English ComprehensionPage 1
Section - 1
Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
In a village in the East, there lived an old couple. They did not have any children and never spent an extra paisa on themselves. They never repaired their house or cooked good food. One day, a family moved into the village. It was their son's second birthday and they sent two delicious laddoos to the old couple. The couple ate the laddoos with great relish. For days after they could talk of nothing else. Finally the old man could take it no more. He said to his wife, “Let's buy the ingredients to make just two laddoos.†His wife agreed but said, “I make the laddoos at home, the neighbours will know and will want a share. Let's cook in the woods behind our hut. That way no one will ever know,â€
The next day the old man purchased the ingredients from the market and they set off to the woods. Having never prepared food like this before, they ended up with three laddoos instead of two. The old couple returned home with the sweets, dying to eat them. But there was a problem. “It was my idea and I went to the market, so I ought to get two,†said the old man. But his wife refused to give in so easily and said, "Since I prepared the sweets, I ought to have two."The day wore on and the argument continued.
At last, the old man suggested, "Let us not talk to each other. Whoever breaks the silence first will get one laddoo and the other person two.†His wife agreed. Hour's passed, but neither of them spoke and finally they fell asleep with the bowl of sweets between them. That evening one of the neighbours knocked on the door but the couple did not answer for fear of losing the bet. Peering through the window, the man saw the couple lying on the floor with an untouched bowl of food. “They are dead!†He shouted and alerted the other villagers. Soon the door was broken down and the house was swarming with villagers. They discussed everything from the funeral to where the couple had hidden their wealth. But the couple lay still.
Finally the villagers carried them to the cremation ground. As the flames licked his feel, the old man jumped up screaming “You win!†His wife jumped up too, happy that she had won. The two then rushed home leaving the bewildered villagers present there behind. But when they got home.... Alas the door had been left open and they found a stray dog licking the last crumbs of the sweets from the bowl.
1. | | What caused the old couple's sudden longing for laddoos? | | (a)They hadn't eaten good food for several days | | (b)They had attended their neighbor's party and enjoyed the laddoos served | | (c)They saw the mouth watering laddoos being served to guests at the party | | (d)They had tasted the laddoos prepared for their neighbour's son's birthday |
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Answer is: D
2. | | Why did the old couple cook in the Woods? | | (a)It was very convenient to gather firewood | | (b)To avoid the risk of their hut burning down | | (c)To keep the fact that they were preparing laddoos a secret from their neighbours | | (d)To hide the fact that they did not know how to prepare laddoos from their neighbors |
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Answer is: C
3. | | Which of the following can be said about the old couple? | | (a)They did not have .any relatives to look after them in their old age | | (b)They were misers and did not spend even on• keeping their house in good condition | | (c)They were not allowed to eat sweets as they were old | | (d)They were fond of animals and sometimes shared their food with stray animals |
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Answer is: B
4. | Which of the following is/are true in the context of the passage?
(A) The old woman had prepared more laddoos than she had intended.
(B) The family who had recently moved into the village were fond of the old couple.
(C) The villagers were saddened by the death of the old couple and gave them a grand funeral. | | (a)Only (A) | | (b)Only (Bland (C) | | (c)Only (A) and (B) | | (d)All (A), (B) and (C) |
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Answer is: A
5. | | Why did the neighbour peep into the old couple's house? | | (a)To learn what they were being so secretive about. | | (b)To spy on them and discover where their wealth was hidden | | (c)Not clearly mentioned in the passage | | (d)check up on the old couple as he did everyday |
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Answer is: C
6. | | What puzzled the villagers? | | (a)The old cauple did not die in the fire | | (b)The sight of the old couple whom they had presumed dead, alive | | (c)The fact that the old coupie had wasted good food | | (d)The lack of concern the old woman had for her husband |
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Answer is: B
7. | | Why did the old man scream when surrounded by the villagers? | | (a)He was afraid that his wife would get burned | | (b)To scare away the villagers who wanted to kill him tor his money | | (c)The fear of being hurt in fire | | (d)To indicate to the villagers that he was alive |
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Answer is: C
8. | | What did the old couple disagree about? | | (a)Where they would cook their meal | | (b)Which of them was entitled to the first laddoo | | (c)Whether to share the extra laddoo with their neighbors | | (d)The quantity of laddoos that they had made |
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Answer is: D
9. | | What was the villagers reaction to the old couple's presumed 'death'? | | (a)They were upset and all came to pay their last respects | | (b)They were worried about how to pay for the funeral | | (c)They dutifully arranged the couple's last | | (d)They disliked the old couple and demolished their house |
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Answer is: C
10. | | Why did the old couple initially not reveal that they were alive to the villagers? | | (a)To learn the villagers' true opinion of them | | (b)They did not like the villagers and were mocking them | | (c)Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak and lose the bet | | (d)To test the honesty of the villagers |
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Answer is: C
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