Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers

Direction for [ Question No: 11 To 14 ] :

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

Pelicans are birds. There are more than half a dozen species of pelicans. All of them have the sack for which the birds are best known all over the world. The sack is like a big bag of skin hanging under their bill, or their mouth. These large carnivorous birds use them to catch fish. Many pelicans fish by swimming in a group. They may form a line or a "U" shape and drive fish into shallow water by beating their wings on the surface. When the fish collect in the shallows, the pelicans simply scoop them up. The brown pelican, on the other hand, dives on the fish from above and traps them in its bill. Pelicans do not store fish in their pouch, but simply use it to catch them and then tip it back to drain out water and swallow the fish immediately. The American white pelican can hold some 11.5 litres of water in its bill. Young pelicans feed by sticking their bills into their parents' throats to retrieve food.

Along with giant pouch, pelicans are large birds with short legs, and they appear rather clumsy on land. Once in water, they are strong swimmers, thanks to their webbed feet. This means that webbing connects all four of their toes, even the back toe.

Pelicans are found on many of the world's coastlines and also along lakes and rivers. They travel in flocks. They also breed in groups called colonies, which typically gather on islands. The average life span of pelicans in the wild is about 10 to 25 years and their average body size is about 1.8 metres but when they open their wings their wingspan is around 3 metres. These large birds usually weigh around 13 kg.

Direction for [ Question No: 15 To 17 ] :

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

Legends will tell you that flamingoes are no ordinary visitors to Kachchh. They were the honoured guests of King Lakho and he had forbidden the hunting of flamingoes, which came to Kachchh from various parts of the world every year to breed. For centuries, the region had been a haven for the migratory bird. Today, Flamingo City, an island in the middle of the Rann of Kachchh, known the world over as one of the biggest breeding grounds of the Greater Flamingo, is strewn with bodies of hundreds of flamingo chicks. The parents of these chicks have fled the island due to lack of food. Zooplanktons, algae and the small fish that these birds survive on are dying due to a sudden increase in the salinity of the Rann waters. One can even see dead fish floating. Flamingoes need salt-encrusted, damp mud to build nests. The place where they build their nests has to be inaccessible to predatory cats and birds. It should also have sufficient food. The right mix of sweet and brackish water in the Rann is crucial for the proliferation of planktons and algae that the flamingoes feed on. Faced with starvation, flamingoes have fled the island leaving their chicks to fend for themselves. Till date, around a thousand flamingoes have died.

Maharaj Kumarshi Himmatsinghji, a member of the royal family of Kachchh and an expert on the birds of Kachchh, traces the problem of increased salinity in the Rann waters to the construction of dams on rivers that flow into the region. He emphasises that efforts should be made to ensure that at least some water flows into the Rann. In fact, over the years, the number of flamingoes coming to the island has decreased because of the change in salinity of the Rann water. In 1945, Salim Ali, the late ornithologist, had found 5 lakh birds on the island. Since then, the number has not gone above 2.2 lakh. However, the studies carried out on the Flamingo City so far cannot be taken as 100 percent accurate.

Direction for [ Question No: 18 To 20 ] :

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

One morning, the Emperor of China was feeling tired and sleepy. He had a lot of work to do but he could not keep his eyes open. "Perhaps I'm sick," he said to his servant. "Get my doctor!"

When the doctor arrived, the Emperor said, "I have many things to do today, but I can't keep my eyes open. Can you help me?"

The doctor opened his bag and took out a small box. There were some dry, dark leaves inside the box. He gave them to the Emperor and asked him to chew them. "They will help you. They are called tea leaves," said the doctor.

The Emperor looked at the tea leaves; then he put them in his mouth and began to chew them. They didn't taste nice at all. The Emperor refused to have them and became angry at the doctor. He asked the doctor to leave else he would chop his head.

Just as the doctor was leaving, two servants came into the room. They were carrying the Emperor's bath. It was full of hot water. Some of the tea leaves that the doctor was carrying fell into the hot water and the water smelled wonderful.

The Emperor asked his servant to bring a cup of hot water. When the servant brought a cup of hot water, the Emperor put a few tea leaves in the water. It became a beautiful golden colour and smelt flavourful. The Emperor tasted the water. There was a big smile on his face.

Then he drank up all the water.

A few minutes later, he stopped feeling sleepy. He was fully awake, and he felt youthful and strong again. The Emperor smiled at the doctor and praised him for his cleverness. He ordered his servant to give him a cup of that wonderful drink every morning. Since that day, people have grown tea in China, India and in other parts of the world.