SECTION-A (READING)

Comprehension of Unseen Passages

Type –I : Factual Passages
Type – II : Discursive Passages

READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES (FACTUAL)

I. Read the passage given below.
The rivers of India play an important role in the lives of the Indians. They provide potable water, cheap
transportation, electricity, and the livelihood for a large number of people all over the country. This easily
explains why nearly all the major cities of India are located by the banks of rivers.
Seven major rivers along with their numerous tributaries make up the river system of India. The largest basin
system of the rivers pours their waters into the Bay of Bengal; however, some of the rivers whose courses take
them through the western part of the country and towards the east of the state of Himachal Pradesh empty
into the Arabian Sea. Parts of Ladakh, northern parts of the Aravalli range and the arid parts of the Thar Desert
have inland drainage.
All major rivers of India originate from one of the following main watersheds:
1. Aravalli range
2. Himalaya and Karakoram ranges
3. Sahyadri or Western Ghats in western India
4. Vindhya and Satpura ranges
Himalayan glaciers in the Indian subcontinent are broadly divided into the three river basins, namely the
Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. The Indus basin has the largest number of glaciers (3500), whereas the Ganga
and Brahmaputra basins contain about 1000 and 660 glaciers, respectively. Ganga is the largest river system in
India. However, these rivers are just three among many. Other examples are Narmada, Tapi, and Godavari.
The Himalayas, or Himalaya, form a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent
from the Tibetan Plateau. The Himalayan range has many of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest,
Mount Everest. The Himalayas include over fifty mountains exceeding 7,200 m (23,600 ft) in elevation,
including ten of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks. By contrast, the highest peak outside Asia (Aconcagua, in the
Andes) is 6,961 m (22,838 ft) tall.
Lifted by the subduction of the Indian tectonic plate under the Eurasian Plate, the Himalayan mountain range
runs west-northwest to east-southeast in an arc 2,400 km (1,500 mi) long. Its western anchor, Nanga Parbat,
lies just south of the northernmost bend of Indus river. Its eastern anchor, NamchaBarwa, is just west of the
great bend of the YarlungTsangpo River (upper stream of the Brahmaputra River). The Himalayan range is
bordered on the northwest by the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush ranges. To the north, the chain is separated
from the Tibetan Plateau by a 50–60 km (31–37 mi) wide tectonic valley called the Indus-Tsangpo Suture.
Towards the south the arc of the Himalaya is ringed by the very low Indo-Gangetic Plain. The range varies in
width from 350 km (220 mi) in the west (Pakistan) to 150 km (93 mi) in the east (Arunachal Pradesh). The
Himalayas are distinct from the other great ranges of central Asia, although sometimes the term 'Himalaya' (or
'Greater Himalaya') is loosely used to include the Karakoram and some of the other ranges.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage attempt ANY TEN questions from the twelve that follow.
(1x10=10)
i. According the passage, the major rivers in India
a) Pour only into Bay of Bengal
b) Pour only into Arabian Sea
c) Pour either into Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea or have inland drainage
d) Pour either into Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea

ii. How many glaciers are there in each of the river basins in India?
a) Brahmaputra, Ganga, Indus – 1000, 660, 3500 respectively
b) Indus, Brahmaputra, Ganga – 1000, 660, 3500 respectively
c) Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra – 1000, 660, 3500 respectively
d) Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus – 1000, 660, 3500 respectively

iii. According to the passage the rivers in India play a pivotal role because:
1. They provide potable water
2. They provide cheap transportation & electricity
3. They are located near all major cities in India
4. They are means to earn livelihood for a large number of people
Choose the correct options
a) 1 2 3
b) 1 2 4
c) 3 2 4
d) 1 3 4

iv. All the major Indian rivers originate from the following watersheds
a) Himalaya, Karakoram, Aravalli, Western Ghats, Sahyadri, Vindhya
b) Karakoram, Aravalli, Himalaya, Hindu Kush, Vindhya, Satpura, Sahyadri
c) Himalaya, Karakoram, Aravalli, Nanga Parbat, Vindhya, Satpura, Western Ghats
d) Aravalli, Himalaya, Karakoram, Sahyadri, Vindhya, Satpura

v. Which all rivers are mentioned in the entire passage?

a) Ganga, Bay of Bengal, Indus, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari
b) Tapi, Ganga, Bay of Bengal, Indus, Arabian Sea, Godavari
c) Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganga, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari
d) Narmada, Tapi, Godavari

vi. How long is the Himalayan mountain range?

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a) 2400 mi
b) 2400 kms
c) 1500 kms
d) 15000mi

vii. What is the northwest border of the Himalayas?

a) Hindu Kush & Nanga Parbat
b) Indus-Tsangpo Suture
c) Karakoram & Hindu Kush
d) Karakoram & Nanga Parbat

viii. How many peaks in the Himalayas are above 8000 meter above the sea level?
a) Ten
b) Fifty
c) Five
d) Fourteen

ix. Which word in the passage means “the sideways and downward movement of the edge of a plate of the
earth's crust into the mantle beneath another plate?”
a) Tectonic
b) Anchor
c) Subduction
d) Valley

x. Which statement summarizes the information given in the last two paragraphs?
a) They talk about how the Himalayas act as a barrier to icy winds for India
b) They talk about the Mount Everest in the Himalayas
c) They talk only about the geographic boundaries of the Himalayas
d) They talk about the geographic boundaries and the might of the Himalayas

xi. Which word does ‘elevation’ correspond to?

thickness
spread
altitude
span

xii. Choose the option that lists statement that is NOT TRUE.
Towards the south the arc of the Himalaya is ringed by wide tectonic valley called the Indus-Tsangpo Suture.
The YarlungTsangpo River is the upper stream of the Brahmaputra River.
Ganga is the largest river system in India.
The largest basin system of the rivers pours their waters into the Bay of Bengal
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Answer key

i – c- Pour either into Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea or have inland drainage
ii – d- Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus – 1000, 660, 3500 respectively
iii – b- 1 2 4
iv – d- Aravalli, Himalaya, Karakoram, Sahyadri, Vindhya, Satpura
v – c- Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganga, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari
vi – b- 2400 kms
vii – c- Karakoram & Hindu Kush
viii – a- Ten
ix – c- Subduction
x – d- They talk about the geographic boundaries and the might of the Himalayas
xi- c- altitude
xii- a- Towards the south the arc of the Himalaya is ringed by wide tectonic valley called the Indus-Tsangpo
Suture

II Read the passage given below.

India is one of the fastest growing economies in 2020. Poverty is on the decline with close to 44 Indians
escaping extreme poverty every minute, according to the World Poverty Clock. According to the Brooking’s
report, today India has 73 million people living in extreme poverty which make up 5.5%of its total population.
Two-thirds of people in India live in poverty .68.8% of the Indian population live on less than $2 a day. Over
30% even have less than $ 1.25 per day and such people are considered extremely poor.
More than 800 million people in India are considered poor. Most of them live in the countryside and keep
afloat with odd jobs. The lack of employment which provides a liveable wage in rural areas is driving many
Indians into rapidly growing metropolitan cities, such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

In 2019, the Indian government stated that 6.7% of its

population is below its official poverty limit. According to
Oxfam , India’s top 1% of the population now holds 73% of
the wealth while 670 million citizens, comprising the country’s poorest half , saw their wealth rise by just 1% .
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As per the Tendulkar Poverty Line, poverty reduced from 14.9 per cent in 2011 to 7.0 percent in 2017--- the
fastest pace the country has seen yet. So, 2020 is extremely challenging year not only for government and
business, but also for those who
are on the borderline of poverty.
Fiscal, monetary and
administrative policies have to
design in a way that provides a
safety for those living at the brink
of poverty. Lifting people out of
poverty ought to be on top of the
government’s priority.
On the basis of your
understanding of the passage,
answer (any ten) from the twelve
that follow. (10x1=10)
i. As per the graph, which of these is/are the cause(s) of poverty in India?
(a) Lack of Education, limited Resources, no Corruption
(b) Limited Resources, lack of safety
(c) Population explosion, strong institutions, lack of Education
(d) Population explosion, weak institutions, limited Resources

ii. According to the graph, which state has the highest number of people living below poverty line?
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Bihar
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Uttar Pradesh

iii. Today, how many people in India live in extreme poverty?

(a) About 5 crore
(b) About 6 crore
(c) About 7 crore
(d) About 8 crore

iv. What percentage of the Indian population lives on less than $ 1.25 per day?
(a) about 68.8%
(b) more than 30%
(c) more than 40%
(d) more than 60%

v. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the reason for people migrating to
metropolitan cities.
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 i) Poverty (ii) More employment opportunities in metropolitan cities
(iii) Government Schemes (iv) Lack of employment in villages (v) Better crops

(a) i, ii and v
(b) i ,ii, and iv
(c) ii , iv , and v
(d) ii , iii, and iv

vi. How many people in our country are considered poor ?

(a) more than 10 crore
(b) more than 20 crore
(c) more than 50 crore
(d) more than 80 crore

vii. Policy that is required to be designed in a way to provide safety for those living at the brink of poverty is:
(a) fiscal
(b) monetary
(c) administrative
(d) All of these

viii. According to the Indian government, what percentage of the Indian population was below poverty line in
2019?
(a) 4%
(b) 5.5 %
(c) 6.7%
(d) 73%

ix. In the line “…….. Employment which provides a livable wage”, the word ‘livable’ DOES NOT refer to:
(a) good enough
(b) survivable
(c) frugal
(d) comfortable

x. Poverty in India reduced at the fastest pace in:

(a) 2010
(b) 2012
(c) 2015
(d) 2017

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 xi. Choose the option that lists statement that is NOT TRUE.
(a) One-third of people in India live in poverty.
(b) Corruption contributes to poverty.
(c) Chandigarh has less number of people living below poverty line.
(d) Poverty may develop due to limited resources.

xii. The year 2020 is an extremely challenging year for

(a) the government
(b) the businessmen
(c) the people living on the border line of poverty
(d) All of these

ANSWER KEY

(d). Population explosion, weak institutions, limited Resources

(d) Uttar Pradesh
(c) About 7 crore
(b) more than 30%
(b)i, ii, and iv
(d) more than 80 crore
(d) All of these
(c) 6.7%
(c) frugal
(d) 2017
(a) One- third of people in India live in poverty
(d) All of these
Discursive passage
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
1. Few guessed that this quiet, parentless girl growing up in New York City would one day become the First
Lady of the United States. Even fewer thought she would become an author and lecturer and a woman much
admired and loved by people throughout the world.
2. Born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in 1884 to wealthy, but troubled parents who both died while she was young,
Roosevelt was cared for by her grandmother and sent to school in England. In 1905, she married her distant
cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She and her husband had six children. Although they were wealthy, her life
was not easy and she suffered several personal tragedies. Her second son died when he was a baby. In 1921
her strong athletic husband was stricken with polio, which left him physically disabled for life.
3. Eleanor Roosevelt was a remarkable woman who had great intelligence and tremendous strength of
character. She never let things get her down. She nursed her husband back to good health and encouraged
him to remain in politics. She then helped him to become governor of New York, and in 1933, president of
United States.

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4. While he was president, she took a great interest in all the affairs of the country. She became her husband’s
legs and eyes, she visited prisons and hospitals; she went down into mines, up scaffoldings, and into factories.
Roosevelt was tireless and daring. During the depression she travelled all over the country bringing goodwill,
reassurance, and help to people without food and jobs. During World War II she visited American soldiers in
camps all over the world. The United States had never known a First Lady like her.
5. Roosevelt also kept in touch with the American people through a daily newspaper column called “My Day”.
She broadcast on the radio and delivered lectures, all firsts for a First Lady.
Attempt the following questions on the basis of the passage you have read:
(a) Eleanor’s husband was struck by ……………………….. .
(i) polio
(ii) paralysis
(iii) a brain disease
(iv) Parkinson’s disease
Answer:
(i)
(b) Eleanor Roosevelt was ……………………….. .
(i) an author
(ii) a lecturer
(iii) the first lady of the US
(iv) all of the above
Answer:
(iv)
(c) Before becoming the President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt was the Governor of New York.
i. true
ii. false
iii. not given
Answer:
True

(d) When did Eleanor become the first lady of

i)1884
ii)1921
iii)1933
iv)1905
Answer:
1933

(e) When Eleanor was young, after her parents’ death, she was cared for by her
(i) grandfather
ii) grandmother
iii)Franklin Roosevelt
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iv) Americans
Answer:
grandmother

(f) Eleanor married to her

i) Friend
ii) close cousin
iii) distant cousin
iv)Friend’sbrother.
Answer:
distant cousin

(g) The daily newspaper column through which Eleanor expressed herself was
i)May Day
ii) My Day
iii)New York
iv) First Lady
Answer:
May Day

(h) Find the word from the passage which means the same as “huge”.
i) Tremendous
ii) scaffolding
iii) admired
iv) stricken
Answer: tremendous

(i) Why did Eleanor write in the daily newspaper column?

She wanted to impress Americans
She wanted to make her husband the President
She could be in touch with the people.
The world war II was going on
Answer: she could be in touch with the people.

j) Eleanor was not

i) sympathetic
ii) unsupportive
iii) intelligent
iv)a suffering woman
Answer: unsupportive

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ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH
What is an analytical paragraph?
An analytical paragraph is description of a given chart, graph, table, outline or clues that represent data or
information systematically. We need to analyse, compare or contrast and draw a conclusion.
Format
An analytical paragraph has three parts
INTRODUCTION: Explain in one or two lines the subject of the given clue or chart/graph/table.
BODY: Explain and analyse the given data.
CONCLUSION: Give overall view or tell the summary.
How to write an analytical paragraph?
An analytical paragraph should be written in 100-120 words.
For introduction begin with the following phrases
The chart shows.....
The graph describes...
The table presents....
For describing trends/habits use phrases like
Pattern of growth, rapid rise, steady growth, constant decrease, common tendency, peaked, decline,
fluctuate, stagnant etc
For describing quantity use words like
Half, double, express in percentage like 80% 20% etc, in fractions like three fourths, huge, highest, lowest etc.
For referring to time use phrases like
The previous year, the following year, over the period of, a considerable time etc
For drawing conclusion use phrases like
Overall, subsequently, in short, in a nutshell, to sum up etc
Things to remember
1. Use simple and accurate language
2. Be brief (100-120 words only)
3. Describe the entire content, cover all the given data
4. Mention accurate figures or time or period.
5. Do not give any personal observation.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Q1 Air pollution has been a major cause of respiratory problems in the entire country, specifically in Delhi,
which has been infamous for the poor air quality standards. Write an analytical paragraph on the ‘Air
Pollution in Delhi robbing citizens’ breath’ using cues givenbelow.

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Hint:Delhi – very polluted in recent times – various factors – Industry, pollution from vehicles, factories,
Hotels etc –Road dust key factor- rise in the issues of respiratory disorders – during Diwali and winters –
surge in pollution
– strict implementation of laws and awareness campaigns – need of the hour.

Q2: Write an analytical paragraph based on the given bar diagram the global sales of the three items
mentioned in chart.

Hint: Begin with the above mentioned chart illustrates.........refer to the three items -The trend of
increase/decrease in sale of each item-mention the item sold best in each year-give overall estimation-to
sum up there is trend of slight but steady decline in the sale of CD-increase in sale of other two products.

Q:3 The given pie chart shows the trend of what makes people happy for the agegroups under 30 years of
age and above 30 years of age. Write an analytical paragraph finding the similarities and dissimilarities in
the habits of people of the given age groups.

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Hint: The given charts present a comparative study of..................comment on the most prominent trends of
each of the groups............comment on the similar trends................talk about the dissimilarities........use
phrases like in contrast, compared to, most popular, habituated to etc. Conclude giving overall view....above
thirty population has bend towards maturity, seriousness and responsibility.

ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH WRITING

Question 1 The following table shows details about the internet activities for six categories for different age
groups. Write an analytical paragraph for the table given in around 150-200 words.

Answer 1:
The given table suggests the internet activities of seven age groups ranging from teens to those in their
seventies for six different kinds of activities. The table shows that the younger generation is more interested in
online games and news, while the older generation spends time on the internet to research and buy products.
It is evident from the table that teens mainly use the internet for games (as high as 81%), news and
downloads and are interested in searching for people or friends or doing any product research. The middle-
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age group (people in 20s to 60s) is highly interested in getting news, doing product research and buying
products, the percentage ranging from 70-80%. The internet activity which gets the least time is searching for
people. All the age groups spend less than 30% of their internet time on the same. The amount of time spent
on downloads decreases with age and gets as low as 6% (for people in 70s).
Overall, the table suggests that teenagers are most likely to spend time playing games and doing downloads.
On the other side, older people are interested in researching and buying products. People spend the least
amount of time searching for other people online.
Question 2: Below given are three pie charts showing consumption habits of India, China and World overall
in 2008. Write an analytical paragraph describing the pie charts (100-120 words).

Answer 2:
The three given pie charts depicts types of food consumption in 2008 as compared in two countries- India and
China. In general, processed food is the major type of food eaten.
Processed food comprises as high as 41% of the global consumption. In China and India as well, processed
foods are consumed the most, the rate of consumption being 34% and 39% respectively. On an average,
vegetables and fruits constitute 29% of consumption. In China, vegetables and fruits comprise 32% of food
consumption which is 9% more than that of India. For Indians, animal food accounts for 27% of their diet,
exceeding Chinese food consumption by a striking 12%. However, nuts and seeds comprise almost one-fifth of
Chinese food habits. This is way more than the global consumption of 4% and 11% of India.
Overall, world food consumption largely comprises processed food. Chinese consumption of nuts and seeds is
unbelievably higher than the average percentage.

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Question3 The following data in the form of histogram shows that death due to violence has increased
considerably during recent years. Write its interpretation in 100 words on how educated youth can play a
major role in establishing peace in society.

Role of youth in establishing peace in society

Youth and peace are interlinked in society. Youth can play an important role in establishing peace in society. In
a survey conducted, it has been found that number of deaths due to violence has increased enormously since
the nineties. Death rate in 1000s was 2.5 in 1990. But in 2010, it has increased to 7.5. It is really very sad. It
must be checked.
Our youth can play a major role in controlling this crime graph. They can contribute towards establishing
peace in many ways. They can awaken the people towards the necessity of peace. They can help the police in
catching the criminals. They can bring the criminals in the main stream by educating them and they can do
much more.
UNSOLVED EXAMPLE
1-Give below is a pie-Chart, which shows different types of electric gadgets, used by middle-class people in
their houses on an average in Ahmedabad. On the basis and the unit ‘Science’ of your Main course Book;
write in about 80 words the reason of selecting the electric gadgets for their houses.

Take into consideration the price range, durability, lower electric consumption & after sales-service.

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