Comprehensive Passages HSEB/ NEB 2056, 2057, 2058, 2059, 2060, 2061, 2062 and 2063 Old Questions of Compulsory English Class 11
HSEB/ NEB 2063: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
Good queen Bess
Elizabeth I was the queen of England for forty years. During her reign many exciting things happened in England and overseas. Sometimes English people were in danger, as when Spain tries to conquer them. Many famous English men lived during the time Elizabeth was queen. There were heroes like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh who went exploring in parts of the world that had not long been discovered. They returned to England with wonderful stories of happenings overseas. They brought new plants from America , potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco; and also the first turkey . English ships traded with India , Russia and many remote countries where few foreigners had ever been. Man who stayed home also helped to make England a great country. It was once said that during Elizabeth’s rule England become ‘ a nest of singing bird’. Men like Shakespeare , Marlowe, and Spencer wrote splendid plays and poetry that will last forever and ever.
Questions
i. For how long did Elizabeth I reign?
ii. Why are Drake and Raleigh amongest the great names in history?
iii. What is meant by England becomes ‘ a nest of singing birds’?
iv. What things were brought to England that are now considered to be British?
v. What are the countries to the east, which England began to trade with?
HSEB/ NEB 2062: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
Questions
i. Why did the tree feel sad at the beginning?
ii. What happened to the leaves of gold at night?
iii. What was the reason that the tree felt proud of its leaves made of glass?
iv. Why was the tree not even with the perfumed green leaves?
v. What is the lesson one can learn from this story?
Once upon a time there was a tree in the forest which had thin, pointed leaves. It felt sad when it saw the large, green leaves of the other trees swaying and rustling in the wind. ‘How unlucky I am!’ it moaned. ‘If only God gave me leaves of gold, I could stand proud among my neighbours and shine with dazzling brilliance in the sum.’ The next morning the tree stood transformed. It had leaves of gold. It looked around at the other trees and saw. How envious they were. But when night fell, a greedy man crept close to the tree and plucked all the golden leaves, put them into a sack and stole away. ‘Oh! How unlucky I am’ , the tree lamented again. ‘But perhaps I can have leaves made of glass. They will shine brighter than gold and no one will steal them.’ The next morning the tree was again transformed. When the rays of the sun fell on the tree, they were reflected in all the directions. The tree felt proud of its leaves. But that night there was thunder and lightning and the wind blew violently and shook the tree. All its glass leaves were broken. ‘Bad luck again’, signed the tree. ‘ Let me have beautiful green leaves like the other trees, but let mine be perfumed’. This wish was granted too, and the next day whole forest was filled with the sweet smell of the leaves. But within a few hours, goats from all round the forest gathered, drawn by the pleasant smell, and nibbled at the leaves until not a trace of green was left on the tree. ‘How foolish I have been’. Said the tree sadly. “my own leaves are best for me, not any other. I’ve learnt my lesson”. The next day the tree stood covered once again with thin, pointed leaves. It felt as proud of its own leaves as the other trees felt of theirs.
Questions
i. Why did the tree feel sad at the beginning?
ii. What happened to the leaves of gold at night?
iii. What was the reason that the tree felt proud of its leaves made of glass?
iv. Why was the tree not even with the perfumed green leaves?
v. What is the lesson one can learn from this story?
HSEB/ NEB 2061: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
Many African mothers carry, or nestle, their babies on their backs. This custom has advantage for both mother and children. A working mother who has no body to look after the baby, knows he is safe on her back, while her hands are free for her work. Meanwhile , the baby stays in close contact with his mother feels warm and safe. This sense of security may be suddenly broken, however, when the child can be no longer be carried. He may be put down and expected to behave like a grow up child. But he has been over protected for so long through nestling that he now feels very insecure and may behave like a baby.
Children need freedom and the change to use their limbs. They need to be able to observe and explore their environment. They also need to learn how to make and do things on their own. Therefore even when the mothers must carry their babies everywhere , they should try to set them free whenever possible. Moreover, in the hot months, the less back nestling the better.
Many women, however, prefer to carry their children all day long. They feel the children are safe, sleep longer, keep quieter and do not made mess! I once visited my friend’s home where the mama-nurse was nestling my friend’s eleven month old child. Seeing he was restless, I asked the mama-nurse to put him down. At first she didn’t want to because she thought the child would make the room untidy. When she finally agreed I asked for some kitchen pots spoons, unopened tins and boxes since there were no toys to play with. Immediately the child start examining them one by one. Then he started banging the pots and the boxes with the spoons. The different sounds fascinated him. But the mama-nurse didn’t like the noise or the mess.
Questions
i. What is the advantage of carrying their babies on their backs for mothers and babies?
ii. Why does the child feel insecure when he is put down?
iii. Why do many women prefer to carry their children all days long?
iv. Why did the mama nurse refuse to put down her baby?
v. How did the baby behave when he was put down and given some pots and other things?
HSEB/ NEB 2060: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
I am Ram Thapa. I usually wake up when the sunrises, and the light begins to shine through the shutters, if my mother doesn’t hear me getting up, she knocks loudly on the door, or comes in and shakes me. In summer, I have a shower and get dressed. In winter, it is too cold to have a shower, as we have no water heater in the outhouse, so I wash quickly and put my clothes on as fast as I can. Out houses are very cold in the winter. Then I say prayers with my father. By the time we have finished my mother has fetched the brown beans we eat for breakfast. A man sells this on the street; he pushes a cart with a huge metal pot, and shouts as he goes along. We live on the fourth floor, so my mother lets down a bowl with the money in her basket on a rope, and the man spoons the hot beans into the bowl. Then she pull up the basket, and breakfast is ready. We eat the beans with the oil, lemon juice and bread , and we drink tea.
Then at 7:25 I pick up my bag and run downstairs and to the end of our street. The school passes there at 7:30 and picks me up. School begins at 8:00 a.m. and finished at 2:00 p.m. we have a break at 11:00 a.m., when we play in the playground and buy groundnuts, biscuits or sweets from a man who comes to the gate with a cart.
Questions
i. When does Ram usually wake up?
ii. What does his mother do if she doesn’t find him awake?
iii. How does his mother get the beans for breakfast?
iv. How does Ram get to the school?
v. What does he eat during break at school?
HSEB/ NEB 2059: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
Questions
i. Why is it very difficult of a deaf child to learn to talk?
ii. What do you understand by ‘lip reading’?
iii. How did Helen express ‘Yes’ and ‘No’?
iv. Why did she want to do everything any other child would?
v. When did she get into terrible tempers?
It is very difficult for a deaf child to learn to talk. Most babies learn by hearing other people talking, but the deaf child cannot hear them, so how can she know what talking sounds like? Many deaf people learn to lip read, and they become very clever at knowing what other people are saying by watching them. Bur Helen couldn’t see what other people were doing. She remembered a few words she had known before she was ill: for instance, she went on calling water ‘waa-waa’. But she had to make sings for most things. She would shake her hand for ‘No’ and not for yes. A pull meant ‘come’ and push, ‘Go’. But of course she could say very little like this, and she dependent entirely on other people. Yet Helen had an active mind and a clever brain, and wanted to do and say everything any other child would. She used to get into terrible tempers when she could not explain what she meant, or understand what others wanted.
Questions
i. Why is it very difficult of a deaf child to learn to talk?
ii. What do you understand by ‘lip reading’?
iii. How did Helen express ‘Yes’ and ‘No’?
iv. Why did she want to do everything any other child would?
v. When did she get into terrible tempers?
HSEB/ NEB 2058: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
In Nepal today, the size and volume of industry and business are constantly growing. This growth has opened is more and better areas of job opportunities. Newspapers, magazines, journals, and sometimes also books, unfold varieties of advertisements. The adversities are an attraction to many who are on the look out for jobs. Of course, these are response to these advertisements- hundreds, and even thousands of them.
But mere responding to an advertisement by means of a letter of application doesn’t necessarily get you the job. Before you obtain the job you have to go through a cutthroat competition, and to get the job, you have to prove your worth.
Questions
i. What has been the effect of the growth of industry?
ii. Where do you look for information about job opportunities?
iii. Do you think your response to the advertisement will get you a job?
iv. What do you think a cutthroat competition is?
v. How can you get a job?
HSEB/ NEB 2057: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
Many people buy bottles of mineral water when they travel away from home. Buying water is more expensive than carrying your own water. If you buy a Nalgene water bottle you can easily carry water from your home. Nalgene water bottles are made from a type of plastic that is stronger than steel. The plastic is so strong that boiling water can not make a hole in it, and each bottle can be used for at least fifteen years. Nalgene water bottles come in different sizes. The bigger bottles are more expensive than the smaller ones, but they carry more water. The similar bottles are as strong as the big bottles and they last many years.
Buying a Nalgene water bottle means that you can always carry fresh, clean water with you. This will save your money because you won’t have to buy expensive mineral water.
Questions
i. What do many people buy to drink when they travel away from home?
ii. How long can you use Nalgene water bottle for?
iii. What is special about the material Nalgene water bottles are made from?
iv. Compare bigger Nalgene water bottles to the smaller one.
v. According to the advertisement , how will buying a Nalgene water bottle save your money?
HSEB/ NEB 2056: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. [5*2=10]
Mary is famous footballer in the USA. She wants to be the best footballer in the world; so every day she has a hard training routine. Every morning she gets up at 5 A.M and goes running, she eats a large breakfast. At 8 A.M she practice football with her teacher when the practice end, four hours later the whole team eats lunch together.
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon Mary goes swimming. On Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturday she goes cycling with her friends. Although Mary prefer cycling to swimming, playing football is her favourite activity. On Sundays Mary does not have to train. She usually spends the day visiting her family. Sunday is Mary’s favourite day because she likes talking to her mother.
Questions
i. What does Mary want to become?
ii. How long is Mary’s football practice?
iii. Every week, how often mary go swimming?
iv. What is Mary’s favourite activity?
v. Why does mary like Sundays?
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