The proud warrior class of the samurai (meaning ‘those who serve’) grew from a…
2015
The proud warrior class of the samurai (meaning ‘those who serve’) grew from a band of mercenaries hired by feudal landowners in the 11th century to win them the control of Honshu, Japan’s main island. These mercenaries lived by the cult of the sword, worshipping athletic prowess and martial skills. They developed a fierce loyalty to their masters and a fearlessness that made them formidable adversaries. They fought in elaborate armour, wielding their most prized possession, a double-edged sabre with which they could cut a man in half. Later the spartan principles of Zen Buddhism, with its love of nature softened their fighting zeal. It became fashionable for them to live sparse and frugal lives during the Kamakura era (1192 – 1333), when the ruling warrior family Minamoto moved their seat of power to the eastern city of Kamakura.
Who are usually referred to as mercenaries?
Answer: C. Soldiers who fight for money — ConceptA contextual-vocabulary question asks for the meaning a word has in the passage. A mercenary is a professional fighter hired to provide military…
- A.
Soldiers with martial skills
- B.
Proud warriors
- C.
Soldiers who fight for money
- D.
Loyal warriors
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
A contextual-vocabulary question asks for the meaning a word has in the passage. A mercenary is a professional fighter hired to provide military service for payment.
The defining idea is the paid hiring arrangement, not a fighter’s skill, pride, or loyalty.
Application
The passage says that feudal landowners hired the fighters. Among the offered meanings, “soldiers who fight for money” expresses this paid military service.
Contrast
Martial skill describes ability, not the terms under which a soldier serves.
Pride describes an attitude, not an employment arrangement.
Loyalty describes allegiance, which the passage mentions as a later quality of the samurai.
Result
Therefore, mercenaries are soldiers who fight for money.