9th Class English Comprehension (Prose and Poetry) Comprehension Based on Stories

         Comprehension Based on Stories  

 

 

 

            Passage - 1

 

Helen Keller has an ageless quality about her in keeping with her amazing life story. Blind, deaf and mute from early childhood, she rose above her triple handicap to become one of the best known characters in the modern world and an inspiration to both, the blind and the seeing everywhere. Born in the little Alabama Town of Tuscumbia on June 27, 1880, she was a normal baby up to nineteen months and seemed to enjoy the flowers, the flitting birds, the play of light and shadow. Then she was stricken with a severe illness diagnosed as brain fever. The fever subsided almost as suddenly as it had begun. It left her unable to see, hear or speak. Soon her mother noticed that Helen's eyes did not close when she bathed the child. She took her to an oculist and learnt that Helen was blind. Next she noticed that the child did not respond to sound. Helen was deaf, too. Inevitably by the age of three, she was also mute. Helen was physically strong but threw a lot of tantrums. She would scream for no reason. Anne Sullivan, who was an Irish girl, was not only a tutor to Helen but also a companion of the next fifty years. She gifted Helen a doll and spelt d-o- 1-1 in her hand. Helen repeated the same motion. This was the first conscious effort ever made to teach Helen. Miss Sullivan moved Helen away from her upset parents to a nearby cottage. There was physical as well as mental struggle between both, but Sullivan won.  

 

  Helen Keller was a normal baby until:

(a) One year, five months                                           

(b) One year, six months

(c) One year, seven months                                                       

(d) One year, eight months

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

The mention of 'nineteen months' in the line in the passage 'Born in the little Alakama Town of Tuscumbia on .....' gives the hint to the answer.  

 

 

  The first symptom of her illness was:

(a) Inability to speak                                                      

(b) Blindness     

(c) Brain fever                                                                  

(d) Inability to see

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

The line Then she was stricken with a severe illness diagnosed as brain fever' gives clue to the answer.  

 

 

  The word 'mute' in the passage means:

(a) Without speech                                        

(b) No ability to make sound

(c) Cannot speak with mouth                    

(d) Voiceless

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

The word 'mute' in the passage has been used to state the discovery of Helen Keller's dumbness by her mother. Hence, the correct option will be option (d), which is: voiceless.  

 

 

  The profession of an oculist is to:

(a) Treat people's eyes                                                 

(b) Correct people's vision

(c) Close people's eyes                                                 

(d) Take care of someone's eyes

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

An oculist is a doctor who examines and treats people's eyes. Therefore, the correct meaning among the list of options will be (a).    

 

            Passage - 2

Louis Braille was a Frenchman. He developed the famous touch method, of Braille system, by which millions of blind people read and write. Blind himself since the age of three, he realized that the existing methods for teaching the blind were not proper. So he worked for many years to find improved methods. From Charles Bar bier, any army captain, he learned that soldiers often sent messages at night by punching coded dots on thick paper. Braille probably adopted bar bier's dot principle and used it as the basis for the Braille system. He also devised a stylus with which a blind person could easily make the dots. Braille employs a system of raised dots that represent letters, signs and numbers. A blind person reads Braille by touching the dots with his fingertips. The system can be adapted for use in any language. Many literary works, specialized textbooks and even musical scores have been transcribed into Braille. The system may also be used for arithmetic and higher mathematics. The Braille system has also been used in games, such as chess, checkers and cards. Braille books are made of a thick, spongy paper on which the characters are embossed. The Braille symbols are large and thick, so that the fingers can feel their shape easily. They are set across the page like ordinary print, but because of their size, they require more space.  

 

Read the passage carefully and tick the correct answers:        

 

  The system of Braille refers to:

(a) Dot method                                                

(b) Touch method          

(c) Symbol method                                        

(d) Finger method

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

The line in the passage 'He developed the famous touch method, of Braille system, by which millions of blind people read and write' gives clue to the answer.  

 

 

  People who are blind can easily make the dots in the Braille system with the help of:

(a) Letters                                                          

(b) Symbols                       

(c) Signs                                                              

(d) Stylus

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

The line in the passage 'He also devised a stylus with which a blind person could easily make the dots' refers to the correct option.  

 

 

  Which of the field is not related to Braille?

(a) Philosophy                                  

(b) Literary                         

(c) Games                                                          

(d) Music

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

There has been the mention of literary works, specialized textbooks and musical scores in the passage, but not philosophy. Hence, option (a) is the correct choice.  

 

 

  On a Braille book, the characters are:

(a) Thick                                                              

(b) Large                             

(c) Embossed                                    

(d) Spongy  

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

The line in the passage 'Braille books are made of a thick, spongy paper on which the characters are embossed' gives the correct answer.    

 

            Passage - 3

 

Vikram Sarabhai was the father of our space programme. He was the man who not only developed and launched rockets, but who passionately committed to using all aspects of science and technology in general and space applications in particular 'levers of development'. Sarabhai was much more than a highly talented scientist. He was a dreamer, creator and innovator, not only in science and technology, or in its organization and management but also in a huge range of developmental institutions ranging from the Space Science and Technology Centre, Thriuvananthapuram, to the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad, and the Nehru Foundation for Development, Vikram Sarabhai has often been typified as a dove on nuclear weapons and missiles. In the area of atomic energy, he mounted programmes for capability and capacity, building all across the chain from the mining of uranium ore at the Jaduguda mines in Bihar to the building of atomic power stations. He strove hard to make our Atomic programme self-sufficient. He advocated a more decisive role for scientists in the promotion and application of science and technology to contribute to the attainment of socio-economic goals set by planners. Indeed, he called for and worked for scientists and technologists to be heavily involved in the policy and management aspects of science and technology-intensive areas of national endeavour, other than science and technology in a narrow sense.  

 

Read the passage carefully and tick the correct answers:  

 

 

  Vikram Sarabhai can be described as a:

(a) Average talented scientist                   

(b) Highly talented scientist

(c) Normal talented scientist                      

(d) Graded talented scientist

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

The line in the passage 'Sarabhai was much more than a highly talented scientist' hints the correct answer.  

 

 

  The tag which does not define Sarabhai is:

(a) Motivated                                                   

(b) Creator                         

(c) Innovator                                     

(d) Dreamer

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

The line 'He was a dreamer, creator and innovator, not only ....' gives the correct answer among the list of options.  

 

 

  In the field of nuclear weapons, Vikram Sarabhai is regarded as:

(a) Highly capable                                                           

(b) Man with capacity   

(c) Dove                                    

(d) Contributor

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

The line 'Vikram Sarabhai has often been typified as a dove on nuclear weapons and missiles' states the correct answer to the question.    

 

 

  Sarabhai's call for involvement in the policy and management aspects of science and technology is basically for:

(a) National development                                           

(b) Narrow sense

(c) Significant development areas                           

(d) National Endeavour

(e) None of these  

 

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

The line 'ln deed, he called for and worked for scientists and technologists ....' refers to the correct answer among the list of options.