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16. Reading Skills Comprehension: Summers of Peace

Summers of Peace

Read the following passage carefully:

1-  Even as the pleasant weather gives way to warmth and the mercury begins its ominous ascent. heralding yet another scorching summer, I breathe freer. For, soon enough, I know the hot dusty winds will bring long and sudden spells of power cuts and dry taps and hence peace and tranquillity.

2- This, of course, is not because of 1 harbour masochistic tendencies. Only I happen to be an eternal optimist who never fails to spot an opportunity in any calamity; harrowing summers included.

3- For all its obvious and undeniable charms, putting up in a metropolis has its own pitfalls; particularly if one is blessed with a streak of innate meekness and an army of relatives. This is the case with me and my house has become a veritable Guest House, for anybody and everybody, even with the slight acquaintance, drops in my place either for an interview or to leave his ward.

4- Anybody and everybody with just a nodding acquaintance with me make it a point to drop it at my place either to appear for an interview or to leave his ward for a couple of days for some competitive examination or simply to go sightseeing.

5- It is only when the summer rages at its scorching best and power and water play truant with impunity that the guest shies away from dropping in just like that and leave me in comparative peace.

6- ‘Comparative’ because duties and responsibilities do not vanish with the guests and looking after a pair of demanding children and a circumspect wife-a fairly Common mix these days- is an equally daunting task. Right from providing unskilled help in the kitchen to preparing the children for school carrying endless buckets of water from the community tap to fill up the insatiable desert cooler.

7- But when the temperature shoots up to uncomfortable levels and my efforts are no longer adequate to preserve the same degree of comforts, my wife very wisely decides to spend the summer vacation with her parents who happen to be located in one of the more famous hill stations of the north.

8- At long last, thoroughly enervated and left to fend for me, I have a big sigh of relief. I can now afford to savour the joys of indulging in my favourite pastime—.–guzzling beer and sleeping.

9- A most welcome and direct fallout of the scorching summer is a healthier bank balance With the guests shying away and the better half away with the kids considerable economy is automatic. Affected in the day to day expenditure. And the steep fall in the electricity bill is like icing on the cake.

10-  Left alone to enjoy the rewards of sweet summer, the amount saved looks like a mini fortune I treat myself to all the good things in life. A little sweat is but a small price to pay for such extravaganza. If only there were two summers in a year!

1. On the basis of your reading of the passage. complete the following statements briefly:

(a) The guest came to the narrator’s house to _______ or ____________.

(b) The guest shy away in the hot summer because of______________.

(c) The narrator’s wife decides to spend the summer vacation_____________.

2. Answer these questions briefly:

(a) How does the narrator help s wife?

(b) What is like icing on the cake for the narrator?

(c) Name two favourite pastimes of the narrator.

3. Find words from the passage which mean the same as:

(a) coming up (Para 1)                         (b) disappear (Para 5)

Answers

1.(a) attend an interview or to leave his ward for competitive exams.

(b) power cuts and a shortage of water.

(c) with her parents who live on a famous hill station.

2. (a) by helping the kitchen, preparing children for school and bringing buckets of water from the community tap to fill up the desert cooler.

(b) Dee the electricity bills.

(c) guzzling beer and sleeping

3. (a) ascent

  (b) shy away

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