Comprehension Test - 5

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Over four hundred years after his death, scholars are still unravelling the mysteries of Michelangelo's art. Recently, one mystery that was revealed was that his famous drawing of a pensive Cleopatra included a hidden drawing of a different Cleopatra on the reverse side. This hidden Cleopatra shows a tormented woman, whose eyes stare out at the viewer and whose mouth is open, screaming in horror. The two images, drawn on two sides of the same paper, can be viewed simultaneously. A second mystery concerns Michelangelo's architectural plan for the dome of St. Peter Basilica in Rome. Did he intend for the dome to look like the model he built between 1558 and 1561? Or did he change his mind after building the model and decided to elevate the dome in the way it is today? Scholars do not agree on the answer. A third mystery about one of the greatest artists who ever lived was why he destroyed hundreds or thousands of his drawings before he died. Did he feel they were unimportant? Did he want posterity to see only his finished products?

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Over four hundred years after his death, scholars are still unravelling the mysteries of Michelangelo's art. Recently, one mystery that was revealed was that his famous drawing of a pensive Cleopatra included a hidden drawing of a different Cleopatra on the reverse side. This hidden Cleopatra shows a tormented woman, whose eyes stare out at the viewer and whose mouth is open, screaming in horror. The two images, drawn on two sides of the same paper, can be viewed simultaneously. A second mystery concerns Michelangelo's architectural plan for the dome of St. Peter Basilica in Rome. Did he intend for the dome to look like the model he built between 1558 and 1561? Or did he change his mind after building the model and decided to elevate the dome in the way it is today? Scholars do not agree on the answer. A third mystery about one of the greatest artists who ever lived was why he destroyed hundreds or thousands of his drawings before he died. Did he feel they were unimportant? Did he want posterity to see only his finished products?

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Over four hundred years after his death, scholars are still unravelling the mysteries of Michelangelo's art. Recently, one mystery that was revealed was that his famous drawing of a pensive Cleopatra included a hidden drawing of a different Cleopatra on the reverse side. This hidden Cleopatra shows a tormented woman, whose eyes stare out at the viewer and whose mouth is open, screaming in horror. The two images, drawn on two sides of the same paper, can be viewed simultaneously. A second mystery concerns Michelangelo's architectural plan for the dome of St. Peter Basilica in Rome. Did he intend for the dome to look like the model he built between 1558 and 1561? Or did he change his mind after building the model and decided to elevate the dome in the way it is today? Scholars do not agree on the answer. A third mystery about one of the greatest artists who ever lived was why he destroyed hundreds or thousands of his drawings before he died. Did he feel they were unimportant? Did he want posterity to see only his finished products?

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The timing couldn't have been better. It is entirely fitting that on the eve of the Rio Olympics a sports film - Haria Yadav: Born To Swim - on an Indian child swimmer, should hit the screens. What's more significant, however, is that Haria Yadav manages to break away from a whole lot of principle arcs and formulae even while remaining squarely within the conventions of a typical Indian sports film.

It is not weighed down by the burden of nationalism; in fact it inverts and questions it. It is not quite about winning for India. Then there is the 'triumph of the underdog' cliche. Yes there is an underprivileged child at the heart of the film but we don't wallow in the squalor of his slum life in Ranchi, nor do we celebrate his rise up from the bottom of the heap. It is about how India can actually crush its own hope for medals, trample a champion on the margins of the society than help him blossom. In fact it also makes us debate whether it is entirely ethical in dreaming of a champion in a mere five year old? For a change, it's also good not to have Mumbai and Delhi as the centre of action in a Hindi film. A new filmmaker from Jharkhand comes up with an assured debut-nicely paced, well crafted and entirely engaging. A film that is rooted in the state, brings alive the sights, sounds, lingos, colours and flavours of Jharkhand, and yet manages to speak to all.

Yes the film is on the wonder boy from the state, Haria Yadav, but it would not be quite right to describe it as a biopic. It is not about that talented little boy but the circus that got built around him. The boy, who wets his bed, can't even tie his shoelaces and can hardly comprehend the significance of swimming as a sport and carrier.

Like another good sports film, Paan Singh Tomar, the world of Haria is riddled with complexities, at the heart of which is his coach Biplab Das. The ambitious man drives a five year old round the bend relentlessly, pushes him to the limits yet cares enough to get him a new swimsuit, feeds him almonds and apples and cries silently on getting separated from him.

Much rests on Aryaan Kapoor's seemingly effortless performance as ajudo coach who trains 22 orphans in his hostel and also runs a dhaba and a salon to make ends meet. Never once does Aryaan appear to act and finely balances out Biplab - neither a hero, nor a villain, just a human being with flaws and warts. There is a fine line that separates ambition from obsession, a visionary from an opportunist and Aryaan's Biplab stands very well on it. The best bit about the film is how it looks at these grey zones without being judgmental.

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The timing couldn't have been better. It is entirely fitting that on the eve of the Rio Olympics a sports film - Haria Yadav: Born To Swim - on an Indian child swimmer, should hit the screens. What's more significant, however, is that Haria Yadav manages to break away from a whole lot of principle arcs and formulae even while remaining squarely within the conventions of a typical Indian sports film.

It is not weighed down by the burden of nationalism; in fact it inverts and questions it. It is not quite about winning for India. Then there is the 'triumph of the underdog' cliche. Yes there is an underprivileged child at the heart of the film but we don't wallow in the squalor of his slum life in Ranchi, nor do we celebrate his rise up from the bottom of the heap. It is about how India can actually crush its own hope for medals, trample a champion on the margins of the society than help him blossom. In fact it also makes us debate whether it is entirely ethical in dreaming of a champion in a mere five year old? For a change, it's also good not to have Mumbai and Delhi as the centre of action in a Hindi film. A new filmmaker from Jharkhand comes up with an assured debut-nicely paced, well crafted and entirely engaging. A film that is rooted in the state, brings alive the sights, sounds, lingos, colours and flavours of Jharkhand, and yet manages to speak to all.

Yes the film is on the wonder boy from the state, Haria Yadav, but it would not be quite right to describe it as a biopic. It is not about that talented little boy but the circus that got built around him. The boy, who wets his bed, can't even tie his shoelaces and can hardly comprehend the significance of swimming as a sport and carrier.

Like another good sports film, Paan Singh Tomar, the world of Haria is riddled with complexities, at the heart of which is his coach Biplab Das. The ambitious man drives a five year old round the bend relentlessly, pushes him to the limits yet cares enough to get him a new swimsuit, feeds him almonds and apples and cries silently on getting separated from him.

Much rests on Aryaan Kapoor's seemingly effortless performance as ajudo coach who trains 22 orphans in his hostel and also runs a dhaba and a salon to make ends meet. Never once does Aryaan appear to act and finely balances out Biplab - neither a hero, nor a villain, just a human being with flaws and warts. There is a fine line that separates ambition from obsession, a visionary from an opportunist and Aryaan's Biplab stands very well on it. The best bit about the film is how it looks at these grey zones without being judgmental.

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The timing couldn't have been better. It is entirely fitting that on the eve of the Rio Olympics a sports film - Haria Yadav: Born To Swim - on an Indian child swimmer, should hit the screens. What's more significant, however, is that Haria Yadav manages to break away from a whole lot of principle arcs and formulae even while remaining squarely within the conventions of a typical Indian sports film.

It is not weighed down by the burden of nationalism; in fact it inverts and questions it. It is not quite about winning for India. Then there is the 'triumph of the underdog' cliche. Yes there is an underprivileged child at the heart of the film but we don't wallow in the squalor of his slum life in Ranchi, nor do we celebrate his rise up from the bottom of the heap. It is about how India can actually crush its own hope for medals, trample a champion on the margins of the society than help him blossom. In fact it also makes us debate whether it is entirely ethical in dreaming of a champion in a mere five year old? For a change, it's also good not to have Mumbai and Delhi as the centre of action in a Hindi film. A new filmmaker from Jharkhand comes up with an assured debut-nicely paced, well crafted and entirely engaging. A film that is rooted in the state, brings alive the sights, sounds, lingos, colours and flavours of Jharkhand, and yet manages to speak to all.

Yes the film is on the wonder boy from the state, Haria Yadav, but it would not be quite right to describe it as a biopic. It is not about that talented little boy but the circus that got built around him. The boy, who wets his bed, can't even tie his shoelaces and can hardly comprehend the significance of swimming as a sport and carrier.

Like another good sports film, Paan Singh Tomar, the world of Haria is riddled with complexities, at the heart of which is his coach Biplab Das. The ambitious man drives a five year old round the bend relentlessly, pushes him to the limits yet cares enough to get him a new swimsuit, feeds him almonds and apples and cries silently on getting separated from him.

Much rests on Aryaan Kapoor's seemingly effortless performance as ajudo coach who trains 22 orphans in his hostel and also runs a dhaba and a salon to make ends meet. Never once does Aryaan appear to act and finely balances out Biplab - neither a hero, nor a villain, just a human being with flaws and warts. There is a fine line that separates ambition from obsession, a visionary from an opportunist and Aryaan's Biplab stands very well on it. The best bit about the film is how it looks at these grey zones without being judgmental.

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The timing couldn't have been better. It is entirely fitting that on the eve of the Rio Olympics a sports film - Haria Yadav: Born To Swim - on an Indian child swimmer, should hit the screens. What's more significant, however, is that Haria Yadav manages to break away from a whole lot of principle arcs and formulae even while remaining squarely within the conventions of a typical Indian sports film.

It is not weighed down by the burden of nationalism; in fact it inverts and questions it. It is not quite about winning for India. Then there is the 'triumph of the underdog' cliche. Yes there is an underprivileged child at the heart of the film but we don't wallow in the squalor of his slum life in Ranchi, nor do we celebrate his rise up from the bottom of the heap. It is about how India can actually crush its own hope for medals, trample a champion on the margins of the society than help him blossom. In fact it also makes us debate whether it is entirely ethical in dreaming of a champion in a mere five year old? For a change, it's also good not to have Mumbai and Delhi as the centre of action in a Hindi film. A new filmmaker from Jharkhand comes up with an assured debut-nicely paced, well crafted and entirely engaging. A film that is rooted in the state, brings alive the sights, sounds, lingos, colours and flavours of Jharkhand, and yet manages to speak to all.

Yes the film is on the wonder boy from the state, Haria Yadav, but it would not be quite right to describe it as a biopic. It is not about that talented little boy but the circus that got built around him. The boy, who wets his bed, can't even tie his shoelaces and can hardly comprehend the significance of swimming as a sport and carrier.

Like another good sports film, Paan Singh Tomar, the world of Haria is riddled with complexities, at the heart of which is his coach Biplab Das. The ambitious man drives a five year old round the bend relentlessly, pushes him to the limits yet cares enough to get him a new swimsuit, feeds him almonds and apples and cries silently on getting separated from him.

Much rests on Aryaan Kapoor's seemingly effortless performance as ajudo coach who trains 22 orphans in his hostel and also runs a dhaba and a salon to make ends meet. Never once does Aryaan appear to act and finely balances out Biplab - neither a hero, nor a villain, just a human being with flaws and warts. There is a fine line that separates ambition from obsession, a visionary from an opportunist and Aryaan's Biplab stands very well on it. The best bit about the film is how it looks at these grey zones without being judgmental.

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

'A Passage to India', published in 1924, was E. M. Forster’s s first novel in fourteen years, and the last novel he wrote. Subtle and rich in symbolism, the novel works on several levels. On the surface, it is about India" which at the time was a colonial possession of Britain and about the relations between British and Indian people in the country. It is also about the necessity of friendship, and about the difficulty of establishing friendship across cultural boundaries. On a more symbolic level, the novel also addresses questions of faith (both religious faith and faith in social conventions). Forster's narrative centers on Dr. Aziz, a young Indian physician whose attempt to establish friendships with several British characters has disastrous consequences.

When 'A Passage to India' appeared in 1924, it was praised by reviewers in a number of important British and American literary journals. Despite some criticism that Forster had depicted the British unfairly, the book was popular with readers in both Britain and the United States. The year after its publication, the novel received two prestigious literary awards" the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse. More than seventy years later, it remains highly regarded. In a survey of readers conducted by Water stone’s Bookstore and Channel 4 television in Britain at the end of 1996, it was voted as one of the "100 Greatest Books of the Century."

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

'A Passage to India', published in 1924, was E. M. Forster’s s first novel in fourteen years, and the last novel he wrote. Subtle and rich in symbolism, the novel works on several levels. On the surface, it is about India" which at the time was a colonial possession of Britain and about the relations between British and Indian people in the country. It is also about the necessity of friendship, and about the difficulty of establishing friendship across cultural boundaries. On a more symbolic level, the novel also addresses questions of faith (both religious faith and faith in social conventions). Forster's narrative centers on Dr. Aziz, a young Indian physician whose attempt to establish friendships with several British characters has disastrous consequences.

When 'A Passage to India' appeared in 1924, it was praised by reviewers in a number of important British and American literary journals. Despite some criticism that Forster had depicted the British unfairly, the book was popular with readers in both Britain and the United States. The year after its publication, the novel received two prestigious literary awards" the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse. More than seventy years later, it remains highly regarded. In a survey of readers conducted by Water stone’s Bookstore and Channel 4 television in Britain at the end of 1996, it was voted as one of the "100 Greatest Books of the Century."

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

'A Passage to India', published in 1924, was E. M. Forster’s s first novel in fourteen years, and the last novel he wrote. Subtle and rich in symbolism, the novel works on several levels. On the surface, it is about India" which at the time was a colonial possession of Britain and about the relations between British and Indian people in the country. It is also about the necessity of friendship, and about the difficulty of establishing friendship across cultural boundaries. On a more symbolic level, the novel also addresses questions of faith (both religious faith and faith in social conventions). Forster's narrative centers on Dr. Aziz, a young Indian physician whose attempt to establish friendships with several British characters has disastrous consequences.

When 'A Passage to India' appeared in 1924, it was praised by reviewers in a number of important British and American literary journals. Despite some criticism that Forster had depicted the British unfairly, the book was popular with readers in both Britain and the United States. The year after its publication, the novel received two prestigious literary awards" the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse. More than seventy years later, it remains highly regarded. In a survey of readers conducted by Water stone’s Bookstore and Channel 4 television in Britain at the end of 1996, it was voted as one of the "100 Greatest Books of the Century."

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

'A Passage to India', published in 1924, was E. M. Forster’s s first novel in fourteen years, and the last novel he wrote. Subtle and rich in symbolism, the novel works on several levels. On the surface, it is about India" which at the time was a colonial possession of Britain and about the relations between British and Indian people in the country. It is also about the necessity of friendship, and about the difficulty of establishing friendship across cultural boundaries. On a more symbolic level, the novel also addresses questions of faith (both religious faith and faith in social conventions). Forster's narrative centers on Dr. Aziz, a young Indian physician whose attempt to establish friendships with several British characters has disastrous consequences.

When 'A Passage to India' appeared in 1924, it was praised by reviewers in a number of important British and American literary journals. Despite some criticism that Forster had depicted the British unfairly, the book was popular with readers in both Britain and the United States. The year after its publication, the novel received two prestigious literary awards" the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse. More than seventy years later, it remains highly regarded. In a survey of readers conducted by Water stone’s Bookstore and Channel 4 television in Britain at the end of 1996, it was voted as one of the "100 Greatest Books of the Century."