Read the following passage and answer the questions given below. More and more people are feeling tired and lonely at work. In analyzing the General Social Survey of 2016, we found that, compared with roughly 20 years ago, people are twice as likely to report that they are always exhausted. Close to 50% of people say they are often or always exhausted due to work. This is a shockingly high statistic — and it’s a 32% increase from two decades ago. What’s more, there is a significant correlation between feeling lonely and work exhaustion : The more people are exhausted, the lonelier they feel. This loneliness is not a result of social isolation , as you might think, but rather is due to the emotional exhaustion of workplace burnout. In researching the book The Happiness Track, we found that 50% of people — across professions, from the nonprofit sector to the medical field — are burned out. This isn’t just a problem for busy, overworked executives (though the high rates of loneliness and burnout among this group are well known). Our work suggests that the problem is pervasive across professions and up and down corporate hierarchies. Loneliness, whether it results from social isolation or exhaustion, has serious consequences for individuals. John Cacioppo, a leading expert on loneliness and coauthor of Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, emphasizes its tremendous impact on psychological and physical health and longevity. Research by Sarah Pressman, of the University of California, Irvine, corroborates his work and demonstrates that while obesity reduces longevity by 20%, drinking by 30%, and smoking by 50%, loneliness reduces it by a whopping 70%. In fact, one study suggests that loneliness increases your chance of stroke or coronary heart disease — the leading cause of death in developed countries — by 30%. On the other hand, feelings of social connection can strengthen our immune system, lengthen our life, and lower rates of anxiety and depression.
Given below is a word which is also given in bold in the passage. From the following options choose the one which is opposite in meaning to the word. Exhaustion
Rejuvenation
Exhaustion: Understanding the Core Concept
The question asks us to identify the word that is opposite in meaning to "Exhaustion" as it is used in the provided passage. To answer this, we first need to understand what "Exhaustion" signifies in the context of the passage.
- The passage highlights a concerning trend: "More and more people are feeling tired and lonely at work. In analyzing the General Social Survey of 2016, we found that, compared with roughly 20 years ago, people are twice as likely to report that they are always exhausted."
- It further elaborates, "Close to 50% of people say they are often or always exhausted due to work."
- These statements clearly indicate that "Exhaustion" refers to a state of extreme tiredness, profound fatigue, or being completely drained of energy, often as a result of work-related stress or burnout. It describes a severe lack of physical and mental vitality.
Antonym Analysis: Exploring the Options
Now, let's carefully examine each of the given options to determine which one represents the true opposite of being extremely tired or depleted of energy.
| Option | Meaning | Relationship to Exhaustion |
|---|---|---|
| Rejuvenation | This term describes the act or process of making someone or something look or feel younger, fresher, or more energetic. It implies a restoration to a more vigorous, lively, or youthful state. | This is the direct and most fitting opposite of exhaustion. When someone undergoes rejuvenation, they are revitalized, refreshed, and feel a renewed sense of energy, which stands in stark contrast to being tired or drained. |
| Acceleration | This refers to the rate at which the velocity of an object changes over time. More generally, it can mean an increase in the rate or speed of something. | This term is related to speed or changes in speed and bears no direct relation to a state of being tired or energetic. Therefore, it cannot be the opposite of exhaustion. |
| Attenuation | This refers to the reduction of the force, effect, or value of something. For instance, it can describe the weakening of a signal or a decrease in intensity. | While it implies a reduction, it does not describe the opposite of extreme tiredness in the context of human energy levels. It is unrelated to vitality or fatigue. |
| Imagination | This refers to the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. | This term denotes a mental faculty associated with creativity and thought. It has no connection to physical or mental energy states, making it irrelevant as an opposite to exhaustion. |
| Exclamation | This is a sudden cry or remark, typically one expressing strong emotion like surprise, anger, or pain. | This term describes an utterance or a type of speech. It is entirely unrelated to a state of energy or fatigue and thus cannot be the opposite of exhaustion. |
Rejuvenation: The Clear Opposite
Based on our comprehensive analysis of the options, Rejuvenation is the only word that precisely describes the process of regaining energy, becoming fresh, or restoring vitality. This is the exact antithesis of Exhaustion, which denotes a state of being utterly depleted of energy and vigor.
The passage emphasizes the detrimental effects of work-related exhaustion and loneliness on well-being. The counterpoint to this negative state is a positive one of being refreshed, energized, and revitalized, which is perfectly encapsulated by the term rejuvenation.
Hence, the word that is opposite in meaning to "Exhaustion" is Rejuvenation.
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'?
