Reading Comprehension Exercise 1
People and
Places
Read the diary entries quickly and find out information for filling the following table. One entry is narrative and the other is descriptive.
|
Item |
Day |
Date |
Topic |
Place Mentioned |
No. of Paragraphs |
Type of Text |
|
Entry 1 |
Wednesday |
10th February, 2015 |
Village Life |
Village |
7 |
narrative |
|
Entry 2 |
Friday |
4th August, 2017 |
We need to store rain water |
Guddu Barrage |
8 |
descriptive |
Reading
Comprehension Exercise 3
Write two paragraphs. Use at least five words
from Entry 1 to write one paragraph and five words from Entry 2 to write the
second paragraph.
Entry 1: desperately
siblings
commuting credit
gossips
devices
compromised
distanced
access
replaced
Entry 2: devastation
havoc
capture
retain
structures
releases
irrigation
tamed
self-sufficient
surplus
Answer:
Paragraph 1:
We, all three siblings sit
together after a week to share family news and gossips.
We are desperately waiting for this
moment as all three of us are living in hostels for completing our higher
education. Though, we are in constant touch with one another because of
the access to modern technology such as
internet, whatsapp, face book, etc. but I must say that devices are
no alternate to the wonderful moments people spend together in the flesh and
blood.
Paragraph 2:
Last year, the agricultural lands of Pakistan got sufficient water
for irrigation. The country received crops
and vegetables in surplus quantity. But, the country
faced a major crisis that affected not only the farmers and agriculturists but
the whole country. As there was no barrage to retain rain
water in the area, an unexpected flood came and created havoc for
the farmers.
Reading
Comprehension Exercise 4
The following sentences are
summary of each paragraph of the two entries. Read the text and in the blanks
provided, write the number of the paragraph to which each sentence is
related.
Answer:
Entry 1
a. There were no roads and no vehicles.
4
b. The modern lifestyle has affected our health and our relationships.
7
c. I miss the simple village life.
1
d. Men met and discussed things at the Otaq and women at the village
well. 6
e. Three families lived in three rooms.
2
f. The houses were not made of cement.
3
g. People bought things from small shops. 5
Entry 2
a. One of the barrages in Pakistan is the Guddu Barrage.
5
b. Construction of more barrages is an important need of Pakistan today.
8
c. The Guddu Barrage irrigates land in two provinces.
6
d. Rivers has always been important for travel and for growing crops.
2
e. The flow of water is controlled through gates in a barrage.
4
f. Many different people worked to complete the Guddu Barrage.
7
g. A way was found to store extra water for later use.
3
h. Rains cause rivers to overflow, leading to flood.
1
Reading
Comprehension Exercise 5
How was the village life of the past
different from the city life of today, as given in the text? Complete the table
to show the difference.
|
S. No. |
Items |
Village life 60 years ago |
City life today |
|
1 |
Houses |
made of wood, straw and mud |
made of cement, painted with beautiful colours having tiled
floors |
|
2 |
Roads/Streets |
narrow mud lanes |
smooth roads and paved streets |
|
3 |
Mode of travel |
walk |
cars, buses, motorbikes |
|
4 |
Atmosphere |
pollution free |
polluted |
|
5 |
Shops/Markets |
small shops |
big shops and supermarkets |
|
6 |
Buying from shops |
get goods on credit |
money or credit cards |
|
7 |
Sources of news |
village men and women themselves share news and issues |
television |
|
8 |
Information about people |
village men and women themselves share information about one
another while meeting at Otaq |
face book |
|
9 |
Sources of entertainment |
folk songs sung to the tune of the ghaghar and tamboora |
You Tube |
|
10 |
Communicating with people |
in the flesh and blood (meaning direct communication without
using any device like mobile, etc.) |
via devices |
Reading
Comprehension Exercise 6
Complete the following sentences.
a. Very few people had knee problems in the village because ……….
b. The people in the village did not need vehicles because………..
c. People could buy things from the shops without money as ……….
d. When the men met at the Otaq in the evening they …………..
e. The writer wanted a time machine so that ………..
f. Rivers have always been important for two reasons …….
g. The main purpose of barrages is ………….
h. The Guddu Barrage has made a difference in this region by ……..
i. Pakistan needs more barrages to ………..
j. Through proper water management we can …………….
Answer:
a. Very few people had knee problems in the village because people of
all ages comfortably sat on the floor, which exercised their knees.
b. The people in the village did not need vehicles because they just
walked.
c. People could buy things from the shops without money as the
village shopkeepers knew everyone by name and were usually willing to give
goods on credit.
d. When the men met at the Otaq in the evening they spent
their free time, shared news and gossips, laughed at shared jokes, talked about
the weather, their crops, and village issues,
and enjoyed folk songs sung to the tune of the Ghaghra and tamboura.
e. The writer wanted a time machine so that he would be taken back to his
simple life, simple people, simple interests, and simply wants and needs.
f. Rivers have always been important for two reasons, for growing crops
and for traveling from one place to another.
g. The main purpose of barrages is to capture and retain the rainwater for
later use and prevent it from flooding.
h. The Guddu Barrage has made a difference in this region by taming
the river and putting an end to the damage caused by floods.
i. Pakistan needs more barrages to control flooding during the
rainy season and to supply water throughout the year for irrigating more land.
j. Through proper water management we can grow surplus food items,
which we can then export and earn foreign exchange.
Reading
Comprehension Exercise 7
Read the text and answer the
following questions.
Q.1) What are the things that the writer was
missing?
Answer:
The writer was missing his village; the simple, mud house where he lived, the
simple toys of his childhood that gave him pleasure in a true sense, and the
simple carefree people of the village with whom he had spent his memorable
childhood.
Q.2) Why did the lanes in the village become
slippery in the rainy season?
Answer:
The lanes in the village became slippery in the rainy season because they were
made of mud.
Q.3) Is the writer happy with his present life?
Why? Why not?
Answer:
The writer is not much happy and satisfied with his present life because the luxuries
of life have compromised people’s health, the access to various devices
especially internet, Facebook, Skype, etc. has distanced people from one
another, and technology has replaced the human touch.
Q.4) Why do most parts of Pakistan have flood
problem in summer?
Answer:
Most parts of Pakistan have flood problem in summer because rivers flood and
there are no barrages to control and retain that overflowing rain water.
Q.5) Why did people start building barrages?
Answer:
People started building barrages in order to capture and retain the rain water
for later use that prevented it from flooding.
Q.6) Do you agree/think that we should build
bridges? Why? Why not?
Answer:
Yes, we should build barrages so to control the flow of water in the flood
season and to store and release water for irrigation, through the canals,
throughout the year. By building barrages, we can become self-sufficient in
meeting the needs and demands of grains, fruits, and vegetables of local people
as well as earn foreign exchange by exporting them.
Reading
Comprehension Exercise 8
By looking at the mind map in the textbook,
use the hints to provide information about the Guddu Barrage.
Answer:
Guddu Barrage
1. Built on: The River Indus
2. Breadth of river at Guddu: fourteen
kilometres in width
3. Breadth of barrage: one
kilometre
4. Length of barrage: 1355 kilometres
5. Amount of flood water that can flow through it: 1.2
million cusecs
6. Number of main canals: three
7. Names of right and left bank canals: The
Begari Sindh Feeder and the Desert Pat Feeder (right bank canal) and Ghotki
Feeder (left bank canal)
8. Total area to be irrigated: 2.7
million acres
9. Names of districts irrigated: Sukkur
and Jacobabad districts of Sindh and Kalat division of the Baluchistan
10. Number and kind of people involved in construction: More
than 5000 people involving engineers, technicians and labourers
11. Started working on: 4th
February, 1962
Language
Practice Exercise 1
Complete the following table by adding
the missing degree of adverbs.
|
No. |
Positive |
Comparative |
Superlative |
|
1 |
angrily |
more angrily |
most angrily |
|
2 |
bravely |
more bravely |
most bravely |
|
3 |
carefully |
more carefully |
most carefully |
|
4 |
comfortably |
more comfortably |
most comfortably |
|
5 |
early |
earlier |
earliest |
|
6 |
easily |
more easily |
most easily |
|
7 |
loudly |
more loudly |
most loudly |
|
8 |
fast |
faster |
fastest |
|
9 |
gently |
more gently |
most gently |
|
10 |
happily |
more happily |
most happily |
|
11 |
hard |
harder |
hardest |
|
12 |
probably |
more probably |
most probably |
|
13 |
long |
longer |
longest |
|
14 |
far |
farther |
farthest |
|
15 |
noisily |
more noisily |
most noisily |
|
16 |
high |
higher |
highest |
|
17 |
quickly |
more quickly |
most quickly |
|
18 |
skilfully |
more skilfully |
most skilfully |
|
19 |
truthfully |
more truthfully |
most truthfully |
|
20 |
well |
better |
best |
Language
Practice Exercise 2
Fill the following blanks
with the correct degree of adverb. Select an adverb from the list in Exercise
1.
1. My uncle went the _________ from his home during the recent flood.
2. Let’s see who runs the _________ in the race.
3. The workers protested ___________ at getting low salaries, as compared to
long working hours and shorter breaks.
4. The Bolan Express is the __________ train you can take, the rest leave after
10 o’clock.
5. The drivers from Germany drove their cars _________ than those from Japan.
6. Salim climbed __________ than Fazal but Hanif climbed the ____________.
7. As compared to the soldiers in the first and middle rows, the soldiers in
the last row fought the enemy ___________.
8. Saima answered __________ than her friends.
9. Newborn babies should be handled ___________ than all other age groups.
10.My father was sitting ___________ in his chair and enjoying the talk show on
TV.
Answer:
1. My uncle went the farthest from
his home during the recent flood.
2. Let’s see who runs the fastest in
the race.
3. The workers protested angrily at
getting low salaries, as compared to long working hours and shorter breaks.
4. The Bolan Express is the earliest train
you can take, the rest leave after 10 o’clock.
5. The drivers from Germany drove their cars more
skilfully than those from
Japan.
6. Salim climbed higher than Fazal but
Hanif climbed the highest.
7. As compared to the soldiers in the first and middle rows, the soldiers in
the last row fought the enemy most bravely.
8. Saima answered more quickly than
her friends.
9. Newborn babies should be handled more carefully than
all other age groups.
10.My father was sitting comfortably in
his chair and enjoying the talk show on TV.
Language
Practice Exercise 3
Complete the following passage using the correct degree of the
adverbs given below.
well probably
easily loudly
happily
quickly
long hard
carefully noisily
The teacher had to shout ______ the second time before the
students settled down. The reason why the students were working ________ was
that they wanted more time to do the work. The teacher said that the student
who finishes _________ would get two extra marks. Salim wanted to perform _____
than his friends because he wanted to get the scholarship. He had worked _____
for his English paper and wanted to be able to do the paper _______ than he had
been able to do in the previous test. He read each section _______ to avoid
silly mistakes. He knew that he would _______ finish well in time to be able to
edit his work. He worked the ________ on the writing section because he wanted
to write a good essay. He submitted his paper _________ when the teacher
announced that the time was up.
Answer:
The teacher had to shout more loudly the
second time before the students settled down. The reason why the students were
working noisily was that they wanted more time to
do the work. The teacher said that the student who finishes quickly would
get two extra marks. Salim wanted to perform better than
his friends because he wanted to get the scholarship. He had worked hard for
his English paper and wanted to be able to do the paper more
easily than he had been able to do in the previous test. He read
each section carefully to
avoid silly mistakes. He knew that he would probably finish
well in time to be able to edit his work. He worked the longest on
the writing section because he wanted to write a good essay. He submitted his
paper happily when the teacher announced that
the time was up.
Language
Practice Exercise 4
In the following exercise,
the quotation marks are missing. Write down these sentences by putting the
quotation marks.
1. We are going to be late for school, Amjad, said his sister.
2. The students stood up and said, Good morning, teacher.
3. The cleaner said, I have cleaned your yard, and then he went away.
4. The small child was crying, and kept saying, Where is my mother?
5. Come on in, children, said the gatekeeper, I am going to close the gate.
6. All the people were shouting, Pakistan Zindabad! We have won the match!
7. I have lost my car keys, said the old man. How can I start my car now?
8. Be careful! There are many bees flying here. They may bite you, said Zahra.
Answer:
1. “We are going to be late for school, Amjad,” said his sister.
2. “The students stood up and said, “Good morning, teacher.”
3. The cleaner said, “I have cleaned your yard, and then he went away.”
4. The small child was crying, and kept saying, “Where is my mother?”
5. “Come on in, children,” said the gatekeeper, “I am going to close the gate.”
6. All the people were shouting, “Pakistan Zindabad! We have won the match!”
7. “I have lost my car keys,” said the old man. “How can I start my car now?”
8. “Be careful! There are many bees flying here. They may bite you,” said
Zahra.
Language
Practice Exercise 5
Insert quotation marks,
capital letters, full stops and commas in the following story, where required.
Frogs
Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running
competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd
had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.
the race began no one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would
reach the top of the tower one person said oh way too difficult!
another one said they will never make it to the top
not a chance that they will succeed said an old man the tower is too high!
the tiny frog began collapsing one by one however some of them kept their
spirits high and continued climbing higher and higher the crowd continued to
yell it is too difficult! no one will make it!
more tiny frogs got tired and gave up but one frog continued to climb higher
and higher and higher this one wouldn’t give up.
at the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower except for the one
tiny frog who after a big effort was the only one who reached the top then all
of the other tiny frogs asked each other how did this one frog manage to do it
a contestant asked the tiny frog how did you find the strength to reach the
goal
it turned out that the winner was deaf!
the wisdom of this story is: never listen to other people when they are being
negative or pessimistic because they take away your most wonderful dreams from
you
always remember that words have power and everything you hear and read will
affect your actions therefore always be positive friends and listen only to
positive people above all be deaf when people tell you what you can do and what
you cannot do believe in yourself and always say with God’s help I can do this
Answer:
Frogs
Once upon a time, there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running
competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd
had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.
The race began. No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would
reach the top of the tower. One person said, “Oh! Way too difficult!”
Another one said, “They will never make it to the top.”
“Not a chance that they will succeed,” said an old man, “The tower is too
high!”
The tiny frog began collapsing one by one. However, some of them kept their
spirits high and continued climbing higher and higher. The crowd continued to
yell, “It is too difficult! No one will make it!”
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up but one frog continued to climb higher
and higher and higher. This one wouldn’t give up.
At the end, everyone else had given up climbing the tower except for the one
tiny frog who after a big effort was the only one who reached the top then all
of the other. Tiny frogs asked each other, “How did this one frog manage to do
it?”
A contestant asked the tiny frog, “How did you find the strength to reach the
goal?”
It turned out that the winner was deaf!
The wisdom of this story is: never listen to other people when they are being
negative or pessimistic because they take away your most wonderful dreams from
you.
Always remember that words have power and everything you hear and read will
affect your actions. Therefore, always be positive friends and listen only to
positive people. Above all be deaf when people tell you what you can do and
what you cannot do. Believe in yourself and always say, “With God’s help, I can
do this!”
Writing
Exercise 1
Write a job application for
the profession you want to choose.
Answer:
Application:
December 02, 2020
Mr. Kareem
HR Manager
University of Karachi
Karachi
Subject: Application for the Post of a Professor of
English Literature
Dear Sir,
In response to your advertisement appeared in Sunday newspaper on November 29,
2020, about the vacant post of professor of English Literature at your
respective organization. I, therefore, writing this application to apply for
the post by providing you all the relevant details of my qualification,
abilities, and experiences.
I have passed my Masters in
English Literature from Jinnah University for Women in 2013. Right after that,
I was fortunate to join Defence Authority Degree College For Women as English
teacher where I served for more than four years. Then, I was promoted as
Assistant Professor at the same college. During the tenure of seven years of my
career, my job responsibilities include teaching students about the structure
and content of the English language, including proper grammar, spelling, and
sentence structure, also plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content,
and course materials and methods of instruction. I have taught students about
different literary styles. Apart from that, I have to create positive
educational climate for students to learn in. I have also attended workshop on
latest teaching methodologies. I do have good computer skills along with
effectual communication style.
I am an energetic and
passionate person and if I would be given an opportunity I will prove myself to
be the best candidate. Based on my experience and job requirements, I consider
myself suitable for the post. I am available for the interview on any day of
the week as per your convenience.
Along with my application,
I have enclosed my CV and attested copies of educational documents and
professional experience.
Should you be kind enough
to appoint me, I shall try my level best to render entire satisfaction to you.
Thanking You.
Yours Sincerely,
X.Y.Z.
Karachi
Writing
Exercise 2
There are three positions vacant in your
school. Your brother/sister wants to apply for one of these positions. The
positions are as follows:
1. Subject teacher
2. Laboratory Assistant
3. Secretary
Answer:
1. Application for
Subject Teacher
October 23, 2020
Miss Armina
HR Manager
Jinnah University for Women
Karachi
Subject: Application for the Post of Subject Teacher
Dear Madam,
In response to your advertisement appeared in Sunday newspaper on October 11,
2020, about the vacant post of Subject Teacher at your respective organization.
I, therefore, writing this application to apply for the post by providing you
all the relevant details of my qualification, abilities, and experiences.
I have passed my Masters in
English Literature from Defence Authority Degree College For Women in 2018.
Then, I joined Government College for Girls, Gulistan-e-Jouhar as English
teacher. There I served for two years. During the tenure of my career, my job
responsibilities include planning, preparing, and delivering lectures, helping
students improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through
individual and group sessions, checking and assessing students’ work and
organizing and running specialist courses. Furthermore, I have taught students
about different literary styles. I have also attended workshop on latest
teaching methodologies. I do have good computer skills along with effective
communication style.
I am an energetic and
determined person and if I would be given an opportunity I will prove myself to
be the best candidate. Based on my experience and job requirements, I consider
myself suitable for the post. I am available for the interview on any day of
the week as per your convenience.
Along with my application,
I have enclosed my CV and attested copies of educational documents and
professional experience.
If I would be given a
chance to serve as English Teacher at your organization, I shall try my level
best to render entire satisfaction to you.
Thanking You.
Yours Sincerely,
X.Y.Z.
Karachi
2. Application for Laboratory Assistant
February 09, 2020
Mr. Shahzad
HR Manager
Agha Khan Laboratory
Karachi
Subject: Application for the Post of Laboratory Assistant
Dear Sir,
In response to your advertisement appeared in Sunday newspaper on January 20,
2020, about the vacant post of laboratory assistant at your respective
laboratory. I, therefore, writing this application to apply for the post by
providing you all the relevant details of my qualification, abilities, and experiences.
I have passed my Bachelors
in Biogenetics from Allama Iqbal University in 2019. I performed the job of
laboratory assistant at Chughtai Lab for a period of one year. During the
tenure of my career, mu job responsibilities include performing laboratory
tests, preparing samples/specimens, performing daily quality control checks,
preparing reports with reliable data, use of latest methodologies and best
practices, and adhering to correct procedures and policies, and finally
documenting all activities. I have excellent computer skills along with
effective communication style.
I am an energetic and
passionate individual and if I would be given an opportunity I will prove
myself to be the best candidate. Based on my experience and job requirements, I
consider myself suitable for the post. I am available for the interview on any
day of the week as per your convenience.
Along with my application,
I have enclosed my CV and attested copies of educational documents and job
experience.
If I would be given a
chance, I shall try my level best to render entire satisfaction to you.
Thanking You.
Yours Sincerely,
X.Y.Z.
Karachi
3. Application for Secretary
April 13, 2020
Mr. Saleem
HR Manager
Ministry of Finance
Hyderabad
Subject: Application for the Post of Secretary
Dear Sir,
In response to your advertisement appeared in Sunday newspaper on April 06,
2020, about the vacant post of secretary at your respective organization. I,
therefore, writing this application to apply for the post by providing you all
the relevant details of my qualification, abilities, and experiences.
I have passed my Bachelors
in Computer Science from Government College for Boys in 2017. Right after that,
I was lucky enough to the a job of personal secretary at one of the leading
firms of the city. During the tenure of three years of my career, I was
responsible for answering calls, taking messages and handling correspondence,
maintaining diaries and arranging appointments with the clients, typing and
preparing reports, filing, organizing and servicing meetings (producing agendas
and taking minutes), managing databases and prioritising workloads. I have
excellent computer skills along with effectual communication style.
I am an enthusiastic and
determined person and if I would be given an opportunity I will prove myself to
be the best candidate. Based on my experience and job requirements, I consider
myself suitable for the post. I am available for the interview on any day of
the week as per your convenience.
Along with my application,
I have enclosed my CV and attested copies of educational documents and
professional experience.
If I would be given a
chance to serve as secretary at your organization, I shall try my level best to
render entire satisfaction to you.
Thanking You.
Yours Sincerely,
X.Y.Z.
Hyderabad
Writing
Exercise 4
Write the summary of the poem.
Answer:
Summary:
The miller of the Dee and King Hal are the speakers in the poem, ‘The Miller of
the Dee’ by Charles Mackay. Once there lived a miller near river Dee. He used
to work from morning to night. While being busy in his wok, he used to sing.
One day, he was singing about the happy days of his life when neither had he
envied anybody nor anybody envied him. At that very moment, old king Hal
happened to pass by him, the king saw him singing happily in a light mood. He
stopped and asked the miller what was wrong.
Moreover, in spite of being
a wealthy and powerful man, the king was not happy, and his life was filled
with worries and anxieties, so he could not believe how a miller’s life could
be carefree. The miller replied in a polite tone that he earn his bread, love his
friend, wife and three children, and he owed not a single penny that he had to
pay. That was the reason for his happiness and carefree life. The miller said
that he was thankful to river Dee as it helped him in grinding the corn in his
mill. The Miller was the happier of the two because he had limited desires, and
he remained content with whatever he had. The King, on the other hand, remained
dissatisfied with his life, in spite of having authority and fortune. At the
end, the King said to the miller that his mealy cap was worthy of the King’s
crown and his mill was more precious than his kingdom. He also appreciated the
miller by saying that men like him are the pride of England.
Exercise
Task 3 (The Healthy Living)
Talk to your parents,
teacher, community members and if you have access to library or internet, use
those sources as well to collect information on the following:
– What are the main sources of drinking water in your residence
area/neighbourhood?
– How does water get contaminated?
– Are there any visible signs of water contamination or unhygienic practices
near the source of drinking water? List them down.
– What are the common ways of purifying or cleaning water?
Answer:
– There are two main sources of drinking water in our neighbourhood, one is
private mineral water plant and the other one is the filter plant run by the
society. Private mineral water plant charge Rs. 2/liter whereas the water
obtained from the society filter plant is free of cost. Both the filter plants
have their fixed timings. Private mineral water plant is open for 24 hours day.
On the other hand, society filter plant is open for four hours in the morning
i.e. 6-10 and then for four hours in the evening i.e. 4-8.
– Water get contaminated through various means. For instance, industrial waste,
chemical rich water discharged by factories into water bodies such as lakes,
rivers, and streams, polythene bags and other stuff being dumped into seas and
oceans by humans, accidental oil leakage from ships, chemical fertilizers and
pesticides and human wastes from sewage system.
– No, there are no such visible signs of water contamination or unhygienic
practices near the source of drinking water in our neighbourhood.
– Water needs to be cleaned and purified to live a healthy life because
contaminated or dirty water causes a number of diseases. One of the simplest
and easiest way to purify water is boiling it for a good amount of time. After
that, comes the water purifiers that are easily available in the market
nowadays. Only few drops of such water purifiers are required to purify litres
of water. Water can also be purified by using latest scientific methods on a
large scale such as Reverse Osmosis, water chlorination, distillation, solar
purification, iodine addition, etc. These types of water purification are quite
expensive.
Exercise
Task 1 (You are what you eat)
Explore the effects of stunting on young
children by using resources available to you including local medical staff or
doctor, internet, science textbook or other reading materials.
Answer:
Stunting is the disorder that is caused in early stages of childhood due to
malnutrition. It is the impaired growth and development that children
experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial
stimulation. The damage that is caused by stunting to the health of the
children is irreversible.
Stunting causes adverse effects on the health of the children. It not only
affects a child’s health, making them more receptive to disease and infection,
but also impairs their mental and physical development. This means that
children who suffer from stunting are less likely to achieve their full height
and cognitive potentials as adults. Apart from this, stunting also leads to
poor school performance, which can result in future income reduction.