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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] medium initial-understanding
[mcq] In eighteenth-century Europe, print culture was considered a threat to monarchs and the Church primarily because it — ((A)) made books too expensive for common people to buy ((B)) allowed ideas criticising authority to spread widely and quickly ((C)) replaced oral storytelling in rural areas ((D)) encouraged people to learn Latin instead of local languages
  1. A Printed books were so expensive that only educated elites could buy them, keeping power with intellectuals.
  2. B Books spread Enlightenment ideas of reason and rationality, encouraging people to question traditional authority and the power of rulers.
  3. C Monarchs used the printing press to publish their own laws, making governance more transparent.
  4. D The Church sponsored the printing of books to promote moral education among common people.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:45 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Answer: (B)

Print allowed Enlightenment ideas questioning reason and authority to spread widely, making monarchs and the Church fear loss of control over people's minds.

Source: Religious Debates and the Fear of Print, Chapter 5

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Explanation

The passage directly states that monarchs and religious authorities feared print because it could spread "rebellious and irreligious thoughts," challenging their authority. The key phrase to remember: "Even those who disagreed with established authorities could now print and circulate their ideas." Options A, C, and D contradict the passage — books actually became cheaper, oral culture was incorporated into print (not replaced), and the Church feared print rather than sponsoring it.

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