All Exams >
DSSSB TGT/PGT/PRT >
English Language for Teaching Exams >
All Questions
All questions of Comprehension for DSSSB TGT/PGT/PRT Exam
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.A man with moral courage can- a)defy his enemies
- b)overcome all difficulties
- c)face a situation boldly
- d)be very pragmatic
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.
I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.
A man with moral courage can
a)
defy his enemies
b)
overcome all difficulties
c)
face a situation boldly
d)
be very pragmatic
|
Ishita Reddy answered |
In the passage, the author talks about the courage, which are of two types physical courage and moral courage.
The author have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.
It means, a person with moral courage can face situations boldly.
The author have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.
It means, a person with moral courage can face situations boldly.
Can you explain the answer of this question below:He saw nothing, he had no knife or sharp instrument, the grating of the window was of iron and he had too often assured himself of its solidity. His furniture consisted of a bed, a chair, a table, a pail, and a jug. The bed had iron clamps, but they were screwed to the wall and it would have required a screwdriver to take them off.
Dantes had but one resource which was to break the jug and with one of the sharp fragments attack the wall. He left the jug fall on the floor and it broke in pieces. He concealed two or three of the sharpest fragments in his bed, leaving the rest on the floor. The breaking of the jug was too natural an accident to excite suspicion, and next morning gaoler went grumblingly to fetch another, without giving himself the trouble to remove the fragments. Dantes heard joyfully the key grate in the lock as guard departed.
Dantes heard the key grate in the lock when the
- A:
cell door was shut
- B:
cell door was opened
- C:
storeroom was opened
- D:
storeroom was shut
The answer is D.
He saw nothing, he had no knife or sharp instrument, the grating of the window was of iron and he had too often assured himself of its solidity. His furniture consisted of a bed, a chair, a table, a pail, and a jug. The bed had iron clamps, but they were screwed to the wall and it would have required a screwdriver to take them off.
Dantes had but one resource which was to break the jug and with one of the sharp fragments attack the wall. He left the jug fall on the floor and it broke in pieces. He concealed two or three of the sharpest fragments in his bed, leaving the rest on the floor. The breaking of the jug was too natural an accident to excite suspicion, and next morning gaoler went grumblingly to fetch another, without giving himself the trouble to remove the fragments. Dantes heard joyfully the key grate in the lock as guard departed.
Dantes heard the key grate in the lock when the
cell door was shut
cell door was opened
storeroom was opened
storeroom was shut
|
Mohammad Faizi Rehman answered |
Answer should be A.
How come we know it was a storeroom.
How come we know it was a storeroom.
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.All virtues become meaningful because of- a)faith
- b)charity
- c)courage
- d)hope
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.
I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.
All virtues become meaningful because of
a)
faith
b)
charity
c)
courage
d)
hope
|
Meera Rana answered |
The given passage speaks about moral courage and physical courage, and how important they are. "All virtues become meaningful because of courage", without which those virtues aren't virtues at all. The answer is option C as it's given in the first two lines of the passage "Courage is not only the basis of all virtue; it is its expression. Faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them." These lines state that courage is the basis of all virtues, and a virtue is meaningful only when you have courage to exercise that virtue.
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly. A man of courage is- a)cunning
- b)intelligent
- c)curious
- d)careful
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.
I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.
A man of courage is
a)
cunning
b)
intelligent
c)
curious
d)
careful
|
Alok Verma answered |
The author believes that the men who have moral courage are careful and has a reasoning attitude towards the general aspects of life like carrer, happiness, his whole future or his judgement. Therefore option D is correct.
In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.The passage suggests that- a)health is an end in itself
- b)health is blessing
- c)health is only means to an end
- d)we should not talk about health
Correct answer is 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.
The passage suggests that
a)
health is an end in itself
b)
health is blessing
c)
health is only means to an end
d)
we should not talk about health
|
Kavya Saxena answered |
The passage suggests that “health is only means to an end.”
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.The Second Hand September campaign, led by Oxfam . . . seeks to encourage shopping at local organisations and charities as alternatives to fast fashion brands such as Primark and Boohoo in the name of saving our planet. As innocent as mindless scrolling through online shops may seem, such consumers are unintentionally—or perhaps even knowingly —contributing to an industry that uses more energy than aviation. . . .Brits buy more garments than any other country in Europe, so it comes as no shock that many of those clothes end up in UK landfills each year: 300,000 tonnes of them, to be exact. This waste of clothing is destructive to our planet, releasing greenhouse gasses as clothes are burnt as well as bleeding toxins and dyes into the surrounding soil and water. As ecologist Chelsea Rochman bluntly put it, “The mismanagement of our waste has even come back to haunt us on our dinner plate.”It’s not surprising, then, that people are scrambling for a solution, the most common of which is second-hand shopping. Retailers selling consigned clothing are currently expanding at a rapid rate . . . If everyone bought just one used item in a year, it would save 449 million lbs of waste, equivalent to the weight of 1 million Polar bears. “Thrifting” has increasingly become a trendy practice. London is home to many second-hand, or more commonly coined ‘vintage’, shops across the city from Bayswater to Brixton.So you’re cool and you care about the planet; you’ve killed two birds with one stone. But do people simply purchase a second-hand item, flash it on Instagram with #vintage and call it a day without considering whether what they are doing is actually effective?According to a study commissioned by Patagonia, for instance, older clothes shed more microfibres. These can end up in our rivers and seas after just one wash due to the worn material, thus contributing to microfibre pollution. To break it down, the amount of microfibres released by laundering 100,000 fleece jackets is equivalent to as many as 11,900 plastic grocery bags, and up to 40 per cent of that ends up in our oceans. . . . So where does this leave second-hand consumers? [They would be well advised to buy] high-quality items that shed less and last longer [as this] combats both microfibre pollution and excess garments ending up in landfills. . . .Luxury brands would rather not circulate their latest season stock around the globe to be sold at a cheaper price, which is why companies like ThredUP, a US fashion resale marketplace, have not yet caught on in the UK. There will always be a market for consignment but there is also a whole generation of people who have been taught that only buying new products is the norm; second-hand luxury goods are not in their psyche. Ben Whitaker, director at Liquidation Firm B-Stock, told Prospect that unless recycling becomes cost-effective and filters into mass production, with the right technology to partner it, “high-end retailers would rather put brand before sustainability.”Based on the passage, we can infer that the opposite of fast fashion, ‘slow fashion’, would most likely refer to clothes that:- a)Are of high quality and long lasting.
- b)Do not bleed toxins and dyes.
- c)Are sold by genuine vintage stores.
- d)Do not shed microfibres.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
The Second Hand September campaign, led by Oxfam . . . seeks to encourage shopping at local organisations and charities as alternatives to fast fashion brands such as Primark and Boohoo in the name of saving our planet. As innocent as mindless scrolling through online shops may seem, such consumers are unintentionally—or perhaps even knowingly —contributing to an industry that uses more energy than aviation. . . .
Brits buy more garments than any other country in Europe, so it comes as no shock that many of those clothes end up in UK landfills each year: 300,000 tonnes of them, to be exact. This waste of clothing is destructive to our planet, releasing greenhouse gasses as clothes are burnt as well as bleeding toxins and dyes into the surrounding soil and water. As ecologist Chelsea Rochman bluntly put it, “The mismanagement of our waste has even come back to haunt us on our dinner plate.”
It’s not surprising, then, that people are scrambling for a solution, the most common of which is second-hand shopping. Retailers selling consigned clothing are currently expanding at a rapid rate . . . If everyone bought just one used item in a year, it would save 449 million lbs of waste, equivalent to the weight of 1 million Polar bears. “Thrifting” has increasingly become a trendy practice. London is home to many second-hand, or more commonly coined ‘vintage’, shops across the city from Bayswater to Brixton.
So you’re cool and you care about the planet; you’ve killed two birds with one stone. But do people simply purchase a second-hand item, flash it on Instagram with #vintage and call it a day without considering whether what they are doing is actually effective?
According to a study commissioned by Patagonia, for instance, older clothes shed more microfibres. These can end up in our rivers and seas after just one wash due to the worn material, thus contributing to microfibre pollution. To break it down, the amount of microfibres released by laundering 100,000 fleece jackets is equivalent to as many as 11,900 plastic grocery bags, and up to 40 per cent of that ends up in our oceans. . . . So where does this leave second-hand consumers? [They would be well advised to buy] high-quality items that shed less and last longer [as this] combats both microfibre pollution and excess garments ending up in landfills. . . .
Luxury brands would rather not circulate their latest season stock around the globe to be sold at a cheaper price, which is why companies like ThredUP, a US fashion resale marketplace, have not yet caught on in the UK. There will always be a market for consignment but there is also a whole generation of people who have been taught that only buying new products is the norm; second-hand luxury goods are not in their psyche. Ben Whitaker, director at Liquidation Firm B-Stock, told Prospect that unless recycling becomes cost-effective and filters into mass production, with the right technology to partner it, “high-end retailers would rather put brand before sustainability.”
Based on the passage, we can infer that the opposite of fast fashion, ‘slow fashion’, would most likely refer to clothes that:
a)
Are of high quality and long lasting.
b)
Do not bleed toxins and dyes.
c)
Are sold by genuine vintage stores.
d)
Do not shed microfibres.
|
Moumita Sen answered |
Explanation:
There are several key points in the passage that can help us infer the opposite of fast fashion, which is 'slow fashion':
- High quality and long lasting: Slow fashion refers to clothing that is made to be durable, timeless, and of high quality. This is in direct contrast to fast fashion, which produces cheap, trendy clothes that are meant to be disposable after a few wears.
- Focus on sustainability: Slow fashion aims to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry by promoting practices such as recycling, upcycling, and using eco-friendly materials. This is evident in the passage's emphasis on buying second-hand items, which helps combat waste and pollution.
- Avoiding microfiber shedding: Slow fashion garments are designed to shed less microfibers, which can contribute to pollution in oceans and rivers. This contrasts with fast fashion items, which are often made from synthetic materials that shed microfibers easily.
Therefore, based on the information provided in the passage, we can infer that the opposite of fast fashion, 'slow fashion', would most likely refer to clothes that are of high quality, long lasting, sustainable, and do not shed microfibers.
There are several key points in the passage that can help us infer the opposite of fast fashion, which is 'slow fashion':
- High quality and long lasting: Slow fashion refers to clothing that is made to be durable, timeless, and of high quality. This is in direct contrast to fast fashion, which produces cheap, trendy clothes that are meant to be disposable after a few wears.
- Focus on sustainability: Slow fashion aims to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry by promoting practices such as recycling, upcycling, and using eco-friendly materials. This is evident in the passage's emphasis on buying second-hand items, which helps combat waste and pollution.
- Avoiding microfiber shedding: Slow fashion garments are designed to shed less microfibers, which can contribute to pollution in oceans and rivers. This contrasts with fast fashion items, which are often made from synthetic materials that shed microfibers easily.
Therefore, based on the information provided in the passage, we can infer that the opposite of fast fashion, 'slow fashion', would most likely refer to clothes that are of high quality, long lasting, sustainable, and do not shed microfibers.
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.Physical courage is an expression of- a)emotions
- b)deliberation
- c)uncertainty
- d)defiance
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.
I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.
Physical courage is an expression of
a)
emotions
b)
deliberation
c)
uncertainty
d)
defiance
|
Impact Learning answered |
This line describes "an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage"
Physical courage is an expression of emotions.
Physical courage is an expression of emotions.
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.While talking to an uneducated person, we should use- a)ordinary speech
- b)his vocabulary
- c)simple words
- d)
polite language
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.
While talking to an uneducated person, we should use
a)
ordinary speech
b)
his vocabulary
c)
simple words
d)
polite language
|
|
Ishita Reddy answered |
The passage tells us that we should handle the gift of speech carefully. While talking to another person we should use the speech he is most familiar with. In the case of an uneducated person also we should use the vocabulary he is most familiar with because "the ordinary speech of an educated man may strike an uneducated listener as pompous."
Practice Quiz or MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) with solutions are available for Practice, which would help you prepare for "Comprehension" under Verbal Aptitude. You can practice these practice quizzes as per your speed and improvise the topic. The same topic is covered under various competitive examinations like - CAT, GMAT, Bank PO, SSC and other competitive examinations.Q.In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.Modern medicine is primarily concerned with- a)promotion of good health
- b)people suffering from imaginary illness
- c)people suffering from real illness
- d)increased efficiency in work
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Practice Quiz or MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) with solutions are available for Practice, which would help you prepare for "Comprehension" under Verbal Aptitude. You can practice these practice quizzes as per your speed and improvise the topic. The same topic is covered under various competitive examinations like - CAT, GMAT, Bank PO, SSC and other competitive examinations.
Q.
In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.
Modern medicine is primarily concerned with
a)
promotion of good health
b)
people suffering from imaginary illness
c)
people suffering from real illness
d)
increased efficiency in work
|
Wizius Careers answered |
‘A lot of modern medicine, and this includes many patients as well as many physicians, pays very little attention to health but a lot of attention to those who imagine that they are ill.'
Practice Quiz or MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) with solutions are available for Practice, which would help you prepare for "Comprehension" under Verbal Aptitude. You can practice these practice quizzes as per your speed and improvise the topic. The same topic is covered under various competitive examinations like - CAT, GMAT, Bank PO, SSC and other competitive examinationsQ. He saw nothing, he had no knife or sharp instrument, the grating of the window was of iron and he had too often assured himself of its solidity. His furniture consisted of a bed, a chair, a table, a pail, and a jug. The bed had iron clamps, but they were screwed to the wall and it would have required a screwdriver to take them off.Dantes had but one resource which was to break the jug and with one of the sharp fragments attack the wall. He left the jug fall on the floor and it broke in pieces. He concealed two or three of the sharpest fragments in his bed, leaving the rest on the floor. The breaking of the jug was too natural an accident to excite suspicion, and next morning gaoler went grumblingly to fetch another, without giving himself the trouble to remove the fragments. Dantes heard joyfully the key grate in the lock as guard departed.Dantes was in- a)a hostel
- b)a dining room
- c)an army barracks
- d)a prison
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Practice Quiz or MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) with solutions are available for Practice, which would help you prepare for "Comprehension" under Verbal Aptitude. You can practice these practice quizzes as per your speed and improvise the topic. The same topic is covered under various competitive examinations like - CAT, GMAT, Bank PO, SSC and other competitive examinations
Q.
He saw nothing, he had no knife or sharp instrument, the grating of the window was of iron and he had too often assured himself of its solidity. His furniture consisted of a bed, a chair, a table, a pail, and a jug. The bed had iron clamps, but they were screwed to the wall and it would have required a screwdriver to take them off.
Dantes had but one resource which was to break the jug and with one of the sharp fragments attack the wall. He left the jug fall on the floor and it broke in pieces. He concealed two or three of the sharpest fragments in his bed, leaving the rest on the floor. The breaking of the jug was too natural an accident to excite suspicion, and next morning gaoler went grumblingly to fetch another, without giving himself the trouble to remove the fragments. Dantes heard joyfully the key grate in the lock as guard departed.
Dantes was in
a)
a hostel
b)
a dining room
c)
an army barracks
d)
a prison
|
|
Meera Rana answered |
In the passage, it has been talked about the bed had iron clamps, but they were screwed to the wall and it would have required a screwdriver to take them off.
i.e. attached bed means jailer and the word Gaoler has the same meaning.
So the answer is prison.
i.e. attached bed means jailer and the word Gaoler has the same meaning.
So the answer is prison.
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield. Now it is disintegrating, destroyed by a mix of hubris and internal contradictions, according to Patrick Deneen, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame. . . . Equality of opportunity has produced a new meritocratic aristocracy that has all the aloofness of the old aristocracy with none of its sense of noblesse oblige. Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd. And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery. “The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry” is now so wide that “the lie can no longer be accepted,” Mr Deneen writes. What better proof of this than the vision of 1,000 private planes whisking their occupants to Davos to discuss the question of “creating a shared future in a fragmented world”? . . .Deneen does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing leftwing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness. But when he concludes that all this adds up to a failure of liberalism, is his argument convincing? . . . He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties. . . . liberals experimented with a range of ideas from devolving power from the centre to creating national education systems.Mr Deneen’s fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalism’s ability to reform itself and address its internal problems. The late 19th century saw America suffering from many of the problems that are reappearing today, including the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies, the corruption of politics and the sense that society was dividing into winners and losers. But a wide variety of reformers, working within the liberal tradition, tackled these problems head on. Theodore Roosevelt took on the trusts. Progressives cleaned up government corruption. University reformers modernised academic syllabuses and built ladders of opportunity. Rather than dying, liberalism reformed itself.Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal. He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial. The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options. But he is wrong to argue that the only way for people to liberate themselves from the contradictions of liberalism is “liberation from liberalism itself”. The best way to read “Why Liberalism Failed” is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else.All of the following statements are evidence of the decline of liberalism today, EXCEPT:- a)“And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery.”
- b)“. . . the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies . . .”
- c)“Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd.”
- d)“‘The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry’ is now so wide that ‘the lie can no longer be accepted,’. . .”
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield. Now it is disintegrating, destroyed by a mix of hubris and internal contradictions, according to Patrick Deneen, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame. . . . Equality of opportunity has produced a new meritocratic aristocracy that has all the aloofness of the old aristocracy with none of its sense of noblesse oblige. Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd. And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery. “The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry” is now so wide that “the lie can no longer be accepted,” Mr Deneen writes. What better proof of this than the vision of 1,000 private planes whisking their occupants to Davos to discuss the question of “creating a shared future in a fragmented world”? . . .
Deneen does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing leftwing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness. But when he concludes that all this adds up to a failure of liberalism, is his argument convincing? . . . He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties. . . . liberals experimented with a range of ideas from devolving power from the centre to creating national education systems.
Mr Deneen’s fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalism’s ability to reform itself and address its internal problems. The late 19th century saw America suffering from many of the problems that are reappearing today, including the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies, the corruption of politics and the sense that society was dividing into winners and losers. But a wide variety of reformers, working within the liberal tradition, tackled these problems head on. Theodore Roosevelt took on the trusts. Progressives cleaned up government corruption. University reformers modernised academic syllabuses and built ladders of opportunity. Rather than dying, liberalism reformed itself.
Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal. He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial. The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options. But he is wrong to argue that the only way for people to liberate themselves from the contradictions of liberalism is “liberation from liberalism itself”. The best way to read “Why Liberalism Failed” is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else.
All of the following statements are evidence of the decline of liberalism today, EXCEPT:
a)
“And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery.”
b)
“. . . the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies . . .”
c)
“Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd.”
d)
“‘The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry’ is now so wide that ‘the lie can no longer be accepted,’. . .”
|
EduRev GMAT answered |
- All the options, other than A, are direct signs of declining or ineffective liberalism.
- Option B: Creation of business aristocracy, the author in the first paragraph says that liberalism promoted a meritocratic aristocracy and then went ahead to argue why the meritocratic aristocracy is not a good replacement of the old aristocracy. Creation of a business aristocracy and the rise of vast companies are against the ideals of liberalism.
- Option C: Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd, this clearly shows the non-functionality of liberalism and is a pretty valid argument for the decline of liberalism.
- Option D: The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry’ is now so wide that ‘the lie can no longer be accepted, this lines says that the gap between want liberalism asked us to do and what is actually different are two very different thing. This too can be an evidence of liberalism's decline.
- Option A: And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery, while this line does talk about the technological advancement in a negative sense, it does not necessarily provide evidence of the decline of liberalism per se. Instead, it highlights a potential consequence or critique within the context of technological advances. The negative impact of technology on certain types of work might be seen as a challenge that needs to be addressed within the liberal framework rather than direct evidence of the decline of liberalism.
- The same challenge could be seen at a time when liberalism was prospering and thus is not an evidence of its decline.
Those who opine lose their impunity when the circumstances in which they pontificate are such that generate from their expression a positive instigation of some mischievous act. An opinion that corn dealers are starvers of the poor, or that owning private property is robbery, ought to be unmolested when simply circulated through the press, but may justly incur punishment when delivered orally to an excited mob assembled before the house of a corn dealer, or when handed about among the same mob in the form of a placard. Acts, of whatever kind, which without justifiable cause do harm to others, may be, and in the more important cases are absolutely required to be, controlled by the unfavourable sentiments, and, when needful, by the active interference of mankind. The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people. But if he refrains from molesting others in matters that concern them, and merely acts according to his own inclination and judgment in matters which concern himself he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost. As it is useful that while mankind are imperfect there should be different opinions, so it is that there should be different experiments of living, that free scope should be given to varieties of character, short of injury to others, and that the worth of different modes of life should be proved practically, when anyone thinks fit to try them. Where not the person‘s own character but the traditions and customs of other people are the rule of conduct, there is wanting one of the principal ingredients of individual and social progress. It would be absurd to pretend that people ought to live as if nothing whatever had been known in the world before they came into it; as if experience had as yet done nothing toward showing that one mode of existence, or of conduct, is preferable to another. Nobody denies that people should be so taught and trained in youth as to know and benefit by the ascertained results of human experience. But it is the privilege and proper condition of a human being, arrived at the maturity of his faculties, to use and interpret experience in his own way. It is for him to find out what part of recorded experience is properly applicable to his own circumstances and character. The traditions and customs of other people are, to a certain extent, evidence of what their experience has taught them—presumptive evidence, and as such, have a claim to his deference—but, in the first place, their experience may be too narrow, or they may have not interpreted it rightly. Secondly, their interpretation of experience may be correct, but unsuited to him. Customs are made for customary circumstances and customary characters, and his circumstances or his character may be uncustomary. Thirdly, though the customs be both good as customs and suitable to him, yet to conform to custom merely as custom does not educate him or develop in him any of the qualities which are the distinctive endowments of a human being. He gains no practice either in discerning or desiring what is best. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ.The author holds that one should not necessarily defer to the traditions and customs of other people. The author supports his position by arguing that: I. traditions and customs are usually the result of misinterpreted experiences. II. customs are based on experiences in the past, which are different from modern experiences.III. customs can stifle one‘s individual development. - a)II only
- b)III only
- c)I and III only
- d)II and III only
- e)None of the above
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Those who opine lose their impunity when the circumstances in which they pontificate are such that generate from their expression a positive instigation of some mischievous act. An opinion that corn dealers are starvers of the poor, or that owning private property is robbery, ought to be unmolested when simply circulated through the press, but may justly incur punishment when delivered orally to an excited mob assembled before the house of a corn dealer, or when handed about among the same mob in the form of a placard. Acts, of whatever kind, which without justifiable cause do harm to others, may be, and in the more important cases are absolutely required to be, controlled by the unfavourable sentiments, and, when needful, by the active interference of mankind. The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people. But if he refrains from molesting others in matters that concern them, and merely acts according to his own inclination and judgment in matters which concern himself he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost. As it is useful that while mankind are imperfect there should be different opinions, so it is that there should be different experiments of living, that free scope should be given to varieties of character, short of injury to others, and that the worth of different modes of life should be proved practically, when anyone thinks fit to try them. Where not the person‘s own character but the traditions and customs of other people are the rule of conduct, there is wanting one of the principal ingredients of individual and social progress.
It would be absurd to pretend that people ought to live as if nothing whatever had been known in the world before they came into it; as if experience had as yet done nothing toward showing that one mode of existence, or of conduct, is preferable to another. Nobody denies that people should be so taught and trained in youth as to know and benefit by the ascertained results of human experience. But it is the privilege and proper condition of a human being, arrived at the maturity of his faculties, to use and interpret experience in his own way. It is for him to find out what part of recorded experience is properly applicable to his own circumstances and character. The traditions and customs of other people are, to a certain extent, evidence of what their experience has taught them—presumptive evidence, and as such, have a claim to his deference—but, in the first place, their experience may be too narrow, or they may have not interpreted it rightly. Secondly, their interpretation of experience may be correct, but unsuited to him. Customs are made for customary circumstances and customary characters, and his circumstances or his character may be uncustomary. Thirdly, though the customs be both good as customs and suitable to him, yet to conform to custom merely as custom does not educate him or develop in him any of the qualities which are the distinctive endowments of a human being. He gains no practice either in discerning or desiring what is best.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q.The author holds that one should not necessarily defer to the traditions and customs of other people. The author supports his position by arguing that:
I. traditions and customs are usually the result of misinterpreted experiences.
II. customs are based on experiences in the past, which are different from modern experiences.
III. customs can stifle one‘s individual development.
a)
II only
b)
III only
c)
I and III only
d)
II and III only
e)
None of the above
|
|
Moumita Rane answered |
Mapping the Passage:
¶1 (first half) introduces the limits that should be placed on expression of opinions.
¶1 (second half) argues that differences of opinions are necessary.
¶2 offers three reasons why individual opinions are necessary to personal growth.
¶1 (first half) introduces the limits that should be placed on expression of opinions.
¶1 (second half) argues that differences of opinions are necessary.
¶2 offers three reasons why individual opinions are necessary to personal growth.
Use your reasoning from the last question to help yourself with this one. Remember to eliminate answer choices as you either select or eliminate Roman numerals. RN III is in three choices, so look there first. The author argues that customs aren‘t always good, and therefore can stifle growth. RN III is correct. Eliminate (A). Next to RN II: it also contradicts the author‘s argument that customs can be useful. By default, the answer must be (B), but check RN I to be sure. The author defends the general usefulness of customs. While sometimes experiences are misinterpreted, there‘s nothing to indicate that the usually are, which knocks RN I out immediately. RN II.
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.People with physical courage of ten lack- a)mental balance
- b)capacity for reasoning
- c)emotional stability
- d)will to fight
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Courage is not only the basis of virtue; it is its expression. faith, hope, charity and all the rest don't become virtues until it takes courage to exercise them. There are roughly two types of courage. the first an emotional state which urges a man to risk injury or death, is physical courage. The second, more reasoning attitude which enables him to take coolly his career, happiness, his whole future or his judgement of what he thinks either right or worthwhile, is moral courage.
I have known many men, who had marked physical courage, but lacked moral courage. Some of them were in high places, but they failed to be great in themselves because they lacked moral courage. On the other hand I have seen men who undoubtedly possessed moral courage but were very cautious about taking physical risks. But I have never met a man with moral courage who couldn't, when it was really necessary, face a situation boldly.
People with physical courage of ten lack
a)
mental balance
b)
capacity for reasoning
c)
emotional stability
d)
will to fight
|
Christiana Oby answered |
B
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.A 'slip of the tongue' means something said- a)
wrongly by choice - b)unintentionally
- c)without giving proper thought
- d)to hurt another person
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.
A 'slip of the tongue' means something said
a)
wrongly by choice
b)
unintentionally
c)
without giving proper thought
d)
to hurt another person
|
Geetika Chopra answered |
The sentence in the passage is "A 'slip of the tongue', the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. ".
So, the term 'slip of tongue' is came with such things having similar meaning of lack of proper thought.
So, the term 'slip of tongue' is came with such things having similar meaning of lack of proper thought.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:Once surrounded and protected by vast wilderness, many of the national parks are adversely affected by activities outside their boundaries. The National Park Organic Act established the national park system and empowered the Secretary of the Interior to manage activities within the parks. Conditions outside park boundaries are not subject to regulation by the Park Service unless they involve the direct use of park resources.Several approaches to protecting the national parks from external degradation have been proposed, such as one focusing on enacting federal legislation granting the National Park Service broader powers over lands adjacent to the national parks. Legislation addressing external threats to the national parks twice passed the House of Representatives but died without action in the Senate. Also brought to the table as a possible remedy is giving the states bordering the parks a significant and meaningful role in developing federal park management policy.Because the livelihood of many citizens is linked to the management of national parks, local politicians often encourage state involvement in federal planning. But, state legislatures have not always addressed the fundamental policy issues of whether states should protect park wildlife.Timber harvesting, ranching and energy exploration compete with wildlife within the local ecosystem. Priorities among different land uses are not generally established by current legislation. Additionally, often no mechanism exists to coordinate planning by the state environmental regulatory agencies. These factors limit the impact of legislation aimed at protecting park wildlife and the larger park ecosystem.Even if these deficiencies can be overcome, state participation must be consistent with existing federal legislation. States lack jurisdiction within national parks themselves, and therefore state solutions cannot reach activities inside the parks, thus limiting state action to the land adjacent to the national parks. Under the supremacy clause, federal laws and regulations supersede state action if state law conflicts with federal legislation, if Congress precludes local regulation, or if federal regulation is so pervasive that no room remains for state control. Assuming that federal regulations leave open the possibility of state control, state participation in policy making must be harmonized with existing federal legislation.The residents of states bordering national parks are affected by park management policies. They in turn affect the success of those policies. This interrelationship must be considered in responding to the external threats problem. Local participation is necessary in deciding how to protect park wildlife. Local interests should not, however, dictate national policy, nor should they be used as a pretext to ignore the threats to park regions. What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage? - a)Argue that rampant timber harvesting is degrading national parks.
- b)Describe a plan of action to resolve an issue.
- c)Discuss different approaches to dealing with a problem.
- d)Suggest that local participation is necessary to solve the problem described.
- e)To assert that national parks are adversely affected by activities outside their boundaries.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
Once surrounded and protected by vast wilderness, many of the national parks are adversely affected by activities outside their boundaries. The National Park Organic Act established the national park system and empowered the Secretary of the Interior to manage activities within the parks. Conditions outside park boundaries are not subject to regulation by the Park Service unless they involve the direct use of park resources.
Several approaches to protecting the national parks from external degradation have been proposed, such as one focusing on enacting federal legislation granting the National Park Service broader powers over lands adjacent to the national parks. Legislation addressing external threats to the national parks twice passed the House of Representatives but died without action in the Senate. Also brought to the table as a possible remedy is giving the states bordering the parks a significant and meaningful role in developing federal park management policy.
Because the livelihood of many citizens is linked to the management of national parks, local politicians often encourage state involvement in federal planning. But, state legislatures have not always addressed the fundamental policy issues of whether states should protect park wildlife.
Timber harvesting, ranching and energy exploration compete with wildlife within the local ecosystem. Priorities among different land uses are not generally established by current legislation. Additionally, often no mechanism exists to coordinate planning by the state environmental regulatory agencies. These factors limit the impact of legislation aimed at protecting park wildlife and the larger park ecosystem.
Even if these deficiencies can be overcome, state participation must be consistent with existing federal legislation. States lack jurisdiction within national parks themselves, and therefore state solutions cannot reach activities inside the parks, thus limiting state action to the land adjacent to the national parks. Under the supremacy clause, federal laws and regulations supersede state action if state law conflicts with federal legislation, if Congress precludes local regulation, or if federal regulation is so pervasive that no room remains for state control. Assuming that federal regulations leave open the possibility of state control, state participation in policy making must be harmonized with existing federal legislation.
The residents of states bordering national parks are affected by park management policies. They in turn affect the success of those policies. This interrelationship must be considered in responding to the external threats problem. Local participation is necessary in deciding how to protect park wildlife. Local interests should not, however, dictate national policy, nor should they be used as a pretext to ignore the threats to park regions.
What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage?
a)
Argue that rampant timber harvesting is degrading national parks.
b)
Describe a plan of action to resolve an issue.
c)
Discuss different approaches to dealing with a problem.
d)
Suggest that local participation is necessary to solve the problem described.
e)
To assert that national parks are adversely affected by activities outside their boundaries.
|
Aditi Kaur answered |
Main Purpose of the Passage
The primary aim of the author in writing the passage is to explore various approaches to addressing the challenges faced by national parks due to external threats.
Supporting Points
- External Threats to National Parks: The passage begins by highlighting how activities outside park boundaries adversely affect national parks, establishing the context for discussing potential solutions.
- Proposed Solutions: The author mentions several strategies to protect national parks, including:
- Enacting federal legislation to grant the National Park Service broader powers over adjacent lands.
- Involving bordering states in the development of federal park management policy.
- Legislative Challenges: The text notes that proposed legislation has faced hurdles, such as passing the House but stalling in the Senate, showcasing the complexities of enacting change.
- Local vs. National Interests: The author emphasizes the need for local participation in decision-making while cautioning against allowing local interests to dominate national policy.
- Interrelationship of Stakeholders: The passage underscores the interconnectedness of park management policies and local community interests, indicating that effective solutions require collaboration and consideration of various stakeholders.
Conclusion
By discussing multiple approaches and their implications, the author effectively illustrates the complexity of the issue and the need for a multifaceted approach to protect national parks from external degradation. Thus, option 'C' is the most accurate representation of the passage's main purpose.
The primary aim of the author in writing the passage is to explore various approaches to addressing the challenges faced by national parks due to external threats.
Supporting Points
- External Threats to National Parks: The passage begins by highlighting how activities outside park boundaries adversely affect national parks, establishing the context for discussing potential solutions.
- Proposed Solutions: The author mentions several strategies to protect national parks, including:
- Enacting federal legislation to grant the National Park Service broader powers over adjacent lands.
- Involving bordering states in the development of federal park management policy.
- Legislative Challenges: The text notes that proposed legislation has faced hurdles, such as passing the House but stalling in the Senate, showcasing the complexities of enacting change.
- Local vs. National Interests: The author emphasizes the need for local participation in decision-making while cautioning against allowing local interests to dominate national policy.
- Interrelationship of Stakeholders: The passage underscores the interconnectedness of park management policies and local community interests, indicating that effective solutions require collaboration and consideration of various stakeholders.
Conclusion
By discussing multiple approaches and their implications, the author effectively illustrates the complexity of the issue and the need for a multifaceted approach to protect national parks from external degradation. Thus, option 'C' is the most accurate representation of the passage's main purpose.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:Henry Varnum Poor, editor of American Railroad Journal, drew the important elements of the image of the railroad together in 1851, ―Look at the results of this material progress, the vigor, life, and executive energy that followed in its train, rapidly succeeded by wealth, the refinement and intellectual culture of a high civilization. All this is typified, in a degree, by a locomotive. The combination in its construction of nice art and scientific application of power, its speed surpassing that of our proudest courser, and its immense strength, are all characteristic of our age and tendencies. To us, like the telegraph, it is essential, it constitutes a part of our nature, is a condition of our being what we are.In the third decade of the nineteenth century, Americans began to define their character in light of the new railroads. They liked the idea that it took special people to foresee and capitalize on the promise of science. Railroad promoters, using the steam engine as a metaphor for what they thought Americans were and what they thought Americans were becoming, frequently discussed parallels between the locomotive and national character, pointing out that both possessed youth, power, speed, single-mindedness, and bright prospects.Poor was, of course, promoting acceptance of railroads and enticing his readers to open their pocketbooks. But his metaphors had their dark side. A locomotive was quite unlike anything Americans had ever seen. It was large, mysterious and dangerous; many thought that it was a monster waiting to devour the unwary. There was a suspicion that a country founded upon Jeffersonian agrarian principles had bought a ticket and boarded a train pulled by some iron monster into the dark recesses of an unknown future.To ease such public apprehensions, promoters, poets, editors, and writers alike adopted the notion that locomotives were really only ―iron horses, an early metaphor that lingered because it made steam technology ordinary and understandable. Iron horse metaphors assuaged fears about inherent defects in the national character, prompting images of a more secure future, and made an alien technology less frightening, and even comforting and congenial.Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the locomotive as an agent of domestic harmony. He observed that ―the locomotive and the steamboat, like enormous shuttles, shoot every day across the thousand various threads of national descent and employment and bind them fast in one web, adding ―an hourly assimilation goes forward, and there is no danger that local peculiarities and hostilities should be preserved. To us Americans, it seems to have fallen as a political aid. We could not else have held the vast North America together, which we now engage to do.Which of the following claims would the author of the passage most agree with? - a)The railroad undermined America‘s progressive tendencies.
- b)Railroad promoters like Poor denounced Jeffersonian agrarian principles.
- c)The Americans in general were against the railroad.
- d)Ralph Waldo Emerson thought that the railroad would harm America.
- e)Americans generally supported the development of the railroad.
Correct answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
Henry Varnum Poor, editor of American Railroad Journal, drew the important elements of the image of the railroad together in 1851, ―Look at the results of this material progress, the vigor, life, and executive energy that followed in its train, rapidly succeeded by wealth, the refinement and intellectual culture of a high civilization. All this is typified, in a degree, by a locomotive. The combination in its construction of nice art and scientific application of power, its speed surpassing that of our proudest courser, and its immense strength, are all characteristic of our age and tendencies. To us, like the telegraph, it is essential, it constitutes a part of our nature, is a condition of our being what we are.
In the third decade of the nineteenth century, Americans began to define their character in light of the new railroads. They liked the idea that it took special people to foresee and capitalize on the promise of science. Railroad promoters, using the steam engine as a metaphor for what they thought Americans were and what they thought Americans were becoming, frequently discussed parallels between the locomotive and national character, pointing out that both possessed youth, power, speed, single-mindedness, and bright prospects.
Poor was, of course, promoting acceptance of railroads and enticing his readers to open their pocketbooks. But his metaphors had their dark side. A locomotive was quite unlike anything Americans had ever seen. It was large, mysterious and dangerous; many thought that it was a monster waiting to devour the unwary. There was a suspicion that a country founded upon Jeffersonian agrarian principles had bought a ticket and boarded a train pulled by some iron monster into the dark recesses of an unknown future.
To ease such public apprehensions, promoters, poets, editors, and writers alike adopted the notion that locomotives were really only ―iron horses, an early metaphor that lingered because it made steam technology ordinary and understandable. Iron horse metaphors assuaged fears about inherent defects in the national character, prompting images of a more secure future, and made an alien technology less frightening, and even comforting and congenial.
Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the locomotive as an agent of domestic harmony. He observed that ―the locomotive and the steamboat, like enormous shuttles, shoot every day across the thousand various threads of national descent and employment and bind them fast in one web, adding ―an hourly assimilation goes forward, and there is no danger that local peculiarities and hostilities should be preserved. To us Americans, it seems to have fallen as a political aid. We could not else have held the vast North America together, which we now engage to do.
Which of the following claims would the author of the passage most agree with?
a)
The railroad undermined America‘s progressive tendencies.
b)
Railroad promoters like Poor denounced Jeffersonian agrarian principles.
c)
The Americans in general were against the railroad.
d)
Ralph Waldo Emerson thought that the railroad would harm America.
e)
Americans generally supported the development of the railroad.
|
Elite Coaching Classes answered |
Solution:
- The passage suggests that Americans generally supported the development of the railroad.
- Railroad promoters, like Henry Varnum Poor, used the railroad as a metaphor for American progress and character.
- Promoters and writers referred to locomotives as "iron horses" to make them less intimidating and more relatable.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson viewed the railroad as a force for domestic harmony, helping to unify the country.
In public Greek life, a man had to make his way at every step through the immediate persuasion of the spoken word. Whether it be addressing an assembly, a law-court or a more restricted body, his oratory would be a public affair rather than under the purview of a quiet committee, without the support of circulated commentary, and with no backcloth of daily reportage to make his own or others‘ views familiar to his hearers. The oratory's immediate effect was all-important; it would be naive to expect that mere reasonableness or an inherently good case would equate to a satisfactory appeal. Therefore, it was early realized that persuasion was an art, up to a point teachable, and a variety of specific pedagogy was well established in the second half of the fifth century. When the sophists claimed to teach their pupils how to succeed in public life, rhetoric was a large part of what they meant, though, to do them justice, it was not the whole.Skill naturally bred mistrust. If a man of good will had need of expression advanced of mere twaddle, to learn how to expound his contention effectively, the truculent or pugnacious could be taught to dress their case in well-seeming guise. It was a standing charge against the sophists that they ‗made the worse appear the better cause,‘ and it was this immoral lesson which the hero of Aristophanes‘ Clouds went to learn from, of all people, Socrates. Again, the charge is often made in court that the opponent is an adroit orator and the jury must be circumspect so as not to let him delude them. From the frequency with which this crops up, it is patent that the accusation of cleverness might damage a man. In Greece, juries, of course, were familiar with the style, and would recognize the more evident artifices, but it was worth a litigant‘s while to get his speech written for him by an expert. Persuasive oratory was certainly one of the pressures that would be effective in an Athenian law-court.A more insidious danger was the inevitable desire to display this art as an art. It is not easy to define the point at which a legitimate concern with style shades off into preoccupation with manner at the expense of matter, but it is easy to perceive that many Greek writers of the fourth and later centuries passed that danger point. The most influential was Isocrates, who polished for long years his pamphlets, written in the form of speeches, and taught to many pupils the smooth and easy periods he had perfected. Isocrates took to the written word in compensation for his inadequacy in live oratory; the tough and nervous tones of a Demosthenes were far removed from his, though they, too, were based on study and practice. The exaltation of virtuosity did palpable harm. The balance was always delicate, between style as a vehicle and style as an end in itself. We must not try to pinpoint a specific moment when it, once and for all, tipped over; but certainly, as time went on, virtuosity weighed heavier. While Greek freedom lasted, and it mattered what course of action a Greek city decided to take, rhetoric was a necessary preparation for public life, whatever its side effects. It had been a source of strength for Greek civilization that its problems, of all kinds, were thrashed out very much in public. The shallowness which the study of rhetoric might (not must) encourage was the corresponding weakness. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ.If the author of the passage travelled to a political convention and saw various candidates speak he would most likely have the highest regard for an orator who: - a)roused his hearers to immediate and decisive action.
- b)understood that rhetoric serves an aesthetic as well as a practical purpose.
- c)relied on facts and reason rather than on rhetorical devices in making his case.
- d)passed on the techniques he had perfected to many students.
- e)made use of flowery and inflated words
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
In public Greek life, a man had to make his way at every step through the immediate persuasion of the spoken word. Whether it be addressing an assembly, a law-court or a more restricted body, his oratory would be a public affair rather than under the purview of a quiet committee, without the support of circulated commentary, and with no backcloth of daily reportage to make his own or others‘ views familiar to his hearers. The oratory's immediate effect was all-important; it would be naive to expect that mere reasonableness or an inherently good case would equate to a satisfactory appeal. Therefore, it was early realized that persuasion was an art, up to a point teachable, and a variety of specific pedagogy was well established in the second half of the fifth century. When the sophists claimed to teach their pupils how to succeed in public life, rhetoric was a large part of what they meant, though, to do them justice, it was not the whole.
Skill naturally bred mistrust. If a man of good will had need of expression advanced of mere twaddle, to learn how to expound his contention effectively, the truculent or pugnacious could be taught to dress their case in well-seeming guise. It was a standing charge against the sophists that they ‗made the worse appear the better cause,‘ and it was this immoral lesson which the hero of Aristophanes‘ Clouds went to learn from, of all people, Socrates. Again, the charge is often made in court that the opponent is an adroit orator and the jury must be circumspect so as not to let him delude them. From the frequency with which this crops up, it is patent that the accusation of cleverness might damage a man. In Greece, juries, of course, were familiar with the style, and would recognize the more evident artifices, but it was worth a litigant‘s while to get his speech written for him by an expert. Persuasive oratory was certainly one of the pressures that would be effective in an Athenian law-court.
A more insidious danger was the inevitable desire to display this art as an art. It is not easy to define the point at which a legitimate concern with style shades off into preoccupation with manner at the expense of matter, but it is easy to perceive that many Greek writers of the fourth and later centuries passed that danger point. The most influential was Isocrates, who polished for long years his pamphlets, written in the form of speeches, and taught to many pupils the smooth and easy periods he had perfected. Isocrates took to the written word in compensation for his inadequacy in live oratory; the tough and nervous tones of a Demosthenes were far removed from his, though they, too, were based on study and practice. The exaltation of virtuosity did palpable harm. The balance was always delicate, between style as a vehicle and style as an end in itself.
We must not try to pinpoint a specific moment when it, once and for all, tipped over; but certainly, as time went on, virtuosity weighed heavier. While Greek freedom lasted, and it mattered what course of action a Greek city decided to take, rhetoric was a necessary preparation for public life, whatever its side effects. It had been a source of strength for Greek civilization that its problems, of all kinds, were thrashed out very much in public. The shallowness which the study of rhetoric might (not must) encourage was the corresponding weakness.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q.If the author of the passage travelled to a political convention and saw various candidates speak he would most likely have the highest regard for an orator who:
a)
roused his hearers to immediate and decisive action.
b)
understood that rhetoric serves an aesthetic as well as a practical purpose.
c)
relied on facts and reason rather than on rhetorical devices in making his case.
d)
passed on the techniques he had perfected to many students.
e)
made use of flowery and inflated words
|
|
Jyoti Choudhury answered |
Mapping the Passage:
¶1 introduces the importance of rhetoric in Greek life and the fact that it was taught.
¶2 explains why rhetorical skill was sometimes mistrusted, but still sought after.
¶3 states that as rhetoric (in writing and speech) became more of an art, its original purpose was corrupted.
¶4 states that the Greek system required rhetorical skills and therefore inherited rhetoric's drawbacks as well.
¶1 introduces the importance of rhetoric in Greek life and the fact that it was taught.
¶2 explains why rhetorical skill was sometimes mistrusted, but still sought after.
¶3 states that as rhetoric (in writing and speech) became more of an art, its original purpose was corrupted.
¶4 states that the Greek system required rhetorical skills and therefore inherited rhetoric's drawbacks as well.
What is the author‘s main argument about oratory? It was necessary for the Greeks, but became a "weakness" when they focused too much on making it artistic (¶s 3 and 4). Therefore the author would admire an orator who didn't sacrifice the facts and reason to too much rhetoric. (C) keeps the good parts of rhetoric while leaving out the artistic flourishes the author dislikes.
As formal organizations, business corporations are distinguished by their particular goals, which include maximization of profits, growth, and survival. Providing goods and services is a means to this end. If, for example, a number of individuals (outsiders or even insiders) believe that a company‘s aggressive marketing of infant formula in third world countries is morally wrong, the company is unlikely to be moved by arguments based on ethos alone as long as what it is doing remains profitable. But if those opposed to the company‘s practice organize a highly effective boycott of the company‘s products, their moral views will soon enter into the company‘s deliberations indirectly as limiting operating conditions. They can, at this point, no more be ignored than a prohibitive increase in the costs of certain raw materials. Although the concepts and categories of ethics may be applied to the conduct of corporations, there are important differences between the values and principles underlying corporate behaviour and those underlying the actions of most individuals. If corporations are by their nature end- or goal-directed how can they acknowledge acts as wrong in and of themselves? Is it possible to hold one criminally responsible for acts that if performed by a human person would result in criminal liability? The first case of this type to achieve widespread public attention was the attempt to prosecute the Ford Motor Company for manslaughter as the result of alleged negligent or reckless decision making concerning the safety engineering of the Pinto vehicle. Although the defendant corporation and its officers were found innocent after trial, the case can serve as an exemplar for our purposes. In essence, the prosecution in this case attempted to show that the corporation had produced and distributed a vehicle that was known to be defective at the time of production and sale, and that even after a great deal of additional information accumulated regarding the nature of the problems, the corporation took no action to correct them. The obvious non-corporate analogy would be the prosecution of a person who was driving a car with brakes known to be faulty, who does not have them repaired because it would cost too much, and who kills someone when the brakes eventually fail and the car does not stop in time. Such cases involving individuals are prosecuted and won regularly.If corporations have no concept of right or wrong because they are exclusively goal-directed, can they be convicted in cases of this type, and what purpose would be served by such a conviction? Perhaps we can make a utilitarian argument for convicting corporations of such crimes. The argument would be that of deterrence; conviction and punishment would deter other corporations from taking similar actions under similar circumstances. However, there appears to be considerable evidence that deterrence does not work on corporations, even if, arguably, it works on individuals. The possibility of being discovered and the potential magnitude of the fine merely become more data to be included in the analysis of limiting conditions. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:Q.A claim that things have ethical value to corporations only insofar as they are instrumental in furthering the ultimate goals of the corporation is: - a)necessarily true, given the information presented in the passage.
- b)perhaps true, and supported by the information presented in the passage.
- c)perhaps true, but not supported by any information in the passage.
- d)necessarily false, given the information presented in the passage.
- e)a figment of the author‘s imagination
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
As formal organizations, business corporations are distinguished by their particular goals, which include maximization of profits, growth, and survival. Providing goods and services is a means to this end. If, for example, a number of individuals (outsiders or even insiders) believe that a company‘s aggressive marketing of infant formula in third world countries is morally wrong, the company is unlikely to be moved by arguments based on ethos alone as long as what it is doing remains profitable. But if those opposed to the company‘s practice organize a highly effective boycott of the company‘s products, their moral views will soon enter into the company‘s deliberations indirectly as limiting operating conditions. They can, at this point, no more be ignored than a prohibitive increase in the costs of certain raw materials.
Although the concepts and categories of ethics may be applied to the conduct of corporations, there are important differences between the values and principles underlying corporate behaviour and those underlying the actions of most individuals. If corporations are by their nature end- or goal-directed how can they acknowledge acts as wrong in and of themselves? Is it possible to hold one criminally responsible for acts that if performed by a human person would result in criminal liability?
The first case of this type to achieve widespread public attention was the attempt to prosecute the Ford Motor Company for manslaughter as the result of alleged negligent or reckless decision making concerning the safety engineering of the Pinto vehicle. Although the defendant corporation and its officers were found innocent after trial, the case can serve as an exemplar for our purposes.
In essence, the prosecution in this case attempted to show that the corporation had produced and distributed a vehicle that was known to be defective at the time of production and sale, and that even after a great deal of additional information accumulated regarding the nature of the problems, the corporation took no action to correct them. The obvious non-corporate analogy would be the prosecution of a person who was driving a car with brakes known to be faulty, who does not have them repaired because it would cost too much, and who kills someone when the brakes eventually fail and the car does not stop in time. Such cases involving individuals are prosecuted and won regularly.
If corporations have no concept of right or wrong because they are exclusively goal-directed, can they be convicted in cases of this type, and what purpose would be served by such a conviction? Perhaps we can make a utilitarian argument for convicting corporations of such crimes. The argument would be that of deterrence; conviction and punishment would deter other corporations from taking similar actions under similar circumstances. However, there appears to be considerable evidence that deterrence does not work on corporations, even if, arguably, it works on individuals. The possibility of being discovered and the potential magnitude of the fine merely become more data to be included in the analysis of limiting conditions.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:
Q.A claim that things have ethical value to corporations only insofar as they are instrumental in furthering the ultimate goals of the corporation is:
a)
necessarily true, given the information presented in the passage.
b)
perhaps true, and supported by the information presented in the passage.
c)
perhaps true, but not supported by any information in the passage.
d)
necessarily false, given the information presented in the passage.
e)
a figment of the author‘s imagination
|
|
Sravya Tiwari answered |
Mapping the Passage
¶1 discusses the goals and ethical limitations of corporations (3M example)
¶2 explains methods for making corporations respond to moral concerns.
¶3 contrasts the corporations with individuals and outlines some individual ethics.
¶4 asks if corporations can be held responsible for ethical crimes. ¶s5 and 6 describe a failed attempt to prosecute a corporation for such crimes (Pinto).
¶7 presents a possible argument in favour of prosecution: deterrence. Evidence shows no deterring effect on corporations, though.
¶1 discusses the goals and ethical limitations of corporations (3M example)
¶2 explains methods for making corporations respond to moral concerns.
¶3 contrasts the corporations with individuals and outlines some individual ethics.
¶4 asks if corporations can be held responsible for ethical crimes. ¶s5 and 6 describe a failed attempt to prosecute a corporation for such crimes (Pinto).
¶7 presents a possible argument in favour of prosecution: deterrence. Evidence shows no deterring effect on corporations, though.
The author argues that this is true, and gives an example in ¶s1 and 2. (C) and (D) can be eliminated. Does this argument have to necessarily be true? There‘s nothing in the argument to indicate that there could never be an exception. (B) is the only choice left standing.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:Once surrounded and protected by vast wilderness, many of the national parks are adversely affected by activities outside their boundaries. The National Park Organic Act established the national park system and empowered the Secretary of the Interior to manage activities within the parks. Conditions outside park boundaries are not subject to regulation by the Park Service unless they involve the direct use of park resources.Several approaches to protecting the national parks from external degradation have been proposed, such as one focusing on enacting federal legislation granting the National Park Service broader powers over lands adjacent to the national parks. Legislation addressing external threats to the national parks twice passed the House of Representatives but died without action in the Senate. Also brought to the table as a possible remedy is giving the states bordering the parks a significant and meaningful role in developing federal park management policy.Because the livelihood of many citizens is linked to the management of national parks, local politicians often encourage state involvement in federal planning. But, state legislatures have not always addressed the fundamental policy issues of whether states should protect park wildlife.Timber harvesting, ranching and energy exploration compete with wildlife within the local ecosystem. Priorities among different land uses are not generally established by current legislation. Additionally, often no mechanism exists to coordinate planning by the state environmental regulatory agencies. These factors limit the impact of legislation aimed at protecting park wildlife and the larger park ecosystem.Even if these deficiencies can be overcome, state participation must be consistent with existing federal legislation. States lack jurisdiction within national parks themselves, and therefore state solutions cannot reach activities inside the parks, thus limiting state action to the land adjacent to the national parks. Under the supremacy clause, federal laws and regulations supersede state action if state law conflicts with federal legislation, if Congress precludes local regulation, or if federal regulation is so pervasive that no room remains for state control. Assuming that federal regulations leave open the possibility of state control, state participation in policy making must be harmonized with existing federal legislation.The residents of states bordering national parks are affected by park management policies. They in turn affect the success of those policies. This interrelationship must be considered in responding to the external threats problem. Local participation is necessary in deciding how to protect park wildlife. Local interests should not, however, dictate national policy, nor should they be used as a pretext to ignore the threats to park regions.According to the passage, which of the following developments is most likely if environmental cooperation between the federal government and state governments does not improve? - a)A further decline in the land area of national parks.
- b)A further increase in federal ownership of land adjacent to national parks.
- c)A further growth in the powers of the National Park Service.
- d)A further loss of species in national parks.
- e)A further increase in timber harvesting activities.
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
Once surrounded and protected by vast wilderness, many of the national parks are adversely affected by activities outside their boundaries. The National Park Organic Act established the national park system and empowered the Secretary of the Interior to manage activities within the parks. Conditions outside park boundaries are not subject to regulation by the Park Service unless they involve the direct use of park resources.
Several approaches to protecting the national parks from external degradation have been proposed, such as one focusing on enacting federal legislation granting the National Park Service broader powers over lands adjacent to the national parks. Legislation addressing external threats to the national parks twice passed the House of Representatives but died without action in the Senate. Also brought to the table as a possible remedy is giving the states bordering the parks a significant and meaningful role in developing federal park management policy.
Because the livelihood of many citizens is linked to the management of national parks, local politicians often encourage state involvement in federal planning. But, state legislatures have not always addressed the fundamental policy issues of whether states should protect park wildlife.
Timber harvesting, ranching and energy exploration compete with wildlife within the local ecosystem. Priorities among different land uses are not generally established by current legislation. Additionally, often no mechanism exists to coordinate planning by the state environmental regulatory agencies. These factors limit the impact of legislation aimed at protecting park wildlife and the larger park ecosystem.
Even if these deficiencies can be overcome, state participation must be consistent with existing federal legislation. States lack jurisdiction within national parks themselves, and therefore state solutions cannot reach activities inside the parks, thus limiting state action to the land adjacent to the national parks. Under the supremacy clause, federal laws and regulations supersede state action if state law conflicts with federal legislation, if Congress precludes local regulation, or if federal regulation is so pervasive that no room remains for state control. Assuming that federal regulations leave open the possibility of state control, state participation in policy making must be harmonized with existing federal legislation.
The residents of states bordering national parks are affected by park management policies. They in turn affect the success of those policies. This interrelationship must be considered in responding to the external threats problem. Local participation is necessary in deciding how to protect park wildlife. Local interests should not, however, dictate national policy, nor should they be used as a pretext to ignore the threats to park regions.
According to the passage, which of the following developments is most likely if environmental cooperation between the federal government and state governments does not improve?
a)
A further decline in the land area of national parks.
b)
A further increase in federal ownership of land adjacent to national parks.
c)
A further growth in the powers of the National Park Service.
d)
A further loss of species in national parks.
e)
A further increase in timber harvesting activities.
|
|
Elite Coaching Classes answered |
The passage explains potential outcomes if environmental cooperation between federal and state governments does not improve. Here’s why the loss of species is the likely consequence:
- National parks are affected by external activities like timber harvesting and energy exploration, which compete with wildlife.
- Without improved cooperation, these activities could continue unchecked, harming the local ecosystem.
- Current laws don’t adequately protect wildlife from these external pressures.
- Therefore, without better state-federal cooperation, there is a risk of further species loss in national parks.
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.Speech can be curse, because it can- a)hurt others
- b)lead to carelessness
- c)create misunderstanding
- d)reveal our intentions
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.
Speech can be curse, because it can
a)
hurt others
b)
lead to carelessness
c)
create misunderstanding
d)
reveal our intentions
|
Amrutha Menon answered |
Understanding the Curse of Speech
Speech, while a powerful tool for communication, poses a significant risk of misunderstanding. The selected correct answer, option 'C', emphasizes this potential consequence.
Misinterpretation of Intentions
- Speech serves to convey our thoughts and intentions clearly, but it can easily lead to misinterpretation.
- A careless word choice or an ambiguous phrase can alter the listener's understanding, causing unintended offense or confusion.
Contextual Differences in Language
- Different social and educational backgrounds influence how language is perceived.
- A term that is commonplace in one circle may be viewed as pretentious or confusing in another, leading to misunderstandings.
The Impact of Ambiguity
- Ambiguous words or phrases can have multiple meanings, which can confuse listeners.
- For instance, a slip of the tongue or an inappropriate word could create an enemy instead of fostering friendship, showcasing the delicate nature of verbal communication.
Conclusion
In essence, while speech is a blessing that enables expression and connection, it requires careful consideration to avoid misunderstandings. The potential to misrepresent our intentions or create conflict through careless language highlights the curse of speech. It is essential to be mindful of our words, as they hold the power to bridge gaps or create barriers in communication.
Speech, while a powerful tool for communication, poses a significant risk of misunderstanding. The selected correct answer, option 'C', emphasizes this potential consequence.
Misinterpretation of Intentions
- Speech serves to convey our thoughts and intentions clearly, but it can easily lead to misinterpretation.
- A careless word choice or an ambiguous phrase can alter the listener's understanding, causing unintended offense or confusion.
Contextual Differences in Language
- Different social and educational backgrounds influence how language is perceived.
- A term that is commonplace in one circle may be viewed as pretentious or confusing in another, leading to misunderstandings.
The Impact of Ambiguity
- Ambiguous words or phrases can have multiple meanings, which can confuse listeners.
- For instance, a slip of the tongue or an inappropriate word could create an enemy instead of fostering friendship, showcasing the delicate nature of verbal communication.
Conclusion
In essence, while speech is a blessing that enables expression and connection, it requires careful consideration to avoid misunderstandings. The potential to misrepresent our intentions or create conflict through careless language highlights the curse of speech. It is essential to be mindful of our words, as they hold the power to bridge gaps or create barriers in communication.
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .The more specific task of characterizing romantic aesthetics adds to these difficulties an air of paradox. Conventionally, “aesthetics” refers to a theory concerning beauty and art or the branch of philosophy that studies these topics. However, many of the romantics rejected the identification of aesthetics with a circumscribed domain of human life that is separated from the practical and theoretical domains of life. The most characteristic romantic commitment is to the idea that the character of art and beauty and of our engagement with them should shape all aspects of human life. Being fundamental to human existence, beauty and art should be a central ingredient not only in a philosophical or artistic life, but also in the lives of ordinary men and women. Another challenge for any attempt to characterize romantic aesthetics lies in the fact that most of the romantics were poets and artists whose views of art and beauty are, for the most part, to be found not in developed theoretical accounts, but in fragments, aphorisms and poems, which are often more elusive and suggestive than conclusive.Nevertheless, in spite of these challenges the task of characterizing romantic aesthetics is neither impossible nor undesirable, as numerous thinkers responding to Lovejoy’s radical skepticism have noted. While warning against a reductive definition of romanticism, Berlin, for example, still heralded the need for a general characterization: “[Although] one does have a certain sympathy with Lovejoy’s despair…[he is] in this instance mistaken. There was a romantic movement…and it is important to discover what it is” . . .Recent attempts to characterize romanticism and to stress its contemporary relevance follow this path. Instead of overlooking the undeniable differences between the variety of romanticisms of different nations that Lovejoy had stressed, such studies attempt to characterize romanticism, not in terms of a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place, but in terms of “particular philosophical questions and concerns” . . .While the German, British and French romantics are all considered, the central protagonists in the following are the German romantics. Two reasons explain this focus: first, because it
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.Which one of the following statements is NOT supported by the passage?- a)Characterising romantic aesthetics is both possible and desirable, despite the challenges involved.
- b)Recent studies on romanticism seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms.
- c)Romantic aesthetics are primarily expressed through fragments, aphorisms, and poems.
- d)Many romantics rejected the idea of aesthetics as a domain separate from other aspects of life.
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .
The more specific task of characterizing romantic aesthetics adds to these difficulties an air of paradox. Conventionally, “aesthetics” refers to a theory concerning beauty and art or the branch of philosophy that studies these topics. However, many of the romantics rejected the identification of aesthetics with a circumscribed domain of human life that is separated from the practical and theoretical domains of life. The most characteristic romantic commitment is to the idea that the character of art and beauty and of our engagement with them should shape all aspects of human life. Being fundamental to human existence, beauty and art should be a central ingredient not only in a philosophical or artistic life, but also in the lives of ordinary men and women. Another challenge for any attempt to characterize romantic aesthetics lies in the fact that most of the romantics were poets and artists whose views of art and beauty are, for the most part, to be found not in developed theoretical accounts, but in fragments, aphorisms and poems, which are often more elusive and suggestive than conclusive.
Nevertheless, in spite of these challenges the task of characterizing romantic aesthetics is neither impossible nor undesirable, as numerous thinkers responding to Lovejoy’s radical skepticism have noted. While warning against a reductive definition of romanticism, Berlin, for example, still heralded the need for a general characterization: “[Although] one does have a certain sympathy with Lovejoy’s despair…[he is] in this instance mistaken. There was a romantic movement…and it is important to discover what it is” . . .
Recent attempts to characterize romanticism and to stress its contemporary relevance follow this path. Instead of overlooking the undeniable differences between the variety of romanticisms of different nations that Lovejoy had stressed, such studies attempt to characterize romanticism, not in terms of a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place, but in terms of “particular philosophical questions and concerns” . . .
While the German, British and French romantics are all considered, the central protagonists in the following are the German romantics. Two reasons explain this focus: first, because it
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.
Which one of the following statements is NOT supported by the passage?
a)
Characterising romantic aesthetics is both possible and desirable, despite the challenges involved.
b)
Recent studies on romanticism seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms.
c)
Romantic aesthetics are primarily expressed through fragments, aphorisms, and poems.
d)
Many romantics rejected the idea of aesthetics as a domain separate from other aspects of life.
|
|
Nitya Kumar answered |
Explanation:
Recent studies on romanticism seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms
- This statement is NOT supported by the passage.
- According to the passage, recent studies do not seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms.
- Instead, these studies attempt to characterize romanticism in terms of particular philosophical questions and concerns.
- The passage emphasizes understanding romanticism in a broader sense without overlooking the differences between various national romanticisms.
Therefore, option B is not supported by the passage as it misrepresents the approach of recent studies on romanticism.
Recent studies on romanticism seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms
- This statement is NOT supported by the passage.
- According to the passage, recent studies do not seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms.
- Instead, these studies attempt to characterize romanticism in terms of particular philosophical questions and concerns.
- The passage emphasizes understanding romanticism in a broader sense without overlooking the differences between various national romanticisms.
Therefore, option B is not supported by the passage as it misrepresents the approach of recent studies on romanticism.
By regarding the expanding universe as a motion picture, you can easily imagine ―running the film backward.‖ If you do so, you find the universe getting smaller and smaller, and eventually you come to the moment when its whole mass is crammed into an infinitely dense point. Before that time it didn‘t exist, or at least it didn‘t exist in its present form. Though there is some controversy about its exact age, most cosmologists would be inclined to agree that the universe has existed for about ten to twenty billion years. For scale, this can be compared to the four-and-a-half-billion-year age of the solar system, the time since the disappearance of the dinosaurs (sixty-five million years), and the age of the human race (about three million years). The event that marked the beginning of the universe was christened the Big Bang; the term has now entered the vernacular of our culture. Originally the name referred only to the single initiating event; now, however, astronomers have come to use it to mean the entire developmental process of the birth and expansion of the cosmos. The simple statement that the universe had a beginning in time is by now so obvious to astrophysicists that few give it a second thought. Yet it is a statement that has profound implications. Most civilizations embrace one of two opposite concepts of time. Linear time has a beginning, a duration, and an end; cyclical time, as its name suggests, continues around and around forever. In a universe that functions through cyclical time, the question of creation never arises; the universe always was and always will be. The minute you switch to linear time you immediately confront the vexing question not only of creation, but also of the Creator. Although there is no logical reason for the assumption, many people believe that if something comes into existence, it must do so in response to the actions of some rational being. Because of that belief, astronomers, even though they resist becoming involved in theological discussion, find themselves in one when they posit the Big Bang universe. It puts them squarely in the middle of an age-old debate. One common misconception about the Big Bang that should be disposed of immediately is the notion that the universal expansion is analogous to the explosion of an artillery shell. The galaxies are not like bits of shrapnel speeding away from a central explosion. The raisin-indough analogy is a more satisfactory way to think about the whole process. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:Q.Why does the author compare the universe to a motion picture? - a)illustrate that the universe has operated according to linear time.
- b)demonstrate that the universe is actually older than most astronomers believe.
- c)show that galaxies were formed about five billion years ago.
- d)prove that the universe was created by a rational being.
- e)to show the analogy between 'God‘ and a 'director‘
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
By regarding the expanding universe as a motion picture, you can easily imagine ―running the film backward.‖ If you do so, you find the universe getting smaller and smaller, and eventually you come to the moment when its whole mass is crammed into an infinitely dense point. Before that time it didn‘t exist, or at least it didn‘t exist in its present form. Though there is some controversy about its exact age, most cosmologists would be inclined to agree that the universe has existed for about ten to twenty billion years. For scale, this can be compared to the four-and-a-half-billion-year age of the solar system, the time since the disappearance of the dinosaurs (sixty-five million years), and the age of the human race (about three million years).
The event that marked the beginning of the universe was christened the Big Bang; the term has now entered the vernacular of our culture. Originally the name referred only to the single initiating event; now, however, astronomers have come to use it to mean the entire developmental process of the birth and expansion of the cosmos.
The simple statement that the universe had a beginning in time is by now so obvious to astrophysicists that few give it a second thought. Yet it is a statement that has profound implications. Most civilizations embrace one of two opposite concepts of time. Linear time has a beginning, a duration, and an end; cyclical time, as its name suggests, continues around and around forever. In a universe that functions through cyclical time, the question of creation never arises; the universe always was and always will be. The minute you switch to linear time you immediately confront the vexing question not only of creation, but also of the Creator. Although there is no logical reason for the assumption, many people believe that if something comes into existence, it must do so in response to the actions of some rational being. Because of that belief, astronomers, even though they resist becoming involved in theological discussion, find themselves in one when they posit the Big Bang universe. It puts them squarely in the middle of an age-old debate.
One common misconception about the Big Bang that should be disposed of immediately is the notion that the universal expansion is analogous to the explosion of an artillery shell. The galaxies are not like bits of shrapnel speeding away from a central explosion. The raisin-indough analogy is a more satisfactory way to think about the whole process.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:
Q.Why does the author compare the universe to a motion picture?
a)
illustrate that the universe has operated according to linear time.
b)
demonstrate that the universe is actually older than most astronomers believe.
c)
show that galaxies were formed about five billion years ago.
d)
prove that the universe was created by a rational being.
e)
to show the analogy between 'God‘ and a 'director‘
|
|
Rounak Mehta answered |
Mapping the Passage
¶1 argues that the universe had a beginning in time.
¶2 provides specific dates to put the universe‘s age in context.
¶3 describes the Big Bang and its relevance to the idea of an expanding universe.
¶4 argues that the expanding universe has significant implications for cultural ideas of time and argues that science intersects with philosophy in this area.
¶5 provides a metaphor that elucidates the nature of the universe‘s expansion.
¶1 argues that the universe had a beginning in time.
¶2 provides specific dates to put the universe‘s age in context.
¶3 describes the Big Bang and its relevance to the idea of an expanding universe.
¶4 argues that the expanding universe has significant implications for cultural ideas of time and argues that science intersects with philosophy in this area.
¶5 provides a metaphor that elucidates the nature of the universe‘s expansion.
Go back to the comparison to a motion picture described in ¶1. What is the author‘s purpose in the first paragraph? To argue that the universe had a beginning
in time. The comparison is used to reinforce this point: (A) reflects this.
in time. The comparison is used to reinforce this point: (A) reflects this.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:Henry Varnum Poor, editor of American Railroad Journal, drew the important elements of the image of the railroad together in 1851, ―Look at the results of this material progress, the vigor, life, and executive energy that followed in its train, rapidly succeeded by wealth, the refinement and intellectual culture of a high civilization. All this is typified, in a degree, by a locomotive. The combination in its construction of nice art and scientific application of power, its speed surpassing that of our proudest courser, and its immense strength, are all characteristic of our age and tendencies. To us, like the telegraph, it is essential, it constitutes a part of our nature, is a condition of our being what we are.In the third decade of the nineteenth century, Americans began to define their character in light of the new railroads. They liked the idea that it took special people to foresee and capitalize on the promise of science. Railroad promoters, using the steam engine as a metaphor for what they thought Americans were and what they thought Americans were becoming, frequently discussed parallels between the locomotive and national character, pointing out that both possessed youth, power, speed, single-mindedness, and bright prospects.Poor was, of course, promoting acceptance of railroads and enticing his readers to open their pocketbooks. But his metaphors had their dark side. A locomotive was quite unlike anything Americans had ever seen. It was large, mysterious and dangerous; many thought that it was a monster waiting to devour the unwary. There was a suspicion that a country founded upon Jeffersonian agrarian principles had bought a ticket and boarded a train pulled by some iron monster into the dark recesses of an unknown future.To ease such public apprehensions, promoters, poets, editors, and writers alike adopted the notion that locomotives were really only ―iron horses,‖ an early metaphor that lingered because it made steam technology ordinary and understandable. Iron horse metaphors assuaged fears about inherent defects in the national character, prompting images of a more secure future, and made an alien technology less frightening, and even comforting and congenial.Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the locomotive as an agent of domestic harmony. He observed that ―the locomotive and the steamboat, like enormous shuttles, shoot every day across the thousand various threads of national descent and employment and bind them fast in one web, "adding ―an hourly assimilation goes forward, and there is no danger that local peculiarities and hostilities should be preserved. To us Americans, it seems to have fallen as a political aid. We could not else have held the vast North America together, which we now engage to do"The passage is primarily concerned with which of the following? - a)Criticise one interpretation of the early American railroads.
- b)Discuss the early years of the railroad and its connection to the American character of the time.
- c)Suggest that railroads were the most important development in the history of America.
- d)Describe the apprehension with which most of the Americans greeted the early railroads.
- e)Assert that Americans were tricked into believing that the railroads were beneficial for them
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
Henry Varnum Poor, editor of American Railroad Journal, drew the important elements of the image of the railroad together in 1851, ―Look at the results of this material progress, the vigor, life, and executive energy that followed in its train, rapidly succeeded by wealth, the refinement and intellectual culture of a high civilization. All this is typified, in a degree, by a locomotive. The combination in its construction of nice art and scientific application of power, its speed surpassing that of our proudest courser, and its immense strength, are all characteristic of our age and tendencies. To us, like the telegraph, it is essential, it constitutes a part of our nature, is a condition of our being what we are.
In the third decade of the nineteenth century, Americans began to define their character in light of the new railroads. They liked the idea that it took special people to foresee and capitalize on the promise of science. Railroad promoters, using the steam engine as a metaphor for what they thought Americans were and what they thought Americans were becoming, frequently discussed parallels between the locomotive and national character, pointing out that both possessed youth, power, speed, single-mindedness, and bright prospects.
Poor was, of course, promoting acceptance of railroads and enticing his readers to open their pocketbooks. But his metaphors had their dark side. A locomotive was quite unlike anything Americans had ever seen. It was large, mysterious and dangerous; many thought that it was a monster waiting to devour the unwary. There was a suspicion that a country founded upon Jeffersonian agrarian principles had bought a ticket and boarded a train pulled by some iron monster into the dark recesses of an unknown future.
To ease such public apprehensions, promoters, poets, editors, and writers alike adopted the notion that locomotives were really only ―iron horses,‖ an early metaphor that lingered because it made steam technology ordinary and understandable. Iron horse metaphors assuaged fears about inherent defects in the national character, prompting images of a more secure future, and made an alien technology less frightening, and even comforting and congenial.
Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the locomotive as an agent of domestic harmony. He observed that ―the locomotive and the steamboat, like enormous shuttles, shoot every day across the thousand various threads of national descent and employment and bind them fast in one web, "adding ―an hourly assimilation goes forward, and there is no danger that local peculiarities and hostilities should be preserved. To us Americans, it seems to have fallen as a political aid. We could not else have held the vast North America together, which we now engage to do"
The passage is primarily concerned with which of the following?
a)
Criticise one interpretation of the early American railroads.
b)
Discuss the early years of the railroad and its connection to the American character of the time.
c)
Suggest that railroads were the most important development in the history of America.
d)
Describe the apprehension with which most of the Americans greeted the early railroads.
e)
Assert that Americans were tricked into believing that the railroads were beneficial for them
|
|
Dipika Kumar answered |
Overview of the Passage
The passage explores the early years of railroads in America and their profound impact on the national character and societal development during the 19th century.
Connection to American Character
- The author, Henry Varnum Poor, emphasizes how railroads symbolize material progress and the energy of American society.
- Railroads were seen as a reflection of American traits such as youth, power, and speed, aligning with the aspirations of the nation.
Promoters' Perspectives
- Railroad promoters used the metaphor of the locomotive to portray Americans as forward-thinking and innovative.
- This metaphor helped to create a positive image of railroads as integral to national identity and development.
Public Apprehension
- Despite the excitement, there were fears associated with the new technology, likening locomotives to "monsters" that could lead Americans into an uncertain future.
- To alleviate these fears, metaphors like "iron horses" made the technology seem less threatening and more relatable.
Influence on National Unity
- Ralph Waldo Emerson viewed the locomotive as a unifying force, binding together diverse threads of American society and promoting harmony.
- The railroads were seen as essential for maintaining the cohesion of a vast country, thus contributing to a sense of national identity.
Conclusion
In sum, the passage primarily discusses the early years of the railroad and its connection to the American character of the time. It captures the duality of excitement and apprehension that characterized the public's response to this transformative technology, which ultimately played a pivotal role in shaping American society.
The passage explores the early years of railroads in America and their profound impact on the national character and societal development during the 19th century.
Connection to American Character
- The author, Henry Varnum Poor, emphasizes how railroads symbolize material progress and the energy of American society.
- Railroads were seen as a reflection of American traits such as youth, power, and speed, aligning with the aspirations of the nation.
Promoters' Perspectives
- Railroad promoters used the metaphor of the locomotive to portray Americans as forward-thinking and innovative.
- This metaphor helped to create a positive image of railroads as integral to national identity and development.
Public Apprehension
- Despite the excitement, there were fears associated with the new technology, likening locomotives to "monsters" that could lead Americans into an uncertain future.
- To alleviate these fears, metaphors like "iron horses" made the technology seem less threatening and more relatable.
Influence on National Unity
- Ralph Waldo Emerson viewed the locomotive as a unifying force, binding together diverse threads of American society and promoting harmony.
- The railroads were seen as essential for maintaining the cohesion of a vast country, thus contributing to a sense of national identity.
Conclusion
In sum, the passage primarily discusses the early years of the railroad and its connection to the American character of the time. It captures the duality of excitement and apprehension that characterized the public's response to this transformative technology, which ultimately played a pivotal role in shaping American society.
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
RESIDENTS of Lozère, a hilly department in southern France, recite complaints familiar to many rural corners of Europe. In remote hamlets and villages, with names such as Le Bacon and Le Bacon Vieux, mayors grumble about a lack of local schools, jobs, or phone and internet connections. Farmers of grazing animals add another concern: the return of wolves. Eradicated from France last century, the predators are gradually creeping back to more forests and hillsides. “The wolf must be taken in hand,” said an aspiring parliamentarian, Francis Palombi, when pressed by voters in an election campaign early this summer. Tourists enjoy visiting a wolf park in Lozère, but farmers fret over their livestock and their livelihoods. .
. .
As early as the ninth century, the royal office of the Luparii—wolf-catchers—was created in France to tackle the predators. Those official hunters (and others) completed their job in the 1930s, when the last wolf disappeared from the mainland. Active hunting and improved technology such as rifles in the 19th century, plus the use of poison such as strychnine later on, caused the population collapse. But in the early 1990s the animals reappeared. They crossed the Alps from Italy, upsetting sheep farmers on the French side of the border. Wolves have since spread to areas such as Lozère, delighting environmentalists, who see the predators’ presence as a sign of wider ecological health. Farmers, who say the wolves cause the deaths of thousands of sheep and other grazing animals, are less cheerful. They grumble that green activists and politically correct urban types have allowed the return of an old enemy.
Various factors explain the changes of the past few decades. Rural depopulation is part of the story. In Lozère, for example, farming and a once-flourishing mining industry supported a population of over 140,000 residents in the mid-19th century. Today the department has fewer than 80,000 people, many in its towns. As humans withdraw, forests are expanding. In France, between 1990 and 2015, forest cover increased by an average of 102,000 hectares each year, as more fields were given over to trees. Now, nearly one-third of mainland France is covered by woodland of some sort. The decline of hunting as a sport also means more forests fall quiet. In the mid-to-late 20th century over 2m hunters regularly spent winter weekends tramping in woodland, seeking boars, birds and other prey. Today the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs, the national body, claims 1.1m people hold hunting licences, though the number of active hunters is probably lower. The mostly protected status of the wolf in Europe—hunting them is now forbidden, other than when occasional culls are sanctioned by the state—plus the efforts of NGOs to track and count the animals, also contribute to the recovery of wolf populations.
As the lupine population of Europe spreads westwards, with occasional reports of wolves seen closer to urban areas, expect to hear of more clashes between farmers and those who celebrate the predators’ return. Farmers’ losses are real, but are not the only economic story. Tourist venues, such as parks where wolves are kept and the animals’ spread is discussed, also generate income and jobs in rural areas.
The inhabitants of Lozère have to grapple with all of the following problems, EXCEPT:
- a)lack of educational facilities.
- b)poor rural communication infrastructure.
- c)livestock losses.
- d)decline in the number of hunting licences.
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
RESIDENTS of Lozère, a hilly department in southern France, recite complaints familiar to many rural corners of Europe. In remote hamlets and villages, with names such as Le Bacon and Le Bacon Vieux, mayors grumble about a lack of local schools, jobs, or phone and internet connections. Farmers of grazing animals add another concern: the return of wolves. Eradicated from France last century, the predators are gradually creeping back to more forests and hillsides. “The wolf must be taken in hand,” said an aspiring parliamentarian, Francis Palombi, when pressed by voters in an election campaign early this summer. Tourists enjoy visiting a wolf park in Lozère, but farmers fret over their livestock and their livelihoods. .
. .
. .
As early as the ninth century, the royal office of the Luparii—wolf-catchers—was created in France to tackle the predators. Those official hunters (and others) completed their job in the 1930s, when the last wolf disappeared from the mainland. Active hunting and improved technology such as rifles in the 19th century, plus the use of poison such as strychnine later on, caused the population collapse. But in the early 1990s the animals reappeared. They crossed the Alps from Italy, upsetting sheep farmers on the French side of the border. Wolves have since spread to areas such as Lozère, delighting environmentalists, who see the predators’ presence as a sign of wider ecological health. Farmers, who say the wolves cause the deaths of thousands of sheep and other grazing animals, are less cheerful. They grumble that green activists and politically correct urban types have allowed the return of an old enemy.
Various factors explain the changes of the past few decades. Rural depopulation is part of the story. In Lozère, for example, farming and a once-flourishing mining industry supported a population of over 140,000 residents in the mid-19th century. Today the department has fewer than 80,000 people, many in its towns. As humans withdraw, forests are expanding. In France, between 1990 and 2015, forest cover increased by an average of 102,000 hectares each year, as more fields were given over to trees. Now, nearly one-third of mainland France is covered by woodland of some sort. The decline of hunting as a sport also means more forests fall quiet. In the mid-to-late 20th century over 2m hunters regularly spent winter weekends tramping in woodland, seeking boars, birds and other prey. Today the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs, the national body, claims 1.1m people hold hunting licences, though the number of active hunters is probably lower. The mostly protected status of the wolf in Europe—hunting them is now forbidden, other than when occasional culls are sanctioned by the state—plus the efforts of NGOs to track and count the animals, also contribute to the recovery of wolf populations.
As the lupine population of Europe spreads westwards, with occasional reports of wolves seen closer to urban areas, expect to hear of more clashes between farmers and those who celebrate the predators’ return. Farmers’ losses are real, but are not the only economic story. Tourist venues, such as parks where wolves are kept and the animals’ spread is discussed, also generate income and jobs in rural areas.
The inhabitants of Lozère have to grapple with all of the following problems, EXCEPT:
a)
lack of educational facilities.
b)
poor rural communication infrastructure.
c)
livestock losses.
d)
decline in the number of hunting licences.
|
|
Mihir Ghoshal answered |
Explanation:
Decline in the number of hunting licences:
- The passage mentions that the decline of hunting as a sport is one of the factors contributing to the recovery of wolf populations.
- While the number of hunting licences has decreased, the focus is on the impact this has had on wolf populations, rather than it being a problem faced by the inhabitants of Lozère.
Therefore, the correct answer is option 'D' - decline in the number of hunting licences.
Decline in the number of hunting licences:
- The passage mentions that the decline of hunting as a sport is one of the factors contributing to the recovery of wolf populations.
- While the number of hunting licences has decreased, the focus is on the impact this has had on wolf populations, rather than it being a problem faced by the inhabitants of Lozère.
Therefore, the correct answer is option 'D' - decline in the number of hunting licences.
The ―paradox of tolerance‖ admonishes us that tolerance of the intolerant leads to intolerance. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the constitutions and laws of Western European democracies that adhere to the principle of freedom of speech all heed the warning of this conundrum and do not afford legal protection to extremist speech. While in Western European democracies, the speech of nondemocratic extremists has been successfully outlawed, in the United States the first amendment right to freedom of speech has been interpreted to encompass radical oration. The traditional justifications of this American stance originate in the belief that speech is entitled to greater tolerance than other kinds of activity. They are based on the belief that speech itself is valuable, and thus ascribe positive value to a very broad range of speech. According to the classical model, freedom of speech serves an indispensable function in the process of democratic self-government. From this perspective, the free speech principle need only protect political speech, comprised of all the facts, theories, and opinions relating to any issue on which the citizens must vote. Proponents of this view insist that even extremist views cannot be concealed from voting citizens, if these views bear on any public issue before them.Protection of free speech serves the collective self-interests of a selfgoverning society made up of all rational, equal, and fully participating citizens who take their civic duties seriously. The fortress model is built on a foundation of pessimism, individualism, relativism, and self-doubt. At its deepest level, the fortress model values freedom of speech as a necessary precondition to the discovery and preservation of truth, but even at this level the function of speech remains primarily negative. From this perspective, the government and a majority of the people pose a great danger of intolerance. In spite of the high probability that their beliefs will eventually prove to be false, it is argued, people nonetheless tend to feel certain about them and, consequently, feel justified in requiring others to conform. Thus, the fortress model‘s prescription for combating the tendency to censor nonconforming views is to overprotect speech by providing a broad ―buffer zone‖ that encompasses extremist speech because its protection substantially diminishes the probability that inherently valuable speech will be suppressed. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ. Which of the following scenarios, if true, would most weaken the argument contained in the paradox of tolerance which ―admonishes us that tolerance of the intolerant leads to intolerance?‖ - a)Islandia‘s government has decided to outlaw extremist political groups in order to protect its democratic political system.
- b)Islandia has a non-democratic government, despite its suppression of extremist political groups.
- c)Islandia‘s government became democratic only after extremist political groups were outlawed.
- d)Islandia has had a stable democratic government for decades, even though it has never outlawed extremist political groups
- e)Islandia has tried and failed repeatedly to have a stable government
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
The ―paradox of tolerance‖ admonishes us that tolerance of the intolerant leads to intolerance. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the constitutions and laws of Western European democracies that adhere to the principle of freedom of speech all heed the warning of this conundrum and do not afford legal protection to extremist speech.
While in Western European democracies, the speech of nondemocratic extremists has been successfully outlawed, in the United States the first amendment right to freedom of speech has been interpreted to encompass radical oration. The traditional justifications of this American stance originate in the belief that speech is entitled to greater tolerance than other kinds of activity. They are based on the belief that speech itself is valuable, and thus ascribe positive value to a very broad range of speech.
According to the classical model, freedom of speech serves an indispensable function in the process of democratic self-government. From this perspective, the free speech principle need only protect political speech, comprised of all the facts, theories, and opinions relating to any issue on which the citizens must vote. Proponents of this view insist that even extremist views cannot be concealed from voting citizens, if these views bear on any public issue before them.
Protection of free speech serves the collective self-interests of a selfgoverning society made up of all rational, equal, and fully participating citizens who take their civic duties seriously. The fortress model is built on a foundation of pessimism, individualism, relativism, and self-doubt. At its deepest level, the fortress model values freedom of speech as a necessary precondition to the discovery and preservation of truth, but even at this level the function of speech remains primarily negative.
From this perspective, the government and a majority of the people pose a great danger of intolerance. In spite of the high probability that their beliefs will eventually prove to be false, it is argued, people nonetheless tend to feel certain about them and, consequently, feel justified in requiring others to conform. Thus, the fortress model‘s prescription for combating the tendency to censor nonconforming views is to overprotect speech by providing a broad ―buffer zone‖ that encompasses extremist speech because its protection substantially diminishes the probability that inherently valuable speech will be suppressed.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q. Which of the following scenarios, if true, would most weaken the argument contained in the paradox of tolerance which ―admonishes us that tolerance of the intolerant leads to intolerance?‖
a)
Islandia‘s government has decided to outlaw extremist political groups in order to protect its democratic political system.
b)
Islandia has a non-democratic government, despite its suppression of extremist political groups.
c)
Islandia‘s government became democratic only after extremist political groups were outlawed.
d)
Islandia has had a stable democratic government for decades, even though it has never outlawed extremist political groups
e)
Islandia has tried and failed repeatedly to have a stable government
|
|
Ameya Sen answered |
Mapping the Passage
¶1 introduces the ―"paradox of intolerance."
¶2 gives examples of countries that have taken the paradox into consideration by banning extreme speech, and argues that the United States tolerates even extremist speech.
¶3 introduces a justification for the defense of extremist speech: the classical model.
¶s4 and 5 introduce another justification: the fortress model.
¶1 introduces the ―"paradox of intolerance."
¶2 gives examples of countries that have taken the paradox into consideration by banning extreme speech, and argues that the United States tolerates even extremist speech.
¶3 introduces a justification for the defense of extremist speech: the classical model.
¶s4 and 5 introduce another justification: the fortress model.
Take a moment to review the paradox and its implications before attacking the choices. The paradox essentially states that free speech should be limited at its extremes when the extremes could contribute to eliminating free speech. Looking for an answer choice that weakens the implications of the paradox turns up (D): The paradox states that extreme speech weakens stable government, a point weakened by a scenario in which extreme speech and stable government coexist.
In all battles two things are usually required of the Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army and to keep a strong reserve. Both of these are also obligatory for the painter. To make a plan, thorough reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be fought is needed. Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its bridges, its trees, its flowers, its atmosphere—all require and repay attentive observation from a special point of view.I think this is one of the chief delights that have come to me through painting. No doubt many people who are lovers of art have acquired it to a high degree without actually practicing. But I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or more thoroughly than having to face the difficulty of representing the thing observed. And mind you, if you do observe accurately and with refinement, and if you do record what you have seen with tolerable correspondence, the result follows on the canvas with startling obedience.But in order to make his plan, the General must not only reconnoitre the battle-ground; he must also study the achievements of the great Captains of the past. He must bring the observations he has collected in the field into comparison with the treatment of similar incidents by famous chiefs.Considering this fact, the galleries of Europe take on a new—and to me at least — a severely practical interest. You see the difficulty that baffled you yesterday; and you see how easily it has been overcome by a great or even by a skilful painter. Not only is your observation of Nature sensibly improved and developed, but also your comprehension of the masterpieces of art.But it is in the use and withholding of their reserves that the great commanders have generally excelled. After all, when once the last reserve has been thrown in, the commander‘s part is played. If that does not win the battle, he has nothing else to give. Everything must be left to luck and to the fighting troops. But these last reserves, in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect. Mere masses count no more. The largest brush, the brightest colours cannot even make an impression. The pictorial battlefield becomes a sea of mud mercifully veiled by the fog of war. Even though the General plunges in himself and emerges bespattered, as he sometimes does, he will not retrieve the day. In painting, the reserves consist in Proportion or Relation. And it is here that the art of the painter marches along the road which is traversed by all the greatest harmonies in thought. At one side of the palette there is white, at the other black; and neither is ever used 'neat.‘ Between these two rigid limits all the action must lie, all the power required must be generated. Black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression; and yet they are the most that you can do in pure contrast. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ.Following the example of the master Manet, the young Matisse often inserted in his pictures areas of white such as tablecloths or crockery that allowed for striking contrasts with black objects such as a knife or a dark bottle. What is the relevance of this information to the passage? - a)It supports the author‘s claim that the great artists are worthy of imitation.
- b)It supports the author‘s claim that neither black nor white is ever used ‗neat.‘
- c)It weakens the author‘s claim that black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression.
- d)It weakens the author‘s claim that great painters take Nature as their subject.
- e)This information has no relevance to the information in the passage
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
In all battles two things are usually required of the Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army and to keep a strong reserve. Both of these are also obligatory for the painter. To make a plan, thorough reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be fought is needed. Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its bridges, its trees, its flowers, its atmosphere—all require and repay attentive observation from a special point of view.
I think this is one of the chief delights that have come to me through painting. No doubt many people who are lovers of art have acquired it to a high degree without actually practicing. But I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or more thoroughly than having to face the difficulty of representing the thing observed. And mind you, if you do observe accurately and with refinement, and if you do record what you have seen with tolerable correspondence, the result follows on the canvas with startling obedience.
But in order to make his plan, the General must not only reconnoitre the battle-ground; he must also study the achievements of the great Captains of the past. He must bring the observations he has collected in the field into comparison with the treatment of similar incidents by famous chiefs.
Considering this fact, the galleries of Europe take on a new—and to me at least — a severely practical interest. You see the difficulty that baffled you yesterday; and you see how easily it has been overcome by a great or even by a skilful painter. Not only is your observation of Nature sensibly improved and developed, but also your comprehension of the masterpieces of art.
But it is in the use and withholding of their reserves that the great commanders have generally excelled. After all, when once the last reserve has been thrown in, the commander‘s part is played. If that does not win the battle, he has nothing else to give. Everything must be left to luck and to the fighting troops. But these last reserves, in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect.
Mere masses count no more. The largest brush, the brightest colours cannot even make an impression. The pictorial battlefield becomes a sea of mud mercifully veiled by the fog of war. Even though the General plunges in himself and emerges bespattered, as he sometimes does, he will not retrieve the day. In painting, the reserves consist in Proportion or Relation. And it is here that the art of the painter marches along the road which is traversed by all the greatest harmonies in thought. At one side of the palette there is white, at the other black; and neither is ever used 'neat.‘ Between these two rigid limits all the action must lie, all the power required must be generated. Black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression; and yet they are the most that you can do in pure contrast.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q.Following the example of the master Manet, the young Matisse often inserted in his pictures areas of white such as tablecloths or crockery that allowed for striking contrasts with black objects such as a knife or a dark bottle. What is the relevance of this information to the passage?
a)
It supports the author‘s claim that the great artists are worthy of imitation.
b)
It supports the author‘s claim that neither black nor white is ever used ‗neat.‘
c)
It weakens the author‘s claim that black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression.
d)
It weakens the author‘s claim that great painters take Nature as their subject.
e)
This information has no relevance to the information in the passage
|
|
Rithika Kaur answered |
Mapping the Passage
¶1 compares painting a picture to fighting a battle, lists two similarities, planning and
backup, and discusses planning.
¶2 explains that practicing art is a great way to become a lover of art.
¶s3 and 4 draws in the analogy of the general and explain the need to study previous masters in war and art.
¶s5 and 6 explain the need to keep reserves in battle and painting.
¶1 compares painting a picture to fighting a battle, lists two similarities, planning and
backup, and discusses planning.
¶2 explains that practicing art is a great way to become a lover of art.
¶s3 and 4 draws in the analogy of the general and explain the need to study previous masters in war and art.
¶s5 and 6 explain the need to keep reserves in battle and painting.
A synthesis question testing your ability to evaluate the relevance of a new situation to the author‘s arguments. Zero in on elements of the new situation that sound relevant to the passage. Black and white are mentioned in the final paragraph. Recall that the author argues that black and white make weak impressions when contrasted. However, in the question stem situation, the impression is strong. We‘re looking for an answer that points this out, in other words, one that argues the new situation weakens the author‘s view (C) fits exactly.
While many points are worth making in an evaluation of the single sixyear presidential term, one of the most telling points against the single term has not been advanced. This kind of constitutional limitation on elections is generally a product of systems with weak or non-existent political parties.Since there is no party continuity or corporate party integrity in such systems, there is no basis for putting trust in the desire for re-election as a safeguard against mismanagement in the executive branch. Better under those conditions to operate on the basis of negative assumptions against incumbents. I do not know if the earliest proposal for a single, nonrepeatable term was made in the 1820s because that was a period of severely weak political parties. But I do feel confident that this is a major reason, if not the only reason, that such a proposal has been popular since the 1940s.Though the association of the non-repeatable election with weak political parties is not in itself an argument against the limitation, the fallout from this association does contribute significantly to the negative argument. Single-term limitations are strongly associated with corruption. In any weak party system, including the presidential system, the onus of making deals and compromises, both shady and honourable, rests heavily upon individual candidates. Without some semblance of corporate integrity in a party, individual candidates have few opportunities to amortize their obligations across the spectrum of elective and appointive jobs and policy proposals. The deals tend to be personalized and the payoffs come home to roost accordingly.If that situation is already endemic in conditions of weak or nonexistent parties, adding to it the limitation against re-election means that candidates and officials, already prevented from amortizing their deals across space, are also unable to amortize their obligations temporally. This makes for a highly beleaguered situation. The single six-year term for presidents is an effort to compensate for the absence of a viable party system, but it is a compensation ultimately paid for by further weakening the party system itself. Observers, especially foreign observers, have often noted that one source of weakness in American political parties is the certainty of election every two or four years, not only because any artificial limitation on elections is a violation of democratic principles but also because when elections are set in a certain and unchangeable cycle, political parties do not have to remain alert but can disappear into inactivity until a known point prior to the next election. To rigidify matters by going beyond the determinacy of the electoral cycle to add an absolute rule of one term would hang still another millstone around the neck of already doddering political parties. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:Q. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author‘s claim about single-term political systems? - a)The discovery that foreign observers like this system
- b)The discovery that most politicians are honest
- c)The discovery that Americans dislike this system
- d)The discovery that parliamentary systems are more democratic
- e) The discovery that politicians favour such a system
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
While many points are worth making in an evaluation of the single sixyear presidential term, one of the most telling points against the single term has not been advanced. This kind of constitutional limitation on elections is generally a product of systems with weak or non-existent political parties.
Since there is no party continuity or corporate party integrity in such systems, there is no basis for putting trust in the desire for re-election as a safeguard against mismanagement in the executive branch. Better under those conditions to operate on the basis of negative assumptions against incumbents. I do not know if the earliest proposal for a single, nonrepeatable term was made in the 1820s because that was a period of severely weak political parties. But I do feel confident that this is a major reason, if not the only reason, that such a proposal has been popular since the 1940s.
Though the association of the non-repeatable election with weak political parties is not in itself an argument against the limitation, the fallout from this association does contribute significantly to the negative argument. Single-term limitations are strongly associated with corruption. In any weak party system, including the presidential system, the onus of making deals and compromises, both shady and honourable, rests heavily upon individual candidates. Without some semblance of corporate integrity in a party, individual candidates have few opportunities to amortize their obligations across the spectrum of elective and appointive jobs and policy proposals. The deals tend to be personalized and the payoffs come home to roost accordingly.
If that situation is already endemic in conditions of weak or nonexistent parties, adding to it the limitation against re-election means that candidates and officials, already prevented from amortizing their deals across space, are also unable to amortize their obligations temporally. This makes for a highly beleaguered situation. The single six-year term for presidents is an effort to compensate for the absence of a viable party system, but it is a compensation ultimately paid for by further weakening the party system itself.
Observers, especially foreign observers, have often noted that one source of weakness in American political parties is the certainty of election every two or four years, not only because any artificial limitation on elections is a violation of democratic principles but also because when elections are set in a certain and unchangeable cycle, political parties do not have to remain alert but can disappear into inactivity until a known point prior to the next election. To rigidify matters by going beyond the determinacy of the electoral cycle to add an absolute rule of one term would hang still another millstone around the neck of already doddering political parties.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:
Q. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author‘s claim about single-term political systems?
a)
The discovery that foreign observers like this system
b)
The discovery that most politicians are honest
c)
The discovery that Americans dislike this system
d)
The discovery that parliamentary systems are more democratic
e)
The discovery that politicians favour such a system
|
|
Saanvi Sen answered |
Explanation:
Analysis of the question:
The author argues that one of the main drawbacks of single-term political systems is the lack of party continuity and corporate party integrity, which can lead to corruption and inefficiency. To weaken this claim, we need to find a scenario that contradicts the author's assertion.
Key point:
- The author argues that weak political parties in single-term systems contribute to corruption and inefficiency.
Explanation of the correct answer:
- If it is discovered that most politicians in single-term systems are honest, it would weaken the author's claim about corruption and inefficiency being inherent in such systems. This would suggest that the lack of party continuity and corporate party integrity does not necessarily lead to negative consequences.
Explanation of incorrect answers:
a) The opinion of foreign observers about the system does not directly impact the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
c) The dislike of Americans for the system does not address the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
d) The comparison to parliamentary systems being more democratic does not address the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
e) The preference of politicians for such a system does not address the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
Analysis of the question:
The author argues that one of the main drawbacks of single-term political systems is the lack of party continuity and corporate party integrity, which can lead to corruption and inefficiency. To weaken this claim, we need to find a scenario that contradicts the author's assertion.
Key point:
- The author argues that weak political parties in single-term systems contribute to corruption and inefficiency.
Explanation of the correct answer:
- If it is discovered that most politicians in single-term systems are honest, it would weaken the author's claim about corruption and inefficiency being inherent in such systems. This would suggest that the lack of party continuity and corporate party integrity does not necessarily lead to negative consequences.
Explanation of incorrect answers:
a) The opinion of foreign observers about the system does not directly impact the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
c) The dislike of Americans for the system does not address the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
d) The comparison to parliamentary systems being more democratic does not address the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
e) The preference of politicians for such a system does not address the author's argument about corruption and inefficiency.
In all battles two things are usually required of the Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army and to keep a strong reserve. Both of these are also obligatory for the painter. To make a plan, thorough reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be fought is needed. Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its bridges, its trees, its flowers, its atmosphere—all require and repay attentive observation from a special point of view.I think this is one of the chief delights that have come to me through painting. No doubt many people who are lovers of art have acquired it to a high degree without actually practicing. But I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or more thoroughly than having to face the difficulty of representing the thing observed. And mind you, if you do observe accurately and with refinement, and if you do record what you have seen with tolerable correspondence, the result follows on the canvas with startling obedience.But in order to make his plan, the General must not only reconnoitre the battle-ground; he must also study the achievements of the great Captains of the past. He must bring the observations he has collected in the field into comparison with the treatment of similar incidents by famous chiefs.Considering this fact, the galleries of Europe take on a new—and to me at least — a severely practical interest. You see the difficulty that baffled you yesterday; and you see how easily it has been overcome by a great or even by a skilful painter. Not only is your observation of Nature sensibly improved and developed, but also your comprehension of the masterpieces of art.But it is in the use and withholding of their reserves that the great commanders have generally excelled. After all, when once the last reserve has been thrown in, the commander‘s part is played. If that does not win the battle, he has nothing else to give. Everything must be left to luck and to the fighting troops. But these last reserves, in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect. Mere masses count no more. The largest brush, the brightest colours cannot even make an impression. The pictorial battlefield becomes a sea of mud mercifully veiled by the fog of war. Even though the General plunges in himself and emerges bespattered, as he sometimes does, he will not retrieve the day. In painting, the reserves consist in Proportion or Relation. And it is here that the art of the painter marches along the road which is traversed by all the greatest harmonies in thought. At one side of the palette there is white, at the other black; and neither is ever used 'neat.‘ Between these two rigid limits all the action must lie, all the power required must be generated. Black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression; and yet they are the most that you can do in pure contrast. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ.As the author creates the analogy between war and painting in the passage, the Commander-in-Chief is to the battleground as the: - a)painter is to the subject being painted.
- b)painter is to the canvas of the painting.
- c)painter is to the paint colours.
- d)painter is to the art gallery.
- e)painter is to the brush
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
In all battles two things are usually required of the Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army and to keep a strong reserve. Both of these are also obligatory for the painter. To make a plan, thorough reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be fought is needed. Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its bridges, its trees, its flowers, its atmosphere—all require and repay attentive observation from a special point of view.
I think this is one of the chief delights that have come to me through painting. No doubt many people who are lovers of art have acquired it to a high degree without actually practicing. But I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or more thoroughly than having to face the difficulty of representing the thing observed. And mind you, if you do observe accurately and with refinement, and if you do record what you have seen with tolerable correspondence, the result follows on the canvas with startling obedience.
But in order to make his plan, the General must not only reconnoitre the battle-ground; he must also study the achievements of the great Captains of the past. He must bring the observations he has collected in the field into comparison with the treatment of similar incidents by famous chiefs.
Considering this fact, the galleries of Europe take on a new—and to me at least — a severely practical interest. You see the difficulty that baffled you yesterday; and you see how easily it has been overcome by a great or even by a skilful painter. Not only is your observation of Nature sensibly improved and developed, but also your comprehension of the masterpieces of art.
But it is in the use and withholding of their reserves that the great commanders have generally excelled. After all, when once the last reserve has been thrown in, the commander‘s part is played. If that does not win the battle, he has nothing else to give. Everything must be left to luck and to the fighting troops. But these last reserves, in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect.
Mere masses count no more. The largest brush, the brightest colours cannot even make an impression. The pictorial battlefield becomes a sea of mud mercifully veiled by the fog of war. Even though the General plunges in himself and emerges bespattered, as he sometimes does, he will not retrieve the day. In painting, the reserves consist in Proportion or Relation. And it is here that the art of the painter marches along the road which is traversed by all the greatest harmonies in thought. At one side of the palette there is white, at the other black; and neither is ever used 'neat.‘ Between these two rigid limits all the action must lie, all the power required must be generated. Black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression; and yet they are the most that you can do in pure contrast.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q.As the author creates the analogy between war and painting in the passage, the Commander-in-Chief is to the battleground as the:
a)
painter is to the subject being painted.
b)
painter is to the canvas of the painting.
c)
painter is to the paint colours.
d)
painter is to the art gallery.
e)
painter is to the brush
|
|
Ashwin Kulkarni answered |
Mapping the Passage
¶1 compares painting a picture to fighting a battle, lists two similarities, planning and
backup, and discusses planning.
¶2 explains that practicing art is a great way to become a lover of art.
¶s3 and 4 draws in the analogy of the general and explain the need to study previous masters in war and art.
¶s5 and 6 explain the need to keep reserves in battle and painting.
¶1 compares painting a picture to fighting a battle, lists two similarities, planning and
backup, and discusses planning.
¶2 explains that practicing art is a great way to become a lover of art.
¶s3 and 4 draws in the analogy of the general and explain the need to study previous masters in war and art.
¶s5 and 6 explain the need to keep reserves in battle and painting.
The Commander-in-Chief is mentioned in the first paragraph, so begin your search there. The author says that the battleground must be inspected and studied. What is the equivalent in painting? The subject being painted. (A) fits the bill.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court rulings that seem to give them license to seek out and publish any and all government secrets, the media‘s distrust of our government, combined with their limited understanding of the world at large, damages our ability to design and conduct good policy in ways that the media rarely imagine.The leak through which sensitive information flows from the government to the press is detrimental to policy in so far as it almost completely precludes the possibility of serious discussion. The fear that anything they say, even in what is construed as a private forum, may appear in print, makes many people, whether our own government officials or the leaders of foreign countries, unwilling to speak their minds.Must we be content with the restriction of our leaders‘ policy discussions to a handful of people who trust each other, thus limiting the richness and variety of ideas that could be brought forward through a larger group because of the nearly endemic nature of this problem? It is vitally important for the leaders of the United States to know the real state of affairs internationally, and this can occur only if foreign leaders feel free to speak their minds to our diplomats.Until recently, it looked as if the media had convinced the public that journalists were more reliable than the government; however, this may be changing. With the passage of time, the media have lost lustre. They—having grown large and powerful—provoke the same public skepticism that other large institutions in the society do. A series of media scandals has contributed to this. Many Americans have concluded that the media are no more credible than the government, and public opinion surveys reflect much ambivalence about the press.While leaks are generally defended by media officials on the grounds of the public‘s ―right to know, in reality they are part of the Washington political power game, as well as part of the policy process. The "leaker" may be currying favour with the media, or may be planting information to influence policy. In the first case, he is helping himself by enhancing the prestige of a journalist; in the second, he is using the media as a stage for his preferred policies. In either instance, it closes the circle: the leak begins with a political motive, is advanced by a politicized media, and continues because of politics. Although some of the journalists think they are doing the work, they are more often than not instruments of the process, not prime movers. The media must be held accountable for their activities, just like every other significant institution in our society, and the media must be forced to earn the public‘s trust. Implicit in the author‘s argument that leaks result in far more limited and unreliable policy discussions with foreign leaders is the idea that: - a)Leaks should be considered breaches of trust and therefore immoral.
- b)Leaks have occurred throughout the history of politics.
- c)Foreign and U.S. leaders discussed policy without inhibition before the rise of the mass media.
- d)Leaders fear the public would react negatively if it knew the real state of affairs.
- e)It is best to keep the media in the dark.
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court rulings that seem to give them license to seek out and publish any and all government secrets, the media‘s distrust of our government, combined with their limited understanding of the world at large, damages our ability to design and conduct good policy in ways that the media rarely imagine.
The leak through which sensitive information flows from the government to the press is detrimental to policy in so far as it almost completely precludes the possibility of serious discussion. The fear that anything they say, even in what is construed as a private forum, may appear in print, makes many people, whether our own government officials or the leaders of foreign countries, unwilling to speak their minds.
Must we be content with the restriction of our leaders‘ policy discussions to a handful of people who trust each other, thus limiting the richness and variety of ideas that could be brought forward through a larger group because of the nearly endemic nature of this problem? It is vitally important for the leaders of the United States to know the real state of affairs internationally, and this can occur only if foreign leaders feel free to speak their minds to our diplomats.
Until recently, it looked as if the media had convinced the public that journalists were more reliable than the government; however, this may be changing. With the passage of time, the media have lost lustre. They—having grown large and powerful—provoke the same public skepticism that other large institutions in the society do. A series of media scandals has contributed to this. Many Americans have concluded that the media are no more credible than the government, and public opinion surveys reflect much ambivalence about the press.
While leaks are generally defended by media officials on the grounds of the public‘s ―right to know, in reality they are part of the Washington political power game, as well as part of the policy process. The "leaker" may be currying favour with the media, or may be planting information to influence policy. In the first case, he is helping himself by enhancing the prestige of a journalist; in the second, he is using the media as a stage for his preferred policies. In either instance, it closes the circle: the leak begins with a political motive, is advanced by a politicized media, and continues because of politics. Although some of the journalists think they are doing the work, they are more often than not instruments of the process, not prime movers. The media must be held accountable for their activities, just like every other significant institution in our society, and the media must be forced to earn the public‘s trust.
Implicit in the author‘s argument that leaks result in far more limited and unreliable policy discussions with foreign leaders is the idea that:
a)
Leaks should be considered breaches of trust and therefore immoral.
b)
Leaks have occurred throughout the history of politics.
c)
Foreign and U.S. leaders discussed policy without inhibition before the rise of the mass media.
d)
Leaders fear the public would react negatively if it knew the real state of affairs.
e)
It is best to keep the media in the dark.
|
|
Vandana Iyer answered |
Understanding the Author's Argument
The argument presented in the paragraph revolves around the impact of media leaks on policy discussions between U.S. leaders and foreign counterparts. The correct answer, option 'D', suggests that leaders fear public backlash if the true state of affairs is revealed.
Key Points Supporting Option D
- Fear of Public Reaction:
Leaders are concerned that candid discussions may lead to sensitive information being leaked, which could provoke public outrage or mistrust. This fear stifles open dialogue and candidness in discussions.
- Impact of Media Scrutiny:
The pervasive nature of media leaks creates an environment where officials feel they must guard their words carefully. This leads to a reluctance to share honest assessments or innovative ideas with others, especially foreign leaders.
- Consequences for Policy Development:
The paragraph implies that when leaders curtail their discussions due to fear of leaks, it limits the diversity of opinions and ideas that could enhance policy-making. This ultimately affects the quality of international relations and policy decisions.
Conclusion
In summary, the author’s argument highlights a significant drawback of media leaks: the resulting atmosphere of fear inhibits thorough and honest policy discussions. This dynamic is critical for effective diplomacy and governance, which is why option 'D' is the best interpretation of the author's concerns regarding leaks and their implications for communication between leaders.
The argument presented in the paragraph revolves around the impact of media leaks on policy discussions between U.S. leaders and foreign counterparts. The correct answer, option 'D', suggests that leaders fear public backlash if the true state of affairs is revealed.
Key Points Supporting Option D
- Fear of Public Reaction:
Leaders are concerned that candid discussions may lead to sensitive information being leaked, which could provoke public outrage or mistrust. This fear stifles open dialogue and candidness in discussions.
- Impact of Media Scrutiny:
The pervasive nature of media leaks creates an environment where officials feel they must guard their words carefully. This leads to a reluctance to share honest assessments or innovative ideas with others, especially foreign leaders.
- Consequences for Policy Development:
The paragraph implies that when leaders curtail their discussions due to fear of leaks, it limits the diversity of opinions and ideas that could enhance policy-making. This ultimately affects the quality of international relations and policy decisions.
Conclusion
In summary, the author’s argument highlights a significant drawback of media leaks: the resulting atmosphere of fear inhibits thorough and honest policy discussions. This dynamic is critical for effective diplomacy and governance, which is why option 'D' is the best interpretation of the author's concerns regarding leaks and their implications for communication between leaders.
While many points are worth making in an evaluation of the single sixyear presidential term, one of the most telling points against the single term has not been advanced. This kind of constitutional limitation on elections is generally a product of systems with weak or non-existent political parties. Since there is no party continuity or corporate party integrity in such systems, there is no basis for putting trust in the desire for re-election as a safeguard against mismanagement in the executive branch. Better under those conditions to operate on the basis of negative assumptions against incumbents. I do not know if the earliest proposal for a single, nonrepeatable term was made in the 1820s because that was a period of severely weak political parties. But I do feel confident that this is a major reason, if not the only reason, that such a proposal has been popular since the 1940s. Though the association of the non-repeatable election with weak political parties is not in itself an argument against the limitation, the fallout from this association does contribute significantly to the negative argument. Single-term limitations are strongly associated with corruption. In any weak party system, including the presidential system, the onus of making deals and compromises, both shady and honourable, rests heavily upon individual candidates. Without some semblance of corporate integrity in a party, individual candidates have few opportunities to amortize their obligations across the spectrum of elective and appointive jobs and policy proposals.The deals tend to be personalized and the payoffs come home to roost accordingly. If that situation is already endemic in conditions of weak or nonexistent parties, adding to it the limitation against re-election means that candidates and officials, already prevented from amortizing their deals across space, are also unable to amortize their obligations temporally. This makes for a highly beleaguered situation. The single six-year term for presidents is an effort to compensate for the absence of a viable party system, but it is a compensation ultimately paid for by further weakening the party system itself. Observers, especially foreign observers, have often noted that one source of weakness in American political parties is the certainty of election every two or four years, not only because any artificial limitation on elections is a violation of democratic principles but also because when elections are set in a certain and unchangeable cycle, political parties do not have to remain alert but can disappear into inactivity until a known point prior to the next election. To rigidify matters by going beyond the determinacy of the electoral cycle to add an absolute rule of one term would hang still another millstone around the neck of already doddering political parties. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:According to the passage, which of the following is most likely to be true of a political system with weak political parties? - a)Politicians appoint unqualified people to important posts.
- b)Political parties favour frequent elections.
- c)Political bargains are made by individual candidates.
- d)Elections tend to occur with very great frequency.
- e)It encourages politicians to be more honest
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
While many points are worth making in an evaluation of the single sixyear presidential term, one of the most telling points against the single term has not been advanced. This kind of constitutional limitation on elections is generally a product of systems with weak or non-existent political parties.
Since there is no party continuity or corporate party integrity in such systems, there is no basis for putting trust in the desire for re-election as a safeguard against mismanagement in the executive branch. Better under those conditions to operate on the basis of negative assumptions against incumbents. I do not know if the earliest proposal for a single, nonrepeatable term was made in the 1820s because that was a period of severely weak political parties. But I do feel confident that this is a major reason, if not the only reason, that such a proposal has been popular since the 1940s.
Though the association of the non-repeatable election with weak political parties is not in itself an argument against the limitation, the fallout from this association does contribute significantly to the negative argument. Single-term limitations are strongly associated with corruption. In any weak party system, including the presidential system, the onus of making deals and compromises, both shady and honourable, rests heavily upon individual candidates. Without some semblance of corporate integrity in a party, individual candidates have few opportunities to amortize their obligations across the spectrum of elective and appointive jobs and policy proposals.
The deals tend to be personalized and the payoffs come home to roost accordingly. If that situation is already endemic in conditions of weak or nonexistent parties, adding to it the limitation against re-election means that candidates and officials, already prevented from amortizing their deals across space, are also unable to amortize their obligations temporally. This makes for a highly beleaguered situation. The single six-year term for presidents is an effort to compensate for the absence of a viable party system, but it is a compensation ultimately paid for by further weakening the party system itself.
Observers, especially foreign observers, have often noted that one source of weakness in American political parties is the certainty of election every two or four years, not only because any artificial limitation on elections is a violation of democratic principles but also because when elections are set in a certain and unchangeable cycle, political parties do not have to remain alert but can disappear into inactivity until a known point prior to the next election. To rigidify matters by going beyond the determinacy of the electoral cycle to add an absolute rule of one term would hang still another millstone around the neck of already doddering political parties.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:
According to the passage, which of the following is most likely to be true of a political system with weak political parties?
a)
Politicians appoint unqualified people to important posts.
b)
Political parties favour frequent elections.
c)
Political bargains are made by individual candidates.
d)
Elections tend to occur with very great frequency.
e)
It encourages politicians to be more honest
|
|
Ananya Sharma answered |
Mapping the Passage
¶1 introduces the idea of a single presidential term.
¶2 argues that the single term is usually associated with countries with weak political parties and therefore popular when political parties are weak.
¶s3 and 4 argue that single-term systems encourage corruption.
¶5 argues that the single-term system is designed to make up for weak parties, but ends up making parties even weaker.
¶1 introduces the idea of a single presidential term.
¶2 argues that the single term is usually associated with countries with weak political parties and therefore popular when political parties are weak.
¶s3 and 4 argue that single-term systems encourage corruption.
¶5 argues that the single-term system is designed to make up for weak parties, but ends up making parties even weaker.
What does the author say about weak political parties? They lead to a preference for single terms, which, when enacted, lead to corruption. Evaluate the choices with this main chain of causes and effects in mind. While three choices aren‘t touched on by the author, (C) is the main point made in ¶3 and the beginning of ¶ 4: single-term systems encourage individual bargains (which ultimately lead to corruption.)
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .The more specific task of characterizing romantic aesthetics adds to these difficulties an air of paradox. Conventionally, “aesthetics” refers to a theory concerning beauty and art or the branch of philosophy that studies these topics. However, many of the romantics rejected the identification of aesthetics with a circumscribed domain of human life that is separated from the practical and theoretical domains of life. The most characteristic romantic commitment is to the idea that the character of art and beauty and of our engagement with them should shape all aspects of human life. Being fundamental to human existence, beauty and art should be a central ingredient not only in a philosophical or artistic life, but also in the lives of ordinary men and women. Another challenge for any attempt to characterize romantic aesthetics lies in the fact that most of the romantics were poets and artists whose views of art and beauty are, for the most part, to be found not in developed theoretical accounts, but in fragments, aphorisms and poems, which are often more elusive and suggestive than conclusive.Nevertheless, in spite of these challenges the task of characterizing romantic aesthetics is neither impossible nor undesirable, as numerous thinkers responding to Lovejoy’s radical skepticism have noted. While warning against a reductive definition of romanticism, Berlin, for example, still heralded the need for a general characterization: “[Although] one does have a certain sympathy with Lovejoy’s despair…[he is] in this instance mistaken. There was a romantic movement…and it is important to discover what it is” . . .Recent attempts to characterize romanticism and to stress its contemporary relevance follow this path. Instead of overlooking the undeniable differences between the variety of romanticisms of different nations that Lovejoy had stressed, such studies attempt to characterize romanticism, not in terms of a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place, but in terms of “particular philosophical questions and concerns” . . .While the German, British and French romantics are all considered, the central protagonists in the following are the German romantics. Two reasons explain this focus: first, because it
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.According to the romantics, aesthetics:- a)should be confined to a specific domain separate from the practical and theoretical aspects of life.
- b)is primarily the concern of philosophers and artists, rather than of ordinary people.
- c)is widely considered to be irrelevant to human existence.
- d)permeates all aspects of human life, philosophical and mundane.
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .
The more specific task of characterizing romantic aesthetics adds to these difficulties an air of paradox. Conventionally, “aesthetics” refers to a theory concerning beauty and art or the branch of philosophy that studies these topics. However, many of the romantics rejected the identification of aesthetics with a circumscribed domain of human life that is separated from the practical and theoretical domains of life. The most characteristic romantic commitment is to the idea that the character of art and beauty and of our engagement with them should shape all aspects of human life. Being fundamental to human existence, beauty and art should be a central ingredient not only in a philosophical or artistic life, but also in the lives of ordinary men and women. Another challenge for any attempt to characterize romantic aesthetics lies in the fact that most of the romantics were poets and artists whose views of art and beauty are, for the most part, to be found not in developed theoretical accounts, but in fragments, aphorisms and poems, which are often more elusive and suggestive than conclusive.
Nevertheless, in spite of these challenges the task of characterizing romantic aesthetics is neither impossible nor undesirable, as numerous thinkers responding to Lovejoy’s radical skepticism have noted. While warning against a reductive definition of romanticism, Berlin, for example, still heralded the need for a general characterization: “[Although] one does have a certain sympathy with Lovejoy’s despair…[he is] in this instance mistaken. There was a romantic movement…and it is important to discover what it is” . . .
Recent attempts to characterize romanticism and to stress its contemporary relevance follow this path. Instead of overlooking the undeniable differences between the variety of romanticisms of different nations that Lovejoy had stressed, such studies attempt to characterize romanticism, not in terms of a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place, but in terms of “particular philosophical questions and concerns” . . .
While the German, British and French romantics are all considered, the central protagonists in the following are the German romantics. Two reasons explain this focus: first, because it
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.
According to the romantics, aesthetics:
a)
should be confined to a specific domain separate from the practical and theoretical aspects of life.
b)
is primarily the concern of philosophers and artists, rather than of ordinary people.
c)
is widely considered to be irrelevant to human existence.
d)
permeates all aspects of human life, philosophical and mundane.
|
|
Wizius Careers answered |
“The most characteristic romantic commitment is to the idea that the character of art and beauty and of our engagement with them should shape all aspects of human life. Being fundamental to human existence, beauty and art should be a central ingredient not only in a philosophical or artistic life, but also in the lives of ordinary men and women.”
According to the passage, the romantics rejected the idea of confining aesthetics to a specific domain separate from practical and theoretical aspects of life. Instead, they believed that aesthetics, encompassing the character of art and beauty, should permeate all aspects of human existence, not only in philosophical or artistic lives but also in the lives of ordinary men and women.Therefore Option D is the correct answer.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s.The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits.Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace.These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers.The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods.American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach. The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities.The passage suggests that compared to Japanese workers, American workers are often considered: - a)More content and more efficient.
- b)More content but less efficient.
- c)Less content and less efficient.
- d)Less content but more efficient.
- e)Lazy and less hard working.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s.
The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits.
Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace.
These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers.
The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods.
American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach. The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities.
The passage suggests that compared to Japanese workers, American workers are often considered:
a)
More content and more efficient.
b)
More content but less efficient.
c)
Less content and less efficient.
d)
Less content but more efficient.
e)
Lazy and less hard working.
|
|
Madhurima Datta answered |
Understanding American Workers' Comparison to Japanese Workers
The passage provides a critical analysis of the decline of American business competitiveness, particularly in relation to Japanese firms. One of the key distinctions made between American and Japanese workers revolves around contentment and efficiency.
Workforce Contentment
- The text suggests that American workers may have labor demands that are not aligned with market competitiveness.
- This indicates a degree of dissatisfaction or lack of contentment among American workers regarding their wages and working conditions.
Workforce Efficiency
- The passage mentions "poor productivity" as a reason why American corporations struggle against foreign competition, notably from Japanese firms.
- This implies that American workers, when compared to their Japanese counterparts, may not be performing at an optimal level of efficiency.
Conclusion
- Given these observations, it is reasonable to conclude that American workers are perceived as "less content and less efficient" than Japanese workers.
- This aligns with option 'C', as the text critiques the American workforce for its demands and inefficiency, ultimately contributing to the challenges faced by American corporations in the global market.
In summary, the passage highlights that the combination of dissatisfaction and lower productivity among American workers has hindered the competitiveness of American businesses, particularly against Japanese firms, thus supporting the conclusion that American workers are often seen as less content and less efficient.
The passage provides a critical analysis of the decline of American business competitiveness, particularly in relation to Japanese firms. One of the key distinctions made between American and Japanese workers revolves around contentment and efficiency.
Workforce Contentment
- The text suggests that American workers may have labor demands that are not aligned with market competitiveness.
- This indicates a degree of dissatisfaction or lack of contentment among American workers regarding their wages and working conditions.
Workforce Efficiency
- The passage mentions "poor productivity" as a reason why American corporations struggle against foreign competition, notably from Japanese firms.
- This implies that American workers, when compared to their Japanese counterparts, may not be performing at an optimal level of efficiency.
Conclusion
- Given these observations, it is reasonable to conclude that American workers are perceived as "less content and less efficient" than Japanese workers.
- This aligns with option 'C', as the text critiques the American workforce for its demands and inefficiency, ultimately contributing to the challenges faced by American corporations in the global market.
In summary, the passage highlights that the combination of dissatisfaction and lower productivity among American workers has hindered the competitiveness of American businesses, particularly against Japanese firms, thus supporting the conclusion that American workers are often seen as less content and less efficient.
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.The best way to win a friend is to avoid- a)irony in speech
- b)pomposity in speech
- c)verbosity in speech
- d)ambiguity in speech
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.
The best way to win a friend is to avoid
a)
irony in speech
b)
pomposity in speech
c)
verbosity in speech
d)
ambiguity in speech
|
Sandeep Chakraborty answered |
"Speech is a great blessing but it can also be a great curse" for while it helps us how to make our intensions and desires known to our fellow, it can also, if we use it carelessly, make our attitudes completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, the use of an unusual word or of an ambiguous word may create an enemy where we have hoped to win a friend.
Again different classes of people use different vocabularies and the ordinary speech of an educated man may strike an uneducated listener as showing pride. Unwillingly we may use a word which bears different meaning to our listeners from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to be used lightly without thought but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all.
In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.A healthy man should be concerned with- a)his work which good health makes possible
- b)looking after his health
- c)his health which makes work possible
- d)talking about health
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.
A healthy man should be concerned with
a)
his work which good health makes possible
b)
looking after his health
c)
his health which makes work possible
d)
talking about health
|
Akash Sengupta answered |
Ans.
Option (a)
In all battles two things are usually required of the Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army and to keep a strong reserve. Both of these are also obligatory for the painter. To make a plan, thorough reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be fought is needed. Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its bridges, its trees, its flowers, its atmosphere—all require and repay attentive observation from a special point of view.I think this is one of the chief delights that have come to me through painting. No doubt many people who are lovers of art have acquired it to a high degree without actually practicing. But I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or more thoroughly than having to face the difficulty of representing the thing observed. And mind you, if you do observe accurately and with refinement, and if you do record what you have seen with tolerable correspondence, the result follows on the canvas with startling obedience.But in order to make his plan, the General must not only reconnoitre the battle-ground; he must also study the achievements of the great Captains of the past. He must bring the observations he has collected in the field into comparison with the treatment of similar incidents by famous chiefs.Considering this fact, the galleries of Europe take on a new—and to me at least — a severely practical interest. You see the difficulty that baffled you yesterday; and you see how easily it has been overcome by a great or even by a skilful painter. Not only is your observation of Nature sensibly improved and developed, but also your comprehension of the masterpieces of art.But it is in the use and withholding of their reserves that the great commanders have generally excelled. After all, when once the last reserve has been thrown in, the commander‘s part is played. If that does not win the battle, he has nothing else to give. Everything must be left to luck and to the fighting troops. But these last reserves, in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect. Mere masses count no more. The largest brush, the brightest colours cannot even make an impression. The pictorial battlefield becomes a sea of mud mercifully veiled by the fog of war. Even though the General plunges in himself and emerges bespattered, as he sometimes does, he will not retrieve the day. In painting, the reserves consist in Proportion or Relation. And it is here that the art of the painter marches along the road which is traversed by all the greatest harmonies in thought. At one side of the palette there is white, at the other black; and neither is ever used 'neat.‘ Between these two rigid limits all the action must lie, all the power required must be generated. Black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression; and yet they are the most that you can do in pure contrast. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ.The author‘s statement ―"But [the fighting troops], in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect" assumes that- a)chaotic painting cannot have an unintended artistic effect.
- b)an artist naturally resists direction from another individual.
- c)a painting cannot help but reflect the mental state of its painter.
- d)it is impossible for painters to collaborate on a work without confusion.
- e)troops always need someone to guide them
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
In all battles two things are usually required of the Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army and to keep a strong reserve. Both of these are also obligatory for the painter. To make a plan, thorough reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be fought is needed. Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its bridges, its trees, its flowers, its atmosphere—all require and repay attentive observation from a special point of view.
I think this is one of the chief delights that have come to me through painting. No doubt many people who are lovers of art have acquired it to a high degree without actually practicing. But I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or more thoroughly than having to face the difficulty of representing the thing observed. And mind you, if you do observe accurately and with refinement, and if you do record what you have seen with tolerable correspondence, the result follows on the canvas with startling obedience.
But in order to make his plan, the General must not only reconnoitre the battle-ground; he must also study the achievements of the great Captains of the past. He must bring the observations he has collected in the field into comparison with the treatment of similar incidents by famous chiefs.
Considering this fact, the galleries of Europe take on a new—and to me at least — a severely practical interest. You see the difficulty that baffled you yesterday; and you see how easily it has been overcome by a great or even by a skilful painter. Not only is your observation of Nature sensibly improved and developed, but also your comprehension of the masterpieces of art.
But it is in the use and withholding of their reserves that the great commanders have generally excelled. After all, when once the last reserve has been thrown in, the commander‘s part is played. If that does not win the battle, he has nothing else to give. Everything must be left to luck and to the fighting troops. But these last reserves, in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect.
Mere masses count no more. The largest brush, the brightest colours cannot even make an impression. The pictorial battlefield becomes a sea of mud mercifully veiled by the fog of war. Even though the General plunges in himself and emerges bespattered, as he sometimes does, he will not retrieve the day. In painting, the reserves consist in Proportion or Relation. And it is here that the art of the painter marches along the road which is traversed by all the greatest harmonies in thought. At one side of the palette there is white, at the other black; and neither is ever used 'neat.‘ Between these two rigid limits all the action must lie, all the power required must be generated. Black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression; and yet they are the most that you can do in pure contrast.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q.The author‘s statement ―"But [the fighting troops], in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect" assumes that
a)
chaotic painting cannot have an unintended artistic effect.
b)
an artist naturally resists direction from another individual.
c)
a painting cannot help but reflect the mental state of its painter.
d)
it is impossible for painters to collaborate on a work without confusion.
e)
troops always need someone to guide them
|
|
Bhaskar Chatterjee answered |
Explanation:
Understanding the Authors Statement:
The author's statement highlights the importance of direction and leadership in both military strategy and painting. The comparison drawn between a commander-in-chief leading troops in battle and a painter creating a work of art emphasizes the need for a clear plan and guidance to achieve success.
Interpreting the Assumption:
The assumption made in the statement is that chaotic painting, without a clear direction or plan from the artist, will not result in a meaningful or impactful artistic effect. This assumption suggests that without proper guidance and order, the creative process may lead to confusion and a lack of coherence in the final artwork.
Relation to the Military Analogy:
In the military context, the absence of high direction or leadership can result in troops becoming disorganized and ineffective in battle. Similarly, in painting, without a clear vision or plan from the artist, the artwork may lack structure and fail to convey the intended message or emotion.
Significance of Guided Creativity:
The author emphasizes the importance of having a plan and utilizing reserves effectively in both warfare and art. By following a strategic approach and avoiding chaos or disarray, artists can create more impactful and meaningful works of art.
Conclusion:
In essence, the assumption underlying the author's statement is that without proper direction and guidance, whether in warfare or painting, the outcome may be chaotic and lack the intended impact or effectiveness. This highlights the importance of leadership, planning, and organization in achieving success in any creative endeavor.
Understanding the Authors Statement:
The author's statement highlights the importance of direction and leadership in both military strategy and painting. The comparison drawn between a commander-in-chief leading troops in battle and a painter creating a work of art emphasizes the need for a clear plan and guidance to achieve success.
Interpreting the Assumption:
The assumption made in the statement is that chaotic painting, without a clear direction or plan from the artist, will not result in a meaningful or impactful artistic effect. This assumption suggests that without proper guidance and order, the creative process may lead to confusion and a lack of coherence in the final artwork.
Relation to the Military Analogy:
In the military context, the absence of high direction or leadership can result in troops becoming disorganized and ineffective in battle. Similarly, in painting, without a clear vision or plan from the artist, the artwork may lack structure and fail to convey the intended message or emotion.
Significance of Guided Creativity:
The author emphasizes the importance of having a plan and utilizing reserves effectively in both warfare and art. By following a strategic approach and avoiding chaos or disarray, artists can create more impactful and meaningful works of art.
Conclusion:
In essence, the assumption underlying the author's statement is that without proper direction and guidance, whether in warfare or painting, the outcome may be chaotic and lack the intended impact or effectiveness. This highlights the importance of leadership, planning, and organization in achieving success in any creative endeavor.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:Henry Varnum Poor, editor of American Railroad Journal, drew the important elements of the image of the railroad together in 1851, ―Look at the results of this material progress, the vigor, life, and executive energy that followed in its train, rapidly succeeded by wealth, the refinement and intellectual culture of a high civilization. All this is typified, in a degree, by a locomotive. The combination in its construction of nice art and scientific application of power, its speed surpassing that of our proudest courser, and its immense strength, are all characteristic of our age and tendencies. To us, like the telegraph, it is essential, it constitutes a part of our nature, is a condition of our being what we are.In the third decade of the nineteenth century, Americans began to define their character in light of the new railroads. They liked the idea that it took special people to foresee and capitalize on the promise of science. Railroad promoters, using the steam engine as a metaphor for what they thought Americans were and what they thought Americans were becoming, frequently discussed parallels between the locomotive and national character, pointing out that both possessed youth, power, speed, single-mindedness, and bright prospects.Poor was, of course, promoting acceptance of railroads and enticing his readers to open their pocketbooks. But his metaphors had their dark side. A locomotive was quite unlike anything Americans had ever seen. It was large, mysterious and dangerous; many thought that it was a monster waiting to devour the unwary. There was a suspicion that a country founded upon Jeffersonian agrarian principles had bought a ticket and boarded a train pulled by some iron monster into the dark recesses of an unknown future.To ease such public apprehensions, promoters, poets, editors, and writers alike adopted the notion that locomotives were really only ―iron horses,‖ an early metaphor that lingered because it made steam technology ordinary and understandable. Iron horse metaphors assuaged fears about inherent defects in the national character, prompting images of a more secure future, and made an alien technology less frightening, and even comforting and congenial.Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the locomotive as an agent of domestic harmony. He observed that ―the locomotive and the steamboat, like enormous shuttles, shoot every day across the thousand various threads of national descent and employment and bind them fast in one web,"adding ―an hourly assimilation goes forward, and there is no danger that local peculiarities and hostilities should be preserved. To us Americans, it seems to have fallen as a political aid. We could not else have held the vast North America together, which we now engage to do."Suppose that an early nineteenth-century American inventor had developed a device that made it easier to construct multi-story building. How would early nineteenth-century Americans be expected to react to this invention? - a)They would not support society‘s use of such a device.
- b)They would generally support society‘s use of such a device.
- c)They would have no opinion about society‘s use of such a device.
- d)They themselves would not use such a device.
- e)They would initially view such a device with skepticism.
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
Henry Varnum Poor, editor of American Railroad Journal, drew the important elements of the image of the railroad together in 1851, ―Look at the results of this material progress, the vigor, life, and executive energy that followed in its train, rapidly succeeded by wealth, the refinement and intellectual culture of a high civilization. All this is typified, in a degree, by a locomotive. The combination in its construction of nice art and scientific application of power, its speed surpassing that of our proudest courser, and its immense strength, are all characteristic of our age and tendencies. To us, like the telegraph, it is essential, it constitutes a part of our nature, is a condition of our being what we are.
In the third decade of the nineteenth century, Americans began to define their character in light of the new railroads. They liked the idea that it took special people to foresee and capitalize on the promise of science. Railroad promoters, using the steam engine as a metaphor for what they thought Americans were and what they thought Americans were becoming, frequently discussed parallels between the locomotive and national character, pointing out that both possessed youth, power, speed, single-mindedness, and bright prospects.
Poor was, of course, promoting acceptance of railroads and enticing his readers to open their pocketbooks. But his metaphors had their dark side. A locomotive was quite unlike anything Americans had ever seen. It was large, mysterious and dangerous; many thought that it was a monster waiting to devour the unwary. There was a suspicion that a country founded upon Jeffersonian agrarian principles had bought a ticket and boarded a train pulled by some iron monster into the dark recesses of an unknown future.
To ease such public apprehensions, promoters, poets, editors, and writers alike adopted the notion that locomotives were really only ―iron horses,‖ an early metaphor that lingered because it made steam technology ordinary and understandable. Iron horse metaphors assuaged fears about inherent defects in the national character, prompting images of a more secure future, and made an alien technology less frightening, and even comforting and congenial.
Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the locomotive as an agent of domestic harmony. He observed that ―the locomotive and the steamboat, like enormous shuttles, shoot every day across the thousand various threads of national descent and employment and bind them fast in one web,"adding ―an hourly assimilation goes forward, and there is no danger that local peculiarities and hostilities should be preserved. To us Americans, it seems to have fallen as a political aid. We could not else have held the vast North America together, which we now engage to do."
Suppose that an early nineteenth-century American inventor had developed a device that made it easier to construct multi-story building. How would early nineteenth-century Americans be expected to react to this invention?
a)
They would not support society‘s use of such a device.
b)
They would generally support society‘s use of such a device.
c)
They would have no opinion about society‘s use of such a device.
d)
They themselves would not use such a device.
e)
They would initially view such a device with skepticism.
|
|
Rajdeep Ghoshal answered |
Support for Innovation
Early nineteenth-century Americans were generally enthusiastic about technological advancements, particularly those that promised to enhance productivity and efficiency. The development of a device that facilitated the construction of multi-story buildings would likely have been met with a positive response for several reasons.
Emphasis on Progress
- Americans during this era were highly influenced by the spirit of Manifest Destiny and the belief in progress through science and technology.
- Innovations like the locomotive were celebrated for their ability to transform society, fostering a sense of national identity and pride.
Desire for Urbanization
- The rise of cities and urban centers was a crucial aspect of American development in the early nineteenth century.
- A device that allowed for easier construction of taller buildings would align with the growing need for urban infrastructure, thus supporting societal expansion.
Metaphors of Growth
- Just as railroads were seen as symbols of speed, power, and progress, a new construction device would likely be viewed similarly.
- The metaphor of building and growth would resonate with Americans, reinforcing their aspirations for a prosperous future.
Positive Reception of New Technologies
- Historical context shows that Americans welcomed inventions that could improve their lives, as evidenced by the acceptance of steam technology and railroads.
- The potential for economic growth and increased job opportunities associated with such construction advancements would further encourage support.
In conclusion, early nineteenth-century Americans would have been expected to embrace the invention of a device that made multi-story building construction easier, aligning with their values of progress, urbanization, and innovation.
Early nineteenth-century Americans were generally enthusiastic about technological advancements, particularly those that promised to enhance productivity and efficiency. The development of a device that facilitated the construction of multi-story buildings would likely have been met with a positive response for several reasons.
Emphasis on Progress
- Americans during this era were highly influenced by the spirit of Manifest Destiny and the belief in progress through science and technology.
- Innovations like the locomotive were celebrated for their ability to transform society, fostering a sense of national identity and pride.
Desire for Urbanization
- The rise of cities and urban centers was a crucial aspect of American development in the early nineteenth century.
- A device that allowed for easier construction of taller buildings would align with the growing need for urban infrastructure, thus supporting societal expansion.
Metaphors of Growth
- Just as railroads were seen as symbols of speed, power, and progress, a new construction device would likely be viewed similarly.
- The metaphor of building and growth would resonate with Americans, reinforcing their aspirations for a prosperous future.
Positive Reception of New Technologies
- Historical context shows that Americans welcomed inventions that could improve their lives, as evidenced by the acceptance of steam technology and railroads.
- The potential for economic growth and increased job opportunities associated with such construction advancements would further encourage support.
In conclusion, early nineteenth-century Americans would have been expected to embrace the invention of a device that made multi-story building construction easier, aligning with their values of progress, urbanization, and innovation.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court rulings that seem to give them license to seek out and publish any and all government secrets, the media‘s distrust of our government, combined with their limited understanding of the world at large, damages our ability to design and conduct good policy in ways that the media rarely imagine.The leak through which sensitive information flows from the government to the press is detrimental to policy in so far as it almost completely precludes the possibility of serious discussion. The fear that anything they say, even in what is construed as a private forum, may appear in print, makes many people, whether our own government officials or the leaders of foreign countries, unwilling to speak their minds.Must we be content with the restriction of our leaders‘ policy discussions to a handful of people who trust each other, thus limiting the richness and variety of ideas that could be brought forward through a larger group because of the nearly endemic nature of this problem? It is vitally important for the leaders of the United States to know the real state of affairs internationally, and this can occur only if foreign leaders feel free to speak their minds to our diplomats.Until recently, it looked as if the media had convinced the public that journalists were more reliable than the government; however, this may be changing. With the passage of time, the media have lost lustre. They—having grown large and powerful—provoke the same public skepticism that other large institutions in the society do. A series of media scandals has contributed to this. Many Americans have concluded that the media are no more credible than the government, and public opinion surveys reflect much ambivalence about the press.While leaks are generally defended by media officials on the grounds of the public‘s ―right to know,in reality they are part of the Washington political power game, as well as part of the policy process. The "leaker" may be currying favour with the media, or may be planting information to influence policy. In the first case, he is helping himself by enhancing the prestige of a journalist; in the second, he is using the media as a stage for his preferred policies. In either instance, it closes the circle: the leak begins with a political motive, is advanced by a politicized media, and continues because of politics. Although some of the journalists think they are doing the work, they are more often than not instruments of the process, not prime movers. The media must be held accountable for their activities, just like every other significant institution in our society, and the media must be forced to earn the public‘s trust.Based on the information in the passage, with which of the following statements would the author most likely disagree? - a)Feeding the public misinformation is warranted in certain situations.
- b)The public has a right to know the real state of foreign affairs.
- c)The fewer the number of people involved in policy discussions, the better.
- d)Leaders give up their right to privacy when they are elected.
- e)The media is not accountable to the public.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court rulings that seem to give them license to seek out and publish any and all government secrets, the media‘s distrust of our government, combined with their limited understanding of the world at large, damages our ability to design and conduct good policy in ways that the media rarely imagine.
The leak through which sensitive information flows from the government to the press is detrimental to policy in so far as it almost completely precludes the possibility of serious discussion. The fear that anything they say, even in what is construed as a private forum, may appear in print, makes many people, whether our own government officials or the leaders of foreign countries, unwilling to speak their minds.
Must we be content with the restriction of our leaders‘ policy discussions to a handful of people who trust each other, thus limiting the richness and variety of ideas that could be brought forward through a larger group because of the nearly endemic nature of this problem? It is vitally important for the leaders of the United States to know the real state of affairs internationally, and this can occur only if foreign leaders feel free to speak their minds to our diplomats.
Until recently, it looked as if the media had convinced the public that journalists were more reliable than the government; however, this may be changing. With the passage of time, the media have lost lustre. They—having grown large and powerful—provoke the same public skepticism that other large institutions in the society do. A series of media scandals has contributed to this. Many Americans have concluded that the media are no more credible than the government, and public opinion surveys reflect much ambivalence about the press.
While leaks are generally defended by media officials on the grounds of the public‘s ―right to know,in reality they are part of the Washington political power game, as well as part of the policy process. The "leaker" may be currying favour with the media, or may be planting information to influence policy. In the first case, he is helping himself by enhancing the prestige of a journalist; in the second, he is using the media as a stage for his preferred policies. In either instance, it closes the circle: the leak begins with a political motive, is advanced by a politicized media, and continues because of politics. Although some of the journalists think they are doing the work, they are more often than not instruments of the process, not prime movers. The media must be held accountable for their activities, just like every other significant institution in our society, and the media must be forced to earn the public‘s trust.
Based on the information in the passage, with which of the following statements would the author most likely disagree?
a)
Feeding the public misinformation is warranted in certain situations.
b)
The public has a right to know the real state of foreign affairs.
c)
The fewer the number of people involved in policy discussions, the better.
d)
Leaders give up their right to privacy when they are elected.
e)
The media is not accountable to the public.
|
|
Elite Coaching Classes answered |
The author would most likely disagree with statement A. The passage criticises the media for damaging policy discussions through leaks, implying that feeding the public misinformation is not justified.
Key points from the passage include:
- The media's distrust of the government hinders effective policy-making.
- Leaks prevent serious discussions by making officials hesitant to speak freely.
- The media, like any institution, must earn public trust and be accountable.
Thus, supporting misinformation contradicts the author's emphasis on accountability and trust.
By regarding the expanding universe as a motion picture, you can easily imagine ―running the film backward.‖ If you do so, you find the universe getting smaller and smaller, and eventually you come to the moment when its whole mass is crammed into an infinitely dense point. Before that time it didn‘t exist, or at least it didn‘t exist in its present form. Though there is some controversy about its exact age, most cosmologists would be inclined to agree that the universe has existed for about ten to twenty billion years. For scale, this can be compared to the four-and-a-half-billion-year age of the solar system, the time since the disappearance of the dinosaurs (sixty-five million years), and the age of the human race (about three million years). The event that marked the beginning of the universe was christened the Big Bang; the term has now entered the vernacular of our culture. Originally the name referred only to the single initiating event; now, however, astronomers have come to use it to mean the entire developmental process of the birth and expansion of the cosmos. The simple statement that the universe had a beginning in time is by now so obvious to astrophysicists that few give it a second thought. Yet it is a statement that has profound implications. Most civilizations embrace one of two opposite concepts of time. Linear time has a beginning, a duration, and an end; cyclical time, as its name suggests, continues around and around forever. In a universe that functions through cyclical time, the question of creation never arises; the universe always was and always will be. The minute you switch to linear time you immediately confront the vexing question not only of creation, but also of the Creator. Although there is no logical reason for the assumption, many people believe that if something comes into existence, it must do so in response to the actions of some rational being. Because of that belief, astronomers, even though they resist becoming involved in theological discussion, find themselves in one when they posit the Big Bang universe. It puts them squarely in the middle of an age-old debate. One common misconception about the Big Bang that should be disposed of immediately is the notion that the universal expansion is analogous to the explosion of an artillery shell. The galaxies are not like bits of shrapnel speeding away from a central explosion. The raisin-indough analogy is a more satisfactory way to think about the whole process. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:Q.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? - a)Many people believe that a rational impetus created the universe.
- b)The solar system was created immediately after the Big Bang.
- c)The universe is larger today than it was in the past.
- d)Different societies measure time differently.
- e)Most cosmologists believe the universe to be 10 to 20 billion years old
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
By regarding the expanding universe as a motion picture, you can easily imagine ―running the film backward.‖ If you do so, you find the universe getting smaller and smaller, and eventually you come to the moment when its whole mass is crammed into an infinitely dense point. Before that time it didn‘t exist, or at least it didn‘t exist in its present form. Though there is some controversy about its exact age, most cosmologists would be inclined to agree that the universe has existed for about ten to twenty billion years. For scale, this can be compared to the four-and-a-half-billion-year age of the solar system, the time since the disappearance of the dinosaurs (sixty-five million years), and the age of the human race (about three million years).
The event that marked the beginning of the universe was christened the Big Bang; the term has now entered the vernacular of our culture. Originally the name referred only to the single initiating event; now, however, astronomers have come to use it to mean the entire developmental process of the birth and expansion of the cosmos.
The simple statement that the universe had a beginning in time is by now so obvious to astrophysicists that few give it a second thought. Yet it is a statement that has profound implications. Most civilizations embrace one of two opposite concepts of time. Linear time has a beginning, a duration, and an end; cyclical time, as its name suggests, continues around and around forever. In a universe that functions through cyclical time, the question of creation never arises; the universe always was and always will be. The minute you switch to linear time you immediately confront the vexing question not only of creation, but also of the Creator. Although there is no logical reason for the assumption, many people believe that if something comes into existence, it must do so in response to the actions of some rational being. Because of that belief, astronomers, even though they resist becoming involved in theological discussion, find themselves in one when they posit the Big Bang universe. It puts them squarely in the middle of an age-old debate.
One common misconception about the Big Bang that should be disposed of immediately is the notion that the universal expansion is analogous to the explosion of an artillery shell. The galaxies are not like bits of shrapnel speeding away from a central explosion. The raisin-indough analogy is a more satisfactory way to think about the whole process.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:
Q.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
a)
Many people believe that a rational impetus created the universe.
b)
The solar system was created immediately after the Big Bang.
c)
The universe is larger today than it was in the past.
d)
Different societies measure time differently.
e)
Most cosmologists believe the universe to be 10 to 20 billion years old
|
|
Sreemoyee Deshpande answered |
Mapping the Passage
¶1 argues that the universe had a beginning in time.
¶2 provides specific dates to put the universe‘s age in context.
¶3 describes the Big Bang and its relevance to the idea of an expanding universe.
¶4 argues that the expanding universe has significant implications for cultural ideas of time and argues that science intersects with philosophy in this area.
¶5 provides a metaphor that elucidates the nature of the universe‘s expansion.
¶1 argues that the universe had a beginning in time.
¶2 provides specific dates to put the universe‘s age in context.
¶3 describes the Big Bang and its relevance to the idea of an expanding universe.
¶4 argues that the expanding universe has significant implications for cultural ideas of time and argues that science intersects with philosophy in this area.
¶5 provides a metaphor that elucidates the nature of the universe‘s expansion.
Review the gist of the passage and keep the author‘s main points in mind while evaluating the choices. Three of the choices match points the author makes, but (B) directly contradicts the time frames mentioned in ¶2, which indicate that the solar system is much younger than the universe itself. Note that your research for question 4 helps you here.
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .The more specific task of characterizing romantic aesthetics adds to these difficulties an air of paradox. Conventionally, “aesthetics” refers to a theory concerning beauty and art or the branch of philosophy that studies these topics. However, many of the romantics rejected the identification of aesthetics with a circumscribed domain of human life that is separated from the practical and theoretical domains of life. The most characteristic romantic commitment is to the idea that the character of art and beauty and of our engagement with them should shape all aspects of human life. Being fundamental to human existence, beauty and art should be a central ingredient not only in a philosophical or artistic life, but also in the lives of ordinary men and women. Another challenge for any attempt to characterize romantic aesthetics lies in the fact that most of the romantics were poets and artists whose views of art and beauty are, for the most part, to be found not in developed theoretical accounts, but in fragments, aphorisms and poems, which are often more elusive and suggestive than conclusive.Nevertheless, in spite of these challenges the task of characterizing romantic aesthetics is neither impossible nor undesirable, as numerous thinkers responding to Lovejoy’s radical skepticism have noted. While warning against a reductive definition of romanticism, Berlin, for example, still heralded the need for a general characterization: “[Although] one does have a certain sympathy with Lovejoy’s despair…[he is] in this instance mistaken. There was a romantic movement…and it is important to discover what it is” . . .Recent attempts to characterize romanticism and to stress its contemporary relevance follow this path. Instead of overlooking the undeniable differences between the variety of romanticisms of different nations that Lovejoy had stressed, such studies attempt to characterize romanticism, not in terms of a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place, but in terms of “particular philosophical questions and concerns” . . .While the German, British and French romantics are all considered, the central protagonists in the following are the German romantics. Two reasons explain this focus: first, because it
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.According to the passage, recent studies on romanticism avoid “a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place” because they:- a)understand that the variety of romanticisms renders a general analysis impossible.
- b)prefer to highlight the paradox of romantic aesthetics as a concept.
- c)prefer to focus on the fundamental concerns of the romantics.
- d)seek to discredit Lovejoy’s scepticism regarding romanticism.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .
Understanding romantic aesthetics is not a simple undertaking for reasons that are internal to the nature of the subject. Distinguished scholars, such as Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye and Isaiah Berlin, have remarked on the notorious challenges facing any attempt to define romanticism. Lovejoy, for example, claimed that romanticism is “the scandal of literary history and criticism” . . . The main difficulty in studying the romantics, according to him, is the lack of any “single real entity, or type of entity” that the concept “romanticism” designates. Lovejoy concluded, “the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing” . . .
The more specific task of characterizing romantic aesthetics adds to these difficulties an air of paradox. Conventionally, “aesthetics” refers to a theory concerning beauty and art or the branch of philosophy that studies these topics. However, many of the romantics rejected the identification of aesthetics with a circumscribed domain of human life that is separated from the practical and theoretical domains of life. The most characteristic romantic commitment is to the idea that the character of art and beauty and of our engagement with them should shape all aspects of human life. Being fundamental to human existence, beauty and art should be a central ingredient not only in a philosophical or artistic life, but also in the lives of ordinary men and women. Another challenge for any attempt to characterize romantic aesthetics lies in the fact that most of the romantics were poets and artists whose views of art and beauty are, for the most part, to be found not in developed theoretical accounts, but in fragments, aphorisms and poems, which are often more elusive and suggestive than conclusive.
Nevertheless, in spite of these challenges the task of characterizing romantic aesthetics is neither impossible nor undesirable, as numerous thinkers responding to Lovejoy’s radical skepticism have noted. While warning against a reductive definition of romanticism, Berlin, for example, still heralded the need for a general characterization: “[Although] one does have a certain sympathy with Lovejoy’s despair…[he is] in this instance mistaken. There was a romantic movement…and it is important to discover what it is” . . .
Recent attempts to characterize romanticism and to stress its contemporary relevance follow this path. Instead of overlooking the undeniable differences between the variety of romanticisms of different nations that Lovejoy had stressed, such studies attempt to characterize romanticism, not in terms of a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place, but in terms of “particular philosophical questions and concerns” . . .
While the German, British and French romantics are all considered, the central protagonists in the following are the German romantics. Two reasons explain this focus: first, because it
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.
has paved the way for the other romanticisms, German romanticism has a pride of place among the different national romanticisms . . . Second, the aesthetic outlook that was developed in Germany roughly between 1796 and 1801-02 — the period that corresponds to the heyday of what is known as “Early Romanticism” . . .— offers the most philosophical expression of romanticism since it is grounded primarily in the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political concerns that the German romantics discerned in the aftermath of Kant’s philosophy.
According to the passage, recent studies on romanticism avoid “a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place” because they:
a)
understand that the variety of romanticisms renders a general analysis impossible.
b)
prefer to highlight the paradox of romantic aesthetics as a concept.
c)
prefer to focus on the fundamental concerns of the romantics.
d)
seek to discredit Lovejoy’s scepticism regarding romanticism.
|
|
Wizius Careers answered |
Option C is the correct answer because it accurately reflects the passage's explanation of why recent studies on romanticism avoid seeking "a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place." According to the passage, these studies opt to characterize romanticism in terms of "particular philosophical questions and concerns" rather than attempting to provide a singular, all-encompassing definition. The reason for this approach is to delve into the fundamental concerns of the romantics, recognizing that romanticism is a complex and multifaceted movement with diverse expressions in different nations and contexts.
The passage suggests that romanticism is not easily confined to a single, universally applicable definition due to the variety of romanticisms in different nations. Instead of discrediting or refuting Lovejoy's skepticism (Option D), recent studies acknowledge the challenges and complexities of defining romanticism but seek to understand it by focusing on the core philosophical questions and concerns that were central to the romantics' worldview.
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.The Second Hand September campaign, led by Oxfam . . . seeks to encourage shopping at local organisations and charities as alternatives to fast fashion brands such as Primark and Boohoo in the name of saving our planet. As innocent as mindless scrolling through online shops may seem, such consumers are unintentionally—or perhaps even knowingly —contributing to an industry that uses more energy than aviation. . . .Brits buy more garments than any other country in Europe, so it comes as no shock that many of those clothes end up in UK landfills each year: 300,000 tonnes of them, to be exact. This waste of clothing is destructive to our planet, releasing greenhouse gasses as clothes are burnt as well as bleeding toxins and dyes into the surrounding soil and water. As ecologist Chelsea Rochman bluntly put it, “The mismanagement of our waste has even come back to haunt us on our dinner plate.”It’s not surprising, then, that people are scrambling for a solution, the most common of which is second-hand shopping. Retailers selling consigned clothing are currently expanding at a rapid rate . . . If everyone bought just one used item in a year, it would save 449 million lbs of waste, equivalent to the weight of 1 million Polar bears. “Thrifting” has increasingly become a trendy practice. London is home to many second-hand, or more commonly coined ‘vintage’, shops across the city from Bayswater to Brixton.So you’re cool and you care about the planet; you’ve killed two birds with one stone. But do people simply purchase a second-hand item, flash it on Instagram with #vintage and call it a day without considering whether what they are doing is actually effective?According to a study commissioned by Patagonia, for instance, older clothes shed more microfibres. These can end up in our rivers and seas after just one wash due to the worn material, thus contributing to microfibre pollution. To break it down, the amount of microfibres released by laundering 100,000 fleece jackets is equivalent to as many as 11,900 plastic grocery bags, and up to 40 per cent of that ends up in our oceans. . . . So where does this leave second-hand consumers? [They would be well advised to buy] high-quality items that shed less and last longer [as this] combats both microfibre pollution and excess garments ending up in landfills. . . .Luxury brands would rather not circulate their latest season stock around the globe to be sold at a cheaper price, which is why companies like ThredUP, a US fashion resale marketplace, have not yet caught on in the UK. There will always be a market for consignment but there is also a whole generation of people who have been taught that only buying new products is the norm; second-hand luxury goods are not in their psyche. Ben Whitaker, director at Liquidation Firm B-Stock, told Prospect that unless recycling becomes cost-effective and filters into mass production, with the right technology to partner it, “high-end retailers would rather put brand before sustainability.”The central idea of the passage would be undermined if:- a)Customers bought all their clothes online.
- b)Clothes were not thrown and burnt in landfills
- c)Second-hand stores sold only high-quality clothes.
- d)Primark and Boohoo recycled their clothes for vintage stores
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
The Second Hand September campaign, led by Oxfam . . . seeks to encourage shopping at local organisations and charities as alternatives to fast fashion brands such as Primark and Boohoo in the name of saving our planet. As innocent as mindless scrolling through online shops may seem, such consumers are unintentionally—or perhaps even knowingly —contributing to an industry that uses more energy than aviation. . . .
Brits buy more garments than any other country in Europe, so it comes as no shock that many of those clothes end up in UK landfills each year: 300,000 tonnes of them, to be exact. This waste of clothing is destructive to our planet, releasing greenhouse gasses as clothes are burnt as well as bleeding toxins and dyes into the surrounding soil and water. As ecologist Chelsea Rochman bluntly put it, “The mismanagement of our waste has even come back to haunt us on our dinner plate.”
It’s not surprising, then, that people are scrambling for a solution, the most common of which is second-hand shopping. Retailers selling consigned clothing are currently expanding at a rapid rate . . . If everyone bought just one used item in a year, it would save 449 million lbs of waste, equivalent to the weight of 1 million Polar bears. “Thrifting” has increasingly become a trendy practice. London is home to many second-hand, or more commonly coined ‘vintage’, shops across the city from Bayswater to Brixton.
So you’re cool and you care about the planet; you’ve killed two birds with one stone. But do people simply purchase a second-hand item, flash it on Instagram with #vintage and call it a day without considering whether what they are doing is actually effective?
According to a study commissioned by Patagonia, for instance, older clothes shed more microfibres. These can end up in our rivers and seas after just one wash due to the worn material, thus contributing to microfibre pollution. To break it down, the amount of microfibres released by laundering 100,000 fleece jackets is equivalent to as many as 11,900 plastic grocery bags, and up to 40 per cent of that ends up in our oceans. . . . So where does this leave second-hand consumers? [They would be well advised to buy] high-quality items that shed less and last longer [as this] combats both microfibre pollution and excess garments ending up in landfills. . . .
Luxury brands would rather not circulate their latest season stock around the globe to be sold at a cheaper price, which is why companies like ThredUP, a US fashion resale marketplace, have not yet caught on in the UK. There will always be a market for consignment but there is also a whole generation of people who have been taught that only buying new products is the norm; second-hand luxury goods are not in their psyche. Ben Whitaker, director at Liquidation Firm B-Stock, told Prospect that unless recycling becomes cost-effective and filters into mass production, with the right technology to partner it, “high-end retailers would rather put brand before sustainability.”
The central idea of the passage would be undermined if:
a)
Customers bought all their clothes online.
b)
Clothes were not thrown and burnt in landfills
c)
Second-hand stores sold only high-quality clothes.
d)
Primark and Boohoo recycled their clothes for vintage stores
|
|
Abhishek Kapoor answered |
Understanding the Central Idea
The passage discusses the negative environmental impact of fast fashion and promotes second-hand shopping as a sustainable alternative. It highlights the importance of purchasing high-quality, durable clothing to mitigate issues like microfibre pollution and landfill waste.
Why Option C Undermines the Central Idea
- Focus on Quality: The passage emphasizes that second-hand consumers should prioritize high-quality items that shed less and last longer. This is crucial to combat both microfibre pollution and reduce the number of garments ending up in landfills.
- Impact of High-Quality Items: If second-hand stores sold only high-quality clothes, it would align with the goal of reducing waste and pollution. This would suggest that the second-hand market is effective in addressing the environmental issues raised.
- Contradiction with Fast Fashion: The central argument is that consumers need to rethink their purchasing habits, especially regarding lower-quality fast fashion items. If second-hand stores exclusively sold high-quality clothing, it would challenge the notion that second-hand shopping is a viable alternative to fast fashion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, option C undermines the central idea of the passage by suggesting that second-hand stores could solely focus on high-quality items. This would negate the broader discussion on environmental impact and the need for a shift in consumer behavior away from fast fashion. Thus, the essence of promoting second-hand shopping to combat the negative effects of the fashion industry would be weakened.
The passage discusses the negative environmental impact of fast fashion and promotes second-hand shopping as a sustainable alternative. It highlights the importance of purchasing high-quality, durable clothing to mitigate issues like microfibre pollution and landfill waste.
Why Option C Undermines the Central Idea
- Focus on Quality: The passage emphasizes that second-hand consumers should prioritize high-quality items that shed less and last longer. This is crucial to combat both microfibre pollution and reduce the number of garments ending up in landfills.
- Impact of High-Quality Items: If second-hand stores sold only high-quality clothes, it would align with the goal of reducing waste and pollution. This would suggest that the second-hand market is effective in addressing the environmental issues raised.
- Contradiction with Fast Fashion: The central argument is that consumers need to rethink their purchasing habits, especially regarding lower-quality fast fashion items. If second-hand stores exclusively sold high-quality clothing, it would challenge the notion that second-hand shopping is a viable alternative to fast fashion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, option C undermines the central idea of the passage by suggesting that second-hand stores could solely focus on high-quality items. This would negate the broader discussion on environmental impact and the need for a shift in consumer behavior away from fast fashion. Thus, the essence of promoting second-hand shopping to combat the negative effects of the fashion industry would be weakened.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s.The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits.Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace.These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers.The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods. American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach.The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities.Which of the following would most weaken the author‘s argument about the over-concentration on high technology products? - a)Producing low tech products is not as profitable as producing high tech products.
- b)Manufacturing high tech products is a completely different process than manufacturing low tech goods.
- c)Most of the low tech products purchased by Americans are made by foreign firms.
- d)Most of the high tech products purchased by Americans are made by foreign firms.
- e)Most of the high tech products purchased by Americans are made by American firms.
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s.
The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits.
Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace.
These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers.
The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods. American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach.
The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities.
Which of the following would most weaken the author‘s argument about the over-concentration on high technology products?
a)
Producing low tech products is not as profitable as producing high tech products.
b)
Manufacturing high tech products is a completely different process than manufacturing low tech goods.
c)
Most of the low tech products purchased by Americans are made by foreign firms.
d)
Most of the high tech products purchased by Americans are made by foreign firms.
e)
Most of the high tech products purchased by Americans are made by American firms.
|
|
Impact Learning answered |
The argument is about whether American businesses have focused too much on high-technology products at the expense of broader success. To weaken this argument, consider the following:
- High tech vs. low tech manufacturing: If manufacturing high tech products is a completely different process than low tech goods, then skills and strategies from low tech might not easily transfer to high tech.
This suggests that focusing on high tech might require unique expertise that foreign firms cannot easily replicate, challenging the idea that starting with low tech is a better strategy.
As formal organizations, business corporations are distinguished by their particular goals, which include maximization of profits, growth, and survival. Providing goods and services is a means to this end. If, for example, a number of individuals (outsiders or even insiders) believe that a company‘s aggressive marketing of infant formula in third world countries is morally wrong, the company is unlikely to be moved by arguments based on ethos alone as long as what it is doing remains profitable. But if those opposed to the company‘s practice organize a highly effective boycott of the company‘s products, their moral views will soon enter into the company‘s deliberations indirectly as limiting operating conditions. They can, at this point, no more be ignored than a prohibitive increase in the costs of certain raw materials.
Although the concepts and categories of ethics may be applied to the conduct of corporations, there are important differences between the values and principles underlying corporate behaviour and those underlying the actions of most individuals. If corporations are by their nature end- or goal-directed how can they acknowledge acts as wrong in and of themselves? Is it possible to hold one criminally responsible for acts that if performed by a human person would result in criminal liability?
The first case of this type to achieve widespread public attention was the attempt to prosecute the Ford Motor Company for manslaughter as the result of alleged negligent or reckless decision making concerning the safety engineering of the Pinto vehicle. Although the defendant corporation and its officers were found innocent after trial, the case can serve as an exemplar for our purposes.
In essence, the prosecution in this case attempted to show that the corporation had produced and distributed a vehicle that was known to be defective at the time of production and sale, and that even after a great deal of additional information accumulated regarding the nature of the problems, the corporation took no action to correct them. The obvious non-corporate analogy would be the prosecution of a person who was driving a car with brakes known to be faulty, who does not have them repaired because it would cost too much, and who kills someone when the brakes eventually fail and the car does not stop in time. Such cases involving individuals are prosecuted and won regularly.
If corporations have no concept of right or wrong because they are exclusively goal-directed, can they be convicted in cases of this type, and what purpose would be served by such a conviction? Perhaps we can make a utilitarian argument for convicting corporations of such crimes. The argument would be that of deterrence; conviction and punishment would deter other corporations from taking similar actions under similar circumstances. However, there appears to be considerable evidence that deterrence does not work on corporations, even if, arguably, it works on individuals. The possibility of being discovered and the potential magnitude of the fine merely become more data to be included in the analysis of limiting conditions.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:
Q. If a company that produced shampoo products opted to stop the routine testing of its products on animals because it decided that it is wrong to cause the animals pain, what effect would this have on the argument made in the passage?
- a)It would strongly support the argument.
- b)It would substantially weaken the argument.
- c)It would neither support nor substantially weaken the argument.
- d)It would support the argument somewhat, but not conclusively.
- e)It would weaken the argument only if the company is a government owned company
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
As formal organizations, business corporations are distinguished by their particular goals, which include maximization of profits, growth, and survival. Providing goods and services is a means to this end. If, for example, a number of individuals (outsiders or even insiders) believe that a company‘s aggressive marketing of infant formula in third world countries is morally wrong, the company is unlikely to be moved by arguments based on ethos alone as long as what it is doing remains profitable. But if those opposed to the company‘s practice organize a highly effective boycott of the company‘s products, their moral views will soon enter into the company‘s deliberations indirectly as limiting operating conditions. They can, at this point, no more be ignored than a prohibitive increase in the costs of certain raw materials.
Although the concepts and categories of ethics may be applied to the conduct of corporations, there are important differences between the values and principles underlying corporate behaviour and those underlying the actions of most individuals. If corporations are by their nature end- or goal-directed how can they acknowledge acts as wrong in and of themselves? Is it possible to hold one criminally responsible for acts that if performed by a human person would result in criminal liability?
The first case of this type to achieve widespread public attention was the attempt to prosecute the Ford Motor Company for manslaughter as the result of alleged negligent or reckless decision making concerning the safety engineering of the Pinto vehicle. Although the defendant corporation and its officers were found innocent after trial, the case can serve as an exemplar for our purposes.
In essence, the prosecution in this case attempted to show that the corporation had produced and distributed a vehicle that was known to be defective at the time of production and sale, and that even after a great deal of additional information accumulated regarding the nature of the problems, the corporation took no action to correct them. The obvious non-corporate analogy would be the prosecution of a person who was driving a car with brakes known to be faulty, who does not have them repaired because it would cost too much, and who kills someone when the brakes eventually fail and the car does not stop in time. Such cases involving individuals are prosecuted and won regularly.
If corporations have no concept of right or wrong because they are exclusively goal-directed, can they be convicted in cases of this type, and what purpose would be served by such a conviction? Perhaps we can make a utilitarian argument for convicting corporations of such crimes. The argument would be that of deterrence; conviction and punishment would deter other corporations from taking similar actions under similar circumstances. However, there appears to be considerable evidence that deterrence does not work on corporations, even if, arguably, it works on individuals. The possibility of being discovered and the potential magnitude of the fine merely become more data to be included in the analysis of limiting conditions.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following:
Q. If a company that produced shampoo products opted to stop the routine testing of its products on animals because it decided that it is wrong to cause the animals pain, what effect would this have on the argument made in the passage?
a)
It would strongly support the argument.
b)
It would substantially weaken the argument.
c)
It would neither support nor substantially weaken the argument.
d)
It would support the argument somewhat, but not conclusively.
e)
It would weaken the argument only if the company is a government owned company
|
|
Rishika Sen answered |
The correct answer is D. It would support the argument somewhat, but not conclusively.
The argument in the passage is that corporations are primarily goal-directed and focused on maximizing profits, growth, and survival. They are not inherently concerned with ethical considerations unless it directly affects their profitability.
If a company decides to stop routine animal testing because it believes it is wrong to cause animals pain, it does show that the company is considering ethical concerns. However, this decision alone does not conclusively prove that corporations can acknowledge acts as wrong in and of themselves. It could be argued that the company made this decision because it believes it will enhance its reputation and attract more customers who are concerned about animal welfare. Therefore, while it does support the argument to some extent, it does not provide conclusive evidence.
The argument in the passage is that corporations are primarily goal-directed and focused on maximizing profits, growth, and survival. They are not inherently concerned with ethical considerations unless it directly affects their profitability.
If a company decides to stop routine animal testing because it believes it is wrong to cause animals pain, it does show that the company is considering ethical concerns. However, this decision alone does not conclusively prove that corporations can acknowledge acts as wrong in and of themselves. It could be argued that the company made this decision because it believes it will enhance its reputation and attract more customers who are concerned about animal welfare. Therefore, while it does support the argument to some extent, it does not provide conclusive evidence.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:During the economic boom of the Roaring Twenties, the traditional values of rural America were challenged by the Jazz Age. The average American was busy buying automobiles and household appliances, and speculating in the stock market, where big money could be made. Those appliances were bought on credit, however. Although businesses have made huge gains — 65 percent — from the mechanization of manufacturing, the average worker’s wages had only increased 8 percent.The imbalance between the rich and the poor, with 0.1 percent of society earning the same total income as 42 percent, combined with production of more and more goods and rising personal debt, could not be sustained. On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world. It spread from the United States to the rest of the world, lasting from the end of 1929 until the early 1940s. With banks failing and businesses closing, more than 15 million Americans (one-quarter of the workforce) became unemployed.President Herbert Hoover, underestimating the seriousness of the crisis, called it ‘a passing incident in our national lives,’ and assured Americans that it would be over in 60 days. A strong believer in rugged individualism, Hoover did not think the federal government should offer relief to the poverty-stricken population. Focusing on a trickle-down economic program to help finance businesses and banks, Hoover met with resistance from business executives who preferred to lay off workers. Blamed by many for the Great Depression, Hoover was widely ridiculed: an empty pocket turned inside out was called a ‘Hoover flag;’ the decrepit shantytowns springing up around the country were called ‘Hoovervilles.’Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the rich governor from New York, offered Americans a New Deal, and was elected in a landslide victory in 1932. He took quick action to attack the Depression, declaring a four-day bank holiday, during which Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act to stabilize the banking system. During the first 100 days of his administration, Roosevelt laid the groundwork for his New Deal remedies that would rescue the country from the depths of despair.The New Deal programs created a liberal political alliance of labor unions, blacks and other minorities, some farmers and others receiving government relief, and intellectuals. The hardship brought on by the Depression affected Americans deeply. Since the prevailing attitude of the 1920s was that success was earned, it followed that failure was deserved. The unemployment brought on by the Depression caused self-blame and self-doubt. Men were harder hit psychologically than women were. Since men were expected to provide for their families, it was humiliating to have to ask for assistance. Although some argued that women should not be given jobs when many men were unemployed, the percentage of women working increased slightly during the Depression. Traditionally female fields of teaching and social services grew under New Deal programs. Children took on more responsibilities, sometimes finding work when their parents could not. As a result of living through the Depression, some people developed habits of careful saving and frugality, others determined to create a comfortable life for themselves.African Americans suffered more than whites, since their jobs were often taken away from them and given to whites. In 1930, 50 percent of blacks were unemployed. However, Eleanor Roosevelt championed black rights, and New Deal programs prohibited discrimination. Discrimination continued in the South, however, as a result a large number of black voters switched from the Republican to the Democrat party during the Depression.The Great Depression and the New Deal changed forever the relationship between Americans and their government. Government involvement and responsibility in caring for the needy and regulating the economy came to be expected.Which of the following sections of the American society were most affected by the Great Depression?- a)Whites
- b) African Americans
- c) Native Americans
- d)Immigrants
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
During the economic boom of the Roaring Twenties, the traditional values of rural America were challenged by the Jazz Age. The average American was busy buying automobiles and household appliances, and speculating in the stock market, where big money could be made. Those appliances were bought on credit, however. Although businesses have made huge gains — 65 percent — from the mechanization of manufacturing, the average worker’s wages had only increased 8 percent.
The imbalance between the rich and the poor, with 0.1 percent of society earning the same total income as 42 percent, combined with production of more and more goods and rising personal debt, could not be sustained. On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world. It spread from the United States to the rest of the world, lasting from the end of 1929 until the early 1940s. With banks failing and businesses closing, more than 15 million Americans (one-quarter of the workforce) became unemployed.
President Herbert Hoover, underestimating the seriousness of the crisis, called it ‘a passing incident in our national lives,’ and assured Americans that it would be over in 60 days. A strong believer in rugged individualism, Hoover did not think the federal government should offer relief to the poverty-stricken population. Focusing on a trickle-down economic program to help finance businesses and banks, Hoover met with resistance from business executives who preferred to lay off workers. Blamed by many for the Great Depression, Hoover was widely ridiculed: an empty pocket turned inside out was called a ‘Hoover flag;’ the decrepit shantytowns springing up around the country were called ‘Hoovervilles.’
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the rich governor from New York, offered Americans a New Deal, and was elected in a landslide victory in 1932. He took quick action to attack the Depression, declaring a four-day bank holiday, during which Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act to stabilize the banking system. During the first 100 days of his administration, Roosevelt laid the groundwork for his New Deal remedies that would rescue the country from the depths of despair.
The New Deal programs created a liberal political alliance of labor unions, blacks and other minorities, some farmers and others receiving government relief, and intellectuals. The hardship brought on by the Depression affected Americans deeply. Since the prevailing attitude of the 1920s was that success was earned, it followed that failure was deserved. The unemployment brought on by the Depression caused self-blame and self-doubt. Men were harder hit psychologically than women were. Since men were expected to provide for their families, it was humiliating to have to ask for assistance. Although some argued that women should not be given jobs when many men were unemployed, the percentage of women working increased slightly during the Depression. Traditionally female fields of teaching and social services grew under New Deal programs. Children took on more responsibilities, sometimes finding work when their parents could not. As a result of living through the Depression, some people developed habits of careful saving and frugality, others determined to create a comfortable life for themselves.
African Americans suffered more than whites, since their jobs were often taken away from them and given to whites. In 1930, 50 percent of blacks were unemployed. However, Eleanor Roosevelt championed black rights, and New Deal programs prohibited discrimination. Discrimination continued in the South, however, as a result a large number of black voters switched from the Republican to the Democrat party during the Depression.
The Great Depression and the New Deal changed forever the relationship between Americans and their government. Government involvement and responsibility in caring for the needy and regulating the economy came to be expected.
Which of the following sections of the American society were most affected by the Great Depression?
a)
Whites
b)
African Americans
c)
Native Americans
d)
Immigrants
|
EduRev CAT answered |
- It is stated in the passage that African Americans suffered more than whites because they were discriminated against and their jobs were taken and given to the whites.
- Hence, they were the most affected by the Great Depression.
- There is nothing mentioned in the passage about Native Americans, immigrants or tourists.
- Therefore, the correct answer is ‘African Americans’ Option B.
In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.The passage tells us- a)how medicine should be manufactured
- b)what healthy man should or should not do
- c)what television programmes should be about
- d)how best to imagine illness
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
In the world today we make health and end in itself. We have forgotten that health is really means to enable a person to do his work and do it well. a lot of modern medicine and this includes many patients as well as many physicians pays very little attention to health but very much attention to those who imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health is shown by the medical columns in newspapers. the health articles in popular magazines and the popularity of television programmes and all those books on medicine. We talk about health all the time. Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness. The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work. The work does the work that good health possible.
The passage tells us
a)
how medicine should be manufactured
b)
what healthy man should or should not do
c)
what television programmes should be about
d)
how best to imagine illness
|
Deepika Mehta answered |
This line describes "The healthy man should not be wasting time talking about health: he should be using health for work" what healthy man should or should not do.
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.RESIDENTS of Lozère, a hilly department in southern France, recite complaints familiar to many rural corners of Europe. In remote hamlets and villages, with names such as Le Bacon and Le Bacon Vieux, mayors grumble about a lack of local schools, jobs, or phone and internet connections. Farmers of grazing animals add another concern: the return of wolves. Eradicated from France last century, the predators are gradually creeping back to more forests and hillsides. “The wolf must be taken in hand,” said an aspiring parliamentarian, Francis Palombi, when pressed by voters in an election campaign early this summer. Tourists enjoy visiting a wolf park in Lozère, but farmers fret over their livestock and their livelihoods. .
. .As early as the ninth century, the royal office of the Luparii—wolf-catchers—was created in France to tackle the predators. Those official hunters (and others) completed their job in the 1930s, when the last wolf disappeared from the mainland. Active hunting and improved technology such as rifles in the 19th century, plus the use of poison such as strychnine later on, caused the population collapse. But in the early 1990s the animals reappeared. They crossed the Alps from Italy, upsetting sheep farmers on the French side of the border. Wolves have since spread to areas such as Lozère, delighting environmentalists, who see the predators’ presence as a sign of wider ecological health. Farmers, who say the wolves cause the deaths of thousands of sheep and other grazing animals, are less cheerful. They grumble that green activists and politically correct urban types have allowed the return of an old enemy.Various factors explain the changes of the past few decades. Rural depopulation is part of the story. In Lozère, for example, farming and a once-flourishing mining industry supported a population of over 140,000 residents in the mid-19th century. Today the department has fewer than 80,000 people, many in its towns. As humans withdraw, forests are expanding. In France, between 1990 and 2015, forest cover increased by an average of 102,000 hectares each year, as more fields were given over to trees. Now, nearly one-third of mainland France is covered by woodland of some sort. The decline of hunting as a sport also means more forests fall quiet. In the mid-to-late 20th century over 2m hunters regularly spent winter weekends tramping in woodland, seeking boars, birds and other prey. Today the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs, the national body, claims 1.1m people hold hunting licences, though the number of active hunters is probably lower. The mostly protected status of the wolf in Europe—hunting them is now forbidden, other than when occasional culls are sanctioned by the state—plus the efforts of NGOs to track and count the animals, also contribute to the recovery of wolf populations.As the lupine population of Europe spreads westwards, with occasional reports of wolves seen closer to urban areas, expect to hear of more clashes between farmers and those who celebrate the predators’ return. Farmers’ losses are real, but are not the only economic story. Tourist venues, such as parks where wolves are kept and the animals’ spread is discussed, also generate income and jobs in rural areas.The author presents a possible economic solution to an existing issue facing Lozère that takes into account the divergent and competing interests of:- a)politicians and farmers.
- b)environmentalists and politicians.
- c)farmers and environmentalists.
- d)tourists and environmentalists.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
RESIDENTS of Lozère, a hilly department in southern France, recite complaints familiar to many rural corners of Europe. In remote hamlets and villages, with names such as Le Bacon and Le Bacon Vieux, mayors grumble about a lack of local schools, jobs, or phone and internet connections. Farmers of grazing animals add another concern: the return of wolves. Eradicated from France last century, the predators are gradually creeping back to more forests and hillsides. “The wolf must be taken in hand,” said an aspiring parliamentarian, Francis Palombi, when pressed by voters in an election campaign early this summer. Tourists enjoy visiting a wolf park in Lozère, but farmers fret over their livestock and their livelihoods. .
. .
. .
As early as the ninth century, the royal office of the Luparii—wolf-catchers—was created in France to tackle the predators. Those official hunters (and others) completed their job in the 1930s, when the last wolf disappeared from the mainland. Active hunting and improved technology such as rifles in the 19th century, plus the use of poison such as strychnine later on, caused the population collapse. But in the early 1990s the animals reappeared. They crossed the Alps from Italy, upsetting sheep farmers on the French side of the border. Wolves have since spread to areas such as Lozère, delighting environmentalists, who see the predators’ presence as a sign of wider ecological health. Farmers, who say the wolves cause the deaths of thousands of sheep and other grazing animals, are less cheerful. They grumble that green activists and politically correct urban types have allowed the return of an old enemy.
Various factors explain the changes of the past few decades. Rural depopulation is part of the story. In Lozère, for example, farming and a once-flourishing mining industry supported a population of over 140,000 residents in the mid-19th century. Today the department has fewer than 80,000 people, many in its towns. As humans withdraw, forests are expanding. In France, between 1990 and 2015, forest cover increased by an average of 102,000 hectares each year, as more fields were given over to trees. Now, nearly one-third of mainland France is covered by woodland of some sort. The decline of hunting as a sport also means more forests fall quiet. In the mid-to-late 20th century over 2m hunters regularly spent winter weekends tramping in woodland, seeking boars, birds and other prey. Today the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs, the national body, claims 1.1m people hold hunting licences, though the number of active hunters is probably lower. The mostly protected status of the wolf in Europe—hunting them is now forbidden, other than when occasional culls are sanctioned by the state—plus the efforts of NGOs to track and count the animals, also contribute to the recovery of wolf populations.
As the lupine population of Europe spreads westwards, with occasional reports of wolves seen closer to urban areas, expect to hear of more clashes between farmers and those who celebrate the predators’ return. Farmers’ losses are real, but are not the only economic story. Tourist venues, such as parks where wolves are kept and the animals’ spread is discussed, also generate income and jobs in rural areas.
The author presents a possible economic solution to an existing issue facing Lozère that takes into account the divergent and competing interests of:
a)
politicians and farmers.
b)
environmentalists and politicians.
c)
farmers and environmentalists.
d)
tourists and environmentalists.
|
|
Arjun Iyer answered |
Understanding the Economic Solution
The passage highlights the conflict between farmers and environmentalists regarding the return of wolves in Lozère, France. The interplay of their interests is critical in understanding the proposed economic solution.
Competing Interests
- Farmers' Concerns: Farmers are worried about the return of wolves, which they believe threaten their livestock and livelihoods. They report significant losses, claiming that green activists and urban dwellers have permitted the wolves' return without considering the economic impact on agriculture.
- Environmentalists' Perspective: On the other hand, environmentalists view the return of wolves as a positive development, indicative of a healthier ecosystem. They argue that wolves play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and that their presence can enhance biodiversity.
Possible Economic Solutions
- Tourism Development: The passage mentions that tourist venues, like wolf parks, create jobs and stimulate the local economy. By promoting responsible tourism that educates visitors about wolves and their ecological importance, a balance can be struck between the two groups.
- Collaborative Approaches: Engaging both farmers and environmentalists in dialogue could lead to innovative solutions, such as compensation for livestock losses or creating wildlife corridors that protect both agricultural interests and wolf populations.
Conclusion
The answer is option 'C' because it encapsulates the need for a solution that respects and reconciles the competing interests of farmers concerned about livestock safety and environmentalists advocating for ecological health. The passage suggests that addressing these divergent interests is essential for sustainable coexistence in the region.
The passage highlights the conflict between farmers and environmentalists regarding the return of wolves in Lozère, France. The interplay of their interests is critical in understanding the proposed economic solution.
Competing Interests
- Farmers' Concerns: Farmers are worried about the return of wolves, which they believe threaten their livestock and livelihoods. They report significant losses, claiming that green activists and urban dwellers have permitted the wolves' return without considering the economic impact on agriculture.
- Environmentalists' Perspective: On the other hand, environmentalists view the return of wolves as a positive development, indicative of a healthier ecosystem. They argue that wolves play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and that their presence can enhance biodiversity.
Possible Economic Solutions
- Tourism Development: The passage mentions that tourist venues, like wolf parks, create jobs and stimulate the local economy. By promoting responsible tourism that educates visitors about wolves and their ecological importance, a balance can be struck between the two groups.
- Collaborative Approaches: Engaging both farmers and environmentalists in dialogue could lead to innovative solutions, such as compensation for livestock losses or creating wildlife corridors that protect both agricultural interests and wolf populations.
Conclusion
The answer is option 'C' because it encapsulates the need for a solution that respects and reconciles the competing interests of farmers concerned about livestock safety and environmentalists advocating for ecological health. The passage suggests that addressing these divergent interests is essential for sustainable coexistence in the region.
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.RESIDENTS of Lozère, a hilly department in southern France, recite complaints familiar to many rural corners of Europe. In remote hamlets and villages, with names such as Le Bacon and Le Bacon Vieux, mayors grumble about a lack of local schools, jobs, or phone and internet connections. Farmers of grazing animals add another concern: the return of wolves. Eradicated from France last century, the predators are gradually creeping back to more forests and hillsides. “The wolf must be taken in hand,” said an aspiring parliamentarian, Francis Palombi, when pressed by voters in an election campaign early this summer. Tourists enjoy visiting a wolf park in Lozère, but farmers fret over their livestock and their livelihoods. .
. .As early as the ninth century, the royal office of the Luparii—wolf-catchers—was created in France to tackle the predators. Those official hunters (and others) completed their job in the 1930s, when the last wolf disappeared from the mainland. Active hunting and improved technology such as rifles in the 19th century, plus the use of poison such as strychnine later on, caused the population collapse. But in the early 1990s the animals reappeared. They crossed the Alps from Italy, upsetting sheep farmers on the French side of the border. Wolves have since spread to areas such as Lozère, delighting environmentalists, who see the predators’ presence as a sign of wider ecological health. Farmers, who say the wolves cause the deaths of thousands of sheep and other grazing animals, are less cheerful. They grumble that green activists and politically correct urban types have allowed the return of an old enemy.Various factors explain the changes of the past few decades. Rural depopulation is part of the story. In Lozère, for example, farming and a once-flourishing mining industry supported a population of over 140,000 residents in the mid-19th century. Today the department has fewer than 80,000 people, many in its towns. As humans withdraw, forests are expanding. In France, between 1990 and 2015, forest cover increased by an average of 102,000 hectares each year, as more fields were given over to trees. Now, nearly one-third of mainland France is covered by woodland of some sort. The decline of hunting as a sport also means more forests fall quiet. In the mid-to-late 20th century over 2m hunters regularly spent winter weekends tramping in woodland, seeking boars, birds and other prey. Today the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs, the national body, claims 1.1m people hold hunting licences, though the number of active hunters is probably lower. The mostly protected status of the wolf in Europe—hunting them is now forbidden, other than when occasional culls are sanctioned by the state—plus the efforts of NGOs to track and count the animals, also contribute to the recovery of wolf populations.As the lupine population of Europe spreads westwards, with occasional reports of wolves seen closer to urban areas, expect to hear of more clashes between farmers and those who celebrate the predators’ return. Farmers’ losses are real, but are not the only economic story. Tourist venues, such as parks where wolves are kept and the animals’ spread is discussed, also generate income and jobs in rural areas.Which one of the following statements, if true, would weaken the author’s claims?- a)Having migrated out in the last century, wolves are now returning to Lozère.
- b)Unemployment concerns the residents of Lozère.
- c)Wolf attacks on tourists in Lozère are on the rise.
- d)The old mining sites of Lozère are now being used as grazing pastures for sheep.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
RESIDENTS of Lozère, a hilly department in southern France, recite complaints familiar to many rural corners of Europe. In remote hamlets and villages, with names such as Le Bacon and Le Bacon Vieux, mayors grumble about a lack of local schools, jobs, or phone and internet connections. Farmers of grazing animals add another concern: the return of wolves. Eradicated from France last century, the predators are gradually creeping back to more forests and hillsides. “The wolf must be taken in hand,” said an aspiring parliamentarian, Francis Palombi, when pressed by voters in an election campaign early this summer. Tourists enjoy visiting a wolf park in Lozère, but farmers fret over their livestock and their livelihoods. .
. .
. .
As early as the ninth century, the royal office of the Luparii—wolf-catchers—was created in France to tackle the predators. Those official hunters (and others) completed their job in the 1930s, when the last wolf disappeared from the mainland. Active hunting and improved technology such as rifles in the 19th century, plus the use of poison such as strychnine later on, caused the population collapse. But in the early 1990s the animals reappeared. They crossed the Alps from Italy, upsetting sheep farmers on the French side of the border. Wolves have since spread to areas such as Lozère, delighting environmentalists, who see the predators’ presence as a sign of wider ecological health. Farmers, who say the wolves cause the deaths of thousands of sheep and other grazing animals, are less cheerful. They grumble that green activists and politically correct urban types have allowed the return of an old enemy.
Various factors explain the changes of the past few decades. Rural depopulation is part of the story. In Lozère, for example, farming and a once-flourishing mining industry supported a population of over 140,000 residents in the mid-19th century. Today the department has fewer than 80,000 people, many in its towns. As humans withdraw, forests are expanding. In France, between 1990 and 2015, forest cover increased by an average of 102,000 hectares each year, as more fields were given over to trees. Now, nearly one-third of mainland France is covered by woodland of some sort. The decline of hunting as a sport also means more forests fall quiet. In the mid-to-late 20th century over 2m hunters regularly spent winter weekends tramping in woodland, seeking boars, birds and other prey. Today the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs, the national body, claims 1.1m people hold hunting licences, though the number of active hunters is probably lower. The mostly protected status of the wolf in Europe—hunting them is now forbidden, other than when occasional culls are sanctioned by the state—plus the efforts of NGOs to track and count the animals, also contribute to the recovery of wolf populations.
As the lupine population of Europe spreads westwards, with occasional reports of wolves seen closer to urban areas, expect to hear of more clashes between farmers and those who celebrate the predators’ return. Farmers’ losses are real, but are not the only economic story. Tourist venues, such as parks where wolves are kept and the animals’ spread is discussed, also generate income and jobs in rural areas.
Which one of the following statements, if true, would weaken the author’s claims?
a)
Having migrated out in the last century, wolves are now returning to Lozère.
b)
Unemployment concerns the residents of Lozère.
c)
Wolf attacks on tourists in Lozère are on the rise.
d)
The old mining sites of Lozère are now being used as grazing pastures for sheep.
|
|
Wizius Careers answered |
The author's claims seem to be focused on the conflicts between farmers and the return of wolves, the economic implications, and the coexistence challenges. If wolf attacks on tourists were on the rise, it might shift the narrative and suggest a broader safety concern beyond the impact on farmers, potentially weakening the author's emphasis on the positive economic aspects of wolf-related tourism. Therefore Option C, if true, would weaken the author’s argument.
Option A supports the author's claims about the return of wolves to Lozère.
Option B is not directly related to the author's claims about conflicts between farmers and wolves or the economic implications of wolf-related tourism.
Option D , if true, would not necessarily weaken the author's claims but might be seen as providing additional information about land use in Lozère.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s.The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits.Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace.These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers.The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods. American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach.The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities. With which of the following general statements would the author most likely NOT agree?- a)American business has been hurt by the inability to plan for the longterm.
- b)Cutting production costs always leads to increased competitiveness.
- c)American consumers are not the prime cause of the decline of American business.
- d)Initial analysis of the decline of American business yielded only partially accurate conclusions.
- e)Mergers and Acquisitions have not helped improve the situation.
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s.
The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits.
Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace.
These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers.
The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods. American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach.
The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities.
With which of the following general statements would the author most likely NOT agree?
a)
American business has been hurt by the inability to plan for the longterm.
b)
Cutting production costs always leads to increased competitiveness.
c)
American consumers are not the prime cause of the decline of American business.
d)
Initial analysis of the decline of American business yielded only partially accurate conclusions.
e)
Mergers and Acquisitions have not helped improve the situation.
|
|
Niti Joshi answered |
Understanding the Decline of American Business
The passage discusses the multifaceted reasons behind the decline of American business post-World War II, particularly focusing on management errors rather than external factors.
Reasons for Disagreement with Option B
The author would likely NOT agree with the statement: "Cutting production costs always leads to increased competitiveness." Here’s why:
- Misconception of Cost Cutting: The text indicates that American corporate management often prioritizes cost minimization, particularly focusing on labor costs, which account for a small fraction of total production costs. This focus has not translated into increased competitiveness.
- Labor Recruitment Challenges: By minimizing labor costs, companies face difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled workers. This suggests that cutting costs does not necessarily enhance competitiveness but rather hampers the quality of the workforce.
- Over-Concentration on High Technology: The passage highlights that American firms have overly concentrated on high-tech products rather than gaining experience through lower-tech products. This approach has been detrimental and shows that merely cutting costs does not lead to market success.
Conclusion
The author emphasizes that the decline stems from management’s misconceptions rather than effective strategies. Therefore, the belief that cutting production costs will always enhance competitiveness is flawed, making option B the correct answer as it contradicts the author’s viewpoint.
The passage discusses the multifaceted reasons behind the decline of American business post-World War II, particularly focusing on management errors rather than external factors.
Reasons for Disagreement with Option B
The author would likely NOT agree with the statement: "Cutting production costs always leads to increased competitiveness." Here’s why:
- Misconception of Cost Cutting: The text indicates that American corporate management often prioritizes cost minimization, particularly focusing on labor costs, which account for a small fraction of total production costs. This focus has not translated into increased competitiveness.
- Labor Recruitment Challenges: By minimizing labor costs, companies face difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled workers. This suggests that cutting costs does not necessarily enhance competitiveness but rather hampers the quality of the workforce.
- Over-Concentration on High Technology: The passage highlights that American firms have overly concentrated on high-tech products rather than gaining experience through lower-tech products. This approach has been detrimental and shows that merely cutting costs does not lead to market success.
Conclusion
The author emphasizes that the decline stems from management’s misconceptions rather than effective strategies. Therefore, the belief that cutting production costs will always enhance competitiveness is flawed, making option B the correct answer as it contradicts the author’s viewpoint.
The original Hellenistic community was idealized, the Greeks‘ own golden dream—a community never achieved but only imagined by the Macedonian Alexander, who was possessed of the true faith of all converts to a larger vision. The evolving system of city-states had produced not only unity with a healthy diversity but also narrow rivalries. No Hellenic empire arose, only scores of squabbling cities pursuing bitter feuds born of ancient wrongs and existing ambitions. It was civil strife made possible by isolation from the great armies and ambitions of Asia. Greek history could arguably begin in July of 776 B.C., the First Olympiad, and end with Theodosus‘s ban on the games in 393 A.D. Before this there had been a long era of two tribes, the Dorians and Ionians, scarcely distinguishable to the alien eye, but distinctly separate in their own eyes until 776. After Theodosus' ban most of the Mediterranean world was Greek-like, in fact, but the central core had been rendered impotent by diffusion. During the eventful Greek millennium, the Olympics reflected not the high ideals of Hellenes but rather the mean reality of the times. Its founders had created a monster, games that twisted the strategists‘ aspirations to unity to fit the unpleasant reality of the Hellenistic world. The games not only mirrored the central practices of the Greek world that reformers would deny but also imposed the flaws of that world. Like the atomic theory of the Greek philosophers, the Greek gamers‘ theories were far removed from reality; they were elegant, consistent, logical, and irrelevant.Part religious ritual, part game rite, in the five-day Olympic Games, various athletes coming together under the banner of their cities; winning became paramount, imposing defeat a delight. As Greek society evolved, so, too, did the games, but rarely as a unifying force. Athletes supposedly competing for the laurel of accomplishment in the name of idealism found that dried olive leaves changed to gold. Each local polis (city-state) sought not to contribute to the grandeur of Greece, but to achieve its own glory. As in the real world, in the games no Greek could trust another, and each envied rivals' victories. The Olympic spirit was not one of communal bliss but bitter lasting competition institutionalized in games. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ. For which of the following statements does the passage provide some evidence or explanation?
I. Alexander united ancient Greece through a series of military conquests. II. The divisions among Greek city-states were reflected in the Olympics. III. The Olympic Games could not have occurred without a city-state system. - a)II only
- b)III only
- c)I and II
- d)II and III
- e)I, II and III
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
The original Hellenistic community was idealized, the Greeks‘ own golden dream—a community never achieved but only imagined by the Macedonian Alexander, who was possessed of the true faith of all converts to a larger vision. The evolving system of city-states had produced not only unity with a healthy diversity but also narrow rivalries. No Hellenic empire arose, only scores of squabbling cities pursuing bitter feuds born of ancient wrongs and existing ambitions. It was civil strife made possible by isolation from the great armies and ambitions of Asia.
Greek history could arguably begin in July of 776 B.C., the First Olympiad, and end with Theodosus‘s ban on the games in 393 A.D. Before this there had been a long era of two tribes, the Dorians and Ionians, scarcely distinguishable to the alien eye, but distinctly separate in their own eyes until 776. After Theodosus' ban most of the Mediterranean world was Greek-like, in fact, but the central core had been rendered impotent by diffusion.
During the eventful Greek millennium, the Olympics reflected not the high ideals of Hellenes but rather the mean reality of the times. Its founders had created a monster, games that twisted the strategists‘ aspirations to unity to fit the unpleasant reality of the Hellenistic world. The games not only mirrored the central practices of the Greek world that reformers would deny but also imposed the flaws of that world. Like the atomic theory of the Greek philosophers, the Greek gamers‘ theories were far removed from reality; they were elegant, consistent, logical, and irrelevant.
Part religious ritual, part game rite, in the five-day Olympic Games, various athletes coming together under the banner of their cities; winning became paramount, imposing defeat a delight. As Greek society evolved, so, too, did the games, but rarely as a unifying force. Athletes supposedly competing for the laurel of accomplishment in the name of idealism found that dried olive leaves changed to gold. Each local polis (city-state) sought not to contribute to the grandeur of Greece, but to achieve its own glory. As in the real world, in the games no Greek could trust another, and each envied rivals' victories. The Olympic spirit was not one of communal bliss but bitter lasting competition institutionalized in games.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q. For which of the following statements does the passage provide some evidence or explanation?
I. Alexander united ancient Greece through a series of military conquests.
I. Alexander united ancient Greece through a series of military conquests.
II. The divisions among Greek city-states were reflected in the Olympics.
III. The Olympic Games could not have occurred without a city-state system.
a)
II only
b)
III only
c)
I and II
d)
II and III
e)
I, II and III
|
|
Disha Choudhary answered |
Analysis of the Statements
The passage discusses the nature of ancient Greek society, the Olympics, and their relationship with the city-state system. Let's evaluate the statements in light of the provided text.
Statement I: Alexander united ancient Greece through a series of military conquests.
- The passage mentions Alexander as an idealized figure with a larger vision but does not provide evidence of him uniting Greece through military means. Rather, it notes the absence of a Hellenic empire and the squabbling among city-states. Therefore, this statement lacks support from the text.
Statement II: The divisions among Greek city-states were reflected in the Olympics.
- The passage clearly illustrates that the Olympics mirrored the competition and rivalries among the Greek city-states. It describes how local polises sought their own glory rather than contributing to a collective Greek identity. The intense rivalry and lack of trust among athletes emphasized the divisions, making this statement accurate.
Statement III: The Olympic Games could not have occurred without a city-state system.
- While the passage discusses the city-state system's influence on the Olympics, it does not explicitly state that the games could not exist without it. The relationship is implied rather than directly confirmed, making this statement less certain in terms of evidence.
Conclusion
Considering the analysis:
- Statement II is supported by the passage.
- Statement I lacks evidence.
- Statement III is implied but not definitively proven.
Thus, the correct answer is option 'A': II only.
The passage discusses the nature of ancient Greek society, the Olympics, and their relationship with the city-state system. Let's evaluate the statements in light of the provided text.
Statement I: Alexander united ancient Greece through a series of military conquests.
- The passage mentions Alexander as an idealized figure with a larger vision but does not provide evidence of him uniting Greece through military means. Rather, it notes the absence of a Hellenic empire and the squabbling among city-states. Therefore, this statement lacks support from the text.
Statement II: The divisions among Greek city-states were reflected in the Olympics.
- The passage clearly illustrates that the Olympics mirrored the competition and rivalries among the Greek city-states. It describes how local polises sought their own glory rather than contributing to a collective Greek identity. The intense rivalry and lack of trust among athletes emphasized the divisions, making this statement accurate.
Statement III: The Olympic Games could not have occurred without a city-state system.
- While the passage discusses the city-state system's influence on the Olympics, it does not explicitly state that the games could not exist without it. The relationship is implied rather than directly confirmed, making this statement less certain in terms of evidence.
Conclusion
Considering the analysis:
- Statement II is supported by the passage.
- Statement I lacks evidence.
- Statement III is implied but not definitively proven.
Thus, the correct answer is option 'A': II only.
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s. The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits. Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace. These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers. The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods. American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach. The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities.Which of the following best encapsulates the primary reason for the decline of American business competitiveness according to the passage?- a)Stringent governmental restrictions on American corporations.
- b)High labour costs and poor productivity of the American workforce.
- c)Corporate management's strategic errors in labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies.
- d)Unpatriotic consumer behavior favoring foreign goods.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Direction: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question given below:
In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete. But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries. In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s. The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S. government. They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behaviour of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete. Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell off the most lucrative divisions for huge profits. Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labour demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms. Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods. The blame actually lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace. These missteps involve labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies. Even though labour costs typically account for less than 15% of a product‘s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers‘ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive. As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers. The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an over-concentration on high technology products. Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits. Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods. American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach. The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. has not helped the situation either. While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities.
Which of the following best encapsulates the primary reason for the decline of American business competitiveness according to the passage?
a)
Stringent governmental restrictions on American corporations.
b)
High labour costs and poor productivity of the American workforce.
c)
Corporate management's strategic errors in labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies.
d)
Unpatriotic consumer behavior favoring foreign goods.
|
|
Malavika Desai answered |
The Primary Reason for the Decline
The passage provides a detailed analysis of the decline of American business competitiveness, ultimately attributing it to the errors made by corporate management rather than external factors.
Key Points Supporting Option C:
- Misconceptions by Management:
The passage emphasizes that corporate management made serious errors based on misconceptions about market success. This indicates that the root cause of the problem lies within the strategic decisions taken by management.
- Labour Costs Misjudgment:
While management often blamed high labour costs for uncompetitiveness, the passage notes that these costs account for less than 15% of total product cost. This misjudgment has led to difficulties in recruiting skilled workers, further impacting competitiveness.
- Focus on High Technology:
American corporations over-concentrated on high technology products, neglecting the mass production of low-tech goods. By failing to gain experience in simpler products, American firms missed valuable opportunities for growth and profitability.
- Neglect of Long-term Strategies:
The passage highlights that American firms preferred quick profits through mergers and acquisitions rather than investing in long-term planning and modernization. This short-sighted approach has hindered their ability to adapt and thrive in future markets.
Conclusion:
In summary, option C accurately encapsulates the primary reason for the decline of American business competitiveness. It emphasizes the strategic errors made by corporate management in crucial areas such as labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies, making it the most comprehensive explanation compared to other options presented in the passage.
The passage provides a detailed analysis of the decline of American business competitiveness, ultimately attributing it to the errors made by corporate management rather than external factors.
Key Points Supporting Option C:
- Misconceptions by Management:
The passage emphasizes that corporate management made serious errors based on misconceptions about market success. This indicates that the root cause of the problem lies within the strategic decisions taken by management.
- Labour Costs Misjudgment:
While management often blamed high labour costs for uncompetitiveness, the passage notes that these costs account for less than 15% of total product cost. This misjudgment has led to difficulties in recruiting skilled workers, further impacting competitiveness.
- Focus on High Technology:
American corporations over-concentrated on high technology products, neglecting the mass production of low-tech goods. By failing to gain experience in simpler products, American firms missed valuable opportunities for growth and profitability.
- Neglect of Long-term Strategies:
The passage highlights that American firms preferred quick profits through mergers and acquisitions rather than investing in long-term planning and modernization. This short-sighted approach has hindered their ability to adapt and thrive in future markets.
Conclusion:
In summary, option C accurately encapsulates the primary reason for the decline of American business competitiveness. It emphasizes the strategic errors made by corporate management in crucial areas such as labour costs, production choices, and growth strategies, making it the most comprehensive explanation compared to other options presented in the passage.
In public Greek life, a man had to make his way at every step through the immediate persuasion of the spoken word. Whether it be addressing an assembly, a law-court or a more restricted body, his oratory would be a public affair rather than under the purview of a quiet committee, without the support of circulated commentary, and with no backcloth of daily reportage to make his own or others‘ views familiar to his hearers. The oratory's immediate effect was all-important; it would be naive to expect that mere reasonableness or an inherently good case would equate to a satisfactory appeal. Therefore, it was early realized that persuasion was an art, up to a point teachable, and a variety of specific pedagogy was well established in the second half of the fifth century. When the sophists claimed to teach their pupils how to succeed in public life, rhetoric was a large part of what they meant, though, to do them justice, it was not the whole.Skill naturally bred mistrust. If a man of good will had need of expression advanced of mere twaddle, to learn how to expound his contention effectively, the truculent or pugnacious could be taught to dress their case in well-seeming guise. It was a standing charge against the sophists that they 'made the worse appear the better cause,‘ and it was this immoral lesson which the hero of Aristophanes‘ Clouds went to learn from, of all people, Socrates. Again, the charge is often made in court that the opponent is an adroit orator and the jury must be circumspect so as not to let him delude them. From the frequency with which this crops up, it is patent that the accusation of cleverness might damage a man. In Greece, juries, of course, were familiar with the style, and would recognize the more evident artifices, but it was worth a litigant‘s while to get his speech written for him by an expert. Persuasive oratory was certainly one of the pressures that would be effective in an Athenian law-court.A more insidious danger was the inevitable desire to display this art as an art. It is not easy to define the point at which a legitimate concern with style shades off into preoccupation with manner at the expense of matter, but it is easy to perceive that many Greek writers of the fourth and later centuries passed that danger point. The most influential was Isocrates, who polished for long years his pamphlets, written in the form of speeches, and taught to many pupils the smooth and easy periods he had perfected. Isocrates took to the written word in compensation for his inadequacy in live oratory; the tough and nervous tones of a Demosthenes were far removed from his, though they, too, were based on study and practice. The exaltation of virtuosity did palpable harm. The balance was always delicate, between style as a vehicle and style as an end in itself. We must not try to pinpoint a specific moment when it, once and for all, tipped over; but certainly, as time went on, virtuosity weighed heavier. While Greek freedom lasted, and it mattered what course of action a Greek city decided to take, rhetoric was a necessary preparation for public life, whatever its side effects. It had been a source of strength for Greek civilization that its problems, of all kinds, were thrashed out very much in public. The shallowness which the study of rhetoric might (not must) encourage was the corresponding weakness. Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the followingQ.Historians agree that those seeking public office in modern America make far fewer speeches in the course of their campaign than those seeking a public position in ancient Greece did. The author would most likely explain this by pointing out that: - a)speeches are now only of limited use in the abrupt vicissitudes of politics.
- b)modern politicians need not rely exclusively on speeches to make themselves known.
- c)modern audiences are easier to persuade through rhetoric than were the Greek audiences.
- d)modern politicians do not make a study of rhetoric as did the Greeks.
- e)modern America is not much different from ancient Greece
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
In public Greek life, a man had to make his way at every step through the immediate persuasion of the spoken word. Whether it be addressing an assembly, a law-court or a more restricted body, his oratory would be a public affair rather than under the purview of a quiet committee, without the support of circulated commentary, and with no backcloth of daily reportage to make his own or others‘ views familiar to his hearers. The oratory's immediate effect was all-important; it would be naive to expect that mere reasonableness or an inherently good case would equate to a satisfactory appeal. Therefore, it was early realized that persuasion was an art, up to a point teachable, and a variety of specific pedagogy was well established in the second half of the fifth century. When the sophists claimed to teach their pupils how to succeed in public life, rhetoric was a large part of what they meant, though, to do them justice, it was not the whole.
Skill naturally bred mistrust. If a man of good will had need of expression advanced of mere twaddle, to learn how to expound his contention effectively, the truculent or pugnacious could be taught to dress their case in well-seeming guise. It was a standing charge against the sophists that they 'made the worse appear the better cause,‘ and it was this immoral lesson which the hero of Aristophanes‘ Clouds went to learn from, of all people, Socrates. Again, the charge is often made in court that the opponent is an adroit orator and the jury must be circumspect so as not to let him delude them. From the frequency with which this crops up, it is patent that the accusation of cleverness might damage a man. In Greece, juries, of course, were familiar with the style, and would recognize the more evident artifices, but it was worth a litigant‘s while to get his speech written for him by an expert. Persuasive oratory was certainly one of the pressures that would be effective in an Athenian law-court.
A more insidious danger was the inevitable desire to display this art as an art. It is not easy to define the point at which a legitimate concern with style shades off into preoccupation with manner at the expense of matter, but it is easy to perceive that many Greek writers of the fourth and later centuries passed that danger point. The most influential was Isocrates, who polished for long years his pamphlets, written in the form of speeches, and taught to many pupils the smooth and easy periods he had perfected. Isocrates took to the written word in compensation for his inadequacy in live oratory; the tough and nervous tones of a Demosthenes were far removed from his, though they, too, were based on study and practice. The exaltation of virtuosity did palpable harm. The balance was always delicate, between style as a vehicle and style as an end in itself.
We must not try to pinpoint a specific moment when it, once and for all, tipped over; but certainly, as time went on, virtuosity weighed heavier. While Greek freedom lasted, and it mattered what course of action a Greek city decided to take, rhetoric was a necessary preparation for public life, whatever its side effects. It had been a source of strength for Greek civilization that its problems, of all kinds, were thrashed out very much in public. The shallowness which the study of rhetoric might (not must) encourage was the corresponding weakness.
Directions: Read the above paragraph and answer the following
Q.Historians agree that those seeking public office in modern America make far fewer speeches in the course of their campaign than those seeking a public position in ancient Greece did. The author would most likely explain this by pointing out that:
a)
speeches are now only of limited use in the abrupt vicissitudes of politics.
b)
modern politicians need not rely exclusively on speeches to make themselves known.
c)
modern audiences are easier to persuade through rhetoric than were the Greek audiences.
d)
modern politicians do not make a study of rhetoric as did the Greeks.
e)
modern America is not much different from ancient Greece
|
|
Rounak Banerjee answered |
Mapping the Passage:
¶1 introduces the importance of rhetoric in Greek life and the fact that it was taught.
¶2 explains why rhetorical skill was sometimes mistrusted, but still sought after.
¶3 states that as rhetoric (in writing and speech) became more of an art, its original purpose was corrupted.
¶4 states that the Greek system required rhetorical skills and therefore inherited rhetoric's drawbacks as well.
¶1 introduces the importance of rhetoric in Greek life and the fact that it was taught.
¶2 explains why rhetorical skill was sometimes mistrusted, but still sought after.
¶3 states that as rhetoric (in writing and speech) became more of an art, its original purpose was corrupted.
¶4 states that the Greek system required rhetorical skills and therefore inherited rhetoric's drawbacks as well.
An application question. What would the author consider a main difference between ancient Greece and modern America? The opening lines mention that a Greek citizen had to rely on the spoken rather than the written word, and had "no" backcloth of daily reportage to make his own or others‘ views familiar to his hearers" as modern culture has. Therefore fewer speeches are needed nowadays, as (B) states.
Chapter doubts & questions for Comprehension - English Language for Teaching Exams 2025 is part of DSSSB TGT/PGT/PRT exam preparation. The chapters have been prepared according to the DSSSB TGT/PGT/PRT exam syllabus. The Chapter doubts & questions, notes, tests & MCQs are made for DSSSB TGT/PGT/PRT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, notes, meanings, examples, exercises, MCQs and online tests here.
Chapter doubts & questions of Comprehension - English Language for Teaching Exams in English & Hindi are available as part of DSSSB TGT/PGT/PRT exam.
Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for DSSSB TGT/PGT/PRT Exam by signing up for free.
English Language for Teaching Exams
70 videos|33 docs|49 tests
|
|
© EduRev
|
Education Revolution
|
|
Signup to see your scores
go up within 7 days!
Access 1000+ FREE Docs, Videos and Tests
Takes less than 10 seconds to signup