Daily Passage Test for CLAT - Apr 14 MCQs & solutions Free

Option C, "General Reginald Dyer used volley shooting," cannot be inferred from the passage. The passage explicitly mentions that there was no volley shooting, so it cannot be inferred that General Dyer used volley shooting. The other options are either directly stated in the passage or can be reasonably inferred based on the information provided.

Option 4 is indeed the correct answer. The passage supports this choice as it mentions, "There was an audible gasp that echoed through this crowded room in response to that single word." This single word, "yes," indicates that the audience was taken aback by the general's response to His Lordship's question about the continuation of firing.

The correct answer is option 1. We get a sense of the mistrust in the way His Lordship was questioning the general throughout the passage. A good example of this is the question "If the crowd was going to disperse, why did you not stop firing?" Moreover, this line of questioning suggests that His Lordship could not believe how the general could continue firing.

The answer becomes evident when we examine the General's reply to His Lordship's inquiry regarding the absence of volley shooting. This is further reinforced by His Lordship's subsequent question about the crowd's density, to which the general acknowledges it being very dense. Furthermore, earlier in the passage, the general repeatedly emphasizes that the crowd would not disperse rapidly enough. Based on this, it can be deduced that the general chose to employ individual firing to expedite the dispersal of the crowd.

Option 2 is indeed the correct answer. The general's intent to disperse the crowd is evident in his statement: "If I fired a little, the effect would not be sufficient. If I had fired a little, I should be wrong in firing at all." This indicates that the general believed that the crowd would not disperse adequately if only a single shot or a few shots were fired. Consequently, he deemed it necessary to employ a higher degree of force in the form of continuous firing.

Option 3 is indeed the correct answer. In multiple instances within the passage, the general conveys his inability to disperse the crowd quickly and implies that continued firing was his solution (as indicated by 'I thought it ... sufficient'). Regarding the concern of losing face, the general alludes to this by stating "then they would all come back and laugh at me, and I considered I would be making myself a fool." This implies that the general believed he would diminish his credibility among the crowd.