Direction: In the following questions, you have two passages with 5 questions in each passage. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
PASSAGE
The advent of electric power was, in a way, comparable to the successful development and application of nuclear power in the 20th century. In fact, the historical roots of electricity extend far back into antiquity. Many men had a hand both in acquiring basic knowledge about the invisible form of power and in developing the ways adopted for practical purpose. One of the vital keys that helped to unlock the doors leading to the production of electricity was the discovery, in 1831, of the principle of electromagnetic induction. This discovery was made simultaneously by Michael Faraday in England and Joseph Henry in the United States. From it came the generator, sometimes also called the dynamo but several decades of development had to follow before the first practical dynamos or generator came into existence in early 1870.
SOME IMPORTANT WORDS
(1)advent (N.) : the coming of an important event, person, invention, etc.
(2) antiquity (N.) : the ancient past

Direction: In the following questions, you have two passages with 5 questions in each passage. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
PASSAGE
The reports published by a Delhi based nongovernmental organization working for the elimination of child labour in India suggest that there is no end in sight to the sordid saga of child labour. The studies conducted reveal the nightmarish ordeals that a vast majority of children undergo for getting the basic necessities of life. One of the activists narrated the heart-rending and shocking stories of many hapless children. He accused the society of insensitivity towards this vulnerable section. It is said that more than five percent of the total Indian population are child workers. Tens of thousands are chiefly engaged in agriculture in rural areas and in a variety of industries in urban areas. Children as young as seven years of age spend days stitching footballs, boxing and cricket gloves for export. Many children spend their entire childhood making carpets with their dexterous hands. Unofficial figures suggest that as many as 40 to 100 million children work in hazardous industries like glassware, fireworks, quarries etc. Many of them have been forced to work in unhygienic conditions often on a casual basis.
SOME IMPORTANT WORDS
(1) sordid (Adj.) : very dirty and unpleasant
(2) saga (N.) : a long series of events/adventures and/ or a report about them
(3) nightmarish (Adj.) : very frightening and unpleasant
(4) ordeals (N.) : a difficult/unpleasant experience
(5)heart-rending (Adj.) : causing feelings of great sadness ; heart-breaking
(6) hapless (Adj.) : not lucky ; unfortunate
(7) vulnerable (Adj.) : weak and easily hurt physically/ emotionally
(8) dexterous (Adj.) : skilful with your hands; skilfully done
(9) hazardous (Adj.) : involving risk/danger, especially to somebody’s health/safety