Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. The author of the passage believes that flowers are creations of Nature's luxury. 2. The author of the passage does not believe in the usefulness of flowers except as things of beauty. Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

Passage

The flower was not invented to please us. It flaunted its petals and spread its perfume to attract an insect. The insect carries the pollen from flower to flower so that pollen is not carried away by wind and thus not wasted. What we call a flower's beauty is merely a by-product and a human invention. The perfume is not there to please us, it pleases us because it is there and we have been conditioned to it.

QUESTION

CSAT

Medium

Comprehension

Prelims 2024

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made :

The author of the passage believes that flowers are creations of Nature's luxury.
The author of the passage does not believe in the usefulness of flowers except as things of beauty.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Assumption 1 is invalid: The author does not describe flowers as creations of Nature's luxury. Instead, the passage suggests that flowers exist for practical reasons — to attract insects for pollination. The idea of luxury is not mentioned in the passage.

Assumption 2 is invalid: The passage explicitly states that the beauty of flowers (their appearance and fragrance) is a by-product and a human invention. The flowers’ purpose is not to be beautiful for humans but to attract insects for pollination. Hence, the assumption that the author believes flowers are only things of beauty is invalid.

Trusted by 2L aspirants