Question:
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Gandhi's great aim in life was to improve the condition of poor and suffering people, and to aid people in any way he could, but always without using force. He was against every sort of evil, no matter of what kind. When he tried to find out about the condition among poor farm workers, the people crowded around him by the hundreds. A friend had come among them, someone who wanted to help them and to them this was something new. When the police ordered Gandhi to leave the place, he refused and in the court he explained why he could not obey. Then he asked the court to punish him for breaking the law. The court did not know what verdict to give in such a case, and so let him go free. This was the first step in what came to be an important and common event in many parts of India to refuse to obey a law considered to be unjust and at the same time calmly to accept any punishment that might be given and never to retaliate.
a) What was Gandhi's great aim in life? (2)
b) How did Gandhi help the poor and suffering people? (2)
c) Why did the farm workers crowd around him? (2)
d) Why did the police order Gandhi to leave the place? (2)
e) i) Which word in the passage means 'quietly'? (2)
ii) Write the opposite for 'punishment'. (2)
iii) Rewrite the underlined segment after replacing 'verdict' with another similar meaning word. (3)
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Gandhi's great aim in life was to improve the condition of poor and suffering people, and to aid people in any way he could, but always without using force. He was against every sort of evil, no matter of what kind. When he tried to find out about the condition among poor farm workers, the people crowded around him by the hundreds. A friend had come among them, someone who wanted to help them and to them this was something new. When the police ordered Gandhi to leave the place, he refused and in the court he explained why he could not obey. Then he asked the court to punish him for breaking the law. The court did not know what verdict to give in such a case, and so let him go free. This was the first step in what came to be an important and common event in many parts of India to refuse to obey a law considered to be unjust and at the same time calmly to accept any punishment that might be given and never to retaliate.
a) What was Gandhi's great aim in life? (2)
b) How did Gandhi help the poor and suffering people? (2)
c) Why did the farm workers crowd around him? (2)
d) Why did the police order Gandhi to leave the place? (2)
e) i) Which word in the passage means 'quietly'? (2)
ii) Write the opposite for 'punishment'. (2)
iii) Rewrite the underlined segment after replacing 'verdict' with another similar meaning word. (3)
Gandhi's great aim in life was to improve the condition of poor and suffering people, and to aid people in any way he could, but always without using force. He was against every sort of evil, no matter of what kind. When he tried to find out about the condition among poor farm workers, the people crowded around him by the hundreds. A friend had come among them, someone who wanted to help them and to them this was something new. When the police ordered Gandhi to leave the place, he refused and in the court he explained why he could not obey. Then he asked the court to punish him for breaking the law. The court did not know what verdict to give in such a case, and so let him go free. This was the first step in what came to be an important and common event in many parts of India to refuse to obey a law considered to be unjust and at the same time calmly to accept any punishment that might be given and never to retaliate.
a) What was Gandhi's great aim in life? (2)
b) How did Gandhi help the poor and suffering people? (2)
c) Why did the farm workers crowd around him? (2)
d) Why did the police order Gandhi to leave the place? (2)
e) i) Which word in the passage means 'quietly'? (2)
ii) Write the opposite for 'punishment'. (2)
iii) Rewrite the underlined segment after replacing 'verdict' with another similar meaning word. (3)
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Locate each answer directly in the passage text.
Updated On: Sep 24, 2026
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Solution and Explanation
Step 1: a) Gandhi's aim:
Gandhi's great aim in life was to improve the condition of poor and suffering people and to help them in every possible way, but always without using force.
Step 2: b) How he helped them:
He helped the poor by personally going among them (the poor farm workers), listening to their problems, standing by them as a friend, and working for their welfare without ever resorting to violence.
Step 3: c) Why the workers crowded around him:
The farm workers crowded around him in the hundreds because a friend — someone genuinely willing to help them — had come among them for the first time, and this concern for their welfare from an outsider was something entirely new to them.
Step 4: d) Why the police ordered him to leave:
The police ordered Gandhi to leave because his presence among the farm workers and his enquiry into their condition were seen as a challenge to the prevailing (unjust) order, and the authorities wanted to stop him from organising or encouraging the workers.
Step 5: e) i) Word meaning 'quietly':
The word is 'calmly' — used in the passage as 'calmly to accept any punishment'.
Step 6: e) ii) Opposite of 'punishment':
The opposite of 'punishment' is 'reward'.
Step 7: e) iii) Rewriting with a synonym for 'verdict':
'Verdict' can be replaced with 'judgment' or 'decision'. Rewritten: "The court did not know what judgment to give in such a case, and so let him go free."
Final Answer:
a) Improve the condition of the poor. b) Helped them without using force. c) A friend had come to help them. d) His presence challenged the authorities. e) i) calmly ii) reward iii) "The court did not know what judgment to give in such a case, and so let him go free."
Gandhi's great aim in life was to improve the condition of poor and suffering people and to help them in every possible way, but always without using force.
Step 2: b) How he helped them:
He helped the poor by personally going among them (the poor farm workers), listening to their problems, standing by them as a friend, and working for their welfare without ever resorting to violence.
Step 3: c) Why the workers crowded around him:
The farm workers crowded around him in the hundreds because a friend — someone genuinely willing to help them — had come among them for the first time, and this concern for their welfare from an outsider was something entirely new to them.
Step 4: d) Why the police ordered him to leave:
The police ordered Gandhi to leave because his presence among the farm workers and his enquiry into their condition were seen as a challenge to the prevailing (unjust) order, and the authorities wanted to stop him from organising or encouraging the workers.
Step 5: e) i) Word meaning 'quietly':
The word is 'calmly' — used in the passage as 'calmly to accept any punishment'.
Step 6: e) ii) Opposite of 'punishment':
The opposite of 'punishment' is 'reward'.
Step 7: e) iii) Rewriting with a synonym for 'verdict':
'Verdict' can be replaced with 'judgment' or 'decision'. Rewritten: "The court did not know what judgment to give in such a case, and so let him go free."
Final Answer:
a) Improve the condition of the poor. b) Helped them without using force. c) A friend had come to help them. d) His presence challenged the authorities. e) i) calmly ii) reward iii) "The court did not know what judgment to give in such a case, and so let him go free."
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