Passage: The flower was not invented to please us. It flaunted its petals and spread its perfume to attract…
Passage: The flower was not invented to please us. It flaunted its petals and spread its perfume to attract an insect. The insect carries the pollen from flower to flower so that pollen is not carried away by wind and thus not wasted. What we call a flower's beauty is merely a by-product and a human invention. The perfume is not there to please us, it pleases us because it is there and we have been conditioned to it.
Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. The author of the passage believes that flowers are creations of Nature's luxury.
2. The author of the passage does not believe in the usefulness of flowers except as things of beauty.
Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Solution
Assumption 1 is invalid: the passage emphasizes the functional role of flowers in attracting insects for pollination, not that they are creations of Nature's luxury. Assumption 2 is invalid: the author highlights the practical role of flowers in pollination, recognising their usefulness beyond beauty. Hence neither assumption is valid.