neha is only 11 years old – and should be in school. In August 2009, when she was around one year old, the Indian parliament had passed the landmark Right to Education Act that made education free and compulsory for children between the ages 6 and 14. Neha’s parents enrolled her in school when she was six, but she dropped out four years later, before completing elementary school. She had to help her mother with housework and look after her younger siblings.

2.School education in India has had its ups and down over the past few decades but one thing which has remained almost constant is the lopsided ratio between male and female students. Though the scene is not as dismal as it used to be, but we have a long way to go.

3.The All-India Survey of Higher Education published by the UGC last week shows the ratio of boys is higher than girls at almost every level of education. In broader terms, the student enrolment at the undergraduate level has 51% boys and 49% girls. The data reveals diploma too has a skewed gender distribution, with 66.8% boys and 33.2% girls. At the level of research streams also, male students outnumber females. In PhD courses across the country, 80.18% boys and 19.82% girls.

4.One of the most alarming fact is that the number of dropouts at school level is much higher in girls. In rural areas almost 50% of the girl students drop out after high school and almost 20% complete their higher secondary education. The number of girls completing their college education is merely 15% of the total female school going population, while female postgraduates in a rural area are a meagre 2% of that. However, the dropout rate among the girls is much lower in cities.

5.Literacy and level of education are basic indicators of the level of development achieved by a society. Higher levels of female literacy lead to a greater awareness and contributes to the improvement of economic and social conditions. It acts as a catalyst for social upliftment, population control and better health standards.

Question. The purpose of the Right to Education Act 2009 by Indian parliament was to provide _____. Choose the correct option.
(i) free and compulsory food for children between the ages 6 and 14.
(ii) free and compulsory books for children aged 6-14.
(iii) free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14.
(iv) free and compulsory shelter for children between the ages 6 and 14.

Question. Select the option that is true for the two statements given below.
(1) The dropout rate among the girls is much lower in cities.
(2) At the level of research streams also, male students outnumber females.
(i) (2) is the reason for (1).
(ii) (1) contradicts (2).
(iii) (1) is independent of (2).
(iv) (2) is the result of (1)

Question. Select the option that gives the correct meaning of the following statement.
Higher levels of female literacy lead to a greater awareness.”
(i) Women form half of the society and will have a lot more to contribute if they are educated.
(ii) Greater awareness should be spread around the nation to advocate for female literacy.
(iii) It has been proven that female literacy is more important than male literacy.
(iv) Female literacy is easier to achieve at higher levels and can be beneficial for society.

Question. According to the All-India Survey of Higher Education, there is a skewed gender distribution because____.
(i) it is far more convenient to educate the male students.
(ii) the data collected was not a proper indication of reality.
(iii) girls are not interested in getting education as much as boys.
(iv) girls are pressurised to drop out at an early age to be of domestic help at home. 

Question. Select the option listing what the given sentence refers to ‘the student enrolment at the undergraduate level has 51% boys and 49% girls.’
(1) The percentage of female undergraduates is less than 49%.
(2) The ratio of male to female undergraduates is balanced.
(3) The percentage of male undergraduates is 51%.
(4) The undergraduate enrolment is skewed towards male students.
(5) The percentage of female undergraduates is less than 51%.
(i) (2), (3) and (4)
(ii) (2), (4) and (5)
(iii) (3), (4) and (5)
(iv) (1), (2) and (4)

Question. For which of the following programs, the maximum percentage of female students from rural areas are enrolled?
(i) postgraduate
(ii) high school
(iii) secondary education
(iv) undergraduate

Question. The passage lists an example proving that school education in India has _______.
Select the correct option.
(i) succeeded in terms of enrolling more female students (ii)little to no hope in improving the quality for women’s education
(iii) failed even after the introduction of Right to Education Act
(iv) a lot of work to do in improving gender disparity 

Question. Choose the correct option to answer the following: According to paragraph 5, ‘Literacy and level of education are basic indicators of the level of development achieved by a
society’. This is so because
(i) literate people may not necessarily mean that they are educated.
(ii) a developed society is driven by an educated majority.
(iii) higher the level of education, lesser is their contribution towards the society.
(iv) development of the society inversely relates to its literacy.

Unseen Passage for Class 11 with answers

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:

1.The Indian pharma industry is flourishing overseas, touching almost every part of the world. With low cost, speed and highquality advantage, India is gearing up to become the hub for contract research and manufacturing. Having a competitive edge is, one thing and maintaining it is another. Canada provides tax benefits up to 6% for research carried out within the country. Others like Korea and China without a large pool of scientists make up by facilitating foreign research in every conceivable way.

2. India does not do any of this and faces many hurdles – diseases that it has been inflicted with since independence like Malaria and TB while Indian companies have only focused on reverse engineering blockbuster drugs from MNCs, overseas scientists have displayed little interest in researching sub-continent specific diseases as there are more profits and public interest in lifestyle drugs such as obesity which in turn fund their research. In the interest of Indian research industry, a decision must be taken quickly on the implementation of data protection laws.

3. India is one of the few countries where data exclusivity provisions are not prevalent. Data protection is a contentious issue, wholly debated by the government and the industry. A pharma company wishing to market a drug is required to submit data to the drug controller to show that the drug is both effective and safe. The first (originator) company that makes the application for marketing approval has to submit its data relating to the clinical trials to the drug controller, who once satisfied that the drug is safe and effective will register it. Another drug company wishing to market the same drug only requires to show a bio-equivalence company. Thus, as per the prevailing laws, the regulator in India can rely on an innovator’s data to approve the competitor’s product.

4. While the system in general is responsible for maintaining the necessary secrecy, it is not accountable for the same—the competitor gets an unfair advantage over the innovator even when he is clandestinely abusing an innovator’s intellectual property. Consequently researchbased pharma companies are being forced to undertake vital clinical trials abroad. Huge expenditures are incurred overseas, draining precious foreign exchange when this could be done at home at a fraction of the cost.

Question. The Indian pharma companies prefer to research in _____. Choose the correct option.
(a) reverse engineering discontinued drugs from MNCs.
(b) sub-continent specific diseases and their cure.
(c) cure for malaria and tuberculosis.
(d) reverse engineering blockbuster drugs from MNCs.

Question. Select the option that is true for the two statements given below.
(1) The competitor gets an unfair advantage over the innovator.
(2) The regulator in India can rely on an innovator’s data to approve the competitor’s product.
(i) (2) is the reason for (1).
(ii) (1) contradicts (2).
(iii) (2) is independent of (1).
(iv) (2) is the result of (1).

Question. Select the option that gives the correct meaning of the following statement.
While the system in general is responsible for maintaining the necessary secrecy, it is not accountable for the same.”
(i) The system assures to safeguard intellectual properties of innovators at all cost.
(ii) The system controls the intellectual properties but cannot guarantee if it gets copied.
(iii) The system is not responsible for registering intellectual properties but protects them.
(iv) The innovators can rely on the system because it assures the secrecy of their intellectual property.

Question. According to the data, overseas scientists don’t research on diseases that affect third world countries because____.
(i) they lack proper funds and knowledge for research in that field.
(ii) there are more profits and public interest in lifestyle drugs.
(iii) sub-continental diseases can be deadly hence riskier to work with.
(iv) other scientists are already doing research on those diseases.

Question. Select the option listing what the given sentence refers to.
Another drug company wishing to market the same drug only requires to show a bio-equivalence company.’
(1) The other drug company has to innovate from the start.
(2) The other company can easily market someone else’s drug.
(3) The other drug company can easily copy the formula.
(4) The innovator can do almost nothing to stop plagiarism.
(5) The innovator can stop other companies from selling their drug.
(i) (1), (3) and (4)
(ii) (2), (3) and (5)
(iii) (2), (4) and (5)
(iv) (2), (3) and (4)

Question. How do Korea and China excel in the research field even without a large pool of scientists?
(i) by facilitating foreign research.
(ii) by avoiding foreign research.
(iii) by copying foreign research material.
(iv) by paying large sums of money to buy the ranks.

Question. The passage discusses that the Indian pharma industry is flourishing overseas because_______.
Select the correct option.
(i) Indian pharma companies are spending money to reverse engineer already successful drugs.
(ii) India provides low cost, speed and high-quality advantage in research and manufacturing.
(iii) Indian pharma industry promises secrecy when it comes to protecting new innovations.
(iv) Indian produced drugs cannot be used in foreign market because of unregulated protocol.

Question. Choose the correct option to answer the following:
According to paragraph 4, ‘Huge expenditures are incurred overseas, draining precious foreign exchange’. This is so because:
(i) research-based pharma companies are allowed to undertake vital clinical trials at home.
(ii) research-based pharma companies take bribes to undertake vital clinical trials.
(iii) research-based pharma companies are being forced to undertake vital clinical trials abroad.
(iv) research-based pharma companies don’t have to undertake vital clinical trials for safety.

Unseen Passage for Class 11 with questions and answers pdf

Freedom :
Freedom from fear is the freedom I claim for you, my motherland !
Freedom from burden of ages1, bending your head2,
breaking your back3, blinding your eyes4 to the beckoning call5 of the future.
Freedom from the shackles6 of slumber7 wherewith
you fasten yourself in night’s stillness,
mistrusting the star that speaks of truth’s adventurous path8.
Freedom from the anarchy of a destiny
Whose sails are weakly yielded to the blind uncertain winds,
And the helm9 to a hand ever rigid and cold as death.
Freedom from the insult of dwelling in a puppet’s world,
where movements are started through brainless wires10,
repeated through mindless habits11,
where figures wait with patience and obedience for the
master of show12, to be stirred into a moment’s mimicry13 of life. —Rabindranath Tagore

Answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option :

Question. The poet uses the symbol ‘puppet’ for …………. .
(a) the leaders of his country
(b) his countrymen
(c) the downtrodden people
(d) none of these.   

Question. In this poem, the poet calls the path of truth ‘adventurous’ because ……………. .
(a) the path of truth is full of pleasant surprises
(b) the path of truth is plain and easy
(c) the struggle for truth is unending
(d) the struggle for truth is never easy.     

Question. Give the antonym of the word ‘fear’.
(a) fright.
(b) courage.
(c) alarm.
(d) panic. 

Question. What does the poet want his countrymen to be free from ?
(a) Any doubts.
(b) The enemies.
(c) All kinds of disease.
(d) All kinds of fear.   

Question. Which freedom has been talked about in the last stanza ?
(a) Freedom from fear.
(b) Freedom from slumber and inactivity.
(c) Freedom from a life of puppets.
(d) Freedom from disturbed and bad destiny.   

Answer the following questions briefly :

Question. What does the poet mean by ‘shackles’ ?
Answer : By ‘shackles’, the poet means the chains of old customs, meaningless traditions, ignorance, backwardness, slumber and inactivity.

Question. What does the poet point out by his expression — ‘beckoning call of the future’ ?
Answer : It indicates the optimism of the poet.

Question. What is the ‘truth’s adventurous path’ ?
Answer : It means the difficulties involved in the struggle for freedom from all kinds of exploitation.

Question. What does the poet mean by ‘anarchy of destiny’ ?
Answer : He uses these words to compare man’s life to the fate of a ship.

Question. Which ‘figures’ wait for the master of show ?
Answer : Those puppets who are not actively in motion wait on sides for the orders of the master of show.

Question. What does ‘bending your head’ signify ?
Answer : It means the ‘less of self-respect’ due to unending exploitation.

Question. Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are similar in meaning to the following :
(a) state of disorder and disturbance (Para 3)
(b) act of imitation (Para 4)
Answer : (a) anarchy
(b) mimicry

Solved Unseen Passages for Class 11

To a Daughter :
When I taught you
at eight to ride
a bicycle, loping1 along
beside you
as you wobbled2 away
on two round wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled3
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
I kept waiting
for the thud4
of your crash as I
sprinted5 to catch up
while you grew
Smaller, more breakable6
with distance,
pumping, pumping
for your life7, screaming
with laughter,
the hair flapping
behind you like a
handkerchief waving
goodbye. —Linda Pastan

Answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option :

Question. In the poem, a parent tells how the little girl was taught …………. .
(a) to do her work
(b) to play football
(c) to ride a bicycle
(d) all of these three. 

Question. The parent was quite surprised to see the daughter …………. .
(a) learning to ride a bicycle
(b) pedalling fast with his/her support
(c) wobbling unsteadily on her bike
(d) moving further on her bike without any support. 

Question. Now the parent ran with all speed …………. .
(a) to stop the girl
(b) to catch up with the girl
(c) to teach the girl riding a bike
(d) to move the girl further.   

Question. The girl’s hair flapped behind her like a …………. waving goodbye.
(a) person
(b) hand
(c) flag
(d) handkerchief.   

Question. The girl grew …………. with distance.
(a) smaller and more breakable
(b) bigger and less breakable
(c) more and more expert
(d) none of these three.   

Answer the following questions briefly :

Question. What seemed like a handkerchief being waved to say a goodbye ?
Answer : The girl’s hair.

Question. Which word in the poem means ‘running with long steps’ ?
Answer : loping.

Question. How old was the girl when she was taught to ride a bicycle ?
Answer : She was eight years old.

Question. How did the parent feel while teaching the girl to ride ?
Answer : The parent feared his/her daughter might get hurt while learning to ride a bicycle.

Question. While trying to learn riding, how did the girl seem to begin with ?
Answer : She seemed quite nervous. She moved from side to side in an unsteady way.

Question. How did the parent feel as the girl moved very far away ahead ?
Answer : The parent felt quite surprised when the girl moved very far away riding the bicycle.

Question. Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are similar in meaning to the following :
(a) moved further forward in the front
(b) ran very fast.
Answer : (a) pulled
(b) sprinted.

Case based Unseen Passage for Class 11

Solar Flare1 :
I looked up at the Sun and he was frowning2,
his voice was like a fiery ball of flame,
he told me that the planet Earth was drowning3,
‘‘And mankind thinks,’’ he said, ‘‘that I’m to blame !
‘‘I’ve been here, burning constantly for ever,
I watched the planets4 cool and shape and form,
my sunlight formed the seasons and the weather,
and man evolved because your planet’s warm5.
‘‘A hundred years ago I was the hero6,
a friendly face to light a summer’s morn,
and now my reputation stands at zero,
too much of me beams7 through a sky that’s torn.
‘‘But I have stayed the same, it’s Earth that altered8,
you people wouldn’t stop your greedy ways,
the fragile9 balance in the sky has faltered10,
and now it’s very close to end of days11.
‘‘Your ‘Climate Change’ won’t stop the world from spinning,
the planet will remain when you are gone,
and I’ll be here, like back in the beginning,
with no one left to beam my sunshine on12.’’
I told him I would try and make them listen,
it’s not too late to right the wrongs we’ve done,
when all the world has raised their hands and risen13,
perhaps we’ll see a smile upon the Sun. —Graeme King

Answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option :

Question. The earth has altered because …………. .
(a) the sun has stayed the same
(b) the sun never stayed the same
(c) it is now too late to right the wrongs
(d) people are not prepared to stop their greedy ways.   

Question. This poem is in the form of a dialogue between …………. .
(a) the sun and a man
(b) the sun and mankind
(c) the sun and the earth
(d) the earth and mankind.   

Question. We can see a smile on the sun’s face if …………. .
(a) the earth stops spinning
(b) we resolve to rectify the wrongs we’ve done
(c) there is ‘climate change’ once again on the earth
(d) all of these.   

Question. ‘A sky that’s torn’ refers to …………. .
(a) the reduction of oxygen in the sky.
(b) the defective sky.
(c) the destruction of ozon layer.
(d) none of these.   

Question. …………. won’t stop the world from spinning.
(a) The sun
(b) Global warming
(c) The ozone layer
(d) The climate change.   

Answer the following questions briefly :

Question. Why was the sun frowning ?
Answer : Because the sun was being blamed by mankind.

Question. What formed the seasons and the weather ?
Answer : The sunlight.

Question. What does the sun complain of in the poem ?
Answer : That the earth is sinking in the ocean of pollution and that man is accusing him (the sun) of all this.

Question. What has the sunlight caused on the earth ?
Answer : The sunlight has caused the seasons and the weather.

Question. What allegation has mankind made against the sun ?
Answer : That the sun has become exceedingly hot and gives too much of heat.

Question. How was the sun’s voice ?
Answer : It was like a fiery ball of flame.

Question. Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are similar in meaning to the following :
(a) sudden expression of anger (Para 1)
(b) became unsteady. (Para 4)
Answer : (a) flare
(b) faltered.