Education gives us knowledge and a set of abilities to function meaningfully in life, such as the ability to decide things rationally and make the right choices. As we learn how to read, write and do the basic operations of arithmetic, we gain a degree of self-confidence. We learn to think for ourselves and articulate our thoughts; we pick up skills to communicate with others and manage our affairs well. Education helps us think independently and make our own opinions. As we know more about the world, we appreciate the good things it offers us but also become critical of the deviations from the values it imparts and the rise of hatred or conflict that follows.
The first thing education does is to give us an awareness about ourselves which leads to the development of our personality. As we begin school, we feel the need to belong to the class and make friends. We then expand our sense of belonging to include the school at large, our community and finally our country. Education thus prepares every child to become an active member of the community and work for its welfare.
Education, it is believed, releases our potentials and our inner strengths. It sharpens our intellect and develops our creativity. As we are taught to reason well and find solutions to the problems of life, we become productive members of society. Education by definition is progressive and liberal, teaching us to respect human diversity and cultural and religious differences. If all of us practise these values in life, the world becomes a much happier place.
Choose the best answer from alternatives.
(a) The function of education is-
(i) to enable us to earn a lot (ii) to enrich our knowledge (iii) to make our life meaningful (iv) to give us knowledge and capabilities needed to judge things rationally
(b) Education provides us with the qualities-
(i) to make our life meaningful by taking wise decisions in the course of it (ii) to make us thoughtful (iii) to be sociable and fashionable (iv) to occupy a powerful position in society
(c) 'To decide things rationally' means-
(i) to judge things reasonably and take wise decisions (ii) to take rational attitude to our social and national life (iii) to develop good debating power (iv) to judge things independently
(d) The best synonym of the word 'conflict' is-
(i) harmony (ii) struggle (iii) peace (iv) discord
(e) The word 'intellect' stands for-
(i) knowledge (ii) cleverness (iii) intelligence (iv) sense
(f) Why is education necessary?
(i) It makes us respectable in society (ii) It makes us strong in our judgment (iii) It makes us fashionable (iv) It enables us to get good jobs
(g) What is the purpose of the author of this passage?
(i) to put up the functions of education in our life (ii) to show how to be educated (iii) to show the positive and negative aspects of education (iv) to show how nature can be our teacher and philosopher
(h) Education enables us ______.
(i) to communicate with others in English (ii) to work for the development of our family (iii) to enjoy the beautiful things on earth (iv) to take decisions independently
(i) Education gives us ability to distinguish ______.
(i) between good and evil (ii) beauty and bounties of nature (iii) friends and foes (iv) love and hatred
(j) The world can become a happier abode ______.
(i) if we stick to the philosophy of education (ii) if we sharpen our intellect (iii) if we love people irrespective of cultural differences (iv) if we take nature as our teacher and guide
(a) (iv) to give us knowledge and capabilities needed to judge things rationally
(b) (i) to make our life meaningful by taking wise decisions in the course of it
(c) (i) to judge things reasonably and take wise decisions
(d) (iv) discord
(e) (iii) intelligence
(f) (ii) It makes us strong in our judgment
(g) (i) to put up the functions of education in our life
(h) (iv) to take decisions independently
(i) (i) between good and evil
(j) (iii) if we love people irrespective of cultural differences