CDS English

I must say a word about the Eiffel Tower. I do not know what purpose it serves today. But I then heard it greatly disparaged as well as praised. I remember that Tolstoy was the chief among those who disparaged it. He said that the Eiffel Tower was a monument of man's folly, not of his wisdom. Tobacco, he argued, was the worst of all intoxicants, inasmuch as a man addicted to it was tempted to commit crimes which a drunkard never dared to do; liquor made a man mad, but tobacco clouded his intellect and made him build castles in the air. The Eiffel Tower was one of the creations of a man under such influence. There is no art about the Eiffel Tower. In no way can it be said to have contributed to the real beauty of the Exhibition. Men flocked to see it and ascended it as it was a novelty and of unique dimensions. It was the toy of the Exhibition. So long as we are children we are attracted by toys, and the Tower was a good demonstration of the fact that we are children attracted by trinkets. That may be claimed to be the purpose served by the Eiffel Tower.

1. Why did Tolstoy disparage Eiffel Tower?

1. Man was foolish to build it.
2. Huge man-made structures did not appeal to him.
3. Men flocked to see it.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only

2. Why did Tolstoy believe that tobacco was the worst of all intoxicants?

Man lost his intellectual abilities under the influence of tobacco.
Tobacco kept man in a state of inebriation.
People who commit crimes are invariably addicted to tobacco.
Statements (a) and (b) above are correct in this context.

3. Why did men flock to the Eiffel Tower?

Men were attracted to the castles built in the air.
Men lost their wisdom under the influence of intoxicants.
Men were attracted to childish things.
Men were attracted to things of no value.

Urbanization and industrialization have often resulted in whole areas of forests

Reading Comprehension L1

Urbanization and industrialization have often resulted in whole areas of forests being cleared to gain new land and to obtain timber for the various building projects. Large areas of fields and forests have disappeared to make way for concrete jungles many of which are fitted with huge plants and chimney stacks. Industrial growth has necessitated the increased demand for fuel oil to run the machines and in doing so produces industrial gases and fumes which belch through the chimney and pollute the atmosphere. The most evident elements in the contamination of the atmosphere are dust, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.

1. The writer expresses the belief that

there is plenty of scope for further industrialization.
unplanned growth of industry has done more harm than good.
the change from rural to urban growth is a change for the better.
the timber obtained from the forests has been beneficially used.

2. The effect on forest areas produced by the activity described in the first sentence is called

devastation
deforestation
disfiguration
devaluation

I was abruptly awakened by a noisy scuffle

Reading Comprehension L1

I was abruptly awakened by a noisy scuffle. The sun, a mere fringe over the horizon, immediately chased away the grey half-darkness. I was too sleepy to notice what was happening. Yuri was rolling over on the ground. I ran up to him but was struck dumb. With his right hand he was holding a cobra by the neck. Two sharp fangs showed from its jaws. The battle was over in a few minutes. A hollow hissing and convulsive jerks were then only reminders of a just-ended tussle. The catcher half-opened the lid of the box and calmly put the quarry in.

1. When the writer saw Yuri holding a cobra by the neck, he was 'struck dumb'. This means that he was

extremely delighted.
very much helpless.
rather surprised.
absolutely shocked.

2. From the passage, Yuri appears to be a man who is

calm and courageous.
cunning and crafty.
noisy and dangerous.
active and jumpy.

3. With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. The incident took place early in the morning.
2. Yuri threw the snake away.

Which of these assumptions is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

I was lying down in a dark, lonely compartment of the speeding train

Reading Comprehension L1

I was lying down in a dark, lonely compartment of the speeding train, trying to sleep. But, quite unusually, sleep eluded me. A vague uneasiness gripped me. It was pitch dark outside. A few points of light flashed by as we sped through a small station and in the dim light I thought I saw a hand gripping the bars of my window. Once again the train was swallowed up by the impenetrable darkness. My heart pounded. My mouth was parched. I could not get up. I do not know how long I remained thus before the train began to slow down. The reassuring bright lights of the station we were entering revealed no intruder. I breathed again.

1. The narrator could not sleep because

he usually found it difficult to fall asleep.
he could not find a place to lie down.
he was disturbed by some unspecified thoughts.
the people near him were disturbing him.

2. In the dim light he saw

someone trying to climb into the train.
someone clinging to the bars of the window.
someone was attempting to steal his bag.
someone standing outside the window.

3. Which of the following words best describes the condition of the traveller?

Cautious
Imaginative
Observant
Nervous

Vacationing on a motorcycle, you see things in a way

Reading Comprehension L1

Vacationing on a motorcycle, you see things in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you are always in a compartment, and because you are used to it you do not realise that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You are a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a motorcycle, however, the frame is gone. You are completely in contact with it all. You are in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.

1. The writer likes travelling on the motorcycle. What is the most likely reason for this?

The motorcycle has no windows.
The motorcycle does not go as fast as a car.
As the traveller is used to cars, travelling by motorcycle is a change.
Travelling by motorcycle, the writer feels that he is part of the scenery.

2. Which of the following statements is closest to the truth?

The writer does not like TV as it gives a narrow view of things.
The writer likes TV but he does not like watching it from car windows.
The writer does not like TV because the picture is in a frame.
The writer does not like TV because the programmes are boring.

When Jonathan (the seagull) came, it was well after dark

Reading Comprehension L1

When Jonathan (the seagull) came, it was well after dark, and he floated in moonlight on the surface of the ocean. His wings were ragged bars of lead, but the weight of failure was even heavier on his back. He wished, feebly, that the weight would be just enough to drag him gently down to the bottom, and end it all. But soon he came back to normal. He pushed wearily away from the dark water and flew towards the land, grateful for what he had learned about work-saving low-altitude flying.

1. The word "wearily" means

tireless
exhausted
sadly
unconscious

2. The seagull suffered because

he had tried to do something that other seagulls had not done.
probably he had been attacked by a stronger bird.
probably he had been attacked by some strong creature in the sea.
he had swooned and fallen into the water.

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