Read the given passage and answer the six questions that follow.
When I was in my late teens and still undecided about which language I should write in, he told me that the language one is born into, one’s mother tongue, can be the only possible medium of creative expression. For most of his life, my father, Sripat Rai, had been a Hindi editor and critic. Off and on, he translated writings into English from Hindi. He was fond of saying that a failed writer becomes a critic. The weight of his literary expectation came, eventually, to rest on me. He seemed happy that I was showing an inclination for writing. ‘‘She will go far,’’ he told my mother after reading the first story that I sent him from Melbourne. My father’s pronouncement on the mother tongue stayed with me when I later started writing fiction in Hindi. Another thing that I barely acknowledged even to myself was that I felt something like shame whenever I thought of writing in English. It seemed wrong for a granddaughter of Premchand even to be thinking so. Our family had a certain linguistic pride. I knew that Premchand was famous, but I had not at that time realised the extent of his popularity. The fact that I was the granddaughter of Premchand, followed me everywhere. Everyone had a story to tell about their personal engagement with his fiction — the shopkeeper, the long time cook in my father’s Delhi house, a tea vendor, etc. The list was long, for there was practically no one who had not read something by him that had moved them. However, it was this very ubiquity, the reverence and love that he inspired in people, that made of him something too large for me to comprehend in the early years of my life. It led also to the strange feeling that, without having read him and just by being related to him, I had somehow inhaled his writing. The reading happened much later.
The author grew up with the expectation that she would take up __________.
- editorship of a magazine
- translation of literary pieces
- creative writing
- the job of a critic
The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
The author grew up with the expectation that she would take up creative writing. This conclusion can be drawn from the passage where the author discusses her inclination towards writing and her father's happiness regarding her writing endeavors. The passage emphasizes her family's literary background and expectations, especially with references to her father and grandfather, indicating a strong expectation for her to engage in creative writing.
Approach Solution -2
The passage indicates that creative writing was the expected path for the author.
Context: In the passage, the author mentions how creative writing was initially seen as the natural or expected direction for their career or personal growth. This suggests that writing, particularly in a creative form, was considered to be their chosen or assumed path.
Meaning of the Passage: The passage suggests that creative writing, with its focus on imagination, expression, and storytelling, was anticipated as the author’s primary outlet for their skills and aspirations, fitting within societal or personal expectations.
Final Thought: The passage emphasizes how creative writing, as the expected path, shapes the author’s journey and highlights the role of external or internal expectations in influencing career or creative choices.
When her father said, "She will go far," he meant that __________.
- she will travel widely
- she will achieve great heights in life
- she will go too far, one of these days
- she will settle in a far-off place
The Correct Option is B
Approach Solution - 1
In the given passage, when the father said, "She will go far," he was expressing his belief that the narrator would achieve great success or make significant accomplishments in life. This interpretation aligns with the context where the father shows approval and pride after reading his daughter's first story. The phrase "go far" in such contexts is typically used metaphorically to denote reaching great heights or achieving notable success.
Thus, the correct answer is: she will achieve great heights in life.
Approach Solution -2
"Go far" here refers to achieving success and great heights.
Context: The phrase "go far" is often used to describe someone who reaches significant levels of success, progress, or recognition. It implies that a person has the potential to achieve great things or rise to prominent positions in their field or life.
Meaning of "Go Far": "Go far" refers to reaching great heights in one’s career, personal life, or endeavors. It suggests a journey of success and advancement, where the individual attains recognition or accomplishment over time.
Final Thought: The phrase "go far" is a positive expression, often used to encourage someone, indicating that they have the ability to achieve substantial success and make significant progress in their chosen path.
Choose a statement which is not true with respect to the passage:
- The author felt pressurized to write in Hindi because of her father.
- She felt obligated to carry on the legacy of Premchand.
- Her family was chauvinistic about the English language.
- She was in awe of the extensive reach of her grandfather’s writings.
The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
To determine which statement is not true with respect to the passage, we must carefully analyze the text provided and compare it with each of the given options:
- The author felt pressurized to write in Hindi because of her father.
The passage reveals that the author's father believed that the mother tongue is the only possible medium of creative expression. Additionally, he was happy to see his daughter writing, hinting at a subtle pressure or expectation to write in Hindi. This statement appears valid based on the passage. - She felt obligated to carry on the legacy of Premchand.
The passage mentions the author's awareness of her relation to Premchand and her feelings of shame when thinking of writing in English. This indicates an obligation to carry on the legacy of using the Hindi language, which makes this statement true. - Her family was chauvinistic about the English language.
The passage suggests the opposite, where the author felt shame about writing in English and there was a linguistic pride associated with Hindi. Therefore, this statement is false. - She was in awe of the extensive reach of her grandfather’s writings.
The passage states that Premchand’s works were widely read and beloved, leaving the author feeling that her grandfather was too large for her to comprehend. This aligns with being in awe, indicating that this statement is true.
From the analysis, the statement that is not true with respect to the passage is: Her family was chauvinistic about the English language.
Approach Solution -2
The family was not chauvinistic about English, the pressure came from a pride in Hindi.
Context: The term "chauvinistic" refers to an excessive or prejudiced loyalty or support for one’s own group or cause. In this sentence, it is used to clarify that the family was not overly biased or excessively loyal to the English language. Instead, the pressure to prioritize Hindi came from their strong pride in their native language.
Meaning of the Sentence: The sentence suggests that the family's preference for Hindi was driven by pride and cultural identity, rather than a negative bias against the English language. The pressure was not from a dislike of English but from a desire to honor and uphold Hindi.
Final Thought: This statement emphasizes how cultural pride and identity can shape language preferences, highlighting the positive influence of pride in one's native language, rather than fostering an aggressive stance against another language.
Premchand became too large for her to understand mainly because of _____________ .
(A) his ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
(B) the fact that she feared him.
(C) the kind of love and reverence that he inspired in people.
(D) her constant anxiety of failing him.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
(A) his ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
(B) the fact that she feared him.
(C) the kind of love and reverence that he inspired in people.
(D) her constant anxiety of failing him.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
- (A) and (D) only
- (A) and (C) only.
- (B) and (C) only.
- (C) and (D) only.
The Correct Option is B
Approach Solution - 1
To determine why Premchand became too large for her to understand, we need to examine the given comprehension passage. The passage describes the author's experience and thoughts about Premchand, a renowned literary figure. The passage highlights that:
- Premchand's popularity is vast, with almost everyone having a personal connection to his work.
- This wide appeal and the reverence he inspired in people made him seem larger than life to the author.
Given these observations, it's clear that the primary reason for Premchand becoming too large for her to comprehend was due to:
- His ability to connect with people from all walks of life, evidenced by how everyone had a story about his fiction.
- The kind of love and reverence he inspired in people, making her unable to fully grasp the extent of his influence and impact.
Now, let's align this understanding with the options:
- (A) His ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
- (C) The kind of love and reverence that he inspired in people.
These reasons correlate with option (A) and (C), making the correct answer: (A) and (C) only.
Approach Solution -2
The correct reason was his ability to connect with people and the overwhelming admiration he received.
Context: The sentence highlights two key factors that contributed to the individual's success or popularity: his remarkable ability to build connections with others and the intense admiration he garnered from those around him.
Meaning of the Sentence: The phrase suggests that the individual's ability to relate to others on a personal level and the respect or admiration he earned from people were the primary reasons for his success, making him well-liked or influential.
Final Thought: This statement emphasizes the power of interpersonal relationships and admiration in achieving success, showing that personal connections and respect from others can play a significant role in one's accomplishments.
"Inhaled his writing" refers to:
Choose the correct option from the following.
Choose the correct option from the following.
- imbibing his style subconsciously
- being compelled to write like him
- being influenced by what people said about him
- her father’s expectation from her
The Correct Option is A
Approach Solution - 1
In the given comprehension, the phrase "inhaled his writing" indicates a process that occurs subconsciously and instinctively. The author describes how, without having read Premchand's works initially, they felt as though they had absorbed his style just by the virtue of their relation to him. This implies an unconscious assimilation of his literary style. Among the options provided, "imbibing his style subconsciously" closely matches this meaning.
Therefore, the correct option is "imbibing his style subconsciously".
Approach Solution -2
"Inhaled his writing" means absorbing his style unconsciously.
Context: The phrase "inhaled his writing" suggests that the individual absorbed the essence or style of the writer's work effortlessly and naturally, almost as if it became an intrinsic part of their own thoughts or writing habits.
Meaning of "Inhaled his writing": "Inhaled his writing" metaphorically refers to deeply understanding or internalizing the writer's style and ideas, doing so almost passively or without conscious effort. It implies a strong influence that shapes one's own approach to writing or thinking.
Final Thought: This expression highlights how a writer's style can leave a lasting impact on a reader, to the point where it becomes second nature and flows unconsciously in their own work or actions.
Choose the correct meaning of the word "Ubiquity" as it appears in the passage.
- Occasional
- Restricted
- Omnipresence
- Unwanted
The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
The word "Ubiquity" refers to the concept of being present everywhere. In the passage, the word is used to describe a widespread reverence and love that Premchand inspired in people, being "practically no one who had not read something by him that had moved them." This extensive reach and presence in people's lives align with the meaning of "Omnipresence," which is the correct choice.
Thus, the correct meaning of "Ubiquity" in the context of this passage is "Omnipresence."
Approach Solution -2
"Ubiquity" means omnipresence, or being present everywhere.
Context: The word "ubiquity" is used to describe the state of being everywhere or present in all places at the same time. It is often used to convey the idea that something is so widespread that it is almost impossible to escape or avoid.
Meaning of Ubiquity: Ubiquity is derived from the Latin word "ubique," meaning "everywhere." It refers to the quality of being present everywhere, often used to describe things or phenomena that are found in many places simultaneously, such as the internet or a global brand.
Omnipresence: The term "omnipresence" is synonymous with ubiquity, often used in religious or philosophical contexts to describe the idea that a deity or force is present everywhere. In everyday usage, it similarly refers to something that exists or appears universally.
Final Thought: The word "ubiquity" captures the idea of widespread presence, making it a useful term to describe anything that can be found in multiple places or seems to be everywhere at once.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
Meta is recalibrating content on its social media platforms as the political tide has turned in Washington, with Mark Zuckerberg announcing last week that his company plans to fire its US fact-checkers. Fact-checking evolved in response to allegations of misinformation and is being watered down in response to accusations of censorship. Social media does not have solutions to either. Community review — introduced by Elon Musk at X and planned by Zuckerberg for Facebook and Instagram — is not a significant improvement over fact-checking. Having Washington lean on foreign governments over content moderation does not benefit free speech. Yet, that is the nature of the social media beast, designed to amplify bias.
Information and misinformation continue to jostle on social media at the mercy of user discretion. Social media now has enough control over all other forms of media to broaden its reach. It is the connective tissue for mass consumption of entertainment, and alternative platforms are reworking their engagement with social media. Technologies are shaping up to drive this advantage further through synthetic content targeted precisely at its intended audience. Meta’s algorithm will now play up politics because it is the flavour of the season.
The Achilles’ Heel of social media is informed choice which could turn against misinformation. Its move away from content moderation is driven by the need to be more inclusive, yet unfiltered content can push users away from social media towards legacy forms that have better moderation systems in place. Lawmakers across the world are unlikely to give social media a free run, even if Donald Trump is working on their case. Protections have already been put in place across jurisdictions over misinformation. These may be difficult to dismantle, even if the Republicans pull US-owned social media companies further to the right.
Media consumption is, in essence, evidence-based judgement that mediums must adapt to. Content moderation, not free speech, is the adaptation mechanism. Musk and Zuckerberg are not exempt- IPMAT - 2025
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
According to the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, commodities available for consumption are not inherently negative things. Baudrillard tried to interpret consumption in modern societies by engaging with the ’cargo myth’ prevalent among the indigenous Melanesian people living in the South Pacific. The Melanesians did not know what aeroplanes were. However,they saw that these winged entities descended from the air for white people and appeared to make them happy. They also noted that aeroplanes never descended for the Melanesian people. The Melanesian natives noted that the white people had placed objects similar to the aeroplane on the ground. They concluded that these objects were attracting the aeroplanes in the air and bringing them to the ground. Through a magical process, the aeroplanes were bringing plenty to the white people and making them happy. The Melanesian people concluded that they would need to place objects that simulated the aeroplane on the ground and attract them from the air. Baudrillard believes that the cargo myth holds an important analogy for the ways in which consumers engage with objects of consumption.
According to Baudrillard, the modern consumer ”sets in place a whole array of sham objects, of characteristic signs of happiness, and then waits for happiness to alight”. For instance, modern consumers believe that they will get happiness if they buy the latest available version of a mobile phone or automobile. However, consumption does not usually lead to happiness. While consumers should ideally be blaming their heightened expectations for their lack of happiness, they blame the commodity instead.
They feel that they should have waited for the next version of a mobile phone or automobile before buying the one they did. The version they bought is somehow inferior and therefore cannot make them happy. Baudrillard argues that consumers have replaced ’real’ happiness with ’signs’ of happiness. This results in the endless deferment of the arrival of total happiness. In Baudrillard’s words, ”in everyday practice, the blessings of consumption are not experienced as resulting from work or from a production process; they are experienced as a miracle”. Modern consumers view consumption in the same magical way as the Melanesian people viewed the aeroplanes in the cargo myth. Television commercials also present objects of consumption as miracles. As a result, commodities appear to be distanced from the social processes which lead to their production. In effect, objects of consumption are divorced from the reality which produces them.- IPMAT - 2025
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
CONVERSATION ANALYSIS: Read the following transcript and choose the answer that is closest to each of the questions that are based on the transcript.
Lucia Rahilly (Global Editorial Director, The McKinsey Podcast): Today we’re talking about the next big arenas of competition, about the industries that will matter most in the global business landscape, which you describe as arenas of competition. What do we mean when we use this term?
Chris Bradley (Director, McKinsey Global Institute): If I go back and look at the top ten companies in 2005, they were in traditional industries such as oil and gas, retail, industrials, and pharmaceuticals. The average company was worth about $250 billion. If I advance the clock forward to 2020, nine in ten of those companies have been replaced, and by companies that are eight times bigger than the old guards.
And this new batch of companies comes from these new arenas or competitive sectors. In fact, they’re so different that we have a nickname for them. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, it’s wizards versus muggles.
Arena industries are wizardish; we found that there’s a set of industries that play by very different set of economic rules and get very different results, while the rest, the muggles (even though they run the world, finance the world, and energize the world), play by a more traditional set of economic rules.
Lucia Rahilly: Could we put a finer point on what is novel or different about the lens that you applied to determine what’s a wizard and what’s a muggle?
Chris Bradley: Wizards are defined by growth and dynamism. We looked at where value is flowing and the places where value is moving. And where is the value flowing? What we see is that this set of wizards, which represent about ten percent of industries, hog 45 percent of the growth in market cap. But there’s another dimension or axis too, which is dynamism. That is measured by a new metric we’ve come up with called the ”shuffle rate.” How much does the bottom move to the top? It turns out that in this set of wizardish industries, or arenas, the shuffle rate is much higher than it is in the traditional industry.
Lucia Rahilly: So, where are we seeing the most profit?
Chris Bradley: The economic profit, which is the profit you make minus the cost for the capital you employ is in the wizard industries. It’s where R&D happens; they’re two times more R&D intensive. They’re big stars, the nebulae, where new business is born.- IPMAT - 2025
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
- On the first day of January 2025, the Indian Meteorological Department [IMD] announced that 2024 was the hottest year on record. A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water shows that nearly eight out of ten Indians live in districts that are at risk of either a flood, a cyclone, or a drought. Nearly twenty three States in India are heatwave-prone. In the summer of 2024, India recorded more than 44,000 cases of heatstroke and over 300 heat-related mortalities, as per the bulletin of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Water reservoirs and the energy demand that keeps India powered are impacted too. During a ten-day long heatwave in Delhi, peak power demand was 16% higher than the previous year.
- IPMAT - 2025
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
- What is a classical dance ?
A dance which is created or choreographed and performed according to the tenets of the Natya Shastra is called a classical dance. The two broad aspects of classical dancing are the tandava and the lasya. Power and force are typical of the tandava; grace and delicacy, of the lasya. Tandava is associated with Shiva, and lasya with Parvati. Dance which is pure in movement is called nritta, and dance which is interpretative in nature is called nritya. A dancer in the classical tradition has to have years of training before he or she can begin to perform on the stage.
What are the main schools of classical dancing ?
Bharata Natyam, Kathakali, Manipuri, Kathak. Bharata Natyam is the oldest and most popular dance-form of India. Earlier, it was known by various names. Some called it Bharatam, some Natyam some Desi Attam and some Sadir.
The districts of Tanjore and Kanchipuram of Tamil Nadu were the focal points in the development of Bharata Natyam. It was danced as a solo performance by devadasis (temple dancers) on all auspicious occasions. Later, kings and rich people lent their patronage to it and it started shedding its purely sacred character.- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in CUET exam
- A and B can complete a task in the ratio 3:2. If together they complete the task in 20 days, how long will A alone take?
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Time and Work
Identify the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error:
Each of the boys have submitted their assignment on time.- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- If \( 3 \times 4 = 25 \), \( 5 \times 2 = 27 \), \( 6 \times 3 = 39 \), then what is \( 7 \times 5 = ? \)
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Logical Reasoning
Rearrange the following parts to form a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence:
P. a healthy diet and regular exercise
Q. are important habits
R. that help maintain good physical and mental health
S. especially in today's busy world- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Sentence Arrangement
- Rearrange the parts to form a logical sentence:
A) the city's new policy
B) has significantly improved
C) air quality
D) over the past year- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Sentence Arrangement