Question

Reading Skill

1. Read the following passage carefully

1. All along the 450-mile stretch of west coast of America is the home of the tallest trees in the world. Once, in this narrow hinterland of the Pacific Coast, from California to Southern Oregon, were two million acres of these trees, the Coast Redwood. Today there are just a few hundred acres of them in Redwood Belt's scattering of State Parks, protected forest reserves amidst which are stands of the giants.

2. About 25 miles due south of San Jose and the heart of Silicon Valley is one of the smaller of these stands, just 40 acres in the midst of the 4650-acre Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. And there I found myself that morning not so long ago peering up to spot the tops of trees that seemed to be touching the skies. All I got was a crick in the neck. A tip for other Escapists. Stick to looking at the thick and rough barked trunks.

3. But even looking at a trunk when you try to grab a view of the Giant's trunk from close can be quite a challenge. The Giant, the Star of the Park, has a trunk with a circumference of over 50 feet and a diameter of 17 feet. May be you can, but I couldn't take it all in. Nor could I come anywhere near taking in the whole 275 feet of the Giant's height. Once the tallest Redwood, it lost its title when a storm several years ago knocked down 75 feet of its top to bring it to its present height. But it'll need the mother of all storms for its record of being the oldest tree in the park—an estimated 2000- plus years old—to be knocked down.

4. You wonder at such a giant growing from a tiny seed; 100,000 seeds to a pound will give you an idea of how tiny! You wonder too about the marvel of a root system that sinks only six to twelve feet holding up such giants till the ranger you are talking to explains that the roots spread laterally and intertwine with the roots of other Redwoods to create a carpet.




On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer the questions that follow. 5×2=10

(a) How many acres were covered by these Redwood trees? How many are left now?
(b) Why are these forests protected?
(c) How do the Redwood trees appear?
(d) Why does the writer advise visitors not to raise their necks?
(e) What does the author mean by 'Star of the Park'?​

Answer 1

Answers:

1. The Redwoods trees spread over the area of 4610 acres while the 40 acres was the redwoods, State Park.

2. These trees are protected because only a few of them are left. Storms and winds damage hundreds of trees.

3. Redwood trees appear to be very tall and strong.

4.  Because he got a crick when he looked up.

5. Because it has a circumference of more than 50 feet.

Answer 2

Explanation:

(e) What does the author mean by 'Star of the Park'?