The next stage of the visit began as Mrs. Broadwith brought in a cup of tea and the rest of the animals were let out of the kitchen. It was the usual scenario for the many cups of tea I had drunk with Miss Stubbs under the little card which dangled above her bed.
”How are you today?” I asked.
’Oh! much better,’ she replied and immediately changed the subject.
Mostly she liked to talk about her pets and the ones she had known right back to her girlhood. She spoke a lot too, about the days her family was alive. She loved to describe the escapades of her three brothers and today she showed me a photograph which Mrs. Broadwith had found.
’Oh, they were young rips!’ she exclaimed. She laughed and for a moment her face was radiant, by her memories.
The things I had heard in the village came back to me; about the prosperous father and his family who lived in the big house once. Then the foreign investments crashed and the sudden circumstances. ’When the old father died, he was almost penniless,’ one old man said. ’There is not much brass there now.’
Probably just enough brass to keep Miss Stubbs and her animals alive and pay Mrs. Broadwith. And, sitting there, I felt as I had often– a bit afraid of the responsibility I had. The one thing which brought some light into the life of the brave old woman was the devotion of this shaggy bunch whose eyes were never far from her face.
Miss Stubbs led a very simple life because ____
Miss Stubbs led a very simple life because ____
Show Hint
- she didn’t believe in leading a luxurious life
- She was too sad a person to enjoy simple pleasures of life
- she couldn’t afford even the normal luxuries of life
- she was bed-ridden and bitter about it
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The passage explains how Miss Stubbs had once been part of a prosperous family. However, due to the crash of foreign investments and the change in circumstances, her father died penniless. This left her with very limited means to survive.
Step 2: Analyzing the given options.
- Option 1: Incorrect. There is no evidence that Miss Stubbs avoided luxury by choice; rather, she was forced into simplicity.
- Option 2: Incorrect. She was not too sad to enjoy life; in fact, she enjoyed talking about her past, her pets, and her brothers.
- Option 3: Correct. The passage clearly mentions financial ruin, indicating she could not afford luxuries.
- Option 4: Incorrect. She is not described as bedridden or bitter; instead, she is shown as lively in her memories and dependent on her pets.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The simplicity of her life was due to financial hardship, not personal choice or physical incapacity.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{3. she couldn’t afford even the normal luxuries of life}} \]
Which among the following was not a topic of Miss Stubbs' conversation?
Show Hint
- her brothers
- her pets
- her past with her family
- her classmates
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage mentions that Miss Stubbs often talked about her pets, her three brothers, and her past family life.
Step 2: Eliminate options.
- Option 1: Brothers — clearly mentione(D)
- Option 2: Pets — clearly mentione(D)
- Option 3: Past with family — also mentione(D)
- Option 4: Classmates — not mentioned at all.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The only topic absent from her conversation is “her classmates.”
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{4. her classmates}} \]
“There’s not much \(\underline{brass}\) there now” – the underlined word refers to:
“There’s not much \(\underline{brass}\) there now” – the underlined word refers to:
Show Hint
- brass ware
- musical instruments
- money
- metal
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The old man in the passage says: “When the old father died, he was almost penniless. There is not much brass there now.”
Step 2: Meaning of the wor(D)
Here, “brass” is used as a slang term, not in its literal sense. It does not mean metal or utensils. Instead, it symbolizes wealth or money.
Step 3: Elimination.
- Option 1 (brass ware): Not relevant in context.
- Option 2 (musical instruments): Not connected to poverty.
- Option 4 (metal): Too literal, does not fit the context of “penniless.”
- Option 3 (money): Correct, since it aligns with the meaning of financial ruin.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{3. money}} \]
Identify the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence by selecting the best option:
“She loved to describe the \underline{escapades} of her three brothers…”
Show Hint
- grave acts
- funny acts
- serious sober acts
- mischievous acts
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The word “escapades” refers to adventures or actions that are often bold, daring, or mischievous. It is commonly used to describe playful or reckless behavior.
Step 2: Context of the sentence.
Miss Stubbs described the escapades of her brothers with joy, laughing as she recalled them. This shows they were lively, playful, and mischievous rather than serious.
Step 3: Analyzing the options.
- Option 1 (grave acts): Incorrect, opposite meaning.
- Option 2 (funny acts): Partially true, but not the full essence — “escapades” are mischievous, not just funny.
- Option 3 (serious sober acts): Incorrect, completely opposite.
- Option 4 (mischievous acts): Correct, as it matches both the meaning and context.
Step 4: Conclusion.
The word “escapades” in this passage best refers to mischievous acts.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{4. mischievous acts}} \]
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report (2024) revealed that 733 million people faced malnutrition in 2023—an increase of 152 million since 2019. This trend is linked to food price dynamics. In 2022, the World Bank estimated that a 1% rise in global food prices could push 10 million people into extreme poverty. Rising food costs and inequality have intensified “hidden hunger,” affecting at least 2.8 billion people in 2022 alone.
Hidden hunger is a deficiency of essential micronutrients like zinc, iodine, and iron. The signs of this form of malnutrition are “hidden” as individuals may appear healthy while suffering severe health impacts. Clinical signs emerge only in extreme cases. Traditionally linked to caloric deficiency, hunger is now recognized to include micronutrient inadequacy, which can harm health even without overt signs of disease.
The Food Security and Nutrition report highlights that while it may seem intuitive that food-insecure individuals are less likely to maintain a healthy diet, the relationship is complex, shaped by factors like food environments, consumer behaviour, and the affordability of nutritious foods.
In some cases, food insecurity is linked to lower consumption of all food types and a higher reliance on staple foods for dietary energy. In others, it can be associated with reduced intake of nutritious foods and increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and salt. As a result, food insecurity and “hidden hunger” can result not only in undernutrition but can also lead to overweight and obesity.- CUET (UG) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
If my younger self could see me now, she would be incredulous. That I work in the field of dance or decipher and translate dance for my own comprehension, call it choreography if you wish, would have been unbelievable. In this respect, I am particularly envious of dancers who claim that they are ’born to dance’, implying that it was clearly laid out for them from the beginning. I must say, I find this assertion dubious; it is rarely that easy. ’To dance’ means ’to struggle’.
In all truth, as a child, I never did want to dance; it was forced upon me by a doting mother and a silent father. My father probably kept his peace to avoid argument. From the beginning, my lessons took place under trying conditions, though I believe that the conditions were more trying for my mother than for me. She travelled in local, over-crowded trains to the dance class with an unwilling child, tired from a whole day at school. Interestingly, when I was seven, we went to see a movie starring Mumtaz Ali, who did a dance number in the film. When we arrived home, I began prancing around the house imitating the film actor and my mother, who was quietly watching, was the one who said, ’Kumudini, you are born to dance.’ Ironically, I have no recollection of this story; it was my mother who saw this innate ability in me.- CUET (UG) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Which term applies the best to the given passage?
- CUET (PG) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- What was worse than the illness?
- CUET (PG) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Match List-I with List-II
\[\begin{array}{|l|l|} \hline \textbf{List-I (Literary Genre)} & \textbf{List-II (Text)} \\ \hline \text{(A). Fiction} & \text{(I). Prometheus Unbound} \\ \hline \text{(B). Poetry} & \text{(II). Moll Flanders} \\ \hline \text{(C). Drama} & \text{(III). On the Subjection of Women} \\ \hline \text{(D). Non-fiction} & \text{(IV). Intimations of Immortality} \\ \hline \end{array}\]
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:- CUET (PG) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in CUET exam
- Which region was known as the ‘nursery of the Bengal Army’ as many sepoys were recruited from there?
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- British Empire
- Identify the literary device in the sentence: "Time crawled as she waited for the results."
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Figure of speech/Literary Devices
जीवन में सफलता प्राप्त करने के लिए शिक्षा बहुत महत्वपूर्ण उपकरण है। यह जीवन के कठिन समय में चुनौतियों का सामना करने का मार्ग प्रशस्त करती है। शिक्षा-प्राप्ति के दौरान प्राप्त किया गया ज्ञान व्यक्ति को आत्मनिर्भर बनाता है। शिक्षा जीवन में बेहतर संभावनाओं को प्राप्त करने के अवसर के लिए प्रेरित बनाती है। व्यक्ति के जीवन को बढ़ाने के लिए सरकारें कई बहुत से योजनाओं और अवसरों का संचालन करती रही हैं।
शिक्षा मनुष्य को समाज में समानता का अधिकार दिलाने का माध्यम है। जीवन के विकास की ओर बढ़ा देती है। आज के वैज्ञानिक एवं तकनीकी युग में शिक्षा का महत्व और भी बढ़ गया है। यह व्यक्ति को जीवन में बहुत सारी सुविधाएँ प्राप्त करने का मार्ग प्रदान करती है। शिक्षा का उद्देश्य अब केवल रोजगार प्राप्त करना ही नहीं, बल्कि व्यक्तित्व के सर्वांगीण विकास के लिए भी आवश्यक है।
आज का विद्यार्थी शिक्षा के माध्यम से समाज को जोड़ने की कड़ी बन सकता है। शिक्षा व्यक्ति को आत्मनिर्भर बनाती है, व्यक्ति को समय के साथ चलने और आगे बढ़ने में मदद करती है। यह व्यक्ति को अनुशासन, परिश्रम, धैर्य और शिक्षा जैसे मूल्य सिखाती है। शिक्षा व्यक्ति को समाज के लिए उपयोगी बनाती है और जीवन में अनेक छोटे-बड़े कार्यों में विभिन्न कौशलों को विकसित करती है। यही कारण है कि आज प्रत्येक व्यक्ति शिक्षा प्राप्त करना चाहता है और समाज में दृढ़ता प्राप्त कर सही मार्ग पर खड़ा हो सकता है।- CUET (UG) - 2025
- गद्यांश पर आधारित प्रश्न
बार-बार आती है मुखाकृति मधुर, याद बचपन तेरी।
गया ले गया तू जीवन की सबसे मधुर खुशी मेरी।
चिंता रहित खेलना-खाना वह फिरना निर्बंध स्वच्छंद।
कैसे भुला जा सकता है बचपन का अद्भुत आनंद।
ऊँच-नीच का ज्ञान नहीं था, छुआ-छूत किसे कहते?
बनी हुई थी वहीं झोपड़ी और सीपियों से नावें।
रोना और मचल जाना भी क्या आनंद दिखाते थे।
बड़े-बड़े मोती सी आँसू, चुपचाप बहा जाते थे।
वह सुख जो साधारण जीवन छोड़कर महत्वाकांक्षाएँ बड़ी हुईं।
टूट गईं कुछ खो गईं हुई-सी दौड़-धूप घर खड़ी हुईं।- CUET (UG) - 2025
- गद्यांश पर आधारित प्रश्न
'अपना उल्लू सीधा करना’ मुहावरे का अर्थ है –
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- हिंदी व्याकरण