1. Read the passage given below carefully.
(1) It is said that if we educate a man, we educate a man only, but if we educate a woman, we
educate the whole family. This highlights the importance of female education. It is a fact that
women are the first teachers of their children. It is in their lap that the children receive the very
first lesson. Hence, if mothers are well-educated, they can play an important role in shaping and
moulding of their sons and daughters. Napoleon was once asked, what the great need of France
was? He simply answered. "Nation's progress is impossible without trained and educated mothers.
If the women of my country are not educated, about half of the people will be ignorant."
(2) Women have three major roles to perform in the course of their life. They have to discharge their
duties as good daughters, good wives and good mothers. Apart from these important duties, they
have to prove themselves as good citizens of a free democracy. Hence it is necessary to give
women a different kind of education from the one given to boys. Their education should be such
as it may enable them to discharge their duties in a proper way. With education they become
fully matured in all the fields of life. Educated women are well aware of their duties and rights.
They can contribute in the development of the country in the same way as men do.
(3) Society runs on two wheels, both the wheels must be equally strong to run smoothly. It is a good
sign that today's women are not considered a weaker sex. They are being taught properly right
from their childhood. As a result we see women working in almost every field. Although legally
and theoretically women are now considered as equal to men yet there are people who refuse to
give them their due. They think that women are inferior to men and ill treat them and misbehave
with them. All right thinking people should protest against it. They should try to broaden the
outlook of those who have conservative feelings for women. Female education is important and
all the impediments must be removed from the way of their education.
Now, answer the following questions.
(a) What is the writer's concern in this passage? (2 marks)
(b) What are the different roles played by a woman? (2 marks)
(c) Why should women be given a different type of education from men? (2 marks)
(d) What would be the result of giving equal rights to women? (2 marks)
(e) Find the antonym of the word 'possible' in the first paragraph. (1 mark)
(f) Which word in the second paragraph means the same as 'perform'?
Answers
a) What is the writer's concern in this passage?
The correct answers are:-
(a) The writer's concern in the given passage is that females should be given an equal opportunity like men and they are drivers of the society to bring about change and progress.
(b) In a family life a woman plays many roles such as she is the mother, she is the wife, she is the daughter, she is a sister.
(c) Women have to be given a different kind of education than men because they have three rules to play in society. In the first role, in the family life, they have different roles to play such as there the mother, daughter, sister. Apart from family life, they have to be educated to be responsible citizens of a free democratic Nation.
(d) When women will be given equal education like men they will be able to take the decisions on their own.
(e) The antonym of the word 'possible' in the first paragraph is impossible.
(f) The word in the second paragraph means the same as 'perform' is
discharge.