Question:
Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
Labouring is simply what we do to survive. We labour to eat. To keep our bodies healthy. To keep roof over our heads, and to keep life reproducing. All animals labour, with or without coaxing….There’s nothing special about labour, save for the fact that without it we would die. Work, on the other hand, gives collective meaning to what we do. When we work to producesomething we both put something into and leave something lasting in the world: a table, a house,a book, a car, a rug, a high precision piece of engineering with which we can order the days into time, or keep a body breathing.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
Labouring is simply what we do to survive. We labour to eat. To keep our bodies healthy. To keep roof over our heads, and to keep life reproducing. All animals labour, with or without coaxing….There’s nothing special about labour, save for the fact that without it we would die. Work, on the other hand, gives collective meaning to what we do. When we work to producesomething we both put something into and leave something lasting in the world: a table, a house,a book, a car, a rug, a high precision piece of engineering with which we can order the days into time, or keep a body breathing.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
Labouring is simply what we do to survive. We labour to eat. To keep our bodies healthy. To keep roof over our heads, and to keep life reproducing. All animals labour, with or without coaxing….There’s nothing special about labour, save for the fact that without it we would die. Work, on the other hand, gives collective meaning to what we do. When we work to producesomething we both put something into and leave something lasting in the world: a table, a house,a book, a car, a rug, a high precision piece of engineering with which we can order the days into time, or keep a body breathing.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
Updated On: Dec 18, 2025
- To be healthy needs labour, while making others healthy is work
- Doing what is asked of a role is labour, while going beyond the role is work
- Labour enables us to survive while work makes survival meaningful
- Terrace gardening is labour, while producing a vaccine is work
- Unacknowledged work is labour, while acknowledgement makes it work
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The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
This passage discusses the distinction between "labour" and "work." It aims to differentiate the two by specifying the roles they play in our lives. Let's analyze the passage to understand what the author intends to communicate:
Context of Labour: According to the passage, labour is essential for survival. It involves basic activities like eating, maintaining health, and having a shelter. The passage emphasizes that all animals, including humans, engage in labour to sustain life. The key point here is survival without any special significance attached beyond mere survival.
Context of Work: In contrast, work is described as an activity that provides collective meaning and leaves a lasting impact. It involves creating something that holds value, such as producing items, or improving life conditions through innovation and creation. Work transforms everyday tasks into something meaningful and valuable that can outlive the creator, like a piece of art or technology.
Options Analysis:
To be healthy needs labour, while making others healthy is work
- : This might seem to fit the passage until we realize it's not about creating meaning or a lasting impact.
Doing what is asked of a role is labour, while going beyond the role is work
- : This option introduces the concept of role expectations, which the passage does not discuss.
Labour enables us to survive while work makes survival meaningful
- : This best encapsulates the passage's message. It clearly distinguishes labour as necessary for survival and work as providing meaning and legacy.
Terrace gardening is labour, while producing a vaccine is work
- : The option does not fully align with the passage’s abstract definition since both could have meaning or basic survival aspects based on interpretation.
Unacknowledged work is labour, while acknowledgement makes it work
- : This introduces the idea of acknowledgment which is not covered in the passage.
Conclusion: The option "
Labour enables us to survive while work makes survival meaningful
- " effectively summarizes the passage's main argument, that is, while labour is essential for survival, work is what provides meaning to our existence.
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Approach Solution -2
Step 1: Understanding "Labour"
The passage defines labour as activities necessary for survival — eating, keeping healthy, having shelter, reproduction. It is common to both humans and animals, and ensures basic survival.
Step 2: Understanding "Work"
Work, on the other hand, is described as meaningful creation that adds value and leaves something lasting behind, such as books, houses, machines, etc. It provides purpose and meaning beyond survival.
Step 3: Eliminating Incorrect Options
- Option 1: Too narrow, only about health, not general survival.
- Option 2: Interpretation of roles is not discussed in the passage.
- Option 4: Gives specific examples not mentioned in the text.
- Option 5: Acknowledgement vs unacknowledgement is not in the passage.
Hence, these are distortions of the original message.
Step 4: The Best Fit
The contrast in the passage is clear:
- Labour → Survival
- Work → Meaningful survival / legacy
This is exactly captured in Option (C).
Final Result:
\[ \boxed{\text{Labour enables us to survive while work makes survival meaningful.}} \]
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