Comprehension
Based Questions
A. The most indubitable respect in which ideas have
helped mankind is numbers. There must have been a time when homo sapiens was a
very rare species, subsisting precariously in jungles and caves, terrified of
wild beats, having difficulty in securing nourishment. At this period the
biological advantage of his greater intelligence, which was cumulative because
it could be handed on from generation to generation, had scarcely begun to
overweigh the disadvantages of his long infancy, his lessened agility as
compared with monkeys, and his lack of hirsute protection against cold. In
those days, the number of men must certainly have been very small.
The main use to which, throughout the ages, men
have put their technical skill has been to increase the total population.
Q1. What is the most undeniable way ideas have
helped mankind?
Ans: By
increasing their numbers.
Q2. What challenges did early Homo sapiens
face?
Ans: They
struggled to secure nourishment, were terrified of wild beasts, and lacked
agility and protection against cold.
Q3. Why was early human intelligence initially
not a significant advantage?
Ans: Its
benefits were cumulative over generations and did not immediately outweigh
disadvantages like long infancy and reduced agility.
Q4. What does the passage say about the size
of the early human population?
Ans: The
population was very small.
Q5. What has been the primary application of
technical skill throughout human history?
Ans: To
increase the total population.
B. As to happiness, I am not sure. Birds, it
is true, die of hunger in large numbers during the winter, if they are not
birds of passage. But during the summer they do not foresee this catastrophe,
or remember how nearly it befell them in the previous winter. With human beings
the matter is otherwise. I doubt whether the percentage of birds that will have
died of hunger during the present winter (1946-47) is as great as the
percentage of human beings that will have died from this cause in India and
central Europe during the same period. But every human death by starvation is
preceded by a long period of anxiety, and surrounded by the corresponding
anxiety of neighbours. We suffer not only the evils that actually befall us, but
all those that our intelligence tells us we have reason to fear. The curbing of
impulses to which we are led by forethought averts physical disaster at the
cost of worry and general lack of joy. I do not think that the learned men of
my acquaintance, even when they enjoy a secure income, are as happy as the mice
that eat the crumbs from their tables while the erudite gentlemen snooze. In
this respect, therefore, I am not convinced that there has been any progress at
all.
Q1.
Why does the author question progress in human happiness?
Ans: Because
human intelligence leads to anxiety about future dangers, reducing joy even
when physical disasters are averted.
Q2.
How do birds differ from humans in their response to hardships like hunger?
Ans: Birds do not foresee or remember catastrophes, whereas humans
anticipate and worry about them.
Q3.
What comparison does the author make regarding starvation in 1946-47?
Ans: The
percentage of humans dying from starvation in India and central Europe was
likely higher than that of birds dying from hunger.
Q4.
What does the author observe about the happiness of learned men compared to
animals?
Ans: Learned
men, despite secure incomes, are less happy than mice eating crumbs without
worry.
Q5.
What is the cost of forethought and curbing impulses in humans?
Ans: It
averts physical disasters but causes worry and a general lack of joy.
C. Has civilization taught us to be more
friendly towards one another? The answer is easy. Robins (the English, not the
American species) peck an elderly robin to death, whereas men (the English, not
the American species) give an elderly man an old-age pension. Within the herd
we are more friendly to each other than are many species of animals, but in our
attitude towards those outside the herd, in spite of all that has been done by
moralists and religious teachers, our emotions are as ferocious as those of any
animal, and our intelligence enables us to give them a scope which is denied to
even the most savage beast. It may be hoped, though not very confidently, that
the more humane attitude will in time come to prevail, but so far the omens are
not very propitious.
Q1.
How does the author compare human and animal behavior towards their own kind?
Ans: Humans are more friendly within their group compared to many
animals, like robins who peck an elderly robin to death.
Q2.
What does the author say about humans’ attitude toward those outside their
group?
Ans: Humans are as ferocious as animals towards outsiders, and their
intelligence amplifies this ferocity.
Q3.
What example does the author give to show human friendliness within the herd?
Ans: Humans provide elderly individuals with old-age pensions.
Q4.
What hope does the author express about human attitudes?
Ans: The author hopes that a more humane attitude will eventually
prevail, though not very confidently.
Q5.
What does the author imply about the current state of human emotions towards
outsiders?
Ans: Human emotions towards outsiders remain savage, with little
evidence of significant progress towards kindness.
D. The taming of domestic animals, especially
the cow and the sheep, must have made life much pleasanter and more secure.
Some anthropologists have an attractive theory that the utility of domestic
animals was not foreseen, but the people attempted to tame whatever animal
their religion taught them to worship. The tribes that worshipped lions and
crocodiles died out, while those to whom the cow or the sheep was a sacred
animal prospered. I like this theory, and in the entire absence of evidence,
for or against it, I feel a liberty to play with it.
Q1.
Which domestic animals are mentioned as making life more pleasant and secure?
Ans: The cow and the sheep.
Q2.
What theory about the taming of animals does the author find attractive?
Ans: The theory that people tamed animals their religion taught them
to worship.
Q3.
What happened to tribes that worshipped lions and crocodiles?
Ans: They died out.
Q4.
Which tribes prospered, according to the theory?
Ans: Tribes that considered the cow or the sheep as sacred animals.
Q5.
What is the author’s stance on the theory about the utility of domestic
animals?
Ans: The author finds it enjoyable to consider, despite the lack of
evidence for or against it.
E. Even more important than the domestication of animals was
the invention of agriculture, which, however, introduced blood-thirsty
practices into religion that lasted for many centuries. Fertility rites tended
to involve human sacrifice and cannibalism. Moloch would not help the corn to
grow unless he was allowed to feast on the blood of children. A similar opinion
was adopted by the Evangelicals of Manchester in the early days of
industrialism, when they kept six-year-old children working twelve to fourteen
hours a day, in conditions that caused most of them to die. It has now been
discovered that grain will grow, and cotton goods can be manufactured, without
being watered by the blood of infants. In the case of grain, the discovery took
thousands of years; in the case of the cotton goods hardly a century. So
perhaps there is some evidence of progress in the world.
Q1.
What invention does the author consider more important than the domestication
of animals?
Ans: The invention of agriculture.
Q2.
What practices were associated with early agricultural fertility rites?
Ans: Human sacrifice and cannibalism.
Q3.
Who was Moloch, and what role did he play in agriculture-related practices?
Ans: Moloch was a deity believed to help crops grow in exchange
for the blood of children.
Q4.
What comparison does the author make between early agricultural practices and
early industrialism?
Ans: Both involved exploitation of children—sacrificing them in
fertility rites for agriculture and subjecting them to harsh labor during early
industrialism.
Q5.
What progress does the author note regarding agriculture and industrial
practices?
Ans: It has been discovered that grain can grow and cotton goods can
be manufactured without the blood of children, indicating some progress.
Text book question answer
B.1. Read the following sentences and write T
for true and F for false statements:
1.
Ideas
help mankind. – True
2.
Survival
was never a problem for homo sapiens.– False
3.
Long
infancy was a biological advantage to mankind.– True
4.
Man’s
earliest technical skill was devoted to increasing their population.– False
5.
Congenital
skills play a more important role than the acquired skills.– True
6.
Unlike
birds, human beings can foresee a catastrophe.– True
7.
Forethought
can avert physical danger. – True
8.
The
intelligent qualities account for the glory of man.– True
9.
In a
secure future there are neither worries nor lack of joy. – True
B.2.1. Read the following sentences and write
T for true and F for false statements:
1. Utilization of fire was a milestone in human progress.– True
2. Fire was used only for cooking.– False
3. Domestication of animals had nothing to do with religion.– False
4. Our earliest form of writing was pictorial.– True
5. Invention of agriculture was less important than domestication of
animals.– False
6. In course of time we have progressed.– True
B.2. 2. Answer the following questions briefly:
1) Has civilization taught us to be more
friendly towards one another?
Ans- Yes, civilization has most certainly taught us to be more
friendly towards one another. This can be seen through the example of British
species of Robins who pokes an elderly Robin to death whereas, on the other
hand, English men regard their old-age men with pension to support their
livelihood.
2) What is our attitude towards those ‘outside
our herd’?
Answer-
Our attitude towards those outside the herd, in spite of all that
has been done by moralists and religious teachers, our emotions are as
ferocious as those of any animal, and our intelligence enables us to give them
a scope which is denied to even the most savage beast.
3) What are the two broad categories of ideas that have helped
mankind?
Answer-
The ideas that have helped the
mankind can be broadly categorized into two types – one, concerning development
in technique and knowledge and the second, contributing towards morals and
politics.
4) Did language play a role in human
development?
Ans- Yes, language played
a very important role in human development. Without it, it would have been very
difficult to hand on from generation to generation the inventions and
discoveries that were gradually made.
5) How many languages do you know apart from
your mother tongue? Has it helped you in any way?
Ans- Apart from my mother
tongue, I know three languages – Punjabi, English and German. Fluency in these
languages has not only helped me communicate with different diversities of
people, but has also enabled me to understand them better. English is spoken
worldwide and hence, it allowed me access to learn about a lot of cultures and
their people.
C.1. Long Answer Questions
1. Discuss the ideas that have helped mankind.
Ans- Bertrand Russell shares a few
ideas that might or might not have helped mankind. He begins by talking
about how an increase in the population has helped the human race. Long time
ago, humans were very few in number, barely surviving and they lived in jungles
and caves fearing the wild animals but with an increase in their number, they
surely have been able to make a dominant position for themselves. Their
intelligence has played a vital part in their development. Next is happiness –
which has been explained with the example of birds that die in huge numbers in
winters due to starvation. Despite the situation, they continue to live through
summers without the fear of the past and worry of the future. On the other
hand, this is not the case with human beings. This is because a man’s suffering
is not only caused by the bad experiences he faces, but also by his own
intelligence that turns against him and tells him that he has every reason to
be fearful.
Talking about the varieties of means of entertainment, the case is
opposite than that of happiness. Music, poetry, science, sports and even
alcohol have proven to be of no enjoyment to animals. Hence, it is our
intelligence that has allowed us to enjoy many more varieties of entertainment
than is available to animals but this has also come at a much higher cost – the
burden on boredom.
The next aspect is civilization. This has been explained using an
example of Robins who poke elderly Robins to death and on the other hand, human
beings provide elderly men access to pension to be able to survive. Hence, when
it comes to people within their own group, human beings are way more kind and
compassionate but when it concerns people outside their herd, they can be far
worse than animals.
A great invention that has helped mankind is the invention of
language because of which it has been made possible to pass on ideas from
generation to generation. Similarly, the invention of fire has not only helped
humans to keep away wild animals while they slept, but an accident involving a
wrongfully thrown meat by a child in the fire led to the discovery of cooking.
Life must have been made easier and comfortable after the beginning of
domestication of animals like the cow and the sheep. The tribes that worshiped
lions and crocodiles went into extinction whereas those who considered cows and
sheep as sacred grew stronger and healthier.
According to the author, the invention of agriculture has proved
to be more useful than the domestication of animals but it led to the
introduction of many blood thirsty and violent practices that stayed for a lot
of centuries. It is only now that it has been established that the crops will
grow themselves and cotton goods can be produced even without sacrificing the
lives of young children. Thus, it can be considered as evidence for development
in the world.
Lastly, the author calls the art of writing as the last of the
greatest inventions of the prehistoric period. It acted as a precondition for
history to be written. It developed slowly over time like speech.
2. How are human beings different from animals?
Explain.
Ans- Over
the period of time, humans have advanced that has made them different from
animals. There are two major aspects where this has been observed – one, apart
from having the intelligence they are born with, skills continue to grow with
time while proving their importance in the evolution of man and second being
the belief that with greater numbers comes more power. The author is definite
that in these aspects, humans have become distinguished from animals.
Talking
about happiness as an idea that helped mankind, the author is quite not sure.
He mentions that a large number of birds die in winters due to lack of food but
during summers, they do not worry about this upcoming disaster nor do they
recall how much they had to suffer during the last winter season. But it is not
the case with human beings. Unlike birds, there was a lot of fear, dread and
uneasiness before and during the time starvation took so many lives. This is
because a man’s suffering is not only caused by the bad experiences he faces,
but also by his own intelligence that turns against him and tells him that he
has every reason to be fearful. The author doubts that even the well-read and
educated men he knows of, despite having a stable income, are more satisfied
than the mice that eat the leftovers from their table as these intellectual
minds sleep.
Not only this, the British species of Robins pokes an elderly
Robin to death whereas, on the other hand, English men regard their old-age men
with pension to support their livelihood. Hence, when it comes to human beings,
they are more comfortable and kind with like-minded people than many species of
animals but with people outside their group, they are not as friendly.
3. How has the civilization helped us? Discuss.
Ans- Civilization might have taught us to be friendlier
towards one another? The English species of Robins peck an elderly robin to
death, whereas British men give an elderly man an old-age pension. Within the
herd we are more friendly to each other than are many species of animals, but
in our attitude towards those outside the herd, in spite of all that has been
done by moralists and religious teachers, our emotions are as ferocious as
those of any animal, and our intelligence enables us to give them a scope which
is denied to even the most savage beast. It may be hoped, though not very
confidently, that the more humane attitude will in time come to prevail, but so
far the omens are not very propitious.
According to the author, one can only hope and
not be confident about the scope for more compassionate and kind attitude
towards each other in the future because until now, the predictions have not
been very favorable.
4. Is it important for us to be civilized? Give
examples of the civilized behaviour that you practice in your everyday
life.
Ans- Yes, it is very important to be civilized and act in a
polite and well-mannered way. Civilization is one of the things that set human
beings apart from other species. Civilized behavior can broadly be categorized
into two types – one, moral and second, material. The moral aspect of civilized
behavior includes greeting our elders, treating everyone equally and with
respect, and helping others in need. On the other hand, the material aspect
includes becoming educated, securing and maintaining a decent standard of
living that earns an individual a reputable place in the society.
C. 3. COMPOSITION
3. Write a letter to your friend in Delhi about
the culture of Bihar.
Ans-
129, DLF Phase – 12
Gurgaon, Haryana
September 24, 2025
Dear Surya,
I
hope you receive this letter in the best of your health. In this letter, I
would like to make you familiar with Bihar, the third most populous state in
the country. It is one of the strongest agricultural states. Bihar has a
rich cultural heritage. It is the land of Buddhism and Jainism. It is a state
with a culturally mixed population. We have Hindus, Muslims, Jain, Buddhists,
Sikhs, and Christians living here. Bihar has a rich cultural background to be
proud of. People here are shy, honest, helpful, and confident in themselves. I
really hope that you get a chance to visit Bihar; I can assure you that you
will love the state.
Yours lovingly
Naveen
2. Write a paragraph in about 100 words on the
‘significance of original thinking’.
Ans- The art of original
thinking is crucial because the problems of tomorrow cannot be solved with the
mindset of yesterday. The ideas for the greatest inventions of all times did
not come to those who kept following the herd but to those who dared to think
differently. Like-minded people may get along with each other but people with a
different mindset walk ahead of everyone. It is easy to copy others but it
takes courage, confidence and a lot of effort into thinking differently and
acting upon it. The end result however, might not always be great but a mind
put into the habit of original thinking will never fail in life.
D. WORD STUDY
D.1. Dictionary Use
Ex. 1. Correct the spelling of the following words.
Ans-
|
Numerus – Numerous |
Prelimnary – Preliminary |
Continualy – Continually |
|
Vareity – Variety |
Teknique – Technique |
Acquaintence – Acquaintance |
Ex.
2. Look up a dictionary and write two meanings of each of the following words –
the one in which it is used in the lesson and the other which is more common:
|
Herd |
Catastrophe |
Numbers |
|
Brutes |
Biological |
Skill |
|
Century |
Passage |
Erudite |
Ans-
Herd-
As per lesson- a large group of animals, especially hoofed mammals
that live together or are kept together as livestock
Other meaning- move in a group.
Catastrophe-
As per lesson- sudden great disaster
Other meaning- something very unfortunate or unsuccessful
Numbers-
As per lesson- a quantity or amount
Other meaning- an arithmetical value, expressed by a word, symbol,
or figure, representing a particular quantity and used in counting and making
calculations
Brutes-
As per lesson- animals especially large and fierce
Other meaning- an animal as opposed to a human being
Biological-
As per lesson- relating to biology or living organisms
Other meaning- (of a member of a person’s family) genetically
related; related by blood
Skill-
As per lesson- the ability to do something well; expertise
Other meaning- train (a worker) to do a particular task
Century-
As per lesson- a period of one hundred years
Other meaning- a score of a hundred in a sporting event,
especially a batsman’s score of a hundred runs in cricket
Passage-
As per lesson- the action or process of moving through or past
somewhere on the way from one place to another
Other meaning- a narrow way allowing access between buildings or
to different rooms within a building; a passageway
Erudite-
As per lesson- intellectual, cultured
Other meaning- having or showing great knowledge or learning
D.2. Word-formation
Read the following sentences, carefully:
Given below is a list of words from the lesson. Write their
antonyms by adding prefixes like ‘in-‘, ‘un-‘, ‘dis-‘, ‘im-‘
|
advantage |
certain |
definite |
|
friendly |
moral |
agreeable |
|
sure |
foreseen |
pleasure |
Answer-
|
Advantage- Disadvantage |
Certain- Uncertain |
Definite- Indefinite |
|
Friendly- Unfriendly |
Moral- Immoral |
Agreeable- Disagreeable |
|
Sure- Unsure |
Foreseen- Unforeseen |
Pleasure- Displeasure |
D.3. Word-meaning
Ex. 1. Match the words given in Column A with their meanings in
Column B
|
Column A |
Column B |
|
hirsute |
nod off |
|
catastrophe |
auspicious |
|
erudite |
cultured |
|
snooze |
barbarism |
|
humane |
sudden great disaster |
|
propitious |
compassionate |
|
cannibalism |
covered with hair, furry |
Answer-
|
Column A |
Column B |
|
hirsute |
covered with hair, furry |
|
catastrophe |
sudden great disaster |
|
erudite |
cultured |
|
snooze |
nod off |
|
humane |
Compassionate |
|
propitious |
auspicious |
|
cannibalism |
barbarism |
D. 4. Phrases
Ex.1. Read the lesson carefully and find out the sentences in
which the following phrases have been used. Use these phrases in sentences of
your own:
|
at any rate |
have to do with |
hand on |
last for |
tend to |
Answer-
At any rate- At any
rate, I promise to be there even if I’m a little late
Have to
do with- Billy and his father have had nothing to do with each other for
nearly twenty years
Hand on- Increasingly, CEOs are taking a hands-on approach to information
security
Last for- The room
freshener did not last for long.
Tend to- I think you tend to eat more
in the winter season.
E.
GRAMMAR
Ex.1.
Read the following sentences, taken from the lesson, carefully:
a) I will say a preliminary word about them.
b) Birds die of hunger in large numbers during the winter.
You see that the word ‘about’
in the first sentence is used before a pronoun ‘them’. Similarly, ‘of ‘, ‘in’
and ‘during’ in the second sentence are used before a noun ‘hunger’, a noun
phrase ‘large number’ and a noun ‘winter’ respectively. Such a word or group of
words used before a noun or pronoun to show relation in terms of place,
position, time or method is known as reposition.
Fill in the blanks with correct prepositions:
a) Please read ………. line 5 ………………. page 10.
b) Birds die ……………. hunger ……………. the winter.
c) Mamta prefers coffee ………………… tea.
d) Mahatma Gandhi was born ………………… Porbandar ………………………
Gujarat.
e) Chhabi swam ………….. the river.
f) We have become ………………. certain respects less like
animals.
Answer-
a) Please read in line 5 on page 10.
b) Birds die of hunger during the winter.
c) Mamta prefers coffee over
d) Mahatma Gandhi was born at Porbandar in
e) Chhabi swam across the river.
f) We have become in certain respects less like animals.
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