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Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield. Now it is disintegrating, destroyed by a mix of hubris and internal contradictions, according to Patrick Deneen, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame. . . . Equality of opportunity has produced a new meritocratic aristocracy that has all the aloofness of the old aristocracy with none of its sense of noblesse oblige. Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd. And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery. “The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry” is now so wide that “the lie can no longer be accepted,” Mr Deneen writes. What better proof of this than the vision of 1,000 private planes whisking their occupants to Davos to discuss the question of “creating a shared future in a fragmented world”? . . .
Deneen does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing left-wing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness. But when he concludes that all this adds up to a failure of liberalism, is his argument convincing? . . . He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties. . . . liberals experimented with a range of ideas from devolving power from the centre to creating national education systems.
Mr Deneen’s fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalism’s ability to reform itself and address its internal problems. The late 19th century saw America suffering from many of the problems that are reappearing today, including the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies, the corruption of politics and the sense that society was dividing into winners and losers. But a wide variety of reformers, working within the liberal tradition, tackled these problems head on. Theodore Roosevelt took on the trusts. Progressives cleaned up government corruption. University reformers modernised academic syllabuses and built ladders of opportunity. Rather than dying, liberalism reformed itself.
Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal. He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial. The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options. But he is wrong to argue that the only way for people to liberate themselves from the contradictions of liberalism is “liberation from liberalism itself”. The best way to read “Why Liberalism Failed” is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else.
Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield. Now it is disintegrating, destroyed by a mix of hubris and internal contradictions, according to Patrick Deneen, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame. . . . Equality of opportunity has produced a new meritocratic aristocracy that has all the aloofness of the old aristocracy with none of its sense of noblesse oblige. Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd. And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery. “The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry” is now so wide that “the lie can no longer be accepted,” Mr Deneen writes. What better proof of this than the vision of 1,000 private planes whisking their occupants to Davos to discuss the question of “creating a shared future in a fragmented world”? . . .
Deneen does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing left-wing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness. But when he concludes that all this adds up to a failure of liberalism, is his argument convincing? . . . He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties. . . . liberals experimented with a range of ideas from devolving power from the centre to creating national education systems.
Mr Deneen’s fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalism’s ability to reform itself and address its internal problems. The late 19th century saw America suffering from many of the problems that are reappearing today, including the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies, the corruption of politics and the sense that society was dividing into winners and losers. But a wide variety of reformers, working within the liberal tradition, tackled these problems head on. Theodore Roosevelt took on the trusts. Progressives cleaned up government corruption. University reformers modernised academic syllabuses and built ladders of opportunity. Rather than dying, liberalism reformed itself.
Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal. He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial. The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options. But he is wrong to argue that the only way for people to liberate themselves from the contradictions of liberalism is “liberation from liberalism itself”. The best way to read “Why Liberalism Failed” is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else.
Question: 1
The author of the passage is likely to disagree with all of the following statements, EXCEPT:
The author of the passage is likely to disagree with all of the following statements, EXCEPT:
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- if we accept that liberalism is a dying ideal, we must work to find a viable substitute.
- liberalism was the dominant ideal in the past century, but it had to reform itself to remain so.
- claims about liberalism’s disintegration are exaggerated and misunderstand its core features.
- the essence of liberalism lies in greater individual self-expression and freedoms.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Given that Option B supports the author's argument in the passage—that liberalism has historically changed to meet obstacles—the author is probably in agree with the statement. Rather than blaming liberalism's success for having being a dominant goal for the previous century, the author highlights liberalism's capacity to handle internal issues and reform.
Option A: The author might take issue with this statement since it goes against the demand to reform liberalism by implying that we should accept the decline of liberalism and look for a replacement.
Option C: The author acknowledges liberalism's present problems and shortcomings while highlighting the movement's historical capacity for self-improvement. Consequently, the author may not entirely agree with the idea that assertions regarding the demise of liberalism are merely false impressions that are exaggerated.
Option D: The author believes that liberalism comprises a variety of philosophical traditions and answers to the trade-off between rights and duties, hence the author may disagree with this statement since it oversimplifies the essence of liberalism.
The correct option is (B): liberalism was the dominant ideal in the past century, but it had to reform itself to remain so.
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Question: 2
All of the following statements are evidence of the decline of liberalism today, EXCEPT:
All of the following statements are evidence of the decline of liberalism today, EXCEPT:
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- “‘The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry’ is now so wide that ‘the lie can no longer be accepted,’. . .”
- “And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery.”
- “. . . the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies . . .”
- “Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd.”
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Option B: Technology is turning more and more fields of employment into meaningless drudgery. Although this statement discusses technology negatively, it does not always show that liberalism is in decline. Rather than doing so, it draws attention to a possible drawback or criticism in light of technical progress. Technology's detrimental effects on some forms of labor could be viewed as a problem that the liberal framework needs to solve rather than as concrete proof that liberalism is in decline. This is hardly a sign of liberalism's demise, since the same problem was there while it was flourishing.
The correct option is (B):“And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery.”
The correct option is (B):“And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery.”
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Question: 3
The author of the passage faults Deneen’s conclusions for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
The author of the passage faults Deneen’s conclusions for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- its very narrow definition of liberalism limited to individual freedoms.
- its failure to note historical instances in which the process of declining liberalism has managed to reverse itself.
- its repeated harking back to premodern notions of liberty.
- its extreme pessimism about the future of liberalism today and predictions of an ultimate decline.
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The passage does not specifically point out Deneen's frequent focus on premodern conceptions of liberty as a rationale for criticizing his conclusions, hence Option C is the right response. Deneen's tendency to cling to premodern ideas is not particularly addressed in the passage, which instead criticizes him for his severe pessimism about the future of liberalism, his narrow definition of liberalism that is restricted to individual freedoms, and his concentration on the essence of liberalism.
Because Option C contradicts the grounds given in the paragraph for criticizing Deneen's conclusions, it stands out as an exception.
The correct option is (C):its repeated harking back to premodern notions of liberty.
Because Option C contradicts the grounds given in the paragraph for criticizing Deneen's conclusions, it stands out as an exception.
The correct option is (C):its repeated harking back to premodern notions of liberty.
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Question: 4
The author of the passage refers to “the Davos elite” to illustrate his views on:
The author of the passage refers to “the Davos elite” to illustrate his views on:
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- the fact that the rise in liberalism had led to a greater interest in shared futures from unlikely social classes.
- the hypocrisy of the liberal rich, who profess to subscribe to liberal values while cornering most of the wealth.
- the unlikelihood of a return to the liberalism of the past as long as the rich continue to benefit from the decline in liberal values.
- the way the debate around liberalism has been captured by the rich who have managed to insulate themselves from economic hardships.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Take note of the context in which the author discusses the "Davos elite": "As members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options, the biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomization but old-fashioned greed." Option B is the only one that mentions the Davos elite's avarice. This is the right response option.
Option A is wrong because the passage calls out the hypocrisy of the Davos elite's actions rather than implying that the advent of liberalism has increased interest in shared futures among improbable socioeconomic classes.
Option C is inaccurate because the paragraph refers to internal inconsistencies and arrogance rather than directly linking the fall in liberal values to the rich profiting.
Option D is wrong since the passage criticizes the Davos elite's activities rather than focusing on how the rich and powerful control the liberal language.
The correct option is (B):the hypocrisy of the liberal rich, who profess to subscribe to liberal values while cornering most of the wealth.
Option A is wrong because the passage calls out the hypocrisy of the Davos elite's actions rather than implying that the advent of liberalism has increased interest in shared futures among improbable socioeconomic classes.
Option C is inaccurate because the paragraph refers to internal inconsistencies and arrogance rather than directly linking the fall in liberal values to the rich profiting.
Option D is wrong since the passage criticizes the Davos elite's activities rather than focusing on how the rich and powerful control the liberal language.
The correct option is (B):the hypocrisy of the liberal rich, who profess to subscribe to liberal values while cornering most of the wealth.
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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
- Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed human life with innovations ranging from personalized recommendations to breakthroughs in healthcare and education. Despite these advances, experts warn about AI’s potential destructiveness if left unchecked. Au- tonomous systems, such as self-driving cars, could cause accidents due to unforeseen errors. Additionally, AI-powered surveillance systems pose risks to privacy and civil liberties, as governments and corporations might misuse them to monitor individuals.
One of the gravest concerns is the development of autonomous weapons, which could make life-and-death decisions without human oversight, leading to ethical dilemmas and potential large-scale harm. Furthermore, AI systems can perpetuate biases, resulting in unfair outcomes in hiring, credit allocation, and judicial decisions.
Efforts to address these concerns include the formulation of ethical guidelines, the promotion of transparency in AI systems, and the regulation of AI applications. Collab- oration between policymakers, technologists, and ethicists is crucial to ensure AI remains a force for good. However, as AI continues to evolve rapidly, striking a balance between innovation and responsibility remains an ongoing challenge.- CAT - 2024
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- As the weather changes, everyone is prone to colds and coughs. While we have all heard about the benefits of vitamin C for colds, few of us are aware of a secret solution– Zinc! Zinc is helpful as it can reduce the severity and duration of respiratory tract infections. It soothes sore throats with its anti-inflammatory properties. It plays a pivotal role in supporting various functions of the body like the immune system, wound healing and maintaining overall health. It prevents viruses from growing in the body. Zinc is also known to boost the immune system and fight infections. Notably, zinc is a vital mineral found in a variety of plant and animal foods. When consuming zinc-rich foods during a cough and cold, prioritise moderation and diversity in your diet. Include lean meats, poultry, sea food, dairy, nuts and seeds. Combine zinc-rich foods with vitamin C sources for enhanced immune support. Phytates, a substance found in unprocessed whole grains hinder the absorption of zinc, thereby making it less avail able for the body to utilise. Hence, vegetarians should follow some cooking techniques such as soaking them for 5-6 hours to reduce the phytate content and increase the bioavailability of zinc. Organic acids in fermented foods aid in higher absorption, so always include foods in your diet like buttermilk and yogurt along with some zinc-rich vegetarian sources. It is important to remember that a higher dosage of zinc supplement inhibits the absorption of other minerals. Therefore, it is always good to check with the healthcare professionals while taking supplements. Stay hydrated, choose cooking methods that preserve zinc, and be aware of factors like phytates affecting absorption.
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- Read the passage carefully and answer the question given below by selecting the correct option:
On September 30, 2001, I (Dr APJ Abdul Kalam) found myself on a journey from Ranchi to Bokaro in Jharkhand. The helicopter carrying me crashed just before landing, its engine failing with a thud upon impact. Miraculously, all on board escaped unharmed. Grateful to God, I proceeded with my scheduled programme in Bokaro, unfazed by the incident. That night, doctors suggested a tranquilliser to ease perceived shock, leading to an early and disturbed sleep, filled with contemplation.
Amidst this intense dream, I stood in a moonlit desert with five revered figures: Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Emperor Asoka, Abraham Lincoln, and Caliph Omar. Asoka’s reflection on the Kalinga war symbolised a shift from conquest to compassion, inspiring a doctrine of non-violence, Ahimsa Dharma.
In this profound dream-conversation, these figures shared wisdom on humanity’s deep divisions caused by violence. They emphasised peace, equality, and the significance of ethical values in human consciousness. Asoka, having witnessed the consequences of his victories, highlighted the futility of causing suffering and the triumph of a peaceful kingdom.
Awakening from this vivid dream, I contemplated the contrasting forces of good and destruction in the world. The challenges faced by humanity, from conflicts to natural disasters and terrorism, prompted deep reflection. Yet, despite these challenges, I held a determined belief
in finding an everlasting solution.
Motivated by this dream and a desire to contribute to the greater good, I made a significant decision. Shifting focus from my scientific career, awards, and teams, I aimed to discover India’s true essence in its children. This marked a transcendence of personal achievements, emphasising the importance of nurturing enlightened individuals and fostering the inner, higher self in the youth. My commitment was to contribute to the enduring intelligence of India through meaningful interaction with joyous, young minds.
APJ Abdul Kalam ’Ignited Minds’- CUET (UG) - 2024
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- Read the passage carefully and answer the question given below by selecting the correct option:
Five a Day
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One ’serving’ is 125 millilitres of any vegetables or fruits, or 250 millilitres of salad greens. You get the same beneficial vitamins, minerals and fibre in both, but vegetables are lower in calories and sugar, which is why the guidelines recommend higher consumption levels for them. The findings included two studies of more than 1,00,000 American men and women who were followed for up to 30 years. Those studies were then added to 24 other studies from across the globe to conduct one large meta-analysis on more than 1.8 million participants. Variety is the key, because different fruits and vegetables contain different beneficial nutrients and antioxidants. Almost all fruits and vegetables were associated with lower mortality, but there were exceptions. Fruit juices and starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, and potatoes were not associated with reduced risk of death or chronic diseases. It may be due to their higher glycaemic load.
Your five daily servings can be met from a variety of fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, whether conventional or organic. Whichever options are available, affordable, and appealing are good choices.
Studies show that freezing and canning preserves nutrients, which makes these foods even more nutrient-dense than their fresh counterparts. They are good options for people whose barriers to consuming enough servings per day include the high cost, low access, poor quality and lack of variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.- CUET (UG) - 2024
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- Read the passage and answer the question given below by selecting the correct option:
A recent study by researchers from Basel University and Munich Technical University challenges prior beliefs about the influence of different light colours on the human body’s internal clock and sleep-wake rhythm. Unlike a previous study conducted on mice, this one suggests,
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Vision involves a complex process of perceiving various light wavelengths as colours and brightness in the brain. Photoreceptors in the retina convert light into electrical impulses, transmitted to ganglion cells in the retina and to the visual cortex in the brain. Specialised ganglion cells play a significant role in the internal clock, being sensitive to short-wavelength light at around 490 nanometers, perceived as blue. When activated by short-wavelength light, these cells signal “it’s daytime” to the internal clock.
To explore the influence of light colour on the internal clock, the researchers exposed 16 healthy volunteers to blueish or yellowish light stimuli for one hour in late evening with a white light stimulus as a control condition. The light stimuli were designed to selectively activate the colour-sensitive cones in the retina, while maintaining consistent stimulation of the light-sensitive ganglion cells in all conditions. This allowed the researchers to directly check effects of light on the respective cone stimulation and, the colour of the light.
Contrary to the findings in mice, the study suggests that the colour of light, as encoded by the cones, may not significantly influence the human internal clock and sleep-wake rhythm. The current research contradicts the earlier finding that yellowish light had a stronger influence on the internal clock than blueish light. The results, published in “Nature Human Behaviour”, imply that while light intensity and exposure duration remain crucial factors, the colour of light may not play as significant a role in influencing sleep and circadian rhythms as previously believed.- CUET (UG) - 2024
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