Question

To a greater or lesser degree all the civilized countries of the world are made up of a small class of rulers ______ of a large class of subjects ______ .

• A. formed by a small minority ... who are uncivilized
• B. powerfully corrupt ... pointless crusaders
• C. corrupted by too much power ... corrupted by too much passive obedience
• D. who are ruled ... who ruled

Hint:

When discussing power structures, "corrupted by too much power" and "passive obedience" describe the imbalance between the rulers and the subjects effectively.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The sentence discusses the relationship between rulers and subjects. The phrase "corrupted by too much power" fits well for the rulers, and "corrupted by too much passive obedience" fits the subjects, as it suggests that they lack active participation and are subdued by the excessive control of the rulers. Option (A), formed by a small minority ... who are uncivilized, is incorrect because it makes an unfair characterization of the subjects, implying they are uncivilized, which is irrelevant to the idea of power imbalance. Option (B), powerfully corrupt ... pointless crusaders, introduces terms that don’t match the context of the power dynamic between rulers and subjects, and "crusaders" doesn’t fit. Option (D), who are ruled ... who ruled, is a weak choice because it repeats the same idea without adding any depth or explaining the nature of the relationship between rulers and subjects. Thus, option (C) is the best choice.