Narrative Passage- 3 | English Language Preparation for CUET UG PDF Download

Passage- 1 

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur’s youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question? ... what do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch’s proposition to have an answer by year’s end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer. But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch she agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first. The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur’s closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.

He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur’s life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur’s question thus: What a woman really wants, she answered ... is to be in charge of her own life! Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur’s life would be spared. And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half. Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day ... or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

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Questions

1. What was the difficult question that King Arthur had to answer to gain his freedom?

A) What do women really want?

B) How to rule a kingdom?

C) What is the secret to happiness?

D) How to achieve peace?

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2. How did the witch reward Sir Lancelot at the end of the story?

A) By showing her true form as a beautiful woman all the time.

B) By leaving him alone.

C) By transforming into a young princess.

D) By disappearing forever.

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3. What characteristic did Lancelot show by letting the witch make her own choice?

A) Selfishness

B) Bravery

C) Respect

D) Indifference

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4. Why did Arthur consult the old witch?

A) She was a skilled warrior.

B) She offered to help for free.

C) She was known to have the answer to his question.

D) She was his last hope.

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5. What lesson does the story primarily convey about what women really want?

A) To be feared by all.

B) To be rich and powerful.

C) To be in charge of their own lives.

D) To be eternally young.

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Passage- 2

Ever have that moment filled with immense disappointment when your goals could not be accomplished, and your dreams seem all but a figment of your imagination. Too many pupils, it is the feeling you get, when deep down you knew your potential and how hard you had studied yet you still feel that your result was not a true reflection of your hard work. It is doing 100 math’s sums before an exam and barely passing, it is spending numerous hours on a project and only attaining a C, it is killing yourself on the sports field and yet failing to make the first team and for many matriculants, it is that depressing moment that, now when your results matter most, you have failed to deliver.

You are consumed with self-doubt as to whether you were justified in making certain career decisions. You wonder whether you are clever enough, talented enough, physically and psychologically fit enough to pursue your aspirations. Basically, you stop believing in yourself and it is at that exact moment that your dreams become unattainable. Because if you really think about it, you are all you’ve got. People could tell you you’re the future Einstein, but the words are pointless if it fails to convince the little voice inside your head. You control that little voice and thus you control your destiny.

So, if you are feeling exhausted and disheartened at the end of a tiring term, give yourself the opportunity to make peace with the fact that you cannot change your shortcomings. Thereafter start deciding how you would like to redeem yourself. Don’t get trapped feeling sorry yourself but instead set yourself greater challenges. The only thing worse than failing is not learning from it. Try to establish what your strengths are and improve and cultivate those strengths instead of focusing on your weaknesses. In my opinion, trying to work your weaknesses to the level of your strengths is a good thing but makes you fairly average whilst nurturing your strengths and mastering them makes you exceptional. Do yourself a huge favour and stop measuring your success and capabilities according to that of others because we’re all unique with a diversity of talents. The fact that she is a math’s boffin does not make you stupid and the fact that he gives a cheetah a run for its money does not mean you’re not athletic. We all have a little genius in us just in our special way.

Einstein once said “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will spend its whole life believing that is stupid.” So, Settlers, do not sell yourself short by restricting your success to the achievements of others. You owe yourself more than that! Do not allow your failures to damper your positive attitude but use it as an inspiration to try harder and most importantly eliminate the perception that failure is a bad thing. It merely tests your strength of character. Go out there and show failure what you’re made of!

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Questions

1. What is the feeling described in the passage that students often face when they don't achieve their goals?

A) Disappointment

B) Confidence

C) Satisfaction

D) Joy

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2. What is the significance of the phrase "your dreams seem all but a figment of your imagination"?

A) Dreams seem unattainable and distant

B) Dreams are easily achievable

C) Dreams are only realized through hard work

D) Dreams always come true

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3. What does the word "redeem" mean in the context of the passage?

A) To fail again

B) To restore one's reputation

C) To give up

D) To embrace weakness

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4. What lesson does the passage teach about failure?

A) Failure is a sign of incompetence

B) Failure should be avoided at all costs

C) Failure is an opportunity to learn and grow

D) Failure defines a person's worth

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5. What does Einstein's quote "Everybody is a genius..." suggest about judging others?

A) Judging others is necessary for success

B) People should not be judged based on a single skill or attribute

C) Judging others helps improve your own abilities

D) People should only be judged based on their academic abilities

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