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Question

Read the passage given below and answer questions that follow.

In a country far away, all the young people decided to kill all the old people. The young ones said, "What is the use of the old going on living? They have lived their life, they have had their time and that is that." The king was young too, so giving the order did not bother him. Anyone who had reached the age of fifty or more was to be done away with. Lots of wise old men were killed and lots of wisdom passed away with them.

Only one kind-hearted young man took pity on his father; after all, he owed his life to him. So, he did him away in a cellar and took care of him. Time passed and a terrible drought came. Meadows and plough-lands dried up and every spring dried up. There was a terrible famine, and sickness and all kinds of troubles came upon the young people. Their hair began to go white before its time.

They would have put up with everything as best they could, but more and worse troubles followed. The snow began to melt and spring was upon them without their having a single grain of seed to sow.

What happened when the king's order was given?

This question was previously asked in
SSC-JHT Paper 1 2018 Question Paper (13-Jan-2019)
The correct answer is

There was no wisdom left.

Consequences of King's Order: Loss of Wisdom

The passage describes a drastic decree by a young king: all citizens aged fifty or older were to be killed. The motivation behind this order, as stated by the young people, was that the old had lived their lives and were no longer useful.

Analysis of the King's Order Impact

The immediate effect of this order, as explicitly mentioned in the text, was the elimination of the older generation:

  • "Lots of wise old men were killed..."
  • "...and lots of wisdom passed away with them."

This highlights a direct and severe consequence: the loss of accumulated knowledge and wisdom within the society.

Evaluating the Options

Let's examine how each option relates to the passage's account of the king's order:

Option 1: There was no wisdom left.

  • The passage clearly states, "lots of wisdom passed away with them [the wise old men]." This strongly supports the idea that a significant amount of wisdom was lost due to the king's order.

Option 2: The harvest was good.

  • The passage later describes a "terrible drought" and famine, indicating that the harvest was far from good. This option contradicts the events described later in the text.

Option 3: The best things were available.

  • There is no mention in the passage that the killing of the old people led to the availability of the "best things." Instead, the story progresses towards hardship and famine.

Option 4: The old people became young.

  • This option is illogical and not supported by the text in any way. The order was to kill the old, not rejuvenate them.

Conclusion

Based on the direct statement in the passage, "lots of wisdom passed away with them," the most accurate consequence of the king's order being implemented is the loss of wisdom in the kingdom.

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Similar Questions

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  3. What are icebergs?

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