COMPREHENSION TEST
(2) only the Eskimo-Inuit elders live in igloos 647. One could visit the bay
(3) snow houses are reserved for hunting migrations (1) at any time one chose
(4) the coastal people foraged for fire-wood (2) when there was low tide
643. The changing colour of a chameleon is more to do (3) on certain occasions
with (4) during the evenings
(1) camouflage (2) mood and temperature 648. It was not possible to linger on the expedi-
(3) transformation (4) protection tion because
644. A chameleon warms itself by (1) the tide turned sprightly
(1) residing in bright areas (2) the tide turned at once
(2) turning a darker colour to absorb more heat (3) the water rose rapidly
(3) matching its colour with the environment (4) the water rushed with great force
(4) adjusting its body temperature with that of the envi- 649. While passing through the cave, the writer discov-
ronment ered a
645. A male chameleon is believed to be more dominant if (1) large opening
(1) he has the colours of the panther (2) chimney-shaped rock
(2) he exhibits vivid orange colour (3) cool and secluded corner
(3) if he can blend in with the others
(4) big crack through which light came in
(4) if he displays flashing bright colours
650. He found the bay fresh and unlittered because
PASSAGE III
(1) the sea water had receded
At low tide he walked over the sands to the headland and
(2) he was the first visitor there
round the corner to the little bay facing the open sea. It was
(3) the high tide had just washed the litter away
inaccessible by boat, because seams of rock jutted out and
currents swirled round them treacherously. But you could (4) it was not frequented by people
walk there if you chose one of the lowest ebb tides that reced- PASSAGE-IV
ed a very long way. You could not linger on the expedition, for The world’s largest living organism is not the blue whale-
once the tide was on the turn, it came in rapidly. For this which still is the world’s largest living animal-but Australia’s
reason very few people cared to explore the little bay fresh and Great Barrier Reef, one of the country’s prime living animals
unlittered, as it was completely covered by the sea at high and ‘prime tourist attraction. Sadly, size notwithstanding, it is
tide. The cave inviting, looked mysteriously dark, cool and slowly succumbing to the Killer ‘white syndrome’, a bleaching
inviting, and he penetrated to the farthest corner where he disease which has invaded 33 of its 48 reefs.
discoveredawide crack, rather like a chimney. He peered Otherwise brilliantly multicoloured and teeming with a Ka-
up and thought he could see a patch of daylight. leidoscope of life, the affected reefs have acquired a deathly
white pallor, the result of dying tissues. The bleaching of the
SOME IMPORTANT WORDS reef happened following the recording of the warmest ever
(1) headland (N.) : a narrow piece of high land that sea water temperature in the area here. Scientists fear that
sticks out from the coast into the sea the naturally gorgeous reef-are endangered and the as yet
(2) bay (N.) : a part of the sea/a lake, partly surrounded undiscovered animal and plant species would soon suffer ir-
by a wide curve of the land replaceable damage. This is only because of the rising of wa-
(3) inaccessible (Adj.) : difficult/impossible to reach/ ter temperature.
get
SOME IMPORTANT WORDS
(4) treacherously (Adv.) : in a dangerous way
(1) succumbing (V.) : not to be able to fight an attack
(5) ebb tide (N.) : the period of time when the sea
(2) teeming with (Phr. V.) : to be full of people, animals,
flows away from the land
etc. moving around
(6) receded (V.) : to gradually move away
(3) Kaleidoscope (N.) : a situation, pattern, etc.
(7) linger (V.) : to continue to exist for longer than
containing a lot of different parts that are always
expected
changing
(8) expedition (N.) : an organized journey
(4) pallor (N.) : pale colouring of the face, especially
(9) unlittered (Adj.) : tidy
because of illness/fear
(10) high tide (N.) : the time when the sea has risen to
its highest level (5) endangered (Adj.) : at risk of no longer existing
(11) sprightly (Adj.) : in a lively, animated manner (6) hues (N.) : shades (colour)
646. According to the writer, the bay could not be reached 651. Which of the following statements is not true ?
by boat because (1) The Great Barrier Reef is not the world’s largest living
(1) it had numerous number of rocks mammal
(2) there were too many ebbs (2) The Blue whale is dying of ‘white syndrome’
(3) it was facing the open sea (3) The ‘white syndrome’ is a new bleaching disease
(4) there were seams of rock and treacherously (4) The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living or-
swirling currents ganism
SEE–968