Q.2 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Strong section of industrials who still imagine that men can be mere machines and are at their best as machines if they are mere machines are already menacing what they call “useless” education. They deride the classics, and they are mildly contemptuous of history, philosophy, and English. They want our educational institutions, from the oldest universities to the youngest elementary schools, to concentrate on business or the things that are patently useful in business. Technical instruction is to be provided for adolescent artisans; book keeping and shorthand for prospective clerks; and the cleverest we are to set to “business methods”, to modern languages (which can be used in correspondence with foreign firms), and to science (which can be applied to industry). French and German are the languages, not of Montaigne and Gorthe, but of Schmidt Brothers, of Elberfeld and Dupont et Cie., of Lyons. Chemistry and Physics are not explorations into the physical constitution of the universe, but sources of new dyes, new electric light filaments, new means of making things, which can be sold cheap and fast to the Nigerian and the Chinese. For Latin there is a Limited field so long as the druggists insist on retaining it in their prescriptions. Greek has no apparent use at all, unless it be as a source of syllables for the hybrid names of patent medicines and metal polishes. The soul of man, the spiritual basis of civilization- what gibberish is that?

Questions
a) What kind of education does the writer deal with? (2)
ANS: The writer is concerned with all those educations related to only profit making organizations i.e., industries, firms, offices. Such education would only produce clerks, book-keepers or it would erode the intellect of humanity by confining science, arts, linguistics etc., within enterprises.

b) What kind of education does the writer favour? How do you know? (3)
ANS: The writer critically said that business entities have limited the educational institutions to concentrate only on business related education. Then the writer elaborate this critical view; therefore, it indicates that writer favours humanities as well as classics.

c) Where does the writer express most bitterly his feelings about the neglect of the classics? (3)
ANS: The writer censoriously said at the end of paragraph that Latin is only used for prescriptions, and Greek is used for naming medications and metal polishes. These are writer's most bitter expressions about the neglect of the classics.

d) Explain as carefully as you can the full significance of the last sentence. (4)

ANS: A civilized society is a balance of all institutions such as education, religion, politics etc. working within its confines. The limitation of the institution of education with things related only to business and industries would erode the intellectual capacity of humans. It means that the greed for making profit would make man a machine and his intellect a thirst for money. Therefore, the last sentence sums up all the discussion of writer that "spiritual basis of civilization," i.e. man intellect, has become run-of-the-mill.

e) Explain the underlined words and phrases in the passage (8)
Sorry, I don't have underlined paragraph (plz post it)

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Lo! man is in a state of loss. (Al-Asr:103:2) And every small and great thing is recorded. (Al-Qamar:54:53) And guard yourselves against a day in which ye will be brought back to Allah. Then every soul will be paid in full that which it hath earned, and they will not be wronged. (Al-Baqara:2:281)

@ secondopinion, thanx for posting uselful posts, can u post solved comprehension n precis of 2006 too.

Sanasair

please explore the Precis forum; I have already posted precis and comprehension there.

t.c

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Lo! man is in a state of loss. (Al-Asr:103:2) And every small and great thing is recorded. (Al-Qamar:54:53) And guard yourselves against a day in which ye will be brought back to Allah. Then every soul will be paid in full that which it hath earned, and they will not be wronged. (Al-Baqara:2:281)

Précis 2007

Extensive study vs personality development
CONCIOUSLY OR UNCONCIOUSLY MAN IS AFFECTED BY THE WORK OF IMAGINATION. WHATEVER we read, imparts profound effect on our life. A candid look into one's past would reveal he would have been remained enthrall to more than one poet in his different stages of life. It happens due to lack of literally acumen. To fill this gap, stronger personality of poet is the most appropriate. Successive succession of different people in human mind starts to compare one’s trait over other. This critical evolution refrains our mind to be occupied by any more personalities. Extensive study develops well updated stock of knowledge in our mind, which prevent us to be dominated by any other, rather than giving them their due place.


seniors plz check it and point out flaws...

indifference is more synonymous to STOICISM
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