115. Reading Skills Comprehension: Risks on the Road

Risks on the Road

Read the following passage carefully.                                         

1. These days, it is not unusual to see people listening to music or using their electronic gadgets while crossing busy roads or travelling on public transport, regardless of the risks involved. I have often wondered why they take such risks. Is it because they want to exude a sense of independence, or is it that they want to tell the world to stop bothering them? Or is it that they just want to show how cool they are? I Whether it is a workman or an executive, earphones have become an inseparable part of our lives, sometimes even leading to tragicomic situations.

2. The other day, an electrician had come to our house to fix something. We told him in detail what needed to be done. But after he left, I found that the man had done almost nothing. It later turned out that he could not hear our directions clearly because he had an earphone on. Hundreds of such earphone addicts commute by the Delhi Metro every day. While one should not grudge anyone for their moments of privacy or their love for music, the fact is ‘iPod oblivion’ can sometimes be very dangerous.

3. Recently, I was travelling with my wife on the Delhi Metro. Since the train was approaching the last station, there weren’t so many passengers. In our compartment, other than us, there were only two women sitting on the other side of the aisle. And then suddenly, I spotted a duffel bag. The bomb scare lasted for several minutes. Then suddenly, a youth emerged from nowhere and picked up the bag. When we tried to stop him, he looked at us, surprised. Then he took off his earpieces, lifted the bag, and told us that the bag belonged to him and that he was going to get off at the next station.

4. We were stunned but recovered in time to ask him where he was all this while? His answer: he was in the compartment, leaning against the door totally immersed in the music. He had no clue about what was going on around him. When he got off, earplugs in his hand, we could hear strains of the song.

1. Answer the questions in brief.

(i)What reasons does the author offer for the people taking risks on the road?

(ii) Why didn’t the electrician carry out the work properly?

(iii) Why were the people in the train doubtful about the bag?

 (iv) Why were the passengers stunned?

2. Find words from the passage which are similar in meaning to the words by choosing the correct option.       

 (A) In spite of (Para I)

 (i) regardless              (ii) tragicomic

(iii) bothering              (iv) inseparable

(B) Travel (Para 2)

 (i) exude                     (ii) commute

 (iii) grudge                 (iv) spotted

(C) Absorbed (Para 4)

 (i) immersed              (ii) stunned

(iii) surprised               (iv) wondered

(D) Hint (Para 4)

 (i) directions               (ii) clue

(iii) privacy                  (iv) scare




 Answers :

1.(i) The author offers the reasons that people take risks on the road to exude a sense of independence or to tell the world to stop bothering them. They may also want to show that they are very cool.

 (ii) The electrician did not carry out the work properly because he did not hear the instructions carefully. He had his earphone on when the instructions were given.

(iii) In the train compartment, there were very few people and a duffel bag was spotted with the owner missing. Nobody came forward to take the bag so they doubted it to be a bomb scare.

 (iv) After the bomb scare, a young man emerged from nowhere who very casually took his bag. He said that he was in the compartment, leaning against the door totally immersed in the music. The passengers were stunned at the carelessness and behaviour of the young boy.

2.(A) (i) regardless

(B) (ii) commute

(C) (i) immersed

(D) (ii) clue

Download the above Passage in PDF Worksheet (Printable)




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