TOEFL : Reading Comprehension
The railroad was not the first institution to impose regularity on society or to draw attention to the importance of precise time keeping. For as long as merchants have set out their wares at day break and communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of the day. The value of this tradition is more apparent than ever. Were it not for public acceptance of a single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably chaotic. The massive daily transfers of goods, services and information would proceed in fits and starts. The very fabric of modern society would begin to unravel. * The next question (Example-11) is also based on this Passage. The difficult words in this passage are impose (dictate), precise (accurate), wares (goods for sale), apparent (obvious), chaotic (confusing), it fits and starts (in a haphazard manner) and unravel (come apart). The author implies that which of the following is a consequence of the greater complexity of today’s society? (A) Agreement of the measurement of time is more important. (B) The role of the rail road has become more vital. (C) People agree about time more rapidly. (D) Traditional values are of greater importance to the society’s well being. The author states in the second sentence that as long as merchants have set out their wares at daybreak and communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of the day. He then adds that the value of this tradition is more apparent than ever because, unless there is public acceptance of a single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably chaotic because of “the massive daily transfers of goods, services and information". The author thereby implies that, as a consequence of the greater complexity of today’s society agreement on the measurement of time is more important. So, A is the answer. The emphasis in the passage is not at all about the role of the railroad, and so B is not the correct one. The passage relatively talks about the greater importance of people having to agree on the measurement of time at present, ant not about the relatively greater readiness of the people to agree about the time now.So, C is the wrong one. The passage talks of only one tradition relating to the agreement about time, and not of traditional values in general. So, D is also a wrong one.
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