COMPREHENSION TEST
change is actually determined by environmental factors,          beautiful mountain landscape. Furthermore, while
such as light and temperature.                                   companies are usually vigilant about securing the rock
     Bright sunlight causes the skin to darken. On cool          formations, they seem less interested in restoring the native
nights, the colour fades to a creamy colour. The colour          vegetation. MTR operations clear enormous tracts of forest.
also changes when chameleons are excited, angry or afraid.       Environmental hazards are not only created in preparing a
The colour change is rapid and increases when the                mountaintop for mining, they also continue once the coal
chameleon is handled, injured, or approached by another          has been extracted. After the blast, the excess mountaintop
chameleon. There are many types of chameleons. Almost            — which miners refer to as “overburden” — is usually
half of them are found on the African island of Madagascar.      dumped into nearby valleys or streams. The overburden
The others mostly occur in the Sahara Desert, with few in        contains a variety of toxic substances, including explosive
Western Asia and Southern Europe. Chameleons live in             residue, silica and coal dust.
trees, where they usually eat insects. Very large chameleons     911. The word opposite in meaning to vigilant is
may even use their sticky tongues to catch birds.                      (1) annoyed        (2) lenient
                                                                       (3) careless       (4) displeased
                 SOME IMPORTANT WORDS
                                                                 912. In the Appalachian region MTR has caused
  (1) camouflage (N.) : the way in which an animal’s
      colour/shape matches its surroundings and makes                  (1) permanent beautification
      it difficult to see                                              (2) landslides
                                                                       (3) floods
906. A chameleon’s colour changes to help it
                                                                       (4) widespread damage
      (1) look beautiful.
                                                                 913. MTR operations cause environmental hazards because
      (2) attract prey.
                                                                       (1) it causes landslides.
      (3) avoid its enemies.
                                                                       (2) it causes explosion.
      (4) fly away.
                                                                       (3) mountaintops dumped in valleys and streams
907. The colour change is determined by                                    contain toxic substances.
      (1) light and wind.                                              (4) it destroys natural vegetation
      (2) light and pressure.                                    914. After the MTR operation, the mining companies
      (3) pressure and temperature.                                    (1) restore native vegetation.
      (4) light and temperature.                                       (2) secure rock formations to prevent erosion.
908. Chameleons change colour when they are                            (3) beautify the mountains.
      (1) afraid, excited or angry.                                    (4) replace the mountaintops.
      (2) excited, angry or hungry.                              915. The term overburden means
      (3) angry, excited or happy.                                     (1) debris from landslides.
      (4) afraid, angry or hungry.                                     (2) remnants of natural forests.
909. Half of the worlds’ chameleons are found                          (3) weeds planted by mining companies.
      (1) in the continent of Asia.                                    (4) excess mountaintop left after the extraction of coal
      (2) in the Sahara Desert.                                            through the blast.
      (3) on the African island of Madagascar.                        Directions (916 – 920) : In the following questions,
      (4) on the Asian island of Madagascar.                     read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to
910. The colour changing ability of a chameleon is a form        each question out of the four alternatives.
      of camouflage which is a                                            (SSC CAPFS (CPO) SI, CISF ASI & Delhi Police SI Exam.
      (1) disease which affects chameleons.                                                20.03.2016 Ist sitting TF No. 3148585)
      (2) disguise that lets it blend in with its surroundings.       Flattery means ‘praising insincerely in order to please’.
      (3) dance done by chameleons.                              Every flatterer says words in which he himself does not
                                                                 believe. While flattering he is insincere to the man he is
      (4) colour that fades.
                                                                 praising and to himself. In doing so he does not mind if he
     Directions (911-915) : In the following questions, read     corrupts the minds of those whom he flatters.
the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each
                                                                      Flattery is immoral because it stains the human
question out of the four alternatives.
                                                                 conscience. It creates a world of falsehood and thus an
         (SSC CAPFS (CPO) SI, CISF ASI & Delhi Police SI Exam.
                                                                 outrage of man’s sense of decency and gentlemanly
                          20.03.2016 Ist sitting TF No. 3148585)
                                                                 behaviour.
                           PASSAGE
                                                                      A man who feels happy when flattered lives in a fool’s
     The destructive process of Mountain Top Removal             paradise. Flattery is the ready weapon of the opportunist.
mining (MTR) has caused permanent damage to Appalachia.          This weapon easily conquers the weak willed man. It works
Although the law requires that mining companies restore          on the general weakness of human beings. We all love to be
the mountaintops after the mining has been completed, the        told what we are not rather than what we are. Flattery is
1.5 million acres of mountains that have already been            equally bad for him who is flattered and for him who flatters.
removed cannot be re-grown, re-built, or replaced. The
                                                                      Flattery deceives us by giving us false notions about
companies do secure the rock formations to prevent erosion
                                                                 ourselves. By falling a victim to it, we show lack of character.
and landslides, but their efforts cannot recreate the once
                                                            SEE–994