Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions. Certain words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
We all seek happiness but few, very few, indeed get it. We are unhappy partly because we desire much more than what we can hope to attain. Our countless desires are hard to be satisfied. And that is what makes us so sad in life. The secret of happiness lies in the simplification of life. Simple living encourages high thinking. It leads to contentment. Contentment gives us inner wealth, the wealth of the mind and of the soul. A contented man devotes himself to virtues like truth, beauty, love, goodness, kindness, and charity. By pursuing and inculcating these virtues, a man can feel true happiness.I do not mean that for simplification of life, a man should become an ascetic. The happiness of a sadhu is of a negative kind, I want positive kind of happiness. For this, I must live in the midst of life and faithfully carry out my responsibilities to my home and my country. But all this should be done in the spirit of selfless service. A man who wants to lead a happy life should also make others happy. In making others happy he will taste real and lasting happiness. There is a kind of joy in serving others with virtuous motives, in sacrificing what one has for the good of others. An act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness.The secret of perfect happiness lies in renunciation. Wealth may give us joy for a while and fame may provide us with fleeting excitement. But they cannot give us permanent happiness. Kings have everything to make them happy and yet they feel unhappy. It is because they do not practice renunciation.There is a sense of joy in doing one's work honestly and efficiently. A research worker feels joy in research and a journalist in writing. In doing one's duty sincerely, one feels the peace of mind which is an important essence of happiness.it is only by cultivating the spirit of renunciation, self-sacrifice, contentment and sincere work that one can really be happy. The stings of misfortune spare none but they will not cow such a person.
Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the word Cow given in bold as used in the passage?
spare
conquer
discard
provoke
mould
Answer: (b) conquerSolution: No description.
Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?
Human beings seldom seek happiness
Doing one's work sincerely hardly makes one happy
Peace of mind is tangent to happiness
Simple life is like a life of an ascetic
A happy man is also not spared by the misfortunes
Answer: (e) A happy man is also not spared by the misfortunesSolution: No description.
A man who wants to live a permanent happy life should.......
make others happy
master the art of renunciation
pursue wealth and fame
inculcate the virtues of life
keep a tight control on his desires
Answer: (d) inculcate the virtues of lifeSolution: No description.
Choose the word which is most nearly the opposite in meaning to the word Fleeting given in bold as used in the passage?
permanent
passing
fast
momentary
pleasing
Answer: (a) permanentSolution: No description.
What according to the passage, is a positive kind of happiness?
Keeping one's motives and feelings under control
Love for life and a country
Leading a simple life of an ascetic
Carrying out all worldly activities in the spirit of selfless service
None of these
Answer: (d) Carrying out all worldly activities in the spirit of selfless serviceSolution: No description.
What does a contented man do?
He pursues and assimilates the basic virtues of life
He faces boldly the adversities of life
He encounters the strings of misfortunes
He gives up bad habits effortlessly
None of these
Answer: (a) He pursues and assimilates the basic virtues of lifeSolution: No description.
Which of the following is the correct chain of things, as mentioned in the passage, leading to happiness?
Contentment, high thinking, simple living, inner wealth
Simple living, high thinking, inner wealth, contentment
High thinking, simple living, inner wealth, contentment
Inner wealth, simple living, contentment, high thinking
Simple living, high thinking, contentment, inner wealth
Answer: (e) Simple living, high thinking, contentment, inner wealthSolution: See the second paragraph of the passage.
According to the passage, the essence of happiness lies in.....
worldly desires
matching one's abilities with the work undertaken
avoiding all unfortunate events
adopting a simple life style
following the dictates of nature
Answer: (d) adopting a simple life styleSolution: No description.
We are unhappy partly because.....
We have no inner strength
We have lost moral and spiritual values
We have countless, unfulfilled desires
Our lives have become extremely complicated
We carry several stresses and strains
Answer: (c) We have countless, unfulfilled desiresSolution: No description.
Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage?
One feels peace of mind in doing one's duty sincerely.
Renunciation is the result of perfect happiness.
Multiplicity of desires make us unhappy.
Making others happy makes one happy.
An act of goodness is an act of happiness.
Answer: (b) Renunciation is the result of perfect happiness.Solution: No description.