10th Class English Paper 2 - Unfamiliar Passage Question and Answers

Unfamiliar Passage: (Paper-II, Q.No. 16.): Read the following passage carefully.

I. The banyan is possibly the biggest and friendliest of all our trees. We do not see many banyan trees in our cities now a days. These trees require plenty of space to spread themselves. But in our over-crowded cities, where there is barely enough living space for people, banyan trees do not have much of a chance. A full grown banyan tree
takes up as much space as a three-storeyed building. Ofcourse, many parks have banyan trees. And every village has atleast one.

The banyan trees have what are called 'aerial roots' that its branches drop to the ground, take root again and send out more branches on their own. Therefore, after some years the tree forms a forest of its own. No wonder the banyan tree was chosen to stand for the matted hair of Shiva. The aerial roots are like pillars supporting a great building. If you destroy pillars, as the building will fall and so will the banyan tree. The tree should not be planted too close to your house as you might find a branch growing through your bedroom wall.

Now answer the following questions.

A) There are five words in List 'A'. The meanings of four of them are given in List 'B'.
Choose the right word from List 'A' to match the meaning in List 'B' and write it in the space provided against each meaning.

List A: Spread ★ barely ★ over-crowded ★ aerial ★ destroy
List B: i) having thick population ........
ii) hanging in air ........
iii) expand ........
iv) ruin .......

B) Mention two things that are good about the
banyan tree.
i) ........
ii) .........

C) Complete the following sentences using a word or a phrase each.
i) 'Aerial roots' drop to the ground and .........
ii) The banyan tree is compared to ........

D) Two reasons are given in the passage - why many banyan trees are
i) .......
ii) .....

E) Answer in a word or a phrase each.
i) How are the aerial roots useful to the banyan tree?
Ans: .......
ii) What happens if the aerial roots are cut down?
Ans: .......

Answers:

I. A. 1) Over-crowded
2) aerial
3) Spread
4) destroy
B. i) It is the biggest
ii) The friendliest of all trees
C. i) take root again sending out more branches
ii) The matted hair of Shiva
D. i) The trees require plenty of space to spread themselves.
ii) A full-grown banyan tree takes up as much space as a threestoreyed building.
E. i) They support the tree like pillars.
ii) The tree will fall.
II. A. a) Antonio
b) Shylock
c) Bassanio
d) To go to Belmont to ask Portia to marry him
e) To help his friend Bassanio.
B. a) Shylock
b) To the young lawyer (Portia)
c) Because the young lawyer argued in his favour.
d) To pronounce his judgement.
e) The speaker said that he had a right to cut off a pound of fresh from Antonio's body as per the bond.

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