Direction: Classics are works of enduring excellence, judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality. The world they recreate serves as an anchor to the past, preventing us from deviating too far from the values, traditions and morals that have come to define the best of human society. If making a literary work more ‘current’ involves corrupting it, should we not think twice about doing so? Modern society may already have hit rock bottom, there is no need to dig deeper and erode the little decency that remains. And what is the use of making a classic more ‘accessible’ if it results in losing the subtle charm, appeal, and charisma of the original? If the magic is lost, the young reader today will see little reason to explore the classic anyway. And the claim that the modifications will preserve the original’s beauty doesn’t seem convincing. This is not to say that the classics are devoid of sensuality. However, it is conveyed through subtlety, delicacy and restraint-where what is not said is just as important as what is, and where good taste and decency triumphs over needlessly lurid prose. This is something that society today needs more of meaningful entertainment that broadens the consumer’s horizons and improves his outlook. Otherwise, all sense and sensibility will be gone with the wind!.

Direction: When your coach tells you the intervals to hold in a set, confidence is the belief that you can make the Intervals. When you are at Nationals for the first time and step up on the block for your race, confidence is the belief in your ability to race up to your capabilities. Research on elite athletes across sports suggests that a high level of self-confidence, as well as the ability to maintain that high level over time, is a factor they have in common. The challenge is in figuring out this skill/characteristics can be developed in athletes. Contrary to what most people think,people who have high self-confidence sometimes doubt themselves or their abilities; elite athletes report feelings of apprehension and pressure prior to competition but still perform well. So being confident doesn’t mean the absence of negative thoughts or feelings. Rather, self-confident athletes believe in their ability to perform well despite feelings such as apprehension or doubt

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the questions based on it.
Honest self-criticism plays a vital role to purify our souls and to light the path of blissful success. The Holy Quran says: Truly he has succeeded who purifies it. And Truly, he has failed who defiles it. In fact, self criticism seems like a fairly straight-forward concept. It means acknowledging that we have committed a sin, whether against ourselves or other, be it Our Creator or anyone or anything in creation. For most of us, such a confession is an incredibly tough thing to do. Pride prevents us from owning our faults, especially before people when it is necessary. It behoves us to recall that being honest with ourselves is actually a way to enjoy life, rather than make it tougher. It is a fact that the best way to prevent ourselves from committing haram acts is to really investigate whether or not such activities are permissible in Islam and to refrain from doing them if they are not permissible