NTSE Sample Questions 2016-17 : Maharastra Language (Stage-1)

Directions (Q. Nos. 1-5) :
Read the passage and Answer the questions based on it :

In towns and cities of north and west India, kite flying is a craze. People fly their kites mostly from the roofs of their houses. At some places kites are flown from open grounds. Being a fun sports all times, kites are flown throughout the year. However there are some special occasions, on which every enthusiast involves himself in Patang Baazi. These occasions include Makar Sankranti, Basant Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, and Independence Day.
Basant Panchami is one of the biggest festivals of North India. It heralds both the approach of the harvest and the end of winter. This spring festival is celebrated by flying kites, mainly of yellow colour, which represents the ripening mustard in the fields. From the morning onwards, the roofs of almost every house become full of young and old keeping their kites afloat. By early afternoon, the sky becomes peppered with kites of different colours and sizes. The fun of Basant Panchami does not preclude the intense competition that is a unique north Indian phenomenon- cutting each other’s kite lines. Each time a kite’s lifeline is severed, a cheer, “ Bo- kata: (loosely translated as “akite cut off”), is sent up by the victor.

1. What does the yellow colour kite represent ?
(1) End of winter                      (2) Ripening of mustard
(3) Harvest season                  (4) All of these

2. Pick out the antonyms for 'Victor' :
(1) Winner                 (2) Loser
(3) Rivals                  (4) Master

3. Which festivals are mentioned in the passage ?
(1) Basant Panchami                   (2) Makar Sankranti
(3) Both (1) and (2)                     (4) None of these

4. In which season is Basant Panchami celebrated ?
(1) Summer                       (2) Winter
(3) Autumn                        (4) Spring

5. Which of these pairs is the odd man out ?
(1) Flying kites                      (2) Biggest festival
(3) Yellow colour                   (4) Paper lamps

Directions (Q. Nos. 6-10) :
Read the following passage and answer the questions based on it :

It could be a scene straight out of a horror film. Only it was reality in suburban Mumbai. Rain lashed on the ground. A hundred children wailed in terror in a cramped, dark hall. Water gushed in from all sides and inched up. The inmates of Additional Bal Griha of the Children's Aid Society mostly terrified children, sang their daily prayer : "Itni shakti humme dena data". Asma, however, was the odd one out. She started calculating how soon the children will start drowning. "I could only think of one thing. That I couldn't bear to see the smaller ones drown. I am their didi." She picked up two of the smaller kids and jumped into the water nearly five feet of dirty, black liquid. "I don't know how to swim. So, slowly. I moved across the slippery ground, keeping my head up to keep the water from getting into my mouth and nose." She made over a dozen such trips, carrying nearly 40 kids on her shoulders to safety. Wasn't she scared ? "Nothing scares me." she says. Why didn't any of the other inmates join her ? "Oh, well, I'm the tallest!" The girl doesn't know who or where her parents are ("Kya pata" she says). Nor does she care to know about her life history from the orphanage files. But Asma certainly knows more about parenting than most. She loves to watch TV serials.

6. The natural calamity that the passage mentions is :
(1) Floods                            (2) Heavy rains
(3) Electricity failure             (4) Waterfall

7. The most courageous act of Asma was :
(1) Rescuing the children.
(2) Taking care of small kids
(3) Plunging in water to save kids though she could not swim
(4) Being of help to others

8. The incident happened in :
(1) A hallway                            (2) An orphanage
(3) A school                             (4) A TV serial

9. In what sense was Asma the 'odd one' out ?
(1) She could not swim
(2) She did not know who her parents were
(3) She was not scared
(4) She ventured in the water to save younger kids while others just watched

10. Which word in the passage means 'cried in a low pitch' ?
(1) Wailed                    (2) Cramped
(3) Terror                     (4) Inmates

Directions (Q. Nos. 11-15) :
Read the passage and answer the following questions :

In 1933-34 I got my first chance to play in Test cricket in India. The M.C.C. team under Douglas Jardine was in our country to play three Test matches. Fortunately I was able to do sufficiently well to retain my place in all the three Tests. During the Test matches my younger sister, Laxmi, had given me an autograph book to get the autographs of the visiting players. I had carefully put down M.C.C. Touring Team — 1933-34 on one of the pages. Under this heading I took the autographs of all the 16 players who visited India. Two months later I had an occasion to approach Gandhiji for his autograph which my sister was very keen to have. There were quite a few people present when I made my request. Gandhiji smiled and leafed through the pages of the autograph book and then underneath the names of the. M.C.C. players wrote. '17 — M.K. Gandhi'. I immediately understood the greatness of the man and what had prompted him. By that unforgettable signature as the seventeenth man of the M.C.C. team he showed that although he was prepared to fight the British Government tooth and nail for the independence of India, he had nothing against the common man of England and was prepared to put himself down as the seventeenth man of an English Cricket Team.

11. Which nations' teams played three test matches ?
(1) West' Indies and India                  (2) England and India
(3) Australia and India                        (4) S. Africa and India

12. With whom was Mahatma Gandhi fighting for freedom ?
(1) British people                        (2) British Governor
(3) British Government              (4) All of these

13. The phrase 'to put down' means:
(1) wear                              (2) write
(2) get down                       (4) keep

14. Why did Mahatma Gandhi put himself down in the English team ? Because :
(1) he had nothing against the British
(2) he had nothing against the British government
(3) he had nothing against the British common people
(4) none of the above

15. Author's younger sister Laxmi had given him the autograph book for :
(1) writing down scores
(2) listing down the team members
(3) getting autographs of visiting players
(4) getting autograph of Mahatma Gandh

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