UPSC Prelims 2022 CSAT Paper II · Q53 of 78 Comprehension easy

Passage

If presents bring less thrill now that we are grown up, perhaps it is because we have too much already; or perhaps it is because we have lost the fullness of the joy of giving, and with it the fullness of the joy of receiving. Children's fears are poignant, their miseries are acute, but they do not look too forward nor too far backward. Their joys are clear and complete, because they have not yet learnt always to add 'but' to every proposition. Perhaps we are too cautious, too anxious, too sceptical. Perhaps some of our cares would shrink if we thought less about them and entered with more single-minded enjoyment into the happiness that come our way.

The author of the passage is against

  1. (a) worrying too much about the past and future ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) being in the habit of thinking about presents
  3. (c) not being thrilled by new things
  4. (d) giving and receiving joy only partially

Why the answer is (a)

• The passage states that children 'do not look too forward nor too far backward,' which implies that excessive focus on the past and future is a negative trait associated with adults.

• It argues that adults' joys are diminished because they are 'too cautious, too anxious, too sceptical' and add 'but' to every proposition, unlike children who experience clear and complete joy.

• The author suggests that 'some of our cares would shrink if we thought less about them,' directly linking excessive worry about past and future events to the loss of happiness.

• Therefore, the author is against the habit of worrying too much about the past and future, as it prevents the 'single-minded enjoyment' of the present.

Why the other options are wrong

(b) being in the habit of thinking about presents
The author does not criticize the act of thinking about presents but rather the lack of thrill or fullness in receiving them due to overthinking.
(c) not being thrilled by new things
The author attributes the lack of thrill to excessive caution and anxiety, not to the inherent nature of new things themselves.
(d) giving and receiving joy only partially
The author argues that the loss of fullness in giving and receiving is a consequence of excessive worry, not that partial joy is the primary target of criticism.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2022, held on 5 June 2022. 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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