Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
In Ratnam village, life was routine for each and every member .They opened their eyes open at the crack of down washed up, packed and set off to gain from the fertile land But among the people there, was one young lad, Rajan, who shirked routine and thought differently. lie wanted to dwell on his own and Live life on his own terms. So, he looked around for ideas. People poked fun at him, his friends thought he was a bit wrong in the head, while his parents cursed themselves for having such a son in their family. But Rajan turned a deaf ear to the continuous ugly downpour of words. One day, as he walked through the village his shoes got stuck in the mud on the road. Pulling them out from the mud, Rajan landed on his back with a thud, holding his shoes to his chest. He lay there for a few minutes and then suddenly, it dawned on him what he wanted to do in life. The 21st century belongs to the knowledge age, where acquisition, possession and application of knowledge are the most important resources. To India, knowledge is not new. Ancient India was an advanced knowledge society with a continual process of intellectual renaissance through inspiring contributions by saints of many faiths, philosophers, poets, scientists, astronomers and mathematicians. There existed great universities like Takshashila and Nalanda where students not only from India but also from far-off countries come to study diverse subjects. Many scholars have said that India culturally conquered and dominated China for 20 centuries without sending a single soldier across the border.
He went around observing the shoes of everyone in the village and felt sorry at the sight of the tattered footwear. The city shoes were too expensive for the poor villagers and so they wore shoes till no one could use them any more. Raj an went to the city to collect information and resources on how to make shoes. He worked with a shoemaker only to return home six months later, equipped with knowledge and material. He made a pair of shoes for every member of his family, they proudly walked around the village and spoke lovingly of their son’s talent. Soon, people requested Rajan to make shoes for them. He did, at a price they could pay, but at a price with which he could make a profit. Word spread like fire, and Rajan had shoe projects he never dreamt of. He put up a board at his home, “Rajan Shoe Mart” Give your feet some love was the tagline he used, to attract people and profits. And so, Ratnam village had something un-routine about it. There was a new cobbler who made shoes in their village. Soon Rajan employed six men in his small factory and taught them the craft of weaving rubber and tan. Transporters were employed to deliver the products. Suppliers were employed to receive the products. Raj an’s father was given the charge of the factory’s finance. His mother was in-charge of quality. Every one in Rajan’s family had a job that earned them more money than their regular jobs. Rajan’s parents were now proud of their son. He was not a useless son anymore. Now he was ‘Rajansaheb.’ After all, he was the village saviour.
I. Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option A. B or C.
1. Choose the most appropriate title for the story: (A) Rajan, the city cobbler. (B) The Lazy Boy. (C) The Boy who changed his Life.
2. Why did people poke fun at Rajan? (A) Because he was Lazy. (B) Because he thought differently. (C) Because his parents ignored him.
3. Why did the villagers buy city shoes? (A) Because the city shoes were too costly. (B) Because the villagers were miserly (C) Because the city was far from the village.
4. When did Rajan decide what he wanted to do in life? (A) When his parents cursed him. (B) When his shoes got stuck in the mud. (C) When he visited the city
5. How did the villagers come to know at Rajan’s shoes making ability? (A) Rajan advertised in the village (B) Rajan opened a new shoe mart. (C) By looking at his family member’s shoes.
II State whether the following statements are True or False :-
(1) The people of Ratnam woke up very late in the morning.
(2) Rajan had ideas of his own and did not listen to anyone.
(3) Rajan’s friends thought he was a very intelligent and clever boy.
(4) Rajan decided about his future only after seeing the footwear of the villagers. (5) The villagers were too poor to afford the shoes from the city.
(6) Rajan went to the city to buy new shoes and machinery to make shoes.
(7) Rajan made new shoes for his family members so that the villagers could see them.
(8) The shoes that Rajan made for the villagers were cheap and affordable.
(9) Rajan worked alone in his house and made shoes for everyone.
(10) Rajan became a respectable man in his village.
III Look at these words and phrases taken from the reading passage. Match them with the correct meaning given in the box.
(1) Tattered footwear
(2) Word spread like fire
(3) Wrong in the head
(4) Dwell
(5) Given charge
(a) to work (b) crazy (c) torn shoes (d) live (e) given a battery (f) new shoes (g) news went around (h) give responsibility.
I.
II.
III.