Question

The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
For millennia, in the process of opening up land for agriculture, gardens, grazing and hunting, humans have created ecological “mosaics”, or “patchworks”: landscapes holding a mixture of habitats, like meadows, gardens and forests. These were not designed as nature reserves, but often catered to hugely diverse animal life. Research indicates that European hay meadows cultivated for animal feed were actually more successful at preserving a vast array of species than meadows explicitly cultivated for biodiversity. Studying the early Holocene, researchers have found that human presence was about as likely to increase biodiversity as reduce it. Of course, not all human-created landscapes have the same value. A paved subdivision with astroturfed lawns is very different to a village with diverse vegetable and flower gardens. But scientists continue to find evidence that the old idea of humans as antithetical to nature is also wrong-headed, and that rosy visions of thriving, human-free environments are more imaginary than real.

• A. Contrary to the idea that humans always hurt nature and that it thrives in their absence, a lot of human action across history has been equally likely to increase biodiversity than reduce it, often creating varied ecological landscapes that support a vast array of species.
• B. In our attempts to shape the world around us to our needs, humans have often created landscapes like meadows, gardens, and forests, which support hugely diverse species, and are more successful at preserving them than parks created specifically for this.
• C. Studying the early Holocene and human practices over millennia, researchers say that while agricultural meadows, gardens, and forests were not explicitly designed as nature reserves, they actually preserved a vast array of species, belying the idea that humans harm nature.
• D. In terms of preserving biodiversity, scientists are finding increasing evidence that human action is not always antithetical to nature, but often assists the preservation of meadows, landscapes, and flourishing of species.

Hint:

Human activity can often support biodiversity through the creation of diverse landscapes, such as gardens and meadows, which can be as effective as natural reserves in preserving species.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Look at the job this passage is doing, not just its content. It opens by describing human-shaped landscapes, but its real move is corrective, it is pushing back against two popular beliefs: that humans always damage nature, and that nature does best without us. A correct summary has to perform that same corrective, myth-busting role, not just describe examples of meadows or Holocene research. Option 1 is written as a direct rebuttal, contrary to the idea that humans always hurt nature and that it thrives in their absence, exactly the move the passage makes. Options 2, 3, and 4 read as descriptions or softened claims rather than a full correction of both myths. The best summary is option 1.