Reading comprehension

 1. Read the passage given below :

1. A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so
he began fishing in the river. Every morning he would go down to the
river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he
would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go
home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he
was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with
silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the
heavenly bird. “Have you no one to care for you, grandpa ?” asked
the bird. “Not a soul.” “You should not be doing such work at your
age, ” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every
evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the
bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that
the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As big
fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought
a cottage near the sea, with a garden around it and engaged a servant
to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided
to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman.
2. One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. Our
king has news of a great bird called Kaha,” said the courtier.
“Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will
be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the
kingdom !” The fisherman was sorely tempted by the reward. Half
the kingdom would make him a prince !
3. “Why does the king want the bird ?” he asked. “He has lost his
sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe
his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you know where she can be
found ?” “No…I mean …no, no…” Torn between greed and his
sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent
reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew something about the bird,
informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace.
4. “If you have information about the bird, tell me,” urged the king. “I
will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will
personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird
for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But
Kaha is strong. I will need help.” The king sent a dozen soldiers with
him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman
called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get a
chance to thank you for all that you’ve done for me," he said. “Today
I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in.”
Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded
so earnestly that she finally gave in, and alighted. The moment she
was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted
to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid
but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down.
5. She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging onto her leg.
By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was
too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor
Kaha were ever seen again.
1.1 1.1 Answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option: (1X5=5)

(a) Why was the king desperately looking for Kaha the bird ?
i. The king wanted a pet bird.
ii. A wise man advised the king to capture the bird for good luck.
iii. Kaha was the only heavenly bird with silvery feathers.
iv. The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes.
(b) Why did the bird volunteer to bring fish for the old man ?
i. The old man was inexperienced at fishing.
ii. The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him.
iii. The bird had caught more fish than required.
iv. The bird wanted to make the old man rich.
(c) What led the courtier to sense that the fisherman might know
something about Kaha ?
i. The courtier had observed Kaha alight at the fisherman’s house
every evening.
ii. The courtier had seen the fisherman talk to Kaha.
iii. The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha.
iv. Word went around that the fisherman was in contact with Kaha.
(d) Which of the following is not true about Kaha ?
i. Kaha was a very considerate bird.
ii. The blood of Kaha was precious.
iii. Kaha was a strong bird.
iv. Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.

(e)Who said,’Do you know where she can be found?’

i.the wise man

ii.the courtier

iii.the king

Iv.the fisherman

1.2 Answer the following questions briefly: (1X6=6)

a. Why did the fisherman stammer when asked if he knew about the bird ?
b. How did the fisherman get Kaha to come down ?
c. What does the phrase ‘rolling in money’ in the passage refer to ?
d. Why was the fisherman doubtful about revealing information about
Kaha to the courtier ?
e. Mention two traits of farmer's character revealed through the
story.
f. How did the bird manage to escape?