Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow :

1. When it comes to drinking water every day, an important question to ask is how much water should you drink ? It is a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. Just like one size does not fit all, every individual has different hydration needs which depend on a person’s health, level of activity and climatic conditions.

2. Water is one of the most important nutrients and contributes about 50 – 60% to our body weight. Much also depends on an individual’s

age, gender and body-fat content. We can live without food for almost two months, but we can’t survive without water for more than a few

days. Water is essential for the body to function normally; dehydration can cause death. Lack of water can lead to malfunctioning of the kidney, which would hinder excretion of uric acid, urea and calcium, resulting in kidney stones. Its scarcity can

affect electrolyte balance in the body, which could be potentially dangerous causing coma or death.

3. Water is also essential for breathing, as the lungs need to be moist before they exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Apart from all thoseknown functions, water is important for chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism. It also helps cool the body through

perspiration and lubricates our joints. People suffering from arthritis should drink a glass of water every second hour.

4. In the last decade, the 8 x8 guideline (8 ounce or 240 ml of water, or 8 glasses of water) was followed all over the world. The National

Institute of Nutrition in its 2011 guidelines prescribed two litres or eight glasses of water per day for a healthy adult.

5. Optimum hydration can be achieved by drinking low-calorie, nutritious beverages such as lemon water, green tea, coconut water,

butter milk, besides plain water. Plan your day in a way that you drink enough liquid. The thumb rule should be to include at least one

of these beverages as part of your midday meal. In a nutshell, a person requires a minimum of eight glasses of water per day do not

gulp all in one go, divide the number of glasses equally throughout the day and combine them with low-calorie, nutritious beverages

whenever possible.

6. Regulate your water intake according to weather conditions for staying adequately hydrated.

7. To conclude, water is the elixir of life. Instead of wasting water, we must adopt rainwater harvesting. Think of states like Rajasthan where water supply is available for a few hours. At some places, there is a great shortage of water. We must use water judiciously and sparingly. What will we leave for the next generation if we use such a precious source carelessly ? If things go like this, we all will be fighting over water. What we need is to treat even the sea water to meet water scarcity or else we will end up saying. ‘‘Water water

everywhere, but not a drop to drink.’’

2.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and subheadings. Use recognisable abbreviations (wherever necessary – minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.

2.2 Write a summary of the above passage in about 100 words.

Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1 Till as late as the 1960s, we believed that one of the major differences between us and the rest of the animal kingdom was our ability to make and use tools. But then, our egos suffered a devastating blow: in the jungles of Gombe in Africa, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee pluck and trim a stem of grass and insert it into a termite mound. The furious termites climbed up the stem only to be happily eaten up by the chimp. The chimp kept repeating the process. He had, in fact, fashioned his own fishing rod and gone fishing for termites. We were not alone! And that was not all. Chimps were also observed using rocks to bash open hard shells and fruits (which other monkeys also do), to throw them at their enemies and wave sticks around. Even worse, adolescent females, especially, were seen sharpening sticks with their

teeth and thrusting these like spears into hollows where bush-babies were hiding in fear and then checked the spear tips for blood! Chimps were also seen chewing up leaves and using these like sponges to suck up water from the waterholes to enable them to drink.

2 The gorillas and orangutans were not far behind. In 2005, a western lowland gorilla (a lady, this time) was observed picking up a stick and

using it to check the depth of a pool she wanted to cross. Then, she used it as a walking stick. Orangutans (as well as chimpanzees) have been observed using broad leaves as umbrellas during downpours - and orangutans that are accustomed to our company (never a good influence) imitate the way we wash clothes by the riverbank or use a saw to cut wood.

3 Elephants designed fly-whisks and backscratchers from branches, and used strips of chewed up bark to plug small waterholes (which they

had dug) to prevent the water from evaporating. Dada bulls would heave heavy logs or rocks at electric fences to short-circuit or simply destroy them.

4 Bottle-nosed dolphins have been known to cover their long noses with sponges or shells before combing the seabed for tid bits (There are many spiny creatures and sharp rocks that could otherwise injure them).

5 Crows are thought to be the smartest amongst birds and the new Caledonian crow is considered to be the Einstein among crows. Crows

have been known to do the dropping-of-pebbles-in-a-pitcher-of-water stunt, as described in Aesop’s Fables. The American alligator has been known to arrange twigs on its head -to lure nest-building birds to come and pick them up. When they do, well, lunch is served for the alligator!

6 For long, we have exploited the poor silkworm, boiling its cocoons alive to make one of the most exquisite clothing materials known so far. But the real pros in silk production are -hold your breath -spiders. What caterpillars of moths and butterflies do with their mouth parts

(like a magician releasing ribbons from his/her mouth), spiders do it from the lower part of their bodies. But, try as we may, we still haven’t cracked the code of how to synthesise spider silk, which can be used for everything from producing gun-sights and sutures to light bulletproof jackets and seat belts.

7 What if spiders sold their silk? Imagine walking into a silk emporium run by arachnids, you would be greeted by a sales-spider: charming,

young Ms./Mr. Hairy-legs, who would appraise you out of her/his eight or so eyes. ‘‘Welcome, welcome!’’ s/he would gush scanning you

top-down, rubbing its hairy legs together in delight. ‘‘We have some of the finest, softest cradle silk you would ever want for your happy

events. Wrapped up in it, your babies will be warm, safe and dry as they wait to hatch. It’s super-absorbent, too, and nappy rash will not

be a problem!

8 So yes, animals use tools but we needn’t worry. None of them have, as yet, discovered how to make fire. Though, our very own black kite will -with its goonda friends -spread a wildfire by dropping burning twigs in unburned areas so they can snap up even more fleeing insects and rodents. But yes, these so-called tools are primitive.

9 But then, do animals really need sophisticated tools to get what they want? Cheetahs accelerate faster than Ferraris, pit vipers have

heat-seeking sensors, eagles can locate a rabbit in a field from kilometers away, sharks smell a drop of blood in a whole ruddy ocean, bats use sonar, birds and bees see ultraviolet light, a falcon can dive at 320 kmph, snakes have a cocktail of venom that can bleed, paralyse or

liquefy you to death, spiders’ silk still has us in a tizzy, chameleons and octopuses wear invisibility cloaks, and, migratory birds have built

in navigation system -the list is endless!

10 We had the best brains and so were able to design miraculous tools. But look where we have ended up: we’ve gassed up the earth’s air,

poisoned the water and have stocked enough weaponry to destroy ourselves a million times over. So really, who is the monkey with the wrench?

1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option :

(a) Chimps making their own fishing rods is an indication that

(i) animals and man have similar interests.

(ii) monkeys also go fishing.

(iii) animals like to imitate man.

(iv) man is an animal who likes to fish.

(b) We know that chimps are intelligent because

(i) they try and ape man.

(ii) they use their brains to find solutions to problems.

(iii) they kill bush-babies.

(iv) they love to eat termites.

(c) Orangutans use big leaves during a downpour because

(i) they like big leaves when it starts to rain.

(ii) they do not like heavy rain.

(iii) they want to wet the leaves.

(iv) the leaves can keep the rain off their bodies.

(d) The black kite may start a fire because

(i) it is a fire bird.

(ii) it is hungry and looking for food.

(iii) it likes to watch fleeing animals.

(iv) it eats only cooked meat.

(e) Big male elephants throw logs at electric fences because

(i) they want to be free.

(ii) they are great throwers.

(iii) they enjoy the sparks thus caused.

(iv) they are very strong animals.

1.2 Answer the following questions briefly:

(a) Why are animals considered as intelligent as humans?

(b) What strategy do chimps use to open hard shells and fruits?

(c) What do elephants do to prevent water from evaporating?

(d) Give an example from the passage that proves the crow to be an intelligent bird.

(e) How does a black kite spread wildfire?

(f) How do chimps drink water from the waterholes?

1.3 Answer any three of the following questions in 25 – 30 words each:

(a) What caused a blow to man’s ego?

(b) What inference can you draw from the action of the female gorilla described in para 2?

(c) Why do dolphins cover their long noses with sponges or shells?

(d) To what end have humans used their superior intelligence?

1.4 Find words/phrases from the passage which are similar in meaning to each of the following :

(a) crude/old-fashioned (para 8)

(b) poison (para 9)

(c) wonderful (para 10)

You are Kumar/Ankita, Secretary, West End Cooperative Group Housing Society, Vasundhara. Write a notice in not more than 50 words requesting the members to attend a meeting of the society to discuss the problem of irregular supply of drinking water to the residents.

OR

You are Mrs. Krishnamurthi. Your son is getting married. You are throwing a party to celebrate the occasion. On behalf of your husband and

yourself draft a formal invitation in not more than 50 words inviting friends and relatives to attend the function.

You are Mrs./Mr. Gupta. Your son is a student of Class XII and wants to pursue a course in mass communication. Write a letter in 120 – 150 words to the Dean, Institute of Mass Communication, University of Delhi, seeking information about the course, admission procedure, eligibility criteria, fee structure, hostel facilities, placement opportunities, etc.

OR

You are Anand Kumar/Anant Kumari, Sports Incharge, Greenland Public School, Goregaon. You ordered some sports goods from Bhalla Sports, Andheri, Mumbai. When the consignment was opened you found that the contents did not tally with those you had ordered. Write a letter of complaint in 120 – 150 words.

During the season of marriages you have seen people spending a lot of money only to satisfy their ego. All the money thus wasted can be put to some constructive use. Write an article in 150 – 200 words on ‘Simple Marriages’. You are Anu/Anup.

OR

A one-day cricket match was played between your school ACE Public School and DFG Public School, Lampur. Your team won the match by

4 wickets. Write a report in 150 – 200 words on the same for your school magazine. You are Sapna/Sridhar.