Question

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
To defend the sequence of alphabetisation may seem bizarre, so obvious is its application that it is hard to imagine a reference,catalogue or listing without it. But alphabetical order was not an immediate consequence of the alphabet itself. In the Middle Ages,deference for ecclesiastical tradition left scholars reluctant to categorise things according to the alphabet-to do so would be a rejection of the divine order. The rediscovery of the ancient Greek and Roman classics necessitated more efficient ways of ordering, searching and referencing texts. Government bureaucracy in the 16th and 17th centuries quickened the advance of alphabetical order,bringing with it pigeonholes,notebooks and card indexes.

• A. The alphabetic order took several centuries to gain common currency because of religious beliefs and a lack of appreciation of its efficacy in the ordering of things.
• B. Unlike the alphabet, once the efficacy of the alphabetic sequence became apparent to scholars and administrators, its use became widespread.
• C. The ban on the use by scholars of any form of categorisation - but the divinely ordained one - delayed the adoption of the alphabetic sequence by several centuries.
• D. While adoption of the written alphabet was easily accomplished, it took scholars several centuries to accept the alphabetic sequence as a useful tool in their work.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The given passage discusses the historical evolution of the alphabetic order as a tool for organizing information. It highlights that, despite the obvious utility of alphabetization today, its adoption was not immediate due to religious and traditional objections. Initially, scholars refrained from using alphabetic order because it was seen as contrary to divine organization. 
The passage explains that it wasn't until the rediscovery of ancient texts during the Renaissance and the demands of government administration in the 16th and 17th centuries that the alphabetic order became more prevalent and appreciated.
The correct answer is: The alphabetic order took several centuries to gain common currency because of religious beliefs and a lack of appreciation of its efficacy in the ordering of things. This option captures the essence of the passage by addressing the reluctance due to religious beliefs and the eventual realization of the alphabetic order's utility in organizing information efficiently.