A Memorable Incident - Reading Comprehension - IELTS/NTS/SAT/CAT Series

A memorable incident

Like all the students who witnessed the incident, I was mildly intrigued but not excited. I looked at the man in the car and then at the man who emerged with the large red box. Both men were dressed in uniform. Apparently they were from a delivery company. I was sure it was a gift for the school; but then again it could be a gift for a member of the staff or even for a student. As the man with the red box seemed sure of where he wanted to go, none of us offered to help them.

As I was standing near the principal’s office, and as is Mr. Tran habit, the door was wide open, I could hear every word of the conversation. I gathered that the delivery man was trying to deliver a box of books - a gift to the school from a writer called Raja something or other. I could hear the wrapping being torn off excitedly. “These are books for primary one children,” I heard Mr.Tran exclaim. “I am not sure my students would like to read about the Little red MRT Train.”

Then I heard the deliveryman say, “Isn’t his Hougang Primary school?” “Oh no!” said Mr.Tran, “This is Hougang Secondary School. Hougang Primary School is further down the road.” “Do you have any scotch tape?” asked the man. Then I heard everyone laugh. Soon the man emerged carrying the red box. I could see the scotch tape pasted all over rather crudely. The man was accompanied by two boys. I saw them all getting into the car quickly and driving off. Later I found out that the two boys had been asked by Mr. Tran to accompany the delivery men and direct them to Hougang Primary School.

Q. Read the given passage carefully and select the most suitable answer from the given choices.

Select the most appropriate synonym of the word ‘intrigued’. Interest Plot charm absorb	6. Name the place where he opened the red box first? Hougang Middle School Hougang Primary School Hougang Secondary School Hougang School of Management
2.  Select the right colour of the mysterious box. Red Blue White Black	7. Who took the delivery man to the right destiny? A boy Two boys Principal Guard
3. Why none of the students helped the delivery man. He didn't ask for help. He reached the right place. He was sure where he want to go. He was asking for the help from Mr.Tran.	8. Which of the following statements is false. The Principal torn the wrap The boys torn the wrap The deliverymen asked for a tape Hougang school is down the road.
3. Why did the delivery man ask for the scotch tape? The gift opened at the right place. The gift opened at the wrong place. The gift was torn by mistake. The gift fell from the bike.	9. Which of the following statement is true. The scotch tape pasted all over crudely. I was not standing near the principal’s office Both men were dressed in casual Mr. Tran accompanied the deliverymen
5. Why were the students not interested in reading the book? The books were for juniors The books were for seniors The books were for teachers The books were for principal	10. According to the passage, what is the most suitable antonym for ‘delivery’. Collection Distribution Hollage  Dispatch

Source: English Language GCE O’Level 2000 - 2013

Answers: 1. a    2.a    3.c    4.b    5.a    6.b    7.b    8.b    9.a    10.a

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Reading Comprehension - Fire - Friend or enemy?

Fire - Friend or enemy?

Fire has been around since creation; in fact it appears that fire had a hand in itself. Therefore, man did not discover fire but, apparently, he discovered its use. Before he discovered its use, he was probably at its mercy. Fires started in nature, by lightening or by the sun, must have terrified early man for centuries when he eked out an existence by gathering fruits and nuts to keep body and soul together. Probably he also ate meat raw. Then one day he discovered that this terrifying thing, which burnt and hurt, could be tamed. Then one by one he must have discovered its marvelous uses. Then fire ceased to be an enemy and became a bosom friend of man.

From then on it was a close friendship. Today we can hardly conceive of life without fire. It cooks our food, it provides warmth and it burns rubbish. Fire plays a major part in our lives from birth till we are cremated. The main blessing that this mysterious friend bestows on us is that it cooks our food. Throughout the world, from highly organized societies to primitive tribes, humans need food. Since it has been discovered that food taste much better when cooked, cooking has evolved over the years so that there are now countless dishes to pamper our palettes. All this is possible only because of fire. 

Yet this great friend can be a dangerous enemy. In its natural state fire can break out at any moment - usually through careless handling - and cause devastating harm. Destruction of lives and property by fire is one of the almost, daily disasters in the world. Not even the most developed countries are exempt from this. All anyone can do is take as many precautions as possible but still prepare to fight it when it occurs. Frequently when fire break out, humans are helpless and great looses occur before the fire are brought under control. 

On another note, man too uses fire for destructive purposes. Most weapons are based on the principles of fire. This applied to simple devices like handguns, to artillery pieces and nuclear bombs. The main destructive element in weapons or at least the trigger is fire based. In this case, it is not fire, which is a danger in itself, but rather because it is used for destructive purposes by us. 

Hence it is clear that fire is both a bosom friend and a deadly enemy. When kept under control it is one of the greatest boons known to humanity; but when out of control or when used for destruction it is a devastating force before which man is helpless. 

Word count: 441 words

Q. Read the given passage carefully and select the most suitable answer from the given choices.

Select the most appropriate synonym of the word ‘raw’. satisfy fresh uncooked unhealed	6. Fire can break out at any moment in its natural state, through careless handling through careful handling through helpful attempt through burning rubbish
2.  Select the most appropriate meaning of the word ‘bestow’. rebuff share gift condolence	7.Fire started in nature by sun air wind water
3. Which of the following statement is true. Fire is a bosom friend and a deadly enemy. Fire keeps everything under control. Fire is not the essential principle of fire Fire helps to wash dishes.	8. Which of the following statements is false. Most weapons are based on the principles of fire.  Fire plays a major part in our lives from birth till we are cremated. Fire has been around since creation. It cooks our food
4. Which of the following use of fire is not listed in the passage. To cook food To burn rubbish To provide warmth To provide fumes	9. According to the passage, which is the essential need of highly organized societies to primitive tribes. Human needs food Human needs burn Human needs fire Human needs warmth
5. According to the passage, which of the following elements is the principle of weapons. Metal Structure Fire Human	10. When the fire becomes a greatest boons to humanity. When it is a devastating force When play with fire When burning rubbish When kept under control

Source: English Language GCE O’Level 2000 - 2013

Answers:

1c

2c

3a

4d

5c

6a

7a

8a

9a

10d

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Fire - Friend or enemy?

 Source: English Language GCE O’ Level 2000 - 2013

Fire  - Friend or enemy? 

Fire has been around since creation; in fact, it appears that fire had a hand in itself. Therefore, the man did not discover fire but, apparently, he discovered its use. Before he discovered its use, he was probably at its mercy. Fires started in nature, by lightening or by the sun, must have terrified early man for centuries when he eked out an existence by gathering fruits and nuts to keep body and soul together. Probably he also ate meat raw. Then one day he discovered that this terrifying thing, which burnt and hurt, could be tamed. Then one by one he must have discovered its marvelous uses. Then fire ceased to e an enemy and became a bosom friend of man.

From then on it was a close friendship. Today we can hardly conceive of life without fire. It cooks our food, it provides warmth and it burns rubbish. Fire plays a major part in our lives from birth till we are cremated. The main blessing that this mysterious friend bestows on us is that it cooks our food. Throughout the world, from highly organized societies to primitive tribes, humans need food. Since it has been discovered that food tastes much better when cooked, cooking has evolved over the years so that there are now countless dishes to pamper our palettes. All this is possible only because of fire.

Yet this great friend can be a dangerous enemy. In its natural state fire can break out at any moment - usually through careless handling - and cause devastating harm. Destruction of lives and property by fire is one of the almost, daily disasters in the world. Not even the most developed countries are exempt from this. All anyone can do is take as many precautions as possible but still prepare to fight it when it occurs. Frequently when a fire breaks out, humans are helpless and great losses occur before the fire is brought under control. 

On another note, man too uses fire for destructive purposes. Most weapons are based on the principles of fire. This applied to simple devices like handguns, artillery pieces, and nuclear bombs. The main destructive element in weapons or at least the trigger is fire-based. In this case, it is not fire, which is a danger in itself, but rather because it is used for destructive purposes by us. 

Hence it is clear that fire is both a bosom friend and a deadly enemy. When kept under control it is one of the greatest boons known to humanity, but when out of control or when used for the destruction it is a devastating force before which man is helpless. 

Word count: 441 words
 

Sample Essay - Natural Disaster

 Natural disaster

There is certainly order in the world. The planets move around the sun in precise orbits; the earth turns on its axis accurately; the moon orbits around the earth; these are just a few ways. The list is infinite. From the vibration of atoms, to the orbiting of the planets, There is order in the universe. How then do devastating natural disasters occur? Immediate thought about them seems to reveal that natural disasters are freaks of nature. It does not seem sensible to see weather running berserk.

Rain, which has been helping nature in its cycle, suddenly sows havoc. There are floods; thousands of plants, animals and humans perish. It looks as if a usually kind and gentle person suddenly becomes violent and kills for sport. There are of course countless studies which show how floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and typhoons occur. Scientists who spend lifetimes studying the phenomena are able to analyse the causes.

By causes all we really know is what leads to them. We know that there is a fire below the earth, that at certain points the fire bursts forth and we have a volcanic eruption. We even know that the fire is a leftover from the fire that first began burning when the earth was formed. With a lot more study, scientists have even been able to predict the extent of a coming volcanic eruption. There is even a way to say that an eruption is imminent. Without a doubt, it is useful to know all this. In countries where the technology is available, lives can be saved through timely evacuation. What is so far not known is how the eruption can be prevented. Nature is just too powerful for any study to be possible in this area — at least so far. The same can be said for the other types of disasters including: floods, typhoons and earthquakes. Research stops prevention.

Meanwhile the slaughter continues. All of man's defenses are too weak against nature. Perhaps it is nature's way of telling us that we are still rather puny when compared with the vast powers of nature. It is often speculated that natural disasters are nature's way of keeping the human population in check. Perhaps this is too much to assume, but it cannot be dismissed straightaway. Are any of these disasters caused by man. Well, we can see that man is not the cause of volcanic disasters earthquakes, but perhaps we do in some way cause weather-related disasters such as droughts, floods and typhoons.

We all know that weather is being affected by the clearing of forests on earth. This is within our control. Hence some disasters could be controlled. All we can do is hope that a day will come when we can control all natural disasters. Till then we have to remain at the mercy of nature.  Enlightened from the book O'Level Past Papers

CPEC – (China Pakistan Economic Corridor)

"CPEC"

CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) is an economic corridor between China and Pakistan. At Present, that corridor is an under construction which estimated cost above 54 billion dollars. The aims of this project to connect Gwadar Port in Southwestern Pakistan with Xinjiang in far -Western China. The Project including various infrastructure in terms of energy projects, motorways, Highways and Railways to be built, in order to link Gwadar and karachi with the chinese region.

The Vision and Mission of CPEC is 
To improve the lives of people of Pakistan and China by building an economic corridor promoting bilateral connectivity, construction, explore potential bilateral investment, economic and trade, logistics and people to people contact for regional connectivity & It includes:

1) Integrated Transport & IT systems including Road, Rail, Port, Air and Data Communication Channel
2) Energy cooperation
3) Spatial layout, functional zones, industries and industrial parks
4) Agricultural development & poverty alleviation
5) Tourism cooperation & people to people communication
6) Cooperation in livelihood areas
7) Financial cooperation
8) Human Resource Development

The Current form of the project was first proposed by General Perves Musharaf, however it was postponed owing to the political instability in the country.The ex-government of the Pakistan Peoples Party proposed it again when President Asif Ali Zardari invited heads of all the political parties to a Luncheon in honour of the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on 22 May 2013. In February 2014, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain visited China to discuss the plans for an economic corridor in Pakistan. Two months later, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with Premier Li Kequiang in China to discuss further plans,resulting in the full scope of the project to be devised under Sharif’s tenure. In November 2014, Chinese government announced its intention to finance Chinese companies as part of its $45.6 billion energy and infrastructure.

Under the CPEC Project, major upgrades are sanctioned to Pakistan
& transportation network. Comprise reconstruction and upgrade works on National Highway 35 which forms the Pakistani portion of the Karakoram Highway that spans the 887 Km long.

Liquefied natural gas power LNG projects are also considered vital to CPEC. The Chinese government has announced its intention to build a $2.5 billion 711 kilometre long liquid natural gas pipeline from Gwadar to Nawabshah in province as part of CPEC.The project will not only provide gas exporters with access to the Pakistani market, but will also allow China to secure a route for its own imports.

CPEC is considered economically vital to Pakistan in helping it drive economic growth. The Pakistani media and government have called CPEC investments a “game and fate changer” for the region, which would be one of the largest ever sums of foreign direct investment into Pakistan. As a result of improved infrastructure and energy supplies, the Pakistani government expects that economic growth rates will reach 7% by 2018. China Pakistan Economic Corridor is hope of better region of the future with peace, development and growth of economy.

Source:
http://www.trickspirit.tk/english-essay-on-cpec-china-pakistan-economic-corridor/

Money is the Root of All Evil

"Money is the Root of All Evil"

Money is the instrument of exchange helping in buying and selling and helps also in fixing the value of things and commodities. It may be in metal and as it now in paper. With the market getting more and more complicated there are other negotiable instruments which are as good as the minted coins or the printed notes. Money in short gives the purchasing power but this power is not absolute as it varies depending on various factors.

Let us see why money is needed. Simply because it helps the possession to buy things. The days of barter are gone though so it is indirectly reported to at the international level. Money can buy men as it does things. Thus money plays an important role in fighting and winning elections. Money mars men and women’s morals. It has got the evil influence in corrupting people; sellout is the new term of bribery. There are people who could do anything for the sake of money. These things are because of what is termed money power. It is true of individuals as well as states that where there is money they could dictate terms. For instance, the Middle-East countries have found new wealth because of their deposits and they have become very powerful. Since money is normally the fruit of labor, coming by money by fair means need not be stunned. The question is how one spends that money. So great thinker have suggested that one who has money enough and to spare must look upon himself as the trustee of that money and see to it that it spent in good ways. As money is only a tool there is nothing good or evil about it. Since the question of evil is a moral factor, man must be strengthened morally so that he may not use money in evil ways.

Source: www.google.com

Importance of Education

"Importance of Education"

Education is an important human activity. It was born with the birth of the human race and shall continue to function as long as the human race lives. The importance of education may be summed up as under.

Highlights

1. An essential human virtue.

2. A necessity for society.

3. Important for integration of separate entities.

4. Gives significance of life.

5. Educated men are .superior. Aristotle

6. Sign of freedom. Epictetus

7. A controlling grace. Diogenes

8. Basis of good life.

1. An essential human virtue

Education is an essential human virtue. Man becomes 'man' through education. He is what education makes him. It has been rightly said that without education, man is a splendid slave, reasoning savage.

2. A necessity for society

Education is necessary for society. Education fashions and models man for society. Man cannot be conceived merely in terms of his biological existence. Education brings into focus the social aspect of man. Education signifies man's supreme position in society.

3. Important for the integration of separate entities

An individual is made up of different entities. Education brings about the integration of these separate entities.

4. Gives significance of life

Education teaches what man lives and struggles for. It cultivates an integrated life. By so doing, it gives significance of life.

5. Educated men are superior

Education is a sign of superiority. Aristotle wrote, "Educated men are as much superior to uneducated as the living are to the dead."

6. Sign of freedom

Education is a sign of freedom. Epictetus had declared, "Only the educated are free."

7. A controlling grace

Diogenes felt that "Education is a controlling grace to the young, consolation to the old wealth to the poor and ornament to the rich."

8. Basis of good life

Education is an essential basis of good life. A man becomes a human being in the real sense when he is transformed from primarily an animal being into a human being.

In short, education is an essential concomitant of all human societies. "What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul", says Addison.

Source: www.google.com