Question

“Why toil away as a starving peasant in the 16th century when a successful pirate made up to £4,000 on each raid?” In this sentence, the author’s tone can best be described as being:

• A. analytical, to explain the contrasts between peasant and pirate life in medieval England.
• B. indignant, at the scale of wealth successful pirates could amass in medieval times.
• C. ironic, about the reasons why so many took to piracy in medieval times.
• D. facetious, about the hardships of peasant life in medieval England.
• A. Lehr does not assign adequate blame to empire builders for their past deeds.
• B. colonialism should be considered an organised form of piracy.
• C. Vasco da Gama and the East India Company laid the ground for modern piracy.
• D. the disorganised piracy of today is no match for the organised piracy of the past.
• A. through the extensive deployment of technology to track ships and cargo.
• B. through international cooperation in enforcing stringent deterrents.
• C. if we eliminate poverty and income disparities in affected regions.
• D. through lucrative welfare schemes to improve the lives of people in affected regions.
• A. colonialism’s disruption of historic ties among countries.
• B. decreased surveillance of the high seas.
• C. the high rewards via ransoms for successful piracy attempts.
• D. the growth in international shipping with globalisation.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Option A describes the author as analytical. Yet, the author does not contrast the lives of peasants and pirates, nor do they portray the lives of pirates positively. Ultimately, pirates also face surveillance and other dangers, making the contrast in the option inaccurate.
The term "indignant" in Option B is entirely inappropriate. The author is not angry at the pirates for accumulating vast wealth, so this option is out of context. 
Option C mentions irony, which is actually accurate. The author employs irony to highlight the stark contrast between the lives of honest peasants, who toil tirelessly and often go hungry, and pirates, who effortlessly amass fortunes. This encapsulates the essence of the mentioned line, making this answer correct.
Option D suggests that the author is "facetious," which implies treating serious matters with inappropriate humor. However, the author is not mocking the difficult life of peasants; rather, they are acknowledging it and suggesting it as a reason why many people turned to piracy. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

So, the correct option is (C): ironic, about the reasons why so many took to piracy in medieval times.

Answer 2

The inference drawn from the statement “A more eclectic history might have included the conquistadors, Vasco da Gama and the East India Company. But Lehr sticks to the disorganised small fry . . .” suggests that the author views colonialism as an organised form of piracy. 

This perspective is supported by the implicit comparison made between historical empire builders and pirates. The reference to St. Augustine’s anecdote about the emperor and pirate underlines the similarity in their means of acquiring power — through domination and force.

The phrase “disorganised small fry” contrasts with the mention of organised colonial powers like the conquistadors, Vasco da Gama, and the East India Company, who operated on a much larger, systematic scale.

Therefore, by comparing these historical figures to pirates, the author subtly implies that colonial expansion was essentially large-scale, institutionalised piracy.

Inference:

Colonialism should be considered an organised form of piracy.

Answer 3

The passage outlines the problem of piracy and discusses various potential solutions. It emphasizes that the main motives behind piracy are "need and greed," and these are rooted in poverty and economic disparity. The passage indicates that globalization has exacerbated these issues, rather than alleviating them, by increasing opportunities for piracy while many regions remain impoverished.

Dr. Peter Lehr suggests that in areas not benefiting from globalization, the root causes of piracy remain similar to historical times. Modern solutions like warships and technology are portrayed as temporary or inadequate. Instead, the passage points out that addressing socioeconomic issues might offer a more sustainable solution, as hinted at by the successful reduction of Malaysian piracy in the 1970s through investments in local welfare.

Therefore, the author advocates for tackling the socio-economic roots of piracy. This aligns most closely with option "if we eliminate poverty and income disparities in affected regions." This solution addresses the fundamental cause of piracy, suggesting that socio-economic improvements can remove the incentives for piracy over the long term.

Answer 4

The passage discusses the rise in piracy and attributes it to several factors. Among the factors mentioned are:

• Colonialism’s disruption of historic ties among countries: The passage indicates that European colonialism weakened delicate balances of power, which contributed to piracy as opportunists came forth on the high seas.
• The high rewards via ransoms for successful piracy attempts: The passage refers to the lucrative rewards pirates receive, for instance, with the ransom of the French yacht Le Gonant, demonstrating how high returns encourage piracy.
• The growth in international shipping with globalisation: The passage notes that increased globalisation has led to a rise in global shipping, providing more opportunities for piracy due to rich pickings.

However, the factor that is NOT mentioned in the passage as contributing to the rise in piracy is:

• Decreased surveillance of the high seas: While the passage mentions insufficient warships to patrol the waters and the temporary nature of such measures, it does not highlight decreased surveillance as a cause of increased piracy.

Therefore, the correct answer is: decreased surveillance of the high seas.