Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
You seemed at first to take no notice of your schoolfellows, or rather to set yourself against them because they were strangers to you. They knew as little of you as you did of them; so that this would have been the reason for their keeping aloof from you as well, which you would have felt as a hardship. Learn never to conceive a prejudice against other because you know nothing of them. It is bad reasoning and makes enemies of half the world. Do not think ill of them till they behave ill to you; and then strive to avoid the faults which you see in them. This will disarm their hostility sooner than pique or resentment or complaint. I thought you were disposed to criticize the dress of some of the boys as not so good as your own. Never despise any one for anything that he cannot help - least of all, for his poverty. I would wish you to keep up appearances yourself as a defence against the idle sneers of the world, but I would not have you value yourself upon them. I hope you will neither be the dupe nor victim of vulgar prejudices.
Instead of saying above "Never despise anyone for anything that he cannot help," I might have said, "Never despise anyone at all"; for contempt implies a triumph over and pleasure in the ill of another. It means that you are glad and congratulate yourself on their failings or misfortunes.
You have hitherto been a spoilt child, and have been used to have your own way a good
deal, both in the house and among your playfellows, with whom you were too fond of being a leader; but you have good nature and good sense and will get the better of this in time. You have now got among other boys who are your equals, or bigger and stronger than yourself and who have something else to attend to besides humouring your whims and fancies, and you feel this as a repulse or piece of injustice. But the first lesson to learn is that there are other people in the world besides yourself. The more airs of childish self-importance you. give yourself, you will only expose yourself to be the more thwarted and laughed at. True equality is the only true morality or wisdom.
Remember always that you are but one among others and you can hardly mistake your place in society. In your father's house you might do as you pleased; in the world you will find competitors at every turn. You are not born a king's son, to destroy or dictate to millions; you can only expect to share their fate or settle your differences amicably with them. You already find it so at school, and I wish you to be reconciled to your situation as soon and with as little pain as you can.
- William Hazlitt
1a Who were strangers to you in your school? 1
1b How much did you know about them? 1
1c What was the reason for keeping your schoolfellows aloof from you? 2
1d Describe in detail as to what the writer wants you to learn? 4
1e What is the message that we get? 1
1f Give a suitable title to the passage. 1
1g Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following: 10
i appear
ii classmates
iii detached
iv suffering
v bias
vi rivals
vii antagonism
viii guard
ix applaud
x contender
1a. Your schoolfellows were strangers to you.
1b. You knew as little about them as they did about you.
1c. The reason for keeping your schoolfellows aloof from you was that you seemed to set yourself against them because they were _________ _______ ____ ____ ___ ________ __________ __________.
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