CAT 2021 Slot 3 — VARC Question 20
Directions for Summary: A paragraph is followed by four options which have summarized the passage in their own way. Pick the option that best summarizes the passage:
People view idleness as a sin and industriousness as a virtue, and in the process have developed an unsatisfactory relationship with their jobs. Work has become a way for them to keep busy, even though many find their work meaningless. In their need for activity people undertake what was once considered work (fishing, gardening) as hobbies. The opposing view is that hard work has made us prosperous and improved our levels of health and education. It has also brought innovation and labour and time-saving devices, which have lessened life's drudgery.
Answer & solution
While the idealisation of hard work has propelled people into meaningless jobs and endless activity, it has also led to tremendous social benefits from prosperity and innovation.
- B
Some believe that hard work has been glorified to the extent that it has become meaningless, and led to greater idleness, but it has also had enormous positive impacts on everyday life.
- C
Hard work has overtaken all aspects of our lives and has enabled economic prosperity, but it is important that people reserve their leisure time for some idleness.
- D
Despite some detractors, hard work is essential in today's world to enable economic progress, for education and health and to propel innovations that make life easier.
Easy
A para-summary. The paragraph presents two opposing views of hard work — a balanced summary must carry both sides. Reject options that drop a side, distort it, or add claims the passage never makes.
Map the two views. View 1: idealising industriousness has given people an unsatisfactory, meaningless relationship with work, leaving them merely "keeping busy." View 2 (the opposing view): hard work has made us prosperous, improved health and education, and brought innovation that eases life's drudgery.
Option (a) — carries both sides faithfully. "The idealisation of hard work has propelled people into meaningless jobs and endless activity" = View 1; "it has also led to tremendous social benefits from prosperity and innovation" = View 2. Balanced and accurate. Keep.
Option (b) — distorts View 1. It claims hard work "led to greater idleness." The passage says people take up former work (fishing, gardening) as hobbies out of a need for activity — the opposite of greater idleness. Reject.
Option (c) — adds an unsupported prescription. "Hard work has overtaken all aspects of our lives" overstates the text, and the advice that "people reserve their leisure time for some idleness" is never offered. Reject.
Option (d) — one-sided. It only champions hard work ("essential... to enable economic progress") and omits View 1's critique of meaningless, busy-work jobs. An incomplete summary. Reject.
The best summary is option (a) — it captures both the meaningless-work critique and the prosperity-and-innovation benefit.