92. Reading Skills Comprehension: Resolutions

Resolutions

1 The New Year is a time for resolutions. Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of do’s and don’ts. The same old favourites recur year in and year out with monotonous regularity. We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less, find more time to play with the children, do a thousand and one jobs about the house, be nice to people we don’t like, drive carefully, and take the dog for a walk every day. Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainments. If we remain, deep-rooted liars, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure.

2 Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out. We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolutions to everybody so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad old ways. Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to myself. I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercise every morning and to read more every evening. An all-night party on New Year’s Eve provided me with a good excuse for not carrying out either of these new resolutions on the first day of the year, but on the second I applied myself assiduously to the task.

3 The daily exercise lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before anyone had got up. The self-discipline required to drag me out of bed eleven minutes earlier than usual was considerable. Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living room for two days before anyone found me out. After jumping about on the carpet and twisting the human frame into uncomfortable positions, I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted condition.

4 It was this that betrayed me. The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance. That was really unsettling but I fended off the taunts and jibes of the family good humoured!), and soon everybody got used to the idea. However, my enthusiasm waned”, the time I spent at exercises gradually diminished. Little by little the eleven minutes fell to zero. By January 10th I was back to where I had started from. I argued that if I spent less time exhausting myself at exercises in the morning I would keep my mind fresh for reading when I got home from work.

Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book. One night, however, feeling cold and lonely. I went downstairs and sat in front of the television pretending to read. That proved to be my undoing’ for I soon got back to the old bad habit of dozing off in front of the screen. I still haven’t given up my resolution to do more reading. In fact, I have just bought a book entitled ‘How to Read a Thousand Words a Minute’. Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just haven’t had time to read it.

Word Meanings:-

1.compile-collect information and arrange it in the form of a list, book etc. 2. formidable—very impressive. 3. recur—happen repeatedly. 4. accomplishment-skill that can 5. attainment –achievement. 6. so that—with the result that 7. pitfalls- difficulties, unexpected dangers. 8. Assiduously- with constant and careful attention 9. considerable – great in amount (i.e. it required a great deal of self-discipline to get out of bed eleven earlier than usual) 10. betrayed me—revealed my secret. 11. unsettling—disturbing, upsetting. 12. fend off-fight off, defend oneself from. 13. jibes—taunts, mocking remarks. 14. waned—decreased gradually.

Questions

1.Answer the following questions as briefly as possible :

a) What has past experience of New Year resolutions taught us, according to the writer?

b) Why, according to the writer, do most of us fail in our efforts for self-improvement?

c) Why is it a basic mistake to announce our resolutions to everybody?

d) Why did the writer not carry out his resolutions on New Year’s Day?

e) The writer feels that the New Year resolutions are not meant to be implemented. Quote, two expressions from the passage to prove it.

2. Find words in the above passage which convey the similar meaning as the following :

a) over-whelming (para 1)

b) drawbacks (para 2)

c) decrease (para 3)

Answers

a)It has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment.

b) It is because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out.

c)It is because we make ourselves look even more foolish when we slip back into our old bad ways.

d)There was an all-night party and so the writer could not carry out his resolutions on New-Year’s Day.

e)The expressions formidable lists’ and ‘schemes too ambitious’ show what the writer feels about the New Year resolutions.

2.a)formidable

b) pitfalls

c) wane

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