Mode of transportation affects the travel experience and thus can produce new types of travel writing and perhaps even new “identities.” Modes of transportation determine the types and duration of social encounters; affect the organization and passage of space and time; . . . and also affect perception and knowledge—how and what the traveler comes to know and write about. The completion of the first U.S. transcontinental highway during the 1920s . . . for example, inaugurated a new genre of travel literature about the United States—the automotive or road narrative. Such narratives highlight the experiences of mostly male protagonists “discovering themselves” on their journeys, emphasizing the independence of road travel and the value of rural folk traditions.
Travel writing’s relationship to empire building— as a type of “colonialist discourse”—has drawn the most attention from academicians. Close connections have been observed between European (and American) political, economic, and administrative goals for the colonies and their manifestations in the cultural practice of writing travel books. Travel writers’ descriptions of foreign places have been analysed as attempts to validate, promote, or challenge the ideologies and practices of colonial or imperial domination and expansion. Mary Louise Pratt’s study of the genres and conventions of 18th- and 19th-century exploration narratives about South America and Africa (e.g., the “monarch of all I survey” trope) offered ways of thinking about travel writing as embedded within relations of power between metropole and periphery, as did Edward Said’s theories of representation and cultural imperialism. Particularly Said’s book, Orientalism, helped scholars understand ways in which representations of people in travel texts were intimately bound up with notions of self, in this case, that the Occident defined itself through essentialist, ethnocentric, and racist representations of the Orient. Said’s work became a model for demonstrating cultural forms of imperialism in travel texts, showing how the political, economic, or administrative fact of dominance relies on legitimating discourses such as those articulated through travel writing. . . .
Feminist geographers’ studies of travel writing challenge the masculinist history of geography by questioning who and what are relevant subjects of geographic study and, indeed, what counts as geographic knowledge itself. Such questions are worked through ideological constructs that posit men as explorers and women as travelers—or, conversely, men as travelers and women as tied to the home. Studies of Victorian women who were professional travel writers, tourists, wives of colonial administrators, and other (mostly) elite women who wrote narratives about their experiences abroad during the 19th century have been particularly revealing. From a “liberal” feminist perspective, travel presented one means toward female liberation for middle- and upper-class Victorian women. Many studies from the 1970s onward demonstrated the ways in which women’s gendered identities were negotiated differently “at home” than they were “away,” thereby showing women’s selfdevelopment through travel. The more recent poststructural turn in studies of Victorian travel writing has focused attention on women’s diverse and fragmented identities as they narrated their travel experiences, emphasizing women’s sense of themselves as women in new locations, but only as they worked through their ties to nation, class, whiteness, and colonial and imperial power structures.
According to the passage, Said’s book, “Orientalism”:
- illustrated how narrow minded and racist westerners were.
- demonstrated how cultural imperialism was used to justify colonial domination.
- explained the difference between the representation of people and the actual fact.
- argued that cultural imperialism was more significant than colonial domination.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
A direct implication from the passage is that {.….Said's work became a model for demonstrating cultural forms of imperialism in travel texts, showing how the political, economic, or administrative fact of dominance relies on legitimating discourses such as those articulated through travel writing…..}. Said's work is noted for providing scholars with insights into "cultural imperialism" and its role in legitimizing colonial domination or comparable endeavors. Option C accurately encapsulates this idea, while Options A, C, and D either deviate from the discourse or misinterpret its implications.
The correct answer is (B): demonstrated how cultural imperialism was used to justify colonial domination.
From the passage, it can be inferred that scholars argue that Victorian women experienced self-development through their travels because:
- their identity was redefined when they were away from home.
- they were from the progressive middle- and upper-classes of society.
- they were on a quest to discover their diverse identities.
- they developed a feminist perspective of the world.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The question prompts us to explore why scholars argue that Victorian women underwent self-development during their travels. Let's focus our attention on the following excerpt from the passage: {... Many studies from the 1970s onward demonstrated the ways in which women’s gendered identities were negotiated differently ‘at home” than they were “away,” thereby showing women’s self-development through travel...}.
It is emphasized that traveling, being away from home, allowed women's identities to undergo a different negotiation process, highlighting transformation or reconfiguration, which consequently led to their self-development.
Option A best aligns with this interpretation. Options B, C, and D do not provide this rationale and are therefore inaccurate statements or inferences.
The correct answer is (A): their identity was redefined when they were away from home.
American travel literature of the 1920s:
- developed the male protagonists’ desire for independence.
- presented travellers’ discovery of their identity as different from others.
- celebrated the freedom that travel gives.
- showed participation in local traditions.
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
We can focus on the answer by examining the following excerpt: {... The completion of the first U.S. transcontinental highway during the 1920s... for example, inaugurated a new genre of travel literature about the United States—the automotive or road narrative. Such narratives highlight the experiences of mostly male protagonists “discovering themselves” on their journeys, emphasizing the independence of road travel and the value of rural folk traditions...}.
Option A: Offers a distorted comment that does not align with the discussed idea. The passage indicates that road journeys allowed male protagonists to "discover themselves," making the phrase "desire for independence" inaccurate.
Option B: Is not even remotely discussed or implied in the passage.
Option C: The passage mentions the completion of the first U.S. transcontinental highway during the 1920s, which led to the emergence of a new genre emphasizing the freedom associated with road travel. Thus, it implicitly portrays travel as an experience celebrating individual independence, as indicated by the phrase "emphasizing the independence." Therefore, among the given options, Option C effectively captures the characteristics of American travel literature from the 1920s.
Option D: Discusses participation in local traditions, which is not mentioned or implied in the passage.
So, the correct option is (C): celebrated the freedom that travel gives.
From the passage, we can infer that feminist scholars’ understanding of the experiences of Victorian women travellers is influenced by all of the following EXCEPT scholars':
- perspective that they bring to their research.
- knowledge of class tensions in Victorian society.
- awareness of gender issues in Victorian society.
- awareness of the ways in which identity is formed.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
We need to uncover the factors that shaped the perspectives of feminist scholars who investigated the travel experiences of Victorian women. These scholars aimed to challenge the predominantly male-centric narrative in geography by questioning the subjects deemed relevant for geographic study and reevaluating what constitutes geographic knowledge. By examining the involvement of women in travel writing during the Victorian era, these scholars were able to explore fresh perspectives and accomplish the stated objectives {"...such questions are worked through ideological constructs that posit men as explorers and women as travelers—or, conversely, men as travelers and women as tied to the home..."} [Option A].
The diverse perspectives expressed by women during this era stemmed from disparities in gendered identities, suggesting an underlying inequality in gender roles [Option C].
Furthermore, research exploring how travel impacted women's gender identities contributed to feminist scholars' comprehension of Victorian women's travel experiences [Option D].
There is no indication that knowledge of "class" tensions, as mentioned in Option B, was a crucial factor influencing scholars' understanding.
The correct answer is (B): knowledge of class tensions in Victorian society.
From the passage, we can infer that travel writing is most similar to:
- feminist writing.
- historical fiction.
- political journalism.
- autobiographical writing.
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Considering that travel writing entails the portrayal and narration of personal travel encounters or viewpoints on the world, the most relevant category would be autobiographical writing [Option D]. Political journalism and feminist writing are irrelevant in this context and can be disregarded. Similarly, linking travel literature with historical fiction would be inappropriate.
So, the correct answer is (D): autobiographical writing.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
Passage: Toru Dutt is considered the earliest Indian female writer in English. She travelled extensively in Europe from a young age with her family. She and her sister Aru became fascinated with Paris and French literature. In London, they came in contact with such august personages such as Sir Bartle Frere, the Gover- nor of Bombay from 1862 to 1867, and Sir Edward Ryan, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Calcutta, from 1837 to 1843. Toru Dutt was greatly influenced in her writings by French Romantic poets like Victor Hugo and English writers like Elizabeth Browning, John Keats, Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen. She was also intrigued by the legends and myths of India, and even learned Sanskrit. Her writings were marked by romantic melancholia and an obsession and preoccupation with death. This was partly due to her suffering and pain following the early tragic deaths of her siblings, especially her older sister Aru, with whom she was quite close. Her chosen subjects often portrayed separation, loneliness, captivity, dejec- tion, declining seasons and untimely death. She led an ”Ivory Tower existence” and her own death came quite early, at the age of 21, in the full bloom of her talent and on the eve of the awakening of her genius. Toru Dutt’s most famous work is A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields, an anthology of poems translated from French to English. It also contained a few original poems that showcase her vast insight into French literature. She used to publish poems in the Bengal Magazine, under the pseudonym ”TD”. But most of her powerful work was published posthumously, in- cluding the French novel Le Journal de Mademoiselle D’Arvers and the unfinished English novel Bianca, or, the Young Spanish Maiden. Her work Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan depicts a shrewd knowledge of Hindu mythology and an instinctive empathy with the conditions of life they represent. An assimilation of the Occident and the Orient nourished Toru’s poetic skills; in her, we find a tripartite influence of a French education, lectures at Cambridge and the study of Sanskrit literature.
- NPAT - 2025
- Verbal Reasoning
- Reading Comprehension
“Why do they pull down and do away with crooked streets, I wonder, which are my delight, and hurt no man living? Every day the wealthier nations are pulling down one or another in their capitals and their great towns: they do not know why they do it; neither do I. It ought to be enough, surely, to drive the great broad ways which commerce needs and which are the life-channels of a modern city, without destroying all history and all the humanity in between: the islands of the past.”
(From Hilaire Belloc’s “The Crooked Streets”)
Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?- GATE PH - 2025
- General Aptitude
- Reading Comprehension
“Why do they pull down and do away with crooked streets, I wonder, which are my delight, and hurt no man living? Every day the wealthier nations are pulling down one or another in their capitals and their great towns: they do not know why they do it; neither do I. It ought to be enough, surely, to drive the great broad ways which commerce needs and which are the life-channels of a modern city, without destroying all history and all the humanity in between: the islands of the past.” (From Hilaire Belloc’s “The Crooked Streets”)
Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?
- GATE CE - 2025
- General Aptitude
- Reading Comprehension
- “His life was divided between the books, his friends, and long walks. A solitary man, he worked at all hours without much method, and probably courted his fatal illness in this way. To his own name there is not much to show; but such was his liberality that he was continually helping others, and fruits of his erudition are widely scattered, and have gone to increase many a comparative stranger’s reputation.”
(From E.V. Lucas’s “A Funeral”)
Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?- GATE CE - 2025
- General Aptitude
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the excerpt from a Handicrafts Manual: ‘Advanced Knitting Techniques’ and answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate answer.
THE FAIR ISLE METHOD: Fair Isle knitting is a traditional technique that involves using two or more colours of yarn in a single row to create intricate patterns and designs. This method requires careful tension management to ensure even stitches and prevent puckering. To begin, select your colours and cast on the desired number of stitches. As you knit, alternate between colours every few stitches, carrying the unused yarn along the back of the work. Mastering the Fair Isle technique allows you to create stunning visual effects in garments, accessories, and home textiles.
THE CONTINENTAL STYLE: The Continental knitting style, often referred to as “picking,” involves holding the yarn in the left hand while the right hand manipulates the needles. This method allows for greater speed and efficiency, particularly when working with complex patterns or multiple colours. To practice this style, start by casting on your stitches and using your left hand to tension the yarn. With each stitch, simply “pick” the yarn with your right needle, forming a quick and fluid motion. As you become comfortable with this technique, you may find that your overall knitting speed and comfort improve significantly.
THE SHORT-ROW TECHNIQUE: Short-row knitting is an advanced technique that allows for the creation of shaped garments, such as sleeves and shoulders, without the need for complex shaping. To make a sleeve using this technique, begin by casting on the required number of stitches. Work a portion of the row, then turn your work and return without completing the full row to create the “short rows” that shape the curves of the sleeve. To prevent holes at the turn, wrap the stitch before you turn your work. Repeat this process as needed to achieve the desired shaping and dimension of the sleeve. Once you have shaped the sleeve, you can then sew the side seams to connect the pieces of your garment and finally, complete the edges to ensure a clean finish. This method not only helps shape curves but also adds dimension to your piece, allowing you to enhance fit and style.- AILET BALLB (Hons.) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
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- CAT - 2024
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- CAT - 2024
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- CAT - 2024
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- CAT - 2024
- Number Systems