Comprehension

Read the following passage and complete the activities:
Passage:
One morning in a small apartment in Bombay, a girl of about sixteen looked up from the newspaper and said excitedly, "Pandit Ravi Shankar's playing tomorrow at Shanmukhananda auditorium."
"Sh-sh," said her mother, pointing to the figure sleeping on the bed. "You'll wake him up. You know he needs all the sleep and rest he can get."
But the boy on the bed was not asleep. "Pandit Ravi Shankar!" he said. "Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro?" He raised himself up on his elbows for one second and then fell back. But his eyes were shining. "We mustn't miss the chance," he said. "I've - I've always wanted to hear him and see him ..."
Smita bit her lip in self-reproach. She had been so excited at seeing the announcement that she had not remembered that her brother was very ill. She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely. Somewhere deep inside, Smita had known the frightening truth—that Anant was going to die.

Question: 1

State whether the given statements are true or false:
(i) The age of the girl was six.
(ii) The boy on the bed was fast asleep.
(iii) Pandit Ravi Shankar was a tabla maestro.
(iv) She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely.

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When answering true or false questions, always verify statements directly from the passage to ensure accuracy.

Updated On: Nov 14, 2025

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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Verifying Statement (i)
- The passage states that the girl was about"sixteen", not six.
- Correct Answer: False.

Step 2: Verifying Statement (ii)
- The passage mentions that "the boy was not asleep" but was excited about Pandit Ravi Shankar.
- Correct Answer: False.

Step 3: Verifying Statement (iii)
- The passage states that "Pandit Ravi Shankar was a sitar maestro, not a tabla maestro."
- Correct Answer: False.

Step 4: Verifying Statement (iv)
- The passage confirms that "Smita had seen the doctors shaking their heads gravely", indicating her brother was seriously ill.
- Correct Answer: True. "

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Question: 2

Complete the following statements giving reasons:
(i) Anant was better than his sister in playing sitar because \(\underline{\hspace{2cm}}.\)
(ii) The girl was excited because \(\underline{\hspace{2cm}}\).

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When answering "giving reasons" questions, always refer to specific details from the passage to justify your answer.

Updated On: Nov 14, 2025

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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding why Anant was better at playing sitar
- The passage mentions that Anant was learning to play sitar along with his sister.
- However, he was more skilled and could compose his own tunes, which surprised their Guru.
- Final Answer: Anant had more talent and astonished their Guru with his compositions.

Step 2: Understanding why the girl was excited
- The passage states that Smita (the girl) read about Pandit Ravi Shankar's concert.
- She knew that Anant always wanted to see him perform, so she became excited.
- Final Answer: The girl saw the concert announcement and knew how much it meant to Anant.

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Question: 3

**(i) Find any two adverbs from the passage ending with 'ly'.
(ii) Find any two compound words from the passage.**

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Adverbs: Words ending in 'ly' often describe how, when, or to what extent an action is performed (e.g., quickly, softly, gravely).
Compound Words: These are formed by joining two words to create a new meaning (e.g., classroom, sunlight, newspaper).

Updated On: Nov 14, 2025

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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Identifying adverbs ending with 'ly'
The passage contains the words "gravely" and "endlessly", both of which are adverbs ending in 'ly'.

Step 2: Identifying compound words
The passage contains "newspaper" (news + paper) and "self-reproach" (self + reproach).

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Question: 4

Do as directed:
(i) "I've always wanted to hear him and see him," he said.
(Change into indirect speech.)
(ii) His mother sprang to his side.
(Add a question tag.)

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Indirect Speech: Change the tense back by one step in indirect speech.
Present Perfect → Past Perfect.
Question Tags:
- Positive statements take negative tags.
- Negative statements take positive tags.
- Past tense verbs use "did" in question tags.

Updated On: Nov 14, 2025

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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Converting Direct to Indirect Speech
- The given sentence is in direct speech.
- Rules for conversion:
- Remove quotation marks.
- Change present perfect tense (I've wanted) into past perfect tense (he had wanted).
- Keep the meaning intact.
-

Final Answer: He said that he had always wanted to hear him and see him.

Step 2: Adding a Question Tag
- The sentence"His mother sprang to his side. is an affirmative statement in the past tense.
- Rules for question tags:
- Use a negative question tag after a positive statement.
- The helping verb for past simple tense is "did".
- Convert "sprang"to "did" in the tag form.
-

Final Answer: His mother sprang to his side, didn't she?

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Question: 5

Describe your experience of any musical concert that you have attended.

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When describing an experience, use descriptive words and sensory details to make the reader feel present in the moment.

Updated On: Nov 14, 2025

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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Choosing a Musical Concert Experience
- Think about a real or imaginary concert that left a strong impact.
- Mention the artist, venue, and type of music performed.

Step 2: Describing the Experience
- Talk about the ambience and audience's reaction.
- Describe the music, instruments used, and performance quality.
- Mention your feelings and emotions during the concert.

Step 3: Concluding the Experience
- Express how the experience changed or inspired you.
- End with a memorable takeaway from the concert.

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Questions Asked in Maharashtra Class X Board exam

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State whether the given statements are true or false: (i) The age of the girl was six. (ii) The boy on the bed was fast asleep. (iii) Pandit Ravi Shankar was a tabla maestro. (iv) She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely.

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Solution and Explanation

Complete the following statements giving reasons: (i) Anant was better than his sister in playing sitar because \(\underline{\hspace{2cm}}.\) (ii) The girl was excited because \(\underline{\hspace{2cm}}\).

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Solution and Explanation

(i) Find any two adverbs from the passage ending with 'ly'. (ii) Find any two compound words from the passage.

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Solution and Explanation

Do as directed: (i) "I've always wanted to hear him and see him," he said. (Change into indirect speech.) (ii) His mother sprang to his side. (Add a question tag.)

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Solution and Explanation

Describe your experience of any musical concert that you have attended.

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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension

Questions Asked in Maharashtra Class X Board exam

State whether the given statements are true or false:
(i) The age of the girl was six.
(ii) The boy on the bed was fast asleep.
(iii) Pandit Ravi Shankar was a tabla maestro.
(iv) She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely.

Complete the following statements giving reasons:
(i) Anant was better than his sister in playing sitar because \(\underline{\hspace{2cm}}.\)
(ii) The girl was excited because \(\underline{\hspace{2cm}}\).

**(i) Find any two adverbs from the passage ending with 'ly'.
(ii) Find any two compound words from the passage.**

Do as directed:
(i) "I've always wanted to hear him and see him," he said.
(Change into indirect speech.)
(ii) His mother sprang to his side.
(Add a question tag.)