English Reading Comprehension Set 37

Directions (Q.1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below. Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them.

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FC Barcelona, the Catalonian club in Spain, is widely followed and its present generation of footballers revered for their style of football instilled and honed by Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff. The club’s heyday under former coach Josep “Pep” Guardiola is understood to be over following his departure and the inevitable aging of some key players such as Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. Others such as goalkeeper Victor Valdes and defender Carles Puyol have left the club. When Luis Enrique took over as manager at Barcelona from Gerardo Martino in May 2014, the club was said to be facing a mini-crisis. It had failed to win any major honour in 2013-14 — for the first time in six years. This was a far cry from the period of 2008-12 when it won 14 of the possible 19 trophies. When in January, midway through the season, the club trailed its bitter rival Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga standings, there were questions galore for Enrique to answer. Four months on, the coach stands vindicated for his unrelenting optimism. Barcelona was crowned the league champion last weekend after winning 18 of its last 20 games. It is now on the cusp of a possible triple win as it is in the finals of the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. The performance of arguably the world’s most devastating front trio, of Neymar, Luis Suarez and lynchpinLionel Messi, is evidence that Enrique’s approach of man-management rather than total reliance on tactical know-how has worked. The three have had a combined tally of 79 goals and 28 assists in La Liga this season.

While the win will soothe the nerves of Barcelona and its fans, the symbolism outside Spain is not to be lost. Till 2012 the apex of world football was in Spain, built on a style that made absolute control of the ball paramount. In the seasons since then, that emphasis shifted when clubs, especially in Germany, took the style to a new level by adding ruthless efficiency and rapid transition from defence to offence. The high point of this was the combined 7-0 thrashing of Barcelona by Bayern Munich in the 2012-13 Champions League semi-final legs, and the 2014 World Cup win for Germany. Barcelona this season has added these elements to its game. Barcelona no longer just attacks; it counter-attacks too, as was seen in its 5-3 defeat of Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals. The club’s front line, representing the best of the waltz and tango that South American football is known for, has been instrumental in this. Whether this would kick-start another era of dominance by Barcelona and whether with that a shift of the apex back to Spain would happen is too early to say. But victory in Berlin over Juventus in the Champions League final could sow the seeds for such a turn.

-Source The Hindu, Delhi Edition, 22^nd May

Q.1. Choose an appropriate title for the passage.

1) The FOOT-BALL

2) Head High

3) The Last Resort

4) The Barca Supremacy

5) None of these

Q.2. Which of the following trio is appreciated for its performance in the season?

1) Neymar-Suarez-Messi

2) Valdes-Puyol-Messi

3) Suarez-Puyol-Valdes

4) Valdes-Messi-Neymar

5) Neymar-Puyol-Suarez

Q.3. Which of the following elements has been added to the the Barcelona team that it showed in Champions League semi-finals?

1) Great Defense

2) Counter Attack

3) Goal Keeper

4) Quick Tactics change

5) None of These

Q.4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A) Barcelona was crowned the league champion last weekend after winning 18 of its last 20 games.

B) The victory of Juventus  in Berlin over Barcelona in the Champions League final could again shift the power back to Europe.

C) The club’s front line, representing the best of the waltz and tango that South American football is known for

1) Only A

2) Only A and B

3) Only A and C

4) Only B and C

5) All A, B and C

Q.5.What does the author mean by the phrase “coach stands vindicated for his unrelenting optimism”?

1) The Coach was thrashed for what he was trying new.

2) The coach was always underestimated as he was optimistic in his approach

3) The coach was given support from team management to perform better

4) Coach was justified for his implacable efforts.

5) None of these

Q.6.Which of the following is the synonym of the word “instilled”?

1) Tenet

2) Inculcate

3) Suffrage

4) Tryst

5) None of the above

Q.7. Which of the following is the synonym of the word “devastating”?

1) Ruinous

2) Pernicious

3) Calamitous

4) Detrimental

5) All of the above

Q.8. Which of the following is the synonym of the word “lynchpin”?

1) Most Important

2) Most Honored

3) Amulet

4) Stolid

5) All of the above

Q.9. Which of the following is not the synonym of the word “revered”?

1) Flout

2) Irascible

3) Probity

4) Reprise

5) Despise

Q.10. Which of the following is not the synonym of the word “ruthless”?

1) Convival

2) Zealot

3) Compassionate

4) Rubric

5) None of the above

Answers :

1. (4)

2. (1)

3. (2)

4. (3)

5. (4)

6. (2)

7. (5)

8. (1)

9. (5)

10. (3)

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