To whatever quarter of the Heavens we look, the splendours of the nigh

Question

To whatever quarter of the Heavens we look, the splendours of the night are revealed to our astonished gaze. These celestial eyes seem in their turn to gaze at, and to question us. Thus indeed have they questioned every thinking soul, so long as Humanity has existed on our Earth. They shone upon the slow succession of civilizations that have disappeared, from Egypt of the period of the Pyramids, Greece at the time of the Trojan War, Constantine and Charlemagne, down to the Twentieth Century. The generations are buried with the dust of their ancient temples. The Stars are still there, symbols of Eternity.

Astronomy is the science par excellence. It is the most ancient of all, inasmuch as it dates back to the indeterminate times of highest antiquity. Its mission is not only to make us acquainted with the innumerable orbs by which our nights are illuminated, but it is, moreover, thanks to it that we know where and what we are. Without it we should live as the blind, in eternal ignorance of the very conditions of our terrestrial existence. Without it we should still be penetrated with the naïve error that reduced the entire Universe to our minute globule, making our Humanity the goal of the Creation, and should have no exact notion of the immense reality.

Today, thanks to the intellectual labour of so many centuries, thanks also to the immortal genius of the men of science who devoted their lives to searching after Truth—men such as Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton—the veil of ignorance has been rent, and glimpses of the marvels of creation are perceptible in their splendid truth to the dazzled eye of the thinker.    1 
 1. From the information in the passage, each of the following can be inferred about astronomy EXCEPT:

(A) Astronomy is not a modern science.
(B) Astronomy, according to some people, can help predict our future.
(C) Astronomy involves the study of stars.
(D) Astronomy has helped dispel ignorance about man’s existence.
(E) Several men have devoted their lives to Astronomy.

2 
 2. According to the passage, which of the following is an incorrect notion that astronomy has helped dispel?

(A) Stars do not emit light on their own.
(B) The stars are different from the planets.
(C) The universe we live in is very vast and includes several entities apart from our world.
(D) The goal of creation was essentially to give birth to humanity.
(E) The Earth is not the center of the universe.

3 
 3. What is the primary purpose of the passage?

(A) To explore the properties of the vast constellation of stars 
(B) To narrate the history of Astronomy 
(C) To analyze the works of various scientists 
(D) To discuss the importance and relevance of Astronomy 
(E) To discuss the impact of stars on Astronomy

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 135 Date: 04-Apr-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

roh1714 · Answer

1. From the information in the passage, each of the following can be inferred about astronomy EXCEPT:

(A) Astronomy is not a modern science- para 2
(B) Astronomy, according to some people, can help predict our future- CORRECT
(C) Astronomy involves the study of stars- para 2
(D) Astronomy has helped dispel ignorance about man’s existence- para 2
(E) Several men have devoted their lives to Astronomy- para 3

ANS- B
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2. According to the passage, which of the following is an incorrect notion that astronomy has helped dispel?
hint- Without it we should still be penetrated with the naïve error that reduced the entire Universe to our minute globule, making our Humanity the goal of the Creation....

(A) Stars do not emit light on their own.
(B) The stars are different from the planets.
(C) The universe we live in is very vast and includes several entities apart from our world.
(D) The goal of creation was essentially to give birth to humanity- CORRECT
(E) The Earth is not the center of the universe.

ANS- D
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3. What is the primary purpose of the passage?

(A) To explore the properties of the vast constellation of stars- nonsense
(B) To narrate the history of Astronomy- only part of the passage
(C) To analyze the works of various scientists- nonsense
(D) To discuss the importance and relevance of Astronomy- CORRECT
(E) To discuss the impact of stars on Astronomy- nonsense

ANS- D

To whatever quarter of the Heavens we look, the splendours of the nigh

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

To whatever quarter of the Heavens we look, the splendours of the nigh

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards