Question

1. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow (15 marks)

Title: Dreams to Reality

It was evening in the seaside town of Rameshwaram, on the southern Tamil Nadu. A cool breeze was gently blowing in from the sea. The children were playing on the beach and amongst them was a boy with wavy hair and dreamy eyes. This youngster was Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam who later became the eleventh President of India. While spending time with his friends, Abdul was attracted by the sound of the birds flying above. He carefully observed that a baby birds hovering on a boat and trying to take off. It spread its wings, fluttered briefly and sprang up. How Abdul wished he could fly like those beauties in the air! This passion for flying, aroused by the beautiful birds, later inspired Abdul Kalam to design India’s first rocket which successfully sent a satellite Rohini, into orbit on 18th July 1980. It was called the SLV-3 (Satellite Launch Vehicle). At the time when Abdul was growing up, no one had even dreamt of such a happening. Rameshwaram, where Abdul was born on 15th October 1931, was a small town with narrow streets lined with old houses made of limestone and brick. Abdul stayed in the house with his father, mother, brothers and sister and led a secure and happy childhood. The main income for Abdul’s family came from taking pilgrims across the sea between Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. Pilgrims visiting Rameshwaram made it a point to visit Dhanushkodi, twenty kilometers away in the sea. Dhanushkodi has religious significance. Taking travellers in the boat fetched good money and the family lived comfortably. However, a devastating cyclone lashed the shores of Rameshwaram and their boat was destroyed. The family lost their only source of livelihood in one swift, tragic stroke. Abdul in order to help his family decided to collect tamarind and sell them to a shop near his house. His family wanted him to concentrate on his studies. He said he would study as well as help his family. Reluctantly, everyone agreed. Even while studying or enjoying the evenings with his friends on the beach, he set aside some time to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a nearby shop. For this he was paid a princely sum of one anna! Besides, apart from selling tamarind seeds, he also helped his cousin Samsuddin to sell the popular Tamil newspaper Dinamani to earn a little more money. Early in the morning, several bundles of the newspaper, printed in Madras (now Chennai), were thrown on to the platform of Rameshwaram railway station from passing trains. This is how Abdul earned his first wages. However, it was the joy of being able to care for his family that Abdul cherished most. Even decades later, he recalls earning his own money for the first time, with immense pleasure and a sense of pride.

Answer the following questions

a. Do as directed: (4)

(i) Which word in passage means ‘joyful’ or ‘glad’?

(ii) Give synonyms - nearby , comfortably

(iii) Give the antonyms - sell , agree

(iv) Which word in the passage means ‘religious travellers'?

b. What inspired Abdul Kalam to design the SLV-3? (2 ½ )

c. Where is Rameshwaram and what kind of town is it? (1)

d. What was the source of income of Kalam’s family? (2 ½ )

e. How did the family of Kalam lose everything? (1)

f. What did Abdul Kalam first do to help his family? (1)

g. In what way did Kalam help his cousin? (1)

h. State whether the following statements are true or false and explain why. (2)

(i) Abdul Kalam stayed with his aunt and uncle after the cyclone destroyed his town.

(ii) He enjoyed travelling by train.


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Answer 1

Answer:

in the seaside town of Rameshwaram, on the southern Tamil Nadu