COMPREHENSION TEST
1010. What did the two friends find while searching for          1016. After seeing the bear, what happened to the boaster?
        shelter ?                                                        (1) He fled home.
        (1) A haunted hut.         (2) A deserted hut.                   (2) He hid himself behind the rock.
        (3) A very old hut.        (4) A very small hut.                 (3) He hid himself behind a shed.
1011. Why did the writer step cautiously inside the cabin?               (4) He fled and climbed up the nearest tree.
        (1) Because she was feeling so cold that her legs        1017. What made the bear go away after examining the
        had become numb.                                                 man?
        (2) Because she could not see clearly in the dark.               (1) The bear thought the man was dead.
        (3) Because the wind made it difficult for her to enter
                                                                         (2) The bear could not stand the bad odour of the
        quickly.
                                                                         man.
        (4) Because the cabin was very dusty.
                                                                         (3) The bear did not want to eat the man.
1012. What did Jane find ?
                                                                         (4) The bear heard a noise and was scared.
        (1) A necklace made of gold.
                                                                 1018. What saved the little man?
        (2) A necklace made of red ruby.
                                                                         (1) The aid from the villagers.
        (3) A red-coloured necklace.
        (4) A golden necklace with a pendant on it.                      (2) His friend’s bravery.
1013. What was the strange thing about the necklace ?                    (3) His own presence of mind.
        (1) It was made of marble.                                       (4) His own courage.
        (2) It was pink in colour.                                    Directions (1019–1023) : A passage is given with 5
        (3) There was no dust on it.                             questions following it. Read the passage carefully and choose
        (4) There was a picture on the pendant.                  the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
     Directions (1014–1018) : A passage is given with 5                                                     (SSC CGL Tier-I (CBE)
                                                                                                    Exam. 01.09.2016 (Ist sitting)
questions following it. Read the passage carefully and choose
the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.        Settled life and cultivation gave man leisure; he had no
                                          (SSC CGL Tier-I (CBE)  longer to always think of getting food. During spare time he
                                 Exam. 31.08.2016 (IInd sitting) could make stone tools, hoes or pots and weave cloth.
     Two men were once walking along a forest path, talking           Some people spared from producing their own food
of courage and loyalty. The bigger one, who had a gun, was       could even devote themselves to other activities all the time.
boasting of his own bravery and fidelity, when suddenly a        This resulted in a division of labour. The division of labour
large bear came from behind a rock close in front of them,       made it possible for various groups to specialize, that is, to
and stood in their way growling angrily. The boaster fled to     acquire greater skill and learn better techniques in doing
the nearest tree, dropped his gun, and climbed to a safe         one kind of work.
place without thinking of his poor friend. The latter flung           The settled community life needed rules to regulate
himself upon his face as though dead. The bear smelt his         the behaviour of the members of the community. It is not
body, turned him over, licked his face, and supposing him        possible to know exactly how regulations were established.
to be dead, went on its way leaving him unhurt.                  It appears that the decisions regarding the community were
     The other man came down from the tree, and going to         taken by the people as a whole, or by a council of elders,
his friend said “Well, what secrets did he whisper so quietly    as is in the practice in tribal societies. There were perhaps
in your ear?”. To which the little man, who owed his life to     no kings or any organized government. Most likely, there
his own presence of mind and not to the boasted bravery          were chiefs elected by the community for their qualities of
and fidelity of his companion, replied, “why, he said, ‘put      leadership. But, these chiefs could not pass their positions
not your trust in braggarts,’ and I shall take his advice.”      on to their sons and they enjoyed few special privileges.
                                                                 Archaeological excavations have not revealed anything which
   MEANINGS OF DIFFICULT WORDS/PHRASES                           would indicate the prevalence of a higher status for some
  (1) fidelity (N.) : the quality of being faithful              members of the community. This is also supported by the
  (2) fled (V.) : run away quickly                               study of life in many tribes in modern times.
  (3) presence of mind (Phr.) : ability to say/do the                 Thus, social inequalities do not seem to have emerged
       right thing in an emergency                               even in Neolithic times.
  (4) braggarts (N.) : a very boastful and talkative             1019. What did man do in his spare time?
       person                                                            (1) Made stone tools       (2) Made hoes or pots
                                                                         (3) Weave cloth            (4) All of the above
1014. What were the two men talking about while walking
                                                                 1020. In the passage, “division of labour” means
        along the forest path ?
                                                                         (1) Specialization to acquire greater skills
        (1) About their wives and children.
                                                                         (2) Learning arithmetic
        (2) About money and fame.
                                                                         (3) Working in groups
        (3) About friendship and enjoyment.
                                                                         (4) Working from home
        (4) About courage and loyalty.
                                                                 1021. To which period do the Neolithic times refer ?
1015. What is the meaning of the word fidelity ?
                                                                         (1) Later part of the Stone Age
        (1) Muscle                 (2) Strength
                                                                         (2) Early part of the Stone Age
        (3) Faithfulness           (4) Courage
                                                           SEE–1005