Question

The passage is mainly about :

• A. Technology, Entertainment, and Design
• B. Turning over the conventional.
• C. Gaining popular adulation.
• D. Changing presentations.
• A. The end of an era.
• B. The way things were.
• C. The brown pigment.
• D. The time bound nature of things
• A. TED is the future
• B. Theory can no longer be counted on.
• C. Philosophy is best understood through demos.
• D. TED is irreplaceable

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1 — Identify the theme of the passage:
The passage describes how new platforms such as TED talks, TEDx events, online courses, blogs, and idea festivals are reshaping the visibility of academics. These platforms provide academics with fame, applause, and attention, similar to what pop culture icons receive, thereby changing the traditional routes to recognition.

Step 2 — Contrast with the conventional system:
Earlier, academic visibility was tied to conferences like MLA talks or lecture circuits, with limited public reach. Now, the hierarchy is overturned: global platforms and social media amplify ideas in ways never possible before. John Holbo’s remark about Morris Zapp giving a TED talk instead of an MLA talk shows this sharp shift.

Step 3 — Interpretation:
Thus, the passage is not just about TED itself but about a broader phenomenon: the overturning of traditional academic hierarchies and the emergence of new routes to academic celebrity.

Step 4 — Conclusion:
The passage is mainly about turning over the conventional structures of academic visibility and recognition.

Answer: (B) : Turning over the conventional.

Answer 2

Step 1 — Recall the phrase in the passage:
The passage says the world Stanley Fish was describing (with lecture circuits but no live-tweets or global video sharing) “now seems sepia-toned.”

Step 2 — Meaning of “sepia-toned”:
Sepia is a brownish tint often used in old photographs, giving them an antique or nostalgic look. When used metaphorically, “sepia-toned” suggests something that belongs to the past — an era that is over, remembered but no longer current.

Step 3 — Interpretation in context:
Here it means the pre-digital academic world, where talks were limited to physical audiences and not globally shared, has faded into history. Compared to today’s TED-driven online fame, that era is now old-fashioned.

Step 4 — Conclusion:
The phrase “sepia-toned” implies the end of an era.

Answer: (A) : The end of an era.

Answer 3

Step 1 — Recall the main ideas:
The passage highlights TED’s important role in reshaping how academic ideas are conveyed, but it also explicitly mentions other platforms such as Aspen Ideas Festival, PopTech, online courses, and blogs. These too contribute to overturning conventional hierarchies of academic visibility.

Step 2 — What can be inferred:
- TED has become a powerful platform for academic celebrity.
- New media (blogs, MOOCs, events) have changed how ideas gain traction.
- Traditional lecture circuits now seem outdated.
- If Morris Zapp were alive, he’d likely give a TED talk instead of an MLA talk, showing TED’s prominence.

Step 3 — What cannot be inferred:
The passage never suggests that TED is irreplaceable. On the contrary, it groups TED with other platforms, showing that it is one among several shaping academic stardom. Hence, claiming TED is “irreplaceable” cannot be supported.

Step 4 — Conclusion:
The statement that cannot be inferred from the passage is “TED is irreplaceable.”

Answer: (D) : TED is irreplaceable.