Question

Passage 2
So many things that make life rough around the edges-an indiscriminate dent in your car, a
door slammed in your face-are due to lack of consideration. Imagine, for a minute, a world
where everyone is just a little kinder. When you're trying to merge in traffic, someone lets you
in. At the supermarket, you allow a person in a hurry to go ahead of you in the checkout
queue.
A new theory called 'survival of the nicest' says that because of kindness, the human race
prospered as a species. Professor Sam Bowles analysed ancient societies and found that
kindness was a key component of the survival of communities. "Groups with many altruists
tend to survive", he says.
Research shows kindness can also make us happier. Kindness can help regulate emotions,
which has a positive impact on our health. If our inbuilt flight or fight' response becomes
over reactive due to stress, it affects our cardio-vascular system and weakens the body's
immunity. "It is difficult to be angry, resentful or fearful when one is showing unselfish love
towards another person”, says Professor Stephen Post.
Kindness may be a virtue, but that doesn't mean it's easy. A lot of people are uncomfortable
getting a gift from a stranger. Some people give it back saying "I don't want your kindness".
Kindness has another similarity with happiness – it can't be bought. One synonym for the
word kindness is the term humanity. Kindness is essentially a recognition of the fact that
we're all human, an acknowledgement that we're all together. "Most of what makes life worth
living depends on at least some of us being altruistic some of the time," says Bowles, "People
should simply do more acts of kindness than they usually do and do them on a regular basis”.
Kindness is just a matter of choice — an attitude you carry with you that you can make a
difference, however small, in someone else's life. Diego Villaveces believes kindness has to
begin within ourselves. "Sometimes we lock people out to keep ourselves safe, but that also
isolates us from the rest of the world”, he says. "Every major religion has love as a universal
principle. Showing a little bit of kindness to people recognises that everyone around you is
just like yourself.
Questions:
(a) What message is the passage trying to convey?
(b) How does kindness make life easier?
(c) What is the similarity between kindness, happiness and humanity?
(d) Why is kindness not easy?
Fill in the blanks.
(e) A word meaning thoughtless' in para 1 is .........
(f) A synonym for the word kindness in para 2 is
(g) A word meaning inherent in para 3 is.
(h) A word meaning "common' in para 6 is......
Passage 3​

Answer 1

Answer:

1. the message conveyed here is that despite defamation or disrespect by others, we should still choose to be kind and gentle as it can make all the difference.
2. Kindness can help regulate emotions, which has a positive impact on our health.
3. The similarity between the three is that kindness makes us happier, and is synonymous with the term humanity.
4. Kindness is not easy as some people feel uncomfortable or unwilling of other's kindness and would likely not return the gesture.
5. indiscriminate
6. altruist?
7. inbuilt
8. universal