COMPREHENSION TEST
Consider the following two cases. The first one had 108. The mother in the second case cannot be called a
happened in a village in Madurai District. One Gopal Yadhav, criminal because she
a hard-core criminal undergoing life sentence in the Madurai (1) rushed her children to the hospital.
Prison came out on bail for two days to perform the last (2) mixed an ineffective poison in the food.
rites of his mother. But he was rearrested on the same (3) was able to save three out of four children.
evening on the charges of murdering his neighbour’s son to (4) was deserted by her husband.
settle old scores.
109.The writer argues that punishments for people like
The second case too came to Madurai Court recently. the woman in the second case are not necessary
Deserted by her husband a drunkard, his grief-stricken
because they
wife mixed rat poison in the food and gave it to her four
(1) don’t commit crimes frequently.
1 (2) are less dangerous than other criminals.
children aged between 1 and 9 years. Before she could
2 (3) represent poor society.
swallow the same food she was unable to bear the pitiable (4) should not be clubbed with other criminals.
sight of her children writhing in pain. She rushed them to 110.The main difference between the two cases is
hospital where she disclosed everything. She was able to
(1) the first is about a man and the other is about a
save the lives of the first three children, but the law of the
woman.
country awarded her two years imprisonment (later com-
(2) the woman regrets what she has done, but not
muted to one year) on the charges of plotting to kill her
the man.
children. Would you say women like her are a danger to the
society ? Would you call them criminals ? It is high time (3) the man is a lifer but the woman is not.
that we found other ways of registering our disapproval of (4) the man and the woman belong to different com-
wrong doing. To imprison the bad is expedient – when munities.
they are dangerous. To imprison the mad and the merely PASSAGE–II
sad, as we do, is not only unnecessary, it is uncivilised. The United Nations Fourth World Women ’s Confer-
SOME IMPORTANT WORDS ence had a colourful start at Beijing on September 4th. This
is the century’s most crucial conference which aimed at
settle old scores : to hurt/punishsomebody/who has
changing the status quo of women’s lives characterised by
harmed/cheated you in the past.
inequality.
writhing : suffering a lot.
In a preliminary session, Ms. Aung Suu Kyi, the Nobel
expedient : an action that is useful/necessary for a
Peace Prize winner said that expanding women’s power will
particular purpose, but not always fair or
bring greater peace and tolerance to the world.
right.
“It is not the prerogative of men alone to bring light to
lifer : a person who has been sent to prison for
this world. Women with their capacity for compassion and
whole life.
self-sacrifice, with their courage and perseverance have
hard-core : stubbornly resistant to change/improve-
done much to dissipate the darkness of intolerance and
ment hate”, said Ms. Suu Kyi.
bail : security - release from prison by payment In the afternoon session Ms. Ayako Yamaguchi, a Japa-
of money nese delegate, launched a petition against beauty pageants.
last rites : a ceremony at which a dead person is “What right do men have to evaluate women in a few min-
buried utes ? All women are beautiful. Beauty is something differ-
deserted : left by a person ; abandoned ent for everyone”, Ms. Ayako Yamaguchi said.
grief-stricken : feeling extremely sad because of some- “Beauty contests are used as trade and exploitation.
The training is very vigorous, but it is the organisers, not
thing that has happened
the women, who get the full benefit”, said Ms. Ranjana
pitiable : deserving pity/causing you to feel pity Bhargava. “After the competition, the women become trapped
commuted : to replace one punishment with another and the abuse and the bad things begin. The women are
that is less severe tainted, no one else will accept them”.
106. The writer says The Law is an ass because SOME IMPORTANT WORDS
(1) it is as patient as an ass. crucial : extremely important, because it will
(2) it does not punish the criminals severely. affect other things
(3) punishments do not help to reform criminals. status quo : the situation as it is now/as it was
(4) criminals can escape punishment. before a recent change
107. Gopal Yadhav came out on bail preliminary : happening before a more important
(1) in order to murder his enemy. action/event
(2) to cremate his mother. intolerance : the fact of not being willing to accept
(3) so that he could be rearrested. ideas that are different from your own
(4) to see his four children under- going treatment launched : to start an activity
in the hospital.
SEE–916