COMPREHENSION PASSAGES WITH QUESTIONS

PASSAGE 1 GENERAL

Read the passage.

One sweltering afternoon in March, I walked out to collect wood for the stove. Glancing towards
the west I saw a terrifying sight. A vast boiling cloud was mounting the sky, black and yellow in the
centre and varying shades of red at the edges. The first terrible dust storm of the central Australian
desert had arrived.
Where I stood, the air was utterly still but the writhing cloud was approaching silently and with
great speed. Suddenly I noticed there were no birds to be seen or heard. They had taken shelter.
I called my mother. She turned swiftly, went indoors and began to close the windows. Outside I
collected the buckets, rakes and other implements that could smash a window if hurled against one by
the boiling wind. Within an hour, my father returned home. He and my mother sat on the back step,
silenced by dread.
A dust storm usually lasts for days, blotting out the sun, launching banshee winds day and night. It is
dangerous to stray far from shelter because visibility is reduced to a few feet. Theres nothing anyone
can do but stay inside, waiting for the calm after the storm. Inside, it is stifling. Every window must be
sealed against the fine dust that seeps in through the slightest crack. Meals are gritty. Sleep is elusive.
It was three days before we could venture out, days of unbearable tension. As we checked the farm after
the storm had died down, there were fewer dead sheep than I feared. It is always a miracle that animals
can endure so much. My spirits rose. I told my father the damage was not so bad. This is only the first
dust storm, he said. He had seen it all before and knew what was to come.

Match the questions with hints for the answers and write out the answers in complete sentences.
1. How does the narrator begin her narration?
2. How does the narrator react to the brewing
storm?
3. How does the narrators mother react to it?
4. Why are the parents afraid of the dust storm?
5. Why are they anxious while they are safe inside?
6. What makes the narrator think the damage is
not so bad?
7. Why does her father react differently?
8. What is this passage about?
a. Doing things to protect themselves from it.
b. It caused heavy losses year after year.
c. Not many sheep had died.
d. Sees it as an annual occurrence.
e. As if the day was like any other.
f. How people survive cyclic disasters.
g. Worried about the destruction outside.
h. Watching it fascinated, taking in every detail.

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 TEACHER RESOURCE

PASSAGE 2

Read the passage.

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, Albania in 1910. Her name was Ganxhe Agnes Bojaxhiu before she
joined a convent at the age of twelve. Through the Bengal Mission she was later sent to India, to teach
at the Loretto Convent, Calcutta. One day she was returning from an errand, when she saw the slums of
Calcutta and felt that her real calling was to work among the poor. In 1946 she asked for permission to
work in the slums. Two years later she started her first school in the slums. Many young girls joined her
and she founded a new Order in 1950, the Missionaries of Charity.
At first, the nuns worked only in slum schools but soon they found many destitute people dying on the
streets, uncared for and unloved. Mother Teresa asked the Municipal Corporation of Calcutta to give her
a building where the Sisters of Charity could care for these people. In 1952 they were granted the use of
a dharmashala near the Kali temple which is one of Calcuttas oldest landmarks. This became Nirmal
Hriday, the Home for Dying Destitute. Thousands of people have been brought to this haven and quite
a few have recovered, thanks to the loving care they received. Some of them have stayed on to help the
sisters in their work.
Mother Teresa expanded her mission to include a leprosy centre and a number of Shishu Bhavans to
care for handicapped children. When people asked her how she got the money to finance her projects,
Mother Teresa replied, It comes. God gives through His people. It is more important to get people
involved, to make them realize that the sick, the old, the hungry are their brothers and sisters.
Mother Teresa died in 1997 after serving in India for 62 years.

Match the rows and put them in the right order to write a brief history of Mother Teresas life.
1. In 1950, she started a new order
2. Mother Teresa died in 1997
3. She was sent to India
4. Mother Teresa also set up
5. In 1946 she asked for permission
6. In 1952, she got a building near the Kali temple
7. She entered the convent
8. Ganxhe Agnes Bojaxhiu
9. She established many Sishu Bhavans
10. The Dharmashala building became
to work among the poor.
to set up a home for destitute.
Nirmal Hriday, a home for the dying.
was born in Skopje, Albania in 1910.
a home for leprosy patients.
when she was twelve.
called the missionaries of charity.
to teach at the Loreto convent.
after serving in India for 62 years.
for handicapped children.

PASSAGE 3

Read the passage.

Once upon a time a tramp started cooking on the outskirts of a village. He started a fire and set a huge
pot of water over it. The villagers were surprised to see such a raggedy old man cooking his lunch in
such a large pot. They stood around to watch.

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 TEACHER RESOURCE

PASSAGE 2

Read the passage.

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, Albania in 1910. Her name was Ganxhe Agnes Bojaxhiu before she
joined a convent at the age of twelve. Through the Bengal Mission she was later sent to India, to teach
at the Loretto Convent, Calcutta. One day she was returning from an errand, when she saw the slums of
Calcutta and felt that her real calling was to work among the poor. In 1946 she asked for permission to
work in the slums. Two years later she started her first school in the slums. Many young girls joined her
and she founded a new Order in 1950, the Missionaries of Charity.
At first, the nuns worked only in slum schools but soon they found many destitute people dying on the
streets, uncared for and unloved. Mother Teresa asked the Municipal Corporation of Calcutta to give her
a building where the Sisters of Charity could care for these people. In 1952 they were granted the use of
a dharmashala near the Kali temple which is one of Calcuttas oldest landmarks. This became Nirmal
Hriday, the Home for Dying Destitute. Thousands of people have been brought to this haven and quite
a few have recovered, thanks to the loving care they received. Some of them have stayed on to help the
sisters in their work.
Mother Teresa expanded her mission to include a leprosy centre and a number of Shishu Bhavans to
care for handicapped children. When people asked her how she got the money to finance her projects,
Mother Teresa replied, It comes. God gives through His people. It is more important to get people
involved, to make them realize that the sick, the old, the hungry are their brothers and sisters.
Mother Teresa died in 1997 after serving in India for 62 years.

Match the rows and put them in the right order to write a brief history of Mother Teresas life.
1. In 1950, she started a new order
2. Mother Teresa died in 1997
3. She was sent to India
4. Mother Teresa also set up
5. In 1946 she asked for permission
6. In 1952, she got a building near the Kali temple
7. She entered the convent
8. Ganxhe Agnes Bojaxhiu
9. She established many Sishu Bhavans
10. The Dharmashala building became
to work among the poor.
to set up a home for destitute.
Nirmal Hriday, a home for the dying.
was born in Skopje, Albania in 1910.
a home for leprosy patients.
when she was twelve.
called the missionaries of charity.
to teach at the Loreto convent.
after serving in India for 62 years.
for handicapped children.

PASSAGE 3

Read the passage.

Once upon a time a tramp started cooking on the outskirts of a village. He started a fire and set a huge
pot of water over it. The villagers were surprised to see such a raggedy old man cooking his lunch in
such a large pot. They stood around to watch.

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 COMPREHENSION PASSAGES WITH QUESTIONS

Whatre you cooking? they asked.

Nail broth, said the tramp as he continued to feed the fire with twigs from the surrounding trees.
Nail broth? gasped the women, Weve never heard of that before.
Youll never forget this stew once youve tasted it, said the man, looking into the pot to see the water
boiling.
He opened his tattered bag, pulled out a rag and started unrolling it. The crowd watched with bated
breath.
There, he said, pulling out a long nail and dropping it into the bubbling water. He pulled out a few
twigs from the fire saying, A stew boiled is a stew spoilt.
The bystanders could not hide their curiosity.
Will that nail make a broth?
The best soup ever, replied the man, Of course, a carrot or two might add to the taste.
Oh, I have some, said a woman, feeling important. Ill get them.
Will some potatoes help? asked another, not to be outdone. Weve had a good harvest.
Anything goes, said the stranger, watching his stew simmer merrily.
And so it went on with almost every onlooker adding something, even some salt and pepper. The aroma
drifted throughout the village. There was a festive air of community cooking.
Get your bowls! announced the tramp. The people couldnt believe their ears.
We didnt know you were cooking for us! said an old man, hobbling as fast as he could with his bowl.
That nail must be magic!
Ill get some bread, said the baker.

Answer the questions.

1. Nail broth, said the tramp. What was the reaction of the villagers?
2. Of course, a carrot or two might add to the taste. Why does the tramp say this?
3. Will some potatoes help? Why does the woman say this?
4. We didnt know you were cooking for us. Who cooked for them?
5. That nail must be magic! Whose magic was it? What was the magic?

PASSAGE 4

Read the passage.

If you dont have a computer as I do, let me tell you how your life is very different from mine.
I can be doing sport or indulging in my hobbies while you queue at the bank. I can choose and book my
holiday online while youre collecting brochures from your travel agent.

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 COMPREHENSION PASSAGES WITH QUESTIONS

Whatre you cooking? they asked.

Nail broth, said the tramp as he continued to feed the fire with twigs from the surrounding trees.
Nail broth? gasped the women, Weve never heard of that before.
Youll never forget this stew once youve tasted it, said the man, looking into the pot to see the water
boiling.
He opened his tattered bag, pulled out a rag and started unrolling it. The crowd watched with bated
breath.
There, he said, pulling out a long nail and dropping it into the bubbling water. He pulled out a few
twigs from the fire saying, A stew boiled is a stew spoilt.
The bystanders could not hide their curiosity.
Will that nail make a broth?
The best soup ever, replied the man, Of course, a carrot or two might add to the taste.
Oh, I have some, said a woman, feeling important. Ill get them.
Will some potatoes help? asked another, not to be outdone. Weve had a good harvest.
Anything goes, said the stranger, watching his stew simmer merrily.
And so it went on with almost every onlooker adding something, even some salt and pepper. The aroma
drifted throughout the village. There was a festive air of community cooking.
Get your bowls! announced the tramp. The people couldnt believe their ears.
We didnt know you were cooking for us! said an old man, hobbling as fast as he could with his bowl.
That nail must be magic!
Ill get some bread, said the baker.

Answer the questions.

1. Nail broth, said the tramp. What was the reaction of the villagers?
2. Of course, a carrot or two might add to the taste. Why does the tramp say this?
3. Will some potatoes help? Why does the woman say this?
4. We didnt know you were cooking for us. Who cooked for them?
5. That nail must be magic! Whose magic was it? What was the magic?

PASSAGE 4

Read the passage.

If you dont have a computer as I do, let me tell you how your life is very different from mine.
I can be doing sport or indulging in my hobbies while you queue at the bank. I can choose and book my
holiday online while youre collecting brochures from your travel agent.

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 TEACHER RESOURCE

Its true much of the information on the internet is low-grade and some of it downright criminal, like
how to make hand grenades, but it also contains educative information. While youre browsing in the
library, I can research on any topic without leaving my chair. While youre at the doctors office waiting
to be seen, I can look up the reason for my aches and pains and see how I can cure them and order the
medicines online.
You may say you keep in touch with friends by writing regularly. But how often is regularly? I speak to
most of my friends nearly every day by email. Now do you know why your kind of mail is called snail
mail? You may say you can phone. If I had phoned all the people with whom I keep in touch in one day,
my phone bill would be really high! And what about people who are not at home when you call? What
about answering phones taking your messages?
I save infinite amount of time and money by ordering books and CDs online and having them delivered
to the door without the journey to and fro and the time lost wandering around stores and finding out
that they dont have them anyway.
Are you going out to look for a computer? Wait! Let me check online which brand gives you the best
value for your money. Shall I ask them to deliver it?
This passage gives us two types of information: about life with a computer and life without one.
Here is a list of things that one can do with a computer. Match it with a list of things one has to do
without a computer.
with a computer, one can without a computer, one can
a. book a holiday online
b. research on any topic on the internet
c. keep in touch with friends by email
d. buy books online
e. look up the reasons for aches and pains

PASSAGE 5

Read the passage.

The National Institute of Sports, set up at Moti Bagh in Patiala in 1961, has developed into the premier
sports institute of Asia. For the fifty years since its inception NIS has guided and groomed the sports
movement in India.
It has two well-organised faculties, one for applied disciplines and the other for basic disciplines
of sports sciences. The Institute offers diploma courses in such diverse subjects as boxing, cycling,
gymnastics, swimming and, of course, athletics. Since 1980, it has been offering Masters courses
as well. In the last 25 or more years, NIS has trained more than 8,000 sports coaches. Besides
this, hundreds of trainees diligently learn the mechanics of sports sciences in the Olympic-sized
swimming pool or the halls for gymnastics, wrestling or weightlifting, on the basketball courts, the
synthetic hockey field or the cricket pitch. The NIS has also played a fundamental role in the area of

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 TEACHER RESOURCE

Its true much of the information on the internet is low-grade and some of it downright criminal, like
how to make hand grenades, but it also contains educative information. While youre browsing in the
library, I can research on any topic without leaving my chair. While youre at the doctors office waiting
to be seen, I can look up the reason for my aches and pains and see how I can cure them and order the
medicines online.
You may say you keep in touch with friends by writing regularly. But how often is regularly? I speak to
most of my friends nearly every day by email. Now do you know why your kind of mail is called snail
mail? You may say you can phone. If I had phoned all the people with whom I keep in touch in one day,
my phone bill would be really high! And what about people who are not at home when you call? What
about answering phones taking your messages?
I save infinite amount of time and money by ordering books and CDs online and having them delivered
to the door without the journey to and fro and the time lost wandering around stores and finding out
that they dont have them anyway.
Are you going out to look for a computer? Wait! Let me check online which brand gives you the best
value for your money. Shall I ask them to deliver it?
This passage gives us two types of information: about life with a computer and life without one.
Here is a list of things that one can do with a computer. Match it with a list of things one has to do
without a computer.
with a computer, one can without a computer, one can
a. book a holiday online
b. research on any topic on the internet
c. keep in touch with friends by email
d. buy books online
e. look up the reasons for aches and pains

PASSAGE 5

Read the passage.

The National Institute of Sports, set up at Moti Bagh in Patiala in 1961, has developed into the premier
sports institute of Asia. For the fifty years since its inception NIS has guided and groomed the sports
movement in India.
It has two well-organised faculties, one for applied disciplines and the other for basic disciplines
of sports sciences. The Institute offers diploma courses in such diverse subjects as boxing, cycling,
gymnastics, swimming and, of course, athletics. Since 1980, it has been offering Masters courses
as well. In the last 25 or more years, NIS has trained more than 8,000 sports coaches. Besides
this, hundreds of trainees diligently learn the mechanics of sports sciences in the Olympic-sized
swimming pool or the halls for gymnastics, wrestling or weightlifting, on the basketball courts, the
synthetic hockey field or the cricket pitch. The NIS has also played a fundamental role in the area of

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 COMPREHENSION PASSAGES WITH QUESTIONS

rural sports and womens sports. The National teams are put through the drill of finally preparing for
international competitions.
What started as a small institute has grown over the years into a large enterprise with branches in cities
like Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata. This is in addition to the yachting centre in Mumbai, the rowing
centre in Jaipur and the centres for winter sports in Himachal Pradesh. In 1985 the NIS was chosen by
the International Amateur Athletic Federation and the International Olympic Committee for being the
permanent development centre for the Asian region.
At Moti Bagh, the integrated development of Indian youth has been made possible through discipline
and expert training. There has been emphasis on gymnastics for the perfection of the body and on music
for the flight of the spirit. Every part of the place vibrates with manifestations of the sports movement
in India.

Tick the right answers. Correct the wrong ones.

1. Moti Bagh in Patiala is a school for sports.
2. It was started forty years ago.
3. Initially, it offered diploma courses only.
4. Coaches are not trained at this institute.
5. It has been offering Masters Courses for the last thirty years.
6. It has done nothing for women.
7. It has branches in every state.
8. It has a rowing centre in Mumbai.
9. It has been chosen as a development centre for Asia.
10. It teaches both gymnastics and music.

FACTUAL PASSAGE 1 EXAM-SPECIFIC

Read the passage

Headache is one of the most common illnesses and one of the most difficult to cure once it becomes
chronic. The most painful form is perhaps the migraine.
Physical, emotional and mental factors could contribute to the onset of a headache. A day by the
seaside, in the blinding glare of the blazing sun; the illness or death of a dear one or an approaching
examination could trigger an unbearable headache.
Where medication may fail to provide lasting relief, yoga therapy can work wonders for such tough
forms of headaches. Yoga postures or asanas, especially those that resemble the natural postures of
animals have a tremendous calming effect. Pranayama, a breathing exercise, controls any agitation
in the natural flow of energy in the body and stabilises the nervous system. Meditation or dhyana
and its more severe form, samadhi, ease the mind from the fret and fever of the world. In this form of

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