Reading Comprehension (Part-3) (CDS-Solved Paper)

Total Questions: 50

31. Directions (Q.Nos. 31-34) Read a passage carefully and answer the items based on it. [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Passage 30

Just as some men like to play football or cricket, so some men like to climb mountains. This is often very difficult to do, for mountains are not just big hills.

Paths are usually very steep. Some mountain sides are straight up and down, so that it may take many hours to climb as little as one hundred feet. There is always the danger that you may fall off and be killed or injured.

Men talk about conquering a mountain. It is a wonderful feeling to reach the top of a mountain after climbing for hours and may be even for days. You look down and see the whole country below you. You feel God-like.

Two Italian prisoners of war escaped from a prison camp in Kenya during the war. They did not try to get back to their own country, for they knew that was impossible.

Instead they climbed to the top of Mount Kenya, and then they came down again and gave themselves up. They had wanted to get that feeling of freedom that one has, after climbing a difficult mountain.

Some men like to climb mountains because

Correct Answer: (c) they want to have a wonderful feeling
Solution:

In the passage, men talk about the wonderful feeling that they experience after reaching the top of mountain after climbing for hours and sometimes even days. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

32. To climb a mountain is often difficult because [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Correct Answer: (d) paths are steep and uneven
Solution:

It is difficult to climb mountains as paths are usually very steep. Moreover, some mountain sides are straight up and down. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

33. It is a wonderful feeling …… ‘It’ refers to [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Correct Answer: (c) the mountain
Solution:

‘It’ here refers to the act of climbing the mountain. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

34. Two Italian prisoners escaped the camp and climbed to the top of Mount Kenya to [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Correct Answer: (d) get the feeling of freedom
Solution:

The two prisoners knew that they could not get back to their country. Hence, they climbed the top of the mountain to get that feeling of freedom that one has, after climbing a difficult mountain. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

35. Directions (Q.Nos. 35-38) Read a passage carefully and answer the items based on it. [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Passage 31

Most of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors and generals and soldiers, whereas the people, who really helped civilisation forward are often never mentioned at all.

We do not know, who first set a broken leg, or launched a seaworthy boat, or calculated the length of the year, or manoeuvred a field; but we know all about the killers and destroyers.

People think a great deal of them, so much so that on all the highest pillars in the great cities of the world you will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier.

And I think most people believed that the greatest countries are those that have beaten in battle the greatest number of other countries and ruled over them as conquerors.

People, who are glorified often in history books are those

Correct Answer: (d) who fought and won wars
Solution:

The author says that most of the people, who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors, generals and soldiers. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

36. The words ‘‘the people who really helped civilisation forward’’ suggest that conquerors, generals and soldiers [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Correct Answer: (d) contributed little to civilisation
Solution:

The conquerors, generals and soldiers, contributed more to the destruction and killing and less to the civilisation. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

37. We will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier on all the highest pillars in great cities because [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Correct Answer: (b) people have exaggerated notions about their achievements
Solution:

The author points out in the passage that people think a great deal of the conquerors, generals or soldiers. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

38. The passage implies that the greatest countries are those that [Evening Shift-2016 (II)]

Correct Answer: (a) have conquered many countries and ruled over them
Solution:

According to the author, most people believe that the greatest countries are those, who have defeated other countries in battle and ruled over them. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

39. Directions (Q.Nos. 39-43) Read a passage carefully and answer the items based on it. [Morning Shift-2016 (I)]

Passage 32

To avoid the various foolish opinions to which mankind is prone, no superhuman brain is required. A few simple rules will keep you, not from all errors, but from silly errors. If the matter is one that can be settled by observation, make the observation yourself.

Aristotle could have avoided the mistake of thinking that women have fewer teeth than men, by the simple device of asking Mrs Aristotle to keep her mouth open while he counted.

Thinking that you know, when in fact you do not, is a bad mistake to which we are all prone. I believe myself that hedgehogs eat black beetles, because I have been told that they do; but if I were writing a book on the habits of hedgehogs, I should not commit myself until I had seen one enjoying this diet.

Aristotle, however, was less cautious. Ancient and medieval writers knew all about unicorns and salamanders; not one of them thought it necessary to avoid dogmatic statements about them because he had never seen one of them.

The writer believes that

Correct Answer: (b) through observation we could avoid making many mistakes
Solution:

The writer believes that through observation we could avoid making many mistakes because a few simple rules will keep us away not from all errors, but from silly errors.

40. With reference to the passage, which one of the following is the correct statement? [Morning Shift-2016 (I)]

Correct Answer: (b) Aristotle thought women have fewer teeth than men
Solution:

Aristotle thought women have fewer teeth than men which can be inferred from he fourth line of the passage.