Explanation
1. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
Explanation
A. It can be difficult to trust one's life to a scientific principle that has yet to be practically applied.
This option seems logical its support in the passage can be found in the lines:
“The first human flights, conducted aboard hot air balloons in the late 18th century, required courage. The first aeronauts entrusted their lives to nascent principles of flight”
Let’s have a look on the other options first.
B. British leaders during World War I cared little about human life.
This cannot be inferred logically, although British military leaders want their pilots to fight till the end and not to abandon the mission too early but that doesn’t suggest that they didn’t care about the human life. Eliminate.
C. Andr-Jacques Garnerin was simply lucky to survive his parachute jump.
Yes! He might be lucky as he was survived but this isn’t something the question want us to “infer”. Eliminate
D. The silk parachutes were no better than Garnerin's semirigid one.
This is opposite to what is provided in the passage, according to the lines:
“the newer silken envelopes could waft a flier to Earth with reasonable reliability”
It is clearly stated that the newer version of parachutes was better. Eliminate.
E. The animals in the first parachute tests did not survive the descent.
This is also opposite to what is given in the passage, according to the lines:
“While smaller parachutes had been tested successfully with animals”
The test applied on animals were successful.
A is best among the options and is correct answer
2. The author mentions the semirigid structure of Garnerin's parachute in order to
Explanation
A. create a vivid image to entertain the reader.
This is an outside information as nothing has been discussed in the passage validating this option.
B. underscore how little was known about physical laws of science.
Same as option (A), it provides outside information. Eliminate.
C. demonstrate how parachute design evolved.
This options seems logical, its support in the passage is available in the following lines in the first paragraph:
“While smaller parachutes had been tested successfully with animals, Garnerin's design, which had a semirigid construction, had to be much larger.”
And the starting lines of the second paragraph:
“By the time of World War I, the first conflict with a major aerial component, parachutes had advanced tremendously. Although the parachute was no longer semirigid, the newer silken envelopes could waft a flier to Earth with reasonable reliability”
Let’s have a look on remaining options before we decide.
D. highlight how rigid and formal 18th-century thinking was.
Same as options A and B this one also provides the outside information which cannot be validated with the help of the text available in the passage. Eliminate
E. provide a detailed description of Garnerin's "contraption".
The passage didn’t detail anything about the structure of any parachute, only the size has been discussed in the passage light weightily. Contraption is very extreme word comparatively. Eliminate.
The only option C stands on.
3. The author's main objective in the passage is to
Explanation
This is global question, the answer choice needs to cover the whole of the passage to stand correct. Let’s have a look at each option.
A. demonstrate that British leaders during World War I put mission objectives ahead of human life.
This answer choice is extreme and it covers only a fractional part of the passage ignoring the other important factor given in the passage.
B. discuss the pioneering efforts to develop parachutes, their early uses, and design developments.
This seems logical choice, in the first paragraph author discusses when first balloon flight was conducted, why the flight have been difficult in the start. Passage also discusses the initiative taken by Andr-Jacques Garnerin and the design and size of his parachute. In the second paragraph author discusses the change in design, the uses and the need of the parachutes.
This option cover maximum part of passage. Let’s have a look on the remaining answer choices and decide,
C. instill a sense of Andr-Jacques Garnerin 's accomplishment in the reader.
Same as the (A) this option also covers a fractional part of the passage and is unable to cover all the important factors given in the passage. Eliminate
D. criticize the British military for undervaluing the lives of World War I pilots.
No criticism on the British military is available in the passage, this is outside information.
E. persuade readers about the inferiority of 18th-century scientific thinking.
No evidence is there in the passage to select this one as the primary purpose of the passage. This is also out.
The only option which covers maximum portion by covering all primary events of the passage is option B and is correct answer.
Answer: B