Comprehension Passage-18

 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :

1.         “Nature never did betray the heart that loved her”, says Wordsworth. The benign and soothing influence of nature on human life is unquestionable. We owe our existence to nature in every sense. She feeds and moulds us. She nurses and protects us. She is indeed, our never failing friend.

2.         Naturally, man should take care of her. He must endeavour to conserve her. However, the reality tells us a sorry tale. Nature suffers a serious setback at the hands of man. Forests are on the wane. The level of pollution due to rapid and aggressive industrialisation and congestion is increasing alarmingly. Atomic tests and explosions vitiate the climate: As a whole, ecological balance is badly affected.

3.         With this comes the question of extinction of different species of plants and animals. This results in the loss of bio-diversity of nature. Let us pause and ponder over the danger looming large. Let us act sensibly in our own interest. We should save nature in the interest of our own survival.

Questions

1. How can you say that human beings owe their existence to nature?

2. Why should man take care of nature?

3. What type of setbacks has the nature faced at the hands of man?

4. How is bio-diversity lost?

5. In whose interest is it to save nature?

6. Choose and fill in the blanks with help from the above passage :

(a) The influence of nature on human life is ................(questionable/unquestionable).

(b) Forests are on the ...........(increase/decrease).

(c) Atomic tests ...............(vitiate/improve) the climate.

(d) We should act ................(sensibly/insensibly) in our own interest.

Ans : 1. The human beings owe their existence to nature as she feeds us, moulds us, nurses us and protects us.

2. As nature takes our care, so man should take care of her.

3. The nature has faced many types of setbacks at the hands of man, such as rise in pollution, atomic tests and explosion and extinction of different species of plants and animals.

4. Biodiversity is lost due the extinction of different species of plants and animals.

5. It is in our own interest to save nature.

6. (a) unquestionable, (b) decrease, (c) vitiate, (d) sensibly.