Q. 2. Précis
One of the most significant developments of the century has been the remarkable improvement in the living standards of the working class, including greater political power, increased wealth and leisure, and better access to health, security, and education. In early civilizations, society was divided between a small ruling class that lived comfortably and the vast majority who labored with few rights or comforts; some were even slaves. The Industrial Revolution not only increased production but also highlighted workers' poverty, prompting demands for better conditions. Factory owners gradually recognized the need to treat workers fairly to retain skilled labor. Trade unions further accelerated reforms.
Title: Industrial Revolution and the Working Class
Q.3. Comprehension
1. Shabby. The passage describes the couple's living conditions as having "shabby walls, worn furniture, and ugly upholstery", indicating a modest and impoverished environment.
2. “She slipped into marriage with a minor civil servant.” This line suggests that the couple's economic standing is low, as the husband is a minor civil servant, implying a low-paying job.
3. The marriage was not based on love or wealth, but rather a practical arrangement. The marriage was a pragmatic decision rather than a romantic or passionate one.
4. The wife values luxury, beauty, and social status, while the husband seems content with his simple life. The wife dreams of wealth and luxury, while the husband is satisfied with his “good homemade beef stew”.
5. The main idea is the contrast between the wife's dreams of luxury and her harsh reality, highlighting the societal pressures and expectations placed on women. The passage explores the wife's feelings of inadequacy and longing for a more luxurious life, emphasizing the societal emphasis on material possessions and social status.
Q4. Sentence Correction
1. The fact that I almost drowned makes me very careful about water safety whenever I go swimming.
2. It is one of the best speeches that have ever been made in the General Assembly.
3. The amount they receive in wages is greater than that of twenty years ago.
4. Playing a game regularly is better than reading books always.
5. Ever since they heard about the burglaries in their neighbourhood, they would keep the light on all the time and close all doors and windows carefully.
6. When Susan realised that all of her bottles of the nail polish had dried out, she decided to keep them for decoration.
7. It was late at night and a boy was riding his bike along the path when suddenly he stopped in shock because his headlamp was not working anymore.
8. The girl told the conductor that she had lost her train ticket and didn't know how she would get home.
Q5(a). Punctuation
Scientists and philosophers of science tend to speak as if “scientific language” were intrinsically precise, as if those who use it must understand one another's meaning even if they disagree. But, in fact, scientific language is not as different from ordinary language as is commonly believed. It, too, is subject to imprecision and ambiguity and, hence, to imperfect understanding. Moreover, new theories or arguments are rarely, if ever, constructed by way of clear-cut steps of induction, deduction, and verification or falsification; neither are they defended, rejected, or accepted in so straightforward a manner. In practice, scientists combine the rules of scientific methodology with a generous admixture of intuition, aesthetics, and philosophical commitment. The importance of what are sometimes called extra-rational or extra-logical components of thought in the discovery of a new principle or law is generally acknowledged.
Q5(b). Prepositions
I) Nobody is certain about the future but some are convinced of the past.
ii) He was familiar with the author but not knowledgeable in depth about him.
iii) After weighing up all the options, we decided to plump for the first design.
iv) The accused declared that he had no credible motive for revenge and denied to the charges.
v) The party's withdrawal from the elections was widely seen as an obstacle to the success of the peace plan.
vi) They agreed to cooperate with police on these matters.
vii) I don't advise against anyone; I just listen to their complaints.
viii) The landscape of the Pampas is in places similar to the Dutch landscape.
Q6. Pairs of words
Dependant: We need to transform our youth from dependants into producers.
Dependent: Pak-Afghan dialogue is dependent on a renunciation of terrorism.
Funeral: The family can now go ahead with preparations for the funeral.
Funereal: A late-night ride back to the campus was really funereal.
Fain: Although I was on a diet, I was fain to eat a large slice of cake.
Feign: To get a day off work, Ali feigned that he was ill.
Gamble: She knew she was taking a gamble but decided it was worth it.
Gambol: Lambs were gambolling in the spring sunshine.
Hoard: Ahmad came back to rescue his little hoard of gold.
Horde: Hordes of reporters were shouting questions.
Ingenious: This ingenious argument breaks down at a number of points.
Ingenuous: She thanked me with ingenuous sweetness for coming home with her.
Luxuriant: Tall, luxuriant plants grew along the river bank.
Luxurious: The hotel we stayed in was really luxurious.
Moat: They crossed the drawbridge over the moat to enter the fortress.
Mote: In the beam of sunlight, a single mote of dust danced in the air.
Q7. Translation
It is an established fact that the Muslim world is richly endowed with resources bestowed by nature and possesses the full capability to meet every requirement of defense against atheistic forces. If all Muslim countries collectively utilize their abilities and resources for one another's benefit and defense, no power in the world would be able to stand against them. With unity and solidarity, the Muslim world can emerge as a major force among the nations of the world. The anti-Islamic atheistic powers are fully aware of this reality; therefore, they remain constantly engaged in conspiracies to break the unity of the Muslim world and plunge it into discord. Owing to various secondary differences, Muslim countries themselves often remain entangled in mutual disputes and conflicts.
Q1(a). Synonyms
1. ENIGMA
(a) Stature (b) Axiom
(c) Adage (d) Conundrum
2. HACKNEYED
(a) Unplanned (b) Intriguing
(c) Stubborn (d) Clichéd
3. PANACEA
(a) Elixir (b) Destitution
(c) Deprivation (d) Predicament
4. CAJOLE
(a) Lure (b) Intimidate
(c) Harass (d) Tease
5. INSCRUTABLE
(a) Unattainable (b) Mysterious
(c) Obstinate (d) Vigilant
6. REVERIE
(a) Palimpsest (b) Phantom
(c) Daydream (d) Curio
7. SUMPTUOUS
(a) Delirious (b) Gorgeous
(c) Perilous (d) Luxurious
8. APPALL
(a) Delirious (b) Covered
(c) Dismay (d) Confuse
9. ABJECT
(a) Indigent (b) Desire
(c) Despondent (d) Extreme
10. BESPOKE
(a) Tailored (b) Quiet
(c) Gentle (d) Handsome
Q1(b). Antonyms
11. CANDOUR
(a) Rebuttal (b) Evasiveness
(c) Restraint (d) Candidness
12. COLLOQUIAL
(a) Vernacular (b) Informal
(c) Literary (d) Quarrelsome
13. EUPHORIA
(a) Ecstasy (b) Obnoxious
(c) Nostalgic (d) Melancholy
14. SURROGATE
(a) Proxy (b) Soothing
(c) Forbidden (d) Real
15. OBLIVIOUS
(a) Ignorant (b) Conscious
(c) Sober (d) Flamboyant
16. AMELIORATE
(a) Impair (b) Rectify
(c) Precipitate (d) Renew
17. BENIGN
(a) Amiable (b) Effective
(c) Boost (d) Malicious
18. CACOPHONY
(a) Noise (b) Disaster
(c) Stillness (d) Rattle
19. DOLEFUL
(a) Witty (b) Rich
(c) Empty (d) Vivacious
20. ELAN
(a) Inelegance (b) Stupidity
(c) Obscure (d) Despair
