Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Many human phenomena and characteristics - such as behaviors, beliefs, economies, genes, incomes, life expectancies, and other things - are influenced both by geographic factors and by non-geographic factors. Geographic factors mean physical and biological factors tied to geographic location, including climate, the distributions of wild plant and animal species, soils, and topography. Non-geographic factors include those factors subsumed under the term culture, other factors subsumed under the term history, and decisions by individual people.... [T]he differences between the current economies of North and South Korea ... cannot be attributed to the modest environmental differences between [them] ... They are instead due entirely to the different [government] policies ... At the opposite extreme, the Inuit and other traditional peoples living north of the Arctic Circle developed warm fur clothes but no agriculture, while equatorial lowland peoples around the world never developed warm fur clothes but often did develop agriculture. The explanation is straightforwardly geographic, rather than a cultural or historical quirk unrelated to geography. . . Aboriginal Australia remained the sole continent occupied only by hunter/gatherers and with no indigenous farming or herding ... [Here the] explanation is biogeographic: the Australian continent has no domesticable native animal species and few domesticable native plant species. Instead, the crops and domestic animals that now make Australia a food and wool exporter are all nonnative (mainly Eurasian) species such as sheep, wheat, and grapes, brought to Australia by overseas colonists.
Today, no scholar would be silly enough to deny that culture, history, and individual choices play a big role in many human phenomena. Scholars don't react to cultural, historical, and individual-agent explanations by denouncing "cultural determinism," "historical determinism," or "individual determinism," and then thinking no further. But many scholars do react to any explanation invoking some geographic role, by denouncing "geographic determinism" ... Several reasons may underlie this widespread but nonsensical view. One reason is that some geographic explanations advanced a century ago were racist, thereby causing all geographic explanations to become tainted by racist associations in the minds of many scholars other than geographers. But many genetic, historical, psychological, and anthropological explanations advanced a century ago were also racist, yet the validity of newer non-racist genetic etc. explanations is widely accepted today. Another reason for reflex rejection of geographic explanations is that historians have a tradition, in their discipline, of stressing the role of contingency (a favorite word among historians) based on individual decisions and chance. Often that view is warranted . . . But often, too, that view is unwarranted. The development of warm fur clothes among the Inuit living north of the Arctic Circle was not because one influential Inuit leader persuaded other Inuit in 1783 to adopt warm fur clothes, for no good environmental reason. A third reason is that geographic explanations usually depend on detailed technical facts of geography and other fields of scholarship ... Most historians and economists don't acquire that detailed knowledge as part of the professional training.
Question: 1

The examples of the Inuit and Aboriginal Australians are offered in the passage to show:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • that despite geographical isolation, traditional societies were self-sufficient and adaptive.
  • how physical circumstances can dictate human behaviour and cultures.
  • how environmental factors lead to comparatively divergent paths in livelihoods and development.
  • human resourcefulness across cultures in adapting to their surroundings.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Option B is supported by the passage's use of examples, such as the Inuit and Aboriginal Australians, to illustrate how environmental factors influence human behavior and cultural norms. The passage details the development of insulated fur clothing among the Inuit in response to Arctic conditions and the lack of indigenous agriculture in Aboriginal Australia due to the absence of domesticable local species. These examples highlight the impact of physical conditions on human actions and cultural adaptations. Therefore, Option B accurately reflects the central theme presented by the passage's examples.

Option D is not explicitly emphasized in the passage, which prioritizes the effect of environmental factors on behavior and cultures.

Option A: The passage does not focus on self-sufficiency, but rather on how specific environmental factors shape societal development.

Option C is partially correct but less precise than Option B in capturing the passage's emphasis on physical conditions dictating human behavior and cultures, as demonstrated by the examples.

Correct Answer: Option B: how physical circumstances can dictate human behaviour and cultures.

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Question: 2

All of the following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT:

Updated On: Mar 20, 2026
  • several academic studies of human phenomena in the past involved racist interpretations.
  • agricultural practices changed drastically in the Australian continent after it was colonised.
  • individual dictat and contingency were not the causal factors for the use of fur clothing in some very cold climates
  • while most human phenomena result from culture and individual choice, some have biogeographic origins.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Option A: The author states that some geographical explanations from 100 years ago contained racial bias, causing many scholars to view all geographical theories as tainted by racism.

Option B: The author discusses Australia's current agricultural methods, noting that its main exports of food and wool come from non-native species (mostly Eurasian) brought by settlers. This implies a shift from Australia's original plants and animals.

Option C: The author explains the development of insulated fur clothing among the Inuit living north of the Arctic Circle, attributing it to environmental influences rather than specific historical events or individual choices in 1783.

Option D: This cannot be inferred from the text. The passage discusses the influence of geographical factors (like biogeography) and non-geographical factors (like culture, history, and individual decisions) on human phenomena, but it does not state that "most human phenomena stem from culture and individual choice."

Correct Answer: Option C

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Question: 3

All of the following are advanced by the author as reasons why non-geographers disregard geographic influences on human phenomena EXCEPT their:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • belief in the central role of humans, unrelated to physical surroundings, in influencing phenomena.
  • dismissal of explanations that involve geographical causes for human behaviour.
  • lingering impressions of past geographic analyses that were politically offensive.
  • disciplinary training which typically does not include technical knowledge of geography
Show Solution

The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Option B is not directly stated by the author as a reason why non-geographers dismiss geographical influences. The author suggests that scholars tend to react negatively to geographical explanations by labeling them "geographic determinism." However, the concept of "dismissal" itself is not explicitly articulated in the text.

Conversely, the other options can be inferred from the text:

Option A is supported by the following statement: "Another reason for reflex rejection of geographic explanations is that historians have a tradition, in their discipline, of stressing the role of contingency (a favorite word among historians) based on individual decisions and chance."

Option C can be inferred from the excerpt: "One reason is that some geographic explanations advanced a century ago were racist, thereby causing all geographic explanations to become tainted."

Option D is evident from the final paragraph: "Geographic explanations usually depend on detailed technical facts of geography and other fields of scholarship... Most historians and economists don't acquire that detailed knowledge as part of the professional training."

Therefore, the correct option is (B): the dismissal of explanations that attribute human behavior to geographical causes.

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Question: 4

The author criticises scholars who are not geographers for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • the importance they place on the role of individual decisions when studying human phenomena.
  • their outdated interpretations of past cultural and historical phenomena.
  • their labelling of geographic explanations as deterministic.
  • their rejection of the role of biogeographic factors in social and cultural phenomena.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The query requires identifying the option that does not constitute a reason for the author's criticism of non-geographer scholars. An analysis of the provided options follows:
  • Option 1:
    the significance they assign to individual decisions in the study of human phenomena.
    The author critiques non-geographers for overemphasizing individual choices and randomness. The text notes historians' customary focus on contingency derived from individual decisions, which is occasionally unjustified.
  • Option 2:
    their antiquated interpretations of historical and cultural events.
    This option is the correct selection because the passage does not assert that non-geographers hold outdated perspectives on cultural and historical phenomena. The author's criticism pertains to their reaction to geographic explanations, not their understanding of past events.
  • Option 3:
    their characterization of geographic explanations as deterministic.
    The author criticizes scholars for unjustly labeling geographic explanations as determinism, while refraining from applying this label to explanations based on cultural, historical, or individual agency.
  • Option 4:
    their dismissal of the influence of biogeographic factors on social and cultural phenomena.
    The passage criticizes scholars for their automatic rejection of geographic explanations, encompassing biogeographic factors.
Consequently, option 2 is the accurate choice as it does not represent a basis for the author's criticism of non-geographers.
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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension

Questions Asked in CAT exam

The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
In the dynamic realm of creativity, artists often find themselves at the crossroads between drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and inadvertently crossing into the territory of cultural appropriation. Inspiration is the lifeblood of creativity, driving artists to create works that resonate across borders. In a globalized era of the modern world, artists draw from a vast array of cultural influences. When approached respectfully, inspiration becomes a bridge, fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. However, the line between inspiration and cultural appropriation can be thin and easily blurred.
Cultural appropriation occurs when elements from a particular culture are borrowed without proper understanding, respect, or acknowledgment. This leads to the commodification of sacred symbols, the reinforcement of stereotypes, and the erasure of the cultural context from which these elements originated. It is essential to recognize that the impact of cultural appropriation extends beyond the realm of artistic expression, influencing societal perceptions and perpetuating power imbalances.
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