New!!! :English Comprehension Exercises 1&2

Podar International School, Ahmedabad

Summer Language camp

English Comprehension Exercise 1&2

Attention: 1.Students are requested to do these comprehension exercises in AD note book.

2. Mention  only the title of the passage(do not copy the whole passage) and copy down only the questions.

3. Write/choose the  correct answers to the given questions.

1.   Little Women

Louisa May Alcott

“Christmas won't be Christmas,” without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.

"We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner.

The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never, "but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.

Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, "You know the reason Mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure, when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't," and Meg shook her head, as she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted.

"But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and the army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that.

Q 1: Which of the following words is the synonym for ‘dreadful’? A. Terrible B. Scary C. Unhappy D. Sad Q 2: ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas’ for the children because A. all of them will not get any presents B. they are extremely poor C. their father is not with them D. they can’t afford to celebrate Christmas Q 3: Why did Jo say, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time"? A. He is no more. B. He has gone to fight a war. C. He does not live with them any more. D. He lost his life in the war. Q 4: Why does mother not want the children to celebrate Christmas? A. They can’t afford it. B. The father has gone to fight a war. C. They have no reasons to celebrate Christmas. D. Difficulties of war leave no scope for celebrations. Q 5: ‘Contentedly’ also means A. unhappily B. in a satisfied manner C. unconsciously D. disapprovingly

2.Laugh and be Merry John Masefield Laugh and be merry, remember, better the world with a song, Better the world with a blow in the teeth of a wrong. Laugh, for the time is brief, a thread the length of a span. Laugh and be proud to belong to the old proud pageant of man. Laugh and be merry: remember, in olden time God made Heaven and Earth for joy He took in a rhyme, Made them, and filled them full with the strong red wine of His mirth The splendid joy of the stars: the joy of the earth. So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky, Join the jubilant song of the great stars sweeping by, Laugh, and battle, and work, and drink of the wine outpoured In the dear green earth, the sign of the joy of the Lord. Laugh and be merry together, like brothers akin, Guesting awhile in the rooms of a beautiful inn, Glad till the dancing stops, and the lilt of the music ends. Laugh till the game is played; and be you merry, my friends.

Q 1: What is the rhyming scheme of the poem? A. abab B. accb C. aabb D. abcb Q 2: Which of the following is the best description of a ‘pageant’? A. An elaborate representation B. A religious procession C. A historical event D. An ideal society Q 3: Which stanza attributes poetic quality to the divine act of creation? A. First B. Second C. Third D. Fourth Q 4: The ‘beautiful inn’ is a reference to the A. earth B. human body C. social ties D. temporality of life Q 5: The poet says that god’s happiness is signalled by the A. songs sung by the stars in heaven B. wise decisions one makes in life C. simple pleasures of life D. bountifulness of nature Q 6: Metaphor is a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity. This figure of speech is present in the _____ line of the poem. Choose the correct alternative. A. Third B. Fifth C. Eighth D. Thirteenth