Comprehension Passages | Business Correspondence and Reporting (Old Scheme) - CA Foundation PDF Download

 Page 1


Learners will be able to- 
1. To enable learners to read and understand given texts of varied lengths from a wide range of subjects 
like arts, politics, economics, history, geography etc.
2. To apply the skills and strategies of a successful reader.
3. Read the given information critically.
w	 Skim (reading the text quickly) to get a general idea/meaning/ theme of text.
w	 Scan (look at all parts of carefully) for details.
w	 Develop reading speed.
w	 Build vocabulary.
w	 Infer meaning of unfamiliar words from the context.
w	 Dierentiate between main ideas and specic details.
w	 Be able to understand the dierence between facts and opinions.
w	 Identify author’s tone and purpose.
w	 Develop ability to infer, predict, analyse, and evaluate content in the text.
4
CHAPTER
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  STRATEGIES FOR ATTEMPTING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Strategies for attempting comprehension passages-
1. Read the passage quickly to understand the main idea.
2. It is advisable to underline the main points, identifying key words and statements, while reading the 
passage.
3. Scan through all the questions.
4. It is benecial to underline the detail/ information asked for in the questions to avoid misinterpretation 
of the question.
GOALS
Page 2


Learners will be able to- 
1. To enable learners to read and understand given texts of varied lengths from a wide range of subjects 
like arts, politics, economics, history, geography etc.
2. To apply the skills and strategies of a successful reader.
3. Read the given information critically.
w	 Skim (reading the text quickly) to get a general idea/meaning/ theme of text.
w	 Scan (look at all parts of carefully) for details.
w	 Develop reading speed.
w	 Build vocabulary.
w	 Infer meaning of unfamiliar words from the context.
w	 Dierentiate between main ideas and specic details.
w	 Be able to understand the dierence between facts and opinions.
w	 Identify author’s tone and purpose.
w	 Develop ability to infer, predict, analyse, and evaluate content in the text.
4
CHAPTER
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  STRATEGIES FOR ATTEMPTING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Strategies for attempting comprehension passages-
1. Read the passage quickly to understand the main idea.
2. It is advisable to underline the main points, identifying key words and statements, while reading the 
passage.
3. Scan through all the questions.
4. It is benecial to underline the detail/ information asked for in the questions to avoid misinterpretation 
of the question.
GOALS
4.2
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING
Example: What did Rohan seek while climbing the mountain?
Underlining brings clarity ……the answer should be based on the object/ emotion/ state of mind 
sought by Rohan and not diculties faced while ascending the mountain etc.
5. Reread the passage, marking the specic information related to questions.
6. There is often ambiguity in the answers provided in multiple-choice questions. Many a time, students 
feel that two answers are appropriate in the context. However, there will always be ne dierences. One 
answer may be incomplete compared to another, or the inference may be varied. Therefore, re-read and 
choose carefully.
Example-refer to sample passage 3, Q1.
Q1.  We lose privacy on social networking sites because
 a) We put many photographs on the site.
 b) Sites require us to share a great deal of our personal information.
 c) We choose wrong friends.
 d) Youngsters are generally careless.
In the question all options seem to be valid. However, when you go through the passage again, you 
realize that (b) is the correct answer in context of the passage.
7. Sometimes readers feel none of the given choices answer the question. Again, it is reiterated that reread 
and choose carefully.
8. Finally, review before you move on to the next question.
  BLOOMS TAXONOMY
Blooms taxonomy gives the students an idea of higher and lower order thinking skills. The students will be 
tested on all areas depicted in the pyramid.
Create
Produce new or original work
Design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate
Justify a stand or decision
appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh
Draw connections amoung ideas
dierentiate, organise, relate, compare, contrast, distinguish, examine, 
experiment, question, test
Use Information in new situations
execute, implement, solve, use demonstrate, interprer, operate,  
schedule, sketch
Evaluate
Analyze
Apply
Understand
Remember
Explain ideas or concepts
classify, describe, discuss, explain, identity, locate, recognize, 
report, select, translate
Recall facts and basic concepts
dene, duplicate, list, memorize. repeat, state
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Source: Vanderbilt University Centre for Teaching
Page 3


Learners will be able to- 
1. To enable learners to read and understand given texts of varied lengths from a wide range of subjects 
like arts, politics, economics, history, geography etc.
2. To apply the skills and strategies of a successful reader.
3. Read the given information critically.
w	 Skim (reading the text quickly) to get a general idea/meaning/ theme of text.
w	 Scan (look at all parts of carefully) for details.
w	 Develop reading speed.
w	 Build vocabulary.
w	 Infer meaning of unfamiliar words from the context.
w	 Dierentiate between main ideas and specic details.
w	 Be able to understand the dierence between facts and opinions.
w	 Identify author’s tone and purpose.
w	 Develop ability to infer, predict, analyse, and evaluate content in the text.
4
CHAPTER
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  STRATEGIES FOR ATTEMPTING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Strategies for attempting comprehension passages-
1. Read the passage quickly to understand the main idea.
2. It is advisable to underline the main points, identifying key words and statements, while reading the 
passage.
3. Scan through all the questions.
4. It is benecial to underline the detail/ information asked for in the questions to avoid misinterpretation 
of the question.
GOALS
4.2
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING
Example: What did Rohan seek while climbing the mountain?
Underlining brings clarity ……the answer should be based on the object/ emotion/ state of mind 
sought by Rohan and not diculties faced while ascending the mountain etc.
5. Reread the passage, marking the specic information related to questions.
6. There is often ambiguity in the answers provided in multiple-choice questions. Many a time, students 
feel that two answers are appropriate in the context. However, there will always be ne dierences. One 
answer may be incomplete compared to another, or the inference may be varied. Therefore, re-read and 
choose carefully.
Example-refer to sample passage 3, Q1.
Q1.  We lose privacy on social networking sites because
 a) We put many photographs on the site.
 b) Sites require us to share a great deal of our personal information.
 c) We choose wrong friends.
 d) Youngsters are generally careless.
In the question all options seem to be valid. However, when you go through the passage again, you 
realize that (b) is the correct answer in context of the passage.
7. Sometimes readers feel none of the given choices answer the question. Again, it is reiterated that reread 
and choose carefully.
8. Finally, review before you move on to the next question.
  BLOOMS TAXONOMY
Blooms taxonomy gives the students an idea of higher and lower order thinking skills. The students will be 
tested on all areas depicted in the pyramid.
Create
Produce new or original work
Design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate
Justify a stand or decision
appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh
Draw connections amoung ideas
dierentiate, organise, relate, compare, contrast, distinguish, examine, 
experiment, question, test
Use Information in new situations
execute, implement, solve, use demonstrate, interprer, operate,  
schedule, sketch
Evaluate
Analyze
Apply
Understand
Remember
Explain ideas or concepts
classify, describe, discuss, explain, identity, locate, recognize, 
report, select, translate
Recall facts and basic concepts
dene, duplicate, list, memorize. repeat, state
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Source: Vanderbilt University Centre for Teaching
4.3
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Types of Questions
A reading comprehension passage attempts to test a student’ s reading skills, and ability to recall, understand, 
apply, analyze, evaluate and create content based on the passage. A variety of questions are framed to cover 
the above listed areas of Bloom’s taxonomy. The following are examples of the types of questions that are 
based on the passage.
? Asking specic details from the content/body of the passage - remember and understand
? Determining the meaning of words/phrases/idioms used in the passage (from the context) - understand 
and apply
? Drawing inferences and conclusions - analyze, evaluate
? Identifying the tone of the speaker /author/ passage - evaluate
? Main idea/theme of the passage - understand, apply, evaluate
? Suitable title for the passage - understand, evaluate, create
How to Improve Reading Speed
Reading any text is often a challenge for many people, especially if it is not your mother tongue. Several 
techniques can be applied to improve reading speed.
1. Read early in the day/or whenever you are the most receptive, and in a quiet environment.
2. Do not read aloud. It hampers speed.
3. Sometimes it is benecial to cover the text you have already gone through to prevent your eyes from 
straying to the previously read content.
4. Set a speed faster than you can understand. You may not comprehend the material at rst, but stay 
focused on the text, and keep your eyes moving. Set yourself a time limit. Gradually your speed will 
increase and you will begin to comprehend the text.
5. If you want to get a gist or general idea of a text, a newspaper/ magazine article, or prepare for an 
examination, skimming through the subject matter helps. However, reading the text in detail is the only 
way to get a complete understanding of any written material.
6. Read the main and sub heading, tabular material and table of contents to get an idea of the information 
contained in the text. An idea of the content increases reading speed.
7. It helps in reading the beginning and end of any text, article, paragraph etc. Reading the rst and last 
paragraphs and lines gives an idea of the content. If you are familiar with it, reading becomes faster.
8. Underline/ highlight important words in the text. It helps in picking out the important aspects and 
mark crucial areas of the subject. It also helps build vocabulary.
9. It is a good strategy to practice often and time your reading speed. Time yourself each time you speed 
read. Try to improve your speed each time. You can try the following method.
? Get an idea of number of words in a page by counting the words in a line and thereafter multiply it 
with number of lines in the page.
? Put a time limit for yourself, say half an hour and check how much text you can cover in that time.
? Use simple mathematics of multiplying the number of pages/ words by the time taken to read 
them to assess your reading speed per minute.
Page 4


Learners will be able to- 
1. To enable learners to read and understand given texts of varied lengths from a wide range of subjects 
like arts, politics, economics, history, geography etc.
2. To apply the skills and strategies of a successful reader.
3. Read the given information critically.
w	 Skim (reading the text quickly) to get a general idea/meaning/ theme of text.
w	 Scan (look at all parts of carefully) for details.
w	 Develop reading speed.
w	 Build vocabulary.
w	 Infer meaning of unfamiliar words from the context.
w	 Dierentiate between main ideas and specic details.
w	 Be able to understand the dierence between facts and opinions.
w	 Identify author’s tone and purpose.
w	 Develop ability to infer, predict, analyse, and evaluate content in the text.
4
CHAPTER
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  STRATEGIES FOR ATTEMPTING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Strategies for attempting comprehension passages-
1. Read the passage quickly to understand the main idea.
2. It is advisable to underline the main points, identifying key words and statements, while reading the 
passage.
3. Scan through all the questions.
4. It is benecial to underline the detail/ information asked for in the questions to avoid misinterpretation 
of the question.
GOALS
4.2
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING
Example: What did Rohan seek while climbing the mountain?
Underlining brings clarity ……the answer should be based on the object/ emotion/ state of mind 
sought by Rohan and not diculties faced while ascending the mountain etc.
5. Reread the passage, marking the specic information related to questions.
6. There is often ambiguity in the answers provided in multiple-choice questions. Many a time, students 
feel that two answers are appropriate in the context. However, there will always be ne dierences. One 
answer may be incomplete compared to another, or the inference may be varied. Therefore, re-read and 
choose carefully.
Example-refer to sample passage 3, Q1.
Q1.  We lose privacy on social networking sites because
 a) We put many photographs on the site.
 b) Sites require us to share a great deal of our personal information.
 c) We choose wrong friends.
 d) Youngsters are generally careless.
In the question all options seem to be valid. However, when you go through the passage again, you 
realize that (b) is the correct answer in context of the passage.
7. Sometimes readers feel none of the given choices answer the question. Again, it is reiterated that reread 
and choose carefully.
8. Finally, review before you move on to the next question.
  BLOOMS TAXONOMY
Blooms taxonomy gives the students an idea of higher and lower order thinking skills. The students will be 
tested on all areas depicted in the pyramid.
Create
Produce new or original work
Design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate
Justify a stand or decision
appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh
Draw connections amoung ideas
dierentiate, organise, relate, compare, contrast, distinguish, examine, 
experiment, question, test
Use Information in new situations
execute, implement, solve, use demonstrate, interprer, operate,  
schedule, sketch
Evaluate
Analyze
Apply
Understand
Remember
Explain ideas or concepts
classify, describe, discuss, explain, identity, locate, recognize, 
report, select, translate
Recall facts and basic concepts
dene, duplicate, list, memorize. repeat, state
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Source: Vanderbilt University Centre for Teaching
4.3
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Types of Questions
A reading comprehension passage attempts to test a student’ s reading skills, and ability to recall, understand, 
apply, analyze, evaluate and create content based on the passage. A variety of questions are framed to cover 
the above listed areas of Bloom’s taxonomy. The following are examples of the types of questions that are 
based on the passage.
? Asking specic details from the content/body of the passage - remember and understand
? Determining the meaning of words/phrases/idioms used in the passage (from the context) - understand 
and apply
? Drawing inferences and conclusions - analyze, evaluate
? Identifying the tone of the speaker /author/ passage - evaluate
? Main idea/theme of the passage - understand, apply, evaluate
? Suitable title for the passage - understand, evaluate, create
How to Improve Reading Speed
Reading any text is often a challenge for many people, especially if it is not your mother tongue. Several 
techniques can be applied to improve reading speed.
1. Read early in the day/or whenever you are the most receptive, and in a quiet environment.
2. Do not read aloud. It hampers speed.
3. Sometimes it is benecial to cover the text you have already gone through to prevent your eyes from 
straying to the previously read content.
4. Set a speed faster than you can understand. You may not comprehend the material at rst, but stay 
focused on the text, and keep your eyes moving. Set yourself a time limit. Gradually your speed will 
increase and you will begin to comprehend the text.
5. If you want to get a gist or general idea of a text, a newspaper/ magazine article, or prepare for an 
examination, skimming through the subject matter helps. However, reading the text in detail is the only 
way to get a complete understanding of any written material.
6. Read the main and sub heading, tabular material and table of contents to get an idea of the information 
contained in the text. An idea of the content increases reading speed.
7. It helps in reading the beginning and end of any text, article, paragraph etc. Reading the rst and last 
paragraphs and lines gives an idea of the content. If you are familiar with it, reading becomes faster.
8. Underline/ highlight important words in the text. It helps in picking out the important aspects and 
mark crucial areas of the subject. It also helps build vocabulary.
9. It is a good strategy to practice often and time your reading speed. Time yourself each time you speed 
read. Try to improve your speed each time. You can try the following method.
? Get an idea of number of words in a page by counting the words in a line and thereafter multiply it 
with number of lines in the page.
? Put a time limit for yourself, say half an hour and check how much text you can cover in that time.
? Use simple mathematics of multiplying the number of pages/ words by the time taken to read 
them to assess your reading speed per minute.
4.4
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING
10. You have to set yourself a target of the time and pace which you want to achieve in improving your 
reading speed. Adopting the strategies mentioned above will denitely help you improve. Sometimes 
people even double their speed in a few weeks. Self motivation and regular practice is the best way to 
attain your goal.
The varied speed at which people read are classied as follows:
? An individual aged 12 or above is supposed to read 200–250 words per minute.
? College students generally read at 300wpm.
? If you’re reading 450 wpm, you will be skimming the text for main points. At this speed, you should be 
able to understand almost the complete text.
? A reading speed of 600–700 wpm, is used for looking for some specic information in a text.. Most people 
can learn to read at this speed with about 75% of their normal comprehension.
? At 1,000 wpm and above, you’re reaching the level of competitive speed readers. This usually requires 
extreme techniques that skip over most of the text. Most people can’t remember much at this speed.
Tips
	? Take a break after about half an hour. This helps to remain focused and reduce eye strain.
	? Practicing in a place that is quiet with no distractions and which is well-lit and ventilated is 
recommended.
	? Don’t change the text you are reading too often. It makes comprehension and maintaining reading 
speed dicult.
	? Make sure your speed reading is not hampering your understanding of the text.
	? A fresh mind and ability to concentrate is a pre requisite for reading important texts. Some people 
function well in the morning, while others think better in the afternoon or evening.
Vocabulary Enhancement
Learning new vocabulary is never easy. Here are some suggestions to enhance your word power.
1. Reading extensively whether it is magazines, newspapers, novels or any other texts exposes you to a 
wide range of vocabulary.
2. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to look up meanings of new words. You will also come to know which 
is the most appropriate in the context.
3. Read material that interests you. It strengthens word associations and meanings. For example, reading 
engaging stories helps learners build emotional and sensory contexts around new vocabulary.
4. Learn groups of words that come together. E.g. It is easier to memorize and recall ‘ock of sheep’ than 
just ‘ock’ .
5. It is impossible to memorize all the words we come across. One way to enhance vocabulary to put the 
words you wish to memorize where you will see them frequently - on a wall, computer (make it your 
screen saver), on desktop, notebook- anything you will view frequently.
6. A successful way of building vocabulary is to make associations with the word which you will always 
recall, for example ‘gigantic’ , linking it to the huge God statue in your vicinity will always help remember 
the meaning.
Page 5


Learners will be able to- 
1. To enable learners to read and understand given texts of varied lengths from a wide range of subjects 
like arts, politics, economics, history, geography etc.
2. To apply the skills and strategies of a successful reader.
3. Read the given information critically.
w	 Skim (reading the text quickly) to get a general idea/meaning/ theme of text.
w	 Scan (look at all parts of carefully) for details.
w	 Develop reading speed.
w	 Build vocabulary.
w	 Infer meaning of unfamiliar words from the context.
w	 Dierentiate between main ideas and specic details.
w	 Be able to understand the dierence between facts and opinions.
w	 Identify author’s tone and purpose.
w	 Develop ability to infer, predict, analyse, and evaluate content in the text.
4
CHAPTER
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  STRATEGIES FOR ATTEMPTING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Strategies for attempting comprehension passages-
1. Read the passage quickly to understand the main idea.
2. It is advisable to underline the main points, identifying key words and statements, while reading the 
passage.
3. Scan through all the questions.
4. It is benecial to underline the detail/ information asked for in the questions to avoid misinterpretation 
of the question.
GOALS
4.2
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING
Example: What did Rohan seek while climbing the mountain?
Underlining brings clarity ……the answer should be based on the object/ emotion/ state of mind 
sought by Rohan and not diculties faced while ascending the mountain etc.
5. Reread the passage, marking the specic information related to questions.
6. There is often ambiguity in the answers provided in multiple-choice questions. Many a time, students 
feel that two answers are appropriate in the context. However, there will always be ne dierences. One 
answer may be incomplete compared to another, or the inference may be varied. Therefore, re-read and 
choose carefully.
Example-refer to sample passage 3, Q1.
Q1.  We lose privacy on social networking sites because
 a) We put many photographs on the site.
 b) Sites require us to share a great deal of our personal information.
 c) We choose wrong friends.
 d) Youngsters are generally careless.
In the question all options seem to be valid. However, when you go through the passage again, you 
realize that (b) is the correct answer in context of the passage.
7. Sometimes readers feel none of the given choices answer the question. Again, it is reiterated that reread 
and choose carefully.
8. Finally, review before you move on to the next question.
  BLOOMS TAXONOMY
Blooms taxonomy gives the students an idea of higher and lower order thinking skills. The students will be 
tested on all areas depicted in the pyramid.
Create
Produce new or original work
Design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate
Justify a stand or decision
appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh
Draw connections amoung ideas
dierentiate, organise, relate, compare, contrast, distinguish, examine, 
experiment, question, test
Use Information in new situations
execute, implement, solve, use demonstrate, interprer, operate,  
schedule, sketch
Evaluate
Analyze
Apply
Understand
Remember
Explain ideas or concepts
classify, describe, discuss, explain, identity, locate, recognize, 
report, select, translate
Recall facts and basic concepts
dene, duplicate, list, memorize. repeat, state
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Source: Vanderbilt University Centre for Teaching
4.3
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
Types of Questions
A reading comprehension passage attempts to test a student’ s reading skills, and ability to recall, understand, 
apply, analyze, evaluate and create content based on the passage. A variety of questions are framed to cover 
the above listed areas of Bloom’s taxonomy. The following are examples of the types of questions that are 
based on the passage.
? Asking specic details from the content/body of the passage - remember and understand
? Determining the meaning of words/phrases/idioms used in the passage (from the context) - understand 
and apply
? Drawing inferences and conclusions - analyze, evaluate
? Identifying the tone of the speaker /author/ passage - evaluate
? Main idea/theme of the passage - understand, apply, evaluate
? Suitable title for the passage - understand, evaluate, create
How to Improve Reading Speed
Reading any text is often a challenge for many people, especially if it is not your mother tongue. Several 
techniques can be applied to improve reading speed.
1. Read early in the day/or whenever you are the most receptive, and in a quiet environment.
2. Do not read aloud. It hampers speed.
3. Sometimes it is benecial to cover the text you have already gone through to prevent your eyes from 
straying to the previously read content.
4. Set a speed faster than you can understand. You may not comprehend the material at rst, but stay 
focused on the text, and keep your eyes moving. Set yourself a time limit. Gradually your speed will 
increase and you will begin to comprehend the text.
5. If you want to get a gist or general idea of a text, a newspaper/ magazine article, or prepare for an 
examination, skimming through the subject matter helps. However, reading the text in detail is the only 
way to get a complete understanding of any written material.
6. Read the main and sub heading, tabular material and table of contents to get an idea of the information 
contained in the text. An idea of the content increases reading speed.
7. It helps in reading the beginning and end of any text, article, paragraph etc. Reading the rst and last 
paragraphs and lines gives an idea of the content. If you are familiar with it, reading becomes faster.
8. Underline/ highlight important words in the text. It helps in picking out the important aspects and 
mark crucial areas of the subject. It also helps build vocabulary.
9. It is a good strategy to practice often and time your reading speed. Time yourself each time you speed 
read. Try to improve your speed each time. You can try the following method.
? Get an idea of number of words in a page by counting the words in a line and thereafter multiply it 
with number of lines in the page.
? Put a time limit for yourself, say half an hour and check how much text you can cover in that time.
? Use simple mathematics of multiplying the number of pages/ words by the time taken to read 
them to assess your reading speed per minute.
4.4
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING
10. You have to set yourself a target of the time and pace which you want to achieve in improving your 
reading speed. Adopting the strategies mentioned above will denitely help you improve. Sometimes 
people even double their speed in a few weeks. Self motivation and regular practice is the best way to 
attain your goal.
The varied speed at which people read are classied as follows:
? An individual aged 12 or above is supposed to read 200–250 words per minute.
? College students generally read at 300wpm.
? If you’re reading 450 wpm, you will be skimming the text for main points. At this speed, you should be 
able to understand almost the complete text.
? A reading speed of 600–700 wpm, is used for looking for some specic information in a text.. Most people 
can learn to read at this speed with about 75% of their normal comprehension.
? At 1,000 wpm and above, you’re reaching the level of competitive speed readers. This usually requires 
extreme techniques that skip over most of the text. Most people can’t remember much at this speed.
Tips
	? Take a break after about half an hour. This helps to remain focused and reduce eye strain.
	? Practicing in a place that is quiet with no distractions and which is well-lit and ventilated is 
recommended.
	? Don’t change the text you are reading too often. It makes comprehension and maintaining reading 
speed dicult.
	? Make sure your speed reading is not hampering your understanding of the text.
	? A fresh mind and ability to concentrate is a pre requisite for reading important texts. Some people 
function well in the morning, while others think better in the afternoon or evening.
Vocabulary Enhancement
Learning new vocabulary is never easy. Here are some suggestions to enhance your word power.
1. Reading extensively whether it is magazines, newspapers, novels or any other texts exposes you to a 
wide range of vocabulary.
2. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to look up meanings of new words. You will also come to know which 
is the most appropriate in the context.
3. Read material that interests you. It strengthens word associations and meanings. For example, reading 
engaging stories helps learners build emotional and sensory contexts around new vocabulary.
4. Learn groups of words that come together. E.g. It is easier to memorize and recall ‘ock of sheep’ than 
just ‘ock’ .
5. It is impossible to memorize all the words we come across. One way to enhance vocabulary to put the 
words you wish to memorize where you will see them frequently - on a wall, computer (make it your 
screen saver), on desktop, notebook- anything you will view frequently.
6. A successful way of building vocabulary is to make associations with the word which you will always 
recall, for example ‘gigantic’ , linking it to the huge God statue in your vicinity will always help remember 
the meaning.
4.5
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES
7. Many experts advice that to build vocabulary, ‘learn a dedicated memorization strategy that uses 
some form of mnemonics (a system such as pattern of letters, ideas, or associations which assists 
in remembering something’).
8. Lastly dedication and perseverance, of course, play a key role in the eort to build a large, 
comprehensive vocabulary.
Sample Passages
Passages of differing lengths and a range of topics have been included to expose students to varied types 
of content.
Passage 1
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
What is spirituality? It is nothing but living life sensibly, striking a balance with your material life, neglecting 
neither. We have around us the immediate reality, the world. Living sensibly, and perfectly in this world is 
important and is our immediate goal. We have to consider both material and spiritual parts. We have to burn 
karmas by meditation and gain freedom from all types of bondages. We have to gain freedom at several 
levels before achieving the nal freedom, Moksha, the ultimate goal. We have to emote and think without 
any past inuences; this is possible by meditation. Meditation is a must even to live our material life sensibly. 
But mere meditation won’t make us spiritual. We have to allow the inuence of meditation into our daily life.
So from now, let us step complaining, grumbling and feeling disgusted with the systems we have. Let us 
begin channeling Light to these systems and the people, instead. Of course, we complain about others. 
Sometimes by mistake, we also grumble about and condemn ourselves.
We know, when we channel light, we can bring changes and completely prevent destruction or minimize it, 
at least. Let us change ourselves. Then the systems change automatically. If you change, people around you 
also change. So channel light daily for at least seven minutes- Heal yourself and the world.
(Source: The Speaking Tree)
Q1. Give a suitable title to the passage.
Q2. Express the main idea of the passage in two to three sentences.
Passage 2
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Three years ago, technophobic Sushmi Ghosh refused to exchange her feature phone for a smart phone. 
But last month, the 45-years-old high schoolteacher ordered a front-loading washing machine through an 
e-retailer’s app on her iPhone. “I was pleasantly surprised,” she said, “It was not only delivered in a day but 
also installed immediately. I didn’t have to walk to a shop in this heat. I saved some money too because I 
bought it during a sale.” Online sales of large appliances have boomed in the past two years as e-retailers 
have addressed buyers’ delivery and installation concerns. While they also oered discounts earlier, delivery 
took days and installation was another waiting game, with further uncertainty about warranty.
During its recently concluded sale, Amazon claimed in the rst day it sold around half (20,000 units) of 
the average daily TV sales in India. “There has been a huge shift in the number of brands that want to do 
business with us, ” said Manish Tiwary, VP (category management), Amazon India.