Read the passage and answer the following question
War is a terrible evil. It refers to an armed battle between nations. War causes great suffering to the family members of the people who die during the war. During wars, there is massive destruction of property, wealth, trade, industry, etc. It completely upsets the social life of people.
Peace means complete freedom from disturbance. It refers to those times when there is no war or fight among nations. Once the world starts believing that wars are unnecessary and decides to abolish war completely, they will certainly find a way for peaceful co-existence. A human being’s love for peace is universal. A human being is by nature peaceful. War does not furnish proof of the idea that humans are fighting animals. Even the acts of war have not spoiled the human being’s spontaneous love for peace.
Modern people are threatened by the dreadful inventions of science. But this actual threat is coming not from science but from war, in which the power of science is abused. It is one thing to keep a nation strong and vigorous and save it; it is another thing to infuse a wanton spirit of aggression and destruction into it. The modern nations must truly realize in their heart the full significance of the teaching – ‘For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’ Then and then only shall peace reign in the world.
Why does the writer quote the teaching “they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → To show that those who turn to violence are in the end destroyed by it
To take the sword means to choose fighting and violence.
- To perish means to die or be destroyed.
- So the line says that people who live by violence will be destroyed by violence.
- The writer quotes it as a warning to modern nations. He wants them to give up war, so that peace can rule the world.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: To praise the courage of soldiers who die in battle — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: The line is a warning, not praise. The writer calls war “a terrible evil”.
Option 3: To argue that a nation should not keep an army at all — Incorrect. Contradicted: The writer accepts that a nation must be kept “strong and vigorous”. He is against the spirit of attack and destruction, not against defence.
Option 4: To describe how wars were fought in ancient times — Incorrect. Wrong focus: The line is not about old battles. The writer says “the modern nations” must learn from it.