Read the following passage and answer the question. In the years leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917, the country had a succession of wars. These were, The Crimean War, The Russo-Turkish War, The Russo-Japanese War and The World War I. All of these required a lot from the state, including tax dollars and man power. Russia suffered defeat in all, except against Turkey. This series of war caused great discontent among the people and caused suffering in the country's economy and government. A long with these wars, there were three major parties that contributed to the cause of the revolution. First, there were the peasants, who maintained the majority of the population in Russia. They were excessively poor and could barely escape famine from harvest to harvest. The population boom in Russia from 1867-1896 was felt most drastically by the peasants. The increase of 30 million people in less than 30 years was too great that the land to the peasants' disposal did not increase sufficiently. The government tried to help, but war took precedence. Second, there was a rise of the industrial working class. These workers were employed in the mines, factories and work shops of the major cities. They suffered low wages, poor housing and many accidents. Again, the government tried to help by passing factory acts to restrict the number of hours one could work. How ever, their efforts were at too small a scale to have any real effect. As a result, there were many strikes and constant conflicts between the workers and the police. Lastly, the tsar of Russia was the cause of much disapproval. Tsar Nicholas II was much more interested in his family life, than matters of the state. He had an obsession with retaining all his privileges and the belief that he was chosen by God to rule. Also, he didn't understand the forces of industrialization and nationalism that were growing throughout Russia. His disregard for the struggles of the people led them to lose faith in him and the long-standing tradition of autocracy. The people were not content and were ready to revolt. They just needed a good reason and a strong leader.
Which of the following word is the ANTONYM of the word 'precedence' used in the passage?
Disruptions
Understanding the Antonym of 'Precedence' in the Passage
The question asks for the antonym of the word 'precedence' as used in the provided passage about the Russian Revolution. To find the antonym, we first need to understand the meaning of 'precedence' in its context.
Contextual Meaning of 'Precedence'
In the passage, the sentence containing 'precedence' is: "The government tried to help, but war took precedence."
This sentence implies that despite the government's attempts to help (specifically related to the peasants' struggles with land scarcity), the ongoing wars were considered more important or urgent, and therefore dealt with before the issues concerning the peasants.
Definition of 'Precedence'
'Precedence' means the condition of being considered more important than someone or something else; priority in importance, order, or rank.
In the context of the passage, "war took precedence" means war was given priority or came first in importance over helping the peasants.
Analyzing the Options
Let's examine each option to determine which word is the antonym of 'precedence' (priority, importance):
- Orders: This refers to arrangements, sequences, or instructions. While related to order, it does not mean the opposite of giving something priority or importance.
- Sequences: This refers to a particular order in which things follow each other. Like 'orders', it relates to arrangement but not the opposite of priority.
- Disruptions: This refers to disturbances or problems that interrupt an event, activity, or process. If something takes precedence, it proceeds or is dealt with first because it's important. A disruption is something that interrupts or prevents things from proceeding smoothly or in order of priority. Therefore, a disruption would be something that hinders or prevents something from taking precedence or being completed. This is the closest opposite concept.
- Successions: This refers to a series of things following one after another. It is similar in meaning to 'sequences' and does not represent the opposite of 'precedence'.
Identifying the Antonym
Based on the analysis, 'disruptions' is the word that best represents the antonym of 'precedence'. If something takes precedence, it goes forward with priority. A disruption is something that stops or hinders that process or priority.
Conclusion
The word that is the antonym of 'precedence' as used in the passage is 'Disruptions'.
| Word | Meaning | Relation to 'Precedence' (Priority) |
|---|---|---|
| Precedence | Priority, importance in order/rank | Original word |
| Orders | Arrangements, instructions | Not antonym |
| Sequences | Things following in order | Not antonym |
| Disruptions | Disturbances, interruptions | Antonym (hinders priority/smooth process) |
| Successions | Series following one another | Not antonym |
Revision Table: Understanding Vocabulary
| Term | Definition | Example Usage (from passage context) |
|---|---|---|
| Precedence | Priority; the state of being more important than something else. | "war took precedence" (war was prioritized) |
| Antonym | A word opposite in meaning to another. | 'Disruptions' is an antonym for 'Precedence'. |
| Disruption | A disturbance or problem that interrupts an event or process. | Strikes by workers caused disruptions in factories. |
Additional Information: The Russian Revolution Causes
The passage highlights several key factors contributing to the Russian Revolution of 1917:
- Succession of Wars: Defeats in multiple wars (Crimean, Russo-Japanese, WWI) weakened the state and caused economic hardship and discontent. War efforts took precedence over domestic needs.
- Peasant Grievances: Extreme poverty, land scarcity due to population growth, and failure of government help (as war took precedence) fueled unrest among the majority population.
- Industrial Worker Issues: Low wages, poor conditions, and frequent accidents in cities led to strikes and conflicts, showing the government's limited impact despite factory acts.
- Tsar Nicholas II's Autocracy: His perceived disinterest in state affairs, belief in divine right, and failure to understand modern forces like industrialization alienated the people and eroded faith in the autocratic system.
These combined factors created widespread discontent, making the population ready for revolution, awaiting leadership and a trigger event.
Important Questions from Miscellaneous
A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a 20 m high building with a speed of 12 m/s. It hits the ground at a distance R from the building. Taking g = 10 m/s2 and neglecting air resistance will give :
A mass is attached to a spring that hangs vertically. The extension produced in the spring is 6 cm on Earth. The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Moon is one-sixth of its value on the surface of the Earth. The extension of the spring on the Moon would be:
Directions: Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words (a), (b), (c), and (d). Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word and mark your response in your Answer Sheet accordingly.
The deluge affected the population.The major source of vitamins and minerals for vegetarians is
Which of the following statements about the Deccan Riots Commission is/are correct?
1. The Commission did not hold enquiries in the districts which were not affected.
2. The Commission did record the statements of ryots, sahukars and eye-witnesses.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
