56. Reading Skills Comprehension: Power Vehicles

Power Vehicles

Read the following passages and answer the questions given at the end of each:

At a time when the use of fossil fuels to power vehicles is making environmentalists angry, an alternative source of fuel—the bio-diesel—has emerged as a useful solution. Additionally, its use solves a disposal problem.

The fuel is nothing but used vegetable oil which has been tested satisfactorily. It has made a vehicle called the Veggie Van (a motorhome) run more than 16,000 km across the United States, Also it has visited 20 major cities causing absolutely no harm to the environment. Vegetable oil from various restaurants in America was all that was used along the entire journey. The novel experiment was started as a college project by two students Joshna and Kaia, It eventually ended in a massive, public awareness programme.

The idea of using vegetable oil as fuel for a diesel engine first occurred to them when they visited a traditional farm in the picturesque southern Germany where vehicles fuelled by vegetable oil were in use. While studying agriculture and living on these farms, they noticed that fanners were always filling tanks of a yellow liquid. “This fuel comes from the canola plants which grow on our farms and nearby areas. We put in the diesel and it smells good,” farmers said.

Questions :

 (a) What is the alternative fuel suggested in the passage is?

(b) What name was given to the vehicle that first used biofuel?

 (c) Who were the inventors of this vehicle?

(d) Name the country where the idea of alternative fuel originated.

(e) Find words from the passage which mean the same as (i) choice, (ii) huge.

(f) From which plant do we get bio-diesel?

Download the above Passage in PDF Worksheet (Printable)

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