Direction: Choose the word which is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.

Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
The balance wheel whirled and the rusty food pedal clattered up and down. The needle hopped over the smooth stitching pleats, folds and moving smoothly around the neckline. The reel of cotton thread jumped and shook on its needle stand. “Stop, you are making me dizzy”, said the reel. “stop, grumbling, you foolish thing”,
said the pedal. “If anyone should grumble, it is me”, said the small reel inside the bobbin. When the needle moved, it took the thread from the bobbin and made stitches under the cloth “I do all the important work and here I am stuck up day and night in this stuffy box. You all have a fine time sitting there staring at the world”, he continued.
“Now children”, said the kindly old balance wheel,' 'You all know what important work the lady is doing today. She is stitching a school dress for her daughter who will be admitted in school tomorrow. We must all work hard and stitch it beautifully”. “I have had enough food today. It is too hot here and I am tired of the needle poking his nose in all the time”, said the small reel. “Listen my children”, continued the old wheel. “I have been with this machine for about hundred years. At first we belonged to a dress maker. He made us work hard. One day this lady's grandfather come to the shop. He liked the machine and bought it. The old gentleman wanted his daughters to learn sewing but they did not use us much. Still, we were fed regularly with oil and cleaned by the servants for years. We have stood in this corner and seen many things. We saw the old gentleman die. His children then started quarrelling. Slowly they became poor. The servants were dismissed. Then one by one, the children went away and the house was closed. After many years this lady came with her husband. She had a daughter after a few years. The lady started using us after pouring oil into these old joints. She did not listen to her husband's suggestion to sell us off to a scrapdealer.”
As the wheel finished everyone was quiet for some time. Then the reel said, “We are very sorry and we would rather break into pieces than let down the lady.” They all continued to work till the scissors snipped the thread and the beautiful dress was ready.

Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.
Survival is the most essential factor for every living organism. People resort to different tricks to make both ends meet. One such live instances is mentioned here. Villagers of Makhrada village believed that a witch lived in the denseforest near Makhrada. The passers by were much harassed by the witch who used to frighten them and also took their belongings. In the village there lived a young man named Dhiru who was fond of adventures. When he heard about the witch, he did not believe that it was one of the witches who ate flesh. But there was something elseabout the witch, which made Dhiru curious. She did not eat flest but took away the belongings of the people. Therefore, he was keen to solve this mystery.
He set out with a bag of mangoes. He walked through the forest till it was midway. He took shelter under a shady tree and pretended to be fast asleep. However, after some time, he really fell as leep. After a while, he felt that someone was trying to snatch his bag of mangoes, Suddenly, he woke up and caught hold of the person. It was the witch who tried to frighten Dhiru and run away. But Dhiru was strong and bold enough to hold the withc fast. The witch finally surrendered. Dhiru forced has to tell him who she really was. The witch removed her mask and narrated her and story. She told that she was a poor old widow and she had nobody to look after her. Therefore, she used to live in the forest, wearing a fearful-looking mask. People passing through the forest got frightened due to her appearance and took her for a witch. She then robbed the people of their belongings to make both ends meet. Dhiru took pity on her and gave her the bag of ranages.