COMPLIMENT
Read the passage given below:
1. Real praise, the sincere compliment is probably the most useful social tool of all its the valued gold coin of our conversation. Yet today, it is in danger of losing its brightness. For it is greatly misused and not properly exchanged.
2. What is a true compliment? It’s one that benefits both giver and receiver. Once a painter and his young assistant were painting our house. The older man was wearing shiny new shoes. As the man started skillfully painting, my father-in-law, said to the boy, “Son, when you can show up on the job to a paint a house, wearing new shoes, you will be the master of your trade.” The painter smiled and did the best job.
3. We all like to have our sense of personal worth built up or pointed out. And when one expensive adds to another’s sense of dignity and speaks favourably of his skill, he is offering a compliment of the highest and rarest kind.
4. A compliment differs from flattery in that it is objective and given without thought of gain. Flattery is often merely lip service or excessive praise given for motives other than expressed.
5. The greatest efforts of the human race have always resulted from the love of praise. This should be inspired in childhood. The wise parent makes it. point to compliment a child who deserves it. A Woman I know has a 12-year-old son who considers washing dishes for his mother a great honour. One night, while washing a large dish, it slipped and crashed on the floor. Then his mother said, “You know, Robert, of all the times you have washed the dishes for me, this is the first time you dropped one.” Anxiety left the boy’s face and he smiled. As one psychologist advises, “Praise virtue and you will find few vices to criticize.”
6. There is an art in this giving of compliments. Thus the good compliment is always to the point and timing is important. Don’t wait too long to tell a person: what a good talk he gave or how well he cut your grass. But don’t do it immediately when he is expecting it either. Wait. Then when he thinks you may have forgotten, pass the praise. Confidence, it has been said, is the greatest gift that one human can give to another. But that does not mean we should be wasteful with our compliments. Rather we should count them carefully remembering that a good compliment has greater purchasing power than money, that no one is too busy or successful to receive a word of praise.
Choose the correct alternatives from the options given below:
(a) According to the writer, a sincere compliment is `hard to find’ because
(i) it is not valued today (ii) it is losing its brightness like gold
(iii) it benefits only the giver (iv) it is being misused
(b) The anecdote about the painter and his assistant highlights
(i) the importance of a compliment (ii) the effect of a compliment
(iii) the example of a true compliment (iv) the example of a compliment
Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
(c) How does a true compliment affect us?
(d) Why has flattery been described as mere lip service’?
(e) What do the incident of the woman and her 12 years on illustrate?
(f) Mention two important qualities of a good compliment?
(g) What does the writer mean by saying that compliment has greater purchasing power than money?
(h) How can one be wasteful with compliments?
Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) genuine (para 1)
(j) wickedness/evils (para 5)
Passage-7
(a) (iv) (b) (iii)
(c) A true compliment benefits both its giver and receiver. It is the most useful social tool of all. When one imparts words of sincere appreciation to us, it adds to our sense of confidence and we put our best effort to the task at hand.
(d) flattery is described as lip service’ because unlike a true compliment, which is objective and given without the intention of gaining favours, it is excessive or false praise given for the sake of achieving hidden motives.
(e) The incident of the woman and the 12-year old son illustrates how focusing on one’s virtues instead of their mistakes can reduce their anxiety if they make a mistake and give them the confidence to continue working to best of their abilities.
(f) A good compliment is one that is to the point and given at the right time.
(g) Confidence is among the most valuable gifts a human being can give to another. The writer says that the greatest efforts of the human race have come from a love of praise. Money does not have the power to inspire sincere effort on the part of the receiver. Thus, a compliment has more purchasing power than money.
(h) We can be wasteful with our compliments by giving them away too often or at the wrong time. This reduces their value and makes them sound insincere.
(i) Sincere.
(j) Vices.
Download the above Passage in PDF Worksheet (Printable)
More Comprehension Passages:-
Passage No-21.CHOPSTICKS (350 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
Passage No-23. SHAKESPEARE (600 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
This Shakespeare biography is all about Shakespeare plays. These Shakespeare notes focus on Shakespeare education and Shakespeare early life. He is famous for Shakespeare quotes, Shakespeare drama and Shakespeare sonnets including some Shakespeare tragedy plays. Go through the passage and learn about Shakespeare poems as well as Shakespeare poetry.
Passage No-24.HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (800 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
Passage No-25.BOARDERS (600 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
Passage No-26.BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT(650 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
These business environment notes are all about business environment meaning. Read and do business environment analysis. Find what is really business environment meaning.
Passage No-27.YOGA(600 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
This yoga essay is all about yoga health benefits. This can be used as yoga speech because it tells yoga meaning. This yoga education passage tells yoga history and the importance of yoga for kids. That’s why we celebrate yoga day of 21st June. Learn about yoga health.
Passage No-28. HIGH SCHOOL RESULTS (800 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
Passage No-29.QUALIFIED YOUNGSTERS (650 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
Passage No-30. NEWSPAPER (500 Words Subjective/Objective Solved)
This newspaper essay covers newspaper topic. This newspaper article example tells about newspaper history and newspaper in English. Read the importance of newspaper for kids.
