COMPREHENSION TEST
      Like watering a plant, we grow our friendships (and all            The period saw the long and prosperous reign of Queen
our relationships) by nurturing them. Friendships need the          Victoria in England. Charles Dickens was the most popular
same attention as other relationships, if they are to continue.     novelist of this period. He became famous for his depiction
These relationships can be delightfully non-judgemental,            of the life of the working class, intricate plots and sense of
supportive, understanding and fun.                                  humour. However, it was the vast galaxy of unusual
      Sometimes a friendship can bring out the positive side        characters created by him that made him more popular
that you never show in any other relationship. This may be          than any of his contemporaries. Drawn from everyday life
because the pressure of playing a ‘role’ (daughter, partner         and the world around him, these characters were such
or child) is removed. With a friend you are to be yourself          that readers could relate to them. Beginning with The
and free to change. Of course, you are free to do this in all       Pickwick Papers in 1836, Dickens wrote numerous novels,
other relationships as well, but in friendships: you get to         each uniquely filled with believable personalities and vivid
have lots of rehearsals and discussion about changes as             physical descriptions. According to Dickens’ friend and
you experience them.                                                biographer, John Forster, Dickens made “characters real
      It is an unconditional experience where you receive as        existences, not by describing them but letting them describe
much as you give. You can explain yourself to a friend openly       themselves.”
without the fear of hurting a family member. How do                                  SOME IMPORTANT WORDS
friendships grow? The answer is simple. By revealing
                                                                      (1) depiction (N.) : the act of describing something in
yourself; being attentive remembering what is most showing
                                                                          words, or giving an impression of something in words
empathy, seeing the world through the eyes of your friend,
                                                                          or a picture
you will understand the value of friendship. All this means
                                                                      (2) intricate (Adj.) : having a lot of different parts and
learning to accept a person from a completely different family
                                                                          small details that fit together
to your own or perhaps someone from a completely different
cultural background. This is the way we learn tolerance.              (3) contemporaries (N.) : belonging to the same period
In turn we gain tolerance and acceptance for our own                      of time
differences.                                                        901. The period between 1837-1901 was known as the
                  SOME IMPORTANT WORDS                                    (1) the Dark Age
   (1) nurturing (V.) : to care for and protect somebody/                 (2) the Elizabethan Age
        something while they are growing and developing                   (3) the Shakespearian Age
   (2) empathy (N.) : understanding and entering into                     (4) the Victorian Age
        another’s feelings                                          902. The word ‘popular’ in the passage means
                                                                          (1) successful (2) poor
896. Friendships and relationships grow when they are                     (3) propelling (4) problematic
        (1) favoured                  (2) nurtured                  903. Dickens became famous for depicting the life of
        (3) compared                  (4) divided                         (1) the working class, intricate plots and lack of
897. When we are with a good friend, we tend                                   humour.
        (1) to shut ourselves.        (2) to be someone else.             (2) the working class, intricate plots and sense of
        (3) to be ourselves.          (4) not to be ourselves.                 humour.
898. In good friendships, we                                              (3) the business class, intricate plots and sense of
        (1) only give.                (2) only receive.                        humour.
        (3) give and receive.                                             (4) the working class, dull plots and sense of humour.
        (4) neither give nor receive.                               904. Dickens’ characters were drawn from
899. Empathy means                                                        (1) royal families.
        (1) skill and efficiency                                          (2) everyday life and the world beyond him.
                                                                          (3) everyday life and the world around him.
        (2) ability to do something
                                                                          (4) unbelievable personalities.
        (3) someone else’s misfortunes
                                                                    905. John Forster was Dickens
        (4) the ability to share and understand another’s
        feelings.                                                         (1) best friend and philosopher
                                                                          (2) friend and doctor
900. Through strong friendships, we gain
                                                                          (3) friend and editor
        (1) acceptance and tolerance.
                                                                          (4) friend and biographer
        (2) only tolerance.
                                                                         Directions (906–910) : Read the following passage
        (3) only acceptance.
                                                                    carefully and choose the best answer to each question out
        (4) only attention.
                                                                    of the four alternatives.
        Directions (901–905) : Read the following passage
                                                                                                    (SSC (10+2) Stenographer Grade
carefully and choose the best answer to each question out                                                 "C" & "D" Exam. 31.01.2016
of the four alternatives.                                                                                            TF No. 3513283)
                                    (SSC (10+2) Stenographer Grade
                                                                         Chameleons can make their skin colour change, but
                        "C" & "D" Exam. 31.01.2016; TF No. 3513283)
                                                                    not because they decide to. The colour changes to help the
      In the history of Britain, the period from 1837 to 1901       chameleon avoid its enemies. It is a form of camouflage, a
is known as the Victorian Age.                                      disguise that lets it blend in with its surroundings. The
                                                               SEE–993