SarkariPYQ

SSC CPO 2024 PYQ — Question 2

SSC CPO 2024 - 27th June 2024 - Shift 1 • English • Q2

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Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

There are no ancient nations anywhere in the world. All nations are modern. Ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, ancient India – all of them may have had great civilizations whose architecture, art, and literature are objects of admiration. But they are not nations. To realize this truth, you will have to forget for the time being the history you were taught at school. Because it is that history, drilled into your heads from the time you were children, and constantly renewed by national festivals and ceremonies, the speeches of your leaders, and novels, films, and television serials, that make it seem obvious to you that your nation is ancient. In actual fact, it is not true. Your nation is not – indeed no nation on earth is – ancient. Only modern people can imagine that way.

Why does the author of the passage ask us to forget the history that we were taught at school?

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. because the history book taught us that our nation is ancient

Because the history book taught us that our nation is ancient is a suitable option.

The passage argues that the history we learn in school creates the illusion that nations are ancient, while in reality, the concept of nations is modern. The author suggests that the conventional history we are taught, which includes national myths and celebrations, reinforces the belief that our nation is ancient.

The passage is not about imagining things in a modern context or about celebrating festivals specifically, but rather about how historical narratives contribute to the belief in the ancientness of nations.