Directions: In this section you have a few short passages. After each passage, you will find some items based on the passage. First, 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 opinion of the author only. Not all agricultural societies become civilizations, but no civilization can become one without passing through the stage of agriculture. This is because at some stage in the development of agriculture, as productivity improves, not all people would need to be engaged in producing or procuring food. A significant number of people could be freed up to pursue other activities such as building walls or monuments for new cities; making new tools, weapons and jewellery, organizing long-distance trade; creating new artistic masterpieces; coming up with new inventions; keeping accounts; and perhaps constructing new public infrastructure such as irrigation canals that further improve the productivity of agriculture, thus realizing even more people to do new things. This can happen, of course, only if a society that has transitioned to high-productivity agriculture has also, at some stage in its evolution, found a way to channel the bonanza of free time into other work fruitfully. In the ancient world, this often involved creating new ideologies and new hierarchies or power structures to coerce or otherwise convince large groups of people to devote their time to the new tasks for very little reward.
People as groups were convinced to do new work through
ideologies, hierarchies and power structures.
Understanding the Passage: Agriculture and the Rise of Civilization
The passage discusses the critical role of agriculture in the development of civilizations. It explains that while not all agricultural societies become civilizations, agriculture is a necessary stage. As agricultural productivity improves, fewer people are needed for farming, freeing up a significant portion of the population to engage in other activities.
These new activities include building, making tools, organizing trade, creating art, inventing, keeping records, and constructing infrastructure like irrigation canals. The passage highlights that channeling this newfound 'free time' fruitfully is essential for civilization.
Analyzing How Groups Were Convinced for New Work
The question asks specifically how people as groups were convinced to do new work, according to the passage's description of the ancient world. Let's examine the options provided based on the text.
Evaluating the Options
We need to find the option that accurately reflects the method described in the passage for convincing large groups of people to perform new tasks.
- Option 1: reward, force and community persuasions.
The passage mentions "coerce or otherwise convince" which suggests force, but it doesn't explicitly mention "reward" as the primary mechanism for large groups, especially for "very little reward" as stated later. "Community persuasions" is not mentioned.
- Option 2: ideologies, hierarchies and power structures.
The passage states: "...this often involved creating new ideologies and new hierarchies or power structures to coerce or otherwise convince large groups of people to devote their time to the new tasks..." This directly matches the terms used in this option.
- Option 3: excessive agricultural products.
Excessive agricultural products (surplus) are the *cause* of people being freed up, not the method used to *convince* them to do new work.
- Option 4: very high rewards.
The passage explicitly states that people were convinced "for very little reward", contradicting the idea of "very high rewards".
Identifying the Correct Method
Based on the direct statement in the passage, the methods used to convince large groups of people to do new work in the ancient world were primarily through the creation and implementation of new ideologies, hierarchies, and power structures.
The passage text supporting this is:
| Key Phrase from Passage | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "creating new ideologies" | Developing belief systems or ways of thinking that justify the new tasks or the social order. |
| "new hierarchies or power structures" | Establishing social rankings, authorities, and systems of control that could direct or compel labor. |
| "coerce or otherwise convince large groups" | Using force, pressure, or other forms of persuasion facilitated by the ideologies and structures. |
Therefore, Option 2 aligns perfectly with the passage's explanation.
Conclusion
The passage explains that the transition to civilization, enabled by agricultural surplus freeing up labor, required mechanisms to organize this labor for new tasks. In the ancient world, this was often achieved by establishing new ideologies, hierarchies, and power structures to convince or coerce people into performing these tasks, often for minimal reward.
The final answer is Option 2.
Revision Table: Key Concepts
| Concept | Explanation from Passage | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture's Role | Necessary stage for civilization; improved productivity frees labor. | Foundation for subsequent developments. |
| Agricultural Surplus | Allows people to pursue non-farming activities. | Prerequisite for specialization and new tasks. |
| Convincing People for New Work | Through ideologies, hierarchies, and power structures (coercion/convincing) for little reward. | Mechanism for organizing labor for large-scale projects and specialization in ancient societies. |
Additional Information: Social Organization in Early Civilizations
The passage touches upon a fundamental aspect of the development of early civilizations: the need for social organization to manage resources and labor freed up by efficient agriculture. This organization often involved the emergence of complex social structures beyond simple kinship groups.
- Ideologies: These could include religious beliefs, myths, or shared values that instilled a sense of common purpose or obligation, making people willing to work for collective goals (like building monuments or defenses) or accept their place in the social order.
- Hierarchies: The development of social stratification, with rulers, priests, administrators, and different classes or castes, created a structure through which commands could be issued and labor directed.
- Power Structures: These refer to the institutions and systems of authority (governments, religious bodies, military) that had the power to mobilize, organize, and control the population, using various means including coercion and rewards (though the passage notes rewards were often small for the laborers themselves).
These elements worked together to channel the productivity gains from agriculture into building complex societies with specialized roles and large-scale collective projects, which are hallmarks of civilization.
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'?
