Sample Reading: Social Science Passage | The Complete SAT Course - Class 10 PDF Download

Introduction

Concepts:

• Main Idea
  • The main idea of a passage is the central point or argument that the author presents.
  • To identify the main idea, look for recurring themes, the purpose of the passage, and the author's main argument.
• Supporting Evidence
  • Supporting evidence refers to the facts, examples, or data that back up the author's main idea.
  • Identifying supporting evidence helps you understand the logic of the author's argument and evaluate the strength of the passage.
• Author's Purpose
  • The author's purpose is the reason why they wrote the passage.
  • The author's purpose may be to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain a concept.
  • Identifying the author's purpose helps you understand the overall meaning of the passage and the author's perspective.
• Tone and Attitude
  • The tone is the author's attitude toward the subject matter or audience, as conveyed through their choice of words and writing style.
  • Common tones include objective, critical, sarcastic, and sympathetic.
  • Identifying the tone helps you understand the author's point of view and the intended effect on the reader.
• Vocabulary in Context
  • Vocabulary in context refers to the meaning of a word as it is used within a specific passage.
  • To determine the meaning of a word in context, use context clues such as the words surrounding the unfamiliar term and the overall theme of the passage.

The Industrial Revolution was a period of great technological advancements and socioeconomic changes that marked the transition from an agrarian society to an industrialized one. It began in the late 18th century and lasted until the mid-19th century. The major innovations during this period were focused on enhancing the production and distribution of goods. These innovations led to a rapid increase in the availability of goods and services, which ultimately improved the standard of living for the masses.

One of the most significant changes during the Industrial Revolution was the shift from rural to urban life. As factories and manufacturing industries began to emerge in cities, people migrated from rural areas in search of better employment opportunities. This migration led to the growth of cities and the formation of a new class of urban workers, known as the working class.

The working class faced many challenges during the Industrial Revolution. They often worked long hours in dangerous conditions and were paid very low wages. This led to a variety of social issues, such as overcrowding, poor sanitation, and the spread of diseases. However, over time, these conditions began to improve as laws were enacted to protect workers and their rights.

Another major change during the Industrial Revolution was the emergence of new forms of transportation, such as the steam engine and the railway. These innovations greatly increased the speed and efficiency of transportation, which in turn led to the growth of global trade and the expansion of markets.

In conclusion, the Industrial Revolution had a profound impact on society. It led to the development of new technologies and industries, which ultimately improved the standard of living for the masses. However, it also brought about significant social changes and challenges that had to be addressed.

Q.1. What was one major innovation that occurred during the Industrial Revolution?
(a) The invention of the telephone
(b) The development of the steam engine
(c) The discovery of electricity
(d) The creation of the printing press

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The passage mentions that new forms of transportation, such as the steam engine and the railway, emerged during the Industrial Revolution. This indicates that the development of the steam engine was one of the major innovations during this period.

Q.2. What challenges did the working class face during the Industrial Revolution?
(a) Lack of employment opportunities
(b) Low wages and poor working conditions
(c) Limited access to education
(d) Difficulty adapting to urban life

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The passage states that the working class "often worked long hours in dangerous conditions and were paid very low wages." This suggests that these were the primary challenges faced by the working class during the Industrial Revolution.

Q.3. How did the Industrial Revolution impact global trade?
(a) It decreased the need for international trade.
(b) It led to a decline in the importance of trade.
(c) It increased the speed and efficiency of transportation.
(d) It created new restrictions on trade between countries.

Correct Answer is Option (c)
The passage explains that innovations in transportation, such as the steam engine and the railway, "greatly increased the speed and efficiency of transportation, which in turn led to the growth of global trade and the expansion of markets." This shows that the Industrial Revolution had a positive impact on global trade by improving transportation systems

In 1859, Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," a groundbreaking work that introduced the theory of natural selection as the primary mechanism for evolution. The book was met with both enthusiasm and controversy, as it challenged established religious and scientific beliefs about the origin of life.

Natural selection is the process by which organisms with traits that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those advantageous traits to their offspring. Over time, this process leads to the gradual adaptation of species to their environment, and ultimately, the development of new species.

One of the major implications of Darwin's theory is that all living organisms share a common ancestor. This idea was further supported by the discovery of DNA and the understanding that genetic information is passed on from one generation to the next.

Despite its acceptance by the scientific community, the theory of evolution has faced ongoing resistance from some religious groups, who believe that life was created by a divine being in a specific act of creation. These groups argue that the complexity of living organisms cannot be explained by natural processes alone and that there must be some guiding force behind the development of life.

In response to these challenges, scientists have continued to refine and expand upon the theory of evolution, providing further evidence for its validity. One such development is the theory of punctuated equilibrium, which posits that evolution occurs in relatively rapid bursts, followed by long periods of relative stability. This theory helps to explain the gaps in the fossil record, which some critics of evolution have pointed to as evidence against the theory.

Overall, the theory of evolution has had a profound impact on our understanding of the natural world and our place within it. It has also inspired a great deal of scientific research, leading to countless discoveries and innovations.

Q.1. The main purpose of the passage is to:
(a) Describe the controversy surrounding the theory of evolution
(b) Explain how the theory of evolution has changed over time
(c) Provide an overview of the theory of evolution and its impact on science
(d) Compare and contrast different theories of evolution

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The passage provides a brief history of the theory of evolution, its implications, and the ongoing debate surrounding it. It also highlights the impact of the theory on scientific research and understanding.

Q.2. According to the passage, natural selection is:
(a) A process that guarantees the survival of the fittest organisms
(b) The primary mechanism that drives evolution
(c) Incompatible with religious beliefs about the origin of life
(d) A theory that has been disproven by recent scientific discoveries

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The passage states that natural selection is "the process by which organisms with traits that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce," and it is introduced as "the primary mechanism for evolution."

Q.3. The passage suggests that the theory of punctuated equilibrium was developed in response to:
(a) Religious objections to the theory of evolution
(b) The discovery of DNA and genetic inheritance
(c) Gaps in the fossil record that challenged the theory of evolution
(d) Charles Darwin's original theory of natural selection

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The passage states that the theory of punctuated equilibrium "helps to explain the gaps in the fossil record, which some critics of evolution have pointed to as evidence against the theory."

Q.4. Which of the following best describes the ongoing debate between supporters of the theory of evolution and religious groups, as presented in the passage?
(a) A disagreement over the existence of a common ancestor for all living organisms
(b) A disagreement over the role of natural processes in the development of life
(c) A disagreement over the validity of the fossil record as evidence for evolution
(d) A disagreement over the role of divine intervention in the origin of life

Correct Answer is Option (b) 
The passage discusses how religious groups argue that "the complexity of living organisms cannot be explained by natural processes alone," while supporters of the theory of evolution point to natural processes, like natural selection, as driving forces behind the development of life.

This passage is adapted from Jan Delhey and Christian Kroll, “A ‘Happiness Test’ for the New Measures of National Well-Being: How Much Better than GDP Are They?” ©2012 by WZB Berlin Social Science Center.

There is currently a broad global movement away from considerations of mere economic success towards a new public policy goal involving a broader notion of quality of life. This movement has also spurred a rethinking of which statistics inform us best about a country’s situation and how its citizens are faring. For decades, the gold standard was a macroeconomic indicator: the GDP - gross domestic product, calculated per capita. This is the most prominent yardstick that the media, politicians and the public consider when they try to assess how a country is performing. However, this measure was never meant to be a measure of the welfare of nations (as its creator Simon Kuznets warned in the 1930s) and so there is growing skepticism about the GDP’s usefulness as a measure of national well-being. Slogans such as “beyond GDP” or “redefining progress” challenge the preoccupation with the GDP.

Three key strategies have been employed to develop a better measure of well-being: healing the GDP, complementing the GDP, and replacing the GDP . . . .

The first group of initiatives tries to deal with the downsides of the GDP by attempting to fix the indicator itself. . . .

One key aim of this group of measures is to account for sustainability and the environmental damage associated with GDP growth. For example, the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare and the Genuine Progress Indicator are both based on the consumption of private households. However, they also reflect additional social factors such as household labor and education with a rising value, while air pollution and environmental damage lower the score. As a consequence, the downsides of economic growth and modernization ought to be accounted for whilst retaining the benefits of the GDP, namely a single figure that captures different entities and is comparable across nations. . . .

The second group of measures moves further away from the GDP as a yardstick than the previous approaches but does not abandon the sum of goods and services altogether. Instead, this group of measures seeks to assess national well-being by complementing the GDP with a number of key social indicators. . . .

For example, the Human Development Index comprises the three dimensions health, education, and material living conditions, which are measured by life expectancy, years of schooling, and GNI [gross national income], respectively. . . .

While the method of complementing the GDP with further indicators is able to overcome the controversial monetization from which the measures that try to “heal GDP” suffer, the standardization of different units is also controversial. In particular, merging different units into a single standardized index is methodologically challenging and again requires value judgements by the researcher. . . .

The most radical departure from the GDP is embodied by the third group of measures, which seeks alternative indicators of well-being without accounting for the sum of goods and services produced in an economy. The logic behind this approach is that the GDP has always been and remains a means to an end rather than the end itself. . . .

Famous examples include the Happy Planet Index calculated by the New Economics Foundation. The index comprises life expectancy, life satisfaction, and the ecological footprint and is therefore able to demonstrate how many resources countries need in order to produce a certain level of health and subjective well-being. . . .

Replacing the GDP altogether is quite a drastic strategy for assessing national well-being, as not only is economic growth a prerequisite for many of the social goods that make life enjoyable but the metric of GDP is also highly correlated with such other factors. Thus, by arguing that the GDP is only a means to an end, these measures are in danger of making a conceptual assumption that is notable in theory but can be challenged in practice on the basis of actual causal mechanisms and empirical data.

Q.1. The authors’ central claim in the passage is that
(a) replacing the GDP outright may seem appealing, but its alternatives would be difficult and dangerous to implement.
(b) well-being and economics have not been shown to correlate to any significant degree.
(c) the GDP can only measure economics, while happiness must be considered primarily in terms of other factors.
(d) there is a growing movement to improve the way in which a country’s well-being is measured.

Correct Answer is Option (d)
The passage talks about the shift from GDP to other measures of well-being and the various strategies being employed to find a better measure of well-being.

Q.2. In the first paragraph, the reference to Simon Kuznets mainly serves to
(a) emphasize that the GDP is a respected and valid tool.
(b) underscore a common concern about the GDP by citing a critic.
(c) clarify an abstract point about the development of the GDP by mentioning its creator.
(d) strengthen the argument that the GDP does not adequately measure well-being.

Correct Answer is Option (d)
The reference to Simon Kuznets highlights that even the creator of GDP warned against using it as a measure of the welfare of nations, thus strengthening the argument that it is not adequate for measuring well-being.

Q.3. As used in line 8
(“prominent”)
, “prominent” most nearly means
(a) pronounced.
(b) remarkable.
(c) recognized.
(d) projecting.

Correct Answer is Option (c)
In the context of the passage, "prominent" refers to how widely known and accepted GDP is as a yardstick for measuring a country's performance.

Q.4. The authors imply that the “first group of initiatives” would primarily
(a) change the measurement approach to encompass only social factors.
(b) take both positive and negative factors into account universally.
(c) show the positive effects of modernization in its new measurements.
(d) shift the measurement of GDP so that it is calculated per capita.

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The first group of initiatives aims to fix the GDP by considering both positive factors (such as household labor and education) and negative factors (such as air pollution and environmental damage).

Q.5. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
(a) lines 16–18 (“Three . . . the GDP”)(“Three key strategies have been employed to develop a better measure of well-being: healing the GDP, complementing the GDP, and replacing the GDP”)
(b) lines 19–20 (“The first . . . itself”)(“The first group of initiatives tries to deal with the downsides of the GDP by attempting to fix the indicator itself”)
(c) lines 23–25 (“For example . . . households”)(“For example, the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare and the Genuine Progress Indicator are both based on the consumption of private households.”)
(d) lines 28–32 (“As a consequence . . . nations”)(“As a consequence, the downsides of economic growth and modernization ought to be accounted for whilst retaining the benefits of the GDP, namely a single figure that captures different entities and is comparable across nations”)

Correct Answer is Option (d)
This section of the passage describes how the first group of initiatives aims to account for the downsides of economic growth and modernization while retaining the benefits of the GDP.

Q.6. As used in line 31
(“figure”)
, “figure” most nearly means
(a) symbol.
(b) number.
(c) level.
(d) structure.

Correct Answer is Option (b)
In this context, "figure" refers to the single numerical value that GDP provides, which is comparable across nations.

Q.7. It can be inferred that the alternative approach to measuring happiness that is most different from the current approach is based on the belief that
(a) GDP is a helpful measurement of how economics contribute to welfare in different countries.
(b) the sum of goods and services produced by a country is not a necessary factor in determining a country’s well-being.
(c) material living conditions and life expectancy have no effect on individual happiness.
(d) economic prosperity is a good predictor of life expectancy and is particularly useful for comparing life expectancies around the world.

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The third group of measures seeks alternative indicators of well-being without accounting for the sum of goods and services produced in an economy, thus representing the most radical departure from the current approach.

Q.8. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
(a) lines 50–53 (“The most . . . economy”)(“The most radical departure from the GDP is embodied by the third group of measures, which seeks alternative indicators of well-being without accounting for the sum of goods and services produced in an economy.”)
(b) lines 53–55 (“The logic . . itself”)(“The logic behind this approach is that the GDP has always been and remains a means to an end rather than the end itself.”)
(c) lines 56–57 (“Famous . . .Foundation”)(“Famous examples include the Happy Planet Index calculated by the New Economics Foundation.”)
(d) lines 57–61 (“The index . . . well-being”)(“The index comprises life expectancy, life satisfaction, and the ecological footprint and is therefore able to demonstrate how many resources countries need in order to produce a certain level of health and subjective well-being.”)

Correct Answer is Option (a)
This section of the passage describes how the third group of measures seeks alternative indicators of well-being without accounting for the sum of goods and services produced in an economy, making it the most different from the current approach.

Q.9. According to the graph, the region with the fourth-lowest HPI score is
(a) Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
(b) Central and Eastern Europe.
(c) South Asia.
(d) North America.

Correct Answer is Option (b)
According to the graph, Central and Eastern Europe has the fourth-lowest HPI score.

Q.10. Based on the passage, which of the following is most likely to contribute to South America’s HPI ranking?
(a) A somewhat high duration of education
(b) A moderately low gross national income
(c) A fairly low production of services
(d) A relatively high life expectancy

Correct Answer is Option (d)
The passage mentions that the Happy Planet Index comprises life expectancy, life satisfaction, and the ecological footprint. Since South America has a relatively high HPI ranking, it is likely that one of the contributing factors is a high life expectancy.

Q.11. he greatest number of geographic regions have an HPI score in which range?
(a) 20-30
(b) 30-40
(c) 40-50
(d) 50-60

Correct Answer is Option (c)
According to the graph, the greatest number of geographic regions have an HPI score in the 40-50 range.