‘What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?’-Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 12
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named ‘What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?’, which is from the Cambridge 12 book. The Questions that have been asked are ‘List of headings, Blanks and Yes/No/Not Given’. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 3: What is the purpose of gaining knowledge
| Question | Answer |
| 27 | VI |
| 28 | VIII |
| 29 | II |
| 30 | IV |
| 31 | III |
| 32 | VII |
| 33 | FIRE SCIENCE |
| 34 | INVESTIGATORS |
| 35 | EVIDENCE |
| 36 | PROSECUTION |
| 37 | NOT GIVEN |
| 38 | YES |
| 39 | NO |
| 40 | NO |
Questions 27-32
Reading Passage 3 has six sections, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Courses that require a high level of commitment
ii A course title with two meanings
iii The equal importance of two key issues
iv Applying a theory in an unexpected context
v The financial benefits of studying
vi A surprising course title
vii Different names for different outcomes
viii The possibility of attracting the wrong kind of student
27 Section A
Location: A section (Last two lines)
Explanation: The writer says, ‘But what would the founders of these two institutions have thought of a course called ‘Arson for Profit’? I kid you not: we have it on the books…’Here, ‘Arson for profit’ is a surprising title given by two institutions. Thus, the answer is vi.
Answer: vi
‘What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?’-Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 12
28 Section B
Location: B section (Last line)
Explanation: The writer states, ‘This example suggests how dishonest and illegal behavior, with the help of higher education, can creep into every aspect of public and business life…’Here, ‘dishonest and illegal behaviour’ refers to wrong kind of behaviour. Moreover, higher education has taken place of students in the paragraph.
Answer: viii
29 Section C
Location: C section (Third line)
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the third line of the paragraph. ‘There are endless ways I could have approached this assignment, but I took my cue from the title of the course: ‘Principles of Marketing’. It made me think to ask the students, ‘Is marketing principled…’Here, there are infinite ways to approach the task. The writer took cues from the title. Thus, the title have different meanings.
Answer: ii
‘What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?’-Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 12
30 Section D
Location: D section
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the first two lines of the paragraph. ‘I made the suggestion, which may sound downright crazy in light of the evidence…My inspiration for this judgment is the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argued that any body of knowledge consists of an end (or purpose) and a means…’Here, ‘downright crazy…evidence’ means an unexpected context’.
Answer: iv
31 Section E
Location: E section
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the last two lines of the paragraph. ‘. A field of knowledge or a professional endeavor is defined by both the means and the end; hence both deserve scrutiny. Students need to study both how to achieve X, and also what X is…’Here, both deserve scrutiny means both have equal importance. Thus, the answer is iii.
Answer: iii
‘What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?’-Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 12
32 Section F
Location: F section
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the last third line of the paragraph. ‘But we would not call that firefighting. We have a separate word for it: arson … if you employed the ‘principles of marketing’ is an unprincipled way, you would not be doing marketing. We have another term for it: fraud…’Here, there are different terms for different outcomes. Arson and fraud are two words for different outcomes.
Answer: vii
Questions 33-36
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.
The ‘Arson for Profit’ course
This is a university course intended for students who are undergraduates and who are studying 33……………………….
Location: A section
Explanation: The main keyword ‘undergraduates’ is there in the last line of the paragraph. ‘. Any undergraduates who have met the academic requirements can sign up for the course in our program in ‘fire science’. Here, ‘sign up for the course’ means ‘studying…’Thus, undergraduates are studying fire science
Answer: Fire science
‘What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?’-Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 12
The expectation is that they will become 34…………………………. specialising in arson.
Location: B section
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the beginning of the paragraph. ‘Naturally, the course is intended for prospective arson investigators, who can learn all the tricks of the trade…’Here, ‘prospective’ means ‘expectations’. Thus, the answer is ‘investigators’
Answer: Investigators
The course will help them to detect cases of arson and find 35………………………. of criminal intent, leading to successful 36………………………… in the courts.
Location: B section
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the first line of the paragraph. ‘establishing a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law…’Here, ‘ establishing chain of evidence’ means ‘to find evidence’. Moreover, ‘effective prosecution’ means ‘successful prosecutions’. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: (35) Evidence
(36) Prosecution
Questions 37-40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
37 It is difficult to attract students onto courses that do not focus on a career.
Explanation: This question can be answered after understanding the overall passage. There is no such statement in the passage that tells us about the difficulties in attracting students onto such courses. Thus, no information available.
Answer: Not Given
38 The ‘Arson for Profit’ course would be useful for people intending to set fire to buildings.
Location: F section
Explanation: The main keyword ‘Arson for profit’ helps to locate the answer in the F paragraph. ‘As we have seen, someone could use the very same knowledge of means to achieve a much less noble end such as personal profit via destructive, dangerous, reckless activity…’Here, destructive, dangerous activities can include ‘set fire to buildings’. Thus, the answer is ‘Yes’
Answer: Yes
‘What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?’-Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 12
39 Fire science courses are too academic to help people to be good at the job of firefighting.
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the third line of the paragraph. The writer says, ‘they are highly welcome as part of the increasing professionalization of this and many other occupations…’Here, ‘to be good at’= ‘professionalization’. The question statement contradicts the passage statement as these courses will help students. But the question statement says that these are too academic to help people.
Answer: No
40 The writer’s fire science students provided a detailed definition of the purpose of their studies.
Location: F paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the fourth line of the paragraph. ‘When I ask fire science students to articulate the end, or purpose, of their field, they eventually generalize to something like…’Here, students give only general opinions rather than providing a detailed definition. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: No
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