Reading Comprehension Test 8

[passage-header]When we put the given sentences (a, b, c, d) together in the correct sequence, we get a meaningful paragraph. Identify the correct sequence of the given sentences.[/passage-header]a. The children sat listening to his stories for almost an hour.
b. All the stories were full of crime and mystery.
c. Ramesh conceded to their request.
d. The children requested Ramesh to tell them stories.

[passage-header]Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows:[/passage-header]Each nation has its own peculiar character which distinguishes it from others. But the people of the world have more points in which they are all like each other than points in which they are different. One type of person that is common in every country is the one who always tries to do as little as he possibly can and to get as much in return as he can. His opposite, the man who is in the habit of doing more than is strictly necessary and is ready to accept what is offered in return, is rare everywhere. Both these types are usually unconscious of their character. The man who avoids effort is always talking about his 'rights'; he appears to think that society owes him a pleasant, easy life. The man who is always doing more than his sheer talks of 'duties' feels that the individual is in debt to society, and not society to the individual. As a result of their view, neither of these men thinks that he behaves at all strangely. 

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question below.[/passage-header]The drink of Asia for hundreds of years, tea, is believed to have been brought to Europe by the Dutch. Today, from the remotest corner of Ladakh to Buckingham Palace, tea is synonymous with cheer.
It is rightly said that there will be no agreement on a perfect cup of tea. Though for tea drinkers the brew is addictive, the preferred method of preparation and taste differs from person to person and region to region.
Today many varieties of tea and tea brands are available in the market. An innovation is the tea-bag that is easy, quick and less messy than traditional ways of brewing tea. Green tea is popular in China and the Far East. In Japan, the tea ceremony is a traditional way of greeting guests and is a social occasion. Unlike the tea we are familiar with, green tea is not drunk with sugar or milk. It is an olive-coloured liquid served in porcelain cups. In Morocco, green tea is infused with freshly plucked mint. 
Some scientists believe tea prevents tooth decay because it is a rich source of fluoride. Tea is also a good remedy for stomach upsets, flu and diarrhoea. Research suggests that drinking tea reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer and lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. A welcome thought for inveterate tea drinkers.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question below.[/passage-header]The human body needs six nutrients. These are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. Since most foods cannot provide all six nutrients, we need different kinds of foods. Milk provides fat, protein, carbohydrates, some vitamins, minerals and water. Milk is a food that gives us all the six nutrients. Green salad, fruit and beans provide other vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. The nutrients work together to help our body grow. Sometimes nutrients are added to foods to make them more healthful. Breads, noodles and rice often have vitamins and minerals added.
Our body needs proteins to grow and change. Proteins also help to repair injured body parts. Meat and fish contain large amounts of proteins. Carbohydrates supply energy to the body. Starch is the main carbohydrate in some of the cereals and vegetables, such as bread, potatoes and rice. But sugar is the main carbohydrate in some fruits, such as mango, orange, and grapes. Our body also gets energy from the fat we eat. Olive and butter are rich in fat. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins that are not used right away by our body can be used later for energy.

Stories of dolphins saving human lives have been told throughout history. The latest incident happened recently when dolphins saved the life of an Australian surfer from a shark which tore a chunk out of his surfboard. As the shark moved in for the kill it was chased away by a group of dolphins.
Some scientists argue that such behaviour is an instinctive response to distress signals. Others insist that incidents like these are deliberate acts of compassion adding support to the widespread belief that dolphins are highly intelligent. Two factors were initially responsible for sparking off the popular idea that dolphins might possess high intelligence. The first was the size of the dolphin brains. In some species it is about the same weight as our own. The second factor was the work of Dr. John Lilly who convinced that dolphins must possess a language, set about trying to prove this theory by teaching captive dolphins to speak English. But Lilly's work, though appealing, proved nothing except that dolphins are talented vocal mimics. But in seeking to establish whether dolphins share human characteristics, we may be barking up the wrong tree. As dolphins have evolved in an environment completely like our own, it is reasonable to expect that their intelligence will be a different kind too.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question below.[/passage-header]In 1948 after Gandhi's death, Vinoba Bhave, one of his closest disciples, retired to five acres of land to learn to live without money and to practise the self-sufficiency which Gandhi and believed was the solution to the poverty of rural India. Then, in 1951, after much persuasion, he agreed to travel 300 miles to attend the annual general meeting of the 'Sarvodaya Samaj' to be held in Hyderabad.
After the meeting was over, he went into the district of Telengana where there was a state of political terrorism in the countryside. Here on April 18, 1951, at the village of Pochempelli, he was offered one hundred acres for the use of Harijans by a rich landowner. Vinoba Bhave was tremendously excited by this gift. He decided to get more people to give away some of their land to the poor.
The news of the saint who caused people to give land to the landless spread through the district and his arrival was now eagerly awaited in village after village. The richer villagers began to offer him more land. Sometimes, of course, the rich men did not want to give their land. To these he said, "Treat me as one of your sons and give me my share of land." Within fifty days he had collected 12,000 acres for distributing to the landless poor of the countryside.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question below.[/passage-header]The drink of Asia for hundreds of years, tea, is believed to have been brought to Europe by the Dutch. Today, from the remotest corner of Ladakh to Buckingham Palace, tea is synonymous with cheer.
It is rightly said that there will be no agreement on a perfect cup of tea. Though for tea drinkers the brew is addictive, the preferred method of preparation and taste differs from person to person and region to region.
Today many varieties of tea and tea brands are available in the market. An innovation is the tea-bag that is easy, quick and less messy than traditional ways of brewing tea. Green tea is popular in China and the Far East. In Japan, the tea ceremony is a traditional way of greeting guests and is a social occasion. Unlike the tea we are familiar with, green tea is not drunk with sugar or milk. It is an olive-coloured liquid served in porcelain cups. In Morocco, green tea is infused with freshly plucked mint. 
Some scientists believe tea prevents tooth decay because it is a rich source of fluoride. Tea is also a good remedy for stomach upsets, flu and diarrhoea. Research suggests that drinking tea reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer and lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. A welcome thought for inveterate tea drinkers.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question below.[/passage-header]Once a hunter made a cage to catch a tiger alive. Soon a tiger was caught in the trap. A Brahmin was passing by that way. The tiger requested him to get him free. The foolish Brahmin took pity on the tiger, opened the door and set the wild animal free. The tiger was hungry as well as ungrateful and wanted to eat up his benefactor.
Just then a Jackal came up there. The Brahmin told his story to him. The clever Jackal thought of a plan to save the Brahmin. He said, "What! Did you mean the tiger was in that cage? I can't believe it." He asked the tiger if it was true. "Yes", said the tiger, "I was in that cage and this man set me free." "No", said the Jackal, "How can such a big tiger come into this small cage?"
The greedy tiger was taken in. In order to prove that he was right, he entered the cage. The door closed and the tiger remained where he was. The Brahmin thanked the wise Jackal and went his way.