Passage 3
Farid, the shoemaker, was annoyed that his helper, Shoab, was so insensitive to his reverie that he wouldn’t for a minute cease his fanatic pounding at the other bench. He gave him a look, but Shoab’s bald head was bent over the last as he worked, and he didn’t notice. The shoemaker shrugged and continued to peer through the partly frosted window at the nearsighted haze of falling February snow. Neither the shifting white blur outside, nor the sudden deep remembrance of the snowy Kashmiri village where he had wasted his youth, could turn his thoughts from Momin the college boy (a constant visitor in the mind since early that morning when Farid saw him trudging through the snowdrifts on his way to school), whom he so much respected because of the sacrifices he had made throughout the years—in winter or direst heat—to further his education. An old wish returned to haunt the shoemaker: that he had had a son instead of a daughter, but this blew away in the snow, for Farid, if anything, was a practical man. Yet, he could not help but contrast the diligence of the boy, who was a peddler’s son, with Mehrun’s unconcern for education. True, she was always with a book in her hand, yet when the opportunity arose for a college education, she had said no. She would rather find a job. He had begged her to go, pointing out how many fathers could not afford to send their children to college, but she said she wanted to be independent. As for education, what was it, she asked, but books, which Shoab, who diligently read the classics, would as usual advise her on. Her answer greatly grieved her father.
A figure emerged from the snow and the door opened. At the counter, the man withdrew, from a wet paper bag, a pair of battered shoes for repair. Who he was the shoemaker for a moment had no idea, then his heart trembled as he realized, before he had thoroughly discerned the face, that Momin himself was standing there, embarrassedly explaining what he wanted to be done to his old shoes. Though Farid listened eagerly, he couldn’t hear a word, for the opportunity that had burst upon him was deafening.
He couldn’t exactly recall when the thought had occurred to him, because it was clear he had more than once considered suggesting to the boy that he go out with Mehrun. But he had not dared speak, for if Momin said no, how would he face him again? Or suppose Mehrun, who harped so often on independence, blew up in anger and shouted at him for his meddling ? Still, the chance was too good to let by : all it meant was an introduction. They might long ago have become friends had they happened to meet somewhere, therefore was it not his duty—an obligation—to bring them together, nothing more, a harmless connivance to replace an accidental encounter in the subway, let’s say, or a mutual friend’s introduction in the street ? Just let him once see and talk to her and he would for sure be interested. As for Mehrun, what possible harm for a working girl in an office, who met only loudmouthed salesmen and illiterate shipping clerks, to make the acquaintance of a fine scholarly boy ? May be he would awaken in her a desire to go to college; if not—the shoemaker’s mind at last came to grips with the truth—let her marry an educated man and live a better life.
1 . Why was Farid so keen that Mehrun should go for college education ?
(1) He was aware that education brings prosperity and refinement in a person.
(2) He was influenced by Momin’s perseverance and sacrifices for securing college education.
(3) He could not continue his education on account of extreme poverty and had to dropout of college.
(4) He realised that he could work in partnership with Mehrun, thereby expanding his business.
2 . Mehrun was against the pursuit of higher education because of :
(1) it being irrelevant to her aims and objectives in life.
(2) her awareness that life had plenty to teach and that college education was unwarranted.
(3) her influence of the thinking of the ‘peer group’ who saw the uselessness of education for girls, for whom marriage was the ultimate destiny.
(4) her father’s economic condition, knowing fully well that she would not be in a position to finish her studies and would dropout in the middle.
3 . As per the passage, which of the following is false ?
(1) Farid secretly wanted Mehrun to be friendly with Momin, who he considered to be a scholar.
(2) Mehrun’s lack of concern for education was a matter of concern for Farid.
(3) Farid did not think highly of salesmen and shipping clerks.
(4) Farid had become a shoemaker by chance.
4 . Momin, as made out by the passage, was :
(1) grateful to Farid for having encouraged him to study further.
(2) charmed by Farid’s daughter, whom he wanted to marry.
(3) not economically prosperous.
(4) always advising Mehrun to pay more emphasis on education than on vocation.
5 . The passage is about :
(1) the social conditions prevailing around the times that Farid lived.
(2) the urge for the youth to make their presence left.
(3) the importance and value given to education by a person no less than a shoemaker.
(4) the right and the desire of an individual to rebel and retaliate against imposition, even if they be from a father.
6 . The style adopted by the author is :
(1) didactic
(2) descriptive
(3) interrogative
(4) rhetoric
7. A suitable title suggested for the passage could be :
(1) Aspirations Of A Shoemaker.
(2) The Need To Be Wealthy.
(3) The Irrelevance Of Education.
(4) Right To Seek A Profession.
8 . The shoemaker, as per the passage, desired and wished that :
(1) what he had lost in education be made good in wealth.
(2) his daughter tread the scholarly path of life, be it through acquaintance or marriage.
(3) his social level rise and he be treated with honour and esteem by one and all.
(4) None of the above.
9 . The passage is most likely an adaptation from:
(1) a story popular among the village folk with a message and a moral behind it.
(2) the life and achievements of Farid, who was Prime Minister of Turkey.
(3) the epic of Dogri culture, whose Knowledge was a must for the natives of the land.
(4) an episode of a famous TV serial in Punjabi language.
Note :
Reading Comprehension asked under English section in CLAT can be assumed to be an easy and ‘ not to be left ‘ section (Easy because all the answers are contained in the passage itself). It all depends on your ability to read a particular passage in a given time ( usually 5-7 minutes ) and then answer the questions based on the passage.Those who have been scoring low in Reading Comprehension, it’s never too late. Become a voracious reader. Read anything (particularly standard newspapers ) that your hands can lay on and then see the difference in your performance (Time management is also a must in this case. )
All The Best !
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