ADVANCED READING AND WRITING

(Brief-answer Questions)

Reading – I

8. Read the following composition attentively and answer any five of the questions:

Hamlet was troubled by an uncertainty about the manner of his father's death. Claudius had given out that a snake had poisoned him, but young Hamlet had the suspicion that Claudius himself was the snake and had murdered him for crown. While his mind was troubled by these doubts and anxieties, word came to him that for three nights the ghost of the dead king had been seen by soldiers on watch before the palace. The figure came always dressed in the same suit of armor that the dead king was known to have worn. Those who saw it (Hamlet's friend Horatio was one), agreed in their testimony as to the manner and time of its appearance, that it came just as the clock struck twelve and it looked pale with a face that was full of sorrow; that it made no answer when they spoke to it, though once they thought, it lifted up its hand as if it were about to speak, but in an instant passed away.

(a) Hamlet suspected Claudius as the murderer of his father – is the statement true or false?

Ans: True

(b) What parts of speech is the word 'armor' in the passage?

Ans: Noun

(c) Find out the synonym of the word 'sorrow'.

Ans: unhappiness

(d) Identify the structural name of the first sentence of the passage.

Ans: The first sentence of the passage is a simple sentence. It is also the topic sentence of the passage.

(e) What is the meaning of the verb 'given out ' in the second sentence? ,

Ans: In the second sentence, the meaning of the verb 'given out ' is ‘announced’ or ‘declared’.

(f) 'Passed away' can be replaced by - (i) seen (ii) vanished (iii) died.

Ans: ii. vanished

(g) Horatio told Hamlet that the ghost appeared at the evening - True or False?

Ans: False

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Short reading comprehension passages with questions and answers-8

ADVANCED READING AND WRITING

(Brief-answer Questions)

Reading – I

: