Question

Read the given extracts and answer the questions for any one of the two given.

It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the true meaning of courage. Time and again, I have seen men and women risk and give up their lives for an idea. I have seen men and women stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, showing a strength and resilience that defies the imagination. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. (Nelson Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom.)

1. What effect does the experience as described in the lines below have on the speaker?     [1]
   Time and again, I have seen men and women risk their lives for an idea.
2. Select one inference about the idea of courage from the given context:     [1]
   I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.
   1. being fearless
   2. absence of fear
   3. feeding your fears
   4. ability to overcome fear
3. Answer in about 40 words, with reference to the extract:     [2]
   According to the author, what does true courage entail? How does this perspective differ from a common misconception about courage?
4. Fill in the blank with the correct phrase from the bracket in the context of the given extract:     [1]
   Men stood up to torture, showing strength and resilience that is ______ (impossible to understand / seeped in reality).

Answer 1

1. "Time and again, I have seen men and women risk their lives for an idea. This experience deeply inspires the speaker, teaching him the true meaning of courage. Witnessing such acts of sacrifice for a cause shapes his understanding of bravery and resilience."
2. ability to overcome fear
   
3. According to the author, true courage is not about being fearless but about conquering fear. Many people mistakenly believe that courageous individuals do not experience fear, but in reality, bravery means standing strong and overcoming fear despite feeling afraid.
4. Men stood up to torture, showing strength and resilience that is impossible to understand.
   Explanation: The level of resilience and strength shown by these individuals is beyond imagination. Their bravery in enduring torture without breaking is extraordinary and difficult for an ordinary person to comprehend.