PG TRB ENGLISH ONLINE TEST / QUIZ AS PER LATEST SYLLABUS | Unit I ENGLISH LITERATURE FROM 1400-1600 - Prose - Bacon - Essays - Of Truth, Of Friendship, Of Studies, Of Adversity, Of Revenge and Of Ambition.

PG TRB ENGLISH ONLINE TEST / QUIZ AS PER LATEST SYLLABUS | Unit I ENGLISH LITERATURE FROM 1400-1600 - Prose - Bacon - Essays - Of Truth, Of Friendship, Of Studies, Of Adversity, Of Revenge and Of Ambition.

PG TRB English Quiz: Bacon's Essays

1. "What is Truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer." Which of the following best reflects Bacon's view on this?

• (A) Pilate’s question shows a deep philosophical search for truth.
• (B) Bacon believes Pilate's question highlights the elusive nature of absolute truth.
• (C) The statement suggests that many people are indifferent to finding truth.
• (D) Pilate represents those who are too busy to consider spiritual matters.

Correct Answer: (C) The statement suggests that many people are indifferent to finding truth.

2. According to Bacon in "Of Truth," why do people prefer lies over truth?

• (A) Because lies are often more profitable and less difficult to maintain.
• (B) Lies provide a fleeting, superficial pleasure, like "the sun-beam of a lie."
• (C) Lies are necessary for diplomacy and social interaction.
• (D) The truth is often too painful for the human mind to accept.

Correct Answer: (B) Lies provide a fleeting, superficial pleasure, like "the sun-beam of a lie."

3. What does Bacon mean by "a mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure"?

• (A) A complete lie is more satisfying than a half-truth.
• (B) People are more likely to believe a story if it has a small lie mixed in.
• (C) The imagination finds delight in the embellishment of reality.
• (D) It is a universal human tendency to exaggerate for dramatic effect.

Correct Answer: (C) The imagination finds delight in the embellishment of reality.

4. Bacon compares the search for truth to:

• (A) A hunt in a forest.
• (B) The quest for a hidden treasure.
• (C) A journey to the top of a high hill.
• (D) The act of creating beautiful art.

Correct Answer: (C) A journey to the top of a high hill.

5. Which of the following is NOT a reason Bacon gives for the love of lies?

• (A) The natural corruption of man's will.
• (B) The difficulty and effort involved in finding truth.
• (C) A desire for novelty and change.
• (D) The fear of being proven wrong.

Correct Answer: (D) The fear of being proven wrong.

6. What does Bacon refer to as "the ultimate virtue in human nature"?

• (A) Charity
• (B) Power
• (C) Truth
• (D) Friendship

Correct Answer: (C) Truth

7. Bacon states that "Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god." This sentiment is most closely related to which essay?

• (A) Of Truth
• (B) Of Friendship
• (C) Of Studies
• (D) Of Adversity

Correct Answer: (B) Of Friendship

8. According to Bacon, what is the primary and most immediate benefit of a close friend?

• (A) The ability to receive and share wise counsel.
• (B) The relief of a man's heart by communicating his thoughts.
• (C) The assistance in business and worldly affairs.
• (D) The intellectual stimulation from conversation.

Correct Answer: (B) The relief of a man's heart by communicating his thoughts.

9. What does Bacon mean by "a friend is another I"?

• (A) A friend should be an exact copy of oneself.
• (B) A friend can be a substitute for oneself in business matters.
• (C) The self is incomplete without a friend to reflect it.
• (D) Friendship allows for the expansion of one's mind and soul.

Correct Answer: (B) A friend can be a substitute for oneself in business matters.

10. In "Of Friendship," Bacon mentions three principal fruits of friendship. Which of these is a spiritual fruit?

• (A) The power of good counsel.
• (B) The ability to expand one's influence.
• (C) The solace and ease of one's heart.
• (D) The assistance in managing one's estates.

Correct Answer: (C) The solace and ease of one's heart.

11. Bacon claims that a person without a friend is like:

• (A) A ship without a captain.
• (B) A right hand without a left.
• (C) The left hand, which needs the right for full function.
• (D) A bird with one wing.

Correct Answer: (C) The left hand, which needs the right for full function.

12. The second "fruit" of friendship, according to Bacon, relates to a man's:

• (A) Wealth and prosperity.
• (B) Health and physical well-being.
• (C) Understanding and intellectual growth.
• (D) Reputation and social standing.

Correct Answer: (C) Understanding and intellectual growth.

13. In "Of Studies," Bacon writes that studies serve "for delight, for ornament, and for ability." What does he mean by "for ability"?

• (A) Studies prepare a person to hold public office.
• (B) They help in making sound judgments and managing business.
• (C) They give a person the ability to write poetry and novels.
• (D) They provide a person with a sense of purpose in life.

Correct Answer: (B) They help in making sound judgments and managing business.

14. According to Bacon, some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. What does "to be chewed and digested" mean?

• (A) The books should be read quickly for a general idea.
• (B) They must be read with diligence and deep reflection.
• (C) The books are to be memorized and recited verbatim.
• (D) They are meant for a very small, exclusive audience.

Correct Answer: (B) They must be read with diligence and deep reflection.

15. Bacon's warning against the misuse of studies is that they should not be used "to take a man from his business and his labor." What is the other warning he gives?

• (A) To make a man lazy and inactive.
• (B) To make a man too dependent on books.
• (C) To make a man a "mere pedant" and too argumentative.
• (D) To make a man skeptical of all things.

Correct Answer: (C) To make a man a "mere pedant" and too argumentative.

16. Which of the following statements about different types of studies is TRUE according to Bacon?

• (A) History makes men wise, poets make men witty.
• (B) Logic makes men eloquent, rhetoric makes men deep.
• (C) Natural philosophy makes men moral, mathematics makes men bold.
• (D) Moral philosophy makes men brave, poetry makes men cheerful.

Correct Answer: (A) History makes men wise, poets make men witty.

17. Bacon advises against reading "by a deputy." What does this mean?

• (A) One should not read books on behalf of another person.
• (B) It is wrong to ask someone else to summarize a book for you.
• (C) One should avoid reading books that are not in their native language.
• (D) It is important to read a book in its original form, not a translation.

Correct Answer: (B) It is wrong to ask someone else to summarize a book for you.

18. In "Of Studies," Bacon suggests that if a man's mind "be wandering," what kind of study should he pursue to fix it?

• (A) Poetry
• (B) History
• (C) Mathematics
• (D) Law

Correct Answer: (C) Mathematics

19. Bacon compares prosperity to the Old Testament and adversity to the New Testament. What is the significance of this comparison?

• (A) Prosperity is full of laws, and adversity is full of miracles.
• (B) Prosperity brings forth material rewards, while adversity is a spiritual test.
• (C) The Old Testament is a history of triumph, and the New Testament is a history of suffering.
• (D) Prosperity is full of blessings, but adversity reveals deeper truths.

Correct Answer: (C) The Old Testament is a history of triumph, and the New Testament is a history of suffering.

20. In "Of Adversity," Bacon famously states that "The virtue of prosperity is temperance, the virtue of adversity is..."

• (A) fortitude.
• (B) justice.
• (C) patience.
• (D) piety.

Correct Answer: (A) fortitude.

21. Bacon compares adversity to "a fire," where virtue is like:

• (A) a pot of gold, purified by the heat.
• (B) a rose, which withers under intense heat.
• (C) an incense, which gives off a sweet scent when burned.
• (D) a fragile vase, which cracks under pressure.

Correct Answer: (C) an incense, which gives off a sweet scent when burned.

22. What is the central argument in "Of Adversity"?

• (A) Adversity is a necessary evil that makes us stronger.
• (B) Prosperity is a greater test of a man's character than adversity.
• (C) Adversity reveals a man's true virtue in a way that prosperity cannot.
• (D) Adversity should be avoided at all costs for a peaceful life.

Correct Answer: (C) Adversity reveals a man's true virtue in a way that prosperity cannot.

23. Bacon quotes Seneca to make a point about adversity. The quote is about:

• (A) The difference between a prosperous life and a hard life.
• (B) The distinction between a good man and a bad man.
• (C) The comparison of prosperity and adversity to two different types of music.
• (D) The role of a friend in times of hardship.

Correct Answer: (A) The difference between a prosperous life and a hard life.

24. According to Bacon, "greatness" is "marvellously" revealed in adversity. What does he mean by this?

• (A) Only great men experience true adversity.
• (B) Adversity tests and proves the true character of a great man.
• (C) A man's reputation becomes greater after overcoming adversity.
• (D) Adversity is the only path to achieving greatness.

Correct Answer: (B) Adversity tests and proves the true character of a great man.

25. What is the famous definition of revenge that Bacon gives in his essay?

• (A) "The surest sign of a small mind."
• (B) "A passion that preys upon itself."
• (C) "A wild justice."
• (D) "The satisfaction of a wounded spirit."

Correct Answer: (C) "A wild justice."

26. Why does Bacon consider revenge to be a "wild justice"?

• (A) Because it is a form of justice that is not sanctioned by law and disrupts society.
• (B) Because it is a powerful force that can be used for good or evil.
• (C) Because it is a natural, instinctive human reaction to being wronged.
• (D) Because it is an act of pure, unbridled passion.

Correct Answer: (A) Because it is a form of justice that is not sanctioned by law and disrupts society.

27. Bacon argues that seeking revenge is a sign of a person who is:

• (A) strong and resolute.
• (B) weak and unable to forgive.
• (C) wise and calculating.
• (D) short-sighted and foolish.

Correct Answer: (B) weak and unable to forgive.

28. "Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out." What is the meaning of "weed it out"?

• (A) To make it legal and official.
• (B) To prevent and suppress it.
• (C) To regulate it and make it more controlled.
• (D) To study it scientifically.

Correct Answer: (B) To prevent and suppress it.

29. Bacon makes a distinction between public and private revenge. What is his stance on public revenge?

• (A) It is always justified, while private revenge is not.
• (B) It can be a powerful motivator for political change.
• (C) It is an acceptable form of retribution for an injustice.
• (D) He does not make a clear distinction; all revenge is wild justice.

Correct Answer: (B) It can be a powerful motivator for political change.

30. What is the ultimate advice Bacon gives regarding revenge?

• (A) To forgive and forget, as it is a mark of a virtuous soul.
• (B) To seek legal justice instead of personal retribution.
• (C) To take revenge in a measured and careful manner.
• (D) To remember the wrong but let go of the desire for payback.

Correct Answer: (D) To remember the wrong but let go of the desire for payback.

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