Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question. 
The biggest challenge [The Nutmeg's Curse by Ghosh] throws down is to the prevailing understanding of when the climate crisis started. Most of us have accepted ... that it started with the widespread use of coal at the beginning of the Industrial Age in the 18th century and worsened with the mass adoption of oil and natural gas in the 20th . 
Ghosh takes this history at least three centuries back, to the start of European colonialism in the 15th century. He [starts] the book with a 1621 massacre by Dutch invaders determined to impose a monopoly on nutmeg cultivation and trade in the Banda islands in today's Indonesia. Not only do the Dutch systematically depopulate the islands through genocide, they also try their best to bring nutmeg cultivation into plantation mode. These are the two points to which Ghosh returns through examples from around the world. One, how European colonialists decimated not only indigenous populations but also indigenous understanding of the relationship between humans and Earth. Two, how this was an invasion not only of humans but of the Earth itself, and how this continues to the present day by looking at nature as a 'resource' to exploit. ... 
We know we are facing more frequent and more severe heatwaves, storms, floods, droughts and wildfires due to climate change. We know our expansion through deforestation, dam building, canal cutting - in short, terraforming, the word Ghosh uses - has brought us repeated disasters ... Are these the responses of an angry Gaia who has finally had enough? By using the word 'curse' in the title, the author makes it clear that he thinks so. I use the pronoun 'who' knowingly, because Ghosh has quoted many non-European sources to enquire into the relationship between humans and the world around them so that he can question the prevalent way of looking at Earth as an inert object to be exploited to the maximum. 
As Ghosh's text, notes and bibliography show once more, none of this is new. There have always been challenges to the way European colonialists looked at other civilisations and at Earth. It is just that the invaders and their myriad backers in the fields of economics, politics, anthropology, philosophy, literature, technology, physics, chemistry, biology have dominated global intellectual discourse.... 
There are other points of view that we can hear today if we listen hard enough. Those observing global climate negotiations know about the Latin American way of looking at Earth as Pachamama (Earth Mother). They also know how such a framing is just provided lip service and is ignored in the substantive portions of the negotiations. In The Nutmeg's Curse, Ghosh explains why. He shows the extent of the vested interest in the oil economy - not only for oil exporting countries, but also for a superpower like the US that controls oil drilling, oil prices and oil movement around the world. Many of us know power utilities are sabotaging decentralised solar power generation today because it hits their revenues and control. And how the other points of view are so often drowned out.
Question: 1

Which one of the following, if true, would make the reviewer's choice of the pronoun "who" for Gaia inappropriate?

Updated On: Jul 21, 2025
  • Non-European societies have perceived the Earth as a non-living source of all resources.
  • There is a direct cause-effect relationship between human activities and global climate change.
  • Ghosh's book has a different title: "The Nutmeg's Revenge".
  • Modern western science discovers new evidence for the Earth being an inanimate object.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The reviewer's choice of the pronoun "who" for Gaia implies treating the Earth as a sentient entity, often recognized in various non-European cultural narratives as having agency or a personality. Let's analyze the provided options to determine which, if true, would make the usage of "who" inappropriate:
  • Non-European societies have perceived the Earth as a non-living source of all resources.
If this statement is true, it implies that non-European societies regard the Earth as an inanimate object, opposing the notion of Gaia as a living entity. This would undermine the basis for using the pronoun "who," making it inappropriate. In contrast, the other options either discuss historical insights or scientific views that do not directly negate the animistic view implied by "who."
  • There is a direct cause-effect relationship between human activities and global climate change.
  • Ghosh's book has a different title: "The Nutmeg's Revenge".
  • Modern western science discovers new evidence for the Earth being an inanimate object.
These do not challenge the choice of pronoun referring to Gaia, as they focus on climate change causes, a book title variation, or western science perspectives, which do not directly negate the narrative of Earth as a sentient being.
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Question: 2

All of the following can be inferred from the reviewer's discussion of "The Nutmeg's Curse", EXCEPT:

Updated On: Jul 21, 2025
  • academic discourses have always served the function of raising awareness about environmental preservation.
  • the contemporary dominant perception of nature and the environment was put in place by processes of colonialism.
  • environmental preservation policy makers can learn a lot from non-European and/or pre colonial societies.
  • the history of climate change is deeply intertwined with the history of colonialism.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The given passage and the question require us to infer what can be gathered from the review of "The Nutmeg's Curse" by Amitav Ghosh. We are to identify which statement cannot be inferred from the discussion. Let's evaluate each option against the text.
Option 1: "academic discourses have always served the function of raising awareness about environmental preservation." This option suggests that academia has consistently raised awareness about environmental issues. However, the passage indicates that European colonialists dominated global intellectual discourse, implying that contrary viewpoints, such as indigenous and non-European perspectives on environmental preservation, have often been suppressed or marginalized. Thus, this statement cannot be inferred from the passage.
Option 2: "the contemporary dominant perception of nature and the environment was put in place by processes of colonialism." The passage discusses how colonial practices started in the 15th century and have influenced current perceptions of nature as a resource to exploit. Thus, this statement is a valid inference.
Option 3: "environmental preservation policymakers can learn a lot from non-European and/or pre-colonial societies." The passage mentions that non-European sources offer different perspectives on the human-Earth relationship, which challenges the prevalent exploitative viewpoint. Therefore, this is a plausible inference.
Option 4: "the history of climate change is deeply intertwined with the history of colonialism." The passage indicates that Ghosh traces the roots of the climate crisis to European colonialism, suggesting a deep connection. Thus, this is also a correct inference.
Based on the above analysis, the statement that cannot be inferred from the passage is Option 1: "academic discourses have always served the function of raising awareness about environmental preservation." This choice misrepresents the dominant influence of colonial and European perspectives in the academic discourse described in the passage.
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Question: 3

On the basis of information in the passage, which one of the following is NOT a reason for the failure of policies seeking to address climate change?

Updated On: Jul 21, 2025
  • The greed of organisations benefiting from non-renewable energy resources.
  • The global dominance of oil economies and international politics built around it.
  • The decentralised characteristic of renewable energy resources like solar power.
  • The marginalised status of non-European ways of looking at nature and the environment.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

To determine which option is NOT a reason for the failure of policies addressing climate change based on the passage, we need to analyze the underlying reasons discussed.
The passage suggests several reasons for policy failures:
  • European colonialism's legacy and its impact on climate perceptions and indigenous practices.
  • Dominance of oil economies and global politics centered around them, which maintain vested interests in the current system.
  • The marginalization of non-European perspectives on nature, often ignored or given only lip service.
The passage does mention the decentralization of renewable energy resources like solar power; however, it associates it with sabotage by power utilities, not as a reason for policy failure. Instead, it highlights how existing power structures hinder these resources.
Thus, the correct option that is NOT a reason for the failure of climate change policies is:
The decentralised characteristic of renewable energy resources like solar power.
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Question: 4

Which one of the following best explains the primary purpose of the discussion of the colonisation of the Banda islands in "The Nutmeg's Curse"?

Updated On: Jul 21, 2025
  • To illustrate how systemic violence against the colonised constituted the cornerstone of colonialism.
  • To illustrate how colonialism represented and perpetuated the mindset that has led to climate change.
  • To illustrate the role played by the cultivation of certain crops in the plantation mode in contributing to climate change.
  • To illustrate the first instance in history when the processes responsible for climate change were initiated.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The consideration centres on understanding the primary objective of the Banda islands' colonisation discussion in "The Nutmeg's Curse." Analyzing the passage, it focuses on European colonialism's long-term impact, where colonial mindsets initially laid the foundations for contemporary climate change rather than simply promoting systemic violence or establishing agricultural practices.
The passage elucidates Ghosh's argument that the climate crisis roots trace back to colonial times, emphasizing how colonizers viewed Earth as a resource to be exploited, which persists in modern practices. This view directly links past colonialism with present environmental challenges, illustrating that the systemic exploitation mindset initiated during colonial times continues to affect how natural resources are treated, facilitating climate change.
Therefore, the correct explanation of the Banda islands' colonisation discussion in the book is: To illustrate how colonialism represented and perpetuated the mindset that has led to climate change.
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