Reading Comprehension Test 61

[passage-header] Read the passage and answer the question that follows:[/passage-header]The Santhals are a Munda tribe, a branch of that aboriginal group, which probably entered India from the North East. Presently they inhabit the Eastern outskirts of the Chota Nagpur plateau. Originally hunters and dwellers in the jungle, they are now agriculturists. Like the Mundas and Hos and other representatives of the race, they are jovial in character, fond of their music, and ready to take a joke.
Their social organisation is very complete: each village has its headman or manjhi, with his assistant the paranik. The jogmanghi is in charge of ensuring that the young ones in the tribe have the right moral development. The naeke is the village priest, and the godet is the village constable. Over a group of villages is the pargana or tribal chief.
Their religion is animistic; spirits (bongas) are everywhere around them: the spirits of their ancestors, the spirit of the house, the spirit dwelling in the patch of primeval forest preserved in each village. Every hill, tree and rock has its spirit. These spirits are worshipped by elaborate ceremonies, which generally conclude in dances, and great food.
The Santhal Parganas is a district 4800 sq. miles in area, lying about 150 miles north of Kolkata, and was formed into a separate administration after the Santhals had risen in rebellion in 1856. The Santhals, at present, form about one-third of the population.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question that follow.[/passage-header]Here is a humorous article giving advice to mountaineers. Do you think the author is serious? Read on.
Do you jump out of bed in the mornings? Well, if you are a mountain climber sleeping on a rock face, you cannot do so! Nor can you toss and turn in your sleep. You cannot spread yourself out either. So, how do you sleep?
Mountaineers have honed the art of sleeping on the rock face of a mountain several hundred feet above sea level. They affix themselves to the open rock face using ropes and pitons. If you would like to climb a mountain and sleep a few nights high up there then this is the way to do it. First of all find a nice wide ledge in the cliff. You would be lucky if you found a ledge that is three to five inches wide. It is a challenge to sleep on a ledge of lesser width.
To prevent falling off the ledge, you will have to fasten yourself to the cliff. Use pitons and ropes for this purpose. Use a very heavy hammer to drive the pitons deep into the rock face. Then, weave the rope around your limbs and fasten it to the pitons. Remember to keep at least one arm free from the weaving. This arm will help you untie yourself in the morning.
Now, some of you might have the habit of reading yourself to sleep. Fairly good habit! However, how do you read when you are on a mountain face? Well, you can wear your helmet with the light on and you can hold the book with your free arm. With not enough space to change the book from one arm to the other, and with no pillows to prop up your head, the experience may not be as pleasurable as you would like, though.
What do you do if you complete reading the book? You can always leave it behind for other climbers to find it. It is best to fasten the book to the ledge so that it remains there to surprise future climbers. You must remember to wrap the book up in some waterproof material.
While you are sleeping high up there, a few reptiles or birds might grow interested in you. They might want to know who the intruder is. How do you deal with them? Ignoring them might help. Also, biting cold winds and the lashing rain might bother you. Again, the advice is to ignore them. If you don't look at them, they are likely to just go away!

[passage-header] Read the passage and answer the question that follows.[/passage-header]During the summer months, many families find some time to spend with each other. They love to go on trips, meet friends and family or simply make happy times. Therefore, it's quite natural to hear a lot of happy laughter in summers. However, a happy day can sometimes turn into a bad memory if one meets stinging insects. Stinging insects are common in summer. They can sometimes have such powerful stings that it can be a painful nuisance. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) says, stinging insects like wasps, yellow jackets, hornets and bees have sent more than half a million people to the emergency room in the past years. While those who are allergic to stings are at greater risk, almost anyone can be affected if a large number of insects swarm and sting en masse. The association recommends that this summer homeowners must take a few precautions to prevent stings and stay outdoors more safely. It is important to ensure that the area around the house is free from hives and nests. One must check the exterior of one's home, paying special attention to over-hangs, eaves, the underside of porches and decks, shrubs, trees, sheds and other structures. If you find a nest on your property, do not get too close and do not attempt to remove it. Instead, hire a trained pest control professional to relocate or remove hives and nests in a safe manner. To help you prevent stings this season, the NPMA offers the following advice:
Eliminate standing water and other sources of moisture around the home. 
Keep trash cans covered and sealed.
When dining outside, keep food covered until ready to eat. Also provide clear plastic cups for your guests, as aluminium cans and plastic bottles are good hiding spots for stinging insects.
If approached by a stinging insect, remain calm and quiet. Avoid swaying or swinging as this may provoke an attack.
Avoid wearing dark, floral prints, loose fining garments, open-toe shoes and sweet-smelling perfumes or colognes.
Some stinging insects pose more serious threats than others. A trained pest control professional will be able to properly identify a pest species and determine the risk to your family.

Read the passage and answer the question that follow.
When people first started taking selfies or a portrait-photograph themselves, they came under a lot of criticism. While smartphones and digital cameras have made selfies quite popular, the first self-portrait is said to have been taken in 1839 by Robert Cornelius who was considered a pioneer in photography. Taking pictures was no child's play in those days. The whole process was so slow that Cornelius had time to uncover the lens, run into the shot and then go back to cover the lens. This was before the self-timer came into the picture. More advanced versions of smartphones, especially those with front cameras made it quite easy to take one's own pictures. Before that, people were usually taking their pictures by standing in front of a mirror. But now they just had to extend their hand and viola! They had a photo that captured the moment instantly. Soon people became interested in recording each remarkable and not so remarkable moment of their lives. While this started as a phenomena more suited to the tastes of the young, it soon gained wider popularity with men and women of all ages who started showing their love of themselves. 
Selfies caught the world's attention in the mid 2000's when social networking sites such as Facebook made it quite popular. People's growing obsession with themselves, more importantly with their physical appearances did not go unnoticed by the scientific community also. Dr Rutherfield, faculty director at one of the premier schools of psychology in the US observes that now there are more pictures available of real people than of models. Also, posting selfies online acts as an empowering act as it allows a person to control how the online world sees him. Feeling good about oneself and then having someone else endorse that feeling through likes and comments acts as an immediate self-confidence booster. It is normal for people to work for rewards and to repeat behaviour that would fetch them more rewards. However psychologist Webber warns against the danger of how easily and intertwined our self-esteem may get  approval on social media. After all, selfies are only based on our physical appearance; they do not define who we are. The problem is that many teenagers and youngsters are seeking validation through positive responses on their selfies. Some people are fine with sharing their selfies and getting a few compliments but others check their social media accounts repeatedly to see how many comments and likes they have got. Webber says that often people who post selfies throughout the day have low self-esteem and are looking for social approval. In some countries, the public health departments have issued warnings to the public to highlight the negative effects of spending too much time obsessing about selfies. While opinions vary on the effects of taking selfies, it is up to the people to shape their habits and perspectives. Dr Rutherfield recommends that if one is posting selfies only for comments, they should cut down on the number of posts. Our social media profile reveals something about us and what we share depends entirely on us. The bottom line is that we control how the world perceives us. 

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question that follow.[/passage-header]Here is a humorous article giving advice to mountaineers. Do you think the author is serious? Read on.
Do you jump out of bed in the mornings? Well, if you are a mountain climber sleeping on a rock face, you cannot do so! Nor can you toss and turn in your sleep. You cannot spread yourself out either. So, how do you sleep?
Mountaineers have honed the art of sleeping on the rock face of a mountain several hundred feet above sea level. They affix themselves to the open rock face using ropes and pitons. If you would like to climb a mountain and sleep a few nights high up there then this is the way to do it. First of all find a nice wide ledge in the cliff. You would be lucky if you found a ledge that is three to five inches wide. It is a challenge to sleep on a ledge of lesser width.
To prevent falling off the ledge, you will have to fasten yourself to the cliff. Use pitons and ropes for this purpose. Use a very heavy hammer to drive the pitons deep into the rock face. Then, weave the rope around your limbs and fasten it to the pitons. Remember to keep at least one arm free from the weaving. This arm will help you untie yourself in the morning.
Now, some of you might have the habit of reading yourself to sleep. Fairly good habit! However, how do you read when you are on a mountain face? Well, you can wear your helmet with the light on and you can hold the book with your free arm. With not enough space to change the book from one arm to the other, and with no pillows to prop up your head, the experience may not be as pleasurable as you would like, though.
What do you do if you complete reading the book? You can always leave it behind for other climbers to find it. It is best to fasten the book to the ledge so that it remains there to surprise future climbers. You must remember to wrap the book up in some waterproof material.
While you are sleeping high up there, a few reptiles or birds might grow interested in you. They might want to know who the intruder is. How do you deal with them? Ignoring them might help. Also, biting cold winds and the lashing rain might bother you. Again, the advice is to ignore them. If you don't look at them, they are likely to just go away!

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
Etiquette is the unwritten code that governs social behaviour. Etiquette reflects formulas of conduct in which society or tradition have invested. Western etiquette tells people to greet friends and acquaintances with warmth and respect, refrain from insults and curiosity, offer hospitality equally to guests, wear clothing suited to the occasion, talk properly, eat neatly and quietly, avoid disturbing others, follow the rules of an organization, arrive promptly when expected, comfort the bereaved, and respond to invitations promptly.
Violations of etiquette can cause public disgrace, and in private hurt individual feelings, create misunderstandings or real grief and pain.
Some people feel etiquette to be an unnecessary restriction of freedom of personal expression. However, wearing pyjamas to a wedding in a cathedral may be an expression of the guest's freedom, but may also cause the bride and groom to suspect that the guest is expressing amusement or disparagement towards them and their wedding.
Etiquette is dependent on culture; what is excellent etiquette in one society may shock in another. Etiquette can vary widely between different cultures and nations. In China, a person who takes the last item of food from a common plate without offering it to others at the table is seen as a glutton whilst in most European cultures he is expected to eat all the food given to them, as a compliment to the cooking. In some societies, it is considered disgusting to eat with the left hand, and left-handed individuals are sometimes forced to use their right hand. Recently, the internet has created Netiquette, which governs the drafting of e-mail, rules for participating in online forums, and so on.  
[passage-footer]- Bhuvan's Journal March 31, 2007[/passage-footer]

[passage-header]Read the following poem carefully and answer the question that follows:
[/passage-header]'That's What She Said (Or He)'
I wish you, Friend, 
The finest thing 
That I can wish for you -
Not health, nor wealth, 
Nor luck, but just 
A spirit of bamboo. 
Bend with the wind 
And thus survive, 
Though storms may flatten you. 
Weep not at fate, 
But spring erect 
As bamboo thickets do. 
Though knives of hate 
May cut away 
Your hopes of dreams come true, 
From roots of faith 
Put out your shoots 
And grow your dreams anew. 
Wealth may be lost, 
And health may fade, 
Yet you'll be wise and true 
If you can bend 
And you can grow 
With spirit of bamboo! 
              - Helene Grouse 

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
Etiquette is the unwritten code that governs social behaviour. Etiquette reflects formulas of conduct in which society or tradition have invested. Western etiquette tells people to greet friends and acquaintances with warmth and respect, refrain from insults and curiosity, offer hospitality equally to guests, wear clothing suited to the occasion, talk properly, eat neatly and quietly, avoid disturbing others, follow the rules of an organization, arrive promptly when expected, comfort the bereaved, and respond to invitations promptly.
Violations of etiquette can cause public disgrace, and in private hurt individual feelings, create misunderstandings or real grief and pain.
Some people feel etiquette to be an unnecessary restriction of freedom of personal expression. However, wearing pyjamas to a wedding in a cathedral may be an expression of the guest's freedom, but may also cause the bride and groom to suspect that the guest is expressing amusement or disparagement towards them and their wedding.
Etiquette is dependent on culture; what is excellent etiquette in one society may shock in another. Etiquette can vary widely between different cultures and nations. In China, a person who takes the last item of food from a common plate without offering it to others at the table is seen as a glutton whilst in most European cultures he is expected to eat all the food given to them, as a compliment to the cooking. In some societies, it is considered disgusting to eat with the left hand, and left-handed individuals are sometimes forced to use their right hand. Recently, the internet has created Netiquette, which governs the drafting of e-mail, rules for participating in online forums, and so on.  
[passage-footer]- Bhuvan's Journal March 31, 2007[/passage-footer]

[passage-header]Read the following poem carefully and answer the question that follows:
[/passage-header]'That's What She Said (Or He)'
I wish you, Friend, 
The finest thing 
That I can wish for you -
Not health, nor wealth, 
Nor luck, but just 
A spirit of bamboo. 
Bend with the wind 
And thus survive, 
Though storms may flatten you. 
Weep not at fate, 
But spring erect 
As bamboo thickets do. 
Though knives of hate 
May cut away 
Your hopes of dreams come true, 
From roots of faith 
Put out your shoots 
And grow your dreams anew. 
Wealth may be lost, 
And health may fade, 
Yet you'll be wise and true 
If you can bend 
And you can grow 
With spirit of bamboo! 
              - Helene Grouse