Para Summary MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Para Summary - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is: 2) Nyctophobia is a natural developmental stage in children, stemming from the loss of visual sensory information in darkness, which their developing imagination fills with perceived threats.

Key Points

• Explanation: The passage explicitly identifies nyctophobia as a "common developmental stage." It attributes the core psychological mechanism to "darkness represents a loss of sensory information, primarily sight," which triggers an "innate survival mechanism." This void is then filled by the "developing imagination of a child" with "perceived dangers." The final sentence reinforces this by stating, "It is not the darkness itself, but the uncertainty and the lack of control associated with it, coupled with an active imagination, that primarily fuels a child's fear of the dark." Option 2 comprehensively captures all these essential elements.
• Why the other options are incorrect:
  • 1) Children's fear of the dark is primarily caused by their vivid imaginations creating imaginary monsters and frightening scenarios: While imagination plays a role, the passage states it's the loss of sensory information that triggers the fear, and imagination then amplifies it by filling the void. It's not primarily caused by imagination alone.
  • 3) The fear of the dark in children is largely learned from frightening stories and media, rather than being an innate response to darkness itself: The passage mentions that "exposure to frightening stories or media can contribute to these fears," but it explicitly states the core is an "innate survival mechanism" triggered by sensory deprivation. "Largely learned" contradicts the emphasis on innate response.
  • 4) Children fear the dark because they are afraid of being alone and losing control, reflecting their general anxiety about separation from caregivers: The passage states these anxieties ("being alone, losing control, or the absence of protective figures") are amplified by the sensory deprivation and imagination, but they are not presented as the primary cause stemming directly from the darkness itself. The core is the loss of visual information and the subsequent uncertainty.

The correct answer is: 3) Modern youth selectively engage with Marxist concepts, using them to analyze current economic disparities and systemic issues, rather than adopting its full revolutionary program.

Key Points

• Explanation: The passage highlights a "discernible resurgence of interest in Marxist thought" among the younger generation due to "widening wealth inequality, precarious employment, and perceived systemic injustices." It explicitly states that this engagement "often involves a selective adoption of concepts, focusing on aspects like alienation or exploitation, rather than a wholesale embrace of historical materialism or violent revolution." The essence is the selective use of Marxist frameworks for contemporary critique, not a full endorsement of its historical tenets.
• Why the other options are incorrect:
  • 1) Marxist ideologies, though outdated and historically problematic, are experiencing a limited revival among young people seeking a framework to critique modern capitalism: While partially true, it misses the crucial nuance that the engagement is selective and not a full embrace of the problematic parts. It also doesn't fully capture the reason for the revival (addressing current issues).
  • 2) Despite the historical failures of Marxist states, young people are fully embracing Marxist revolutionary ideas to address contemporary issues like wealth inequality: This is directly contradicted by the passage, which states the engagement is "selective" and not a "wholesale embrace of historical materialism or violent revolution."
  • 4) Marxist thought remains highly relevant for today's youth as it accurately predicted the global economic crises and the eventual downfall of capitalism: The passage does not claim that Marxist thought accurately predicted global economic crises or the downfall of capitalism. It states young people find a "vocabulary to articulate their discontent and analyze the structural flaws," implying a utility for analysis rather than prophetic accuracy.

The correct answer is: The British Empire's widespread influence stemmed from a synergistic interplay of its superior naval forces, transformative industrial innovations, and meticulously crafted economic strategies.

Key Points

• Explanation: The passage explicitly states that the expansion was "driven by a combination of naval supremacy, innovative industrial technology, and strategic economic policies." Option 3 perfectly synthesizes these three core elements, using strong, accurate descriptors ("superior naval forces," "transformative industrial innovations," "meticulously crafted economic strategies") and emphasizing their combined effect ("synergistic interplay"). This option is the most comprehensive and precise summary of the primary drivers mentioned.
• Why the other options are incorrect:
  • British imperial success was fundamentally rooted in its dominant naval power, which ensured control over global trade and military logistics: This option is partially correct but incomplete. While naval supremacy is indeed highlighted, the passage states the expansion was driven by a combination of factors, not "fundamentally rooted" in naval power alone. It omits the crucial roles of "innovative industrial technology" (which fueled economic strength and weaponry) and the broader "strategic economic policies" (like monopolies and administration) as distinct drivers.
  • Britain's extensive colonial reach was primarily a consequence of its advanced industrial capabilities and astute economic management: This option, like option 1, is incomplete. It correctly identifies industrial capabilities and economic management but completely omits "naval supremacy," which the passage lists as the first driver in the combination. The phrase "primarily a consequence" implies these two factors were overwhelmingly dominant, which is not what the passage states when it lists three equally important components of the "combination."
  • Global territorial acquisition by Britain was predominantly achieved through efficient resource extraction and robust administrative systems, bolstered by technological progress: This option focuses on the outcomes or means of maintaining control (resource extraction, administrative systems) and the support of technology ("bolstered by technological progress"), rather than the core drivers of the "unprecedented global expansion" as initially stated. While these elements are present in the passage, they are described as enabling "efficient governance and resource extraction" after the expansion was "driven by" the combination of naval, industrial, and strategic economic policies. It also omits naval supremacy as a primary driver.

The correct answer is: The creation of “terra preta” by indigenous peoples showcases an advanced, human-made soil enrichment method that supported thriving societies.

Key Points

• Explanation: The passage's main point is to highlight the ingenious and effective method developed by ancient Amazonian peoples to overcome the challenge of poor tropical soils. It describes "terra preta" as a "nutrient-rich, highly fertile soil" created by "deliberately mixing charcoal, bone, and organic waste" over centuries. It emphasizes that this "anthropogenic soil sustained dense populations and complex societies long before modern agriculture," demonstrating "how traditional ecological knowledge allowed ancient Amazonians to thrive." Option 2 directly encapsulates all these key aspects.
• Why the other options are incorrect:
  • Ancient Amazonians relied solely on natural soil fertility for their agriculture: This is directly contradicted by the passage, which states they developed "a remarkable technique to enrich the otherwise poor tropical soils," implying they did not rely solely on natural fertility, as it was "poor."
  • Modern agriculture is the only effective way to sustain large populations in tropical forests: This is incorrect. The passage states "terra preta" sustained large populations "long before modern agriculture," indicating that traditional methods were effective, challenging the notion that modern agriculture is the only way.
  • The Amazon rainforest soils have always been naturally fertile and easy to farm: This is explicitly refuted by the passage, which describes the soils as "otherwise poor tropical soils" and an "environment that would otherwise be challenging for large-scale cultivation."

The correct answer is: The subjective perception of time's speed is largely dictated by whether our attention is actively absorbed by an engaging activity, which reduces conscious time monitoring, or by a lack of external stimuli.

Key Points

• Option 2 accurately captures the central thesis of the passage. The passage explains that during engaging activities, "our attention is primarily directed outwards... This intense focus leads to a diminished awareness of the passage of chronological time, as our internal 'time-monitoring' mechanisms are essentially disengaged." Conversely, during boredom, "our attention turns inward, often becoming hyper-aware of the slow, monotonous ticking of the clock. The brain, lacking external stimuli to process, may amplify its perception of temporal duration." This directly corresponds to option 2's focus on attention and external stimuli as the primary determinants of subjective time perception.

Hence, the correct answer is: Option 2.

Additional Information

• The other options are incorrect because:
  • Option 1: Time passes quickly during enjoyable activities primarily because our brains produce more dopamine, physically accelerating our internal biological clock. The passage does not mention dopamine or a physical acceleration of the biological clock in relation to time perception. This introduces information not present in the text.
  • Option 3: Boredom causes time to drag because the brain generates fewer memories during monotonous experiences, leading to a diminished sense of elapsed duration. While the passage mentions memory, it clarifies that vivid memories make duration seem longer in retrospect, not necessarily faster in real-time. The primary explanation for time dragging during boredom is the heightened awareness of time due to a lack of external stimuli, not a lack of memory formation in real-time.
  • Option 4: The perceived acceleration of time during enjoyment is an illusion, as the actual passage of chronological time remains constant regardless of our cognitive engagement or emotional state. While the passage acknowledges the constancy of chronological time (by contrasting it with subjective perception), its essence is to explain the mechanisms behind the subjective experience, not merely to state that it's an illusion. This option misses the explanatory depth of the passage.

The correct answer is 'Europe has chosen to lower political and economic heterogeneity, in order to adapt itself to an emerging multi-polar world.'

Key Points

• The given passage is about Europe that really worked hard to define its own identity and the passage is describing the journey it has been on to achieve that independence.
  • Option 2 gets eliminated as it means that the unification of Germany and the emergence of a multipolar world facilitated the establishment of a formal political structure in Europe. Instead, a formal political structure in Europe led to the unification of Germany and the emergence of a multipolar world.
  • Option 3 gets eliminated because in the passage it is given that Europe had changed its internal structure and invented new ways of thinking about the nature of international order in each century.
  • Option 4 gets eliminated as it fails to mention the main idea of the passage about Europe adapting to the multipolar world.
• The passage says that Europe restructured its internal structure and devised new forms of international order. To adapt to an emerging multi-polar world, it chose to reduce political and economic diversity by establishing a common currency in 2002 and a formal political structure in 2004.
• According to the given explanation, it can be understood that sentence 1 is the most appropriate summary for the paragraph.
• Therefore, option 1 is the correct answer. 

Additional Information

• Let's refer to some important words from the given passage:
  • declined: diminish in strength or quality; deteriorate.
  • multipolar: polarized in several ways or directions.
  • strove: make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.
  • culmination: the highest or climactic point of something, especially as attained after a long time.
  • obliged: make (someone) legally or morally bound to do something.
  • Impelled: drive, force, or urge (someone) to do something. 
  • cushion: something providing support or protection against impact.
  • unification: the process of being united or made into a whole. 

Concept:

We tend to think of cancer as a ‘modern’ illness because its metaphors are so modern. It is a disease of overproduction, of sudden growth, a growth that is unstoppable, tipped into the abyss of no control.
Modern cell biology encourages us to imagine the cell as a molecular machine. Cancer is that machine unable to quench its initial command (to grow) and thus transform into an indestructible, self-propelled automaton.
From the given information we can clearly see that modern cell biology uses figurative language, such as metaphors to describe modern illnesses like cancer.
Hence, the correct option is (D).

The correct answer is 'Biologists have questioned the long-standing view that ‘intelligence’ is a single entity and the attempts to estimate its heritability.'

Key Points

• The given passage is talking about the view of psychologists and biologists regarding intelligence. 
• Options 1 and 2 get eliminated. Despite the fact that these two options discuss biologists questioning conventional wisdom, they make no mention of heritability, which is an important element in the given passage.
• Although option 4 appears to mention both intelligence and heritability, it is referring to the methods of inheriting intelligence rather than attempts to estimate its heritability.
• It is a long-held belief in psychologists that 'intelligence' is a single entity, and it can be measured by estimating its heritability.
• This long-held belief is being questioned by biologists. They question whether the concept of “intelligence” as a single entity is meaningful, and they question the validity of measures used to estimate the heritability of a trait in humans.
• From the given explanation, it can be understood that statement 3 is the most appropriate summary for the given paragraph. 
• Therefore, option 3 is the correct answer. 

Additional Information

• Let's learn some important words from the given passage:
  • embraced: accept (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.
  • eventually: in the end, especially after a long delay, dispute, or series of problems.
  • scrutinizing: examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
  • conventional: based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed.
  • mounted: grow larger or more numerous.
  • coherent: (of an argument, theory, or policy) logical and consistent.
  • heritability: Heritability is a statistic used in the fields of breeding and genetics that estimates the degree of variation in a phenotypic trait in a population that is due to genetic variation between individuals in that population.
  • bred (breed): (of a person or animal) reared in a specified environment or way. 

The correct answer is 'Movies and televisions have led to the belief that the use of forensic phonetics in legal investigations is robust and fool proof.'

Key Points

• The given passage is talking about the reality behind the “science of voices.”
• In the passage, the author emphasizes that films and television shows have painted an unrealistic picture of the "science of voices." It means that they picturise something that is not possible or achievable in real life. In movies and tv shows, they show that it is possible to identify the criminal using his voice records. Whereas in real life such experiments have been futile and resulted in failures. 
• The author emphasizes that such sequences in movies or shows summarise a number of misconceptions about forensic phonetics that have resulted in errors in real-life justice.
• The word 'robust' means 'uncompromising and forceful' and the word 'foolproof' means 'incapable of going wrong or being misused.'
• From the given explanation, it can be understood that option 1 best summarizes the given paragraph.
• Therefore, option 1 is the correct answer. 

Additional Information

• Let's learn some important words related to the given passage:
  • robust: uncompromising and forceful.
  • foolproof: incapable of going wrong or being misused.
  • misimpressions: a faulty or incorrect impression.
  • phonetics: the study and classification of speech sounds.
  • exemplifies: be a typical example of.
  • phenomenon: a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.

The passage discusses the evolution of societal expectations regarding perfectionism over time, contrasting the norms of the 1950s with those of today's attention economy:

• In the 1950s, perfectionism was about conforming to societal norms and mass culture ideals, portrayed through images like the ideal American family.
• Today, perfectionism involves standing out with unique style and wit to garner attention in the attention economy.

Now, let's evaluate the summaries:

1. Option 1: Incorrect

   • This option focuses on the desire to attract attention but doesn't capture the contrast between conformity and non-conformism discussed in the passage.

2. Option 2: Incorrect

   • While this option mentions the media's role in perpetuating ideals, it doesn't emphasize the evolution from conformity to non-conformism as central to the passage.

3. Option 3: Incorrect

   • This option touches on the tension caused by changing definitions of perfectionism but doesn't clearly contrast the conformity of the past with the non-conformism of the present.

4. Option 4: Correct

   • This option accurately summarizes the passage by highlighting the evolution of perfectionism from conformity in the 1950s to non-conformism today, where standing out is crucial in the attention economy. It encapsulates the essence of how societal expectations around perfectionism have changed over time.

Therefore, the correct summary that best captures the essence of the passage is Option 4: Though long-standing, the pressure to appear perfect and thereby attract attention, has evolved over time from one of conformism to one of non-conformism.

Solution :

There is a clear difference between the choices with respect to supraliminal and subliminal. The passage clearly tells us that Packard believed in supraliminal images, not subliminal. Thus 3 and 1 go out. We have to choose between 4 and 2.

Statement 2 says people are aware, while statement 4 says that people are not aware. The passage too says that people are not aware. Thus option 4 is the best choice.

This was a very simple question. 

Solution :

The passage broadly talks about the difference between purse science and applied science, i.e. engineering. Further the author says that engineers might find even those theories of physics useful that from the point of view of pure physics are false. Option 2 precisely captures that. It says that engineering incorporates the constraints and conditions of physics in the real world.  

Option 1 says the relationship is strictly linear, but that is not the case. Had that been the case, the false theories of pure science could not have been used by engineers for accurate predictions.

Option 3 goes out because it does not even mention the word pure science. It solely focuses on engineers, ignoring the relationship between purse science and engineering.

Option 4 gives a summary that is totally different from the what the passage discusses. 

Solution :

Everything is good with option 1 except that it says only humans have the ability to think, something that is nowhere to found in the passage. 1 can be ruled out.

Option 3 goes out because displaced reference is a distinguishing feature of language, not of humans. Option 3 can be ruled out.

Option 4 goes out because the passage says that thought precedes all meaningful communication, while option 4 says that thought precedes all speech acts, something that may not always be the case. Thus option 4 too goes out.

Option 2 is succinct and does not have any distortions or misrepresentations. 

Key Points

• The passage clearly states that birds’ ability to make sounds for communication is not learned but is an inborn instinct. 
• It is explained that birds do not need to learn their language because it comes naturally to them from birth, as evidenced by the experiment with chicks.
• The other options: "it is tough to learn," "it is only a quality with humans," and "it is developed with extra intelligence" do not correctly describe the reason given in the passage.

​Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

The correct answer is: Option 1: "We now have the evidence in support of the existence of an egalitarian urban life in some ancient cities, where political and civic organisation was far less hierarchical."

Key Points

• Option 1 captures the essence of the passage effectively by highlighting the existence of egalitarian urban life in some ancient cities and the less hierarchical political and civic organization.
• The passage emphasizes that the mere fact of urban life does not necessarily imply a particular form of political organization, and that some ancient cities were organized along egalitarian lines without temples, palaces, or a ruling stratum.
• Therefore, the primary message is about the historical evidence of egalitarian urban life and its implications for our understanding of political organization.

Hence, the correct answer is: Option 1.

Additional Information

• The other options are incorrect because:
  • Option 2: "Contrary to our assumption that urban settlements have always involved hierarchical political and administrative structures, ancient cities were not organised in this way.": This option is incorrect because it focuses on challenging an assumption rather than highlighting the evidence of egalitarian urban life.
  • Option 3: "The emergence of a class of administrators and ruling stratum transformed the egalitarian urban life of ancient cities to the hierarchical civic organisations of today.": This option is incorrect because it introduces the idea of transformation to today's hierarchical organizations, which is not discussed in the passage.
  • Option 4: "The lack of hierarchical administration in ancient cities can be deduced by the absence of religious and regal structures such as temples and palaces.": This option is incorrect because it focuses on the deduction from the absence of structures rather than the broader point about egalitarian urban life.