For most Americans and Europeans, this should be the best time in all

For most Americans and Europeans, this should be the best time in all of human history to live. Survival — the very purpose of all life — is nearly guaranteed for large parts of the world, especially in the “West.” This should allow people a sense of security and contentment. If life is no longer as Thomas Hobbes famously wrote, “nasty, brutish, and short,” then should it not be pleasant, dignified, and long? To know that tomorrow is nearly guaranteed, along with thousands of additional tomorrows, should be enough to render hundreds of millions of people awe-struck with happiness. And modern humans, especially in the West, have every opportunity to be free, even as they enjoy ever-longer lives. Why is it, then, that so many people feel unhappy and trapped? The answer lies in the constant pressure of trying to meet needs that don’t actually exist.

The term “need” has been used with less and less precision in modern life. Today, many things are described as needs, including fashion items, SUVs, vacations, and other luxuries. People say, “I need a new car,” when their current vehicle continues to function. People with many pairs of shoes may still say they “need” a new pair. Clearly, this careless usage is inaccurate; neither the new car nor the additional shoes are truly “needed.”

What is a need then? The Oxford English Dictionary defines the condition of “need” as “lack of means of subsistence.” This definition points the way toward an understanding of what a need truly is: A need is something required for survival. Therefore, the true needs of life are air, food, water, and, in cold climates, shelter. Taken together, this is the stuff of survival. Because the purpose of life is to survive — or more broadly, to live — then these few modest requirements are all that a modern human truly needs. Other things make life exciting or enjoyable, and these are often referred to as “the purpose of life”— but this is surely an exaggeration. These additional trappings are mere wants and not true needs.

1. Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?

(A) Modern Americans and Europeans feel unhappy and trapped because they don’t distinguish true needs from mere wants.
(B) There are no human needs, and all so-called needs are merely wants.
(C) Human needs can never be satisfied in this life and, therefore, people will always be unhappy.
(D) The satisfaction of human needs has resulted in nearly universal happiness for people in the United States and Europe.
(E) There is no difference between needs and wants; the desire for wealth and power is just as real as the need for food and shelter.


2. According to the author, which of the following is an example of a fulfillment of a need?

(A) Adding a roof to block moonlight from shining on a rudimentary sleeping structure built on a tropical island
(B) Creating a pair of slippers from deer hide to protect one’s bare feet from being cut by sharp rocks and stones
(C) Traveling several miles through dense foliage to obtain a particular berry, known for its sweetness and antioxidant properties, to accompany one’s regular bland diet of rice and beans
(D) Climbing a steep rock face for the exhilaration and sense of accomplishment
(E) Digging a hole to locate a new water supply after one’s prior single source of refreshment has run out


3. Which of the following best defines the way the first paragraph of the passage is organized?

(A) The author poses a question and provides context and then suggests an answer to the question.
(B) The author presents an argument and develops that argument by referencing a famous quote that reiterates the point that precedes it.
(C) The author presents an argument and then supports that argument by defining an essential term.
(D) The author compares life in one area of the world to life in another area of the world and shows how one way of thinking about life is better than the other.
(E) The author poses a rhetorical question and explains why modern humans are incapable of answering that question.