19 March 2024

Daily practice questions for CLAT - (19 March 2024)



The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side, we looked into a ploughed field, and on the other, we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside; at the top of the meadow was a plantation of fir trees, and at the bottom, a running brook overhung by a steep bank.

Whilst I was young, I lived upon my mother's milk, as I could not eat grass. In the daytime, I ran by her side, and at night I lay down close by her. When it was hot, we used to stand by the pond in the shade of the trees, and when it was cold, we had a nice warm shed near the plantation.

One day, when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come to her, and then she said, "I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts who live here are very good colts, but they are cart-horse colts, and of course, they have not learned manners. You have been well-bred and well-born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won the cup two years at the New market races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up gentle and good and never learn bad ways; do your work with goodwill, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in play."

I have never forgotten my mother's advice; I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess, but he often called her Pet.

Our master was a good kind man. He gave us good food, good lodging, and kind words; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to his little children; we were all fond of him, and my mother loved him very much. When she saw him at the gate, she would neigh with joy and trot up to him. He would pat and stroke her and say, "Well, old Pet, and how is your little Darkie?" I was a dull black, so he called me Darkie; then he would give me a piece of bread, which was very good, and sometimes he brought a carrot for my mother.

Question1:- Which of the following suggests a synonymous meaning to the words “Meadow” and “Brook”, respectively??
  • A. Pastureland, stream
  • B. Grassland, a small hill
  • C. Desert, foothill
  • D. Valley, wetland
Answer is A is correct. The set of words given in the first option suggests a synonymous meaning to the words "Meadow" and "Brook", respectively.
"Meadow" refers to land mostly covered with grass. It is also known as grassland or pastureland because these lands are normally used by animals for grazing. “Brook” means a small stream of fresh water.
Other options contain incorrect meanings of one of the words or both of them. Grassland, a small hill: Grassland is an area where the vegetation is primarily dominated by grasses. A small hill is normally known as a "hillock".
Desert, foothill: Desert is used to define a place having a very hot climate and lacking cultivation. Foothill is a low hill at the base of a mountain range. Valley, wetland: Valley is a low area between hills. A wetland is normally flooded with water and consists of marshes. Hence, option (a) is correct.
Question2:- Which of the following literary devices is used in this passage?
  • A. Irony
  • B. Paradox
  • C. Personification
  • D. Hyperbole
Answer is C is correct. The passage uses the literary device “personification”.
"Irony" is used to describe ironic situations, which proceed in contradictory ways than the reader's expectations.
“Paradox” uses the juxtaposition of two conflicting ideas.
“Hyperbole” is used to describe something in a dramatic way.
“Personification” is used to give human attributes to non-human objects, such as animals, things, etc. In this passage, the author has portrayed the mother horse as talking to her son about his grandparents. Also, the horse “Darkie” is portrayed to explain its childhood in its own words. Horse has been given man’s ability to speak. Hence, option (c) is correct.
Question3:- The passage best demonstrates which one of the following intentions of Duchess?
  • A. To inculcate good manners in Darkie.
  • B. To help him differentiate between himself and the cart-horse colts.
  • C. To introduce Darkie’s grandparents to him.
  • D. To introduce Darkie to his master.
Answer is A is correct. The passage best demonstrates that Duchess wanted to inculcate good manners in Darkie by citing examples of his grandparents, his father, and herself. This information is mentioned in the fourth paragraph of the passage.
She informed Darkie that he belonged to a well-bred family, in which his grandfather was a race winner. His grandmother was very sweet, and his father was also a great horse. She wanted Darkie to give respect to the master as he was a kind-hearted person. All other options are not sufficient to describe the intention of Duchess. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Question4:- The author’s description of “……. she would neigh with joy and trot up to him” implies-
  • A. Duchess was afraid of her master.
  • B. Duchess was afraid of her master.
  • C. Duchess knows how to salute her master.
  • D. Duchess always expected good food from her master in exchange for her salutation.
Answer is B is correct. The author’s description of the fact given in the quoted lines reflects that the mother horse was very fond of her master. So, with respect, she used to neigh with joy and trot up to him. The reason for this fondness was the good behaviour of the master towards her and her son. Hence, option (b) is correct.
Question5:- The lines “….. Sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me kick or bite…..” suggest that the tone of Duchess towards Darkie was-
  • A. Lugubrious
  • B. Hysterical
  • C. Menacing
  • D. Affable
Answer is D is correct. The quoted lines in the question suggest that the tone of Duchess towards Darkie was “affable”.
An “affable” tone of a person reflects a friendly approach to the next person. The mother horse wanted to suggest some good habits to her child by citing examples of his ancestors and of herself. So, she was talking to him in a friendly tone so as to help him understand her words clearly.
A "lugubrious" tone reflects a depressed feeling of a person. A "hysterical" tone is used to express an extremely funny fact. A "menacing" tone is also used to express something threatening. Hence, option (d) is correct.