Unseen Passage For Class 6 With Questions And

Answers – Reading I

Read the following passages carefully:

Passage 1:
What causes the monsoon? The monsoon, which is essentially the seasonal
reversal in wind direction, causes most of the rainfall received in India and
some other parts of the world. The primary cause of monsoons is the
difference between annual temperature trends over land and sea. The
apparent position of the Sun with reference to the Earth oscillates from the
Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn. Thus the low pressure region
created by solar heating also changes latitude. The northeast and southeast
trade winds converge in this low pressure zone, which is also known as the
Intertropical Convergence Zone or ITCZ. This low pressure region sees
continuous rise of moist wind from the sea surface to the upper layers of the
atmosphere, where the cooling means the air can no longer hold so much
moisture resulting in precipitation. The rainy seasons of East Asia, sub-
Saharan Africa, Australia and the southern part of North America coincide
with the shift of ITCZ towards these regions.
Source: The Times of India
Word-Notes: Apparent-clearly seen-स्पष्ट। Oscillate-move to and fro-
घूमना।

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. Monsoon is
(a) A type of sea wave
(b) a seasonal reversal in wind direction
(c) very hot wind
(d) veiy cold wind.
2. What is the full form of ITCZ?
(a) Intertrance Convergence Zone
(b) Intertropical Convergence Zone
(c) Intertropical Capricorn Zone
(d) Intertropical Conveyance Zone.
3. The major cause of monsoon is the
(a) difference between annual temperature trends over land and sea
 (b) difference between day and night temperature
(c) moisture in the atmosphere
(d) None of these.
4. Low pressure region is created by
(a) solar heating
(b) lunar cooling
(c) moist wind
(d) dry wind.
5. It rains when
(a) moist wind goes down
(b) dry wind meets moist wind
(c) the air can no longer hold moisture resulting in precipitation
(d) annual temperature goes down.

Passage 2:
Dry fruits are useful in various diseases of the brain, muscles and tissues.
Particularly almond has got unique properties to remove brain weakness and
strengthen it. Almond preserves the vitality of the brain, strengthens the
muscles, destroys diseases originating from nervous and bilious disorders.
Walnut is another dry fruit that possesses wonderful qualities of curing brain
weakness.
According to Dr. Johnson, almonds, figs, grapes, dates, apples, and oranges
are rich in phosphoric element and should normally be used by brain
workers. Phosphorus nourishes the vital tissues of the body. It keeps the
mind full of enthusiasm for more work.
Source: Wisdom

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. Dry fruits are useful because they

(a) strengthen our heart
(b) cure various diseases of the brain, muscles and tissues
(c) give confidence to us
(d) empower us to do challenging tasks.
2. Which one is not a property of almond?
(a) It preserves the vitality of the brain
(b) It strengthens the muscles
(c) It destroys diseases originating from nervous and bilious disorders
(d) It strengthens our digestive system.
 3. Phosphoric element is profusely found in
(a) almonds, figs, grapes, dates, apples and oranges
(b) almonds, figs, papayas, guavas and pineapples
(c) all the green vegetables
(d) seasonal fruits.
4. Brain workers should take fruits rich in phosphoric element
because
(a) they remove brain weakness
(b) they nourish the vital tissues of the body
(c) they keep the mind full of enthusiasm
(d) all the above.
5. The word unique means the same as
(a) ordinary
(b) highly qualified
(c) unusual
(d) enlightened.

Passage 3:
Garbage is a great environment hazard. It comes from various sources—used
paper, tiffin packings, plastic bags, ice-cream wrappers, bottle caps, fallen
leaves from trees and many more. Garbage makes the premises ugly,
unkempt and breeds diseases. A lot of trash that is thrown away contains
material that can be recycled and reused such as paper, metals and glass
which can be sent to the nearest recycling centre or disposed of to the
junkdealer. It also contains organic matter such as leaves which can enrich
soil fertility. A compost pit can be made at a convenient location where the
refuse can be placed with layers of soil and an occasional sprinkling of water.
This would help decomposition to make valuable fertilizer. This would also
prevent pollution that is usually caused by burning such organic waste.

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. Garbage originates from

(a) used paper, tiffin, packings, plastic bags and fallen leaves from trees
(b) leftovers of food
(c) fallen branches from trees
(d) building materials.
2. Garbage can create havoc to the mankind by
(a) spreading foul smell
(b) slowing our vehicles on the road
(c) spreading several diseases
(d) all the above.
 3. What happens to the disposed of material at the recycling
centre?
(a) It is thrown away
(b) It is recycled for reuse
(c) It is sold to the rag pickers
(d) It is dumped into the ground.
4. Fallen leaves from trees are useful because they
(a) solve the problem of fuel wood in village households
(b) enrich water quality
(c) enrich soil fertility
(d) beautify landscape.
5. Which of these is correct with reference to a composite pit?
(a) The refuge is placed with layers of soil with an occasional sprinkling
of water
(b) It contributes to the manufacture of useful fertilizer
(c) It prevents pollution
(d) All the above.

Passage 4:
Our ancestors had great difficulty in getting books. Now, our difficulty is what
to read. There are books and books but our hours of reading are very few.
Therefore, choice becomes essential. We should be very careful about what
we read. There are books which poison our lives by suggesting evils. We
should keep them at arm’s length. We should read only those books which
have stood the test of time. Such books are our great classics like the
Ramayana and the Gita. They contain the wisdom of our
sages and saints. They have appealed to mankind from generation to
generation. Reading of such books has ennobling influence on our mind and
character. It gives us spiritual enjoyment. These books give us instruction
with entertainment. They represent our ancient culture. They set before us
high ideals to follow. They are our
best friends, best guides and the best treasure.

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. We should be selective because

(a) there is a great number of books available to us
(b) there is scarcity of books
(c) there are only bad books in the market
(d) none of the above.
 2. We should avoid those books which
(a) cost high price
(b) come in paperback
(c) corrupt our lives by suggesting evils
(d) come in more than one volume.
3. The books which have stood the test of time are called….
(a) great books
(b) rare books
(c) biographies
(d) classics.
4. What is/are special quality/qualities of classics?
(a) They affect our mind in a good way
(b) They teach us something great and also entertain us.
(c) They help us in our spiritual growth
(d) All the above.
5. An expression in the passage which means ‘good effect’ is
(a) Spiritual enjoyment
(b) Ennobling influence
(c) high ideals
(d) Very careful.

1.

Passage 5:
Patriotism is an old concept, as old perhaps as the earliest of humans
civilisations. But all through the history of mankind, it has been narrowly
understood. Today people have begun to realise that patriotism is an
essential part of human instinct. Patriotism has its negative sides particularly
when it exceeds its proper bounds. People who think their own country to be
the best and are blind to its weaknesses are not patriots at all.
We are the members of a large human family and so cannot neglect our
duties and responsibilities towards it. Our love for the country should be
conditioned by respect for the whole community. Narrow prejudice can do
nothing except to bring misfortune. In trying to overlook others’ interest in
the modem world, we harm our own.
Patriotism should be tempered with reason so that it may not be an evil.
Source: Wisdom

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. Today what is the belief of people regarding patriotism?

(a) It is narrowly understood
(b) It is not needed
 (c) It is a part of human instinct
(d) None of the above.
2. Which type of the people can be categorised as patriots?
(a) Those who think others’ country greater than their own
(b) Those who think their own country to be the best inspite of its
weaknesses
(c) Those who keep a neutral attitude towards their country
(d) Those whose love for the country is conditioned by respect for the
entire community.
3. Narrow prejudices always bring
(a) misfortune
(b) good opportunity
(c) good luck
(d) huge amount of money.
4. Patriotism is an evil when it is
(a) tempered with reason
(b) not tempered with reason
(c) beyond narrow feelings
(d) None of the above.
5. The word in the passage means opposite to positive
(a) Proper
(b) Narrow
(c) Negative
(d) Reason.

Passage 6:
(Poem)

Sympathy

I lay in sorrow deep distressed:

My grief a proud man heard,
His looks were cold, he gave me gold.
But not a kindly word.
My sorrow passed I paid him back
The gold he gave to me,
Then stood erect and spoke my thanks
And blessed his charity.
I lay in want and grief, and pain
A poor man passed my way
He bound my head, he gave me bread;
He watched me night and day;
How shall I pay him back again
For all he did to me?
Oh, gold is great, but greater far
Is heavenly sympathy.

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. One day the poet was in

(a) trouble
(b) need of money
(c) need of a friend
(d) depression.
2. The proud rich man offered the poet
(a) sympathy
(b) money
(c) bread
(d) tea.
3. The poet was in a fix because
(a) he didn’t know how to pay back to the rich proud man
(b) he didn’t know the poor man who served him so much
(c) he wanted to give money to the poor man but he had no money
(d) he didn’t know how to pay back to the poor man’s service to him.
4. The poet realised in the last that
(a) the poor man was better than the rich man
(b) sympathy was more valuable than gold
(c) the rich man was better than the poor man
(d) money was the most important thing in the world.
5. The word that means opposite to sorrow is
(a) carelessness
(b) ability
(c) joy
(d) beauty.

Passage 7:
(Poem)

The World

Great, wide, beautiful, wonderful World,

With the wonderful water round you curled,
And the wonderful grass upon your breast—
World, you are beautifully drest.
The wonderful air is over me,
And the wonderful wind is shaking the tree,
It walks on the water, and whirls the mills,
And talks to itself on the tops of the hills.
You friendly Earth, how far do you go,
With the wheat-fields that nod and the rivers that flow,
With cities and gardens, and cliffs, and isles,
And people upon you for thousands of miles?
Ah! you are so great, and I am so small,
I tremble to think of you, World, at all;
And yet, when I said my prayers to-day,
A whisper inside me seemed to say,
‘You are more than the Earth, though you are such a dot:
You can love and think, and the Earth cannot!’

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. In the poem above ‘beautifully drest’ refers to

(a) having gaudy dress
(b) decorated with nature’s beauty
(c) wearing costly dresses
(d) wearing cheap but beautiful dresses.
2. The poet calls the world ‘beautifully drest’ because
(a) it looks beautiful
(b) it has wonderful grass curled around it
(c) it is covered with fine clothes
(d) it is covered with green leaves.
3. The wind in the poem talks to
(a) passersby
(b) trees
(c) clouds
(d) itself.
4. The poet calls the earth
(a) unfriendly
(b) friendly
(c) proud
(d) kind.
5. The phrase such a dot means
(a) so small
(b) so fat
(c) so big
(d) so kind
 1.

Passage 8:
(Poem)
Fame is a food that dead men eat,
I have no stomach for such meat.
In little light and narrow room,
They eat in the silent tomb.
With no kind voice of comrade near
To bid the feaster be of cheer.
But friendship is a noble thing,
Of friendship it is good to sing.
For truly when a man shall end,
He lives in memory of his friend,
Who doth his better part recall,
And of his fault make funeral.

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. By the expression ‘Fame is a food that dead men eat’ we mean

(a) fame is enjoyed only after death
(b) fame is enjoyed during life-time
(c) fame is something like a food
(d) fame dies with one’s death.
2. Friendship is a noble thing because
(a) a man cannot live without friends
(b) real friends are very helpful
(c) a man always remembers the good qualities of his friend after his
death
(d) it enhances dignity of mankind.
3. Friendship is better than fame because in friendship
(a) when a man dies he lives in the memory of his friend
(b) a man always regards his friend
(c) enmity never comes
(d) a man is always happy in the company of his friend.
4. In the last line of the above poem the poet wants to convey that
(a) one should believe in friendship
(b) the faults of a man are highlighted by his friend after his death
(c) ‘the faults of a man are forgotten by his friend after his death
(d) one should not run after fame and friendship.
5. The word recall means
(a) forget
(b) come close
 (c) help
(d) remember

Passage 9:
(Poem)
WHOSE woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods filled up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farm-house near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Questions:
Now answer the following questions by choosing correct options:

1. In the last stanza of the poem there is a repetition of the line;

‘And miles to go before I sleep.’ The poet has repeated the line
to
(a) make the poem interesting
(b) emphasise his responsibilities
(c) attract the readers
(d) express the idea of the poem more forcefully.
2. When the poet says ‘But I have promises to keep’; he means
that
(a) he has to make his life successful
(b) he has certain duties which he must discharge
(c) he has to follow what he has said to his friends
(d) he has to make people happy.
3. The woods are covered with
(a) snow
(b) yellow leaves
 (c) sand
(d) fallen trees.
4. Who gives the harness bells a shake?
(a) Horse
(b) Poet
(c) Horse-rider
(d) Elephant.
5. The word queer means
(a) sometimes
(b) familiar
(c) strange
(d) abnormal.

Type –1

Read the story and answer the following questions.

This is the story of a man who thought that he had the right to do whatever
he liked. One day, this gentleman was walking along a busy road, spinning
his walking-stick round and round in his hand, and was trying to look
important. A man walking behind him objected.

“You ought not to spin your walking-stick round and round like that!” he said.

“I am free to do what I like with my walking-stick,” argued the gentleman.

‘Of course, you are,” said the other man, “but you ought to know that your
freedom ends where my nose begins.”

The story tells us that we can enjoy our rights and our freedom only if they
do not interfere with other people’s rights and freedom.

A. Answer the following questions.

Questions:
1. Why was the gentleman on the road moving his walking stick round and
round?
2. Who objected to his behaviour?
3. What argument did the gentleman give?
4. Was the other satisfied with argument?
5. What did he say in reply?

B. Complete the following statements with the correct option.

Questions:
1. The gentleman was walking along a
i. lonely road.
ii. busy road.
iii. narrow road.
2. The gentleman was
i. running along the road.
ii. disturbing others on the road.
iii. spinning his walking-stick round and round.
3. The man who protested was a
i. teacher.
ii. passer-by.
iii. policeman.

C. Write whether the following statements are true or false.

Questions:
1. The gentleman was spinning the walking-stick round and round in his hand
to drive away the dogs
2. The gentleman was walking along a busy road
3. The man walking behind praised his action
4. The gentleman thought that he had the right to do whatever he liked.
5. We can enjoy our rights and freedom even if it interferes with other
people’s rights and freedom

D. Write synonyms of the following words.

Questions:
1. Spinning
2. Interfere
Unseen Passage 2 for Class 6 CBSE

At this stage of civilization, when many nations are brought in to close and
vital contact for good and evil, it is essential, as never before, that their
gross ignorance of one another should be diminished, that they should begin
to understand a little of one another’s historical experience and resulting
mentality. It is the fault of the English to expect the people of other countries
to react as they do, to political and international situations.

Our genuine goodwill and good intentions are often brought to nothing
because we expect other people to be like us. This would be corrected if we
knew the history, not necessarily in detail but in broad outlines, of the social
and political conditions which have given to each nation its present
character.

Question 1.
According to the author of Mentality’ of a nation is mainly a product of it’s
(a) present character
(b) international position
(c) politics
(d) history

Question 2.
The character of a nation is the result of its
(a) gross ignorance
(b) cultural heritage
(c) socio-political conditions
(d) mentality

Question 3.
The need for a greater understanding between nations
(a) is more today than ever before
(b) was always there
(c) is no longer there
(d) will always be there

Question 4.
Englishmen like others to react to political situations like.
(a) others
(b) us
(c) themselves
(d) each others

Question 5.
According to the author his countrymen should.
(a) read the story of other nations
(b) not react to other actions
(c) have a better understanding of other nations
(d) have vital contacts with other nations

Unseen Passage 3 for Class 6 CBSE

A homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine, first proposed by German

physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796 that attempts to treat patients with
heavily diluted medicines. Homeopathic remedies are prepared by serial
dilution with shaking by forceful striking, which homeopaths term succession
after each dilution under the assumption that this increases the effect of the
treatment. Homeopaths call this process potentization. Dilution often
continues until none of the original substance remains.

Homeopathic reference books known as repertories are then consulted, and

a remedy is selected based on the totality of symptoms. Homeopathic
remedies are considered safe, but are criticized for putting patients at risk
due to advice against conventional medicine such as vaccinations, anti-
malarial drugs, and antibiotics. Depending on the dilution, homeopathic
remedies may not contain any pharmacologically active molecules, and for
such remedies to have pharmacological effect would violate fundamental
principles of science.

Modern homeopaths have proposed that ‘water has a memory that allows
homeopathic preparations to work without any of the original substance;
however, there are no verified observations nor scientifically plausible
physical mechanisms for such a phenomenon. The lack of convincing
scientific evidence supporting homeopathy’s efficacy and its use of remedies
lacking active ingredients have caused homeopathy to be described as
pseudoscience.

Question 1.
Homeopathy treats patients with:
(a) Heavy medicine
(b) strong medicine
(c) diluted medicine
(d) concentrated medicine

Question 2.
Homeopathic remedies are prepared by serial dilution with shaking by
forceful striking, the procedure is known as
(a) Succession
(b) potentization
(c) dilution
(d) convention
Answer:
(a) Succession

Question 3.
A report of UK states that homeopathy is not more useful than a placebo
because after dilution the medicine don’t contain any.
(a) chemical
(b) acid
(c) pharmacologically active substance
(d) vaccine against diseases

Question 4.
Homeopathy is also termed as pseudoscience because:
(a) it is based on false notions effectiveness
(b) it lacks scientific evidence on its
(c) it has side effects
(d) it is a slow treatment

Question 5.
The word in the passage which means the same as the facts /objects that
make you believe that something is true:
(a) Pharmacolo
(b) placebo
(c) accredited
(d) evidence

Unseen Passage 4 for Class 6 CBSE

My next pet was a pigeon, the most revolting bird to look at, with his
feathers pushing through the wrinkled scarlet skin, mixed with the horrible
yellow down that covers baby pigeons and makes them look as though they
have been peroxiding their hair. Because of his repulsive and obese
appearance, we called him Quasimodo. Since he had an unorthodox
upbringing, without parents to teach him, Quasimodo became convinced that
he was not a bird at all, and refused to fly. He walked everywhere. He was
always eager to join us in anything we did.

He would even try to come for walks with us. So you had to either carry him
on your shoulder, which was risking an accident to your clothes, or else you
let him walk behind. If you let him walk, then you had to slow down your own
pace to suit his, for should you get too far ahead you would hear the most
frantic and imploring coos and turn around to find Quasimodo running
desperately after you.

Question 1.
The narrator describes the pigeon as a ‘revolting bird’ because
(a) he could not fly
(b) he had to be carried everywhere
(c) he had wrinkled skin covered with yellow feathers
(d) he was fat

Question 2.
Quasimodo got his name because
(a) he was a fat and ugly
(b) he was attractive
(c) he could not fly,
(d) he love behaving like human beings

Question 3.
We know that Quasimodo was always eager to go on walks because
(a) he walked everywhere
(b) he did not know how to fly
(c) he complained loudly if he was not taken along
(d) he always copied whatever humans did

Question 4.
Quasimodo protested when he was
(a) left at home
(b) lifted on human shoulders
(c) taken for a walk
(d) left behind during walks

Question 5.
The phrase ‘risking an accident to your clothes’ means
(a) the bird pecked at their clothes
(b) there was a chance of the bird soiling their clothes
(c) the bird risked a fall
(d) the bird did not like their clothes

The idea of euthanasia, of hastening the death of someone from motives of

compassion, covers two main situations. The first is where someone is close
to death and can be kept alive briefly, with intensive medical care. The
official reason for the use of every possible technique on patients, for whom
there seems no hope, is that we never know that there is no hope of at least
a brief recovery. The second situation, in which it is proposed to end the life
of someone who is not expected to die at once from natural causes, is more
morally doubtful.

In so far as the suggestion may be based on the notion of the ‘quality of life’
experienced by the patient, this is an inadequate approach to human beings.
At one extreme we may be dealing with a birth that cannot be called
‘human’ at all: such a being likely to live at the most for only a few hours.
Many feel that during this time it ought to be given ordinary nursing care.
Bringing to an end of the life of say, a spastic child, by the deliberate refusal
of the fullest medical care seems morally indefensible.

Question 1.
Euthanasia means
(a) a place in Asia
(b) bringing about gentle and easy death
(c) enthusiasm
(d) the youth in Asia

Question 2.
One reason for trying all possible measures to save a person is
(a) death is horrifying
(b) there is a possibility of recovery
(c) doctors need to be compassionate
(d) science may invent more sophisticated machines later

Question 3.
The people who argue for euthanasia advocate it saying
(a) the patient is not living a qualitative life
(b) we must not spend quality resources on a sick person
(c) we should not bother about the ailing
(d) it can be defended morally

Question 4.
The words ….dealing with a birth that cannot be called ‘human at all implies
(a) humans have no control over birth and death
(b) the person may survive only for a very brief period
(c) doctors are incapable of saving people
(d) the patient may want to die

Question 5.
The writer finds it unpardonable to
(a) end the life of someone who is not expected to die at once from natural
causes.
(b) end the life of a spastic child
(c) end the life of an infant who is likely to live only for a few hours
(d) end the life of a human being

Unseen Passage

A telephone conversation between two friends, Sanjay and Pankaj, took

place on a Thursday afternoon. Sanjay: Hello Pankaj. How are you? You have
been absent from school for the last 2 days. Pankaj: Hi Şanjay! I had food
poisoning. Anyway, I’m better now and will be going back to school
tomorrow. Sanjay: Did you eat something which was contaminated? Pankaj:
Well, I took fried oyster and some noodles at the food centre on Tuesday
night. Most likely, it was the former.

It could not have been the chicken rice or fishballs I took at our school
canteen during recess. Sanjay: Oh, I see. Pankaj: Can you please tell me if
there’s any homework to be done? Sanjay: Yes, Mrs. Boon is going to
conduct a Science test for our class tomorrow. Pankaj: Thanks for letting me
know. Did she say which chapters will be tested? Sanjay: Yes, she did. The
test is going to cover the chapters on “Magnets”, “Classification of Materials”
and “Life Cycles of Plants”. Pankaj: That’s a relief. I am only unfamiliar with
the chapter on “Magnets”. A quick revision is all I’ll need.

Thanks and see you tomorrow. Sanjay: You’re welcome. Bye and take care.

Question 1.
Why did Pankaj call Sanjay? She called Sanjay to find out if
(a) Mrs. Boon had given the class any homework.
(b) Mrs. Boon was going to conduct a class test.
(c) there was going to be a class test.
(d) there was any homework.

Question 2.
Sanjay and Pankaj are
(a) Best friends
(b) schoolmates
(c) neighbors
(d) classmates

Question 3.
Why was Pankaj relieved upon learning the chapters to be tested? She was
relieved because
(a) she had already studied all the chapters thoroughly
(b) she was good at the subject
(c) she had already studied one of the chapters to be tested
(d) she was familiar with two of the chapters to be tested

Question 4.
What did Pankaj suspect was the cause of her food poisoning? She suspected
that it was the ___ which she had eaten.
(a) Noodles
(b) fishballs
(c) fried oysters
(d) chicken rice

Question 5.
On which days were Pankaj absent from school? She was absent on
(a) Monday and Tuesday
(b) Tuesday and Wednesday
(c) Wednesday and Thursday
(d) Thursday and Friday

Unseen Passage 7 for Class 6

When cats run home and light is come, And dew is cold upon the ground,
And the far off stream is dumb, And the whirring sail goes round And the
whirring sail goes round Alone and warming his five wits The white owl in the
belfry sits.

When merry milkmaids click the latch, And rarely smells the new mown hay.
And the cock hath sung beneath the thatch Twice or thrice his roundedley
Twice or thrice his roundedley Alone and warming his five wits The white owl
in the belfry sits.

Question 1.
The arrival of the morning is heralded by the:
(a) running stream
(b) tower clock
(c) fishermen cry
(d) cock’s singing

Question 2.
The owl prefers:
(a) hay mowing
(b) loneliness
(c) hooting with other owls
(d) watching of milk maids

Question 3.
The poem describes:
(a) cats
(b) milkmaids
(c) cocks
(d) an owl
Question 4.
A word in the poem which means “a roof covering ‘is
(a) Whirring
(b) thatch
(c) hay
(d) latch

Question 5.
Morning activities described in the poem are:
(a) Milking of cows and cocks crowing
(b) mowing of grass and running of stream
(c) running of dogs and running of stream
(d) hooting of owls and barking of dogs

Unseen Passage 8 for Class 6 CBSE

I’m an angel disguise with dimpled cheeks and laughing eyes. Don’t you
want me? I am your baby. I have come as a gift from heaven’s hall in your
heart. Oh, hear my call Mother keep me I am your baby Oh Mother, let me
live, don’t take away my life. Mother let me live. You know it isn’t right to
stop me being born, I want to be yours Oh Mother, let me live, don’t take
away my life. Mother let me live.

I want to live my life. Mother, you will see when you look at me and you hold
me in your arms You’ll fall in love with me, Like a flower in your care, I am a
gift so pure and fair. Don’t you want me? I am your baby. My little life please
don’t abort, let me live, don’t cut me short. Mother, keep me I am your baby.

Question 1.
The poem is a cry of:
(a) an angel
(b) an unborn baby girl
(c) a daughter
(d) a girl child

Question 2.
The speaker is in danger because:
(a) the mother is cruel
(b) she is ugly
(c) she is a girl
(d) people don’t like her

Question 3.
The expression that expresses the girl child’s desire to live is :
(a) I’m an angel
(b) I have come as a gift
(c) keep me I am your baby
(d) hear my call

Question 4.
The mother will fall in love with the girl when:
(a) she will be born
(b) she will be gifted
(c) she will grow
(d) she will hold her in her arms

Question 5.
The poet wonders why people abort girls even when:
(a) they are tender, pure and fair
(b) it is a sin
(c) it is illegal
(d) it is a crime

Type-II

Unseen Passage 1 for Class 6

Everything that is alive needs energy. All animals get the energy they need
from food. People are animals.

Think about the human body as an amazing machine. It can do all kinds of
things for us. Food is the fuel that helps keep the amazing machine running.
Plants use sunlight to make their own food. Animals are not able to do that.
Some animals eat plants. Some animals eat other animals as meat. Some
animals, like people, eat both plants and animals. Since plants make their
own food using sunlight, the sun’s energy is found in plants.

The sun’s energy is very strong. It loses a lot of its strength by the time it
goes into a plant. When we eat plants, we get more of the sun’s energy than
when we eat animals. That’s why it is good to eat fruits and vegetables.
When an animal eats a plant, the energy is less strong. The animal also used
its energy to find the plant to eat. When a second animal eats the first
animal, it gets even less energy than the first animal got. The second animal
used a lot of energy to chase its prey. Like a car that has to be filled with
gasoline, living things have to eat again and again. Instead of gasoline, living
things use food as fuel.

Questions
1. Where do all animals get their energy?
2. Where do plants get their energy?
3. If our bodies are amazing machines, then food is our
4. Why do we get more energy from eating vegetables than we get from
eating meat?
5. If a third animal eats the second animal, will it get more or less energy?
6. Find the word with the same meaning as the following words.
(a) living
(b) run after

Unseen Passage 2 for Class 6

There is a story of a man who thought he had a right to do what he liked.

One day, this gentleman was walking along a busy road, spinning his
walking-stick round and round in his hand, and was trying to look important.
A man walking behind him objected. “You ought not to spin your walking-
stick round and round like that!” he said.

“I am free to do what I like with my walking-stick,” argued the gentleman. ‘Of

course you are,” said the other man, “but you ought to know that your
freedom ends where my nose begins.”The story tells us that we can enjoy
our rights and our freedom only if they do not interfere with other people’s
rights and freedom.

Questions
1. Why was the gentleman on the road moving his walking stick round and
round?
2. Who objected him?
3. What argument did the gentleman give?
4. Was the other satisfied with argument?
5. What did he say in reply?
6. Find the word with the same meaning as following words.
(a) turn quickly
(b) preventing an activity

Unseen Passage 3 for Class 6

The great advantage of early rising is the good start it gives us to our day’s
work. The early: riser has done a large amount of hard work before other
men have got out of bed. In the early morning the mind is fresh, and there
are few sounds or other distractions, so the work done at that, fresh is
generally well done. In many cases the early riser also finds time to take
some exercise in the fresh morning air, and this exercise supplies him with a
fund of energy that will last until the evening.

By beginning so early, he knows that he has plenty of time to do thoroughly

all the work he can be expected to do, and is not tempted to hurry over any
part of it. All his work being finished in good time, he has a long interval of
rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed. A sound
night’s rest rises early next morning in good health is most refreshing, and
after he gets to sleep several hours before midnight, at the time when sleep
and spirits for the labors of a new day.

Questions
1. What is the great advantage of early rising?
2. How is early morning different from other hours of the day?
3. Why is the early riser not tempted to hurry over his day’s work?
4. What enables the early riser to go to bed at the proper time?
5. What are the advantages of going to sleep well before midnight?
6. Find the synonyms for the following words/phrases
(a) Diversion
(b) Carefully

Unseen Passage 4 for Class 6

Fuel is a material that is burned in order to get heat and light and also to
generate power. The Process of burning is a chemical reaction. A material
combines with oxygen from the air and gives off energy. The energy is given
off in the form of heat and light. Fuels Deepak En can also be classified as
solid, liquid and gaseous. Wood was one of the first fuels used by man. It was
the easiest to get the cheapest.

After wood started becoming scarce it was replaced by coal. Coal contains a
high percentage of carbon. Carbon is the most important ingredient in most
fuels. Fuels with a high percentage of carbon burn evenly and with a hot
flame. The most important liquid fuels come from petroleum. However
petroleum reserves are becoming exhausted with the passage of time.

Questions
1. What is the source of energy?
2. What is produced with the burning of the fuel?
3. Why was wood replaced by coal?
4. Which factor decides the quality of fuel?
5. Give a suitable title to the passage.
6. Find the opposite words for the following words/phrases from the passage
(a) Common
(b) Equally

Unseen Passage 5 for Class 6

We left Dehradun early in the morning and stopped by for breakfast at

Missouri. From Missouri the picturesque road heads north to Yamuna bridge,
then to Barkot (where one road branches to Gangotri). The road winds along
the Yamuna river. through luxurious dense green vegetation to
Hanumanchatti, the end of motorable road. The remaining journey has to be
undertaken on foot or pony. Yamunotri is only 13 km. from Hanuman Chatti.

But it is better to proceed another 6 km. and have the night halt at
Janakibaichatti. The journey to Yamunotri is simply breathtaking. High snow-
covered peaks all around, glaciers, streams and waterfalls, vibrant green
foliage, and the pristine air are a sheer delight to tired city lungs. Yamunotri,
3322 metres above sea level, is located on the western bank of the great
peak of Banderpunch (meaning – monkey’s tail) which is 6315 metres high.

Questions
1. Where did the travellers stop for breakfast?
2. Why is a part of the journey to Yamunotri to be undertaken on foot?
3. What has made the journey to Yamunotri breathtaking?
4. (a) Vibrant green foliage.

(Choose the appropriate meaning for the underlined word)

(i) Vibrating
(ii) full of life and energy
(iii) shivering
(iv) trembling.
(b) Give another word for
(i) Snow-Covered
(ii) Foliage.

5. Do you think a journey of this kind is dangerous as well as pleasant? Why?

6. Find the suitable word meaning for the words given below from the
passage
(a) take one’s breath away
(b) clean and fresh

Unseen Passage 6 for Class 6

Once there were only a few million people living on Earth and it took a
thousand years for that number to double. There are now 3,800 million Earth
dwellers and the number doubles about every thirty-five years. Men have
cleared away forests to make fields for growing crops. They have moved
mountains to make room for roads and cities. They have built huge dams
across rivers to turn valleys into lakes and they have built dykes to push
back the sea and create more dry land to live on.

Once everyone cheered at the progress that man made in changing his
environment like this, but now many people are worried by the problems
that such changes can bring. When the Aswan Dam was built across the
River Nile in Egypt, it was meant to help the farmers by giving them water
when they needed it. Unfortunately, people did not realise that much of the
nourishing food for plants in the river would be trapped by the dam so the
farmers’ crops would suffer.

Also, hundreds of kilometres away at the mouth of the River Nile, less fresh
water pours into the Mediterranean Sea. This means that the sea will
become more salty and fewer fish will be able to live in it. When this
happens, people who catch fish for their living will suffer. Problems like this
are caused when men look at only one part of nature and do not realise that
all nature is bound up together. If one part is changed, other parts may
suffer.

Questions
1. How many years did it take for the number of people to double?
2. What were the changes made in nature?
3. What did the men not realise when a dam was built across the River Nile?
4. (a) Write 2 pairs of homophones.
(b) Write 2 sets of collocation.
5. What are the earth’s resources used by you?

Unseen Passage 7 for Class 6

The Ajanta caves, we were told, lay in the side of a ravine in wild and
desolate country some 350 miles to the northwest, at the extreme tip of
Hyderabad state where it touches the Bombay Province. Properly speaking
they were not caves at all, but temples which had been excavated from the
living rock by Buddhist monks. These monks had first come to the ravine
somewhere in the second century before Christ and they had begun by
hacking out the rock by hand and hurling it down into the river below.

Then, probably with large mirrors to reflect the sunshine from the ravine
outside, they set about the decoration of the walls, the doorways and the
ceilings. They continued for the next eight hundred years, always painting
and sculpturing Lord Buddha, but setting him against an idyllic background
of folk tales and the everyday life of their own time. In much the same way
as in the Italian Renaissance which over a thousand years later, the work
was subsidised by the wealthy merchants and the princes of the surrounding
countryside.

Questions
1. Who came to the ravines in the second century before Christ?
2. What did the monks use to reflect light into the caves?
3. What did the caves depict?
4. (a) The work was subsidised by the wealthy merchants. (Change the
voice).
(b) They continued for the next eight hundred years. (Rewrite as an
interrogative sentence)
5. Would you like to see the caves? If so, why? If not, why not?

Unseen Passage 8 for Class 6

“Look after my son, while I am away,” Prince Llewellyn simply said and left
for his hunt. Not long after, the hound’s fine nostrils quivered. He could catch
the scent of an enemy. Indeed, there was a wolf nosing in at the doorway.
Gelert, quick as lightning, leapt at the beast and the next moment the two
were locked in a life and death struggle. The baby went on sleeping
peacefully, unaware of any danger. But the two creatures fought savagely,
Gelert to protect the infant and the wolf to devour it, for it was ravenously
hungry after days of futile roaming in the hills and forests.
As they fought, blood splattered all over the walls and floor, and the wolf,
getting nearer the scent of its intended prey, pushed the brave dog closer to
the cradle. Panting furiously, the wolf thrust Gelert right at its base and
overturned it, splattering the baby’s coverlets with blood in the process.
Miraculously, the baby continued to sleep soundly, ignorant of the mortal
danger it was in. But Gelert, now sensing the imminent danger to his ward,
fought back, drove his opponent to the opposite corner and Csank his teeth
into the wolf’s throat.

With a last dying snarl, the wolf fell back and drew its last breath. The faithful
Gelert lay down, triumphant but exhausted, next to the sleeping child, now
untidily covered by blood-stained blankets and coverlets. About half an hour
later, Prince Llewellyn returned from his hunt and Gelert dragged himself to
his feet and went to meet him. The prince was horrified at the sight that met
his eyes, but most of all by the blood on Gelert’s mouth and feet. He drew his
sword and in a moment of blind fury he plunged it into the heart of his
faithful hound.

The dog (gave a piteous and puzzled) look at his beloved master and sank
back dead with a final wailing breath. The prince heard a lusty cry from the
direction of the cradle. He picked up the child and found it safe and sound.
His eye then fell on the torn and bloody carcass of the wolf in the corner. In a
flash, everything became clear. The prince’s grief was beyond control and for
many years he could not erase the memory of that awful day from his guilty
mind. Thereafter, he erected a tomb – To the Memory of a Brave Dog.

Questions
1. Why did Gelert leap at the wolf?
2. What does the word “prey” in refer to?
3. Why was it a miracle for the baby to be able to continue sleeping soundly?
4. Which word in the passage has the same meaning as the phrase ‘swallow
voraciously’?
5. How was the wolf killed eventually?

Unseen Passage 9 for Class 6

The natural life span of a domesticated horse is about 25–30 years, 10 years
down from what it was in the wild. You can tell a horse’s age from the
number of teeth he has, They get all their teeth by the age of 5, after which
those teeth just get longer. Horses have close to 360 degree all round vision.
The only place they cannot see is directly behind or right in front of them,
which is why it’s dangerous to stand behind a horse. If they feel something
behind them, they may kick first and ask questions later! It also means that
they cannot see a jump once they are about four feet from it, and have to
rely on memory as to its height and shape! Each of the horse’s two eyes
works independently wherever a horse’s ear point is where the horse is
looking.

A horse is able to sleep standing up as he is able to lock his leg muscles so

that he doesn’t fall asleep. Nor do all horses in the same field ever lie down
at once-one animal always stands “on look out” duty.

Questions
1. What is the life span of a wild horse?
2. Why do the horse owners cover their horse’s eyes with blinkers?
3. What prevents a horse from falling while asleep?
4. (a) They get all their teeth by the age of five. (Pick out the prepositions)
(b) If they feel something behind them they may kick. (Rewrite using ‘unless)
5. How have horses helped man through the ages?

Unseen Passage 10 for Class 6

He was a funny-looking man with a high, bald, dome-shaped head, a face

very small in comparison, a round upturned nose and a long wavy beard that
didn’t seem to belong to such a perky face. His ugliness was a standing joke
among his friends and he helped them to enjoy the joke. He was a poor man
and something of an idler – a stone-cutter by trade, a sort of semi-skilled
sculptor. But he didn’t work anymore than was necessary to keep his wife
and three boys alive. He preferred to talk.

And since his wife was a complaining woman who used her tongue as an
irate wagon driver uses a horse-whip, he loved above all things to be away
from home. He would get up before dawn, eat a hasty breakfast of bread
dipped in wine, slip on a tunic and throw a coarse mantle over it, and be off
in search of a shop, or a temple, or a friends’ house, or the public baths, or
perhaps just a familiar street corner, where he could get into an argument.
The whole city he lived in was seething with argumentation. The city was
Athens, and the man we are talking about was Socrates.

Questions
1. What was Socrates’ profession?
2. Where would Socrates go to get into an argument?
3. What evoked a sense of joy in the people?
4. (a) Fill in the blank with a modal auxiliary ‘indicating habitual past’:
He……………….. get up before dawn.
(b) He was a funny-looking man. .
(Rewrite as an exclamatory sentence)
5. Have you met people who are argumentive or funny-looking? Where?

Unseen Passage 11 for Class 6

One warm afternoon, Mrs. Siva wanted to make some cold drinks for her
family. She asked her son, Kumar, to go to the nearby shop to buy a big
packet of ice.

On his way back from the shop, Kumar spotted a newly-built playground in
his neighborhood. He saw many children playing on the slides, swings and
merry-go-round. They were having a wonderful time. Kumar told himself that
he would stay for only a short while. He put the plastic bag full of ice on a
bench and joined the other children. However, he began to enjoy himself so
much that he soon forgot about everything else.

When Kumar finally decided that he was ready to go home, he was surprised
to find that the bag of ice was no longer on the bench. Instead, there was a
bag of water. “Someone has stolen my ice!” Kumar exclaimed. “He took my
ice and left some water in the plastic bag!”

Questions
1. What did Mrs. Siva ask Kumar to buy?
2. When did Kumar see the playground?
3. Why was Kumar at the playground for a long time?
4. What happened to the bag of ice?
5. Which word in the passage has the same meaning as ‘noticed?

Unseen Passage 12 for Class 6

“The Judge and the Thief “There was once a man, Hassan, who kept all his
money in a box under his bed. One day, he discovered his money was
missing. He asked the judge for help.”Your Honour,” he said, “someone has
stolen my money. There are many people living in my house but I do not
know who is guilty.”The judge said, “Call all your housemates here and I
shall find out who the thief is.” When all of Hassan’s housemates appeared,
the judge said, “I have some magic sticks of the same length. All of you will
be given one stick. Bring the sticks back to me tomorrow morning.

Only the thief’s stick will grow longer by 5 cm.” Frightened, the thief tried to
think of a way to cover up his theft. Finally, he found a solution – he cut the
sticker shorter by exactly 5 cm. “When my stick grows in the night, it will be
the same length as the others,” he thought, proud of his brilliant plan. The
next morning, when everyone gathered in front of the judge, the length of
sticks in their hands remained the same – except the thiefs! His was shorter
by 5 cm. The judge pointed to him and declared, “It’s you who have stolen
the money!”.

Questions
1. Where did Hassan keep his money?
2. Who does “Your Honour” refer to?
3. What would happen to the thief’s magic stick according to the judge?
4. Why did the thief cut his magic stick?
5. Which word in the passage means “clever”?

Unseen Passage 13 for Class 6

The wishes were expressed in a variety of forms – in the red and glit lettering
on the banner in the background of the Hotel Grande’s Orchid Room, in the
loud chorus of the birthday guests as they crowded round to see the boy and
on the cake itself. As the cameras popped, Angela and Boon walked up to
kiss their son, their pride on each cheek. The boy looked down self-
consciously, blushing, but there was no doubt he relished being the focus of
attention in the large crowded room. “I must congratulate you, Mrs. Toh,”
said Mark’s class teacher who, together with the Principal, the Vice principal
and a number of his favourite teachers, had been invited for the occasion.

“Mark has been doing very well. I’m entering him for the National Speech
contest, the biggest event for schools this year. Mark reads so well, he has
so much confidence.” “Thank you, thank you. Mark would never have done
so well without the help and guidance of his teachers,” said Angela. Three or
four times, when a friend or relative remarked on the magnificence of the
affair, Angela has occasion to say, with an apologetic laugh, “Really, Boon
and I never intended anything like this.

Our place is too small for all the teachers and friends he wants to invite.
When the new house is ready, we’ll have a much bigger garden and there’ll
be a special barbeque pit. Right now, there’s just no space. But we’ve told
Mark, “That’s all! No more birthdays like this! Daddy and Mummy can’t
afford more of this!“ The children were hustled into another room for the
magic show. Mark had indicated, in the course of planning the celebrations,
that he did not want anything childish.

He had been to children’s parties where there were magic shows with half-
baked magicians who did silly tricks, spoke broken English and resorted to all
sorts of cheap antics to make the children laugh. The magician for his
birthday was different. He was professional and almost as good as the
magicians Mark had seen in some television shows.

Questions
1. Where was the birthday held?
2. How were the birthday wishes expressed?
3. Mark was slightly embarrassed by his parents’ attention. Which word tells
you so?
4. According to the writer, what were the two qualities Mark had that made
him suitable for the National Speech contest?
5. Why do you think Angela invited Mark’s teachers to the party?