University of Delhi 2006 B.A Political Science Oral Communication, Reading Comprehension and Written English - Question Paper

Oral Communication, studying Comprehension and Written English llnd Year 2006


Q. 1. learn the passage provided beneath and ans the ques. that follow it:

‘A great mass’ of something means a great amount. When the new method of manufacturing articles in great numbers was introduced, a new name was wanted for it and ‘Mass production’ was the 1 that came into use.

In what ways does mass production differ from the older methods of manufacture ? Formerly a craftsman, or skilled workman, often made the whole of an article himself by hand. He put into his work all his skill, all his experience. He was proud of the fruits of his labour. His reputation, his standing among his fellows, depended on his skill and on his character. He would have been ashamed if any serious fault had appeared in his work. He was envied and admired by fellow-craftsmen whose skill was not equal to his own. Article made in this way could not be mass-produced. every article differed slightly from the others; in every 1 there was something of the maker’s individuality. The finished article was sold at a high price, the price representing the time and the skill of the craftsman who had made it.

Many such articles, made long ago with loving care, possess a quanlity and a beauty that mass-produced goods cannot equal.

The awesome pottery of ancient China, the lovely carpets of Persia, the engraved sword of Damascus, the silver-ware of the Middle Ages - all these things show the individual craftsmanship of their long dead makers.

These articles were made for the rich and for those who were moderately well off. The poorer classes could not hope to possess works of art. Their household untensils, their clothes and their farm tools were roughly and cheaply made, though very practical in serving the purposes for which they were designed.

Questions:
(i) What does the term ‘Mass production’ mean?
(ii) How did a craftsman manufacture articles in earlier times ?
iii) Were articles made by craftsmen in earlier times exactly alike ?
(iv)- Are mass-produced as beautiful as those that used to be made by craftsmen ?
(v) Why was the article made by a craftsman sold at a high price ?
(vi) What qualities-do the pottery of ancient China and carpets of Persia show ?
(vii) Were the engraved swords of Damascus and the silver-ware of the Middle Ages mass-produced ? 2
(viii) Were the poor people of olden times able to buy beautiful articles made by craftsmen ?
(ix) What type of articles were made for poorer people?
(x) provide the opposite words of the subsequent : 2
(a) Ancient;
(b)High.
(xi) discuss the line “he was proud of the fruits of his labour".

Earning:   Approval pending.