Passage Analysis - Main Idea, Theme and Purpose

Question 1 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Read the passage and answer the following question:

It must be realized to make compulsory education a success, it is absolutely necessary to make it entirely free. India is a poor country and we cannot expect our people to pay directly for the education of their children. Even in rich countries like England and U.S.A. mass education is not only free but there are many additional facilities like mid-day meal for children, free medical service, and scholarship on a generous scale. Since education is a fundamental civil and human right and basic to the health of the body politics, funds must be found for the purpose whatever the cost of the scheme. If we consider educational and cultural activities to be important, funds will be forthcoming. What we have to do is to rearrange our priority. With this in view, we have to adopt a many-sided programme of national planning and economic and industrial reconstruction. If not there will always be arguments and statistics to prove that it is impossible to introduce free, compulsory and universal education in India.

Which is the central argument of the passage?

Compulsory education should be introduced.
For making compulsory education a success, it should be free.
Mass education is not possible in India.
Priority should be given to education.

Question 2 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Once upon a time, I went for a week's holiday to the Continent with an Indian friend. We both enjoyed ourselves and were sorry when the week was over, but on parting our behaviour was absolutely different. He was plunged in despair. He felt that because the holiday was overall happiness was over until the world ended. He could not express his sorrow too much. But in me, the Englishman came out strong. I could not see what there was to make a fuss about. It wasn't as if we were parting forever or dying. 'Buck up', I said, 'do buck up'. He refused to buck up and I left him plunged in gloom.

What is the author's intention in the passage?

To contact the Indian character with the English character
To show that an Indian is sorrowful
To ridicule the Indian traditions
To praise the Englishman

Question 3 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

'Friendship was indeed a value for the villagers, more for men than for women. Two good friends were said to be 'like brothers' (literally, 'like elder brother-younger brother', annatamman-dirahage). I heard this expression several times and I could not help recalling the statement of an elderly English colleague who had told me that he and his brother were very close and had written to each other every week. He had added, 'We are very good friends.' That is, friendship connoted intimacy in England while in Rampura (as in rural India everywhere), brotherhood conveyed intimacy'.

Which of the following best summarizes the conclusion of the argument of this paragraph?

Friendship has greater value for men than for women.
People in England have different attitudes to brotherhood and friendship than people in rural India.
Brother has greater value in rural India than in England.
Friendship has greater value in England than in India.

Question 4 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

At birth we have no self-image. We cannot distinguish anything from the confusion of light and sound around us. From this beginning of no-dimension, we gradually begin to differentiate our body from our environment and develop a sense of id entity, with the realisation that we are a separate and independent human being. We then begin to develop a conscience, the sense of right and wrong. Further, we develop social consciousness, where we become aware that we live with other people. Finally, we develop a sense of values, which is our overall estimation of our worth in the world. Which one of the following would be the best completion of this passage ?

The sum total of all these developments we call the self-image or the self-concept.
This estimation of worth is only relative to our value system.
Therefore, our social consciousness is dependent on our sense of values.
The sum total of living with other people and developing a sense of values makes us a total population.

Question 5 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Read the passage and answer the question given below.

It must be realized to make compulsory education a success, it is absolutely necessary to make it entirely free. India is a poor country and we cannot expect our people to pay directly for the education of their children. Even in rich countries like England and U.S.A. mas education is not only free but there are many additional facilities like mid-day meal for children, free medical service, and scholarship on a generous scale. Since education is a fundamental civil and human right and basic to the health of the body politics, funds must be found for the purpose whatever the cost of the scheme. If we consider educational and cultural activities to be important, funds will be forthcoming. What we have to do is to rearrange our priority. With this in view, we have to adopt a many-sided programme of national planning and economic and industrial reconstruction. If not there will always be arguments and statistics to prove that it is impossible to introduce free, compulsory and universal education in India.

Which of the following titles is the most suitable for the passage?

Compulsory education in India.
Mass education and people.
Need for making compulsory education free.
Education for national reconstruction.

Question 6 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

What is to be the limit of forgiveness? It would probably have been allowed by many of the ancients that an unforgiving temper was not to be commended. They would have said, we are not to exact a penalty for every nice offence; we are to overlook somethings; we are to be blind sometimes. But they would have said at the same time, we must be careful to keep our self-respect, and to be on a level with the world. On the whole, they would have said, it is the part of a man fully to requite to his friends their benefits and to his enemies their injuries.

What is the underlying tone of the passage?

We must be forgiving in general.
We must forgive our friends.
There is no limit whatsoever to on duty to forgive.
We must always punish the wrong doer.

Passage Analysis - Main Idea, Theme and Purpose

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