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"]
George Orwell's loneliness during childhood led to
- Estrangement with his father
- Unhappy days
- Making up stories
- Unpleasant incidents
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.
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.
Why does Orwell give background information?
- 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
The Correct Option is B
Approach Solution - 1
In the comprehension provided by Orwell from "Why I Write," he discusses the importance of understanding a writer's early development and motives. He provides background information to highlight that one cannot assess the motives of writers without this context. Orwell suggests that a writer's motives are influenced by personal experiences and early emotional attitudes, which play a vital role in their subject matter and writing style. He indicates that knowing about a writer's motives is crucial to understanding their work fully. Therefore, the correct answer to why Orwell gives background information is: It is essential to know about motives of writers.
Approach Solution -2
If writer escapes from early impulses, he will ...
- Lose his urge to write
- Be unable to imagine creatively
- Be able to converse with imaginary characters
- Be able to influence others
The Correct Option is A
Approach Solution - 1
The question posed is based on understanding a passage regarding a writer's early influences and motivations. If a writer escapes from their early impulses, as described in the passage, they will lose their urge to write. This conclusion is drawn from the following points in the passage:
- Early Influences: The writer's childhood and early development are crucial in shaping their literary ambitions and motivations.
- Emotional Attitude: Before a writer begins writing, they possess an emotional attitude gained from early experiences, which they cannot completely escape.
- Discipline vs. Escape: While it is the writer's role to discipline this temperament, escaping from these fundamental early influences altogether would result in losing their inherent impulse to write.
Thus, the correct answer is that if a writer escapes from these early impulses, which shaped their motivations, they will lose their urge to write.
Approach Solution -2
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.
For the author, aesthetic enthusiasm is an important motive for writing because it…
- Shapes the thoughts
- Creates an artistic piece
- Becomes invaluable
- Non-utilitarian
The Correct Option is D
Approach Solution - 1
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.
Approach Solution -2
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.
The author strongly advocates the writers to:
- Avoid any egoistic impression in their work
- Be apolitical in their approach
- Be contemporary in their treatment of their work
- None of the above
The Correct Option is A
Approach Solution - 1
The author's perspective on writing is deeply rooted in the personal experiences and emotional development of the writer. In the comprehension passage, it is emphasized that a writer's motives can be influenced by their early life experiences and internal conflicts. The author discusses four distinct motives for writing, with 'sheer egoism' being one of them. This egoistic tendency, as described, involves the desire for recognition, remembrance, and personal vindication.
Given this context, when considering the options provided, the key takeaway is that the author acknowledges the struggle with egoism but ultimately advises against allowing it to dominate the writing process. Thus, the statement that the author strongly advocates for writers to "avoid any egoistic impression in their work" aligns with the overarching message. Writers are encouraged to discipline their temperament and not be driven by sheer egoism.
In conclusion, based on the passage, the correct choice is:
Avoid any egoistic impression in their work.
Approach Solution -2
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “tumultuous”?
- Chaotic
- Turbulent
- Disorderly
- All of the above
The Correct Option is D
Approach Solution - 1
- "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."
All of the above
Approach Solution -2
- 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.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
- Shown below are letters ‘e’ taken from four popular logos, arranged in a sequence. Which of the options is the correct sequence?
- UCEED - 2026
- English Language Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Shown below are four options, each showing consecutive frames representing the movement of a pendulum of an old-style wall clock for an animation movie. Which is the correct option?
- UCEED - 2026
- English Language Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Acrucial moderating factor in how people experience comparisons is self-esteem. Individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to interpret upward comparison as informative rather than threatening. They are more resilient in the face of others’ success and more likely to believe they can reach their own goals. In contrast, people with low self-esteem are more prone to interpret comparison as judgment, reinforcing negative self-views and triggering feelings of inadequacy.
This dynamic creates a self-reinforcing loop. People with high self-esteem are less vulnerable to upward comparison, which intensifies those doubts. Those with a secure sense of self are more likely to use comparison as a learning tool. The same external stimulus—a colleague’s achievements, a friend’s popularity—can have radically different effects depending on internal stability.
Self-esteem also influences how people choose their comparison targets. Research has found that individuals often engage in “selective comparison,” seeking out those who confirm their existing beliefs about themselves. This can become a subtle form of self-sabotage. Someone who feels unworthy may subconsciously seek out targets that reinforce that sense, perpetuating a narrative of inferiority. One of the most promising antidotes to social comparison is temporal comparison—evaluating oneself not against others, but against one’s own past. This method has been shown to increase motivation and satisfaction, especially when individuals can see concrete progress. Temporal comparison activates the same reward circuits as social comparison but avoids the threat systems associated with social ranking. It also reinforces agency: individuals focus on what they can control and improve rather than what others control. In therapeutic and coaching settings, temporal comparison is used to help clients build self-efficacy and track growth over time.
Moreover, people who focus on self-improvement rather than social dominance are less likely to fall into cycles of envy or self-pity. They can still use others as inspiration, but they do so without attaching their self-worth to the outcome. This is not to say they never compare—but that they focus on learning, rather than judgment. The most skilful approach to comparison may lie in eliminating it, but in reframing it as feedback. When we interpret comparison as information rather than a verdict, we can ask, “What can I learn from this?” This shift turns comparison into a growth tool. Teachers mentor their students, not as rivals. Psychologists emphasize that the key variable here is mindset.
A fixed mindset sees comparison as a threat. If someone else is better, it means we are worse. A growth mindset sees comparison as a map. If someone else has reached a certain level, it means the path exists. This reframing is not just a cognitive trick. It changes the emotional tone of comparison, making it more likely to inspire than to wound. Reframing also requires emotional regulation—the ability to notice an initial pang of envy or shame without reacting impulsively. With practice, individuals can learn to pause, reflect, and reinterpret their emotional responses. Over time, this builds resilience and self-trust, allowing comparison to become a learning tool rather than a cage.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
When people who are talking don’t share the same culture, knowledge, values, and assumptions, mutual understanding can be especially difficult. Such understanding is possible through the negotiation of meaning. To negotiate meaning with someone, you have to become aware of and respect both the differences in your backgrounds and when these differences are important. You need enough diversity of cultural and personal experience to be aware that divergent world views exist and what they might be like. You also need the flexibility in world view, and a generous tolerance for mistakes, as well as a talent for finding the right metaphor to communicate the relevant parts of unshared experiences or to highlight the shared experiences while demphasizing the others. Metaphorical imagination is a crucial skill in creating rapport and in communicating the nature of unshared experience. This skill consists, in large measure, of the ability to bend your world view and adjust the way you categorize your experiences. Problems of mutual understanding are not exotic; they arise in all extended conversations where understanding is important.
When it really counts, meaning is almost never communicated according to the CONDUIT metaphor, that is, where one person transmits a fixed, clear proposition to another by means of expressions in a common language, where both parties have all the relevant common knowledge, assumptions, values, etc. When the chips are down, meaning is negotiated: you slowly figure out what you have in common, what it is safe to talk about, how you can communicate unshared experience or create a shared vision. With enough flexibility in bending your world view and with luck and charity, you may achieve some mutual understanding.
Communication theories based on the CONDUIT metaphor turn from the pathetic to the evil when they are applied indiscriminately on a large scale, say, in government surveillance or computerized files. There, what is most crucial for real understanding is almost never included, and it is assumed that the words in the file have meaning in themselves—disembodied, objective, understandable meaning. When a society lives by the CONDUITmetaphor on a large scale, misunderstanding, persecution, and much worse are the likely products.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
Later, I realized that reviewing the history of nuclear physics served another purpose as well: It gave the lie to the naive belief that the physicists could have come together when nuclear fission was discovered (in Nazi Germany!) and agreed to keep the discovery a secret, thereby sparing humanity such a burden. No. Given the development of nuclear physics up to 1938, development that physicists throughout the world pursued in all innocence of any intention of finding the engine of a new weapon of mass destruction—only one of them, the remarkable Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, took that possibility seriously—the discovery of nuclear fission was inevitable. To stop it, you would have had to stop physics. If German scientists hadn’t made the discovery when they did, French, American, Russian, Italian, or Danish scientists would have done so, almost certainly within days or weeks. They were all working at the same cutting edge, trying to understand the strange results of a simple experiment bombarding uranium with neutrons. Here was no Faustian bargain, as movie directors and other naifs still find it intellectually challenging to imagine. Here was no evil machinery that the noble scientists might hide from the problems and the generals. To the contrary, there was a high insight into how the world works, an energetic reaction, older than the earth, that science had finally devised the instruments and arrangements to coart forth. “Make it seem inevitable,” Louis Pasteur used to advise his students when they prepared to write up their discoveries. But it was. To wish that it might have been ignored or suppressed is barbarous. “Knowledge,” Niels Bohr once noted, “is itself the basis for civilization.” You cannot have the one without the other; the one depends upon the other. Nor can you have only benevolent knowledge; the scientific method doesn’t filter for benevolence. Knowledge has consequences, not always intended, not always comfortable, but always welcome. The earth revolves around the sun, not the sun around the earth. “It is a profound and necessary truth,” Robert Oppenheimer would say, “that the deep things in science are not found because they are useful; they are found because it was possible to find them.”
...Bohr proposed once that the goal of science is not universal truth. Rather, he argued, the modest but relentless goal of science is “the gradual removal of prejudices.” The discovery that the earth revolves around the sun has gradually removed the prejudice that the earth is the center of the universe. The discovery of microbes is gradually removing the prejudice that disease is a punishment from God. The discovery of evolution is gradually removing the prejudice that Homo sapiens is a separate and special creation.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in CLAT exam
- In a language laboratory, students were given an interesting puzzle involving the word "ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH." The teacher explained that such exercises not only test logical skills but also sharpen attention to detail. According to the challenge, the word had to undergo a series of transformations. First, the class was asked to take the first half of the letters, reverse their order and make the arrangement of letters look quite different from the original. Next, the students were told to identify the last but one letter of the original word and place it at the very beginning, a step that changed the opening appearance of the sequence completely. Finally, as a finishing touch, they had to add the letter 'S' at the end. Following these steps carefully would lead them to the correct transformed word, and only those who adhered to each condition in the exact order could solve the puzzle successfully. (150 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Coding Decoding
On the night of October 12th, the "Sunburst Medallion" was stolen from the highly secured display case in the city museum. The theft occurred sometime between the museum closing at 10:00 PM and the night guard, Mr. Hemant, completing his final round at 1:00 AM. Three primary suspects were identified, all of whom had recently been dismissed from their museum positions: Anjali, the former curator; Bharat, the former security expert; and Chitra, the former exhibits designer.
Here are the established facts and their alibis:
- The security system logs show that the display case was opened using a specific five-digit code, which only Anjali and the museum director (who was out of the country) knew.
- Bharat's alibi is that he was at a distant relative's birthday party from 8:00 PM to 1:30 AM. Multiple independent witnesses confirmed his presence throughout the entire period.
- Chitra's alibi is that she was working late at a downtown graphic design studio. A time-stamped security camera from the studio's entrance shows her entering at 7:00 PM and exiting at 11:45 PM. The studio is a 20-minute drive from the museum.
- Mr. Hemant, the night guard, stated he checked the medallion at 10:30 PM, and it was still there.
Further investigation revealed that a small, distinctive silver button was found near the display case. Anjali is known to frequently wear a coat with similar unique silver buttons. The security expert, Bharat, had previously boasted that he could remotely disable a certain type of magnetic lock—the same type used on the medallion's case—without needing the code, though the log suggests the code was used. (269 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Assertion and Reason
In a small town lived a close-knit family where every relation could be expressed through simple symbols. For instance, when they said \( A \times B \), it meant \( A \) is the father of \( B \), while \( A \div B \) meant \( A \) is the mother of \( B \). The younger ones were often introduced with \( A + B \), meaning \( A \) was the daughter of \( B \), and the bond of brotherhood was shown by \( A - B \) (A is brother of B).
One day, the children in the family turned these symbols into a playful code. Instead of introducing their parents and siblings in words, they spoke only in symbols. “Look,” giggled little Meena, “\( M + N \div O \)!” Everyone laughed, because they knew it meant Meena was the daughter of \( N \), and \( N \) was the mother of \( O \), making her \( O \)’s sister. What started as a code soon became a family game, making the bonds of father, mother, daughter, and brother not just relations, but symbols of love and togetherness. (165 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Blood Relations
Four teams – Red (R), Blue (B), Green (G), and Yellow (Y) – are competing in the final four rounds of the Inter-School Science Olympiad, labeled Round A, Round B, Round C, and Round D. Each round consists of one match between two teams, and every team plays exactly two matches. No team plays the same opponent more than once.
The final schedule must adhere to the following rules:
- Rule 1 (Consecutive Play): The Green team (G) must play their two matches in consecutive rounds.
- Rule 2 (Fixed Appearance): The Yellow team (Y) must play in Round B.
- Rule 3 (Positional Constraint): The Red team (R) must play against the Blue team (B) in a round that is immediately before a round in which neither R nor B is playing.
- Rule 4 (Timing): The Blue team's (B) first match must occur in an earlier round than the Green team's (G) first match.
- Rule 5 (Opponent Link): The team that plays against the Red team (R) in the round that is not against the Blue team (B), is the same team that plays in Round D.
(193 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Seating Arrangement
Health insurance plays a vital role in ensuring financial protection and access to quality healthcare. In India, however, the extent and nature of health insurance coverage vary significantly between urban and rural areas. While urban populations often have better access to organized insurance schemes, employer-provided coverage, and awareness about health policies, rural populations face challenges such as limited outreach of insurance schemes, inadequate infrastructure, and lower awareness levels. This urban-rural divide in health insurance coverage highlights the broader issue of healthcare inequality, making it essential to analyze the factors contributing to this gap and explore strategies for more inclusive health protection. A state-level health survey was conducted.
The survey covered 1,80,000 adults across urban and rural areas. Urban residents formed 55% of the sample (that is, 99,000 people) while rural residents made up 45% (that is, 81,000 people). In each area, coverage was classified under four heads – Public schemes, Private insurance, Employer-provided coverage, and Uninsured. In urban areas, Public coverage accounted for 28% of the urban population, Private for 22%, Employer for 18%, and the remaining 32% were Uninsured. In rural areas, where formal coverage is generally lower, Public coverage stood at 35%, Private at 10%, Employer at 8%, while 47% were Uninsured.
For this survey, “Insured” includes everyone covered by Public + Private + Employer schemes, and “Uninsured” indicates those with no coverage at all. Officials noted that public schemes remain the backbone of rural coverage, while employer and private plans are relatively more prevalent in urban centres. (250 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Ratio and Proportion