English Passages for SSC Exam Tier 2
Read the below passages very carefully and give the answer of questions. Match your answers with the correct answers.
Passage-1
Fingerprints are the marks made by the ridges on the ends of the fingers and thumbs. These ridges form a pattern that stays the same throughout a person’s life. No two persons have ever had the same fingerprints. So fingerprints are a foolproof way of identifying a person.
A fingerprint record is made in an interesting manner. A small piece of metal is coated with a thin film of ink. Next, a person’s finger and thumb tips are pressed against the inked surface. Then the fingertips are presses on a white card. The prints are recorded in exact detail.
Fingerprinting is often used to solve crimes. Fingerprints are picked up at the scene of a crime. These are compared with those of a suspect. Millions of fingerprints are kept on files by police departments.
Fingerprinting is also used in finding missing persons and identifying unknown dead. It is used to screen people who apply for certain jobs.
It is thought that the Chinese used thumbprints to sign documents a long time before Christ. The system used today was invented by Sir Francis Galton in the 1880’s, in 1901 Sir E.R. Henr found a simple way of grouping fingerprints. His system is used by many law-enforcement organizations.
1. Fingerprints are the most …… way of identifying a person.
(a) best
(b) genuine
(c) sincere
(d) accurate
2. The main reason why finger printing is used for identification is that
(a) every individual has a unique set of fingerprints
(b) every set of fingerprints falls into a pattern
(c) records of fingerprints can be maintained
(d) fingerprints can be picked up even after a crime
3 .who first evolved a system of using finger impressions to authenticate documents?
(a) Sir Francis Galton
(b) Sir E.R. Henry.
(c) The Chinese.
(d) The Britishers.
4. The present system of recording fingerprints is around……..years old.
(a) 2200 (c) 500
(b) 100 (d) 220
5. The fingerprints are stored for record
(a) on a white card.
(b) on an inked surface.
(c) on paper files
(d) on a small piece of metal.
Answers: 1 – d, 2- a, 3- c, 4-b, 5-c
Passage-2
An old man with steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule-drawn carts staggered up the steel, bank from the bridge with soldiers helping to push against the spokes of the wheels.
The trucks ground up and away heading out of it all. The peasants plodded along in the ankle-deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving.
1.What was the old man wearing?
(a) Steel-rimmed spectacles.
(b) An old shirt and pant.
(c) Very dusty clothes.
(d) Steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes.
2. Mention those which crossed the bridge besides human beings.
(a) Mules and horses.
(b) Men, women and children.
(c) Carts and trucks.
(d) Soldiers and carts.
3. Who were helping to push the mule-drawn carts?
(a) Mules.
(b) The villagers.
(c) The Horses.
(d) Soldiers.
4.Where was the old man sitting?
(a) In the cart.
(b) Over the bridge.
(c) By the side of the road.
(d) On the banks of the river.
5. Why was he sitting there?
(a) To admire the natural scenery.
(b) To watch the people passing by.
(c) Because he was so tired that he couldn’t go any further.
(d) Waiting for somebody. .
Answers: 1 – d, 2- c, 3- d, 4-c, 5-c
Passage-3
Most authorities agree that St. Valentine is “the lover’s saint”.
However, some writers are inclined to believe that no such person existed, though there appears to be proof that he was a Christian Bishop and that he suffered martyrdom under the Roman Emperor Claudius on February 14, 271 (A.D.).
The story is that Emperor Claudius issued a decree forbidding marriage. Married men disliked leaving their families to go to war, and not make good soldiers, according to the emperor’s notion. Since good soldiers were he decided that marriage had to be abolished.
The good priest Valentine heard this and was sad. He invited young lovers to come to him and got them married. The emperor learnt of this and had Valentine put in prison. There the “friend of lovers” languished and died martyr to love. The church made him a Saint and allotted ray of his death, February 14, to him. So it is not surprising that youngsters in Rome made this special one in honour of the Saint; St. Valentine’s Day came to be known as ” the day for all true lovers”.
The Egyptian words will tell us more about the of Valentine’s Day than all the s concerning the Saint. In Egyptian, Va or Fa means “to bear”, Len is “the name” or “to name” Ten means “to determine”. Thus the day Valentine is that which determines whose shall be borne by each person in this mode of marriage by drawing lots. The custom points me time when chance, rather than choice,, me law. Marriage is still said to be a lottery. The custom of sending caricatures on Valentine’s as probably based on asserting the freedom of choice making a mock of chance.
If one decides to entertain people at a supper or dinner on Valentines Day, the decoration and the food should follow the spirit of the day. Invitations are usually heart-shaped-a custom originated with the first manufactured valentines which were usually in the shape of hearts darted through with arrows.
1. The writer means that St. Valentine actually lived. Which of the following statements best reveal the meaning?
a. Most authorities agree that St. Valentine was known as “the lover’s saint.”
b. Valentine was.put in prison and he died a martyr to love.
c. There appears to be proof that he was a Christian Bishop in the 3rd century.
d. Some writers are inclined to believe that n: such person existed,
2. Married men did not make good soldiers because
a. They did not want to leave their families.
b. They did not like to go to war.
c. Their families did not want them to go to war.
d. The emperor abolished their marriage.
3. Valentine was made a saint by
(a) Emperor Claudius.
(b) Married Men.
(c) Young Lovers.
(d) Roman Church.
4. Valentine was called a martyr to love because
(a) he was sad for the young lovers.
(b) he got the young lovers married.
(c) he died-for the sake of young lovers.
(d) the King put him in prison.
5. The first manufactured Valentines were usually heart-shaped. The word Valentine’ here refers to
(a) St. Valentine
(lb) Invitation card.
(c) Egyptian word.
(d) Fourteenth February.
Answers: 1 – c, 2- a, 3- d, 4-c, 5-b
Passage-4
The ease with which democratic Governments have given way to authoritarian regimes in one Asian Country after another has made many persons ask in despair whether the parliamentary system based on the Western model is suited to underdeveloped countries. People who do not know how to read and write, they argue, can hardly know how to vote. Popular elections often bring incompetent men to the top, they contend, and the division of party spoils and breeds corruption. What is worse, the system of perpetual party warfare obstructs the business of Government
They point to the dismal results of the last ten years. The pace of social and economic change has been far too slow and the governments in most of the underdeveloped countries have failed to come to grip with the problems which face the people. What they say is no doubt true to some extent but it is pertinent to remember that every alternative to democracy, while it in no way guarantees greater integrity or efficiency in the administration, lacks even the saving merit of regimes which, based on the suffrage of the people, leave it to the people to find out, by trial and error, who is their best friend. The people can peacefully get rid of a democratic Government which has failed to keep its promise, they can overthrow dictatorial regime only through a violent revolution. Those who feel sore over the ills from which democratic regimes suffer should be wary therefore suggesting a cure which is likely to undermine the democratic structure of the state. The people can at least raise their voice of protest against the injustices of a democratic Government; they can only suffer in silence the tyranny of a regime which is responsible to no one but itself.
1. Democratic Governments have given way to authoritarian regimes in several Asian countries
(a) Asians are underdeveloped.
(b) Asians like powerful leaders.
(c) Asians cannot read and write and can hardly know how to vote.
(d) Asian have not been able to adapt themselves to the Western Parliamentary system.
2. Popular elections
(a) Breed corruption.
(b) Stop the work of the Government.
(c) Result in a division of parties.
(d) Bring incompetent and unprincipled men to power.
3. In the last ten years, the Governments in the underdeveloped countries
(a) Produced impressive results.
(b) Tailed because they could not face the people.
(c) Neglected social and economic problems.
(d) Were too incompetent to speed up social and economic change.
4. Every alternative to democracy’
(a) Is based on the suffering of the people
(b) Enables people to find out their best friend.
(c) Lacks the safeguard of being peacefully overthrown by’ the people if it does not. fulfill its promises.
(d) Lacks the saving merit of integrity and efficiency.
5. A democratic form of Government is superior to a dictatorial one because
(a) it makes people protest in a raised voice.
(b) people can protest against its injustices, and even overthrow it peacefully.
(c) people can only suffer in silence.
(d) the tyranny of a regime is responsible to itself.
Answers: 1 – d, 2- d, 3- d, 4-c, 5-b
Passage-5
When flowers bloom in the lush bamboo plantations in the hills of the northeast, the tribesmen are thrown into a state of panic. The rare phenomenon of the flowering of a dwarf-sized bamboo species triggers a boom in the rat population. They devour the crops in nearby farmlands. The result is famine.
The mauve-coloured flowers sprouting in the hill-slopes in the sprawling Seppa valley in east Kameng district Arunachal Pradesh, are a palpable threat to the State Government. The worries are justified, if the catastrophe caused by the flowering of a bamboo species named Mau in Mizoram in 1959 is anything to go by. Rodents had multiplied in millions during the flowering of bamboos and ravaged the crops in the foothills. The flowering of the bamboo species in Arunachal Pradesh was first noticed in September this year. The depredations by the rats in the paddy, maize and millet fields from Bhalukpong on the Assam border to Seppa valley in the north were; reported soon. As the agriculture department, rushed its field-staff to the affected areas to fight the rampaging rodents with rat-tiaps and zinc phosphate, fresh alarms were sounded with flowering reported from the Tezu circle.
According to the local MLA much of the crops in Kameng had been destroyed by October. The State Veterinary Minister also confirmed the reports of a near-famine condition in that inaccessible district. The rats, feeding on the flower seedlings, continue to multiply. Till today, 33,000 rats, of the 26 varieties in the State have been trapped with the help of indigenous devices. The Chief Minister has sent an SOS to the Centre for both supplies and expertise in combating the a menace.
1. In the opening passage (2nd sentence) the phrase ‘triggers a boom’ means
(a) brings about a change.
(b) causes an increase.
(c) causes an upheaval.
(d) starts an exodus.
2. the destruction in Bhalukpong was reported, according to the passage
(a) in September.
(b) in August
(c) in October
(d) in November
3. A near-famine condition was reported
(a) in the Seppa vailey.
(b) in Kameng.
(c) in the Tezu circle.
(d) at Bhalukpong.
4. The flowering of the bamboo made the people
(a) cautious
(b) hungry
(c) anxious
(d) panicky
5. What is the writer’s attitude to the tribal people’s problem?
(a) Sympathetic
(b) Critical
(c) Harsh
(d) Neutral
Answers: 1 – b, 2- a, 3- b, 4-d, 5-a
Passage-6
Nasiruddin was the cleverest man in Khorasan. One of his neighbours was a merchant. He was a great miser. One day the merchant saw ’ Nasiruddin praying inside his house. He was j| praying in a loud voice asking God to be kind to him and send him 9999 dinars, not a dinar more, or a dinar less. If God sent him even one dinar more, he would return all the money. The merchant could not understand Nasiruddin’s prayer. He decided to find out the truth. He put 10000 dinars in a bag and threw it into his house. Nasiruddin found the bag and the money carefully. He profusely thanked god for giving him 10,000 dinars, when he had asked for only 9999 dinars. The merchant heard ‘Nasiruddin. He realized that Nasiruddin was going to keep the money. He went to Nasiruddin’s house. He called him a liar and chat his 10,000 dinars be returned to “Nasiruddin refused. He claimed that he was not a fool to believe that any one would throw away 10000 denars just to test someone’s honesty. It was his money given by God in answer to his prayer. The merchant decided to take the matter to the judge. Nasiruddin said that he had no clean clothes to wear. The merchant gave him some of his old clothes to wear Then they went to see the judge.
The merchant told the judge what had happened, Nasiruddin argued that the merchant was mad. Ever since he lost a lot of money a few months back, he had been talking like a mad man. The judge asked Nasiruddin whether he could prove his charge He said, “Just now he told you that I stole his money. Next he is going to tell you that these clothes wnich I am wearing are also his.” The merchant shouted angrily, “Of course, these are mine!”
The judge thought for a few minutes, then he said .“The case is false. Nasiruddin has not stolen ’s money. The merchant is mad. He could be sent to a mental hospital.” .
1.Nasiruddin was praying in a loud voice
a. He wanted to show that-he was the man in Khoraisan.
b. He wanted to show that he was a holy man
(c) He wanted his neighbour to hear his prayer.
(d) He was in debts and hoped that God would answer hie prayers.
2. The merchant threw the bag of money into Nasiruddin’s house because
a. He was a miser.
b. He found Nasiruddin’s prayer interesting.
c. He wanted to surprise Nasiruddin by helping him.
d. He wanted to catch Nasiruddin red-handed stealing the money.
3.When Nasiruddin found the bag of money he thought
(a) God had answered his prayer.
(b) Someone had been foolish enough to leave the money by mistake.
(c) His neighbour had thrown it into his house to help him.
(d) His neighbour had thrown it into his house to see what he would do.
Answers: 1 – c, 2- b, 3- d
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