ASSESSMENT

Example 1
Read the following passage, and answer the questions that follow it. Answers should be
brief, to the point and in your own words:
The great advantage of early rising is the good start it gives us for our day’s work.
The early riser has done a large amount of hard work before other men have got out of bed.
In the early morning the mind is fresh, and there are few sounds or other distractions, so
the work done at the time is generally well done. In many cases the early riser also finds
time to take some exercise in the fresh morning air, and this exercise supplies him with a
fund of energy that will last to do thoroughly all the work he can be accepted to do, and is
not tempted to hurry over any part of it. All his work being finished in good time, he has a
long interval of rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed. He gets to
sleep several hours before midnight, at the time when sleep is most refreshing and after a
sound night’s rest rises early next morning in good health and spirits for the labours of a
new day.
It is very plain that such a life as this is far more conducive to health than that of
the man who shortens his waking hours by rising late, and so can afford in the course of
the day little leisure for necessary rest. Anyone who lies in bed late, must, if he wished to
do a full day’s work, go on working to a correspondingly late hour, and deny himself the
hour or two of evening exercise that he ought to take for the benefit of his health. But, in
spite of all his efforts, he will probably not produce as good results as the early riser,
because he misses the best working hours of he day.
Questions
• Give a suitable title to the passage.
• What is the advantage of rising early?
• Why is the work done in the early morning well done?
• Why is the early riser not tempted to hurry over his day’s work?
• What enables the early riser to go to bed at the proper time?
• Why is the late riser unable to do his work properly?
• Explain the meanings of:
(i) Distraction (ii) Fund of energy, (iii) Conducive, (iv) Refreshing
Answers. (a) The Advantages of early rising.
(b) Early rising gives a good start to the day’s work. An early riser has accomplished a
good deal of work while the others are still asleep.
(c) In the early hours of the morning, work is done very efficiently. It being quiet all
around, there are no distractions. Secondly, mind is still very fresh.
(d) By rising early, he adds to his hours of work. He gets ample time to do full justice to
each one of the jobs assigned to him, and hence he doesn’t have to hurry over anything.
(e) The early riser is able to finish his day’s work in time. He does not have to keep awake
till late hours in order to finish his work. Thus he can go to bed at the proper time.
(f) The late riser gets fewer hours of work. He gets no rest during the day, no time for
exercise in the evening and has to keep awake till late hours in order to finish his work.
And still whatever work is done is done satisfactorily.
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(g) (i) Distraction = Something that draws the attention aside in different directions.
(ii) Fund of energy = Store of energy
(iii) Conducive = having power to promote; advantageous
(iv) Refreshing = something that makes one fresh again, something that gives one
new vigour.