CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2022
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Civil society refers to all of the places where individuals gather together to have conversations, pursue common interests and, occasionally, try to influence public opinion or public policy. In many respects, civil society is where people spend their time when they are not at work or at home. For example, a group of people gather at a local park every Thursday afternoon for a game of football. Most of them arrive well before the game begins and stay for some time after it ends. Some of them go out for dinner or a drink after the game. In the course of their meetings, they talk about a wide range of topics, including football but also extend to include issues such as work, family, relationships, community events, racial issues and politics. This kind of solidarity can be found in a variety of other places in civil society – such as sports clubs, bowling leagues, reading groups and social movements – where individuals get together to associate on the basis of some shared interest fostering more effective forms of citizenship. Even though people may come together on the basis of an interest they all share in common, they eventually have to develop productive strategies for dealing with conflicts and differences that emerge within the association. Teammates in a bowling league discover, on certain issues, significant differences of opinion. And yet, because they value the association and look forward to participating in its activities, they do not respond to these differences by exiting the scene. Instead, they search for ways of interacting that will not threaten the solidarity of the group. In the process, they learn to appreciate and to tolerate social differences, a valuable skill to have in an increasingly multicultural nation. They also develop a general sense of social trust and mutual obligation, which makes society function more efficiently (this is what political scientists and sociologists are talking about when they refer to the importance of social capital). Gathering together in an association, people begin to think about their shared private interest as a collective public interest, and they try to make sure that this public interest is safe and secured. For example, the group that gets together for a weekly football game begins to talk about the park as an important community resource; if feel that the park is being mistreated or mismanaged, will organize a ‘save the park’ campaign to try to influence their local politicians and the other residents of the community. Recently, there has been growing concern that civil society is weaker than it used to be, because people are losing interest in joining associations. As citizens become increasingly disconnected from voluntary associations, they will experience less trust and less social connection, and as a result political institutions will function less efficiently. However, some scholars opine that many people are simply choosing to participate in different kinds of associations with fewer face-to-face meetings but supplemented with ‘virtual’ interactions facilitated by resources.
1. How does the author characterize the concept of civil society?
The concept of civil society refers to all places where people gather to have conversations and follow common interests. Civil society exists where people spend their leisure hours having informal meetings outside the home. Moreover, they also try to influence public opinion and public policy.
2. Why does civil society strive towards better socialization driven by tolerance?
Part of what the word “civil” implies is tolerance and the accommodation of pluralism and diversity. Tolerance is a key to a better civilization for which a civil society strives. There is always a difference of opinion when people sit together. However, for the sake of common interest, they tolerate social differences and learn to maintain solidarity in a group. This is a valuable skill that augments multicultural nation.
3. What do you understand by the term ‘Social Capital’ used in this passage?
‘Social Capital’ refers to individuals who develop a general common sense of social trust and mutual obligation. This protects the interest of the society as whole and, thus, creates an efficient and responsible society. Social capital allows a group to work together effectively;it allows a society to function together as a whole through trust and shared identity, norms, values, and mutual relationships.
4. Why does a civil society assume the role of a public stake holder?
A civil society assumes the role of public stake holder when its interests are undermined. The author gives an example of a group that plays football in a park. The group shall also be concerned about its maintenance. Otherwise, they will hold a campaign to influence their local politicians and residents. In this way, the civil society serves the interest of the people.
5. What impact is feared by the weakening state of civil society?
Civil society voice’s public opinion on range of issues. If citizens do not involve themselves in voluntary associations, then they will experience not only less trust but also less social connection. Civil society actors keep an eye on how state officials use their powers. In the absence of a watchdog, political institutions will not be able to perform effectively and efficiently.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2021
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
In its response to 9/11, America has shown itself to be not only a hyperpower but increasingly assertive and ready to use its dominance as a hyperpower. After declaring a War on Terrorism, America has led two conventional wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq, demonstrating its overwhelmingly awesome military might. But these campaigns reveal something more: America’s willingness to have recourse to arms as appropriate and legitimate means to secure its interests and bolster its security. It has set forth a new doctrine: the right of pre-emptive strike when it considers its security, and therefore its national interests, to be at risk. The essence of this doctrine is the real meaning of hyperpower.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has consistently argued that the only option in the face of hyperpower is to offer wise counsel. But increasingly this is a course that governments and people across the world have refused. The mobilisation for war against Iraq split the United Nations and provoked the largest anti-war demonstrations the world has ever seen. And through it all, America maintained its determination to wage war alone if necessary and not to be counselled by the concerns of supposedly allied governments when they faithfully represented the wishes of their electorates. Rather than engaging in debate, the American government expressed its exasperation. The influential new breed of neoconservative radio and television hosts went much further. They acted as ringmasters for outpourings of public scorn that saw French fries renamed ‘freedom fries’ and moves to boycott French and German produce across America. If one sound-bite can capture a mood, then perhaps it would be Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly. At the height of the tension over a second Security Council resolution to legitimate war in Iraq, Mr O’Reilly told his viewers that the bottom line was security, the security of his family, and in that matter ‘There’s no moral equivalence between the US and Belgium’. It is, in effect, the ethos of hyperpower articulated and made manifest in the public domain of 24-hour talk. And America’s willingness to prosecute war has raised innumerable questions about how it engages with other countries. Afghanistan has seen the removal of the Taliban. But there are no official statistics on the number of innocent civilians dead and injured to achieve that security objective. The people of Afghanistan have witnessed a descent into the chaos that preceded the arrival of the Taliban, a country administered not by a new era of democracy under the tutelage of the hyperpower, but merely by the return of the warlords. Beyond Kabul, much of the country remains too insecure for any meaningful efforts at reconstruction and there is enormous difficulty in bringing relief aid to the rural population.
1. Why does the doctrine of power set by neo-imperial America deny space to counselling?
The doctrine of power set by America refuses to consult allies and other nations before attacking any country because it believes it is justified to attack hostile nations as a pre-emptive measure to thwart possible acts of terrorism. The US attack on Iraq divided the United Nations and the US refused to listen to any advice or argument.
2. What is the essence of ‘moral equivalence’ whereas War has no moral justification?
Americans claim that they attack other countries because they feel there is a security threat from these states. How can the US feel insecure by the countries that are military too weak to challenge it? It is hard to find any moral justification for attacking weak countries.
3. Why do countries occupy and under the tutelage of hypepower have no peace?
There is chaos and disorder in the countries occupied under the tutelage of hyperpower because, in the absence of democracy, these countries are virtually controlled by warlords and terrorist groups. As in the case of Afghanistan, government control does not extend beyond Kabul.
4. Arguably Europe and hyperpower US are at cross purposes over the concept of war. Are they? Why?
They are at odds as the European countries want to launch any strike after the approval of the United Nations as it would give such an action a universal legitimacy. On the other hand, the US has followed a policy of “My way or the highway”.
5. What Tony Blair’s meant by ‘wise counsel’, and did it prevail?
Tony Blair offered a ‘wise council’ as a means to pacify the US as warmongering by the hyperpower would attract worldwide criticism and mammoth public protests as well.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2020
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Globalization is viewed by its proponents as a process of cementing economic, cultural and political bonds between peoples of different countries of the world. One may regard it as a process by which they are welded into a single-world society, to be termed as global society. It means internationalization of production and labour leading to the integration of economies of developing and developed countries into the global economy. To quote Rosaberth M. Kanter, “The world is becoming a global shopping mall in which ideas and products are available everywhere at the same time.” Globalization is a natural outcome of computer networking and electronic mass communication. Information technology has made it possible for nations of the world to contact one another beyond their national borders. Besides, globalization is also promoted through the growth and proliferation of multinational companies and corporations that operate as transporter networks. Anyhow the flow of capital technology and labour across the borders of countries has accentuated the process of globalization. Deregulation, liberalism and privatization being assiduously pursued in the developing countries are some other manifestations of globalization. These countries are opening their economies to follow these trends. The size of the public sector is shrinking for the private sector to assume an increasingly important role in the economic development of the Third World countries. The downsizing of the public sector is in line with the spirit of market economy. This is suggested as a measure to cover up their fiscal deficit.
1. Define globalization.
Globalization is the connection of different parts of the world resulting in the expansion of international cultural, economic and political activities. It is the movement and integration of goods and people among different countries.
2. What is electronic mass communication?
Electronic mass communication is the process of communicating with others using electronic means and information communication technology tools like email, social media newsgroups, chat rooms, video conferencing, instant messaging, phone and fax.
3. What does the term Third World denote?
The term “third world” donates underdeveloped and developing countries, especially from Asia and Africa. It encompassed all countries that were not actively aligned with either side in the Cold War and these were often impoverished former European colonies and included nearly all the nations of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia.
4. What is privatization?
The transfer of ownership, property or business from the government to the private sector is termed privatization. The government ceases to be the owner of the entity or business. It is a manifestation of today’s free market economy.
5. Explain ‘liberalism’ in the above context.
Liberalism, in the above context, is the opening up of countries to the trends of globalization. The notion of privatization and the free market are important ingredients of this ideology in the field of economy.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2019
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
When I returned to the common the sun was setting. The crowd about the pit had increased, and stood out black against the lemon yellow of the sky-a couple of hundred people, perhaps. There were raised voices, and some sort of struggle appeared to be going on about the pit. Strange imaginings passed through my mind. As I drew nearer I heard Stent’s voice: “Keep back! Keep back!” A boy came running towards me. “It’s movin’,” he said to me as he passed; “it’s screwin’ and screwin’ out. I don’t like it. I’m goin’ home, I am.” I went on to the crowd. There were really, I should think, two or three hundred people elbowing and jostling one another, the one or two ladies there being by no means the least active. “He’s fallen in the pit!” cried someone. “Keep back!” said several. The crowd swayed a little, and I elbowed my way through. Everyone seemed greatly excited. I heard a peculiar humming sound from the pit. “I say!” said Ogilvy. “Help keep these idiots back. We don’t know what’s in the confounded thing, you know!” I saw a young man, a shop assistant in Woking I believe he was, standing on the cylinder and trying to scramble out of the hole again. The crowd had pushed him in. The end of the cylinder was being screwed out from within. Nearly two feet of shining screw projected. Somebody blundered against me, and I narrowly missed being pitched onto the top of the screw. I turned, and as I did so the screw must have come out, for the lid of the cylinder fell upon the gravel with a ringing concussion. I stuck my elbow into the person behind me, and turned my head towards the Thing again. For a moment that circular cavity seemed perfectly black. I had the sunset in my eyes. I think everyone expected to see a man possibly something a little unlike us terrestrial men, but in all essentials a man. I know I did. But, looking, I presently saw something stirring within the shadow: greyish billowy movements, one above another, and then two luminous disks-like eyes. Then something resembling a little grey snake, about the thickness of a walking stick, coiled up out of the writhing middle and wriggled in the air towards me and then another. A sudden chill came over me. There was a loud shriek from a woman behind. I half turned, keeping my eyes fixed upon the cylinder still, from which other tentacles were now projecting, and began pushing my way back from the edge of the pit. I saw astonishment giving place to horror on the faces of the people around me. I heard inarticulate exclamations on all sides. There was a general movement backwards. I saw the shopman struggling still on the edge of the pit. I found myself alone and saw the people on the other side of the pit running off, Stent among them. I looked again at the cylinder and ungovernable terror gripped me. I stood petrified and staring. A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder. As it bulged up and caught the light, it glistened like wet leather. Two large dark-coloured eyes were regarding me steadfastly. The mass that framed them, the head of the thing, was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated convulsively. A lank tentacular appendage gripped the edge of the cylinder, and another swayed in the air. Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedge-like lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earthabove all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes-were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous. There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty. Even at this first encounter, this first glimpse, I was overcome with disgust and dread.
1. What leads us to believe that this passage is from a science fiction story?
The situation described in this passage is not real. It is the product of pure imagination. The ‘THING’ in it is not found in the real world. It is a strange creature with unusual and horrible features. All this shows that this passage is from a science fiction story.
2. How was the crowd behaving?
The crowd was intensely excited and curious to know what was there in the pit. The suspense was unbearable for the people around the pit. They were pushing each other to see into the pit.
3. Why did the mood of the crowd alter?
In the beginning, the people were excited and curious to see the “creature in the pit”. When they had the first glimpse of the “THING”, they were horrified because the thing was extremely repulsive, ugly and frightening. They feared that the thing might attack them. This changed their mood and they ran away from the pit.
4. What was the narrator’s initial reaction to the “Thing”?
The initial reaction of the narrator was that, seeing the pit and fearing the presence of some horrible creature in it, he was imagining strange things. Driven by curiosity, he pushed through the crowd to reach nearer the pit. On seeing the ugly face of the “Thing”, he too was horrified like the men who were running away from the pit. He, however, stood there alone.
5. Why did the writer feel disgusted?
The writer felt disgusted when he saw the creature, face because its features were extremely bizarre, odd, strange, ugly and horrifying.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2018
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
The third great defect of our civilization is that it does not know what to do with its knowledge. Science has given us powers fit for the gods, yet we use them like small children. For example, we do not know how to manage our machines. Machines were made to be man’s servants, yet he has grown so dependent on them that they are in a fair way to become his master. Already most men spend most of their lives looking after and waiting upon machines. And the machines are very stern masters. They must be fed with coal, and given petrol to drink, and oil to wash with, and they must be kept at the right temperature. And if they do not get their meals when they expect them, they grow sulky and refuse to work, or burst with rage, and blow up, and spread ruin and destruction all around them. So we have to wait upon them very attentively and do all that we can to keep them in a good temper. Already we find it difficult either to work or play without the machines, and a time may come when they will rule us altogether, just as we rule the animals. This brings me to the point at which I asked, “What do we do with all the time that the machines have saved for us and the new energy they have given us?” On the whole, it must be admitted, we do very little. For the most part, we use our time and energy to make more and better machines, but more and better machines will only give us still more time and still more energy, and what are we to do with them? The answer, I think, is that we should try to become merely civilized. For the machines themselves, and the power which the machines have given us, are not civilization but aids to civilization. But you will remember that we agreed at the beginning that being civilized meant making and linking beautiful things. Thinking freely, living rightly and maintaining justice equally between man and man. Man has a better chance today to do these things than he ever had before; he has more time, more energy, less to fear and less to fight against. If he will give his time and energy which his machines have won for him to make more beautiful things, to find out more and more about the universe, to remove the causes of quarrels between nations, to discover how to prevent poverty, then I think our civilization would undoubtedly be the greater, as it would be the most lasting that there has ever been.
1. Instead of making machines our servants the author says they have become our masters. In what sense has this come about?
Machines have become our masters because our dependence on them has grown to such an extent that many of us lead entire life in looking after and waiting upon them. We have to work hard first for buyingmachines and then for maintaining them.
2. The use of machines has brought us more leisure and more energy. But the author says that this has been a curse rather than a blessing. Why?
The author feels so because, in his opinion, machines have taken us away from civilization. And, he fears that a time may come when machines will rule us. Machines afford us spare time but we are using this time only for inventing more machines, and not for human welfare. So, it has become a curse rather than a blessing.
3. What exactly is the meaning of ‘civilization’? Do you agree with the author’s views?
The author has rightly pointed that civilization consist in making more beautiful things, finding out more and more about the universe, removing the causes of conflicts between nations and discovering ways to prevent poverty.
4. ‘Making more beautiful things’ – what does this expression mean? Make a list of the beautiful things that you would like to make and how you would make them.
It means making those things that may please the aesthetic sense of a person and provide him an opportunity to be closer to the nature, besides fulfilling his needs. Beautiful things include love, leisure,justice, equality and discovering the universe.
5. Mention some plans you may have to prevent poverty in the world. Who would receive your most particular attention, and why?
Poverty in the world can be prevented by employing more humans and fewer machines for work because employment of more human resource will enhance their incomes that will help in the reduction in poverty. We need to focus on the less privileged sections of the society and to take steps to include them in the mainstream life.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2017
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Education ought to teach us how to be in love and what to be in love with. The great things of history have been done by the great lovers, by the saints and men of science, and artists, and the problem of civilization is to give every man a chance of being a saint, a man of science, or an artist. But this problem cannot be attempted, much less solved, unless men desire to be saints, men of science, and artists. And if they are to desire that continuously and consciously they must be taught what it means to be there. We think of the man of science or the artist, if not of the saint, as a being with peculiar gifts, not as one who exercises, more precisely and incessantly perhaps, activities which we all ought to exercise. It is commonplace now that art has ebbed away out of our ordinary life, out of all the things which we use, and that it is practised no longer by workmen but only by a few painters and sculptors. That has happened because we no longer recognize the aesthetic activity of the spirit, so common to all men. We do not know that when a man makes anything he ought to make it beautiful for the sake of doing so, and that when a man buys anything he ought to demand beauty in it, for the sake of beauty. We think of beauty if we think of it at all as a mere source of pleasure, and therefore it means to us ornament, added to things for which we can pay extra as we choose. But beauty is not an ornament to life or the things made by man. It is an essential part of both. The aesthetic activity, when it reveals itself in things made by men, reveals itself in design, just as it reveals itself in the design of all natural things. It shapes objects as moral activity shapes actions, and we ought to recognize it in the objects and value it, as we recognize and value moral activity in actions. And as actions empty of moral activity are distasteful to us, so should objects that are empty of aesthetic activity. But this is not so with most of us. We do not value it; do not even recognize it, or the lack of it, in the work of others. The artist, of whatever kind, is a man so much aware of the beauty of the universe that he must impart the same beauty to whatever he makes. He has exercised his aesthetic activity in the discovery of the beauty in the universe before he exercises it in imparting beauty to that which he makes. He has seen things in that relation in his own work, whatever it may be. And just as he sees that relation for its own sake, so he produces it for its own sake and satisfies the desire of his spirit in doing so. And we should value his work; we should desire that relation in all things made by man, if we too have the habit of seeing that relation in the universe, and if we knew that, when we see it, we are exercising an activity of the spirit and satisfying a spiritual desire. And we should also know that work without beauty means unsatisfied spiritual desire in the worker; that it is waste of life and common evil and danger, like thought without truth, or action without righteousness.
1. What has been lamented in the text?
The author laments that element of beauty has been limited only to the works of artists and scientists, who are supposed to possess a rare sense for appreciation of beauty. Art has disappeared from the lives of ordinary people and workmen. It is unfortunate that common people and workmen are oblivious to fact that aesthetics is an essential part of life of every man, not just the prerogative of a few chosen people. The fact is that aesthetic activity is activity of the spirit, and sense to appreciate beauty is common to all human beings.
2. What is the difference between ordinary man and an artist?
Artists are great lovers of life and they value beauty as a principle of life. It is not that they are endowed with some exceptional quality; all human beings possess this capacity, but the difference is that artists use this ability with greater concentration and consistency. For the common man, beauty is only a supplementary factor, but an artist values beauty for the sake of beauty.
3. How can we make our lives beautiful and charming?
We can make our lives beautiful and charming by realizing the importance of aesthetic aspects of every activity of life. We must discover the principle of beauty in everything we do. It would add charm to life.
4. What does the writer actually mean when he says, “Beauty is not an ornament to life”?
By this expression, the writer wants to stress that beauty is not just a superficial decoration – a discretionary choice. The writer believes that beauty is an integral part of life. He thinks that the relationship between life and beauty is not optional but compulsory. It is not a mere decoration but the very essence of life.
5. Do art and beauty affect our practical life and morals? Justify whether you agree or disagree.
Art and aesthetic deeply influence our lives. These are not just a source of sensuous pleasure, they give us spiritual satisfaction. Discovery of relationship in all things, made by man or nature, is a spiritual activity. Life without beauty will be spiritually barren. Such work will be dangerous and immoral. It is interesting to note that in ancient Greek language, there was the same word for beauty and goodness. I tend to agree with John Keats who rightly said that beauty is truth and truth is beauty.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2016
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
The New Year is the time for resolution. Mentally, at least most of us could compile formidable lists of ‘do’s and ‘don’ts’. The same old favourites recur year in and year out with the children, do a thousand and one job about the house, be nice to people we don’t like, drive carefully, and take the dog for a walk every day. Experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment. If we remain deep-rooted liars, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure. Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out. We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolution to everybody so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad old ways. Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolution to myself. I limited myself to two modest ambitions, to do physical exercise every morning and to read more in the evening. An overnight party on New Year’s Eve provided me with a good excuse for not carrying out either of these new resolutions on the first day of the year, but on the second, I applied myself assiduously to the task. The daily exercise lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before anyone had got up. The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed eleven minutes earlier than usual was considerable. Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living room for two days before anyone found me out. After jumping about in the carpet and twisting the human frame into uncomfortable positions. I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted condition. It was this that betrayed me. The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance. That was unsettling but I fended off the taunts and jibes of the family good-humoredly and soon everybody got used to the idea. However, my enthusiasm waned, and the time I spent exercising gradually diminished. Little by little the eleven minutes fell to zero. By January 10th I was back to where I had started from. I argued that if I spent less time exhausting myself at exercises in the morning. I would keep my mind fresh by reading when I got home from work. Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book. One night, however, feeling cold and lonely, I went downstairs and sat in front of the television pretending to read. That proved to be my undoing, for I soon got back to the old bad habit of dozing off in front of the screen. I still haven’t given up my resolution to do more reading. In fact, I have just bought a book entitled ‘How to Read a Thousand Words a Minute’. Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just have not had time to read it.
1. Why most of us fail in our efforts for self-improvement?
Most of us fail in our efforts to self-improvemnt because our schemes are too ambitious and we never find time to carry them out.
2. Why is it a basic mistake to announce our resolution to everybody?
It is a mistake because if we dont accomplish our resolutions, we appear even more foolish in front of everybody.
3. Why did the writer not carry out his resolution on New Year’s Day?
He could not carry out his resolutions on New Year’s Day because he attended a late night New Year Party.
4. Find out the words in the above passage which convey the similar meaning to the following: (1) intimidating (2) peril (3) dwindle (4) repel (5) barb
1. Formidable 2. Pitfall 3. Diminish 4. Fend off 5. Jibe
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2015
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Experience has quite definitely shown that some reasons for holding a belief are much more likely to be justified by the event than others. It might naturally be supposed, for instance, that the best of all reasons for a belief was a strong conviction of certainty accompanying the belief. Experience, however, shows that this is not so and that as a matter of fact, conviction by itself is more likely to mislead than it is to guarantee truth. On the other hand, lack of assurance and persistent hesitation to come to any belief whatever are an equally poor guarantee that the few beliefs which are arrived at are sound. Experience also shows that assertion, however long continued, although it is unfortunately with many people an effective enough means of inducing belief, is not in any way a ground for holding it.
The method which has proved effective, as a matter of actual fact, in providing a firm foundation for belief wherever it has been capable of application, is what is usually called the scientific method. I firmly believe that the scientific method, although slow and never claiming to lead to complete truth, is the only method which in the long run will give satisfactory foundations for beliefs. It consists in demanding facts as the only basis for conclusions, and in consistently and continuously testing any conclusions which may have been reached, against the test of new facts and, wherever possible, by the crucial test of experiment. It consists also in full publication of the evidence on which conclusions are based, so that other workers may be assisted in new researchers, or enabled to develop their own interpretations and arrive at possibly very different conclusions.
There are, however, all sorts of occasions on which the scientific method is not applicable. That method involves slow testing, frequent suspension of judgment, restricted conclusions. The exigencies of everyday life, on the other hand, often make it necessary to act on a hasty balancing of admittedly incomplete evidence, to take immediate action, and to draw conclusions in advance of the evidence. It is also true that such action will always be necessary, and necessary in respect of ever larger issues; and this inspite of the fact that one of the most important trends of civilization is to remove sphere after sphere of life out of the domain of such intuitive judgment into the domain of rigid calculation based on science. It is here that belief plays its most important role. When we cannot be certain, we must proceed in part by faith—faith not only in the validity of our own capacity of making judgments, but also in the existence of certain other realities, pre-eminently moral and spiritual realities. It has been said that faith consists in acting always on the nobler hypothesis; and though this definition is a trifle rhetorical, it embodies a seed of real truth.
1. Give the meaning of the underlined phrases as they are used in the passage.
The underlined phrases’ meanings:
“Crucial test of experiment”: A decisive examination or assessment through practical experimentation.
“Full publication of the evidence”: Making all evidence supporting conclusions available for scrutiny by others.
2. What justification does the author claim for his belief in the scientific method?
The author claims that the scientific method, with its reliance on facts as the basis for conclusions and continuous testing against new evidence, is the most effective method for providing a firm foundation for beliefs wherever applicable.
3. Do you gather from the passage that conclusions reached by the scientific method should be considered final? Give reasons for your answer.
No, the author doesn’t suggest that conclusions reached by the scientific method should be considered final. The scientific method, while rigorous and evidence-based, doesn’t claim to lead to complete truth. It involves continuous testing against new evidence, implying that conclusions are subject to revision based on new information.
4. In what circumstances, according to the author, is it necessary to abandon the scientific method?
The author suggests abandoning the scientific method in circumstances of immediacy, where hasty decisions are necessary due to incomplete evidence. Additionally, in aspects of life where intuitive judgment is crucial or where immediate action is required, the scientific method might not be applicable.
5. How does the basis of “intuitive judgment” differ from that of scientific decision?
The basis of intuitive judgment relies on quick, incomplete evidence, and often requires immediate action. It’s based on rapid decision-making without the extensive testing and verification processes of the scientific method. This type of decision-making is necessary in situations where waiting for scientific validation is impractical or impossible.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2014
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
In the height of the Enlightenment, men influenced by the new political theories of the era launched two of the largest revolutions in history. These two conflicts, on two separate continents, were both initially successful in forming new forms of government. And yet, the two conflicts, though merely a decade apart, had radically different conclusions. How do two wars inspired by more or less the same ideals end up so completely different? Why was the American Revolution largely a success and the French Revolution largely a failure? Historians have pointed to myriad reasons—far too various to be listed here. However, the most frequently cited are worth mentioning. For one, the American Revolution was far removed from the Old World; that is, since it was on a different continent, other European nations did not attempt to interfere with it. However, in the French Revolution, there were immediate cries for war from neighboring nations. Early on, for instance, the ousted king attempted to flee to neighboring Austria and the army waiting there. The newly formed French Republic also warred with Belgium, and a conflict with Britain loomed. Thus, the French had the burden not only of winning a revolution but also defending it from outside. The Americans simply had to win a revolution.
Secondly, the American Revolution seemed to have a better chance for success from the get-go, due to the fact that Americans already saw themselves as something other than British subjects. Thus, there was already a uniquely American character, so, there was not as loud a cry to preserve the British way of life. In France, several thousands of people still supported the king, largely because the king was seen as an essential part of French life. And when the king was first ousted and then killed, some believed that character itself was corrupted. Remember, the Americans did not oust a king or kill him—they merely separated from him. Finally, there is a general agreement that the French were not as unified as the Americans, who, for the most part, put aside their political differences until after they had already formed a new nation. The French, despite their Tennis Court Oath, could not do so. Infighting led to inner turmoil, civil war, and eventually the Reign of Terror, in which political dissidents were executed in large numbers. Additionally, the French people themselves were not unified. The nation had so much stratification that it was impossible to unite all of them—the workers, the peasants, the middle-class, the nobles, the clergy—into one cause. And the attempts to do so under a new religion, the Divine Cult of Reason, certainly did not help. The Americans, remember, never attempted to change the society at large; rather, they merely attempted to change the government.
(1) Why and how did the Reign of Terror happen?
The Reign of Terror occurred due to internal turmoil and power struggles during the French Revolution. It was characterized by mass executions of perceived political enemies, driven by fears of counter-revolutionary threats and ideological divisions among revolutionaries.
(2) In what ways does the author suggest that the American Revolution was easier to complete than the French Revolution?
The author suggests that the American Revolution was easier to complete due to geographic isolation from major European powers, a pre-existing American identity, and a less entrenched support for British rule among the colonists.
(3) Of the challenges mentioned facing the French revolutionaries, which do you think had the greatest impact on their inability to complete a successful revolution? Why?
The challenges of internal divisions among factions, societal stratification, lack of unity among revolutionaries, and attempts at radical societal restructuring had the greatest impact on the French revolutionaries’ inability to complete a successful revolution. The internal conflicts and societal divisions hindered their ability to create a cohesive vision and implement lasting changes.
(4) Of the strengths mentioned aiding the American revolutionaries, which do you think had the greatest impact on their ability to complete a successful revolution? Why?
The unity among American revolutionaries, their pre-existing sense of identity separate from British rule, and the relatively focused goal of changing governance without societal restructuring had the greatest impact on their ability to complete a successful revolution. This unity and clear purpose facilitated cooperation and determination in achieving their specific objectives.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2013
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
The civilization of China – as everyone knows, is based upon the teaching of Confucius who flourished five hundred years before Christ. Like the Greeks and Romans, he did not think of human society as naturally progressive; on the contrary, he believed that in remote antiquity rulers had been wise and the people had been happy to a degree which the degenerate present could admire but hardly achieve. This, of course, was a delusion. But the practical result was that Confucius, like other teachers of antiquity, aimed at creating a stable society, maintaining a certain level of excellence, but not always striving after new successes. In this, he was more successful than any other man who ever lived. His personality has been stamped on Chinese Civilization from his day to our own. During his lifetime, the Chinese occupied only a small part of present-day China and were divided into a number of warring states. During the next three hundred years they established themselves throughout what is now China proper, and founded an empire exceeding in territory and population any other that existed until the last fifty years. In spite of barbarian invasions, and occasional longer or shorter periods of Chaos and Civil War, the Confucian system survived bringing with it art and literature and a civilised way of life. A system which has had this extra ordinary power of survival must have great merits, and certainly deserves our respect and consideration. It is not a religion, as we understand the word, because it is not associated with the super natural or with mystical beliefs. It is purely ethical system, but its ethics, unlike those of Christianity, are not too exalted for ordinary men to practise. In essence what Confucius teaches is something is very like the old-fashioned ideal of a ‘gentleman’ as it existed in the eighteenth century. One of his sayings will illustrate this: ‘The true gentleman is never contentious………he courteously salutes his opponents before taking up his position,……..so that even when competing he remains a true gentleman’.
(1) Why do you think the author calls Confucius’ belief about the progress of human society as a delusion?
The author refers to Confucius’ belief about the progress of human society as a delusion because it reflects an idealized view of the past. Confucius believed that in ancient times, rulers were wise, and people were happier, implying a regression from a perceived golden age. However, historical evidence often contradicts such idealized views, suggesting that the past might not have been as idyllic as envisioned.
(2) How did Confucius’ thought affect China to develop into a stable and ‘Proper’ China?
Confucius’ thoughts emphasized ethical conduct, social harmony, and a structured societal order based on filial piety, respect, and moral behavior. These teachings influenced Chinese society by fostering a sense of respect for authority, emphasizing education, and promoting social order and stability. As his philosophy gained traction, it contributed to the unification of China, bringing various warring states together and establishing a cohesive empire.
(3) Why does the author think that Confucian system deserves respect and admiration?
The author considers the Confucian system worthy of respect and admiration due to its enduring power to shape and maintain a stable society. Despite challenges like invasions and periods of chaos, the Confucian system survived and brought art, literature, and a civilized way of life to China. Its practical ethical principles, adaptability, and ability to resonate with ordinary individuals contribute to its deserving respect.
(4) Why does the author call Confucian system a purely ethical system and not a religion?
The author distinguishes the Confucian system as a purely ethical system rather than a religion because it doesn’t revolve around supernatural beliefs or mystical elements. It primarily focuses on ethical conduct, societal harmony, and moral principles applicable to everyday life, devoid of worship or rituals associated with traditional religions.
(5) Briefly argue whether you agree or disagree to Confucius’ ideal of a gentleman.
Confucius’ ideal of a gentleman emphasizes humility, respect, and courteous behavior even in disagreement or competition. While some may find this ideal honorable and practical in fostering harmony, others might argue that it could lead to passivity or a lack of assertiveness in certain situations. Ultimately, agreeing or disagreeing with Confucius’ ideal of a gentleman might depend on individual perspectives regarding the balance between humility and assertiveness in social interactions.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2012
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Human Beings feel afraid of death just as children feel afraid of darkness; and just as children’s fear of darkness is increased by the stories which they have heard about ghosts and thieves, human beings’ fear of death is increased by the stories which they have heard about the agony of the dying man. If a human being regards death as a kind of punishment for the sins he has committed and if he looks upon death as a means of making an entry into another world, he is certainly taking a religious and sacred view of death. But if a human being looks upon death as a law of nature and then feels afraid of it, his attitude is one of cowardice. However, even in religious meditation about death there is something a mixture of folly and superstition. Monks have written books in which they have described the painful experience which they underwent by inflicting physical tortures upon themselves as a form of self-purification. Such books may lead one to think that, if the pain of even a finger being squeezed or pressed is unbearable, the pains of death must be indescribably agonizing. Such books thus increase a Man’s fear of death.
Seneca, a Roman Philosopher, expressed the view that the circumstances and ceremonies of death frighten people more than death itself would do. A dying man is heard uttering groans; his body is seen undergoing convulsions; his face appears to be absolutely bloodless and pale; at his death his friends begin to weep and his relations put on mourning clothes; various rituals are performed. All these facts make death appear more horrible than it would be otherwise.
(1) What is the difference between human beings’ fear of death and children’s fear of darkness?
Human beings’ fear of death, as per Seneca, is influenced by stories about the agony of dying, much like how children fear darkness due to tales of ghosts and thieves. The fear of death stems from narratives about the pain and suffering associated with dying, just as children’s fear of darkness is heightened by scary stories.
(2) What is a religious and sacred view of death?
A religious and sacred view of death involves regarding it as a means of transitioning to another world or as a form of punishment for one’s sins. This perspective views death through a spiritual lens, attributing significance to the afterlife or as a divine consequence for actions.
(3) What are the painful experiences described by the Monks in their books?
Monks describe in their books the painful experiences they undergo through self-inflicted physical tortures as a means of self-purification. These descriptions depict intense suffering, potentially leading one to imagine that the pains of death are excruciating, thereby intensifying the fear of death.
(4) What are the views of Seneca about death?
Seneca’s views on death emphasize that the circumstances and ceremonies surrounding death, including the visible distress of a dying person, the mourning rituals, and the expressions of grief by friends and family, amplify the horror of death more than death itself would inherently evoke.
(5) What are the facts that make death appear more horrible than it would be otherwise?
The visible suffering of a dying individual—groans, convulsions, pale appearance—combined with the mourning rituals, expressions of grief by loved ones, and ceremonial aspects of death, collectively contribute to making death appear more terrifying and dreadful than it might naturally be perceived.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2011
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Knowledge is acquired when we succeed in fitting a new experience in the system of concepts based upon our old experiences. Understanding comes when we liberate ourselves from the old and so make possible a direct, unmediated contact with the new, the mystery, moment by moment, of our existence. The new is the given on every level of experience – given perceptions, given emotions and thoughts, given states of unstructured awareness, given relationships with things and persons. The old is our home-made system of ideas and word patterns. It is the stock of finished articles fabricated out of the given mystery by memory and analytical reasoning, by habit and automatic associations of accepted notions. Knowledge is primarily a knowledge of these finished articles. Understanding is primarily direct awareness of the raw material.
Knowledge is always in terms of concepts and can be passed on by means of words or other symbols. Understanding is not conceptual and therefore cannot be passed on. It is an immediate experience, and immediate experience can only be talked about (very inadequately), never shared. Nobody can actually feel another’s pain or grief, another’s love or joy, or hunger. And similarly no body can experience another’s understanding of a given event or situation. There can, of course, be knowledge of such an understanding, and this knowledge may be passed on in speech or writing, or by means of other symbols. Such communicable knowledge is useful as a reminder that there have been specific understandings in the past, and that understanding is at all times possible. But we must always remember that knowledge of understanding is not the same thing as the understanding which is the raw material of that knowledge. It is as different from understanding as the doctor’s prescription for pencitin is different from penicillin.
(i) How is knowledge different from understanding?
Knowledge involves organizing experiences into familiar concepts and ideas, which can be communicated and passed on, while understanding is a direct, unmediated contact with the raw, unstructured material of experience itself.
(ii) Explain why understanding cannot be passed on.
Understanding cannot be passed on because it’s an immediate experience that is beyond concepts and words. It’s a direct awareness of the raw material of experience that cannot be fully conveyed or shared with others.
(iii) Is the knowledge of understanding possible? If it is, how may it be passed on?
The knowledge of understanding is possible. It can be communicated indirectly through speech, writing, or symbols by describing past instances of understanding. However, it’s essential to recognize that this communicable knowledge is not the same as the direct understanding itself.
(iv) How does the author explain that knowledge of understanding is not the same thing as the understanding?
The author explains that knowledge of understanding is not the same as understanding by highlighting that while knowledge can be communicated through words or symbols, understanding is an immediate, unmediated experience that cannot be fully conveyed or shared.
(v) How far do you agree with the author in his definitions of knowledge and understanding? Give reasons for your answer.
I largely agree with the author’s definitions of knowledge and understanding. Knowledge involves organizing experiences into familiar concepts, while understanding is a direct contact with the raw material of experience. The distinction between knowledge as conceptual and understanding as immediate resonates with the idea that certain aspects of human experience transcend verbal or conceptual expression.
CSS – PRECIS AND COMPOSITION PAPER 2010
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
And still it moves. The words of Galileo, murmured when the tortures of the Inquisition had driven him to recant the Truth he knew, apply in a new way to our world today. Sometimes, in the knowledge of all that has been discovered, all that has been done to make life on the planet happier and more worthy, we may be tempted to settle down to enjoy our heritage. That would, indeed, be the betrayal of our trust. These men and women of the past have given everything — comfort, time, treasure, peace of mind and body, life itself — that we might live as we do. The challenge to each one of us is to carry on their work for the sake of future generations. The adventurous human mind must not falter. Still must we question the old truths and work for the new ones. Still must we risk scorn, cynicism, neglect, loneliness, poverty, persecution, if need be. We must shut our ears to the easy voice which tells us that ‘human nature will never alter’ as an excuse for doing nothing to make life more worthy. Thus will the course of the history of mankind go onward, and the world we know move into a new splendour for those who are yet to be.
(i) What made Galileo recant the Truth he knew?
Galileo recanted the truth he knew due to the severe pressure and threat of torture from the Inquisition, which sought to suppress his scientific findings that contradicted the prevailing beliefs of the time.
(ii) What is the heritage being alluded to in the first paragraph?
The heritage referred to in the first paragraph is the accumulated knowledge, progress, and sacrifices made by past generations to improve life on Earth.
(iii) What does the ‘betrayal of our trust’ imply?
The “betrayal of our trust” implies squandering the sacrifices and advancements made by previous generations by simply enjoying the benefits without contributing to further progress or improvement.
(iv) Why do we need to question the old truths and work for the new ones?
Questioning old truths and pursuing new ones is crucial to continue advancing and evolving as a society. Stagnation occurs if we simply accept established beliefs without challenging or seeking new knowledge.
(v) Explain the words or expressions as highlighted/underlined in the passage.
The highlighted expressions emphasize the necessity of enduring challenges like scorn, cynicism, neglect, loneliness, poverty, or persecution in the pursuit of progress, refusing to accept the status quo or complacency. These hardships are depicted as potential obstacles one must be willing to face in the quest for a better future.