Std - X English 3.2 A Lesson in Life from A Beggar (Comprehensive Reading Skill)

 Read the following passage carefully and   do the activities.

  Meena is a good friend off mine. She is an LIC officer earning a good salary. She was forever unhappy.Whenever I met her,I would start to feel depressed. It was as though her gloom  and cynicism  had a way  of spreading to others. She never had anything positive to say on any subject ir about any person.

For instance, I might say to her, " Meena ,did you know Rakesh has come first in his school?"

M

eena's immediate response  would be to belittle the achievement. 'Naturally, his father is a school teacher', she would say.

If I said, ' Meena, Shwetha is a very beautiful girl, isn't she?' Meena would be pessimistic. 'When a pony is young, he looks handsome. It is age that matters.

Wait for some time. Shwetha will be uglier than anyone you know.'

'Meena, it's a beautiful day. Let's go for a walk.'

'No, the sun is too hot and I get tired if I walk too much. Besides who says walking

is good for health? There's no proof.'

That was Meena. She stayed alone in an apartment as her parents lived in Delhi.

She was an only child and had habit of complaining  about anything  and everything. Naturally, she wasn't a very pleasant company and nobody wanted to visit her. Then one day, Meena was transferred to Bombay and soon we all forgot abiut her.

A1 Complete the following sentences.

1    Meena was ........... in LIC.

2    She would spread ............. .

3    Her parents lived in .............. .

4    She was transferred to ........... from

       Bengluru.

A2   Why does the author call Meena

        pessimistic?

A3   Find the words from the passage                which means -

1.      distrustful attitude - ..........

2.      feeling of sorrow - ..............

3.     a person with negative attitude -                    ........................

4.     happy - .............

A4    Do as directed.

1.   Shwetha will be uglier than anyone

       you know.

       (Rewrite the sentence beginning with

        No one ...............)

2.    Whenever I met her, I would start to

        feel depressed.

        ( Underline and name subordinate

          clause.)

A5    Do you prefer pessimistic friend or

         optimistic friend? why?

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