Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions. There was a girl who sang beautifully at the temple every morning. The music master used to happily recall, “One day when I went into the woods to pluck flowers, I found this baby under a Pipal tree.” He picked her up carefully, raised her lovingly as if she were his daughter and taught her to sing before she spoke her first word. The music master grew old and couldn’t see too well. The girl tended to him caringly. Many people including young men travelled from far and wide to hear her sing. This made the music master's heart quake with fear. “You will choose one of them as your husband. What is to become of me?” The girl replied, “I shall not be apart from you.” But on a full moon night during the harvest festival, the master's chief disciple touched his feet reverently and said, “Master grant me your permission for your daughter has agreed to marry me.” The master's tears flowed freely, “She has chosen well. Go and fetch her, let me hear you sing the first of many melodies that you will sing together.” The two began to sing in harmony. But the song was interrupted by the arrival of the royal messenger. “Your daughter is very fortunate - the king has sent for her,” the messenger said. At the palace the Queen summoned the girl to her and said, “I place upon you the honour of making sure my daughter is never unhappy at her husband's home.” There wasn't a single tear in the girl's eyes but she thought of the master and her heart was heavy. That very night the princess began her journey to Kambhoj. The princess's royal chariot led the procession and the girl's palanquin followed close behind carrying trunks of silks, jewellery and precious stones. It was covered with a velvet sheet and had soldiers on both sides. As the procession passed, the master and his disciple Kumarsen stood still by the wayside. A collective sigh escaped the crowd gathered there wishing that the princess wouldn't feel homesick in her faraway home.
Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word Collective as used in the passage—
seperately
Understanding the Opposite of Collective
The question asks us to find the word that is most opposite in meaning to the word collective, as it is used in the provided passage. The passage mentions a "collective sigh" escaping the crowd. This phrase suggests that many people sighed at the same time, as a group or unit.
Meaning of Collective
The word collective means done by or affecting all members of a group who are acting together. It implies unity, shared action, or a common feeling among a group of people.
Analyzing the Options
Let's look at each option to see which one best contrasts with the meaning of collective:
- alone: This means being by oneself, without others. While it relates to individuality, it doesn't directly describe the manner of action as opposed to group action.
- separately: This means apart from each other; individually. When actions are done separately, they are not done as a group or together. This directly contrasts with the idea of a collective action like a sigh shared by many.
- united: This means joined together or acting together. United is very similar in meaning to collective, making it a synonym, not an antonym.
- partial: This means belonging to or affecting only a part; not complete. This word relates to completeness, not the manner of group versus individual action.
- single: This means one, individual, or separate. Similar to 'alone', it emphasizes individuality but 'separately' better captures the contrast with a group action.
Conclusion
The most fitting opposite to collective, especially in the context of a "collective sigh" (a sigh shared by a group), is separately. A collective sigh is one shared by many together, whereas sighs occurring separately would be individual and not unified.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
