Question:
Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Multitasking has been found to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol... This expectation is so ingrained that people in meetings routinely answer their cell phones to say, "I'm sorry, I can't talk now, I'm in a meeting." Just a decade or two ago, those same people would have let a landline on their desk go unanswered during a meeting, so different were the expectations for reachability.
According to the passage, why do people in meetings routinely answer their cell phones to say, "I'm sorry, I can't talk now, I'm in a meeting."?
Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Multitasking has been found to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol... This expectation is so ingrained that people in meetings routinely answer their cell phones to say, "I'm sorry, I can't talk now, I'm in a meeting." Just a decade or two ago, those same people would have let a landline on their desk go unanswered during a meeting, so different were the expectations for reachability.
According to the passage, why do people in meetings routinely answer their cell phones to say, "I'm sorry, I can't talk now, I'm in a meeting."?
Multitasking has been found to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol... This expectation is so ingrained that people in meetings routinely answer their cell phones to say, "I'm sorry, I can't talk now, I'm in a meeting." Just a decade or two ago, those same people would have let a landline on their desk go unanswered during a meeting, so different were the expectations for reachability.
According to the passage, why do people in meetings routinely answer their cell phones to say, "I'm sorry, I can't talk now, I'm in a meeting."?
Show Hint
Direct "According to the passage" questions are essentially data retrieval tasks. Find the exact sentence containing the quote, look at the sentence immediately preceding it, and map its semantics directly to the options.
Updated On: Mar 27, 2026
- Because, it conveys that the receiver is a busy person.
- Because, in meetings, cell phones allow people to multitask.
- Because, it is convenient for people to send a message.
- Because, if you carry a cell phone, you have to reply.
- Because, people don't mind if somebody takes a brief phone call.
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Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Locate the specific scenario in the text.
The passage mentions people answering phones in meetings immediately after stating: "This has created an implicit expectation that you should be able to reach someone when it is convenient for you, regardless of whether it is convenient for them."
Step 2: Map the text to the options.
The phrase "implicit expectation" implies an unwritten rule or obligation. Option (D) translates this societal obligation perfectly—carrying the device creates an ingrained expectation that a reply is mandatory, even just to say you are busy.
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