10 Most Important Comprehension Passages Flamingo 12th Exams

10 Most Important Comprehension Passages Flamingo 12th Exams will help to score 5 marks in the class 12 English examination. 10 Most Important Comprehension Passages Flamingo 12th Exams will provide you with an easy understanding of the book Flamingo. Revise question number 7 from 10 Most Important Comprehension Passages Flamingo 12th Exams of BSEH and CBSE.

Q. 9. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. 6 CBSE Class 12 Sample Paper 2023-24( updated on 18/01/2024)

9. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. 6
A Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the
opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to
understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. But now it was all so still! I had
counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything
had to be as quiet as Sunday morning. Through the window I saw my classmates, already in their
places, and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. I had to open
the door and go in before everybody. You can imagine how I blushed and how frightened I was.
(The Last Lesson)
i List any two sensory details present in this extract. 1

1. Opening and closing of desks
2. The teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table

ii Why does the protagonist feel anxious about entering the classroom on this particular day?
A. The classmates have started the lesson
B. The teacher is in a bad mood
C. The classroom is too quiet
D. The protagonist is running late1

A. The classmates have started the lesson
iii Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase “as quiet as Sunday morning” suggests that ____________.1

The phrase “as quiet as Sunday morning” suggests that it is unusually calm and peaceful.
iv Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that this was not the protagonist’s first
time being late to school.1

The phrase “I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen” suggests that the protagonist had used the usual commotion to go unnoticed when arriving late before.
v What does the term ‘terrible iron ruler’ indicate about M. Hamel? 1

The term ‘terrible iron ruler’ indicates that M. Hamel is strict and possibly uses the ruler for disciplinary measures.
vi Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
A. The Fears of a Latecomer
B. The Importance of Punctuality
C. The Rigidity of the School System
D. The Anxiety of a Young Student1

D. The Anxiety of a Young Student

OR

For Practice: Students can answer to practice
B Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot
boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have come to
recognise each of them.
“Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one.
“My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,” he answers simply.
“Even if she did, he will throw them off,” adds another who is wearing shoes that do not match.
When I comment on it, he shuffles his feet and says nothing. “I want shoes,” says a third boy who has
never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have seen children walking barefoot, in
cities, on village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation.
(Lost Spring)
i What is the writer’s purpose in allowing the boys to speak for themselves via dialogue, as
opposed to only a writer’s commentary ?
1
ii The line, “It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot” can be best classified as:
A. A fact
B. An opinion
C. A theme
D. A plot point
1
iii Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line, “an army of barefoot
boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon”.
1
iv Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that the writer’s association
with the boys is not a recent one.
1
v Based on the context provided in the extract, select the most likely comment that the writer
would have made, based on the boy’s reaction to the mismatched shoes.
A. “Why are your shoes mismatched? That’s not a good look.”
B. “Don’t worry about your shoes, you can wear a matching pair later.”
C. “I like your shoes. What matters is that they protect your feet.”
D. “Have you chosen to mismatch your shoes?
1
vi Complete the sentence with ONE word.
The phrase “he answers simply”, suggests that the boy’s response to the writer’s question
about why he wasn’t wearing chappals was __________________.
1

A girl from the countryside, she hadn’t gone through all the stages of worldly experience that generally precede a position of importance and sophistication that she had found herself catapulted into. She never quite recovered from the terror she felt that day. That was the end of a brief and brilliant acting career — the legal adviser, who was also a member of the Story Department, had unwittingly brought about that sad end. While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often, he looked alone and helpless … (Poets and Pancakes)
i. Select the option that completes the given sentence appropriately.
‘Stages of worldly experience’ in the given context would refer to .
A. good education to gain knowledge.
B. situations that require one to be street smart.
C. smaller, not so important roles in acting.
D. training in soft skills.
Ans. B. situations that require one to be street smart.
ii. Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following analogy:
sealed: closed :: propelled:
Ans. catapulted
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank.
The harm done to the actress was a/an
A. well-planned act.
B. unintentional act.
C. act of jealousy.
D. act of male dominance.
Ans. B. unintentional act.
iv. Based on the above extract, choose the statement that is TRUE for the legal adviser.
A. He disliked the actress from the countryside.
B. He acted after thinking through things carefully.
C. He did not gel well with others in the Department.
D. He was always dressed smartly.

Ans. C. He did not gel well with others in the Department.
v. Identify the textual clue that allows the reader to infer that the writer is sympathetic towards the professional fate of the actor. (Clue: a phrase)
Ans. sad end
vi. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per the extract. The writer uses the word ‘uniform’ to refer to the outfits of the Department members because just like a uniform 
Ans. Their uniform depicts nationalism as they were khadi dhoti and kurta.
OR
Q. 3.B

Some might make quite extravagant claims for it as being, in its highest form, a source of truth, and, in its practice, an art. Others, usually celebrities who see themselves as its victims, might despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives, or feel that it somehow diminishes them, just as in some primitive cultures it is believed that if one takes a photographic portrait of somebody then one is stealing that person’s soul. (The Interview)
i. What is the most likely reason some people consider the practice of interview to be an art? This could be because it requires

A. fluency of words.
B. sensitive and careful handling.
C. creativity and imagination.
D. probing and focusing on details.
Ans. C. creativity and imagination.
ii. Rewrite the sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with its inference. Celebrities feel that an interview diminishes them.
Ans. interview maks them appear ordinary.
iii. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below.
(1) Celebrities don’t consent to be interviewed.
(2) Interviews intrude the privacy of celebrities.
A. (1) Can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
B. (1) cannot be inferred from the extract but (2) can.
C. (1) is true but (2) is false.
D. (2) is the reason for (1).
Ans. D. (2) is the reason for (1).
iv. Rationalise, to support the given opinion: To say that an interview, in its highest form, is a source of truth, is an extravagant claim.
Ans. Interview can be false statements, hiding facts, and questions are unanswered.
v. Replace the underlined word with its antonym from the extract. Some celebrities hate the idea of having to give an interview because it makes them feel like supporters.
Ans. Victims
vi. The author’s views on interview, in the extract, can best be described as statements based on .
A. facts
B. hypothesis
C. beliefs
D. superstitions
Ans. A. facts

10 Most Important Comprehension Passages Flamingo 12th Exams

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow The Last Lesson :

For a moment I thought of
running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so
warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the
woods, and in the open field back of the sawmill the
Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more
tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the
strength to resist and hurried off to school.

Think of the meaning of Important words in the paragraph of Indigo:

1. running away: not attending
2. chirping: the sound of birds
3. drilling: parade
4. tempting: attracting

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1. What is the name of the chapter?
2. Who is ‘I’ here?
3. Why did the author not want to attend the school?
4. What were the birds doing?
5. What were the soldiers doing?
6. Why did the author hurry up for the school?

Answers:

1. The name of the textbook is “The Last Lesson.”
2. I represent the author.
3. The author didn’t want to attend school as it was a very warm day.
4. The birds were chirruping.
5. The soldiers were drilling.
6. He hurried up as he was late for the school.

ReadLearnExcel’s Complete Class 12 English (Core) Examinations Solution: e-Book

The Last Lesson Reading Comprehension of important paragraphs Class 12 English Flamingo

The Last Lesson’s reading comprehension of important passages.

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in
front of the bulletin board. For the last two years all our
bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft,
the orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to
myself, without stopping, “What can be the matter now?”

Think of the meaning of Important words in the paragraph of Indigo:

1. bulletin-board: notice board

 

1. Where did the author come from?
2. Who was standing in front of the bulletin board?
3. What were they doing in front of the bulletin board?
4. What was the bad news?
5. What was the matter that day?

Answers:

1. The author was crossing the town hall.
2. The villagers were standing in front of the bulletin board.
3. They were reading the news.
4. The loss of battle to the Germans.
5. It was the last day of the teacher, M. Hamelin, at the school.

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an elderly woman, soldering pieces of glass. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the
sanctity of the bangles she helps make. It symbolizes an Indian woman’s suhag, auspiciousness in marriage. It will dawn on her suddenly one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her hands dyed red with henna, and the red bangles rolled onto her wrists. She will then become a bride.
Questions : 1 × 5 = 5
(i) Name the chapter from which the above lines have been taken.
(ii) Name the author of the chapter.
(iii) What is Savita wearing?
(iv) What sanctity is attached to bangles?
(v) What job is Savita doing?

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

I remember a story a man from Udipi once told me. As a young boy, he would go to school past an old temple, where his father was a priest. He would stop briefly at the temple and pray for a pair of shoes. Thirty years later I visited his town and the temple, which was now drowned in an air of desolation. In the backyard, where lived the new priest, there were red and white plastic chairs. A young boy dressed in a grey uniform, wearing socks and shoes, arrived panting and threw his school bag on a folding bed. Looking at the boy, I remembered the
prayer another boy had made to the goddess when he had finally got a pair of shoes to let me never lose them” The goddess had granted his prayer. Young boys like the son of the priest now wore shoes. But many others like the ragpickers in my neighborhood remain shoeless.
Questions : 1 × 5 = 5
(i) Name the chapter and its author.
(ii) What was the young boy’s father?
(iii) Who is “I” in the first line of the passage?
(iv) What did the boy pray for?
(v) Find words from the passage which mean the same as :
(a) Ruin

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
Saheb too is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his discolored shirt and shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says in the manner of an explanation. The fact that they are discarded shoes of some rich boy, who perhaps refused to wear them because of a hole in one of them, does not bother him. For one who had walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole are a dream come true. But the game he is watching so intently is out of his reach.
Questions : 1 × 5 = 5
Q. (i) Name the chapter from which the above lines have been taken.

Ans. Lost Spring
Q. (ii) Name the author of the chapter.

Ans. Anees Jung
Q. (iii) What looks strange?

Ans. Tennis shoes look strange.
Q. (iv) Why did some rich boy discard the shoes?

Ans.  The rich boy discarded the shoes due to a minor hole.
Q. (v) What does a dream come true for Saheb?

Ans. A dream became the truth when Saheb got shoes.

1. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow: Reading Comprehension Deep Water

It happened when I was ten or eleven years old. I
decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the YMCA.
in Yakima that offered exactly the opportunity. The Yakima
The river was treacherous. Mother continually warned against
it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning
in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool was safe. It was only
two or three feet deep at the shallow end; and while it was
nine feet deep at the other, the drop was gradual. I got a
pair of water wings and went to the pool.

Q.1. When did the author’s fear of water start? 

Ans. The author’s fear of water started at the age of ten. 

Q.2. Why did the author decide to learn to swim? 

Ans. To overcome his fear of water, the author decided to learn to swim. 

Q.3: Where was the pool located? 

Ans. The pool was located at the YMCA in Yakima. 

Q.4: What was the nature of the Yakima River? 

The Yakima River was treacherous. 

Q.5. How was the YMCA pool? 

The YMCA pool was safe to learn to swim in. 

Q.6. What was the depth of the YMCA pool? 

Ans. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end.

2. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow: Reading Comprehension Deep Water

I had not been there long when in came a big bruiser
of a boy, probably eighteen years old. He had thick hair on
his chest. He was a beautiful physical specimen, with legs
and arms that showed rippling muscles. He yelled, “Hi,
Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?”

Q.1. Where was the author seated? 

The author was sitting on the edge of the pool. 

Q.2. Who came to the author? 

Ans. A big bruiser of a boy, probably eighteen years old, came. 

Q.3: How was the big bruiser’s physique? 

He was a beautiful physical specimen. 

Q.4. What did Big Brute say to the author? 

Ans. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! “How’d you like to be dunked?” 

Q.5. Who is the writer of Deep Water? 

Ans. William Douglas is the writer of Deep Water. 

Q.6. In the passage, which word has the same meaning as “physically strong” in the passage?

Ans. Big bruiser.

1. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow: Reading Comprehension The Rattrap

“Once upon a time, there was a man who went around selling small rattraps of wire. He made them himself at odd moments, from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms. But even so, the business was not especially profitable, so he had to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together. Even so, his clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes.”

Q.1. Who is the author of the passage?

Ans. Selma Lagerlof is the author.

Q.2. What was the peddler selling?

Ans. He was selling the rattraps.

Q.3. What were the small rattraps made of?

Ans. The small rattraps were made of wire.

Q.4. What is the odd moment mentioned in the paragraph?

Ans. Throughout the night

Q.5. How was his business of rattrap selling?

Ans. His business was poor.

Q.6. What does the word “rags” indicate?

Ans. in poor condition.

The Rattrap Reading Comprehension of class 12 English

2. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow: Reading Comprehension The Rattrap

“how sad and monotonous life can appear to such a vagabond, But one day this man had fallen into a line of thought, that seemed to him entertaining. He had naturally been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages — was nothing but a big rattrap.”

Q.1. What are some synonyms for monotonous life?

Ans. boring, dreary, dull.

Q.2. Who is a vagabond?

Ans. The vendor

Q.3. What was entertaining for the peddler?

Ans. The world was like a rattrap.

Q.4. Why was he struck by the idea?

Ans. The world is like a rattrap.

Q.5. What is the name of the chapter where the above lines are taken from?

Ans. The Rattrap.

The Rattrap Reading Comprehension of class 12 English

3. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow: Reading Comprehension The Rattrap

“It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end.”

Q.1. What is “it” referenced for?

Ans. “it” is used for the word.

Q.2. What does the world offer the rich?

Ans. The world offers shelter, food, heat, and clothing for the rich.

Q.3. What does the rattrap offer?

Ans. Rattrap offers cheese and pork.

Q.4. Who is tempted by the bait of the rattrap?

Ans. The rat is tempted by the bait.

Q.5. What would happen if the rat touched the bait?

Ans. It will be closed and everything will come to an end.

The Rattrap Reading Comprehension of class 12 English

4. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow: Reading Comprehension The Rattrap

“One dark evening as he was trudging along the road he caught sight of a little gray cottage by the roadside, and he knocked on the door to ask for shelter for the night. Nor was he refused. Instead of the sour faces which ordinarily met him, the owner, who was an old man without wife or child, was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness.”

Q.1. What did the peddler want in the dark evening?

Ans. The peddler wanted shelter during the night.

Q.2. What did the peddler see on the roadside?

Ans. He saw a lonely cottage.

Q.3. What did the vagabond ask of the cottage owner?

Ans. The vagabond asked for shelter during the night.

Q.4. Was he allowed to enter the cottage?

Ans. Yes, he was allowed to enter the cottage.

Q.5. Why did the owner allow the peddler to enter his cottage?

Ans. The owner wanted the company of someone.