Q1.Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate option- 5x1=5M Many great inventions are initially greeted with ridicule and disbelief. The invention of the airplane was no exception. The idea of flying an aircraft was repulsive to some people. Such people called Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first flying machine, were ridiculed too initially. Negative reactions, however, did not stop the Wrights. Impelled by their desire to succeed, they continued their experiments in aviation. Orville and Wilbur Wright had always had a compelling interest in aeronautics and mechanics. As young boys they earned money by making and selling kites and mechanical toys. Later, they designed a newspaperfolding machine, built a printing press, and operated a bicycle-repair shop. In 1896, when they read about the death of Otto Lilienthal, the brothers’ interest in flight grew into a compulsion. Lilienthal, a pioneer in hang-gliding, had controlled his gliders by shifting his body in the desired direction. This idea was repellent to the Wright brothers, however, and they searched for more efficient methods to control the balance of airborne vehicles. In 1900 and 1901, the Wrights tested numerous gliders and developed control techniques. In 1903 the Wrights built their first airplane, which cost less than $1,000. They even designed and built their own source of propulsion-a lightweight gasoline engine. When they started the engine on December 17, the airplane pulsated wildly before taking off. The plane managed to stay aloft for 12 seconds, however, and it flew 120 feet. By 1905, the Wrights had perfected the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time. Others had flown in balloons and hang gliders, but the Wright brothers were the first to build a full-size machine that could fly under its own power. As the contributors of one of the most outstanding engineering achievements in history, the Wright brothers are accurately called the fathers of aviation. i.Some people considered the idea of flying an aircraft __________. (a)boring (b)repulsive (c)exciting (d)needless ii.What were people’s initial reaction to the ideas of Wright brothers regarding flying? (a)They welcomed these ideas. (b)They made fun of these ideas. (c)They were excited about these ideas. (d)All of the above iii. Wright brothers gained an interest in aeronautics and mechanics during their childhood__________________________. (a)while they were selling newspapers as young boys. (b)while they were playing with mechanical toys. (c)as they earned their money by selling kites and mechanical toys. (d)None of these iv. Lilienthal’s idea about controlling airborne vehicles was _________ the Wrights. (a)proven wrong by (b)opposite to the ideas of (c)disliked by (d)improved by (b)pulsated v. The word used for the terms ‘staying upward in the air’ as given in the passage is- (a) aloft (c)outstanding (d)perfected
Answers
Billy gripped tightly as he reached for the next wood plank. Each step was nailed into the large oak tree
about one foot above the last. But, near the top, they thinned out with gaps left where some of the old,
rotting pieces had fallen off.
Billy struggled to the top and pulled himself into the tree house, bringing down a wall of spider webs
with his face as he entered. Swatting and spitting the webs away, he glanced around. He had psyched
himself up for something big and felt simultaneously relieved and disappointed to find a boring, empty
room. No pile of gold, no skeletons, no lavish bed.
He sat down and let his legs swing outside the open doorway, sending tingles of fear up his body like
the top of a rollercoaster hill. He spotted Gramps' house through the trees. Every time Billy visited his
grandfather, he would go exploring the first chance he had. Gramps lived only a few hours' drive from
New York City, but his mossy surroundings felt a world away from Billy's apartment.
It was getting dark earlier, and Billy was surprised to see the sun already starting to set. His stomach
grumbled for dinner, confirming that he'd lost track of time. A faded oriental rug sat at the center of the
room. The floorboards creaked as Billy -stepped to the rug, touching its intricate pattern. It was oddly
warm for a rug up in a chilly tree house.
He started to walk across the rug, but suddenly his knees went weak, his stomach flew to the sky, and
his scream got