CTET -1 Mini Mock Test 2023 : 56

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the following questions:

Relatively few women make it into the history books, and even fewer do so for being a leader in their own right. Kudos, then, to Boudica -that terrifying, kick-ass, carrot-top queen who in AD 60 or 61 almost drove the Romans out of Britain. At least, that’s the version of history that the Romans would have us believe.

According to their written accounts, Boudica’s vast army of barbarians -the Iceni tribe of what’s now largely Norfolk rose up against their foreign overloads, destroying the three most important towns of the new Roman province of Britannia: Camulodunum (Colchester, the Roman capital), Londinium (London, their trading center) and Verulamium (St. Albans), a key pro-Roman settlement. It was only in a final pitched battle that Boudica’s army was ultimately defeated by the strategic military brilliance of the Romans. Although the site of that battle has never been located, archaeologists have found supporting evidence for the Boudica story, including thick burnt layers in the soil of the three towns.

Boudica’s uprising profoundly shocked the Romans, who hated the idea of women rulers. Tales of the eventual downfall of such female leaders comprised an important cultural message, warning: “Don’t mess with the (male) establishment”! So, Queen Boudica was either ignored or vilified in the west for the next 1,500 years. But when Elizabeth I needed to shore up her right to rule and to go to war she turned to Boudica as a role model, just as Queen Victoria and Margaret Thatcher did in the centuries to follow.

The image of this ‘Warrior Queen’ has been used to threaten, to inspire, and to shore up Britain’s identity as an imperial power. She is portrayed as protecting its citizens like a loving mother -a mother who would fight for liberty, bringer of both life and death. Her story has been continually recast over the past 2,000 years to suit changing political and social agendas but, whether viewed as a ‘treacherous lioness’ or ‘Braveheart in a bra’, Boudica remains one of our most beguiling historical figures.

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the most appropriate option.
Africa was once filled with an abundance of wild animals. But that is changing fast. One of these animals, the black rhinoceros, lives on the plains of Africa. It has very poor eyesight and a very bad temper ! Even though the black rhino is powerful, and can be dangerous, its strength can’t always help it to escape hunters. Some people think that the rhino’s horn has magical powers, and many hunters kill rhinos for their valuable horns. This has caused the black rhino to be placed on the endangered species list.
The elephant seems to represent all that is strong and wild in Africa. It once had no natural enemies, but is
now endangered - killed for its ivory tusks. Wherever people are car less about the land, there are endangered species.
Grizzly bears like to wander great distances. Each bear needs upto 1,500 square miles of territory to call its homeland. Today, because forests have been cleared to make room for people, the grizzly's habitat is shrinking and the grizzly is disappearing. It joins other endangered North American animals, such as the red wolf and the American crocodile.
In South America, destruction of the rain forests threatens many animals. Unusual mammals, such as the howler monkey and the three-toed sloth, are endangered. Beautiful birds like the great green macaw and the golden parakeet are also becoming extinct. They're losing their homes in the rain forest, and thousands die when they are caught and shipped off to be sold as exotic pets.
The giant panda of Asia is a fascinating and unique animal. Yet there are only about 1,000 still living in the wild. The giant panda’s diet consist mainly of the bamboo plant, so when the bamboo forests die, so does the panda. China is now making an effort to protect these special creatures from becoming extinct. Unfortunately, it is people who cause many of the problems that animals face. We alter and pollute their habitats. We hunt them for skins, tusks, furs, and horns. We destroy animals that get in the way of farming or building. And we remove them from their natural habitats and take them home as pets.
(Extract from Gone Forever by Barbara Reeves, internet)

निर्देश: नीचे दिए गए गद्यांश को पढ़कर पूछे गए प्रश्न का सही/सबसे उचित उत्तर वाले विकल्प को चुनिए।
माँ तुम्हारा ॠण बहुत है मैं अंकिचन
किंतु फिर भी कर रहा इतना निवेदन
थाल में लाऊँ सजाकर भाल जब भी
कर दया स्वीकार लेना वह समर्पण
माँ मुझे बलिदान का वरदान दे दो
तोड़ता हूँ मोह का बंधन क्षमा दो
आज सीधे हाथ में तलवार दे दो  
और बाएँ हाथ में ध्वज को थमा दो।
सुमन अर्पित चमन अर्पित
नीड़ का कण-कण समर्पित
चाहता हूँ, देश की धरती, तुझे कुछ और भी दूँ।

निर्देश:गद्यांश को पढ़कर निम्नलिखित प्रश्नों  के सबसे उचित उत्तर  विकल्प से चुनिए ।

प्रकृति और व्यक्ति के संबंधों में विकार आ रहा है। व्यक्ति प्रकृति से दूर हो गया है।जनसंख्या-विस्फ्फोट से तथा प्रदूषण के कुप्रभाव से प्रकृति की शोभा पर संकट के बादल मंडराने लगे हैं। ऐसी विपरीत स्थिति में भी प्रकृति का सौंदर्य वसंत के आगमन पर खिल उठता है। विस्मय होता है कि आजकल लोगों को वसंत के आगमन का भी आभास नहीं होता। पुष्प वाटिकाओं में रंग-बिरंगे फूलों की चटख और महक से वासंती पवन झूम उठता है। पुष्प पंखुड़ियों पर तितलियों के नृत्य मन मोह लेते हैं। भ्रमरों का मधुर गुंजन आनंद की वृष्टि करता है। ऋतुराज के स्वागत में आम की डाल पर कोकिला भी मधुर तानें छेड़ती है। मोरनियों के झुंड से घिरा मोर मस्ती में नाचता है। प्रकृति की यह छटा लोगों को नसीब नहीं होती क्योंकि उनके मन में प्रकृति-प्रेम शेष नहीं रहा। व्यक्ति प्रकृति-प्रेम के अभाव में मानसिक दबावों में जी रहा है। अतः वसंत के आगमन पर प्रत्येक व्यक्ति के मन में उसका स्वागत करने की भावना जागनी चाहिए।

निर्देशः - निम्नलिखिता गद्यांशं पठित्वा तदाधारितप्रशनानां उत्तराणि लिखत ।

"अनुपयोगीपदार्थै:  स्वकल्पानानुसारं कीदृशानि क्रीडनकानि निरुप्याणि, कथं च तेषाम् उपयोगेन आनन्दानुभूतिः विधेयाइत्येतदर्थं बाल्यावस्थायाम् अहं स्वच्छन्द आसम्। वस्तुतः मदीयानन्दव्यापारे मम सर्वेषां क्रीडामित्राणां पुर्णरुपेण सहभागिता प्रावर्तत। क्रीडात: या आनन्दानुभूतिः विधीयते स्म,  तत्र मे सुह्रदः एव हेतुभुताः आमन् - इति तु निश्चप्रचनम् एवं समतिक्रामत्सु केषुचन दिवसेषु दाचन अस्माकं बाल्यावस्थाजन्यस्वर्गे वयस्कजगतः प्रलोभनमेकं प्राविशत् । अस्माकं सहचरेष्वेकः आंग्लक्रीडनकमेकं प्राप्नोत्, यद्धि परिपूर्णम् अतीवाशचर्यकारि जीवितवस्तुवद् आसीत। तत्क्रीडनकसंधारणस्य अहम्भावेन दृप्तः स शीघ्रमेव क्रीडाः प्रति किंचिद् उपेक्षापुर्णम् इव संवृतः । सः तत्क्रीडनकम् अस्मत्तः दूरीकर्तुं प्रयासरतोऽभूत । अनयोपलब्धना विकत्थनशीलः आत्मानं श्रेष्ठं मन्यमाना: असौ इतरेभ्यो मित्रेभ्यः पृथगिव संवृत्तः। अहं विश्वसिमि यद्यसौ आधुनिकीम् ऐतिहासिकीं भाषा प्रयुञ्येत नूनं स कथयेत् यदहं सर्वेषु सभ्यतमोऽस्मि ।तत्क्रीडनं प्रतितदीयोऽनुरागः एतावन्मात्रं प्रवृद्धः यदसौ एतत् परिवोध्धुम् अपि अशक्तः अभुत् यत्तस्य कृते तत्क्रीडनक- प्रलोभनापेक्षया ततः अपि अधिकमहत्वपुर्णा या बाल्यानुभूतिः अस्ति, सा धूमाकुलेव जायते। एतत्क्रीडनकं तु केवलं तस्य अर्थशक्तिमेव द्योतयति स्म, न तु बाल्यावस्थां, स्वभाविक सर्जनात्मकप्रवृत्ति,  च चापि नैसर्गिकक्रीडनन्दं वा। स तु सर्वदा केवलं तानेव सुह्रदः निमन्त्रयितुं सन्नद्ध आसीत,  ये तस्य क्रीडाजगति असौ एव आनन्दानुभव - भाव-परिपूर्णा: अवर्तन्त।"

निर्देश: अधोलिखितं गद्यांशम् आधारीकृत्य प्रश्ना: समाधेयाः -

प्रतापस्य राज्यकाले 'अकबर' इति नामकः मुगलशासकः आसीत् । अकबरस्य सेनया सह प्रतापस्य अनेकवारं युद्धम् अभवत् । मुख्ययुद्धं हल्दीघाटीस्थाने अभवत् ,अत एव एतत् 'हल्दीघाटीयुद्धम्' इति नाम्ना प्रसिद्धमस्ति।अस्मिन् युद्धे प्रतापः 'चेतक' इति नामके अश्वे आरुह्य बहुशोर्यं प्रदर्शितवान्। प्रतापस्य सेना पर्वतीय युद्धेषु कुशला आसीत्।अतएव मुगलसेनायाः अतिक्षतिः जाता। मुग़लसेना स्थानीयजनानां विरोधकारणेन परावर्तिता। अस्मिन् युद्धे प्रतापस्य राज्येsपि जनक्षतिः, धनक्षतिश्च संजाता। तस्य सेनाSपि धनाभावे विघटिता। परं प्रतापः कदापि पराजयं न स्वीकृतवान्। अरण्यगुहाप्रदेशेषु उषित्वा स्वसंकल्पसिद्धये सैन्यसंग्रहणम् उपाक्रमत। सैन्य संग्रहणं तात्प्रशिक्षणं च बहुवित्तसाध्यं कार्यम्।

महता दारिद्र्येण परितप्यमानस्य प्रतापस्य इदमेव बहुचिन्ताकारणमासीत्। प्रतापस्य चिन्तां विभाव्य 'भामाशाह' नामा कश्चिद् श्रेष्ठी किमपि महत्कार्यं कर्तुं कालः समायातः इति भावितवान्। स प्रतापं निकषा गत्वा उवाच - "प्रभो!अहं भवद्वंशस्य सेवकः, मम हस्ते प्रभूतं धनं विद्यते। तेन भवान् पञ्चविंशतिसहस्त्रसैनिकान् द्वादशवर्षपर्यन्तं पालयितुं प्रभविष्यति" इति। देश रक्षार्थं मया अर्जितमिदं धनं यदि सहायकं भवेत् तर्हि मम जीवनं सार्थकं भविष्यति । भामाशाहस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रतापस्य मनः असीमसान्त्वनाम् आप्तवान्।