Read the extract and answer the following questions
Extract:
“Of those who, overcome by death, depart from life, a father cannot save his son, nor kinsmen their relations. Mark! while relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. So the world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world. “Not from weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief. He who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of mind; he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow, and be blessed.”
(The Sermon at Benares)
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Question (i)
Which of the following is NOT a message conveyed by the extract?
- (a) Death is inevitable and unavoidable for all living beings.
- (b) Grieving and lamenting over death will only cause more suffering and pain.
- (c) Peace of mind can be attained by accepting and overcoming sorrow.
- (d) Death can be prevented by performing rituals and prayers.
Answer:
As written by the student:
(d) Death can be prevented by performing rituals and prayers.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The question asks us to identify the option that is not true or false according to the extract.
- We can eliminate option A because it is true that death is inevitable and unavoidable for all living beings, as the extract says, "one by one mortals are carried off" and "the world is afflicted with death and decay".
- We can eliminate option B because it is true that grieving and lamenting over death will only cause more suffering and pain, as the extract says, "not from weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind" and "his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer".
- We can eliminate option C because it is true that peace of mind can be attained by accepting and overcoming sorrow, as the extract says, "he who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief" and "he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow, and be blessed".
- We can choose option D because it is false that death can be prevented by performing rituals and prayers. The extract does not mention anything about rituals and prayers, but rather emphasizes the futility of lamentation and the wisdom of not grieving.
- -Therefore, the correct answer is D.👍
Question (ii)
Why is it fair to say that the tone of the extract is solemn and instructive? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
As written by the student:
The tone of the extract is solemn and instructive because it deals with a serious and universal topic of death and decay, and it offers guidance and advice on how to cope with it. It uses words like "mark", "therefore", "on the contrary", and "he who" to show its solemnity and instructiveness.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The question asks us to analyze the tone of the extract in about 40 words.
- We can use clues from the extract to infer its tone, such as its words, punctuation, and purpose.
- We can see that the extract uses words like "mark", "therefore", "on the contrary", and "he who" to show its solemnity and instructiveness. These words indicate that the extract is making a serious observation, drawing a logical conclusion, contrasting a wrong view with a right one, and giving a general rule or principle.
- We can also see that the extract deals with a serious and universal topic of death and decay, which affects all living beings. The extract also offers guidance and advice on how to cope with it by not grieving and overcoming sorrow.
- We can also see that the extract uses punctuation like periods, commas, semicolons, and quotation marks to show its solemnity and instructiveness. These punctuation marks indicate that the extract is making clear statements, separating clauses, linking related ideas, and quoting a source or authority.
- Therefore, it is fair to say that the tone of the extract is solemn and instructive.😊
Question (iii)
Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract.
- (a) A sermon is a speech or lecture on a religious or moral topic, usually delivered by a religious leader or teacher.
- (b) A dialogue is a conversation between two or more people or characters, usually in a literary or dramatic work.
- (c) A proverb is a short and popular saying that expresses a truth or advice, usually based on common sense or experience.
Answer:
As written by the student:
(a) A sermon is a speech or lecture on a religious or moral topic, usually delivered by a religious leader or teacher.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The question asks us to match the correct description to the extract.
- We can eliminate option B because there is no dialogue in the extract. The extract does not have a conversation between two or more people or characters, but rather a monologue by a single speaker.
- We can eliminate option C because there is no proverb in the extract. The extract does not have a short and popular saying that expresses a truth or advice, but rather a long and specific speech that illustrates a moral or spiritual lesson.
- We can choose option A because there is a sermon in the extract. The extract is a speech or lecture on a religious or moral topic, usually delivered by a religious leader or teacher. The extract is taken from the Dhammapada, a collection of sayings attributed to Gautama Buddha, who was a religious leader and teacher of Buddhism.
- Therefore, the correct answer is A.👏
Question (iv)
How would an actor express the mood and message of the extract through his/her voice while enacting it? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
As written by the student:
An actor would express the mood and message of the extract through his/her voice by varying the tone, volume, and pitch according to the situation . He/she would use a grave and solemn tone for the inevitability and universality of death and decay . He/she would use a gentle and compassionate tone for the futility and harm of grieving and lamenting. He/she would use a calm and wise tone for the way to peace and happiness.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The question asks us to suggest how an actor would use his/her voice to enact this extract.
- We can use clues from the extract to identify its mood and message, such as its words, punctuation, and purpose.
- We can see that the extract has a grave and solemn mood when it describes the inevitability and universality of death and decay, as it uses words like "overcome", "depart", "slaughter", "afflicted", and "wise".
- We can see that the extract has a gentle and compassionate message when it explains the futility and harm of grieving and lamenting, as it uses words like "weeping", "grieving", "pain", "suffer", and "lamentation".
- We can see that the extract has a calm and wise message when it shows the way to peace and happiness, as it uses words like "peace", "mind", "composed", "overcome", and "blessed".
- Therefore, an actor would use his/her voice to express these mood and message by varying the tone, volume, and pitch accordingly.😊
