UGC NET Paper 2 English Mock Test - 7 - UGC NET MCQ

The Shakespearean play that is believed to be based on a true story and features the character of Joan of Arc is: Henry VI, Part 1

Joan of Arc, referred to as Joan la Pucelle in the play, is a significant character in "Henry VI, Part 1." The play dramatizes the events of the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and Joan of Arc plays a pivotal role in the French resistance against the English.

The correct answer is 'A second language learner uses familiar vocabulary to form sentences mentally before speaking'. 

Key Points

• Second language acquisition is when an individual learns any other language besides the mother tongue. 
• Krashen gave the second language acquisition theory. 
• The significant factors that influence Second language acquisition are: 
  • Motivation
  • Prior linguistic knowledge 
  • learning environment 
  • Teaching strategies
  • Age of the learner

Therefore the correct answer is option 2. 

Additional Information

• Krashen gave the second language acquisition theory.
• He has 5 main hypotheses:
  • ​the Acquisition-learning hypothesis
  • the monitor hypothesis
  • the input hypothesis
  • the affective filter hypothesis
  • the natural order hypothesis

The correct answer is "Samuel Johnson".

Key Points

• John Dryden (1631-1700) was an English poet and playwright.
• He became the first Poet Laureate of England in 1668.
• Sir Walter Scott called him “Glorious John”.
• Dryden is called the “father of English criticism"
• Important works by Dryden are Astraea Redux, Annus Mirabilis, An Essay of Dramatick Poesie (1680), Absalom and Achitophel (1681), Mac Flecknoe (1682).

​Therefore, the correct answer is option 1.​Additional Information

• Samuel Johnson is best known for compiling A Dictionary of English Language (1755).
• T.S Eliot was a 20th century poet and critic famous for his poem "The Waste Land" (1922).
• P.B Shelly was a romantic poet who wrote The Revolt of Islam (1817).

The correct answer is Gay's Beggar's Opera 

Key Points

• The Beggar’s Opera, a ballad opera in three acts by John Gay, was performed at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre, London, in 1728 and published in the same year.
• The work combines comedy and political satire in prose interspersed with songs set to contemporary and traditional English, Irish, Scottish, and French tunes.
• In it, Gay portrays the lives of a group of thieves and prostitutes in 18th-century London.
• The action centres on Peachum, a fence for stolen goods; Polly, his daughter; and Macheath, a highwayman.
• Gay caricatures the government, fashionable society, marriage, and Italian operatic style.
• Particularly evident are parallels made between the moral degeneracy of the opera’s protagonists and contemporary highborn society.

Therefore, Option 1 is the correct answer.

Additional Information

• Hudibras, a satiric poem by Samuel Butler, was published in several parts beginning in 1663.
• The immediate success of the first part resulted in a spurious second part’s appearing within the year; the authentic second part was published in 1664.
• The two parts, plus “The Heroical Epistle of Hudibras to Sidrophel,” were reprinted together in 1674. 
• The Life and Death of the Late Jonathan Wild, the Great is a satiric novel by Henry Fielding. 
• Absalom and Achitophel, verse satire by English poet John Dryden published in 1681.
• The poem, which is written in heroic couplets, is about the Exclusion crisis, a contemporary episode in which anti-Catholics, notably the earl of Shaftesbury, sought to bar James, duke of York, a Roman Catholic convert and brother to King Charles II, from the line of succession in favour of the king’s illegitimate son, the duke of Monmouth.

The correct answer is ‘A, B, C, D, E.’

Key Points

• Sons and Lovers (A) was published in 1913.
• The Rainbow (B) was published in 1915.
• Women in Love (C) was published in 1920.
• Lady Chatterley's Lover (D) was published in 1928.
• The Plumed Serpent (E) was published in 1926.
• D.H. Lawrence is one of the most important and controversial English writers of the 20th century.
• His novels are known for their exploration of sexuality, class, and social issues.
• Lawrence's novels have been praised for their passion and their psychological depth.

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option 1.’

The correct answer is ‘C, D, B, A.’

Key Points

• The Book of the Duchess (C): This is Chaucer's first major work, believed to have been written in the latter part of the 1360s. It is an elegy for Blanche of Lancaster, John of Gaunt's first wife.
• The Parliament of Fowls (D): Thought to have been composed in the early 1380s, this poem delves into themes of love and is often read as a Valentine's Day poem, suggesting its placement after "The Book of the Duchess."
• Troilus and Criseyde (B): This work, crafted in the mid-1380s, is a long poem retelling the tragic love story of Troilus and Criseyde set against the backdrop of the Trojan War. It predates "The Canterbury Tales."
• The Canterbury Tales (A): Begun around 1387 but never completed, this collection of stories told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury is Chaucer's most famous work and is considered a cornerstone of English literature.
• This chronological order reflects Chaucer's development as a writer, moving from courtly love poems to more complex narratives and finally to the rich tapestry of tales for which he is most celebrated.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

Additional Information

• The chronological order reflects the evolution of Chaucer's style from elegiac and romantic works to his most ambitious project, "The Canterbury Tales," that showcases an array of characters and societal themes.
• This progression illustrates Chaucer's development as a writer and his experiment with various genres and storytelling techniques.

The correct answer is ‘B, A, D, C, E.’

Key Points

• Mrs. Dalloway (B): Published in 1925, this novel is a pioneering work using stream of consciousness as a narrative device. It explores the inner thoughts of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class woman preparing for a party in post-World War I England.
• To the Lighthouse (A): This was published in 1927, two years after Mrs. Dalloway. The narrative primarily concerns the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920. It is known for its philosophical introspection and the exploration of complex human relationships through stream of consciousness.
• Orlando (D): Released in 1928, Orlando spans over three centuries, telling the story of a poet who changes sex from man to woman, living through various historical periods without aging much. It is considered a feminist classic and was ahead of its time in discussing gender fluidity.
• A Room of One's Own (C): This is an extended essay published in 1929, based on lectures Woolf delivered at Cambridge University. It argues for both a literal and figurative space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by men.
• The Waves (E): Published in 1931, this novel is considered one of her most experimental works. It is composed of soliloquies spoken by the book's six characters. Woolf explores individual consciousness and the interconnectivity of human experiences.

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option 2.

The correct answer is "Omeros".

Key Points

• Derek Walcott, a Caribbean poet, wrote the epic poem "Omeros" in 1990.
• "Omeros" is a significant work in postcolonial literature that engages with the themes of Caribbean history, identity, and the legacies of colonization.
• The poem draws inspiration from Homer's "Iliad" and explores the experiences of the people of the Caribbean through a complex narrative that intertwines the past and present.
• Walcott's use of language, imagery, and mythology in "Omeros" reflects the cultural hybridity and diverse voices of the Caribbean.

The correct answer is Option 1: Recommending the establishment of universities in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras.

Key Points

• The Woods Dispatch made a significant recommendation regarding the establishment of universities in the three Presidencies of India - Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras.
• The dispatch believed that higher education was essential for the creation of a class of persons, Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.
• As a result of these recommendations, the Universities of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras were set up in 1857, providing the foundation for modern higher education in India.
• The Dispatch did not advocate for the removal of vernacular languages from the education system. In fact, it suggested that English and vernacular languages should be used as mediums of instruction.
• The Dispatch did not propose to eliminate all private educational institutions. Instead, it proposed a system of "grant-in-aid" to support private schools.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

The correct answer is "Boethius".

Key Points

• Boethius, also known as Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, was a Roman senator, consul, magister officiorum, historian, and philosopher of the Early Middle Ages.
• Geoffrey Chaucer was a poet, author, and government servant best remembered for his work The Canterbury Tales.
  • He has been referred to as the "Father of English Literature" or the "Father of English Poetry".
  • He was the first writer to be buried in what is now known as Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.
• Geoffrey Chaucer translated Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy into Middle English.
  • The original text, written in Latin, emphasizes the relevance of philosophy in everyday life and was a prominent work of philosophy during the Middle Ages.

Therefore, the correct answer is option 4.

Additional Information

• Homer was a Greek poet who wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey, two epic poems that are considered foundational classics of ancient Greek literature. Homer is regarded as one of history's most respected and influential authors.
• Quintus Horatius Flaccus, better known as Horace in the English-speaking world, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the reign of Augustus.
• Publius Vergilius Maro, sometimes known as Virgil or Vergil in English, was an Augustan-era Roman poet. He wrote three of Latin literature's most famous poems: the Eclogues, the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid.

The correct answer is 'To fulfill the duty of comforting family and returning to the fatherland .'

Key Points

• The advice emphasizes the importance of fulfilling one's duty to family by providing comfort and taking them back to the fatherland after seven years. 
• It discourages allowing sorrow to weigh one down to the point of death, as it could lead to the suffering and death of family members in exile.
• Therefore, the correct option is ‘Option 4.’

Additional Information 

• Option 1 is incorrect. The advice is not primarily about avoiding displeasing the living but fulfilling familial duties.
• Option 2 is incorrect. The advice doesn't prioritize personal happiness over duty but emphasizes fulfilling responsibilities.
• Option 3 is incorrect. The advice discourages enduring sorrow and emphasizes the potential negative consequences for the family

The correct answer is 'Seven years.'

Key Points

• The quote specifies that the duty is to be fulfilled within a period of seven years. 
• This timeframe suggests a sense of urgency and emphasizes the importance of not allowing sorrow to hinder the fulfillment of familial responsibilities.

Therefore, the correct option is ‘Option 3.’

Additional Information 

• Option 1 is incorrect. The timeframe mentioned is seven years, not seven days. 
• Option 2 is incorrect. The specified period is seven years, not seven months.
• Option 4 is incorrect. The timeframe mentioned is seven years, not seventy years.

The correct answer is 'The family will die in exile.'

Key Points

• The speaker expresses concern that if sorrow weighs them down to the point of death, the family will suffer and potentially face death in exile. 
• This underscores the urgency and importance of fulfilling familial duties within the specified timeframe.

Therefore, the correct option is ‘Option 2.’

Additional Information 

• Option 1 is incorrect. The concern is about the family suffering, not becoming stronger.
• Option 3 is incorrect. Returning to the fatherland is the desired outcome, not a consequence of sorrow weighing the individual down.
• Option 4 is incorrect. The concern is about the potential suffering and death of the family, not personal happiness.

Irish was not a dialect of Old English. There are four dialects of old English: Mercian, Northumbrian, Kentish, and West Saxon. Thus, “Irish” is the odd one out. Irish (Gaeilge) is a Goidelic (Gaelic) language that originated in Ireland and has been historically spoken by the Irish people.

"Song of Myself” is a poem comprised in Leaves of Grass, most celebrated collection of poems by Walt Whitman. It is an open combination of biography, sermon, and poetic meditation.

The poet mainly speaks about the idea of the self which is individual and universal both and the identification of the self with other selves. …. I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death… These lines comprised in the first stanza of the poem tells that Whitman begins his spiritual awakening at the age of thirty seven and will continue the celebration of self till his death.

Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee was celebrated on 20th and 21st of June 1887. On 20th June the day began quietly with breakfast under the trees at Frogmore, the resting place of her beloved late husband, Prince Albert.

The given phrase means "as in painting, so in poetry" (poetry resembles painting). Horace explains, "As is painting, so is poetry: some pieces will strike you more if you stand near, and some of you are at a greater distance: one loves the dark; another, which is not afraid of the critic’s subtle judgment, chooses to be seen in the light; the one has pleased once the other will give pleasure if ten times repeated . . . . ”

The given phrase is in Latin and appears in Horace's 'Ars Poetica’, an epistle presented as an informal letter to members of the Piso family. Quintus Horatius Flaccus or Horace (65 BC – 8 BC), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (The age of Romans).

• Nancy Chodorow is a feminist sociologist and psychoanalyst best known for her influential book “The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender” which was published in 1978.

• She dealt with the mother-daughter relationship, reproduction of motherhood and female psychology in the book.

• Carol Gilligan was an American feminist and psychoanalyst put a landmark in Feminist theories with her book, A Different Voice and Difference feminists.

• She argued that Psychology had been unknowingly ignoring the voices and experiences of half the human race.

The History Man ( Malcolm Bradbury)

After Cohen's death, Cassirer developed a theory of symbolism and used it to expand phenomenology of knowledge into a more general philosophy of culture. Cassirer was one of the leading 20th-century advocates of philosophical idealism. His most famous work is the Philosophy of Symbolic Forms (1923–1929).

Volpone refers to his gold as "Thou" but that is not one of the options. Go back then to the opening when Volpone refers to his gold as "my saint" in the shrine.

Brick Lane (Bengali: ব্রিক লেন) is a street in the East End of London, in the Borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green, crosses Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch, enters Whitechapel and is linked to Whitechapel High Street to the south by the short stretch of Osborn Street. Today, it is the heart of the city's Bangladeshi community and is known to some as Banglatown. It is famous for its many curry houses.

It refers to the famous Bee and Spider episode in "The Battle of Books"

The Essay was probably written during the plague year of 1666, and first published in 1668. In presenting his argument, Dryden takes up the subject that Philip Sidney had set forth in his Defence of Poesie in 1580. The treatise is a dialogue between four speakers: Eugenius, Crites, Lisideius, and Neander.

The correct answer is 'It enables a multi-perspective critique of societal norms, through varied letters capturing different characters' views'.

Key Points

• The epistolary form of "Evelina" allows Burney to present a range of voices and perspectives on the society and times, facilitating a nuanced exploration of eighteenth-century life, manners, and the stark gender expectations placed upon women.
• Through the letters of various characters, readers gain access to differing societal viewpoints, insights, and experiences, which collectively critique and satirize the norms and mores of the period.
• The personal nature of letters allows for an intimate glimpse into characters' thoughts and feelings, presenting a more complex and layered understanding of the challenges faced by women like Evelina in navigating public and private spheres.
• This form also reflects the significance of reputation, communication, and miscommunication in eighteenth-century society, engaging with themes of public vs. private identity, the role of women, and the complexities of social mobility.
• Evelina's growth and moral development throughout the novel, as depicted through her correspondence, confront and question the limitations imposed by society on women, offering readers a critical lens on gender roles and expectations.

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option 3.’

Additional Information

• Limited to Evelina's point of view (Option 1) contradicts the varied perspectives offered by the epistolary format.
• Enhances the authenticity of historical events (Option 2) overlooks the novel’s primary function as social critique rather than historical documentation.
• Focuses solely on romantic developments (Option 4) understates the depth of societal and gender critique present in the novel.

• Alliteration is a literary device that involves the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of nearby words or syllables.
• In the phrase "Pretty purple pansies", the alliteration is created by the repetition of the "p" sound in "pretty", "purple", and "pansies".
• The repetition of the "p" sound creates a pleasing rhythmic effect and draws attention to the phrase.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2.'

• Option 1: "Sunset over the ocean" does not contain any alliteration.
• Option 3: "Running quickly through the forest" contains alliteration in the "r" sound in "running" and "quickly", but it is not as prominent as the alliteration in Option 2.
• Option 4: "Bright stars in the sky" does not contain any alliteration.

The correct answer is 'Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man" by Marshall McLuhan'.

Key Points

• "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man" by Marshall McLuhan, first published in 1964, is seminal in Cultural Studies for its exploration of the effects of media on individuals and society.
• McLuhan introduced the concept of the medium being the message, suggesting that the medium through which content is conveyed affects society more profoundly than the content itself.
• He famously classified media as either "hot" or "cool" based on the level of participation required from the audience, influencing how media studies approached audience engagement.
• McLuhan's work predicted the global village concept, foreseeing the world connected through an electronic nervous system, prefiguring the internet and its implications on global communication.
• McLuhan's ideas were ahead of their time, providing the foundational language and framework for discussing how media technology shapes perception, society, and culture.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Additional Information

• "Culture and Society" by Raymond Williams and "Mythologies" by Roland Barthes are also significant in Cultural Studies but focus more on cultural forms and semiotics, respectively, than on the media's societal impacts as McLuhan's work does.
• "The Society of the Spectacle" by Guy Debord deals with the concept of the spectacle in society but does not specifically address the media's role in shaping public consciousness as McLuhan's work does.

The correct answer is 'E, B, A, D, C.'

Key Points

• "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley was published in 1818, introducing the genre of science fiction.
• "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky came out in 1866, delving into philosophical discussions of morality and redemption.
• "Ulysses" by James Joyce, released in 1922, is known for its stream-of-consciousness technique and deep exploration of the mundane.
• "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot, published in 1922 as well, is considered one of the most important modernist texts.
• "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee was published in 1960, addressing issues of racial injustice and moral growth.

Tradition and Individual Talent is a critical essay by T. S. Eliot, which focus on the relationship between the poet and the literary tradition. Eliot begins the essay by pointing out that the word ‘tradition’ is generally regarded as a derogatory word or word of censure in literary criticism. It is termed negatively, when a poet is praised.

The critics always focus on those-aspects of the work which are ‘individual’ and original rather than the relationship of a poem or a work to the works of dead poets and artists. In the words of Eliot: In English writing, we seldom speak of tradition, though we occasionally apply its name in deploring its absence…. . Certainly the word is not likely to appear in our appreciations of living or dead writers.

• Thomas Hardy was a Victorian novelist and poet as well. Jude the Obscure, the last completed novel by him and was first published in book form in 1895.
• The novel received a harsh reception from some scandalized critics and Hardy stopped writing novel after that.