I was born into a middle class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras State. My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth, despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my mother, Ashiamma. I do not recall the exact number of people she fed every day, but I am quite certain that far more outsiders ate with us than all the members of our own family put together.
I was one of many children – a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the middle of nineteenth century. It was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally.
1. Who is the ‘I’ referred to here?
(a) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(b) Jainulabdeen
(c) Ashiamma
(d) None of the above.
Ans :
2. Put a tick against the correct statement from the following:
(a) Jainulabdeen had formal education and much wealth
(b) Jainulabdeen had an ideal helpmate in Abdul Kalam
(c) Jainulabdeen provided all the essential luxuries and comforts.
(d) Jainulabdeen possessed great innate wisdom and true generosity of spirit
Ans :
3. How many people did Ashiamma feed every day?
(a) selected outsiders and family members.
(b) family members and outsiders
(c) only family members
(d) far more outsiders than her family members
Ans :
4. The fairly large ‘pucca’ house was made of
(a) brick and cement
(b) cement and limestone
(c) limestone and brick
(d) None of the above
Ans :
5. Tick the correct statement(s) from the following:
(a) Rameswaram was an island town of Madras state.
(b) The ancestral house of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was in Rameswaram.
(c) Rameswaram was the capital of erstwhile Madras state.
(d) The Mosque Street was in Rameswaram.
Ans :
6. I was one of many children-a short boy with rather undistinguished looks: Here ‘looks’ means: –
(a) Appearance
(b) Looking at someone
(c) Plural of the verb ‘look’
(d) To give an unwanted look
Ans :
7. Which word in the passage means: simple, strict and severe –
(a) Luxuries
(b) Ancestral
(c) Innate
(d) Austere
Ans :
8. Kalam’s father provided all necessities in terms of –
(a) Comfort and luxuries of life
(b) food, medicines or clothes.
(c) Only food
(d) None of the above
Ans :
9. What is the antonym of the word ‘secure”?
(a) Insecure
(b) Securer
(c) Security
(d) Secular
Ans :
10. When was the ancestral house of Kalam built?
(a) In the beginning of 19th century.
(b) At the end of the 19th century
(c) In the 18th century
(d) In the middle of the 19th century
Ans :