Question

Direction:  Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow.
Corporations continue to ignore the threat of global warming, probably because global warming is a hyper-object, very difficult to touch and feel. Because hyper-objects have much wider time-space boundaries than human beings, we tend to consider hyper-objects as given and non-existent. Therefore, it is very difficult to deal with hyper-objects as their common understanding is lacking. Some of us continue to believe that global warming is blown out of proportion-it is not a serious threat. Even those who understood hyper-objects have yet to figure out the right response to them.
The lack of understanding and response from corporations to “climate change” is evident from the fact that most businesses have remained largely human-centric. Some businesses have adopted green practices- voluntarily, or involuntary. These efforts attempt to reduce emissions through better energy efficiency. Though laudable, the efforts have failed to make any significant dent at the global level; the planet continues to get warmer. Moreover, most of the efforts are still in the sphere of “business as usual” and “what is good for us”.
Business as usual, the current model of economic production and distribution is deeply flawed as it is based mainly on the capitalistic ethos of free-market legitimized through private property, competition, and unlimited consumption. The word “free” has come to mean that there are no constraints on individuals, and the word market has come to mean that buying and selling are the primary mechanisms, and everything is a transaction. Private property gives individuals/nations a chance to create legal rights to own more and more, subject to very little constraints. It is evident in income inequalities witnessed across the world. The very notion of ownership is control-oriented and human-centric that promotes unlimited extraction from the environment, hyper-nationalism, and hyper-individualism. The extraction and exploitation of the environment has served our economic interests, and led to the growth and survival of businesses. However, it has also led to the destruction of the environment. Global warming is the response of nature to human actions driven by businesses operating on the principles of surplus, predictability, control, hyper-rationality, linearity, and quantification. In other words, “business as usual” has yet to dance to the rhythm of nature.
According to the passage, which of the following will be closest to the idea of hyper-object?

• A. How Earth, over centuries, takes less time to revolve around the Sun.
• B. How temperature fluctuates because of seasons.
• C. How a technology company contributed to the development of mobile phone technology.
• D. How hard work leads to better grades for students.
• E. How regular exercise makes our body healthy.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The given passage discusses the concept of "hyper-objects" and their implications, particularly in the context of global warming and corporate responses to environmental challenges. A hyper-object is described as an entity with vast temporal and spatial dimensions, which makes it difficult for humans to perceive, understand, and respond effectively to it. Let’s analyze the options to find the one that aligns closely with the characteristics of a hyper-object:

1. How Earth, over centuries, takes less time to revolve around the Sun.
   • This describes a phenomenon that spans a vast time scale, aligning with the characteristics of a hyper-object. Changes occurring over centuries are difficult to observe within a human lifetime, making it difficult to perceive or anticipate in daily life.
2. How temperature fluctuates because of seasons.
   • This describes a regular and observable phenomenon that occurs in a relatively short period - over months, and is familiar and understandable to humans. It's not representative of a hyper-object due to its predictability and short-term nature.
3. How a technology company contributed to the development of mobile phone technology.
   • This refers to a company's contribution within a measurable time frame and context. It doesn't fit the notion of hyper-objects, as it lacks the expansive time-space boundaries associated with them.
4. How hard work leads to better grades for students.
   • This is a causal relationship within a short-term context and doesn't reflect the complex, vast nature of hyper-objects.
5. How regular exercise makes our body healthy.
   • This again speaks to a direct and understandable cause-and-effect relationship, easily perceivable in a person's lifetime, thus not fitting the concept of a hyper-object.

Among the options, "How Earth, over centuries, takes less time to revolve around the Sun" is most reflective of a hyper-object, given the extensive temporal scale involved, making it less perceptible and comprehensible in typical human experience. Therefore, the correct answer is How Earth, over centuries, takes less time to revolve around the Sun.

Answer 2

The concept of a hyper-object, as mentioned in the passage, refers to things that have time-space dimensions much larger than human comprehension, making them abstract and challenging to grasp. The passage highlights global warming as an example of a hyper-object:
1. Global warming spans vast temporal and spatial scales, making it difficult for human perception, akin to hyper-objects.
2. Hyper-objects encompass concepts or entities that are not immediately perceivable because they operate beyond ordinary human temporal experience.

Considering these features, we analyze the provided options to identify the one closest to a hyper-object:

• How Earth, over centuries, takes less time to revolve around the Sun: This concept involves large temporal scales, fitting the definition of a hyper-object as it describes a change happening over centuries.
• How temperature fluctuates because of seasons: This is a regular, predictable cycle within human time perception, not a hyper-object.
• How a technology company contributed to the development of mobile phone technology: This is specific and tangible, influenced by company actions, not a broad temporal-spatial phenomenon.
• How hard work leads to better grades for students: This is a direct cause-effect relationship easily observed, not abstract or vast in time-space.
• How regular exercise makes our body healthy: Similar to the above, this is a clear, observable outcome within a human time frame.

Based on the analysis, the statement about Earth taking less time to revolve around the Sun over centuries aligns with the notion of a hyper-object due to its large temporal scale and abstract nature.