Question

Read the passage given below :
(1) On November the first, Chandran left his bed at 5 a.m. bathed in cold water, and sat at his study table, even before his mother, the earliest riser the house, was up. He sat there strengthening himself with several resolutions. One was that he would get up every day at the same hour, bathe in cold water, and get through three hours of solid work before starting for the college. The second resolution was that he would be back home before eight in the evening and study till eleven-thirty. He also resolved not to smoke because it was bad for the heart, and a very sound heart was necessary for the examination.
(2) He took out a sheet of paper and noted down all his subjects. He calculated the total number of preparation hours that were available from November the first to March. He had before him over a thousand hours, including the twelve hour, preparation on holidays. Of these thousand hours a just allotment of so many hundred hours was to be made for Modern History, Ancient History, Political Theories, Greek Drama, Eighteenth-century Prose, and Shakespeare. He then drew up a very complicated time-table, which would enable one to pay equal attention to all subjects. Balance in preparation was everything. What was the use of being able to score a hundred percent in Modern History if Shakespeare was going to drag you in the mire ? Out of the daily six hours, three were to be devoted to the Optional Subjects and three to the compulsory. In the morning the compulsory subjects, and Literature at night. European History needed all the freshness and sharpness of the morning brain, while it would be a real pleasure to read Literature in the evenings. He put down for that day Othello and the Modern Period in Indian History. He would finish these two in about forty-eight hours and then take up Milton and Greek History.
(3) And he settled down to his programme with a scowl on his face.
(4) The Modern Period in Indian History, which he had to take up immediately, presented innumerable difficulties. The texts on the subject were many, the notes of class lectures very bulky. Chandran sat for nearly half an hour lost in this problem.
(5) The household was up by this time. His father was in the garden, minutely examining the plants for evidence of any miracle which might have happened overnight.
(A) Answer the following questions :
(a) What was Chandran's resolution related to health ?
(b) Why did he form a very complicated time-table ? Which subjects did he choose for the morning hours?
(c) Why did he prefer literature for the evening and how much time did he decide to devote on this compulsory subject ?
(d) Why did he have a scowl on his face ?
(B) Select the correct word/phrases from the given options which mean the same as the following :
(a) not optional
(i) resolution (ii) compulsory (iii) preparation (iv) immediately
(b) very difficult
(i) strengthening (ii) necessary (iii) evidence (iv) complicated
(c) determination
(i) resolution (ii) freshness (iii) sharpness (iv) innumerable
(d) gloomy expression
(i) drag (ii) scowl (iii) bulky (iv) pleasure

Answer 1

(A) (a) Chandran's resolution related to health was that he would get up everyday at 5 AM and bathe in cold water He also resolved not to smoke. (b) He formed a very complicated tone -table as he thought that it would enable him to pay equal attention to all subjects. He chose compulsory subjects for the morning hours. (c) He preferred literature for the evening because it was rather easier for him to be enjoyed at that time. He decided to devote three hours on his compulsory subject (d) He had a scowl on his face because the time table was so complicated that it was not as easy to follow it as he thought (2x4=8 marks) (B) (a) ((i) compulsory (b) (iv) complicated (c) (I) resolution (d) scowl