Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows From the seeming irrelevancies of this archaeological gossip, some concrete meaning for the ambiguous term "knowledge" should yet have been emerging. It has at least been distinguished from instinctive "responses" and from what popular psychology terms "memories", as long as such remain personal and private. The knowledge embodied in the hand axes of the Old Stone Age was both useful and public. It enabled our remote precursors or ancestors to make serviceable tools such as they needed to supplement the deficiencies of their limbs and other bodily organs. And it was communicated to and transmitted by all human beings who made hand axes for thousands of generations. Thus this knowledge was preserved - but not only preserved. It was also enriched and extended. During the two or three hundred years over which hand axes were being made, archaeologists can detect improvements in their form and changes in the techniques of manufacture. More efficient tools were produced with less effort. These progressive changes reflect additions to knowledge, discoveries and inventions that were made public and incorporated in the traditional lore or knowledge used, transmitted and maintained by Old Stone Age societies. Of course, the progressive change observed in archaeologists' "hand axes" is just one case of the general technological progress from simple manual tools of stone and bone to complicated machines made of metallic alloys and other artificial substances and operated by electrical or even nuclear power. It is this technological progress that has secured for Homo sapiens the victory over all competitors in the evolutionary race for survival. But technological progress in its turn is just the result and consequence of the accumulation of knowledge. That accumulation was possible just because human knowledge is public; one member of the species can communicate to another what he has found out.
Serviceable tools were needed to supplement the deficiencies of
Bodily organs
Analyzing the Passage for Tool Requirements
The question asks what serviceable tools were needed to supplement the deficiencies of, based on the provided passage. To answer this question, we need to carefully read the relevant sentences in the text that discuss the purpose of early tools.
The passage discusses the knowledge embodied in the hand axes of the Old Stone Age. It states:
- "It enabled our remote precursors or ancestors to make serviceable tools such as they needed to supplement the deficiencies of their limbs and other bodily organs."
This sentence directly tells us what the serviceable tools were used for: to supplement the deficiencies of "their limbs and other bodily organs". This means that early humans needed tools to help them do things their bodies alone couldn't do effectively or efficiently.
Examining the Options
Let's look at the provided options and compare them to the information found in the passage:
- Bodily organs: The passage explicitly states that tools were needed to supplement the deficiencies of "their limbs and other bodily organs." This aligns directly with the text.
- Knowledge: The passage discusses how knowledge was used to create tools, but tools were not needed to supplement the deficiencies of knowledge itself. Knowledge enabled the creation and improvement of tools.
- Machines: The passage mentions that technological progress leads from simple manual tools to complicated machines. Tools are precursors to complex machines, not something needed to supplement their deficiencies in this context.
- Nuclear power: The passage mentions nuclear power as a modern energy source for operating machines, representing a very advanced stage of technological progress, far removed from the initial need for tools to supplement bodily deficiencies.
Conclusion based on Passage Analysis
Based on the direct statement in the passage, "serviceable tools such as they needed to supplement the deficiencies of their limbs and other bodily organs," the correct answer is that the tools were needed to supplement the deficiencies of bodily organs.
Revision Table: Key Concepts
| Concept | Description from Passage | Relevance to Question |
|---|---|---|
| Serviceable Tools | Tools like hand axes, useful for early humans. | The question is about the purpose of these tools. |
| Knowledge | Public, useful, transmitted, enriched, accumulated; enables tool making and progress. | Knowledge is the *basis* for creating tools, but tools supplement bodily deficiencies, not knowledge itself. |
| Bodily Organs | Limbs and other parts of the body. | The passage states tools supplement the deficiencies of these. |
| Technological Progress | From simple tools to complex machines, driven by accumulated knowledge. | Provides context for the evolution of tools but isn't what early tools supplemented deficiencies of. |
Additional Information: The Role of Tools and Knowledge in Human Evolution
The passage highlights a crucial aspect of human evolution and survival: the development and use of tools. Early tools, like hand axes, weren't just random objects; they were born out of a practical need. Humans, compared to many other animals, don't have natural weapons like sharp claws or powerful jaws, nor do they have thick fur for extreme cold or inherent biological defenses against predators. Their "bodily organs" have limitations ("deficiencies") when it comes to tasks like cutting, crushing, digging, or defense.
This is where knowledge becomes critical. The ability to observe, learn, and pass down information (public knowledge) allowed early humans to figure out how to shape materials like stone to create tools that could perform tasks their bodies couldn't. These "serviceable tools" effectively extended their physical capabilities, supplementing the deficiencies of their natural limbs and other organs. This accumulation and transmission of tool-making knowledge is presented in the passage as a key factor in Homo sapiens' success in the "evolutionary race for survival." It demonstrates how intelligence and the sharing of knowledge, manifested through technology, compensated for physical limitations.
Important Questions from Basic Sociology
What was the knowledge embodied in the hand axes of the Old Stone Age?
Archaeologists can detect in the form of hand axes and change in ________
The distinction in knowledge has emphasized through _______
Technological progress is the result of the accumulation of ________
In which year was the word Sociology first used?
