Reading Comprehension Test 3

Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it:
We started looking on the ground for blood, hair or a drag mark that would lead us to the deer killed by the tiger. We had proceeded a hundred yards, examining every foot of the ground, and going dead slow, when Mothi, just as I turned my head to look at him, started backwards, screaming as he did so. Then he whipped round and ran for dear life, beating the air with his hands as if warding off a swarm of bees and continuing to scream as he ran. The sudden and piercing scream of a human being in a jungle, where a moment before all has been silent is terrifying to hear. Instinctively I knew what had happened. With his eyes fixed on the ground, looking for the blood or hair on the kill, Mothi had failed to see where he was going and had walked towards the tiger.

Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it:
We started looking on the ground for blood, hair or a drag mark that would lead us to the deer killed by the tiger. We had proceeded a hundred yards, examining every foot of the ground, and going dead slow, when Mothi, just as I turned my head to look at him, started backwards, screaming as he did so. Then he whipped round and ran for dear life, beating the air with his hands as if warding off a swarm of bees and continuing to scream as he ran. The sudden and piercing scream of a human being in a jungle, where a moment before all has been silent is terrifying to hear. Instinctively I knew what had happened. With his eyes fixed on the ground, looking for the blood or hair on the kill, Mothi had failed to see where he was going and had walked towards the tiger.

The theory of natural selection was put forth by Charles Darwin in his book 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection', co-authored by Alfred Russel Wallace. According to Darwin, nature has its own ways of selecting the best from the available species for continuation of life. The mechanism of natural selection works as follows :
Individuals of a species produce more offspring than necessary to replace themselves. This results in competition and struggle for existence among the individuals. Within the species itself there is variation that results in minor differences between the individuals.
Thus in the struggle for existence only the ones with the variations best adapted to their environment survive. In this manner nature ensures survival of the fittest.

Many poor farmers had been compelled to take up indigo cultivation when the British settlers were given the right to purcahse and cultivate land in India.Many whites, therefore, either acquired loans to poor farmers or pressurised them to forsake the farming of food grains and other cash crops for indigo cultivation. Indigo export to to Europe was lucrative for the British settlers who held a monopoly for this business.Within a few years,most of the fertile lands had undergone forcible indigo cultivation,resulting in a famine situation in Bengal.When the farmers declined to cultivate indigo,they were tortured,jailed and even killed.

Gardeners are being encouraged to grow striped flowers to encourage bumblebee populations after research suggested that the insects are most attracted to them.  stripes on petal veins direct bumblebees to the flower's "central landing platform" to gather nectar and pollen. Researchers also found that red flowers were also attractive to bumblebees.
Bees play a key role in agriculture by pollinating crops. The scientists say that growing such inviting plants could be a way for people to help stem what has been called a "catastrophic" decline in UK bumblebee populations.
Professor Cathie Martin from John Innes Centre in Norwich said red, and striped flowers were visited significantly more frequently than white or pink blooms. More flowers were visited per plant as well, she added.

Read the following passage and answer the question given after it.
No sooner had I launched forth on a life of ease and comfort than I began to cut down heavy expenses. The washer man's bill was heavy. Collars had to be changed daily and shirts, if not daily, at least every alternate day. this meant double expenses which appeared to me unnecessary. So I equipped myself with a washing outfit to save it. I bought a book on washing, studied the art and taught it also to my wife. This no doubt added to my work, but its novelty made it a pleasure. I shall never forget the first collar that I starched. I had used more starch then necessary. The iron had not been made hot enough and for fear of burning the collar, I had not pressed it sufficiently. The result was that though the collar was fairly stiff, the superfluous starch continually dusted the jacket. I went to court with collar on, thus inviting the ridicule of brother barrister, but even in those days I could be impervious to ridicule.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct option:[/passage-header]Hearing that a zookeeper has managed to train a lion to live in the same cage as a lamb, a man pays a visit to see if it's true. Amazingly, the man finds the animals lying next to each other. 'How did you do this?' he asks the keeper. 'Is this a trick?' 'No', replies the zookeepers, 'this has been going on for three months now. I don't mind telling you, though,' he confides, 'we've had to replace the lamb a few times'.

Marcia says that all of her friends have a cell phone, but Marcia's mom doesn't want to buy her one. Marcia's mom doesn't want Marcia to play video games either. What is more, the Internet scares her. Marcia's mom says, "If Marcia has a cell phone, how do we know whom she is talking to? Video games are bad for you. The internet is dangerous and uncontrolled. It's like having a gun in the house. We should just ban her from using the computer, and I'm not buying her a cell phone until she is eighteen. This is the only way we can be sure that Marcia is safe." Marcia's dad disagrees with Marcia's mom. Although he agrees that there are some dangers to it, he likes the Internet and finds it very useful. "The trouble is," he says, " We just can't stop Marcia from using the internet, as this would put her at a disadvantage. What's more, I like video games. I think that, when played in moderation, they are fun. Obviously, it is not good to play them without resistance or self-control. Finally, I think Marcia needs a cell phone. we can't take these things away.

Read the following passage and answer the question given after it.
No sooner had I launched forth on a life of ease and comfort than I began to cut down heavy expenses. The washer man's bill was heavy. Collars had to be changed daily and shirts, if not daily, at least every alternate day. this meant double expenses which appeared to me unnecessary. So I equipped myself with a washing outfit to save it. I bought a book on washing, studied the art and taught it also to my wife. This no doubt added to my work, but its novelty made it a pleasure. I shall never forget the first collar that I starched. I had used more starch then necessary. The iron had not been made hot enough and for fear of burning the collar, I had not pressed it sufficiently. The result was that though the collar was fairly stiff, the superfluous starch continually dusted the jacket. I went to court with collar on, thus inviting the ridicule of brother barrister, but even in those days I could be impervious to ridicule.