Online Quiz
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Directions (Q 11–13): Read the passage ‘Gardens on the Roof’ and answer the questions.
In many Indian cities, the flat roof of a house has long been a place for drying clothes, storing old furniture and, on winter afternoons, sitting in the sun. Over the last decade, a growing number of families have begun to use this space for something more productive: a kitchen garden. Tomatoes, chillies, spinach and curry leaves now grow in buckets, old paint tins and wooden crates on terraces in Chennai, Pune and Lucknow.
The reasons people give are varied. Some say they want vegetables that have not been sprayed heavily with pesticides. Others enjoy the work itself and describe the hour they spend among the plants as the calmest part of their day. A retired teacher in Coimbatore put it simply: "I do not save much money, but I have stopped buying coriander, and I know exactly what goes into my food."
Terrace gardens also help the city in quieter ways. A layer of soil and leaves on a roof absorbs part of the sun's heat, so the rooms below stay a little cooler in summer. Kitchen waste that once went to the municipal truck can be turned into compost in a corner of the terrace, which reduces the load on landfills. A few housing societies have gone further and collect rainwater from their roofs to water the plants.
The practice is not without problems. A roof that was not designed to carry heavy, wet soil can develop leaks or cracks, and a garden that is watered carelessly can damage the building it is meant to cool. Experts therefore advise beginners to use light potting mixtures, to keep containers away from the edges of the roof and to check the waterproofing before they start. With such care, a terrace can feed a family a little, cool a home a little, and teach its children a great deal about where food comes from.
Correct Answer: E [to earn money by selling vegetables]
Explanation:
Proof: “Some say they want vegetables that have not been sprayed heavily with pesticides” … “I do not save much money”.
Why do experts advise beginners to check the waterproofing of the roof?
Correct Answer: B [because a roof not designed for wet soil can develop leaks or cracks]
Explanation:
Proof: “A roof that was not designed to carry heavy, wet soil can develop leaks or cracks”.
The tone of the passage towards terrace kitchen gardens is best described as:
Correct Answer: A [appreciative but balanced]
Explanation:
Proof: “The practice is not without problems” … “With such care, a terrace can feed a family a little”.
Directions (Q 14–16): In the passage below, each blank is numbered. Choose the word that fits each blank best.
Saving is easier when it is automatic. Many banks now allow customers to (14) ________ up a recurring deposit that moves a fixed sum from the savings account every month. Because the money leaves the account (15) ________ the customer can spend it, the habit forms without daily effort. Over a few years, even a (16) ________ monthly amount can grow into a useful reserve.
Correct Answer: C [set]
Explanation:
“set” – “set up” = to arrange or start; the other verbs do not form a phrasal verb meaning ‘start a deposit’.
Blank (15)
Correct Answer: D [before]
Explanation:
“before” – the money must go out before it can be spent – that is why the habit forms; the other words break the logic.
Blank (16)
Correct Answer: B [modest]
Explanation:
“modest” – “even” signals a small amount growing into something useful; massive/mighty contradict “even”, modern/moist do not describe an amount.
Correct Answer: B [(B)]
Explanation:
Part (B): “was” → “were”. Rule: With “neither … nor”, the verb agrees with the nearer subject (“clerks” – plural).
Correct Answer: C [(C)]
Explanation:
Part (C): “since” → “for”.
Correct Answer: E [No error]
Explanation:
No error. “Each of + plural noun” takes a singular verb (“has”); the rest is correct.
Correct Answer: A [raise]
Explanation:
“Raise” is transitive (raise something); “rise” and “arise” take no object; “rose” is past tense; “to” needs the base form.
Correct Answer: C [launched, failed]
Explanation:
“Although” needs a contrast: launched with hope ↔ failed.
(A) Such fees are small for each customer, but they add up across millions of accounts.
(B) In fact, a large part of its income also comes from fees for services.
(C) That is why banks compete not only on loan rates but also on the quality of their services.
(D) These include charges for lockers, demand drafts and cash handling.
(E) Many people think that a bank earns money only by charging interest on loans.
Correct Answer: D [EBDAC]
Explanation:
EBDAC. Belief (only interest) → “In fact” corrects it → “These” = services → “Such fees” → “That is why” concludes.
(A) By the time he graduated, he had not visited the branch for over a year.
(B) Later, he learnt to pay his fees online from the same account.
(C) At first he used it only to receive his scholarship.
(D) Ravi opened his first savings account when he joined college.
