Comprehension
Read the passage below and answer the 3 associated questions:
Once,during a concert of cathedral organ music,as I sat getting gooseflesh amid that tsunami of sound,I was struck with a thought:for a medieval peasant,this must have been the loudest human-made sound they ever experienced,awe-inspiring in now-unimaginable ways.No wonder they signed up for the religion being proffered.And now we are constantly pummeled with sounds that dwarf quaint organs.Once, hunter-gatherers might chance upon honey from a beehive and thus briefly satisfy a hardwired food craving.And now we have hundreds of carefully designed commercial foods that supply a burst of sensation unmatched by some lowly natural food.Once, we had lives that,amid considerable privation,also offered numerous subtle,hard-won pleasures.And now we have drugs that cause spasms of pleasure and dopamine release a thousandfold higher than anything stimulated in our old drug-free world.An emptiness comes from this combination of over-the-top nonnatural sources of reward and the inevitability of habituation;this is because unnaturally strong explosions of synthetic experience and sensation and pleasure evoke unnaturally strong degrees of habituation.This has two consequences.First,soon we barely notice the fleeting whispers of pleasure caused by leaves in autumn,or by the lingering glance of the right person,or by the promise of reward following a difficult,worthy task.And the other consequence is that we eventually habituate to even those artificial deluges of intensity.If we were designed by engineers,as we consumed more, we’d desire less.But our frequent human tragedy is that the more we consume,the hungrier we get.More and faster and stronger.What was an unexpected pleasure yesterday is what we feel entitled to today,and what won’t be enough tomorrow.
Question: 1

Which of the following options BEST reflects the author’s understanding of human perception of pleasure?

Updated On: Aug 25, 2025
  • Pleasure comes from whatever we are exposed to for the first time
  • Pleasure comes from what we are deprived of
  • Pleasure comes from what appears to be a valuable discovery or invention
  • Pleasure comes from what is perceived to be extraordinary
  • Pleasure comes from what we are accustomed to
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

To determine which option BEST reflects the author's understanding of human perception of pleasure from the passage, we need to analyze the core idea communicated by the author. The essay describes the evolution of human experiences with pleasure, contrasting past subtle experiences with today's overwhelming stimuli.
The author argues that:
  • Past Experiences: Pleasure was derived from natural and subtle experiences, such as the sound of a cathedral organ, rare foods like honey, or everyday occurrences like the changing leaves.
  • Present Day: Contemporary pleasure sources are overpowering, leading to a cycle of craving and habituation. Due to this exposure to more intense and frequent stimuli, people become desensitized to the simple, once-exceptionally pleasurable experiences.
Main Idea: The author suggests that pleasure originates from extraordinary experiences compared to the norm. Today, the consistency and intensity of artificial stimuli blur the distinction of what is extraordinary, skewing perception and expectation of pleasure. Therefore, pleasure is tied to how extraordinary or uncommon an experience is perceived, instead of just being a norm or routine classic pleasure.
Conclusion: The option "Pleasure comes from what is perceived to be extraordinary" aligns with the author's view in the passage. It captures the shift from rare, hard-earned pleasure to today's easily accessible, yet less satisfying, experiences that distort our understanding of true pleasure.
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Question: 2

Going by the author, which of the following options BEST answers the question“how can one sustain the pleasure derived from any experience?"

Updated On: Aug 25, 2025
  • Training to appreciate sweet whispers and fleeting moments of joy to sustain pleasure
  • Periodic displeasure with synthetic experiences leads to sustaining pleasure
  • The harder to replicate, the more sustainable the pleasure from that experience
  • The closer the experience is to nature,the more sustainable it is
  • Awareness of a habituation moment helps sustain pleasure
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The correct answer to the question "how can one sustain the pleasure derived from any experience?" is a reflection on the passage's theme of sustainability in pleasures. According to the author, the answer is: "The harder to replicate, the more sustainable the pleasure from that experience."
The passage discusses how modern artificial experiences lead to bursts of intense pleasure that quickly result in habituation, causing a cycle where more intense experiences are constantly sought. In contrast, experiences that are difficult to replicate maintain their value and thus offer more sustainable pleasure. The idea aligns with the notion that unique or rare experiences continue to offer enjoyment over time, unlike artificial and frequent pleasures that quickly diminish in their ability to satisfy.
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Question: 3

Which of the following options BEST describes“emptiness”as described in the passage?

Updated On: Aug 25, 2025
  • A feeling,evoked by the carefully designed commercial foods,alluring us to them
  • A feeling of absence of sources of pleasure when extant sources are in abundance
  • Yearning for newer sources of pleasure when extant sources are in abundance
  • A feeling of weariness around extant sources of pleasure that are in abundance
  • The inevitability of habituation that one gets from repeated consumption of man-made foods or drugs
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The passage describes a concept of "emptiness" that stems from the over-consumption of artificially intensified pleasures and the inevitable habituation that follows. The author explains that in our modern world, we are often overwhelmed by synthetic experiences that are far more intense compared to natural experiences from the past. This intensity creates an imbalance where the simple, natural pleasures are no longer appreciated as they once were. Consequently, this leads to a sense of emptiness: a feeling of absence of sources of pleasure even when there is an abundance of extant sources. This emptiness is attributed to the human tendency to become accustomed to these artificial pleasures quickly, causing a never-ending desire for more intense stimuli.
The BEST option that matches this description from the passage is: A feeling of absence of sources of pleasure when extant sources are in abundance.
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