CTET December 2018 English

Language - I (Passage)

Passage - 1

      When it comes to structures that are both majestic and well-fortified, the classic European castle is the pinnacle of design. Across the ages castles changed, developed, and eventually fell out of use, but they still command the fascination of our culture.

     Castles were originally built in England by Norman invaders in 1066. As William the Conqueror advanced through England, he fortified key positions to secure the land he had taken. Castles also served as bases of operation for offensive attacks. Troops were summoned to, organized around, and deployed from castles. In this way castles served both offensive and defensive roles in military operations.

      Not limited to military purposes, castles also served as offices from which the lord would administer control over his fiefdom. They would address disputes, handle business, feast, and enjoy festivities. In this way castles served as important social centres in medieval England. Castles also served as symbols of power. The first castles constructed in England were made from earth and timber. Those who constructed them took advantage of natural features, such as hills and rivers, to increase defenses. Since these castles were constructed from wood, they were highly susceptible to attacks by fire. Wooden castles were gradually replaced by stone, which greatly increased the strength of these fortifications; however, being made from stone did not make these castles entirely
fireproof. Attackers could hurl flaming objects into the castle through the windows  or ignite the wooden doors.

      The demise of castles can ultimately be attributed to gunpowder. During the 15th century, artillery became powerful enough to break through stone walls. This greatly undermined the military role of castles. Castles were then replaced by artillery forts that had no role in civil administration, and country houses that were indefensible. Though castles no longer serve their original purposes, remaining castles receive millions of visitors each year from those who wish to experience these majestic vestiges of a time long passed.

Directions : Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow (Q. Nos. 91 to 99) by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.

91. Which one of the following is not a function of castles as expressed in the passage

• Castles served both offensive and defensive purposes militarily.
• Castles served as symbols of power.
• Castles were important social centres in medieval England.
• Castles were the places where knights would keep their best horses.

92. Which one of the following best describes the main idea in Paragraph 2

• It describes how and why William the Conqueror took control of England.
• It explains why castles were first built in England and the military purposes they served.
• It shows how Norman lords were often scared and frequently retreated.
• It details all of the purposes that English castles served.

93. The original castles were first made from earth and timber because

• It takes a lot more time and energy to build a stone castle
• It did not occur to people to build castles out of stone
• People did not realize how weak wooden castles would be against fire
• Wooden castles were prettier than dirty stone castles

94. Wooden castles were converted to stone castles as

• Wooden castles take a long time to build
• Wooden castles are uncomfortable
• Stone castles offer better defense
• Stone castles stay cooler in the summer

95. Which one of the following best explains how gunpowder was the nemesis of traditional castles

• Wars were fought with guns and  hiding in castles was no longer necessary.
• Artillery forts with large cannons became more stylish than traditional castles.
• Defending castles grew difficult, since attackers could just shoot castle defenders. 
• Cannons were able to knock down stone walls, so castles offered little protection.

96. Which one of the following titles would best describe the content of this passage

• William the Conqueror : Bringing Castles to England
• Defending the Castle : Technologies Used to Defend Medieval Castles
• A Short History of Castles : The Rise and Fall of Castles in England
• Fancy Living : Learning about Castles, Palaces and Fortresses

97. Which one of the following is an opinion

• Stone is more resistant to fire than wood.
• William the Conqueror built the first castles in England.
• It is unfortunate that castles no longer serve their original purposes.
• Castles were used as offices of administration during the Middle Ages.

98. Choose a word from the given options which means almost the same as the word ‘vestiges’ used in the passage.

• Reminder
• Outskirts
• Farrago
• Creation

99. Choose a word which serves as the antonym of the word ‘pinnacle’.

• Nadir
• Crest
• Apex
• Steeple

Passage - 2

My mother bore me in the southern wild, 
And I am black, but O ! my soul is white;
White as an angel is the English child :
But I am black as if bereav’d of light.

My mother taught me underneath a tree
And sitting down before the heat of day,
She took me on her lap and kissed me,
And pointing to the east began to say.

Look on the rising sun : there God does live

And gives his light, and gives his heat away.

And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive

Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.

And we are put on earth a little space,

That we may learn to bear the beams of love,

And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face

Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

Directions : Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow (Q. Nos. 91 to 99) by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.

100. ‘The Little Black Boy’ was born in

• The desert wastes
• The servants’ house
• The southern wild
• The east coast

101. ‘The Little Black Boy’ wished that he could be

• Educated
• Older
• Free
• White

102. The mother of ‘the Little Black Boy’ says God put people on earth

• To learn to endure his love
• To work off their sins
• To prepare them for future trials
• To learn how to treat one another as equals

103. The mother of ‘the Little Black Boy’ says his dark skin and face are

• A blessing
• A veil
• A curse
• A cloud

104. The phrase ‘like a shady grove’ is

• A metaphor
• A simile
• An example of alliteration
• A personification

105. Through the phrase ‘as if bereav’d of light’, the poet hints at

• Low self-esteem of the child
• Lack of hope for the future
• Colour of the boy
• All of the above