Read the given passage and answer the six questions that follow.
When I was in my late teens and still undecided about which language I should write in, he told me that the language one is born into, one’s mother tongue, can be the only possible medium of creative expression. For most of his life, my father, Sripat Rai, had been a Hindi editor and critic. Off and on, he translated writings into English from Hindi. He was fond of saying that a failed writer becomes a critic. The weight of his literary expectation came, eventually, to rest on me. He seemed happy that I was showing an inclination for writing. ‘‘She will go far,’’ he told my mother after reading the first story that I sent him from Melbourne. My father’s pronouncement on the mother tongue stayed with me when I later started writing fiction in Hindi. Another thing that I barely acknowledged even to myself was that I felt something like shame whenever I thought of writing in English. It seemed wrong for a granddaughter of Premchand even to be thinking so. Our family had a certain linguistic pride. I knew that Premchand was famous, but I had not at that time realised the extent of his popularity. The fact that I was the granddaughter of Premchand, followed me everywhere. Everyone had a story to tell about their personal engagement with his fiction — the shopkeeper, the long time cook in my father’s Delhi house, a tea vendor, etc. The list was long, for there was practically no one who had not read something by him that had moved them. However, it was this very ubiquity, the reverence and love that he inspired in people, that made of him something too large for me to comprehend in the early years of my life. It led also to the strange feeling that, without having read him and just by being related to him, I had somehow inhaled his writing. The reading happened much later.
The author was raised with the anticipation of pursuing creative writing. This inference is supported by the text detailing her inclination towards writing and her father's satisfaction with her literary pursuits. The passage highlights her family's literary heritage and their expectations, particularly through mentions of her father and grandfather, underscoring a significant expectation for her to engage in creative writing.
The father's statement, "She will go far," signifies his conviction that the narrator would achieve considerable success or attain significant accomplishments. This understanding is supported by the context of the father expressing pride and approval upon reading his daughter's initial story. The idiom "go far" metaphorically indicates reaching elevated levels of achievement or notable success.
Therefore, the accurate interpretation is: she will achieve great heights in life.
To identify the inaccurate statement concerning the passage, a detailed examination of the provided text and its comparison with each option is necessary:
Based on the analysis, the statement that is not true with respect to the passage is: Her family was chauvinistic about the English language.
To understand why Premchand became incomprehensible, an analysis of the provided comprehension passage is necessary. The passage details the author's personal reflections on Premchand, a celebrated writer. Key points from the passage are:
Based on these points, the primary reasons for Premchand's perceived incomprehensibility are:
Comparing these findings with the provided options:
These reasons correspond to options (A) and (C). Therefore, the correct answer is: (A) and (C) only.
The phrase "inhaled his writing" signifies an automatic and instinctual process. The author states that despite not initially reading Premchand's works, they perceived an absorption of his style solely due to their familial connection. This suggests an unconscious assimilation of his literary approach. Of the given choices, "imbibing his style subconsciously" best reflects this idea.
Consequently, the accurate selection is "imbibing his style subconsciously".
The term "Ubiquity" signifies widespread presence. Within the passage, it denotes the extensive admiration and affection Premchand garnered, such that "practically no one had not read something by him that had moved them." This broad influence and pervasiveness in people's lives corresponds to the definition of "Omnipresence," making it the accurate selection.
Therefore, in the context of this passage, "Ubiquity" correctly translates to "Omnipresence."