Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:-
Virtues are the result of repeated actions, as habits lay the foundation of moral excellence. Right from the beginning of their lives, children are taught good habits by their parents and teachers. Magnanimity, helpfulness and sacrifice are great virtues which need to be well cultivated in human beings. Trees give shade for the benefit of others, while they themselves stand enduring the scorching heat of the sun. They selflessly bear the fruit which is consumed by birds, animals and human beings. Rivers travel hundreds of kilometers, irrigating the land and providing water for all living beings. Flowers spread their scent to make the environment pleasant. Nature teaches us to tolerate pain for the sake of service to others. Henna yields its reddish hue when ground into a paste. Sugarcane yields sweet juice when it is pressed. Flowers get pierced through with a needle to embellish us with garlands.
The character of virtuous men and women is also like the above things and elements of Nature. What is the use of this perishable and mortal frame if it is not used for the benefit of others? To live our life only for ourselves is to live like cats and dogs. People who are noble at heart do not abandon human virtues even if they have to lose their lives. A Sanskrit couplet says - "Whether men praise them or no, whether they get riches or no, whether they live long or soon die, the virtuous will never waver from the path of righteousness."
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → The virtuous deviate from their path, if they aren't duly acknowledged.
The Sanskrit couplet at the end of the passage says that whether men praise them or not, whether they get riches or not, the virtuous will never waver from the path of righteousness. To deviate means to turn away from the usual or right path, so the statement that the virtuous deviate when they are not acknowledged is the opposite of what the passage says.
Example: The pilot had to deviate from the planned route because of the storm.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Parents and teachers inculcate good habits in children from the early stages. — Incorrect. To inculcate is to fix an idea or habit in someone's mind by repeated teaching. True in the passage: right from the beginning of their lives children are taught good habits by their parents and teachers.
Example: Good schools try to inculcate a love of reading in their students.
Option 2: There are parallels between the character of virtuous human beings and Nature. — Incorrect. A parallel is a likeness or similarity. True in the passage: the character of virtuous men and women is like the things and elements of Nature.
Option 3: Ethical behaviour is not dependent upon praise or reward. — Incorrect. True in the passage: the couplet says the virtuous keep to the right path whether they are praised or not and whether they get riches or not.