Comprehension: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions…
2025
Comprehension:
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Time plays a crucial role in our lives, how we go about our days, and how societies function as a whole. Different cultures have their own unique ways of looking at and measuring time, which influences how they see the world and live their lives.
In the Western world, time is often thought of as moving in a straight line from the past, through the present, and into the future. This way of thinking influences how we place importance on schedules, deadlines, and looking back at history to move forward.
On the flip side, many indigenous cultures see time as cyclical, focusing on the repeating patterns in nature and life. This cycle-based view is evident in rituals, farming practices, and storytelling that respects the past while getting ready for what's ahead.
Moreover, each person experiences time in their own way, with it sometimes feeling like it's flying by or dragging on, depending on factors like age, emotions, and what we are up to.
When science comes into play, things get even more interesting. Einstein's theory of relativity shows us that time isn't always a steady constant but can change based on how fast you're going or how strong gravity is. This scientific angle challenges our traditional ideas of time being fixed and unchanging by highlighting just how intricate and diverse time really is.
According to the passage, how is time perceived in many indigenous cultures?
- A.
A rigid timetable with predetermined deadlines for tasks
- B.
As a sequence of singular occurrences
- C.
In a linear sequence spanning from the past to the future
- D.
As a cyclical design that embodies life and the environment
Attempted by 1 students.
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Correct answer: D
In an 'according to the passage' comprehension question, the correct option is the one that most closely paraphrases a specific detail the passage states about that subject -- not a plausible general-knowledge answer, and not a detail the passage attributes to a different, contrasting group.
The passage states that many indigenous cultures 'see time as cyclical, focusing on the repeating patterns in nature and life,' a view reflected in 'rituals, farming practices, and storytelling.' The option describing time as 'a cyclical design that embodies life and the environment' paraphrases exactly this: a cyclical (repeating) pattern tied to life and the natural world.
'A rigid timetable with predetermined deadlines for tasks' echoes the passage's description of the Western view, where time is linked to 'schedules' and 'deadlines' -- not the indigenous view the question asks about.
'As a sequence of singular occurrences' describes time as a string of separate, one-off events with no repeating pattern -- the passage does not attribute this framing to either the Western or the indigenous view it describes.
'In a linear sequence spanning from the past to the future' restates the passage's own words for the Western view -- time 'moving in a straight line from the past, through the present, and into the future' -- the direct opposite of the cyclical view asked about.
Re-reading the passage's indigenous-cultures sentence confirms only the cyclical, nature-and-life framing matches it, so that is the option the passage supports.