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.
Primary Purpose of a Walking Tour: Passage Analysis
This question asks us to identify the main reason for undertaking a walking tour, strictly based on the provided passage and the author's perspective. We need to carefully examine the text to understand what the author considers the most important aspect of this activity.
Analyzing the Passage's Viewpoint
The author makes a clear distinction between the superficial aspects of a walking tour and its deeper purpose. Let's break down what the passage says:
- Landscape is Secondary: The passage explicitly states, "But landscape on a walking tour is quite an accessory." This means seeing the scenery is not the main goal. It also mentions that other ways of seeing the country, like from a "railway train," can be just as good, reinforcing that the visual aspect isn't unique or primary to walking tours.
- Rejection of "Quest of the Picturesque": The author states, "He who is indeed of the brotherhood does not voyage in quest of the picturesque..." This directly rules out seeking out scenic beauty as the core objective.
- Emphasis on Internal Feelings: The passage highlights what the walker *is* seeking: "...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." It speaks of "delight" in simple actions like putting on a knapsack and how "pleasure leads on to pleasure in an endless chain." The ultimate state described is a "peace that passes comprehension."
- Focus on Enjoyment and Experience: The author describes the walker wanting to "vegetate like the country," surrender to the "fine intoxication that comes of much motion in the open air," and achieve a meditative state. All these point towards a rich, enjoyable internal experience.
Evaluating the Options
Now, let's assess the given options against the analysis of the passage:
Option 1: Seeing the landscape
This is incorrect. The passage explicitly states that landscape is "quite an accessory" and not the primary focus.
Option 2: Quest of the picturesque
This is also incorrect. The author directly says that those who are part of the "brotherhood" of walking tours do not "voyage in quest of the picturesque."
Option 3: Longing for pleasure
This option aligns perfectly with the passage's emphasis on "jolly humours," "hope and spirit," "delight," the "endless chain" of "pleasure," and the ultimate "peace and spiritual repletion." The entire experience is geared towards cultivating positive internal states and enjoyment.
Option 4: Desire for education
The passage does not mention education at all as a purpose for a walking tour. Therefore, this option is irrelevant to the text.
Final Conclusion
Based on the author's detailed description focusing on "jolly humours," "hope and spirit," "delight," and the continuous flow of "pleasure," the primary purpose of a walking tour, according to this passage, is the pursuit and experience of these positive internal states. Thus, "Longing for pleasure" is the most fitting answer.
Similar Questions
- According to the passage, what can adversely affect the walking tour ?
'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, 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 ____________
