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RC Passage
Direction for the questions 9 to 12: The passage below is accompanied by a set of four questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Stories concerning the Undead have always been with us. From out of the primal darkness of Mankindâs earliest years, come whispers of eerie creatures, not quite alive (or alive in a way which we can understand), yet not quite dead either. These may have been ancient and primitive deities who dwelt deep in the surrounding forests and in remote places, or simply those deceased who refused to remain in their tombs and who wandered about the countryside, physically tormenting and frightening those who were still alive. Mostly they were ill-definedâstrange sounds in the night beyond the comforting glow of the fire, or a shape, half-glimpsed in the twilight along the edge of an encampment. They were vague and indistinct, but they were always there with the power to terrify and disturb. They had the power to touch the minds of our early ancestors and to fill them with dread. Such fear formed the basis of the earliest tales although the source and exact nature of such terrors still remained very vague.
And as Mankind became more sophisticated, leaving the gloom of their caves and forming themselves into recognizable communitiesâ towns, cities, whole culturesâso the Undead travelled with them, inhabiting their folklore just as they had in former times. Now they began to take on more definite shapes. They became walking cadavers; the physical embodiment of former deities and things which had existed alongside Man since the Creation. Some still remained vague and ill-defined but, as Mankind strove to explain the horror which it felt towards them, such creatures emerged more readily into the light.
In order to confirm their abnormal status, many of the Undead were often accorded attributes, which defied the natural order of thingsâ the power to transform themselves into other shapes, the ability to sustain themselves by drinking human blood, and the ability to influence human minds across a distance. Such powersâdescribed as supernaturalâonly [lent] an added dimension to the terror that humans felt regarding them.
And it was only natural, too, that the Undead should become connected with the practice of magic. From very early times, Shamans and witchdoctors had claimed at least some power and control over the spirits of departed ancestors, and this has continued down into more âcivilizedâ times. Formerly, the invisible spirits and forces that thronged around menâs earliest encampments, had spoken âthroughâ the tribal Shamans but now, as entities in their own right, they were subject to magical control and could be physically summoned by a competent sorcerer. However, the relationship between the magician and an Undead creature was often a very tenuous and uncertain one. Some sorcerers might have even become Undead entities once they died, but they might also have been susceptible to the powers of other magicians when they did.
From the Middle Ages and into the Age of Enlightenment, theories of the Undead continued to grow and develop. Their names became more familiarâwerewolf, vampire, ghoulâeach one certain to strike fear into the hearts of ordinary humans.
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
Original: Stories concerning the Undead have always been with us.
Explanation: Tales about the Undead have existed throughout human history.
Original: From out of the primal darkness of Mankindâs earliest years, come whispers of eerie creatures, not quite alive (or alive in a way which we can understand), yet not quite dead either.
Explanation: Since the earliest human times, there have been mentions of mysterious beings that exist in a strange state between life and death.
Original: These may have been ancient and primitive deities who dwelt deep in the surrounding forests and in remote places, or simply those deceased who refused to remain in their tombs and who wandered about the countryside, physically tormenting and frightening those who were still alive.
Explanation: These beings might have been old forest gods or spirits of the dead who refused to rest and roamed around scaring and harming the living.
Original: Mostly they were ill-definedâstrange sounds in the night beyond the comforting glow of the fire, or a shape, half-glimpsed in the twilight along the edge of an encampment.
Explanation: Usually, these entities were vagueâheard as strange noises in the dark or seen as faint shapes at the edge of human camps.
Original: They were vague and indistinct, but they were always there with the power to terrify and disturb.
Explanation: Even though unclear in form, these beings constantly terrified people.
Original: They had the power to touch the minds of our early ancestors and to fill them with dread.
Explanation: They deeply affected the mental state of early humans, creating intense fear.
Original: Such fear formed the basis of the earliest tales although the source and exact nature of such terrors still remained very vague.
Explanation: This fear led to early storytelling, even though people didn't fully understand what caused the terror.
Paragraph 2
Original: And as Mankind became more sophisticated, leaving the gloom of their caves and forming themselves into recognizable communitiesâtowns, cities, whole culturesâso the Undead travelled with them, inhabiting their folklore just as they had in former times.
Explanation: As humans developed societies and civilizations, the idea of the Undead remained in their cultural stories.
Original: Now they began to take on more definite shapes.
Explanation: These beings started to be imagined with clearer physical forms.
Original: They became walking cadavers; the physical embodiment of former deities and things which had existed alongside Man since the Creation.
Explanation: The Undead were seen as walking corpses, possibly linked to old gods or ancient entities.
Original: Some still remained vague and ill-defined but, as Mankind strove to explain the horror which it felt towards them, such creatures emerged more readily into the light.
Explanation: While some remained mysterious, as humans tried to understand their fear, the Undead were described in more concrete ways.
Paragraph 3
Original: In order to confirm their abnormal status, many of the Undead were often accorded attributes, which defied the natural order of thingsâthe power to transform themselves into other shapes, the ability to sustain themselves by drinking human blood, and the ability to influence human minds across a distance.
Explanation: To show how unnatural they were, the Undead were said to have powers like shape-shifting, drinking blood, and mind control.
Original: Such powersâdescribed as supernaturalâonly [lent] an added dimension to the terror that humans felt regarding them.
Explanation: These supernatural abilities made the Undead even scarier to people.
Paragraph 4
Original: And it was only natural, too, that the Undead should become connected with the practice of magic.
Explanation: It's not surprising that the Undead became linked with magic.
Original: From very early times, Shamans and witchdoctors had claimed at least some power and control over the spirits of departed ancestors, and this has continued down into more âcivilizedâ times.
Explanation: Since ancient times, spiritual leaders like shamans claimed they could control spirits, and this belief lasted into modern cultures.
Original: Formerly, the invisible spirits and forces that thronged around menâs earliest encampments, had spoken âthroughâ the tribal Shamans but now, as entities in their own right, they were subject to magical control and could be physically summoned by a competent sorcerer.
Explanation: Spirits once communicated through shamans, but now they were seen as beings that could be summoned by sorcerers.
Original: However, the relationship between the magician and an Undead creature was often a very tenuous and uncertain one.
Explanation: The bond between a sorcerer and an Undead creature was usually weak and unpredictable.
Original: Some sorcerers might have even become Undead entities once they died, but they might also have been susceptible to the powers of other magicians when they did.
Explanation: Some magicians may have turned into Undead after death, and could then be controlled by other sorcerers.
Paragraph 5
Original: From the Middle Ages and into the Age of Enlightenment, theories of the Undead continued to grow and develop.
Explanation: Ideas about the Undead evolved from medieval times through the Enlightenment.
Original: Their names became more familiarâwerewolf, vampire, ghoulâeach one certain to strike fear into the hearts of ordinary humans.
Explanation: Beings like werewolves, vampires, and ghouls became widely known and feared.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
The concept of the Undead dates back to humanity's earliest times, appearing as vague and terrifying beings in myths and stories, often haunting the edges of civilization and stirring deep fear in early people.
Paragraph 2 Summary
As human civilization advanced, the idea of the Undead persisted in folklore, taking on more concrete forms like walking corpses or deified beings, reflecting mankindâs ongoing attempts to explain its fear.
Paragraph 3 Summary
To emphasize their unnatural nature, the Undead were given supernatural powers such as shape-shifting, blood-drinking, and mental manipulation, which amplified human terror of them.
Paragraph 4 Summary
Over time, the Undead became linked with magical practices, where shamans and sorcerers claimed power over them, though control was often uncertain and sometimes reversed upon the magicianâs death.
Paragraph 5 Summary
From medieval times to the Enlightenment, the idea of the Undead solidified, producing familiar figures like vampires, ghouls, and werewolves that instilled fear in people across cultures.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | Ancient humans feared vague undead beings that haunted the dark and unknown. |
| Paragraph 2 | With civilization, the Undead took clearer forms in folklore and mythology. |
| Paragraph 3 | The Undead were believed to have supernatural powers that deepened fear. |
| Paragraph 4 | The Undead became tied to magic, with uncertain control by shamans or sorcerers. |
| Paragraph 5 | The Undead evolved into named entities like vampires and werewolves. |
RC Questions
Ques 9. âIn order to confirm their abnormal status, many of the Undead were often accorded attributes, which defied the natural order of things . . .â Which one of the following best expresses the claim made in this statement?
Ques 10. Which one of the following observations is a valid conclusion to draw from the statement, âFrom out of the primal darkness of Mankindâs earliest years, come whispers of eerie creatures, not quite alive (or alive in a way which we can understand), yet not quite dead either.â?
Ques 11. Which one of the following statements best describes what the passage is about?
Ques 12. All of the following statements, if false, could be seen as being in accordance with the passage, EXCEPT:
