English Olympiad Class 10 - Sample question paper 14

Passage 1 - People form and have formed relationships with others since the beginning of time. But why do people have positive feelings towards some and negative feelings towards other people? In other words, what factors influence the presence or absence of interpersonal attraction?

At the start of most human relationships, physical attractiveness is a key factor. Even for animals, physical attractiveness, for example the presence of facial symmetry and a strong body, is consciously or subconsciously used as an indicator of health and the ability to have strong offspring. Interestingly, physical attractiveness is not a good indicator for the longevity of relations. Studies, in fact, indicate that it is detrimental to maintaining relationships.

A second important factor is proximity. The idea is that people have a penchant for forming relationships with people that are geographically close. People generally like things that are familiar to them. Moreover, the simple fact of an increased frequency of contact, which means more interaction, enhances the chances that a relationship develops. One could even argue that a continuous high frequency of interaction is what constitutes a relationship. However, such a relationship need not necessarily be a positive one, and is clearly proven by examples of toxic relations between neighbors.

A third factor, which is closely linked to proximity, is similarity. This refers to relationship participants having similar characteristics, such as age, education, social class, personality, and attitude. Actually, scientists are still not in agreement as to whether people actively seek out people that are like them or whether the fact that they spend most of their social and working life with such people is what leads them to form relationships. Although the latter is more probable, in either case, the old saying that ‘opposites attract’ is not supported by scientific findings.

Finally, there is the reciprocity factor. This, in uncomplicated terms, means that people tend to like people who like them. Although scientific evidence for this factor might be difficult to generate, most of us would have seen the start of a relationship between two people after one had been informed that the other person was interested in him/her.

Interpersonal attraction then, perhaps somewhat unfortunately, is influenced by factors over which individuals have only limited control. On the positive side, we have some insight into how to establish and, more importantly, maintain good relationships. Eventually looks will fade. But righteousness and decency are the innate qualities, which will last forever in a sustainable relationship. This is completely in line with the conventional wisdom that ‘beauty is on the inside’ should come as no surprise.

Passage 2 - Do we need a Censor Board? Shall we allow someone else the power to decide for us? Since the Censor Board has been excessively monitoring and regulating both movie and television content, censorship of the media has become a hotly debatable topic. Almost everybody accepts that there is excessive violence being portrayed on television which is affecting the viewers, especially children and teenagers. However, many do not believe that censoring programmes is the right approach. The argument against censorship is mainly centred around free choice. People supporting this position maintain that nobody should have the power to decide who gets to see what or when. It is the right of a person to view the content that they find appealing. They dismiss the idea of any regulatory body such as the Censor Board to dictate things to them.

On the other hand, those in favour of censorship say that there is a need for regulation and control of information and ideas that are circulated among people within a society. They believe that there is content that may be inappropriate or offensive to the public and must be modified or taken off air.

In some instances, censorship has proved instrumental in avoiding tragic events such as communal riots. When tempers are already running high, it is best to avoid telecasting gory details of death and destruction which may incite further violence. While ignorance is a bane, there are times when it may actually prove to be bliss. This is true especially for cases when one does not know the complete truth as half-truths cause more harm than good. In such cases, censorship becomes necessary for the protection of the viewers. Also, when one considers the age of certain viewers, it becomes clear that they need somebody to explain certain parts of the content to them. Some movies or programmes have a public announcement at the beginning of the telecast that recommends parental guidance. However, it is not always possible for parents or guardians to see what children are watching and in such instances, it seems better that a regulatory body modifies the content.

These are compelling arguments but a thinking public does not appreciate when someone else dictates terms to them. A public debate is required to deliberate over the issues of censorship, including who is responsible for what the public watches, whether we need a committee that censors content and to what extent. There are no clear answers but since this issue directly relates to what youngsters are exposed to, it does need some reflective thinking.

Passage 3 - When people first started taking selfies or a portrait-photograph themselves, they came under a lot of criticism. While smartphones and digital cameras have made selfies quite popular, the first self-portrait is said to have been taken in 1839 by Robert Cornelius who was considered a pioneer in photography. Taking pictures was no child’s play in those days. The whole process was so slow that Cornelius had time to uncover the lens, run into the shot and then go back to cover the lens. This was before the self-timer came into the picture.

More advanced versions of smartphones, especially those with front cameras made it quite easy to take one’s own pictures. Before that, people were usually taking their pictures by standing in front of a mirror. But now they just had to extend their hand and viola! They had a photo that captured the moment instantly. Soon people became interested in recording each remarkable and not so remarkable moment of their lives. While this started as a phenomena more suited to the tastes of the young, it soon gained wider popularity with men and women of all ages who started showing their love of themselves.

Selfies caught the world’s attention in the mid 2000’s when social networking sites such as Facebook made it quite popular. People’s growing obsession with themselves, more importantly with their physical appearances did not go unnoticed by the scientific community also. Dr Rutherfield, faculty director at one of the premier schools of psychology in the US observes that now there are more pictures available of real people than of models. Also, posting selfies online acts as an empowering act as it allows a person to control how the online world sees him. Feeling good about oneself and then having someone else endorse that feeling through likes and comments acts as an immediate self-confidence booster. It is normal for people to work for rewards and to repeat behaviour that would fetch them more rewards. However psychologist Webber warns against the danger of how easily and intertwined our self-esteem may get to approval on social media. After all, selfies are only based on our physical appearance; they do not define who we are.

The problem is that many teenagers and youngsters are seeking validation through positive responses on their selfies. Some people are fine with sharing their selfies and getting a few compliments but others check their social media accounts repeatedly to see how many comments and likes they have got. Webber says that often people who post selfies throughout the day have low self-esteem and are looking for social approval. In some countries, the public health departments have issued warnings to the public to highlight the negative effects of spending too much time obsessing about selfies. While opinions vary on the effects of taking selfies, it is up to the people to shape their habits and perspectives. Dr Rutherfield recommends that if one is posting selfies only for comments, they should cut down on the number of posts. Our social media profile reveals something about us and what we share depends entirely on us. The bottom line is that we control how the world perceives us.