Read the following passage carefully:
(1) Gossip. All humans partake in some form, despite the age-old adage, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." Whether it's workplace chatter, the sharing of family news or group texts between friends, it's inevitable that anyone who participates in the above, talks about other people.
(2) People tend to think of gossip as synonymous with malicious rumours, put-downs, or the breathless propagation of a tabloid scoop. But researchers often define it more broadly as "talking about people who aren't present," says an assistant professor of psychology. "It's something that comes very naturally to us" - an integral part of conversation, information sharing, and even community building.
(3) "It's not necessarily negative," adds a professor of psychology. "It can be positive or neutral." Some researchers argue that gossip helped our ancestors survive. Evolutionary psychologists first pioneered this idea, comparing gossip to the grooming primates engage in as a means of bonding.
(4) People are usually resistant to thinking about gossip as anything but bad. It is true that there are some types of gossip that should be avoided, such as gossip that is purely harmful and serves no purpose like mean comments on someone's way of dressing. In such a scenario no one benefits. Gossip can also be both active and passive. Active gossiping refers to directly sharing negative information about someone else. An active gossiper initiates the conversation and actively spreads it. Passive gossiping on the other hand involves more subtle behaviour like hinting, dropping suggestive comments or participating in gossip by listening without actively contributing, but still allowing the gossip to spread through their presence.
(5) It's interesting to note that gossiping also says something about relationships people have with one another. The act of gossiping often implies a level of trust and closeness with someone, which are key aspects of a good friendship.
(6) Research has found that gossip can stave off loneliness, while other studies have found it can facilitate bonding and closeness and serve as a form of entertainment. So, keep on talking. And when your conversation turns to gossip, as it inevitably will, remember that some good can come of it - with the right intentions, of course.
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage:
Complete the following suitably.
..... think of gossip as synonymous with malicious rumours, put-downs …… in paragraph (2).
By the phrase ‘put-downs’ the writer means .......
..... think of gossip as synonymous with malicious rumours, put-downs …… in paragraph (2).
By the phrase ‘put-downs’ the writer means .......
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Solution and Explanation
Despite the bad reputation of ‘gossip’, mention any two benefits that it offers.
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Solution and Explanation
- It helps in community building by sharing information and engaging in conversation.
- It fosters trust and closeness in relationships, strengthening bonds between individuals.
Read and complete the following suitably.
The phrase ‘It’s something that comes very naturally to us’ suggests that gossip should not merely be associated with malicious rumours.
Choose the correct response from the two options to complete the sentence.
The concern this phrase points towards is about:
- that some types of gossip should be avoided.
- that gossip can be viewed as part of our daily interaction and bonding.
The phrase ‘It’s something that comes very naturally to us’ suggests that gossip should not merely be associated with malicious rumours.
Choose the correct response from the two options to complete the sentence.
The concern this phrase points towards is about:
- that some types of gossip should be avoided.
- that gossip can be viewed as part of our daily interaction and bonding.
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Solution and Explanation
Complete the analogy with one word from paragraph (2).
Praise : Commend :: ______ : Malevolent
Praise : Commend :: ______ : Malevolent
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- Scoop
- Propagation
- Malicious
- Conversation
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
What type of gossip does the author disapprove of and why?
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Solution and Explanation
Complete the following suitably with one difference between the author’s opinion and that of people about gossip.
Generally, people do not readily accept ........
Generally, people do not readily accept ........
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Solution and Explanation
“There’s also a physiological distinction to be drawn between active and passive participation in gossip.” (paragraph (4))
Based on the above statement, classify the following sentences as active and passive participation.
Sentence 1 : Ranjan told Raman and Shah the sensational facts he had heard about his friend Vineet from others.
Sentence 2 : Kumar stayed silent while his friends criticized his close friend Vijay in his absence.
Based on the above statement, classify the following sentences as active and passive participation.
Sentence 1 : Ranjan told Raman and Shah the sensational facts he had heard about his friend Vineet from others.
Sentence 2 : Kumar stayed silent while his friends criticized his close friend Vijay in his absence.
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Solution and Explanation
- Sentence 1 — Active Participation
- Sentence 2 — Passive Participation
Why does the author say that gossip is a reflection of relationships?
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Solution and Explanation
Choose the correct option:
….. gossip can ‘stave off loneliness’. (paragraph (6))
The above statement is true as :
….. gossip can ‘stave off loneliness’. (paragraph (6)) The above statement is true as :
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- we always enjoy talking ill of others.
- we believe what we read about people in the print media.
- we are free to talk loosely in the absence of the person.
- in order to gossip, you need to feel close to people.
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Complete the following suitably:
The author puts forth the fact that man can never ...... gossiping.
The author puts forth the fact that man can never ...... gossiping.
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Solution and Explanation
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
Read the following passage carefully:
(1) Introduction: Humans are social creatures with a deep desire to interact with one another. Recent developments in technology have made it possible for billions of people worldwide to use cell phones to satisfy this need. The current study aims to analyse the impact of smartphone use among various categories of people in Kerala, India. The present study will provide an insight into the extent and magnitude of people's reliance on smartphones to communicate in this modern age and the dwindling nature of social relationships.
(2) Methodology: A google form created questionnaire was used to gather information on the subject from a sample of participants who were from various districts in Kerala, India.
(3) Survey Examination: Among the 131 study participants, 66 were men and the remaining 65 were women. For convenience, the study considered only the main purpose for which a smartphone is used by any given individual.
(4) Results:
Individuals differed in their interests and preferences regarding their choice of communication medium. Some preferred direct conversation, while others conveyed their messages through virtual mediums of communication, that did not involve any face-to-face interaction.
(5) Implications for Interventions: It was observed that individuals were interested in using their smartphones even when they were dining. This constant use can have several disadvantages such as reckless use of mobile phones, including prolonged hours of radiation exposure, over-calorie intake due to binge eating, leading to obesity, and other health problems. It is also a vital tool to achieve social progress.
The use of phones while travelling can sometimes detract from an individual's enjoyment of the serenity of the environment, the scenic beauty of picnic spots, and affect the way an individual behaves and interacts with his or her co-travellers.
(6) Conclusion: It is true that most of the population under different age and gender categories use smartphones every day, but there is no significant fall in the duration spent in direct face-to-face conversation with fellow beings, except in very few individuals. The majority of people agree that traditional face-to-face communication is more comfortable, reliable, and expressive than text messages, phone calls, or electronic mail.
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage:- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Read the following extracts and answer the questions
"That young master is so proud of his skill to save life that he saves any life," the cook said contemptuously.
"It is the children of whom we must think," Yumi said sadly.
"What will be their fate if their father is condemned as a traitor ?"
They did not try to hide what they said from the ears of Hana as she stood arranging the day's flowers in the veranda near by, and she knew they spoke on purpose that she might hear.
(The Enemy)- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
The British officer's secretary sent word to the Maharaja through the dewan that the durai himself did not have to kill the tiger. The Maharaja could do the actual killing. What was important to the durai was a photograph of himself holding the gun and standing over the tiger's carcass. But the Maharaja would not agree even to this proposal. If he relented now, what would he do if other British officers turned up for tiger hunts?
Because he prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself.
(The Tiger King)- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Read the following extracts and answer the questions
He thought of the thirty kronor. To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion's den. He only wanted a chance to sleep here in the forge and then sneak awayas inconspicuously as possible.
The ironmaster assumed that he felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing.
"Please don't think that I have such a fine home that you cannot show yourself there", He said... "Elizabeth is dead, as you may already have heard. My boys are abroad, and there is no one at home except my oldest daughter and myself. We were just saying that it was too bad we didn't have any company for Christmas. Now come along with me and help us make the Christmas food disappear a little faster."
(The Rattrap)- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
"They wouldn't make you manager straight off, Soaf."
"I'll be like Mary Quant," Sophie said. "I'll be a natural. They'll see it from the start. I'll have the most amazing shop this city's ever seen."
Jansie, knowing they were both earmarked for the biscuit factory, became melancholy. She wished Sophie wouldn't say these things.
When they reached Sophie's street Jansie said, "It's only a few months away now, Soaf, you really should be sensible. They don't pay well for shop work, you know that, your dad would never allow it."
(Going Places)- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in CBSE CLASS XII exam
- Your school is organizing a road safety awareness workshop for students of class IX – XII. As the head boy of your school, draft a notice informing the students about the workshop. Include other necessary details. You are Ashna/Ashish. Put your notice in a box.
- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- Letter Writing
Read the following extracts and answer the questions
Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
(Aunt Jennifer's Tigers)Driving from my parent's
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother, beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with
pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, .....
(My Mother at Sixty-six)- According to Tishani Doshi in 'Journey to the End of the Earth', man's supremacy over nature is responsible for the problems we face today. Support your answer with evidence from the text. (Journey to the End of the Earth)
- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- Journey to the end of the earth
- In what way did Mr. Lamb's ideas of watching, listening, and thinking help Derry change his perspective towards life? (On the Face of It)
- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- On the face of it