Argue For Your Limitations Comprehension

Many people spend a great deal of energy arguing for their own limitations; “I can't do that,” “I can't help it, I’ve always been that way,” “I will never have a loving relationship,” and thousands of other negative and self-defeating statements.

Our minds are powerful instruments. When we decide that something is true or beyond our reach, it's very difficult to pierce through this self-created hurdle. When we argue for our position it's nearly impossible. Suppose, for example, you tell yourself, “I can't write.” You’ll look for example, to prove your position. You’ll remember your poor essays in high school, or recall how awkward you felt that last time you sat down to write  a letter. You’ll fill your head with limitations that will frighten you from trying. In order to become a writer or anything else, the first step is to resilience your greatest critic - you.

What is the first step towards the greatest critic?

Resilience

Aloud

Listen

Scream

Who is your greatest critic?

Mother

Father

Children

You

I had a client who told me, ‘I will never have a good relationship. I always screw them up.’ Sure enough, she was right. Whenever she met someone, she would, without even knowing outlook for reasons for her new partner to leave her. If she were late for a date, she would tell him, “I am always late.” If they had a disagreement, she would say, “I am always getting into arguments.” Sooner or later, she would convince him that she wasn't worthy of his love. Then she would say to herself, ‘See, it happens every time. I’ll never have a good relationship.’

She had to learn to stop expecting in the act of arguing for her own limitations. When she started to say, “I always do that,” she needed instead to say, “That’s ridiculous. I don't always do anything.” She had to see that arguing for her limitations was just a negative habit that could easily be replaced with a more positive habit. Today, she is doing much better. When she reverts to her old habit, she usually laughs at herself. 

1. According to the passage, what happens when she revert to her old habits?

Curse herself

Stop herself

Laughs herself

Screams herself

2. Which of the self-defeating sentences is not listed in the passage?

I can't do that

I can't help it

I will always been that way

I can’t speak

3. What is the best suitable synonym for the word ‘ridiculous’.

Fantastic

Foolish

Laughable 

hilarious

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Choose Your Battles Wisely (Advice)

Choose your battles wisely is a popular phrase in parenting but is equally important in living a contented life. It suggests that life is filled with opportunities to choose between making a big deal out of something or simply letting it go, realizing it doesn’t really matter. If you choose your battles wisely, you’ll be far more effective in winning those that are truly important.

Certainly there will be times when you will want or need to argue, confront, or even fight for something you believe in. Many people, however, argue, confront and fight over practically anything, turning their lives into a series of battles over relatively ‘small stuff’. There is so much frustration in living this type of life that you lose track of what is truly relevant. 

The tiniest disagreement or glitch in your plans can be made into a big deal if your goal (concious or unconscious) is to have everything work out in your favor. In my book, this is nothing more than a prescription for unhappiness and frustration. 

The truth is, life is rarely exactly the way we want it to be, and other people often don’t act as we would like them to. Moment to moment there are aspects of life that we like and others that we don't. There are always going to be people who disagree with you, people who do things differently, and things that don't work out. If you fight against this principle of life, you’ll spend most of your life fighting battles. 

A more peaceful way to live is to decide consciously which battles are worth fighting and which are better left alone. If your primary goal isn't to have everything workout perfectly but instead to live a relatively stress-free life, you’ll find that more battles pull you away from most tranquil feelings. Is it really important that you prove to your spouse that you are right and she is wrong, or that you confront someone simply because it appears as though he or she has made a minor mistake? Does your preference of which restaurant or movie to go to matter enough to argue over it?  Does a small scratch on your car really warrant a suit in small claims court? Does the fact that your neighbour won't park his car on a different part of the street have to be discussed at your family dinner table? These and thousands of other small things are what many people spend their lives fighting about. Take a look at your own list. If it's like mine used to be, you might want to reevaluate your priorities.

If you don't want to ‘sweat the small stuff,’ it's critical that you choose your battles wisely. If you do, there will come a day when you’ll rarely feel the need to do battles at all.

(Enlightened from the book, ‘Don't sweat the small stuff.’)

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E-book Readers Comprehension

A growing trend amongst travellers is the usage of e-books. The question is that is this trend just a passing fancy or here for good?

E-books have a number of attractions. Some of them are free, some can be downloaded at a lower price which is an added advantage because money saved can be utilized on other things. Time and hassle can be saved by avoiding trips to bookshops. Books can be bought and paid, for at home. Moreover, storage space can be saved. While travelling the reader can carry the entire library instead of having to choose a few books.

E-books are a boon for those who are short sighted or have vision issues, for the size of the print can be increased and hence they can avoid having to squint or not being able to read at all. Lights can also be attached to the e-readers to facilitate reading. Users can also add personal touch to their readers by buying covers of their choice. Moreover, teachers and parents who feel that children do not develop reading habits may hope that they find the idea fascinating enough to take up reading. The frustration of finding the place in the book has also been overcome for the reader starts from the point where the person stopped reading.

However, there are people who are critical of e-readers. They feel that e-readers will lead to closing down of libraries which will be great loss to society. Downloading may be cheaper but the initial cost of e-readers is high as they are linked to computers which are expensive. This is viable for those who can afford them but not everyone can. If libraries are close down it will be a loss for those who cannot afford them or do not have the technological know how.

The satisfaction and pleasure of owning books cannot be replaced. E-readers cannot replace the satisfaction of holding a real book nor swapping of books with friends. Students are unable to annotate e-books or use them for cross-reference.

Buying e-books requires precise prior information while browsing in a bookshop may lead to finding required book. It would be sad if  bookshops had to chose down because they could not compete with e-books either due to lack of costumes or their reluctance to pay the higher price they charge. There would be more jobless people. It is early to state whether the  effects of e-readers would be negative.

(Reference book: GCE O’Level 2004 -2015)

1.	How can a money be saved from the e-books? E-books can be downloaded E-books are for cross reference E-books requires no storage E-books needs less search	6.	According to the extract, which of the following attractions of the e-books is not listed in the passage? They are time saving They are hassle free They are downloadable They all are free-of-cost
2.	Which of the following elements can not be saved from the e-books? Time Money Travelling Storage space	7.	How can you add a personal touch to the book of their choice? Buying covers of their choice By rephrasing the content By commenting on the book By replacing the real book
3.	What is the fear of the critics for the e-book users? Time saving Rise in unemployment Free-of-cost No cross referencing	8.	What can not be replaced by an e-book?
4.	What is early to state? Closure of the libraries Rise in unemployment Replacement of real book Effects would be negative	9.	Select the most suitable synonym of the word ‘boon’.
5.	Who will suffer if the libraries would close down? Librarians Teachers Students Engineers	10.	List any two advantages and disadvantages of the e-book readers.

(Answers can be submitted in comment box)

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Formal Letter Comprehension

Dear Sir,

On 15th November 2014, I along with my family members visited your restaurant for High-tea. It was my grandmother’s birthday so we all decided to take her out and celebrate the occasion in a befitting manner. However, I regret to state that the service we received was very pathetic and put a damper on our cheerful mood.

To begin with we had called a day earlier and booked a table for ten for the 5:00 pm slot. However, when we arrived there the receptionist denied having booked our table. After a lot of pleading to check the list again she realised that the receptionist who had taken our reservation was absent. We had to wait for an hour while she sorted out the mix up. Finally we were shown to our table. As we sat down we realised that the table had not been cleared as the dirty crockery and cutlery were piled up on one end. It took several reminders to the waiter before they were cleared and fresh plates and cutlery were brought.

However, we decided to make the best of the situation and enjoy the food. Here we faced another disappointment. Most of the food items had been consumed and had not been replenished. We had to make repeated requests before this was done. The food that was brought was cold and tasteless. By this time we had had enough so we decided to settle the bill and leave.

I would really appreciate it if you could look into these issues and try to rectify them before you lose customers. As manager of a restaurant of this repute you must see to it that the staff under you is efficient and the food served is palatable and of good quality. You also need to look into the service provided by your waiters.

I hope that you will take effective measures to iron out these issues.

Yours Sincerely,

ABC

1. On whose birthday, the customer visited the restaurant?

            Grandmother

            Grandfather

            Granddaughter

            Grandson

2. Select the right type of this letter

Congratulation

Complain

Condolence

Thank you

3. Why do they wait for an hour before reaching the reserved table?

The receptionist reserved the table was absent

The family member reached late

The grandmother reached late

The hotel manager was absent

4. The food that was brought was

Fresh 

Tasteless

Smelly

Eaten

5. How many aspects the writer requested the manager to look into?

2

3

4

5

6. Select the most suitable synonym for ‘damper’.

Curb

Restraint

Obstacle

Sticky

7. Select the most suitable antonym for ‘replenish’.

Refill

Re-freshen

Exhaust

Restore

8. Which of the following statement is true.

Family members visited restaurant for high-tea

Booked a table for 7

The served food was hot

The food served was delicious

9. Which of the following statement is false

They reserved the table for 05:00pm

The receptionist was present

It was a grandmother’s birthday

The crockery was not clean

10. When the customers had reserved the table?

05:00pm

06:00pm

07:00pm

08:00pm

(Answers can be submitted in comment box)

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Life Changing Choices at work

Isn't it curious how you automatically begin to feel more comfortable, the moment you realise you have choices? But you can’t easily replace your boss. 

It may be difficult to accept this while you’re locked into a strict work routine, but you always have choices - especially when it comes to feeling calm and satisfied about your work.

These choices can change the way you look at work and your life - and so become calm.

A philosophy creeps by many religions that work is the purest form of devotion to God. The familiar belief also describes the work ethics. Most reasonable people believe that doing work is a basic human right, which is essential for their materialistic needs, and also for their self-esteem. A sensible, productive philosophy for most people to follow as they work their way through life is a paternalistic, employer - serving construct that encourages a slavish commitment to harder work and longer hours. This drone-like behavior affects the entire workplace especially to the entitled workers, ‘good-workers’.

The employers perceive this commitment would surely result in increased job satisfaction and security ? Quite the opposite.

If you have a tendency to worry about work and to take it too seriously, far better to challenge yourself is to believe in and what you believe you want from your work, then to make your commitments. When you are working towards goals that you define and believe in, you will be more calm about your work.

To feel calm and content about the work, first,determine your life’s priorities. Is your work so important to your self-worth? Are your relationships more important than your work? Do you want to rise to the top in your occupation? Do you want to meet people? Do you want to save enough to go travelling for the rest of your days?

This simple technique will make your life easier. You may discover that work priorities - money, position, success - are at the top of your list. If so, you can make the choice that you’re going to succeed in your work at all costs, determined that only failure will cause you stress.

Conversely, you may decide that family or relationship priorities are at the top of your list. Then you won’t lose sleep over petty things that happen during your day. At the risk of oversimplifying, you have 2 choices when it comes to stressful conditions or circumstances:

i. you can change the things that can cause you stress

ii. You can change the way you look at them.

Many practitioners in the stress-management industry are concentrating on to change the workplace such as: modifying management attitudes, redefining work responsibilities, empowering employees. While these are fine ideals,they are limited by the fact that they are ideals. But these are the structural changes that may be impossible or very slow for you to implement. 

Changing the circumstances that cause you stress is seldom easy if you make it a key to remember that you can’t easily replace your boss or you may not want to transfer to another city. You will definitely find it difficult to become a computer programmer when you have been trained as a typist. It may not be wise to walkout on a well-paying job because your immediate superior doesn't like you.

Your most practical choice is not to try to change the circumstances, but to change the way you view them. I will not pretend it is easy to change the long standing habits and attitudes but you can transform yourself from a victim of stress into a calm person - not by trying to change the stressors in your work life, but changing how you perceive them.

Advised from the book, “Calm at Work” by Paul Wilson

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English Vocabulary Test

Direction: Each problem in this part consist of a sentence in which one word or phrase has been underlined. From the four choices given,  you should choose one word or phrase which could be substituted. For the underlined word or phrase without changing the meaning of the sentence.

1. It is impossible for parents to shield their children from every danger.

a. Protect

b. Conserve

c. Relieve

d. Free

2. That student is discourteous; he grumbles no matter how one tries to please him.

a. Giggles

b. Scolds

c. Complains

d. Sneers

3. Do not leave the iron on that delicate fabric or the heat will scorch it.

a. Melt

b. Press

c. Discolour

d. Wrinkle

4. The new contact lenses made the woman blink her eyes much more than usual.

a. Strain and stretch

b. Open and close 

c. Rub

d. Shade

5. The man walk briskly to keep warm on the very cold night.

a. Quickly

b. Excitedly

c. Aimlessly

d. Steadily

6. Ichael was such a shrewd business person that he never lost money in any transaction.

a. Fortunate

b. Clever

c. Wealthy

d. Well-liked  

7. There was no trace of poison in the coffee the chemist analyzed.

a. Indication

b. Taste

c. Colour

d. Smell

8. The intricate directions were difficult to understand.

a. Vague

b. Unusual

c. C. routine

d. Complicated

9. The little boy had a long day; he was feeling drowsy.

a. Lazy

b. Sleepy

c. Exhausted

d. Sad

10. Since I have been ill, my appetite  has diminished.

a. Desire for exercise

b. Desire for visitors

c. Desire for sleep

d. Desire for food

11. He stayed late to tell his hostess how much he had enjoyed the party.

a. Neglected

b. Attempted

c. Lingered

d. Struggled

12. The night was so foggy that the murderer was easily able to excape his pursuers.

a. Misty

b. Moist

c. Mild

d. Messy

13. The horse finally came to a halt on the very rim of the cliff.

a. Top

b. B. edge

c. Slope

d. Base

14. Her husband is very u; he will repair the roof himself.

a. Capable

b. Industrious

c. Thrifty

d. Careful

15. Mr.Henderson was determined to remain neutral.

a. Untroubled

b. Unhurried

c. Unmarried

d. Uncommitted

10. What can be the best suitable antonym for ‘manual’.

(Visit here to find an answer)

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Kids in the Kitchen - Reading Comprehension

(Reference: Reader’s Digest, August 2004)

Children are experts at smushing, banging and ripping – so why not turn them into mini chefs? Cooking actually helps boost kids’ cognitive and physical development. Here is what young chefs can do and when:

• Two-year-olds

They are learning to use the large muscles in their arms, so let them scrub produce and tear greens.

• Three-year-olds

To master hand control, let them mix batter, spread soft butter with a plastic knife and knead dough.

• Four-to-five-year-olds

These kids are learning more refined hand and finger control. Introduce them to manual equipment like juicers and egg beaters, and teach them how to use measuring cups.

• Six-to-ten year olds

Cracking eggs; decorating a cake. Children can do most intricate tasks that do not include dangerous equipment, like sharp knives.

Select the most appropriate answer for the following questions from the given choices.

1. Which of the following expertise isn’t mentioned in the passage. 

a. Smushing 

b. Banging

c. Ripping

d. Splitting

2. Allow two-year-olds to

a. Tear greens

b. Wash greens

c. Blow greens

d. Use egg beaters

3. According to the passage, three-year-old can

a. Scrub

b. Mix

c. Knead

d. Fight

4. According to the passage, which age group should be introduced to manual equipments.

a. 2 year olds

b. 3 year olds

c. 4 year olds

d. 6 year olds

5. Which of the following item isn’t listed in the manual equipment list.

a. Juicers

b. Egg beaters

c. Knives

d. Measuring cups

6. Which age group can mix batter and knead dough.

a. 2 year olds

b. 3 year olds

c. 4 year olds

d. 5 year olds

7. Which of the following word is considered to be the best suitable synonym for ‘batter’.

a. Dough

b. Thrash

c. Batsman

d. Strike

8. Three year olds can spread soft butter with a ______ knives.

a. Sharp

b. Pointed

c. Butter

d. Plastic

9. What can be the best suitable synonym for ‘cognitive’.

10. What can be the best suitable antonym for ‘manual’.

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Mushroom Magic

Ref: reader's digest (aug 2004)

Passage:

Notice those pale fungi in the shops that resemble hat pins ? They're  emoji mushrooms,  prized throughout Asia for their  health-giving qualities.  

Emoji contains a compound called flammulin,  which is reported  to inhibit tumour growth.  A Japanese study found that farmers who regularly  ate them had a 40% lower death rate from cancer than those who ate few mushrooms. 

Emoji are thought to help prevent liver disease and stomach ulcers, and stimulate the immune system.

Look for firm, cream-coloured fungi that are dry at the stem end. Store in a paper bag or puncture the plastic wrap. Raw, they make a crunchy  addition to salads and sandwiches. 

Try them in soups or Japanese dishes such as sukiyaki and shabu shabu. 

Don't overcook,  though, or they will become tough and fibrous.

Reading Comprehension

1. According to the passage, pale fungi resembles with...

a. Thumb pins

B. Pins 

C. Common pins

D. Hat pins

2. Which mushroom is known as the prized mushroom in Asia?

A. Raw mushroom

B. Emoji mushroom 

C. Brown mushroom 

D. Overcooked mushroom

3. Which study found that the farmers who ate mushrooms regularly  had a lower death rate than those who don't?

A. Japanese 

B. Asian

C. Western 

D. African

4. Mushrooms are the crunchy  addition to

A. Salads

B. Pastas

C. Meat

D. Fruits

5. What happen if you over cook the mushrooms.

A. They become wet

B. They become tough

C. They become soft

D. They become crunchy

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Today’s ‎Basic ‎Vocabulary ‎

Basic Vocabulary

1. Shrewd :::::: ھوشیار

2. Silly :::::: بیوکوف

3. Sincere :::::: مخلص

4. Skillful :::::: قابل

5. Smiling :::::: مسکراتے ہوئے

6. Splendid :::::: شاندار

7. Steadfast :::::: ثابت قدم

8. Stimulating :::::: حوصلہ افزائی

9. Successful :::::: کامیاب

10. Talented :::::: باصلاحیت

11. Thoughtful :::::: سمجھدار

12. Tough :::::: سخت

13. Trustworthy :::::: قابل اعتماد

14. Unbiased :::::: غیر جانبدار

Fish Comprehension

Hooked on fish

(Taken from RDJuly 2014)

Eating oily fish twice a week is a good idea for your health. Plus, oily fish contains high levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of heart disease. Oily fishes include sardines, herring, kippers, Atlantic salmon, trout and mackerel. 

Compared to white fish, oily varieties are darker in colour and stronger in flavour. To balance and soften the flavour of the fish, pair it with other strong flavoured ingredients such as garlic, chilli, chermoula, ginger, pepper and citrus. These can be finely chopped and stuffed into the fish or made into a marinade and rubbed over the outside. Oily fish can be cooked in a variety of different ways, but it responds particularly well to barbecuing and grilling.

VARY YOUR DIET 

How many different foods do you eat?

Eating a wide variety of foods takes the worry out of healthy eating. Different foods contain varying types and levels of nutrients, so choosing a variety of foods is a good way to ensure you're getting the nutrients you need.

Get experimental once a month

Set aside one meal a month as your experimental meal to try a new ingredient or recipe.

Choose different bread 

An easy way to increase the variety of foods you eat is to change your bread each week. Try ones with different flours  and types of nuts and seeds.

Reading Comprehension

1. Eating oily fish ____________ a week is a good idea for your health.

A. Once 

B. Twice 

C. Thrice 

2. Oily fish contains high levels of 

A. Omega-3 

B. Omega-2 

C. omega-1

3. What reduces the risk of heart disease?

A. Omega-3

B. Oil

C. Strong flavour 

4. Which of the following isn't included in an oily fish ?

A. Sardines

B.kippers 

C. Garlic

5. Why do we add strong flavours?

A. TO SOFTEN the flavour 

B. To hard the flavours 

C. To stuff only

6. Which of the following method of adding strong flavours isn't listed in the passage?

a. Marinade

B. Rubbed

C. Steamed 

7. What is the benefit of eating variety of foods?

A. You enjoy all flavours 

B. You keep worrying about your health

C. You get all the required nutrients 

8. Why should you set aside one meal a month ?

A. As your fixed meal

B. As your experimental meal 

C.as your cheat meal

9. According to the passage, to increase the variety of foods you eat is to change your _______ every week.

A.MEAL

B. BREAD 

C. FISH

10. Which of the following ingredients isn't listed in the passage.

A. Garlic 

B. Salt

C.chilli

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Discovering Parent as a Teacher

A child starts to absorb from the moment he or she is born. And it is from the parents that a child inherits most of the information. A parent possesses multiple roles in a child’s life. One of the most important is to nurture a loving, stimulating and positive learning environment in which as a parent you can monitor his/her appropriate mental and physical growth. This blog shares the 6 best skimmed skills taken from one of the favorite authors on baby and childcare and a very famous Yorkshire Television presenter,  Dr.Miriam Stoppard’s book, ‘Discover Your Child’s True Potential’. They will enable you as a parent how to instill an enjoying and encouraging environment for your child.

1.     Avoid Traps:

She says in her book, ‘Never pursue perfection as this will lead to frustration both to you and to your child and you will end up with an unhappy, demoralized child who simply cannot thrive and develop well. ’ Try to encourage every single accomplishment and success your child approaches each time.

Avoid Over-indulgence:

Though as a parent, you always have a positive intention for your child but consistent pampering and over-protecting can keep him/her dependent and he might end up feeling as a helpless victim.

Let’s Do Things:

Parent as a teacher needs to come in ground and actually have to come into an action. A child learns better through examples until 8 years. Instead of interrupting and instructing them, join in your child during his/her play time. Instead of instructing them to put the toys back to the place, hold the hand, sit together and make cleaning as a part of fun for them. Your little gestures of fantasy, humor, games or of jokes sticks long way in your child’s mind.

Keep Repeating:

     A young child is full of energy and can’t sit calmly while eating, playing or waiting for anything.  To stable his/her mind body co-ordination, keep repeating certain messages, such as, “We do not swing our legs while we are eating”, this can be done sometimes for months too.

Share Positive Examples:

Try to state or give examples of positive gestures sometimes through discussion or sometimes by performing it to them. You may ask your child to pat his/her pet and show him/her how to do it, and then hold his/her hand and move it gently. Avoid shrieking, as it communicates displeasure and an infant’s mind absorbs your gesture more than your words. However, this is not the case with school going child where he can understand the actions accompanied by the words. To give your child a clear picture of actions tries to make them funny and dramatic. `Instead of scolding or instructing, “Do not slam the door when you come in!” Stand beside the door open it for him/her and then told that this is how we close the door, ‘gently and quietly’.

Give Proper Attention:

A child has a sensitive nature and needs pure attention without distraction. Sometimes he/she either will drag you to play, run or take hold of your hand or clothes in order to attract your attention. A child only feels that she is being listened to if you make eye contact and stop what you are doing in order to listen. And this is how you must treat them. If you do this from the very early age, your child will feel confident enough that his/her voice is not being unheard and it inculcates the source of respect inside him/her as an individual.

Always remember that discipline a child is impossible as he/she does not have the intellectual power to distinguish between right and wrong. Up to the age of three, your baby’s will changes from an instinct to an urge, then to a desire and finally to a motive.