Comprehension
From a very early age, I knew that when I grew up, I should be a writer. I had the lonely child's habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons, and I think from the very start my literary ambitions were mixed up with the feeling of being isolated and undervalued. I knew that I had a facility with words and a power of facing unpleasant facts, and I felt that this created a sort of private world in which I could get my own back for my failure in everyday life. I wanted to write enormous naturalistic novels with unhappy endings, full of detailed descriptions and arresting similes, and also full of purple passages in which words were used partly for the sake of their sound. I give all this background information because I do not think one can assess a writer's motives without knowing something of his early development.
His subject-matter will be determined by the age he lives in — at least this is true in tumultuous, revolutionary ages like our own — but before he ever begins to write he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never completely escape. It is his job to discipline his temperament, but if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write. I think there are four great motives for writing, at any rate for writing prose. They are: (i) Sheer egoism: Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood; (ii) Aesthetic enthusiasm: Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed (iii) Historical impulse: Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity (iv) Political purpose: Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other people's idea of the kind of society that they should strive after.
[Extracted with edits from George Orwell's "Why I Write"]
Question: 1

George Orwell's loneliness during childhood led to

Updated On: Aug 13, 2025
  • Estrangement with his father
  • Unhappy days
  • Making up stories
  • Unpleasant incidents
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The Correct Option is C

Approach Solution - 1

George Orwell's childhood experiences played a significant role in shaping his future ambitions as a writer. From the passage provided, it is clear that Orwell's loneliness during his formative years contributed to his habit of making up stories and engaging in imaginary conversations. This solitary activity not only provided him with a creative outlet but also laid the foundation for his literary ambitions. The isolation he felt as a child fueled his desire to create an internal world where he could address his feelings of being undervalued and face unpleasant facts. This tendency is explicitly mentioned in the comprehension passage:
"I had the lonely child's habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons..."
Therefore, Orwell's loneliness directly led to his habit of making up stories, as indicated by the correct answer:
Making up stories.
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Approach Solution -2

George Orwell's loneliness during childhood led to his habit of making up stories. This can be inferred from the comprehension passage where Orwell reflects on his early life, stating, "I had the lonely child's habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons." The passage elaborates on how his feelings of isolation and being undervalued contributed to his literary ambitions and storytelling. Therefore, among the options given: Estrangement with his father, Unhappy days, Making up stories, and Unpleasant incidents—the correct answer is Making up stories. This aligns with the passage where storytelling is directly attributed to his childhood loneliness. 

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Question: 2

Why does Orwell give background information?

Updated On: Aug 13, 2025
  • He had the lonely child's habits
  • It is essential to know about motives of writers
  • Because of his historic impulse
  • Due to the aesthetic enthusiasm
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The Correct Option is B

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Orwell provides background information to highlight the importance of understanding a writer's motives. In the provided excerpt, Orwell outlines how his early experiences shaped his literary ambitions and signifies that knowing a writer's early development is crucial in assessing their motives. He states that a writer's subject matter is influenced by the era they live in, but their emotional perspective stems from early influences. Orwell identifies four main motives for writing: sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. This comprehensive background enables readers to grasp the underlying forces driving a writer's work, making the correct answer: "It is essential to know about motives of writers."
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Orwell provides background information to highlight the importance of understanding a writer's motives. He believes that one cannot fully assess these motives without considering the writer's early development. A writer’s subject matter is influenced by the era they live in, but their emotional attitude, shaped by early experiences, remains intrinsic to their writing impulse. According to Orwell, understanding a writer's background helps in comprehending these deep-seated motivations. Hence, the correct answer is: It is essential to know about motives of writers.
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Question: 3

If writer escapes from early impulses, he will ...

Updated On: Aug 13, 2025
  • Lose his urge to write
  • Be unable to imagine creatively
  • Be able to converse with imaginary characters
  • Be able to influence others
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The Correct Option is A

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To determine the correct option for the question, we first analyze the provided comprehension excerpt. The text talks about a writer's early influences and suggests that if a writer escapes these influences entirely, it will negatively affect his writing. Specifically, the excerpt states: "if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write." The term "impulse to write" is synonymous with the writer's urge or drive to write. This directly correlates with one of the answer options, which states, "Lose his urge to write." Therefore, among the given options, the correct answer aligns directly with the passage is: "Lose his urge to write".

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The comprehension passage highlights the connection between a writer's early influences and their writing impulse. The author shares personal experiences of aspirations to become a writer stemming from loneliness and a facility with words. The writer’s subject matter is shaped by personal history and the societal context. It's emphasized that if writers completely abandon their early influences, they risk losing their writing impulse. This aligns with the statement, "if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write," which corresponds to the correct answer: Lose his urge to write.

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Question: 4

For the author, aesthetic enthusiasm is an important motive for writing because it…

Updated On: Aug 13, 2025
  • Shapes the thoughts
  • Creates an artistic piece
  • Becomes invaluable
  • Non-utilitarian
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The Correct Option is D

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The comprehension passage delves into the motivations behind writing, as expressed by the author. Among the key motivators listed are sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. Specifically focusing on aesthetic enthusiasm, the passage describes it as the writer's desire to share valuable experiences that should not be missed. However, it is crucial to notice the aspect of non-utilitarianism implicit in this motivation.

The term 'non-utilitarian' relates to activities undertaken not for practical purposes but for their intrinsic value. Aesthetic enthusiasm, as explained by the author, aligns well with this concept because the motive is not to serve a utilitarian purpose but to engage in the artistic and experiential aspects of writing for their own sake. This non-utilitarian nature makes aesthetic enthusiasm significant to writers as they pursue the art itself rather than any external benefit or practical outcome.

Therefore, the correct answer can be inferred as Non-utilitarian, as it captures the essence of engaging in writing for its artistic merits rather than practical or utilitarian goals.

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To solve the question of why "aesthetic enthusiasm" is an important motive for writing according to the author's explanation, we need to understand the context provided in the text. The author outlines four primary motives for writing: sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. Focusing on "aesthetic enthusiasm," the author states it as the "desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed." This indicates that aesthetic enthusiasm is driven by the intrinsic value of the experience itself, without requiring a utilitarian purpose or practical outcome. Hence, it is non-utilitarian because it's motivated by the pure enjoyment and appreciation of the experience rather than by any practical application.

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Question: 5

The author strongly advocates the writers to:

Updated On: Aug 13, 2025
  • Avoid any egoistic impression in their work
  • Be apolitical in their approach
  • Be contemporary in their treatment of their work
  • None of the above
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The Correct Option is A

Approach Solution - 1

The passage provided is an extract from George Orwell's "Why I Write." Orwell outlines four primary motives for writing: sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. He suggests that these motivations are rooted in a writer's early life experiences and emotional attitude, which significantly influence their writing. Among the motives mentioned, sheer egoism involves the desire to appear clever, be talked about, and be remembered after death, while also serving as a form of revenge against those who previously belittled the writer. Hence, from this, we can infer that the author urges writers to be aware of and avoid egoistic impressions in their work. Therefore, the correct interpretation of the passage supports the idea that writers should:
Avoid any egoistic impression in their work.
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The author emphasizes the need for writers to avoid any egoistic impression in their work. This is derived from the text where he states that sheer egoism, characterized by the desire to appear clever and be remembered, is one of the great motives for writing. However, these egoistic motivations should be disciplined by the writer. The text implies that while egoism is a natural motive, it should not dominate a writer's work. Instead, a writer's motive should align with deeper purposes like aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, or political purpose. Through the author's insights, it becomes apparent that the advocacy is against allowing sheer egoism to overshadow the essence of good writing.
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Question: 6

Which of the following is a synonym for the word “tumultuous”?

Updated On: Aug 13, 2025
  • Chaotic
  • Turbulent
  • Disorderly
  • All of the above
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The Correct Option is D

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To solve the question of finding a synonym for "tumultuous," we need to understand the meaning of the word first. "Tumultuous" describes something that is marked by disturbance and uproar, characterized by chaos and confusion.
Options given are:
1. Chaotic
2. Turbulent
3. Disorderly
4. All of the above
Let's break down the options:
  • "Chaotic": This word refers to a state of complete confusion and disorder, which aligns well with "tumultuous."
  • "Turbulent": This indicates something that is in a state of agitation or tumult, also synonymous with "tumultuous."
  • "Disorderly": This term describes a lack of organization or order, a synonym for chaos, which ties back to "tumultuous."
Since all the options listed ("Chaotic," "Turbulent," "Disorderly") reflect similar meanings to "tumultuous," the correct answer is:
All of the above
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The word "tumultuous" is often used to describe situations, periods, or events that are characterized by chaos, disorder, and disturbance. Let's evaluate each option:
  • Chaotic: This is synonymous with tumultuous as it describes a situation that's disorderly and confused.
  • Turbulent: Also synonymous with tumultuous, it refers to instability and disturbance, often used to describe rough conditions.
  • Disorderly: This word matches tumultuous since it refers to a lack of order or predictability.
  • All of the above: Since all previous options are synonyms of tumultuous, this answer is correct.
Thus, the synonym for "tumultuous" is "All of the above."
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