General English #14 Multiple Choice Questions

GENERAL ENGLISH #14

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Directions: In these questions, you have brief passages with 5 (five) questions following each passage. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the 4 (four) alternatives. Answers are given at the end of the questions.

Passage-I

We all know that Eskimos have 50 different words for “snow”. Or is it 500? Anyway, an awful lot. It is one of those interesting little facts that says something about the amazing ingenuity of humans. Whereas we see snow, the Eskimos perceive and endlessly varying realm of white textures and possibilities. Except that is not true. Talk to the average Eskimo and you’ll find he has about the same number of words for snow as we do. I discovered this when I took a sledge-dog team through the Russian Arctic and asked the locals. And it gets worse: the Eskimo-Inuit do not live in igloos. They do not even rub their noses together! Hearing this I began wondering what other myths surround the world’s far flung places.

Shelters made out of snow are indeed constructed and fashioned from snowy bricks, just as we like to imagine. Except the Eskimo-Inuit rarely lived in them for long periods and disappointingly, the elders that I met had never heard of them. In truth, these are coastal peoples who traditionally foraged for driftwood, whalebones, stones and turf to construct their camps, saving snow-houses for hunting excursions or migrations.

Chameleons also attract numerous myths. While many of them change colour, this is often less to do with camouflage and more to do with their mood and temperature. A chameleon, might, if too cold, turn a darker shade to absorb more heat. Or it might turn a lighter colour to reflect the sun and so cool down. Moreover, chameleons often change colour as a signalling device-some such as the panther chameleon, transform into a vivid orange to scare off predators, while others flash bright colours to attract a mate. The brighter the colour a mate is able to display, the more dominant. Thus, the act of standing out can be more important than that of blending in.

1. The author was surprised by the fact that:

(a) Eskimos have 500 words for “snow”

(b) The ingenuity of humans

(c) The Eskimo-Inuit do not live in igloos

(d) The Eskimo-Inuit rub their noses together

2. The author discovered that:

(a) Igloos are not fashioned from snowy bricks

(b) Only the Eskimo-Inuit elders live in igloos

(c) Snow houses are reserved for hunting migrations

(d) The coastal people foraged for firewood

3. The changing colour of a chameleon is more to do with:

(a) Camouflage

(b) Mood and temperature

(c) Transformation

(d) Protection

4. A chameleon warms itself by:

(a) Residing in bright areas

(b) Turning a darker colour to absorb more heat

(c) Matching its colour with the environment

(d) Adjusting its body temperature with that of the environment

5. A male chameleon is believed to be more dominant if:

(a) He has the colours of the panther

(b) He exhibits vivid orange colour

(c) If he can blend in with the others

(d) If he displays flashing bright colours

Answers: 1 (c), 2 (c), 3 (b), 4 (b), 5 (d)

Passage-II

A low tide he walked over the sands to the headland and round the corner to the little bay facing the open sea. It was inaccessible by boat, because seams of rock jutted out and currents swirled round them treacherously. But you could walk there if you chose one of the lowest ebb tides that receded a very long way. You could not linger on the expedition, for once the tide was on the turn, it came in rapidly. For this reason very few people cared to explore the little bay fresh and unlittered, as it was completely covered by the sea at high tide. The cave looked mysteriously dark, cool and inviting, and he penetrated to the farthest corner where he discovered a wide crack, rather like a chimney. He peered up and thought he could see a patch of daylight.

6. According to the writer, the bay could not be reached by boat because:

(a) It had numerous number of rocks

(b) There were too many ebbs

(c) It was facing the open sea

(d) There were scams of rock and treacherously swirling currents

7. One could visit the bay:

(a) At any time one chose

(b) When there was low tide

(c) On certain occasions

(d) During the evenings

8. It was not possible to ‘linger on the expedition’ because:

(a) The tide turned sprightly

(b) The tide turned at once

(c) The water rose rapidly

(d) The water rushed with great force

9. While passing through the cave, the writer discovered a:

(a) Large opening

(b) Chimney-shaped rock

(c) Cool and secluded corner

(d) Big crack through which light came in

10. He found the bay ‘fresh and unlittered’ because:

(a) The sea water had receded

(b) He was the first visitor there

(c) The high tide had just washed the litter away

(d) It was not frequented by people

Answers: 6 (d), 7 (b), 8 (a), 9 (d), 10 (c)