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UPSC CSE CSAT 2021 · Paper II (CSAT) · Question 73 · Reading comprehension

निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सी आदत अच्छे लोगों में बहुधा पाई जाती है ?

UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2021, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Question 73 — Reading comprehension.

परिच्छेद – 2

“....... अधिकांश लोग सहमत होंगे कि शायद ऐसी कुछ विशेष परिस्थितियों को छोड़कर, जहाँ सत्य बोलने से अधिक हानि होगी, जान-बूझकर असत्य बोलना ग़लत है । यहाँ तक कि सर्वाधिक सत्यवादी लोग संभवतः बहुत सारे असत्य बोलते हैं, जिन्हें अर्थ-विषयक (सिमेंटिक) असत्य माना जा सकता है; उनके शब्द-प्रयोग में कुछ मात्रा में असत्य होता है, जो कमोबेश सोचा-समझा होता है ।”

CSAT 2021 · Q73

Reading comprehension X-Ray · Core #3 Medium

निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सी आदत अच्छे लोगों में बहुधा पाई जाती है ?

Read this question in English

Which one of the following habits is found more often in good people?

(a) Mixing up the true and false · (b) Intentional mixing up of truth with the false · (c) Falsification of facts · (d) Complete concealment of truth

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (b) सत्य को असत्य के साथ साभिप्राय मिश्रित करना

Even the most truthful people tell 'semantic lies': their words carry 'some measure of falsehood, more or less deliberate'. So the habit found in good people is a knowing blend of truth with falsehood — not outright falsification or concealment.

  • ✗ (a) Mixing does happen, but the passage adds that it is 'more or less deliberate'; this option leaves out the intent that (b) captures.
  • ✓ (b) Semantic lies contain 'some measure of falsehood, more or less deliberate' — an intentional mixing of truth with falsehood.
  • ✗ (c) Falsifying facts is outright lying, which the passage says most people consider wrong.
  • ✗ (d) Complete concealment is not mentioned; semantic lies carry only 'some measure' of falsehood.

Remember · Match every qualifier in the text — here 'some measure' (mixing, not total) and 'deliberate' (intentional).

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

Cite this question: UPSC CSE CSAT 2021, Q73 — minimalistias.com/pyqs/csat/2021/q73

In the UPSC syllabus: Reading comprehension › Facts & details from the passage See it and tick it covered →

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