UPSC Prelims 2017 CSAT Paper II · Q7 of 79 Comprehension easy

Passage

Passage—7 The very first lesson that should be taught to us when we are old enough to understand it, is that complete freedom from the obligation to work is unnatural, and ought to be illegal, as we can escape our share of the burden of work only by throwing it on someone else's shoulders. Nature ordains that the human race shall perish of famine if it stops working. We cannot escape from this tyranny. The question we have to settle is how much leisure we can afford to allow ourselves.

The main idea of the passage is that

  1. (a) it is essential for human beings to work ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) there should be a balance between work and leisure
  3. (c) working is a tyranny which we have to face
  4. (d) human's understanding of the nature of work is essential

Why the answer is (a)

• The passage opens by stating that complete freedom from the obligation to work is 'unnatural' and 'ought to be illegal'.

• It argues that escaping one's share of work only shifts the burden to others, implying work is a collective necessity.

• The text asserts that nature ordains the human race shall perish of famine if it stops working, establishing work as a survival requirement.

• The phrase 'We cannot escape from this tyranny' reinforces the inescapable and mandatory nature of labor.

• While the passage mentions settling how much leisure to allow, the primary argument is that work is an unavoidable, essential duty for survival, making option (a) the correct main idea.

Why the other options are wrong

(b) there should be a balance between work and leisure
The passage focuses on the mandatory nature of work for survival rather than proposing a specific equilibrium or balance between work and leisure.
(c) working is a tyranny which we have to face
Although the text uses the word 'tyranny', it is used to describe the inescapable nature of the obligation, not to suggest that work itself is an oppressive force to be resisted.
(d) human's understanding of the nature of work is essential
The passage prescribes a lesson about the necessity of work rather than discussing the importance of humans understanding the nature of work.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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