Comprehension

CSS Accelerated Mentorship Course

Asif Nawaz
• Understanding a given passage and answering
the given questions in simple and clear English.
Rules for comprehension
• Read the given passage once or twice, grasping its
central idea.

• Read the questions one by one, understand what is

being asked, and find the answers of the questions
in the given passage with more focused reading.
Underline if needed.

• Take up each question, and answer it with the

material given in the passage.
• Usually, the questions follow a chronological order
with regards to the passage.

• Use the same tense as that used in the questions.

• Answer the questions in complete, clear,

comprehensive sentences. Use your own
expression.

• The length of the answers vary, depending upon

the given material in the passage.
 Practice
The civilization of China, as everyone knows, is based upon the teaching of Confucius, who
flourished five hundred years before Christ. Like the Greeks and Romans, he did not think of
human society as naturally progressive; on the contrary, he believed that in remote antiquity
rulers had been wise, and the people had been happy to a degree which the degenerate present
could admire but hardly achieve. This, of course, was a delusion. But the practical result was
that Confucius, like other teachers of antiquity, aimed at creating a stable society, maintaining a
certain level of excellence, but not always striving after new successes. In this he was more
successful than any other men who ever lived. His personality has been stamped on Chinese
civilization from his day to our own. During his lifetime the Chinese occupied only a small part of
present-day China, and were divided into a number of warring states. During the next three
hundred years they established themselves throughout what is now China proper, and founded
an empire exceeding in territory and population any other that existed until the last fifty years. In
spite of barbarian invasions, Mongol and Manchu dynasties, and occasional longer or shorter
periods of chaos and civil war, the Confucian system survived, bringing with it art and literature
and a civilized way of life. A system which has had this extra ordinary power of survival must
have great merits, and certainly deserves our respect and consideration. It is not a religion, as
we understand the word,because it is not associated with the supernatural or with mystical
beliefs. It is a purely ethical system, but its ethics, unlike those of Christianity, are not too exalted
for ordinary men to practice. In essence, what Confucius teaches is something very like the old-
fashioned ideal of a ‘gentleman’ as it existed in the eighteenth century. One of his sayings will
illustrate this: 'The true gentleman is never contentious ... he courteously salutes his opponents
before taking up his position ... so that even when competing he remains a true gentleman'.
Questions:

Why do you think the author calls Confucius' belief about the
progress of human society as a delusion?

How did Confucius' though affect China to develop into a stable

and 'Proper' China?

Why does the author think that Confucian system deserves

respect and admiration?

Why does the author call Confucian system a purely ethical

system and not a religion?

Briefly argue whether you agree or disagree to Confucius' ideal of

a gentleman?
1) The author believes Confucius’ beliefs as delusions
because of his estimation of human society being non-
progressive naturally, and his conviction of modern man’s
inability to achieve the level of happiness enjoyed by
those in antiquity. Another reason about the author’s belief
can be Confucius’ claim about the ancient rulers being
wise.

2) Confucius’ thoughts affected China to develop into a

stable country by aiming for the formation of a stable
society. A certain level of excellence was always called
for in Confucius’ teachings, and this helped China survive
through adverse times to emerge into a ‘Proper’ China.
3) The author thinks that Confucian system deserves
respect and admiration because not only has it
survived various invasions and wars, but has also
nurtured a civilised way of life, replete with art and
literature. The author is of the view that a system with
such incredible power of survival is never without
inherent merits, and deserves reverence.

4) The author calls Confucian system an ethical

system and not a religion because it doesn’t comprise
the defining features of organised religion. It doesn’t
associate itself with any mythological and supernatural
beliefs, and rather focuses only on the ethical aspects.