Read the passage carefully and answer the items based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and the opinion of the author only. It must not be imagined that a walking tour, as some would have us fancy, is merely a better or worse way of seeing the country. There are many ways of seeing landscape quite as good; and none more vivid, in spite of canting dilettantes, than from a railway train. But landscape on a walking tour is quite an accessory. He who is indeed of the brotherhood does not voyage in quest of the picturesque, but of certain jolly humours — of the hope and spirit with which the march begins at morning, and the peace and spiritual repletion of the evening's rest. He cannot tell whether he puts his knapsack on, or takes it off, with more delight. The excitement of the departure puts him in key for that of the arrival. Whatever he does is not only a reward in itself, but will be further rewarded in the sequel; and so pleasure leads on to pleasure in an endless chain. It is this that so few can understand; they will either be always lounging or always at five miles an hour; they do not play off the one against the other, prepare all day for the evening, and all evening for the next day. Now, to be properly enjoyed, a walking tour should be gone upon alone. If you go in a company, or even in pairs, it is no longer a walking tour in anything but name; it is something else and more in the nature of a picnic. A walking tour should be gone upon alone, because freedom is of the essence; because you should be able to stop and go on, and follow this way or that, as the freak takes you; and because you must have your own pace, and neither trot alongside a champion walker, nor mince in time with a girl. And then you must be open to all impressions and let your thoughts take colour from what you see. You should be as a pipe for any wind to play upon. "I cannot see the wit," says Hazlitt, "of walking and talking at the same time. When I am in the country I wish to vegetate like the country" — which is the gist of all that can be said upon the matter. There should be no cackle of voices at your elbow, to jar on the meditative silence of the morning. And so long as a man is reasoning he cannot surrender himself to that fine intoxication that comes of much motion in the open air, that begins in a sort of dazzle and sluggishness of the brain, and ends in a peace that passes comprehension.
Walking Tour: Adversely Affecting Factors
This question asks us to identify what, according to the provided passage, can negatively impact the experience of a walking tour. We need to carefully read the passage and determine which option best fits the author's description of elements that detract from a true walking tour.
Passage Interpretation of a Walking Tour
The author describes a walking tour not just as a way to see the country, but as an experience focused on internal feelings and states of being. Key aspects highlighted include:
- Seeking "jolly humours," the "hope and spirit" of starting the day, and the "peace and spiritual repletion" of resting in the evening.
- The joy found in both the beginning of the journey and its end, creating an "endless chain" of pleasure.
- Emphasis on the importance of going on a walking tour alone to ensure "freedom."
- Being able to stop, change direction, and set one's own pace without being dictated by companions.
- The need to be "open to all impressions" and let thoughts be shaped by the surroundings, like a "pipe for any wind to play upon."
- The value of "meditative silence of the morning" and the hindrance of "cackle of voices at your elbow."
- The idea that active "reasoning" prevents full surrender to the experience derived from motion and fresh air.
The author explicitly states that if one goes "in a company, or even in pairs, it is no longer a walking tour in anything but name; it is something else and more in the nature of a picnic."
Evaluating Options for Adverse Effects
Let's examine each option in light of the passage's content:
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Option 1: Walking and talking at the same time
The passage directly addresses this. It quotes Hazlitt saying, "I cannot see the wit... of walking and talking at the same time." The author supports this by noting the importance of "meditative silence" and how "cackle of voices" can jar it. Furthermore, the passage suggests that "so long as a man is reasoning he cannot surrender himself to that fine intoxication that comes of much motion in the open air." Walking and talking often involves conscious reasoning and conversation, which the author implies hinders the immersive and peaceful experience central to a walking tour.
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Option 2: Walking to rise above the everyday worries of life
The passage mentions achieving "peace and spiritual repletion" and a "peace that passes comprehension." These outcomes suggest that a walking tour *can* help one rise above worries. However, the passage presents this as a positive benefit or goal of the tour, not something that adversely affects it.
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Option 3: Walking to experience the beauty of the surroundings
The passage acknowledges that seeing the country is part of it, stating "landscape on a walking tour is quite an accessory." It also notes that there are "many ways of seeing landscape quite as good." While experiencing beauty is involved, the author emphasizes that the primary purpose is the internal journey and experience, not merely sightseeing. Focusing solely on landscape is not presented as detrimental, but rather as secondary to the main focus on the walker's inner state.
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Option 4: Walking to meditate in silence
The passage strongly advocates for silence, stating, "There should be no cackle of voices at your elbow, to jar on the meditative silence of the morning." Meditating in silence is presented as a crucial and positive element that enhances the walking tour experience, not something that adversely affects it.
Based on the passage's emphasis on solitude, freedom, and quiet contemplation, and its explicit mention of conversation disrupting the experience, "walking and talking at the same time" is identified as an adverse factor.
Similar Questions
'The many genres of academic and popular history run the full gamut from logically systematic to impressionistic' means:
- What, according to the author, makes historians come to conflicting conclusions?
1. They are influenced by their philosophical beliefs in asking questions on the same data.
2. They apply different interpretations on the same data.
3. They go for the primary data and evidence.
4. They are influenced by the current political developments.
Select the correct answer using the code given below: - Which word(s) from the passage can be substituted for the assertion that "all events and human actions are ultimately shaped by causes external to the will" ?
- Which one of the following relates to the post-modernist approach to History?
- According to the passage, what is the primary purpose of a walking tour?
- According to the passage, a walking tour should be gone upon alone because :
- According to the passage, how should a walking tour conclude ?
- What is the meaning of the word "dilettantes" in the passage?
- Which of the following does not amount to historical analysis?
S1. The beauty of India’s democracy rests in the greatness of its Constitution.
S2. The Constitution of India upholds the collective values of the country’s civilizational ethos.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
What is the meaning of ‘intrigued’?
What are ice shelves?
What are icebergs?
When the iceberg turns upside down, it appears ________.
The use of science in its simple form has helped man to ____________
