Question

[5]. Read the following passage carefully:

Passage: "More than a thousand years ago, Nalanda in present-day Bihar was one of the world's great centres of learning. Students from China, Korea, Tibet and Persia travelled for months to study logic, medicine, astronomy and Buddhist philosophy there, and its library was said to hold so many manuscripts that it burned for months when attacked. Teachers debated in open assemblies, and students were admitted only after answering difficult questions at the gate. Nalanda's greatness did not lie in its buildings alone but in its method: rigorous debate, respect for many viewpoints and the belief that knowledge grows when it is tested in argument. Its ruins today remind visitors that Bihar once taught the world." What is the author's main purpose in writing this passage?

1.
To prove that only experts can understand the subject.
2.
To list dates and names for memorisation without explanation.
3.
To explain and illustrate an idea through a concrete situation so that the reader understands its value.
4.
To argue that the situation described can never change.
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3 : To explain and illustrate an idea through a concrete situation so that the reader understands its value.

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Detailed Solution

सही उत्तर To explain and illustrate an idea through a concrete situation so that the reader understands its value. है।

Key Points

The passage explains through example and reflection rather than mere listing or expert-only argument.

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Question:

[5]. Read the following passage carefully:

Passage: "More than a thousand years ago, Nalanda in present-day Bihar was one of the world's great centres of learning. Students from China, Korea, Tibet and Persia travelled for months to study logic, medicine, astronomy and Buddhist philosophy there, and its library was said to hold so many manuscripts that it burned for months when attacked. Teachers debated in open assemblies, and students were admitted only after answering difficult questions at the gate. Nalanda's greatness did not lie in its buildings alone but in its method: rigorous debate, respect for many viewpoints and the belief that knowledge grows when it is tested in argument. Its ruins today remind visitors that Bihar once taught the world." What is the author's main purpose in writing this passage?

1.
To prove that only experts can understand the subject.
2.
To list dates and names for memorisation without explanation.
3.
To explain and illustrate an idea through a concrete situation so that the reader understands its value.
4.
To argue that the situation described can never change.

Correct Answer: To explain and illustrate an idea through a concrete situation so that the reader understands its value.

The passage explains through example and reflection rather than mere listing or expert-only argument.

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