PASSAGE-9
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow –
The umbrella is an old idea. It has not changed much over time. Old sculpture (art made with clay) from the Middle East, shows the king with an umbrella. The sculpture is over 1,000 years old. At that time, common people did not have umbrellas. Only royalty had them. More than 2000 years ago, fashionable women carried umbrellas in ancient Greece. In China, only royalty used umbrellas. In old Chinese books, there are illustrations of umbrellas. These pictures were made with paint, blood, and special drawing tools. The umbrellas in old Chinese books look a lot like today’s umbrellas. There is not much information about umbrellas in Europe in the Middle Ages. People probably used their coats to protect themselves from the rain. People in the South Pacific used umbrellas made of palm leaves to protect themselves from the sun and rain. There have been many improvements to umbrellas. Now, modern umbrellas are better than the old umbrellas. The old umbrellas were often made of oiled silk. Modern umbrellas are made of cotton or plastic. Old umbrellas had ribbing made of wood. Modern umbrellas have steel ribs. Also, the trunk of the modern umbrella extends like a telescope. It can collapse and become shorter or extend and become longer.
1) Fashionable women had umbrellas in…
A. Europe in the Middle Ages B. the South Pacific C. the Middle East D. ancient Greece
2) In ancient China …
A. only royalty had umbrellas B. umbrellas were made of palm leaves
C. umbrellas looked modern D. Both A and C are correct
3) In Europe in the Middle Ages…
A. people used their coats to keep dry B. people used modern umbrellas
C. people used silk umbrellas D. None of the above
4) People in the South Pacific used…
A. umbrellas made of palm leaves B. umbrellas made of plastic
C. collapsing umbrellas D. telescopes
5) Old umbrellas were often made with…
A. steel B. cotton C. plastic D. oiled silk
ANSWERS
1. ancient Greece 2. umbrellas looked modern
3. people used their coats to keep dry 4. umbrellas made of palm leaves 5. oiled silk
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PASSAGE-10
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow –
Bessie Smith was the “Empress of the Blues.” But long before she earned that title, she and her
brother Andrew performed on the streets of Chattanooga, Tennessee. They came from an impoverished family, so they needed to earn money for their household. He danced, and she sang. The two often performed in front of the White Elephant Saloon, a tavern in the city’s African–American community. In 1912, Bessie Smith met Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (known as the “Mother of the Blues.”) Smith joined Ma’s vaudeville act and became a popular Blues singer. In the 1920s, Bessie Smith starred in the Broadway musical How Come? In 1923, she made her first record, “Gulf Coast Blues” and “Down Hearted Blues.” It sold 800,000 copies. She made records with some of the most famous Jazz musicians of that era, including James P. Johnson, Coleman Hawkins, and Louis Armstrong. One of her most famous recordings was “St. Louis Blues,” recorded in 1929 with Louis Armstrong. She was the highest paid black singer of that time. She made 160 records. But the Depression in the 1930s was not good for her career. Columbia Records dropped her in the 1930s. She died in 1937. Today Bessie Smith is still remembered as the “Empress of the Blues.” Bessie Smith was admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
1) What was Bessie Smith called?
A. “Ma” B. “Ma Blue” C. “Mother of the Blues.” D. “Empress of the Blues.”
2) Bessie and Andrew Smith performed…
A. in the White Elephant Saloon B. in Chattanooga, Tennessee C. on Broadway D. in a tavern.
3) When did Smith make her first record?
A. 1912 B. 1920 C. 1923 D. 1929
4) Smith recorded “St.. Louis Blues” with…
A. Louis Armstrong B. James P. Johnson C. Coleman Hawkins D. None of the above
5) Which company did Smith record for?
A. White Elephant B. Broadway C. Columbia D. None of the above
ANSWERS
1. Empress of the Blues. 2. in Chattanooga, Tennessee 3. 1923
4. Louis Armstrong 5. Columbia
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