Direction: Read a passage 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. The third great defect of our civilization is that it does not know what to do with its knowledge. Science has given us powers fit for the gods, yet we use them as small children. For example, we do not know how to manage our machines. Machines were made to be humanity's servants, yet man has grown so dependent on them that they are in a fair way to become his masters. Already most people spend most of their lives looking after and waiting upon machines. And the machines are very stern masters. They must be kept at the right temperature. And if they do not get their meals when they expect them, they grow sulky and refuse to work or burst with rage and blow up and spread ruin and destruction all around. So we have to wait upon them very attentively and do all that we can to keep them in a good temper. Already we find it difficult either to work or play without the machines, and a time may come when they will rule us altogether, just as we rule the animals. And this brings me to the point at which I asked, "What do we do with all the time which the machines have saved for us, and the new energy they have given us?" On the whole, it must be admitted, we do very little. For the most part, we use our time and energy to make more and better machines which will give us still more time and still more energy, and what are we to do with them? The answer, I think, is that we should try to become more civilized. For the machines themselves, and the power which the machines have given us, are not civilization but aids to civilization. But you will remember that we agreed at the beginning that being civilized meant making and linking beautiful things, thinking freely and living rightly and maintaining justice equally among people. A person has a better chance today to do these things than he/she ever had before; he/she has more time, more energy, less to fear and less to fight against. If he/she will give his/her time and energy which his/her machines have won for him/her to make more beautiful things, to find out more and more about the universe, to remove the cause of quarrels between nations, to discover how to prevent poverty, then I think our civilization would undoubtedly be the greater as it would be more lasting than it has ever been.
According to the passage, which one of the following descriptions about machines is true?
Analyzing the Passage on Machines and Civilization
The passage discusses the author's perspective on the relationship between humanity and machines, arguing that despite giving us great power and saving time and energy, our civilization struggles to use this knowledge effectively. A central theme is the growing dependence on machines and their increasing control over human life.
The author highlights that machines, originally intended as servants, are in danger of becoming masters due to human reliance. The passage explicitly states that most people spend significant time "looking after and waiting upon machines" and describes machines as "very stern masters."
Let's analyze each option based on the contents of the passage:
| Option | Analysis based on Passage | True/False |
|---|---|---|
| 1. They already rule us like we rule animals. | The passage states a time may come when they will rule us altogether, just as we rule the animals. It does not say this is already happening. | False |
| 2. They wait upon us attentively. | The passage says that we have to wait upon them very attentively to keep them in a good temper. The opposite is stated. | False |
| 3. They are inexorable masters. | The passage calls them "very stern masters" who demand specific conditions (temperature, meals) and react negatively (sulky, refuse to work, blow up) if not met. "Inexorable" means relentless or unyielding, which aligns with the description of stern and demanding masters that require constant attention and punish neglect. | True |
| 4. They have made man more civilized. | The passage explicitly states that machines "are not civilization but aids to civilization." It suggests we *should* use the time/energy saved by machines to become more civilized, but they haven't inherently made us so. | False |
Based on the detailed analysis of each option against the passage content, only the description that machines are like stern or inexorable masters is supported by the author's statements.
Revision Table: Key Concepts
| Concept | Passage's View | Related Term in Options |
|---|---|---|
| Machines' Role | Should be servants, but becoming masters. | Masters |
| Human-Machine Interaction | Humans spend time looking after machines; humans wait upon machines attentively. | Wait upon us attentively |
| Nature of Machine Control | Stern, demanding, require specific care, react negatively if neglected. | Inexorable masters |
| Machines and Civilization | Aids to civilization, not civilization itself. | Made man more civilized |
Additional Information: Understanding Passage Analysis
When answering questions based on a passage, it is crucial to rely only on the information and opinions presented by the author within that specific text. Do not bring in outside knowledge or make assumptions not supported by the passage.
- Identify the Author's Main Argument: What is the primary point the author is trying to make about the topic?
- Locate Specific Details: For factual questions, find the exact sentences or phrases in the passage that support or contradict each option.
- Understand Vocabulary in Context: Pay attention to how words like "stern masters" or "aids to civilization" are used within the passage to convey meaning. The term "inexorable masters" in the options is a synonym or close descriptor fitting the author's portrayal of "very stern masters."
- Analyze Conditional Statements: Note phrases like "a time may come," which indicate possibility rather than present fact.
By carefully dissecting the passage and evaluating each option against its content, you can accurately determine which statement is true according to the author's perspective.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
