Reading Comprehension (Part-5) (CDS-Solved Paper)

Total Questions: 33

1. Directions (Q.Nos. 1-2) Read a passage carefully and answer the items based on it. [Morning Shift-2015 (I)]

Passage 46

The overwhelming vote given by the greater part of the public has so far been in favour of films which pass the time easily and satisfy that part of our imagination which depends on the more obvious kind of daydreams.

We make up for what we secretly regard as our deficiencies by watching the stimulating adventures of the other people who are stronger, more effective, or more beautiful than we are.

The conventional stars act out our daydreams for us in a constant succession of exciting situations set in the open spaces, in the jungles or in the underworld of great cities which abounds in crime and violence.

We would not dare to be in such situations but the situations are very exciting to watch since our youth is being spent in day-to-day routine of school, office or home.

Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, we are aware that we are

Correct Answer: (a) weak and plain
Solution:

We are weak and plain, even if we admit it or not. second sentence of the passage talks about the ‘deficiencies’ which supports it.

2. The daily life of students, office-goers and housewives is [Morning Shift-2015 (I)]

Correct Answer: (b) the same dull repetition
Solution:

The daily life of students, office-goers and housewives is the same dull repetition.

3. Directions (Q.Nos. 3-6) Read a passage carefully and answer the items based on it. [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Passage 47

During the summer I was introduced to the game of cricket, and I felt my inherent foreignness for the first time. The ball is far too hard for my taste.

Even during my last games at the school, angry spectators would shout, ‘Butter fingers!’ But I smiled. Everyone knew in their hearts that I was going to drop the ball anyway, and nobody expected me to be able to play the game.

The author first played cricket

Correct Answer: (b) when he was a school boy
Solution:

The author first played cricket when he was a school boy.

4. “felt my inherent foreignness” means [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Correct Answer: (a) felt very strange
Solution:

‘Felt my inherent foreignness’ means ‘strange’ or ‘unknown’. Hence, option (a) is correct.

5. Spectators would shout ‘Butter fingers’ when the author was playing because [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Correct Answer: (c) he often dropped the ball
Solution:

Spectators would shout ‘Butter Fingers’ when the author was playing because the ball slipped from his hands and dropped.

6. ‘Spectator’ means [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Correct Answer: (b) onlookeu
Solution:

Spectator means a person watching an event i.e., an onlooker.

7. Directions (Q.Nos. 7-9) Read a passage carefully and answer the items based on it. [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Passage 48

How can you improve your reading speed? By taking off the brakes. You wouldn’t think of driving a car with the brake on. Yet as a reader you probably have several brakes slowing you down. One very common brake is regressing- looking back every now and then at something already read.

It is like stepping backwards every few metres as you walk—hardly the way to move ahead quickly. Regression may arise from a lack of confidence, vocabulary deficiency, or actually missing a word or phrase.

It makes a long sentence seem even more complex as the eyes frequently regress. Eye movement photographs of 12000 readers in America showed that university students regress an average of 15 times in reading only 100 words.

The average student of class four was found to look back 20 times. In short, regression consumes one-sixth of your precious reading time. Release this brake and enjoy a spurt in reading speed.

In the context of the passage, what does ‘regression’ means?

Correct Answer: (b) Looking back at what is already read
Solution:

‘Regression’ means looking back every now and then at what is already read.

8. In order to be a good reader you should [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Correct Answer: (c) not look back frequently while reading
Solution:

In order to be a good reader you should not look back frequently while reading.

9. According to the author reading with regression is like [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Correct Answer: (b) stepping backwards while walking
Solution:

The author mentions in the fourth line of the passage that reading with regression is like stepping backwards while walking.

10. Directions (Q.Nos. 10-13) Read a passage carefully and answer the items based on it. [Evening Shift-2014 (II)]

Passage 49

Even in the most primitive societies the great majority of people satisfy a large part of their material needs by exchanging goods and services. Very few people indeed can make for themselves everything they need-all their food, their clothes, their housing, their tools.

Ever since men started living in communities, they have been satisfying their needs by means of specialisation and exchange, increasingly each individual has concentrated on what he can do best and has produced more of the special goods or services in which he has concentrated, than he can consume himself.

The surplus he has exchanged with other members of the community, acquiring, in exchange the things he needs that others have produced.

Very few people can satisfy their needs today by

Correct Answer: (a) providing things for themselves
Solution:

Very few people can satisfy their needs today by providing things for themselves, as stated in the second line of the passage.