Gujarat Board GSEB Class 10 English Textbook Solutions Reading Comprehension Unseen Passages Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.
GSEB Class 10 English Reading Comprehension Unseen Passages
Note: In this question, you are supposed to read the given passage quite carefully. Reread it in the focus of the questions asked below the passage and answer these questions precisely.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below them:
Question 1.
The various musical instruments produce sounds in two ways. They vibrate strings of different size and thicknesses, or they vibrate air through pipes of different size. In the case of the human voice, the vibration is that of the vocal cords within the price box these are usually longer and thicker in men than in women. But animals with voices cure not the only ones ! that produce sounds. Insects like crickets and grasshoppers produce their endless chirp by rubbing one wing against another.
The human ear picks up as sound certain vibrations or airwaves, but not all. What we hear is a stream of airwaves vibrating at the rate of about fifty per second to twenty-three thousand per second. When a top is spinning very fast, we do not hear it, as it slows down, we catch the hum of it, and then again we stop hearing it just before it falls. A dog’s ears pick up vibrations of greater frequencies.
Questions:
(1) Which are the two ways the various musical instruments produce sounds?
(2) What is the difference between the vocal cords of men and women?
(3) How do insects produce sounds?
(4) What sound can the human ear hear?
Answers:
1. The various musical instruments produce sounds in two ways. They vibrate strings of different size and thicknesses, or they vibrate air through pipes of different size.
2. The vocal cords in men are usually longer and thicker than in women.
3. Insects like crickets and grasshoppers produce their endless chirp by rubbing one wing against another.
4. The human ear picks up a stream of airwaves vibrating at the rate of about fifty per second to twenty-three thousand per second.
Question 2.
The world is full of people who only live for themselves. Most of us care only for our own needs, comforts and ambitions. At the most, we live for our children and close friends. But of what use is our prosperity to others? We should measure our achievements not by the wealth we have amassed, but by what we have done to add to human happiness.
To know whether our lives have been lived fruitfully, let us ask ourselves, “Have we comforted those in distress? Have we fought injustice and cruelty in life? What have we done for the joy of doing it ?” If the answer is in the negative, the best part of our lives has been wasted.
Selfless service is the watchword along the road to salvation. One must learn to live for others. Behold the Lord in the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed and the lowly ones. In any machine, the smallest bolt or spring is as essential to its smooth running as the mighty wheel.
Similarly, in an organized effort, even the one who does even the least work, or attends to insignificant details, contributes as much to the success of the endeavour as the chief organizer himself for even if there is a small defect, perfect success cannot be achieved. Utilize every minute in serving others in the best possible manner.
Questions:
(1) How do most of the people in this s world live?
(2) How should we measure our achievements?
(3) According to you, how can a person? live life fruitfully?
(4) What contributes to the success of man’s endeavour?
Answers:
1. Most of the people in this world live for themselves. They live for their children and close friends. They care only for their own needs.
2. We should measure our achievements not by our wealth but by what we have done to add to human happiness.
3. A person can live life fruitfully by comforting others in distress and by fighting injustice and cruelty in life.
4. An organized effort in carrying out even the least work or attending to even? insignificant details contribute to the success of man’s endeavour.
Question 3.
Change is the law of life. Spring changes into summer and summer into winter and we come back to spring again. The cycle of seasons moves on. Childhood changes into youth s and youth into old age which finally declines into death. It is the law of Nature that the old order should change and give place to new, ‘No change’ is the sign of death and extinction? But in spite of this clear lesson from the pages of Nature, there are people who always insist on, conserving the old. Whatever is old s is right them. They would cling to customs fashions and beliefs as if those were very holy.
The reason for this was that they held that if the S did not do so, they would be punished by God. It is these people who have stoned the prophets and thus resisted the will of God. One fails to understand how these people did not understand that one good custom, in the long run, is bound to make the world miserable. Where there is a great scope for change, prosperity and happiness are bound to exist there.
Questions:
(1) What lesson do we get from the pages of Nature?
(2) How does the author show that change is the law of life?
(3) Why do some people stick to old customs and beliefs?
(4) What would make the world miserable?
Answers:
1. We get from the pages of Nature that the old order should change and give place to the new, ‘No change’ is the sign of death and extinction.
2. The author says that childhood changes into youth and youth into old age which finally declines into death. Thus change is the law of life.
3. Some people stick to old customs and beliefs because they hold that if they do not do so, they will be punished by God. They believe that whatever is old is right for them.
4. People do not understand one good custom that ‘Change is the Law of Life, and that would make the world miserable.
Question 4.
Everybody knows that the bees have a queen and that only one queen is allowed in each hive, which she never leaves except on one or two-state occasions. Here is not a life of pleasure as is sometimes the case with royalty. She would indeed be better named the ‘bee-mother’ than the ‘queen’, for it is not really true that she rules the hive.
She is waited upon, groomed and fed by her royal attendants, who also guide her through the bee city when she moves about. The attendants surround their queen in a circle and as is the royal practice – if they can avoid doing so, they never turn their backs upon her. A queen may lay 5,000 eggs in a day.
How the bees select a queen is a mystery. A few larvae are chosen to become queens. These larvae are fed only royal jelly. Special cells are built for these larvae. Scientists believe that a special substance is added to the queen’s royal jelly so that she can grow faster and look different from the other bees. A queen bee emerges from the pupa within 16 days after the egg is laid, whereas other bees take about 20 to 25 days to develop.
Questions :
(1) How many queen bees does one hive generally have?
(2) What is fed to “the larvae selected to ‘ be queen bees?
(3) Why, according to scientists, does the queen bee grow faster?
(4) What special treatment is the queen bee given?
Answers:
1. One hive generally has only one queen.
2. The larvae selected to be queen bees are fed only royal jelly.
3. According to scientists, the queen bee grows faster because a special substance is added to the queen’s royal jelly.
4. The queen bee, a chosen larva, is given a special cell Is built for her. A special y substance is added to the queen’s- royal jelly so that she can grow faster and look different from other bees.
Question 5.
There are people who seem to be always busy, and yet never seem to accomplish anything. They are capable, and they really work ‘hard, and yet they have little to show for all their work. Their failure is probably due to lack of method in their work. Method ‘ in work means a certain wise orderliness in doing the work. It is working according to some plan which experience has proved to be sound.
It involves mapping out our time, taking things in their turn, finishing one job before we tackle another. As one writer well says: “The habit of method is essential to all who have much work to do, if they would get through it easily and with economy of time.” No really satisfactory work can be accomplished in a haphazard way. Lack of method spells worry, overwork, waste of time, inefficiency and often failure.
For a student, method in study is very important. Lazy students, who take it easy in their first year at college, get hopelessly behind with their Work, and at last, have to take to feverish cramming as the examination approaches. As a result of this lack of methodical work from the start, they generally fail.
A wise student will content himself with thoroughly mastering each day’s work as it comes. He will work methodically and will master his subjects step by step. When the time for final preparation for the examination comes. his revision will consist simply of refreshing his memory about things already thoroughly learnt. He will go through the examination with flying colours.
Questions :
(1) Why do some people fail even though they work hard?
(2) What is method in work?
(3) What will be the result of working unmethodically?
(4) Why do lazy students fail?
Answers:
(1) Some people fail even though they work hard because probably they lack in method in their work.
(2) Method in work means a certain wise orderliness in doing the work. It is working according to some plan.
(3) Lack of method spells worry, overwork, waste of time, inefficiency and often failure.
(4) Lazy students take to feverish cramming as the examination approaches. As a result of this lack of methodical work from the start, they generally fail.
Question 6.
Many people know that instead of soap, Gandhiji used a stone to scrub himself. Very few people, however, know how precious this stone, given by Mirabel, was to Gandhiji. This happened during the Noakhali march when Gandhiji and others halted at a village called Narayanpur. During the march, the responsibility of looking after this particular stone, along with other things, lay with Manuben. Unfortunately, though, she forgot the stone at the last halting-place.
“I want you to go back and look for the stone,” said Bapu. “Only then will you not forget it the next time.” “May I take a volunteer with me?” “Why?” Poor Manu. She did not have the courage to say that the way back lay through forests of coconut and supari, (betel nut), so dense that a stranger might easily lose his way. Moreover, it was the time of riots. How could she go back alone?
But she did go, and alone; after all she had committed the error. Leaving Narayanpur at 9.30 in the morning. Manu trudged along the forest path, taking the name of Ram as she went. On reaching the village she went straight to the weaver’s house that had been their last? halt. An old woman lived there. And she had thrown the stone away. When Manuben found it S after a difficult search her joy knew no bounds.
Carrying the precious stone, she returned to Narayanpur by late afternoon. Placing it in? Bapu’s lap she burst into tears. “You have no idea how happy I feel. This? stone has been my cherished companion for the past twenty-five years. Whether in prison or in 5 a palace, it has been with me. Now, you have < seen that every useful thing is worth taking S’ care of, even a stone”.
Questions:
(1) What was precious to Gandhiji? Why?
(2) Why was Manuben hesitant to go to the last halting place?
(3) What lesson did Manuben learn?
(4) What do you know about Bapu from this passage?
Answers:
1. The scrubbing stone was S precious to Gandhiji because it was given to him by Mirabel.
2. Manuben was hesitant to go to the last halting place – Narayanpur because she would lose her way going back through dense forests of coconut and supari (betel nut). Moreover, it was the time of riots.
3. Manuben learnt the lesson that ‘every useful thing is worth taking care of’.
4. We know about Bapu from this passage that he was very particular about even small things.
Question 7.
Power foods are food that provide rich! levels of nutrients like fibre, potassium and minerals! With people becoming increasingly health-conscious today, a lot of fitness trainers encourage their clients to include these foods in their daily diet to increase muscle development. There are various ways of incorporating power; foods in hour daily diet. Of course, the key to enjoy power foods is proper preparation of these foods, the use of season-fresh foods; and identifying your choice of flavour among power foods.
Some of the recommended power food combinations are those that are prepared in our kitchens on a regular” basis. Take for instance, the combination of chickpeas and onions. This combination is a powerful source of iron which is required by the body to transport oxygen to its various parts.
Iron deficiency can lead to anaemia, fatigue, brain fog and tiredness. A study by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry says that sulphur compounds in onion and garlic help in absorption of iron and zinc from chickpeas. The combination is a hit with teenagers who need to be diligent about getting iron in their diet. A quick way to prepare this power food is to make a chickpea salad with chopped onions, chat masala and cilantro.
Another favourite combination with power food takers is yoghurt and bananas. This makes for a perfect snack after a rough game of football. Exercising bums glucose and thus lowers blood sugar. Yoghurt is packed with proteins that help preserve muscle mass and bananas are packed with carbohydrates that help in refuelling energy and preventing muscle soreness. A quick and easy recipe with bananas is a banana smoothie topped with cool yoghurt.
Questions:
(1) What are power foods?
(2) According to the passage which power food combination can help us in curing iron deficiency?
(3) Why is yoghurt a recommended power food?
(4) What is the advantage of combining bananas with yoghurt?
Answers:
1. Power foods are food that provides rich levels of nutrients like fibre, potassium and minerals.
2. In curing iron deficiency, our homemade combination of chickpeas and onions can help us a lot.
3. Yoghurt is packed with proteins that help to preserve muscle mass, therefore it is a recommended power food.
4. The combination of yoghurt with bananas makes a perfect snack. Yoghurt is packed with proteins that help preserve muscle mass and bananas are packed with carbohydrates that help in refuelling energy and preventing muscle soreness.