List of top Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Questions

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Astronomers on April 10 unveiled the first photo of a black hole, one of the star-devouring monsters scattered throughout the Universe and obscured by impenetrable shields of gravity. The image of a dark core encircled by a flame-orange halo of white-hot gas and plasma looks like any number of artists' renderings over the last 30 years. But this time, it's the real deal - the first ever image of a black hole was revealed.
Scientists have been puzzling over invisible 'dark stars' since the 18th century, but never has one been spied by a telescope, much less photographed. The super-massive black hole, now immortalised by a far- flung network of radio telescopes, is 50 million light-years away in a galaxy known as M87.
Most speculation had centred on the other candidate targeted by the Event Horizon Telescope - Sagittarius A(Sag A), the black hole at the centre of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Locking down an image of M87's super-massive black hole at such distance is comparable to photographing a pebble on the Moon. European Space Agency astrophysicist Paul McNamara called it an 'outstanding technical achievement'. It was also a team effort. 'Instead of constructing a giant telescope that would collapse under its own weight, we combined many observatories,' said Michael Bremer, an astronomer at the Institute for Millimetric Radio Astronomy.
Over several days in April 2017, eight radio telescopes in Hawaii, Arizona, Spain, Mexico, Chile, and the South Pole zeroed in on Sag A and M87.Knit together 'like fragments of a giant mirror', in Mr. Bremer's words, they formed a virtual observatory some 12,000 km across - roughly the diameter of Earth. In the end, M87 was more photogenic. Like a fidgety child, Sag A was too 'active' to capture a clear picture, the researchers said.

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The French Riviera is of course known for its opulence, and it is only fitting that such a novel museum has been established in this region. Launched by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor, the new museum in the Mediterranean Sea has sculptures of faces. The sculptures depict portraits of locals who live in this region, and took four years to complete. The sculptures are that of all age groups, from children, to older people. Each of these sculptures weigh 12 tons, and are installed at a depth of 3 meters. The aim of such a museum is to draw the attention of the world to the declining state of the ocean, the Mediterranean in this case.

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The educational value of reading books cannot be matched by watching television. Many have argued that children gain knowledge by watching channels such as Animal Planet and Discovery . But reading improves our language and holds our attention. Television fosters short attention span, as TV programs pack the action into 8-minute segments followed by commercial breaks.There is no time for reflection and no time to process the message being conveyed. The child's most important learning tool _asking questions_ is taken away. TV also disrupts the most important language lesson _ which is family conversation. Children imbibe false values by watching commercials, which promote the idea that the solutions to all life problems can be purchased.

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It has been part of Nelson's prayer that the British fleet might be distinguished by humanity in the victory which he expected. Setting an example himself, he twice gave orders to cease firing upon the Redoubtable, supposing that she had struck because her great guns were silent; for as she carried no flag, there was no means of instantly ascertaining the fact. From this ship, which he had thus twice spared, he received his death.A ball fired from her mizzen-top which, in the then situation of the two vessels was not more than fifteen yards from that part of the deck where he was standing, struck the epaulette on his left shoulder about a quarter after one, just in the heat of action. He fell upon his face on the spot which was covered with his poor secretary's blood. Hardy, who was a few steps from him turning round, saw three men raising him up. "They have done for me at last Hardy!" said he. "I hope not!" cried Hardy. "Yes," he replied, "my backbone is shot through!" Yet, even now not for a moment losing his presence of mind, he observed as they were carrying him down the ladder, that the tiller-ropes which had been shot away, were not yet replaced and ordered that new ones should be roped immediately.
Then that he might not be seen by the crew, he took out his handkerchief and covered his face and his stars. Had he but concealed these badges of honors from the enemy, England perhaps would not have had cause to receive with sorrow the news of the battle of Trafalgar. The cockpit was crowded with wounded and dying men; over whose bodies he was with some difficulty conveyed and laid upon a pallet in the midshipmen's berth. It was soon perceived, upon examination,that the wound was mortal. This, however, was concealed from all, except Captain Hardy, the chaplain, and the medical attendants. He himself being certain, from the sensation in his back, and the gush of blood he felt momentarily within his breast, that no human care could avail him, insisted that the surgeon should leave him and attend to those to whom he might be useful.