Unseen Comprehension Passages

Unseen Comprehension Passages  Set I – [08]

Read the following passage carefully:

My name is Shananda Chakraborty. Sounds like an old man, doesn’t it? Actually  I am only thirteen. I get fun out of things which most people don’t even notice. Sometimes a cotton seed come seed comes floating in through the window. What a happy sight that is! If it comes floating down towards you, you below o it ad up into the air again.

And if a crow would come and settle on the window, watching it is like watching a circus clown. But if you ask me what amuses me the mos, I would say-watching ants. Of course, it is no longer just funny. I mustn’t tell everything  now or the fun would be spoilt. It’s better I begin from the beginning.

Once, about a year ago, I had fever. As always, the first few days in bed was the fun! A nice chilly feeling mixed with a feeling of drowsiness. Added to this was the fun of not having to go to school. I lay in bed and was watching a squirrel climbing up a tree outside the window when mother came and gave me a bitter medicine to drink.

I wrapped the blanket around myself and was about to close my eyes when I noticed something. A few drops of water had fallen on the window sill, and in one of these drop, a small black ant was trying ti save itself from  drowning . I found it so strange that I propped myself up on my elbows and leaned forward to bring my eye closer to the ant.

Suddenly, I had a wish to save the ant. Although I had fever, I jumped out of bed, ran out of the room, rushed into my father’s study and tore off a piece of blotting paper from his writing pad. Then I ran back to my room and held the blotting paper so that the water was soaked.

The rescued ant did not know which way to go. It rushed about this way and that for a while and then disappeared down the drainpipe. Next day, I saw an ant poking its head out of the month of the pipe. Suddenly, it came out and started to move briskly about on the window sill.

Although all black ants look alike, somehow I had the feeling that this was the same ant which had nearly drowned yesterday. I had acted as his friend, so he had come to pay me  a visit.

From ‘Noon in Calcutta-  short Stories from Begal’

1. On the basis of your reading of the above passage answer the following  question briefly:

1. Mention some of the things that the writer finds amusing.
2. Why did the write enjoy having fever?
3. How did the write rescue the ant?
4. Where did the rescued ant go?

2. Complete the following sentences as briefly as possible:

1. The writer’s name is _________ and he is only _________ old.
2. The thing that amuses the boy the most is _________________.
3. Although all black ants look alike, somehow the boy ______________.
4. A word from the passage which means ‘support’ (paragraph 4) is ______________.