Comprehension Passage

ARAVALI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
SUBJECT- ENGLISH
GRADE- XII (Comprehension Passage)
Assignment
1. Read the passage given below:
1. Too many parents these days can’t say no. As a result, they find themselves raising children
who respond greedily to the advertisements aimed right at them. Even getting what they want
doesn’t satisfy some kids; they only want more. Now, a growing number of psychologists, educators
and parents think it’s time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what are really
important values like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion. The struggle to set limits
has never been tougher and the stakes have never been higher. One recent study of adults, who
were overindulged as children, paints a discouraging picture of their future; when given too much
too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life’s disappointments. They
also have a distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way of success in the workplace and in
relationships.
2. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids set them up to be more vulnerable to
future anxiety and depression. Today’s parents, themselves raised on values of thrift and self-
sacrifice, grew up in a culture where ‘no’ was a household word. Today’s kids want much more,
partly because there is so much more to want. The oldest members of this ‘Generation Excess’
were born in the late 1980s, just as PCs and video games were making their assault on the family
rooms. They think of MP3 players and flat-screen TVs as essential utilities and they have
developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found that when they crave something
new, most expect to ask nine times before their parents give in every measure, parents are shelling
out record amounts. In the heart of this buying blitz, even parents who desperately need to say no
find themselves reaching for their credit cards.
3. Today’s parents are not equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them raised in the 1960s
and 1970s, swore they’d act differently from their parents and have closer relationships with their
own children. Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen to the same
music. And they work more hours; at the end of a long week, it’s tempting to buy peace with ‘yes’
and not mar precious family time with conflict. Anxiety about the future is another factor. How do
well-intentioned parents say no to all the sports gear and arts and language lessons they believe
will help their kids thrive in an increasingly competitive world? Experts agree: too much love won’t
spoil a child. Too few limits will.
4. What parents need to find is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the
critical life lessons that come from waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals. That search
for balance has to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour because they feel better and
more secure when they live within a secure structure. Older children learn self-control by watching
how others, especially their parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to
become a successful adult. Few parents ask kids to do chores. They think their kids are already
overburdened by social and academic pressures. Every individual can be of service to others and
life has meaning beyond one’s own immediate happiness. That means parents eager to teach
values have to take a long, hard look at their own.
Based on your understanding of the above passage, answer any ten of the following
questions by choosing the most appropriate option.
1X10=10
(a) ………………………….. would have difficulty coping with life’s disappointments.
(i) Educators (ii) Adults who were overindulged as children
(iii) Parents (iv) Children with limited means
(b) Parents need to find a balance between:
(i) their love for children and their working hours
(ii) their actions and words
(iii) benefits of an affluent society and the critical life lessons learnt through patience and hard work
(iv) Social and peer pressure
(c) Critical lessons of life come from:
(i) teachers (ii) dealing with problems (iii) Knowledge (iv) None of the
above
(d) Why are today’s parents not equipped to deal with problems?
(i) They are not well educated (ii) They don’t have a big bank balance
(iii) They don’t teach their kids to respect elders (iv) They love their kids too much and can’t
say no
(e) What should parents teach kids?
(i) General Awareness (ii) Apt use of money (iii) Hard work, contentment and honesty
(iv) None of the above
(f) Choose the synonym of ‘compassion'.
(i) Grudge (ii) Elation (iii) Rancour (iv) Mercy
(g) Choose the antonym of ‘Conflict.’
(i) Clash (ii) Strife (iii) Harmony (iv) Rivalry
(h) Select the option that lists what we can conclude from the text.
A. Today’s parents have promised to have closer relationships with their children.
B. Today’s parents have promised to act differently from their parents.
C. Experts say too much Love spoils a child.
(i) A and C are true (ii) A and B are true (iii) B and C are true (iv) All A, B
and C are true
(i) What is essential to become a successful adult?
(i) Learning how to speak properly (ii) Learning the art of managing people
(iii) Learning how to overcome challenges (iv) Being modern and sophisticated
(j) Older children learn self-control by:
(i) Watching how others act (ii) Watching how their parents act
(iii) Both (i) and (ii) (iv) Self realisation
(k) Read the given statements and choose the correct option.
A. Today’s kids want much more.
B. There is so much more to want.
(i) A refutes B (ii) A is true and B is false (iii) B is the cause of A (iv) They are not
related in any way

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ARAVALI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

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