Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow…
2021
Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct / most appropriate options.
The goal of independence was achieved in India through a prolonged struggle, during which, the far-sightedness of the leaders of the freedom movement resulted in giving a final shape to our social and economic goals to be achieved after freedom. This vision imagined to build a self-reliant nation through maximum utilization of the resources in men and materials, and the establishment of a noble and liberal society. It has been an article of faith amongst the policy planners in India that while economic strength determined the scope and quality of political freedom for millions, the quality of freedom depends on increased work and production in factories. It leads to just and equal distribution of wealth among the people so that the poor can also enjoy the benefit of freedom. This, it is recognized, is possible only through increased employment opportunities in the society.
In human terms, democracy means availability of equal opportunities to all the people irrespective of caste, creed, sex and religion to develop their personalities. It means access to education in Arts, Science and Humanities and also awareness of our age old values and traditions. It needs to be emphasized that the Indian policy has been based on a concern for the individual not only as a worker working for the economic development of the society but also as an end in itself.
In the Indian context, the concept of national development goes far beyond economic growth; it is concerned with the creation of a nation united in one purpose, of people speaking different languages, professing different religions and rooted in a variety of cultures.
'while economic strength determined the scope'
The word 'determined' means
- A.
established
- B.
decried
- C.
preferred
- D.
rejected
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept: In a contextual-vocabulary question, a word's meaning must be derived from its function in the surrounding sentence, not from an isolated dictionary sense picked at random. The verb 'determine' commonly carries the sense 'to fix, settle, or establish decisively' when it describes one factor governing or limiting another.
Application: In the passage, the clause 'economic strength determined the scope and quality of political freedom for millions' describes economic strength as the factor that fixed or set the extent of political freedom available to people. Among the four options, only 'established' carries this same 'fixed or settled conclusively' sense, so it is the correct synonym here.
Cross-check: Substituting 'established' back into the sentence — 'economic strength established the scope of political freedom' — preserves the original meaning that economic strength was the factor that fixed the boundary of freedom.
'decried' means criticized — an unrelated evaluative sense, not a fixing/deciding sense.
'preferred' means liked better — a choice sense, not a fixing/deciding sense.
'rejected' means refused — a dismissal sense, the opposite of fixing/deciding something.
None of these three substitutions preserve the sentence's original sense, confirming 'established' as the correct synonym.