AVIGNA TUTORIALS

BY AVANTIKA SINGH AND ADITYA MAHAJAN

English Class 12
SECTION A- ASSIGNMENT

PASSAGE 5

Read the passage given below.

1. People being what they are get practical about creating their own currency
as long as it is honoured. In Africa sea shells were used until the 19 th century
as money. But gold---- practically useless but known for its short supply and
lasting quality----- has been the most popular non-currency form of money
and is a standard for central banks.
2. Now in the age of the Internet and digital technologies, money is
undergoing an exciting makeover with talk of virtual currencies, mobile
wallets and software apps that pretty much do what gold has been doing for
centuries and currency notes have been doing for a while. Technologies such
as near-field communications are being used to make the mobile phone an
instrument of payment without the customer having to sign a credit card
voucher, thus making it more secure.
3. In general, software apps are being developed to substitute for money in
various ways. Some companies like Starbucks allow ‘digital tipping’ of its
baristas through a mobile app. Pre-paid cash cards are being used as swipe
instruments where customers do not need credit cards or even bank accounts.
The NextGen ATM machines will recognize your face through facial
biometric technologies.
4.Bitcoin, the most popular virtual currency, started circulating in 2009. Its
current market value has been estimated at around $8 billion, about 80,000
transactions occurring daily, according to accounting firms. However,
Washington’s Internal Revenue Service ruled that bitcoin is not currency but
more like property------ and thus subject to capital gains tax.
5. Meanwhile other virtual currencies are taking off----- and influencing
politics. In Iceland, which saw its banking system more or less wiped out,
during the 2008 global financial crisis, there emerged the eurocoin, a new
currency, now estimated to be worth $11.37. This currency is aimed at
fighting capital controls imposed by the Iceland government.
6. Crypto currencies are a very important milestone in this fight for liberty
from political control. They bring the hope of a new era of free currencies
immune to the meddling of politicians.
7. In additions, money is undergoing an exciting makeover through
innovations galore. Telecom companies the world over, for instance, with
support from their central banks are offering customers ‘mobile money’ as a
service. Another innovation that is much talked about is the mobiles wallet
and companies are helping their customers carry the equivalent of cash in
their handsets much like one carries travellers’ cheques.
8. Thus more and more practical solutions are being spawned across the
planet to focus not so much on money’s store of value’ but as a medium of
exchange.
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer any ten
questions from the eleven given follow.
(a) Currencies of the past were____
(i) Rocks
(ii) Gold
(iii) Sea shells
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)

(b) Gold is popular because of_____

(i) Durability
(ii) Large supply
(iii) Presence in abundance
(iv) Low quality

(c) Currency notes have been replaced by_____

(i) Durability
(ii) Large supply
(iii) Presence in abundance
(iv) Low quality
(d) Popular instrument for payment is_____.
(i) Sea shells
(ii) Virtual currencies
(iii) Gold
(iv) Coins
(e) Pre-paid cash cards boost_____
(i) Credit cards
(ii) Bank account
(iii) Both credit cards and bank account
(iv) Shunning of credit cards and bank accounts.
(f) Euro coin became a _____
(i) Asset for Iceland govt.
(ii) Pain for Iceland govt.
(iii) Boost for its economy
(iv) Both(i) and (ii)
(g) ‘Mobile money’ services are being chaired by_____
(i)telecoms companies.
(ii) Government
(iii) mobile companies
(iv)telecoms companies and central banks
(h) Choose the RIGHT statement.
(i) Travellers’ cheques and mobile wallet is one and the same thing
(ii) Traveller’s cheques and mobile wallet are different from one another
(iii) Traveller’s cheques are like crypto currencies
(iv)Traveller’s cheques are not crypto currencies.
(i)The synonym of ‘famous’ in para 1 is_____
(i) practical
(ii) popular
(iii) lasting
(iv)standard
(j) The antonym of ‘departed’ in para 5 is_____
(i) Practical
(ii) Popular
(iii) Lasting
(iv) Standard
(k) ‘Innovation’ in para 7 is similar to____
(i) An attraction
(ii) Obsolete
(iii) Conservation
(iv) A new measure
PASSAGE 6
Read the passage given below:
1. New Year is a holiday celebration that includes New Year’s Eve and lasts
through New Year’s Day. New Year’s celebrations have been around for a
long time in one form or another. They can be traced all the way back to the
Babylonians at around 2,000 B.C New Year’s Day was not always
celebrated on January 1st as it is today. Earlier, the New Year was celebrated
in the spring, as new life began to emerge in the world.
2. This tradition is quite sensible in relation to the seasons, however ancient
culture struggled to create a calendar that could retain alignment with the
sun. The Romans went through several versions of calendars in which they
inevitably changed the first day of the year to January several versions of
calendars in which they inevitably changed the first day of the year to
January first, Their final change to the calendar was made by Julian Caesar
in the year 46 B.C. (the Julian calendar). Caesar also adopted January 1 st as
the first day of the year. The Julian calendar became the basis for our current
calendar, so New Year’s Day is found at the top of the calendar on January
1st.
3. Certain Roman traditions of the New Year have remained in some form to
this day. Among the many Roman gods was Janus, a two-headed god. Janus
was considered the god of beginnings and endings, and the guarding of gates
and doors. One of the heads of Janus faced forward and the other looked
back. This figure was a symbol of good beginnings and ending to the
Romans. One head was able to lock backward to reflect upon what had
passed, while the other could look forward to what was coming. The word
Janus is closely related to the word January.
4.The Romans considered the significance of Janus when they established
their calendar, and named the first month after him. This Roman belief has
continued on, tradition to this day. In many ways, the modern celebration of
New Year’s Day carries on ancient traditions. The holiday itself is celebrated
from New Year’s Eve (in the old year) and continued on throughNew Year’s
Day.
5. By observing the holiday in this manner, we are encouraged to look at the
previous year as it passes away and to welcome the new one with renewed
enthusiasm and desire to improve ourselves. New Year’s Day has
traditionally been a day to enjoy happiness that will hopefully endure
throughout the year. With the old year gone, and the New Year just
beginning, it is a great time to fulfil another New Year’s traditions- to make
resolutions.
6. On New Year’s Day, people begin to work at goals that will improve their
circumstances. Some people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, while
other lose sight of them over time. Here are a few ideas for making
resolutions and a few ideas on how to achieve them.
7. It is good to set personal goals, but it can also be beneficial to set goals as
a family. Sit down as a family and discuss a few ideas that you would like to
achieve together. Working on goals as a family can be fun and rewarding.
An additional benefit of working on goals as a family is that is gives you a
support system that can make it easier to succeed. Set only a few goals, that
are easy to remember and can be accomplished-reasonably and realistically.
8. Making too many goals can complicate your efforts and make you lose of
many of them altogether. It is amazing how the rush of life can quickly
overtake the genuinely good intentions of worthy goals. When goals are not
written down, they can be easily forgotten. Write your goals down and post
them somewhere where you will see them regularly. When your goals are
written and clearly visible, you will be more likely to remember them and to
follow good habits that lead to success.
9. Choose at least one resolution that will make you happy now. Many of the
goals people choose are ones that lead to greater stress, discomfort, or
displeasure, at least for the short term. A few example are dieting, getting a
better job, and quitting a bad habit like smoking. These are worthy goals, but
they frequently cause greater stress while trying to achieve them.
10.In addition tom these kinds of goals, choose a goal that increases your
happiness such as taking an hour to relax each day, starting a new hobby, or
spending time daily with the kids. The celebration of New Year’s Day is all
about putting the past behind and looking forward to new and exciting
continue to influence the way New Year’s Day is celebrated today.
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, any any ten
questions from the eleven given below.
(a) Ancient cultures struggled to create a calendar that could retain alignment
with_____
(i) The sun
(ii) The moon
(iii) Stars
(iv) The spring season
(b) The words ‘Janus’ is closely related to the word______.
(i) Julius
(ii) With friends
(iii) Julian
(iv) June
(c) For successful accomplishment of goals. It is necessary to work on
them____
(i) With colleagues
(ii) With friends
(iii) With family
(iv) Personally
(d) In order to remember the goals on should______
(i) Memorize them
(ii) Share them
(iii) Write them on a paper
(iv) Post them
(e) Janus, the two-headed god, was considered the guardian of_____
(i) Gates and windows
(ii) Doors and windows
(iii) Gates and doors
(iv) Windows and balconies
(f) New year’s celebrations can be traced all the back to the_____
(i) Janus
(ii) Romans
(iii) Gates and doors
(iv) Windows and balconies
(g) In its earliest times the new year was celebrated_____
(i)in the spring
(ii) January 1st
(iii) with new off springs
(iv)both (i) and (ii)
(h) The current calendar reflects all these except___
(i) Julian calendar
(ii) Alignment with the sun
(iii) Roman tradition
(iv) Julius Caesar’s decision
(i) One must choose goals which___
(i) Julian calendar
(ii) Alignment with the sun
(iii) Roman traditions
(iv) Julius Caesar’s decision
(i) One must choose goals which____
(i) are stressful
(ii) are easily accomplished
(iii)Give a lot of discomfort
(iv)are difficult
(j) The auspicious symbol of the Roman is_____
(i) Julius Caesar
(ii) Calendar
(iii) Janus
(iv) Alignment with the sun
(k) The word which is similar to ‘fervour’ in para 5 is______
(i) Encouraged
(ii) Enthusiasm
(iii) Renewed
(iv) Endure