1. The document provides biographical information about Mohd Faizan Raza and their objective of testing reading comprehension at the graduation level.
2. It discusses the history of the ancient Nalanda University in India, which was one of the largest universities in the world from the 5th to 12th century hosting over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers.
3. Admission was through debates with scholar-doorkeepers, and subjects taught included astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, religion, and medicine.
3. Nalanda , of course, stands splendid testimony
to the grand intellectual life of times. From its
inception in the fifth century BC, Nalanda
remained the greatest university of ancient times
until the 12th century C E, accommodating 2000
teachers 10,000 students during most of its
existence. Admission was through debate with
the dwar pandit, the scholar-doorkeeper who
decided whether the student could be allowed to
pass through the hallowed portals of the great
university. Astronomy, Mathematics, Philosophy,
Religion, Medicine; all subject religious and
secular, Buddhist and Hindu were taught there. It
a library of three stories high.
4. The entire Buddha circuit has been taken over by
the Buddhist nation- stupas, temples, and monasteries
have been built in Rajgir, Bodhgaya, and Sarnath by
the Japanese, the Chinese, the Koreans, the Thais, the
Tibetans and Sri Lankans. International flights arrive in
Bodhgaya; strangely there are no domestic flights.
The colour of these places is now overwhelmingly
orange. Buddhists from these lands arrive in complete
piety and devotion. The Mahabodhi temple at
Bodhgaya is lit up, for the karmapa in the town. The
original black Buddha in the sanctum is now gilded
over – and the austere muni now has a glowing gem
as his third eye and holds a sparking gem – studded
bhiksha – patram in his hand, which looks more like a
jewel box sadly.
5. The bodhi tree, fifth from the original
under which Siddhartha became the Buddha,
the enlightened one, stands in the courtyard
and underneath it the Vajrasana on which the
ascetic sat in meditation. The path which he
stroke still marked with a stone marking real
ones which were supposed to have sprung up
with every step that took.
6. True-False
Q.1: Indicate whether the following statements are true ( T ) or
False ( F ).
1: Nalanda was not popular in the beginning [………………]
2: The process of admission was through debate[………….]
3: Arabic and Urdu were tow two of subjects taught in Nalanda
university[………………. ]
4:Internatinal flights are only options to reach bodhgaya[…………….]
5:The Buddha has a glowing gem as his second eye[…………..]
KEY:1)F, 2) T, 3)F, 4) T, 5)T.
7. Multiple choice
Q.1: Chose the correct options for the following
statements:
1:Nalanda was one of the greatest ancient…….
a) Organizations b) Colleges
c) Schools d) Universities
2:Nalanda had 2000………
A ) Teachers b) Students
c) Clerks d) Idols
KEY: 1) D, 2)A.
8. 3: Subject taught in Nalanda were both religious
and………
a) Ancient b) Secular
c) Scientific d) Contemporary
4: The colour of difference places of Nalanda is…
a) White b) Red
c) Green d) Orange
Key: 3. (d) , 4. (c)
9. FILLING GAPS
Q.1:Fill in the following sentences by the options given in the
word box:
[Scholars-doorkeeper, Mahabodhi, Nalanda, Third,
Buddha, Monestries.]
1.______was the greatest university of 12th century.
2:The admission a student was decided by______.
3:Nalanda also had a three storeyed.
4:The ………….temple is situated in the Bodhgaya.
5:Boddha has a glowing gem in his………….eye.
KEY : 1.Nalanda , 2. Scholar-doorkeeper , 3.liberary
4. Mahabodhi , 5. third.