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Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.

Q1. [1] straightforward thorough-understanding
Which of the following best explains why upper-class consumers in Victorian Britain preferred handmade goods over machine-made ones? (A) Machine-made goods were of inferior quality and broke easily (B) Handmade goods signified refinement, exclusivity, and the labour of skilled craftsmen (C) Machines could not yet produce goods in large enough quantities (D) The government imposed restrictions on the sale of machine-made luxury goods
  1. A Machine-made goods were too expensive for regular purchase.
  2. B Handmade goods symbolised refinement and were better finished and individually crafted.
  3. C Machines could not yet produce textiles or consumer goods of any kind.
  4. D The government had banned the sale of machine-made goods within Britain.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 14:58 · grounding rag
Model Answer

(B) Handmade goods symbolised refinement and were better finished, individually crafted.

In Victorian Britain, the upper classes (aristocrats and bourgeoisie) preferred handmade goods because they symbolised refinement and class. These goods were better finished, individually produced, and carefully designed. Machine-made goods were meant for export to the colonies.

Explanation

The textbook (Chapter 4, "Hand Labour and Steam Power") explicitly states: "Handmade products came to symbolise refinement and class. They were better finished, individually produced, and carefully designed." The examiner wants you to identify this social/cultural reason — not quality failure of machines, government restrictions, or production limits. Option B matches the source exactly.

Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.