Fast-track your English skill building. ….
Q1. Fill in the gaps with the best-fitting words.
President Trump was sworn in as President of the United States of America. It makes him the 4th president of the country. As expected he gave a ———– (momentous, hilarious, fiery) speech to his countrymen. However, the announcements he made contained some executive orders that created utter disgust among the Democrats and the public (at large, universally, on the streets). One such order was to grant presidential pardon to the 1600 culprits who had invaded the Capitol Hill (U.S. Parliament building) on January 6, 2021 to force the elected members to declare Trump as the President in place of President Biden. Such use of physical force to ————— (abrogate, undo, invalidate) an election result brought anger, disgust, and shame to the average Americans. The culprits were ————– (held up, incarcerated, withheld) after criminal cases were filed against them. Their action amounted to a ————- (coup attempt, revolt, insurgent action). As per law, these lawless people would have got long prison terms as punishment. Quite ———– (openly, defiantly, unashamedly) President Trump granted them pardon. This action of the President was termed as an ———— (outlandish, outrageous unconstitutional) assault on the legal system of the country.
Q2. Filling the gaps with the best-fitting words.
He also asked the police to. ———— (track down, identify, haunt down) all illegal immigrants and ———- (deport, decapitate, charge) them as quickly as possible. This is a ———– (illegal, stern, populist) action which he had time and again promised to take during his election campaign. Undoubtedly, this order cheered many of his followers but it is sure to cause ——— (untold, hellish, back-breaking) suffering to scores of illegal migrants who had entered the country ————- (flouting, cheating, defying) the rules of the country. However, the critics of Trump allege that such a stern measure will ——– (scar, muddy, tarnish) the image of the U.S. as a liberal democracy with a history of adopting a ———- (humane, human, subhuman) attitude towards poor people.
Q3. Filling the gaps with the best-fitting words.
The CBI Court in Kolkata has given its ——————– (pronouncement, verdict, announcement) in the R. G. Kar rape and murder case. The convict had feared that the court would send me to the —————— (prison, gallows, solitude), but he was immensely relieved to find that his life had been saved as he would now spend the rest of his life in jail. The parents of the murdered lady doctor, however, are ——————– (dismayed, displeased. heart-broken), because they felt the punishment was lenient. They had hoped that the CBI court would award the death sentence to the convict. The prosecution side had pressed the Court hard to award death penalty to the convict who had committed such a ——————— (horrendous, awful, unheard of) crime, but the judge didn’t ——————- (acceded to, rely upon, impressed by) the arguments of the lprosecjution awyers. Quite surprisingly, the defense lawyers appearing for the convict maintained all along that their client had been falsely ————– (cornered, implicated, avenged)
Q4. Correct the errors (if any) in the answers to the grammar questions.
- Convert the following Active sentences to Passive form.
Sentence 1. The fire brigade doused the fire in the Kumbh Mela.
Answer to be corrected .. The fire in the Kumbh Mela was doused by the fire brigade.
Sentence 2 .. The savage aerial bombing by Israel decimated most parts of Gaza making the place unfit for habitation.
Answer to be corrected … Most parts of Gaza was decimated by the savage Israeli aerial bombing made the place unfit for habitation.
Sentence 3 .. President Trump has passed executive orders to pardon the attackers of Capitol Hill.
Answer to be corrected. .. Executive orders were passed by President Trump pardoned the attackers of Capitol Hill.
Q5. Comprehension questions. Read the following new item and answer the questions given at the bottom.
News item
Bihar teacher’s quest to educate poor children at cremation ground
(Sourced from The Hindu dated January 21, 2025)
MUZAFFARPUR
A 31-year-old teacher, Sumit Kumar, has been educating over 100 slum children at a cremation ground in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, since 2017. Mr. Kumar’s initiative, Appan Pathshala, has transformed the lives of these underprivileged children, offering them a chance to break the cycle of poverty and pursue their dreams.
The cremation ground, Mukti Dham, located in Sikandarpur, is an unlikely location for a school. However, Mr. Kumar’s determination to provide education to the marginalised community has made this unconventional space a beacon of hope. The school operates from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday, with Mr. Kumar teaching children from Classes 1 to 10, aged 5-16.
Mr. Kumar’s journey began in 2017 when he visited the cremation ground to attend the funeral of his friend’s grandfather. He was dismayed to see children scavenging for food and money near the bodies. “After the funeral, I asked the children why they did not pursue studies. They asked what would happen if they study? I was shocked by this response,” he said.
Initial resistance
Mr. Kumar approached the cremation ground authorities, seeking permission to teach the children at the site. “Then I met the parents, but they were initially hesitant to send their children to the cremation ground,” he said.
Mr. Kumar’s persistence eventually won them over. “Today, there are 100 girls and 20 boys. When I started there were only eight students,” he said, adding that the children come from two slums: Kundal and Ambedkar Nagar.
His efforts have led to a rise in the number of children enrolling in government schools. Every year, 20-25 of his students enrol in government schools for regular classes. Mr. Kumar provides free education, school bags, and stationery to the children. He teaches them all subjects and follows the NCERT syllabus.
Senior students assist juniors with homework. Twice a week, girls are also taught martial arts by trained Wushu teachers.
The students sit on the floor, using mats or sacks as makeshift seating arrangements. They are often reluctant to reveal the occupations of their parents, who work as rickshaw pullers, garbage collectors, and sewerage cleaners.
Radhika Kumari, a Class 7 student whose father works as an autorickshaw driver, said, “I’m aware that this is a cremation ground, but we focus on what our teacher teaches us. For me, the location isn’t important; what matters most is my education. I’ve been attending classes here for three years.”
Making an impact
Mohammad Mubarak, whose father works as a garbage collector, said, “I wasn’t enrolled in any school, but since attending classes here, I’ve learned to read and write.”
Mohammad aspires to join Class 4 this year.
Mr. Kumar’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. The Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation has recognised his initiative, and he has received support from local authorities. His goal is to help as many of his students admitted in government schools, ensuring they get a formal education and recognised certificate.
Mr. Kumar holds a master’s in Arts from Bihar University and an LLB degree from S.K.J Law College in Muzaffarpur.
Originally from Bettiah in West Champaran district, he has been residing in Muzaffarpur since his childhood. His friends have provided him with accommodation, allowing him to dedicate his resources to his endeavour.
Dedicated to cause
Mr. Kumar has also chosen not to get married, devoting his life to this cause. His younger brother, who works in a private company in Kolkata, supports him financially, sending money every month to sustain the social initiative.
————————————————————–.——————————
a. What scene influenced Sumit Kumar to launch his education initizative? (Hint: Children begging)
b.What hurdles did he face initially? (Hint: Parents)
c. Where do the students go after a few years of schooling in Appan Pathshala? (Hint: Government schools)
d. Why is Mr. Kumar not married yet?
e. Who supports Mr. Kumar in his efforts?
————————————————————.——————-
ANSWERS
Q1. Fill in the gaps with the best-fitting words.
President Trump was sworn in as President of the United States of America. It makes him the 4th president of the country. As expected, he gave momentous speech to his countrymen. However, the announcements he made contained some executive orders that created utter disgust among the Democrats and the public at large. One such order was to grant presidential pardon to the 1600 culprits who had invaded the Capitol Hill (U.S. Parliament building) on January 6, 2021, to force the elected members to declare Trump as the President in place of President Biden. Such use of physical force to undo / invalidate an election result brought anger, disgust, and shame to the average Americans. The culprits were incarcerated after criminal cases were filed against them. Their action amounted to a coup attempt. As per law, these lawless people would have got long prison terms as punishment. Quite defiantly President Trump granted them pardon. This action of the President was termed as an outrageous assault on the legal system of the country.
Q2. Filling the gaps with the best-fitting words.
He also asked the police to track down / haunt down all illegal immigrants and deport them as quickly as possible. This is an illegal action which he had time and again promised to take during his election campaign. Undoubtedly, this order cheered many of his followers but it is sure to cause untold suffering to scores of illegal migrants who had entered the country flouting the rules of the country. However, the critics of Trump allege that such a stern measure will tarnish the image of the U.S. as a liberal democracy with a history of adopting a humane attitude towards poor people.
Q3. Filling the gaps with the best-fitting words.
The CBI Court in Kolkata has given its verdict in the R. G. Kar rape and murder case. The convict had feared that the court would send me to the gallows, but he was immensely relieved to find that his life had been saved as he would now spend the rest of his life in jail. The parents of the murdered lady doctor, however, are heart-broken because they felt the punishment was lenient. They had hoped that the CBI court would award the death sentence to the convict. The prosecution side had pressed the Court hard to award death penalty to the convict who had committed such a horrendous crime, but the judge didn’t acceded to the arguments of the prosecution lawyers. Quite surprisingly, the defense lawyers appearing for the convict maintained all along that their client had been falsely implicated.
Q4. Correct the errors (if any) in the answers to the grammar questions.
- Convert the following Active sentences to Passive form.
Sentence 1. The fire brigade doused the fire in the Kumbh Mela.
Answer to be corrected .. The fire in the Kumbh Mela was doused by the fire brigade. Correct, needs no change.
Sentence 2 .. The savage aerial bombing by Israel decimated most parts of Gaza making the place unfit for habitation.
Answer to be corrected … Most parts of Gaza was decimated by the savage Israeli aerial bombing made the place unfit for habitation.
Corrected answer .. Most parts of Gaza were decimated by the savage aerial bombing by Israel making the place unfit for habitation.
Sentence 3 .. President Trump has passed executive orders to pardon the attackers of Capitol Hill.
Answer to be corrected. .. Executive orders were passed by President Trump pardoned the attackers of Capitol Hill.
Corrected answer … Executive orders pardoning the attackers of Capitol Hill have been / were passed by President Trump.
Q5. Comprehension questions. Read the following new item and answer the questions given at the bottom.
a. What scene influenced Sumit Kumar to launch his education initiative? (Hint: Children begging)
Answer ..While attending the cremetion ceremony of his friend’s grandfather, Sumit Kumar got to see a few children foraging for food items and begging money from the people gathered there. The plight of these poor children moved the author. He decided to empower them by giving them access to free education. He decided to start his social service initiative.
b. What hurdles did he face initially? (Hint: Parents)
Answer … The parents of the poor children were reluctant to send them to a school thinking that education was of no value to their hunger0ridden lives.
c. Where do the students go after a few years of schooling in Appan Pathshala? (Hint: Government schools)
Answer .. After some grooming in Appan Pathshala, the children got themselves enrolled in local government schools.
d. Why is Mr. Kumar not married yet?
Answer .. Sumit Kumar is too embroiled in his school that the idea of marriage does not enter his mind. After all, getting married could take away a part of his time and zattention.
e. Who supports Mr. Kumar in his efforts?
Mr. Kumar gets some monthly assistance from his Kolkata-based brother. He also gets local support,
———————————————————-END—————————————
Send your answers to brozadbase.knowledge@gmail.com
——————————————END———————————-