Read the following passage and answer the item that follows. Your answer should be based on the passage only…
Read the following passage and answer the item that follows. Your answer should be based on the passage only.
In an economic organization, allowing mankind to benefit by the productivity of machines should lead to a very good life of leisure, and much leisure is apt to be tedious except to those who have intelligent activities and interests. If a leisured population is to be happy, it must be an educated population, and must be educated with a view to enjoyment as well as to the direct usefulness of technical knowledge.
Which of the following statements best reflects the underlying tone of the passage?
Only an educated population can best make use of the benefits of economic progress.
All economic development should be aimed at the creation of leisure.
An increase in the educated population of a country leads to an increase in the happiness of its people.
Use of machines should be encouraged in order to create a large leisured population.
Solution
The passage argues that leisure created by machine productivity is tedious unless people have intelligent interests, and a leisured population can be happy only if educated. The underlying tone is that only an educated population can best make use of the benefits of economic progress. Option A is correct.