Comprehension
Read the passage and answer the next five question by choosing the correct option:
Dealing with teenage offspring can be exasperating, because they come up with the darndest questions: "Why should I be good when being bad appears to be more beneficial"?
One must then attempt to untangle deep issues of history, philosophy and evolutionary biology, in order to answer that question convincingly and correctly. In today's world of power-crazy the billionaires and an over-supply of despots, can one even fault the youngster for asking?
Thankfully, science has shown, over and over, that in the long run, it is more beneficial for the individual to be good. One such batch of studies comes to us from Daher Keltner, a professor of psychology at university of California, Berkeley, and founder-director of the Greater Good Science Center, founded in 2001. For decades, he and his team of researcher's have been studying are origins and evolution of good in human beings. In one such project, they studied the brains of people who engaged in acts of altruism, and discovered that such acts activate the same circuits that respond to receiving a gift. Evidence collected over years also has it that people who engage in acts of altruism live longer.
Keltner distils some of these findings in his book, Born to be Good (2009), which I am hoping my young ones can take time away from their Reels in order to read.
The whys are not all clear yet. But other contemporary studies support the Center's findings. Humans do good because it makes them feel good.
Where does the desire to do good come from? It is an evolved trait. Altruism is the willingness to do something that confers an advantage on others, even if the outcome may result in a disadvantage for oneself.
There is a school of thought that argues that all altruism is really self-interest in disguise. The writer and philosopher Ayn Rand believed that any behaviour that benefits others is ultimately motivated by a desire for personal gain, whether material, emotional or psychological. The evolutionary biologistiour was ultimately motivated by the desire to pass on one's genes. Since this meant that humans had to (and have to) sometimes simulate altruism, that is what we learnt to do.
These arguments fail to explain genuine altruism. Why do whistle-blowers expose corruption at great personal cost? Or protesters fight for a cause when it can, and often does. cost them years or more behind bars?
Perhaps one of the most compelling arguments against Rand and Dawkins emerges from the pages of Matt Ridley's the Origins of Virtue (1996). While Ridley concedes that self- interest is a strong motivator, he belives that individuals figured out early on that it felt better to cooperate, and yielded better results for the group. And so it is that we evolved to be kind, empathetic, even selfless.
How do we know that this was an 3evolution? Because many anthropologists date civilization not to the first settlements or agriculture or art, but to the first healed femur. At some point, prehistoric humans decided they would no longer leave the seriously wounded behind. They would find the time and resources to care for them, even though there was no material benefit involved. In Ridley calls this "reciprocal altruism".
In this form of cooperation, individuals help each other with the expectation that the favour will be returned, if needed. From that idea, we can trace the evolution of ideas of community, and wider social progress. It is the foundation on which cultures and even economic frameworks continue to be built.
For the young ones who believe "good" is the old way and doing what suits on best is the need of today. I would argue that is not adapting, it's succumbing to a series of short-term goals guaranteed to provide dwindling levels of satisfaction. It has always been tempting, and often more immediately beneficial, to be selfish. We would have been a short-lived species if we'd all sought only to please ourselves.
Dealing with teenage offspring can be exasperating, because they come up with the darndest questions: "Why should I be good when being bad appears to be more beneficial"?
One must then attempt to untangle deep issues of history, philosophy and evolutionary biology, in order to answer that question convincingly and correctly. In today's world of power-crazy the billionaires and an over-supply of despots, can one even fault the youngster for asking?
Thankfully, science has shown, over and over, that in the long run, it is more beneficial for the individual to be good. One such batch of studies comes to us from Daher Keltner, a professor of psychology at university of California, Berkeley, and founder-director of the Greater Good Science Center, founded in 2001. For decades, he and his team of researcher's have been studying are origins and evolution of good in human beings. In one such project, they studied the brains of people who engaged in acts of altruism, and discovered that such acts activate the same circuits that respond to receiving a gift. Evidence collected over years also has it that people who engage in acts of altruism live longer.
Keltner distils some of these findings in his book, Born to be Good (2009), which I am hoping my young ones can take time away from their Reels in order to read.
The whys are not all clear yet. But other contemporary studies support the Center's findings. Humans do good because it makes them feel good.
Where does the desire to do good come from? It is an evolved trait. Altruism is the willingness to do something that confers an advantage on others, even if the outcome may result in a disadvantage for oneself.
There is a school of thought that argues that all altruism is really self-interest in disguise. The writer and philosopher Ayn Rand believed that any behaviour that benefits others is ultimately motivated by a desire for personal gain, whether material, emotional or psychological. The evolutionary biologistiour was ultimately motivated by the desire to pass on one's genes. Since this meant that humans had to (and have to) sometimes simulate altruism, that is what we learnt to do.
These arguments fail to explain genuine altruism. Why do whistle-blowers expose corruption at great personal cost? Or protesters fight for a cause when it can, and often does. cost them years or more behind bars?
Perhaps one of the most compelling arguments against Rand and Dawkins emerges from the pages of Matt Ridley's the Origins of Virtue (1996). While Ridley concedes that self- interest is a strong motivator, he belives that individuals figured out early on that it felt better to cooperate, and yielded better results for the group. And so it is that we evolved to be kind, empathetic, even selfless.
How do we know that this was an 3evolution? Because many anthropologists date civilization not to the first settlements or agriculture or art, but to the first healed femur. At some point, prehistoric humans decided they would no longer leave the seriously wounded behind. They would find the time and resources to care for them, even though there was no material benefit involved. In Ridley calls this "reciprocal altruism".
In this form of cooperation, individuals help each other with the expectation that the favour will be returned, if needed. From that idea, we can trace the evolution of ideas of community, and wider social progress. It is the foundation on which cultures and even economic frameworks continue to be built.
For the young ones who believe "good" is the old way and doing what suits on best is the need of today. I would argue that is not adapting, it's succumbing to a series of short-term goals guaranteed to provide dwindling levels of satisfaction. It has always been tempting, and often more immediately beneficial, to be selfish. We would have been a short-lived species if we'd all sought only to please ourselves.
Question: 1
Human beings have made space for altruism in their lives because:
(A) It has been proven that it makes them live longer.
(B) It makes them feel good about themselves.
(C) It provides dwindling level of satisfaction.
(D) It is the need of the hour.
(E) It brings satisfaction to pass on good habits to their offsprings.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Human beings have made space for altruism in their lives because:
(A) It has been proven that it makes them live longer.
(B) It makes them feel good about themselves.
(C) It provides dwindling level of satisfaction.
(D) It is the need of the hour.
(E) It brings satisfaction to pass on good habits to their offsprings.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
(A) It has been proven that it makes them live longer.
(B) It makes them feel good about themselves.
(C) It provides dwindling level of satisfaction.
(D) It is the need of the hour.
(E) It brings satisfaction to pass on good habits to their offsprings.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Updated On: Mar 12, 2025
- (C), (D) & (E) only
- (B), (C) & (D) only
- (A), (B) & (E) only
- (A), (C) & (E) only
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The correct option is (C): (A), (B) & (E) only.
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Question: 2
Choose statement that prove that the author advocates Altruism:
Choose statement that prove that the author advocates Altruism:
Updated On: Mar 12, 2025
- Scientific studies indicate, that in the long run, it is more beneficial for the individual to be good.
- It has always been tempting and often more immediately beneficial, to the selfish.
- In this form of cooperation, individuals help each other with the expectation that the favour will be returned.
- Selfishness offers dwindling returns, and would have made us a short lived species.
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The correct option is (D): Selfishness offers dwindling returns, and would have made us a short lived species..
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Question: 3
Match the statements in List I with the appropriate defining word:List I
List II
(A) A desire to do good with the expectation of favour being returned. (I) Simulated altruism (B) A desire to do good for personal gains (II) Genuine altruism (C) A desire to do good with the hope to pass on genes. (III) Reciprocal altruism (D) A desire to do good at the cost of self harm. (IV) Selfish altruism
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Match the statements in List I with the appropriate defining word:
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
List I | List II | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (A) | A desire to do good with the expectation of favour being returned. | (I) | Simulated altruism |
| (B) | A desire to do good for personal gains | (II) | Genuine altruism |
| (C) | A desire to do good with the hope to pass on genes. | (III) | Reciprocal altruism |
| (D) | A desire to do good at the cost of self harm. | (IV) | Selfish altruism |
Updated On: Mar 12, 2025
- (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)
- (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(I)
- (A)-(II), (B)-(I). (C)-(III), (D)-(IV)
- (A)-(1), (B)-(II), (C)-(IV), (D)-(III)
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The correct option is (A): (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II).
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Question: 4
Choose statements that support the following statement:
"Human beings evolved to be kind, empathic, even selfless."
(A) Any behaviour that benefits others is ultimately motivated by a desire for personal gain.
(B) Any behaviour that stems from the expectation that the favour will be returned helped the community in their social progress.
(C) Any behaviour is ultimately motivated by the desire to pass on one's genes.
(D) Any behaviour that required to cooperate with others, yielded better results for the group.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Choose statements that support the following statement:
"Human beings evolved to be kind, empathic, even selfless."
(A) Any behaviour that benefits others is ultimately motivated by a desire for personal gain.
(B) Any behaviour that stems from the expectation that the favour will be returned helped the community in their social progress.
(C) Any behaviour is ultimately motivated by the desire to pass on one's genes.
(D) Any behaviour that required to cooperate with others, yielded better results for the group.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
"Human beings evolved to be kind, empathic, even selfless."
(A) Any behaviour that benefits others is ultimately motivated by a desire for personal gain.
(B) Any behaviour that stems from the expectation that the favour will be returned helped the community in their social progress.
(C) Any behaviour is ultimately motivated by the desire to pass on one's genes.
(D) Any behaviour that required to cooperate with others, yielded better results for the group.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Updated On: Mar 12, 2025
- (A) & (B) only
- (B) & (C) only
- (C) & (D) only
- (B) & (D) only
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The correct option is (D): (B) & (D) only.
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Top Questions on 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
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- “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
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- 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
- Read the following passage and answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate answer.
The Story of Coffee
Coffee, a beloved beverage enjoyed by millions around the globe, has a rich and captivating history that spans centuries. The story of coffee begins in the ancient highlands of Ethiopia, where, according to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi discovered the stimulating effects of coffee beans. One day, Kaldi noticed his goats frolicking with unusual energy after eating red berries from a certain tree. Curious, he tried the berries himself and experienced a newfound alertness. This discovery soon spread to monasteries, where monks used it to stay awake during long hours of prayer. From Ethiopia, coffee cultivation and consumption spread to the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Yemen, where the practice of roasting coffee beans and brewing the drink began to take shape. By the 15th century, coffee had become a popular beverage in the Islamic world, with coffee houses known as ‘qahveh khaneh’ emerging as social hubs for conversation, music, and intellectual exchange. These coffee houses became centers of culture and commerce, influencing the spread of coffee to Turkey and beyond, eventually reaching Europe. In Europe, coffee initially faced resistance from religious authorities who considered it a ‘Muslim drink’ and tried to ban it. However, its popularity persisted, and by the 17th century, coffee houses had sprung up in major European cities, becoming important gathering places for artists, writers, and thinkers. The stimulating effects of coffee were embraced during the Age of Enlightenment, where it was seen as a catalyst for intellectual discussion and innovation. The journey of coffee continued with the establishment of colonial plantations in tropical regions such as the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. These plantations fuelled the global demand for coffee, transforming it from a regional specialty to a major commodity. The industrial revolution further accelerated coffee production and consumption, leading to innovations in coffee brewing methods and the development of instant coffee. In the modern era, coffee has evolved into a deeply ingrained part of daily life for people worldwide. Its cultural significance spans from the bustling cafes of Paris to the quiet coffee farms of Colombia. Today, coffee remains not only a popular beverage but also a symbol of social interaction, productivity, and enjoyment. Whether sipped slowly over a conversation with friends or grabbed hastily on the way to work, the story of coffee continues to unfold, intertwining with the histories and cultures of countless societies across the globe.- AILET BALLB (Hons.) - 2025
- English
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- Read the following passage and answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate answer.
The intricate world of modern manufacturing is a web of precision and innovation, where even the tiniest components play a pivotal role. One such element, often overlooked but crucial, is the sub-subpart. Whether it’s a carpenter fashioning a bespoke piece of furniture or an automobile engineer designing the next generation of vehicles, the creation of sub-subparts is a fundamental process that demands meticulous craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. In the realm of woodworking, carpenters frequently work with sub-subparts like dowels, screws, and hinges. These minute components may appear insignificant, yet they determine the structural integrity and functionality of the final product. Crafting a dowel, for instance, begins with selecting the appropriate wood species, followed by precision cutting and shaping. The result is a perfectly cylindrical, sturdy sub-subpart that seamlessly joins two larger pieces of wood. The advent of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer numerical control (CNC) machines has revolutionised this process, enabling carpenters to create sub-subparts with unparalleled precision.
Similarly, in the automobile industry, sub-subparts are the unsung heroes of vehicle construction. Take, for instance, the ball bearing—a minuscule but essential component in the wheels and transmission system. Manufacturing these precision-engineered spheres involves intricate processes like forging, heat treatment, and precision machining. Modern techniques such as laser cutting and 3D printing have streamlined production, ensuring that these sub-subparts meet the demanding standards of the automotive sector. The manufacturing of sub-subparts is a testament to the convergence of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. Whether it’s a carpenter’s workshop or a high-tech automotive assembly line, the quest for perfection in sub-subpart creation remains unwavering. The attention to detail and precision required in these processes is a testament to the dedication of craftsmen and engineers alike.
To conclude, while sub-subparts may be small in size, their significance in various industries cannot be overstated. Whether it’s a carpenter working on a timeless piece of furniture or an automotive engineer striving for superior performance, the manufacturing of sub-subparts is a crucial step towards achieving excellence in craftsmanship and technology. This fusion of tradition and innovation accentuates the essence of modern manufacturing.- AILET BALLB (Hons.) - 2025
- English
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