Question

Efficiency is all right in its place, in the shop, the factory, the store. The trouble with efficiency is that it wants to rule our play as well as our work; it won’t be content to reign in the shop, it follows us home.
It can be inferred from the above passage that:

• A. Efficiency can become all - pervading
• B. Efficiency does not always pay
• C. Efficiency can be more of a torture than a blessing
• D. None of these

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine the correct inference from the passage, let's analyze the key points mentioned in the text:

• The passage begins by acknowledging the place of efficiency in certain work environments where it is essential ('in the shop, the factory, the store').
• The passage then states that the problem with efficiency is that it tends to extend beyond its productive boundaries ('it wants to rule our play as well as our work').
• It highlights that efficiency does not stop at work ('it follows us home'), suggesting it becomes pervasive and intrusive into personal and leisure time.

This analysis indicates that efficiency, being beneficial and necessary at work, becomes overreaching when it starts dominating other aspects of life. From the given options, 'Efficiency can become all - pervading' best captures this essence, as it suggests that efficiency extends beyond appropriate domains and permeates all areas of life.