Question

Which of the following views would the author BEST agree with?

• A. Character skills risk abandoning your personality along with your instincts.
• B. Our values and principles are always put to test by our personality.
• C. Putting our values and principles to practice requires transcending our personality.
• D. Because principles clash with your personality, character is needed.
• E. Our behavior is a function of our character not our personality.
• A. Character skills can compensate for poor cognitive skills.
• B. Character skills can be built only if one believes in them.
• C. Cognitive skills unlike character skills are always reactive.
• D. Being aware of your character skills enable you to exercise them.
• J. Sustainable success in life requires strong character skills.
• A. One can be poor in finance and quantitative skills but really good in character skills.
• B. Character skills enable you to generate opportunities rather than capitalize on existing ones.
• C. Character skills are industry agnostic in application.
• D. Entrepreneurs are already aware of their business and are only missing character skills.
• O. Character skills prepare you for an uncertain future.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

To solve this question, we need to analyze the given comprehension and identify which statement the author would most likely agree with regarding character and personality.

1. Understanding the Passage: The passage emphasizes the importance of character skills over personality traits. It illustrates an experiment where character skills training resulted in a significant improvement in entrepreneurs' business outcomes compared to cognitive skills training. The key point is that character allows individuals to prioritize values over instincts and transcend personality tendencies, particularly under challenging circumstances.
2. Analyzing Each Option:
   • Character skills risk abandoning your personality along with your instincts.
     This option contradicts the passage since it suggests a negative impact of character skills, whereas the passage highlights their positive role.
   • Our values and principles are always put to test by our personality.
     While personality may influence our instincts, the passage does not stress that it constantly tests values and principles, rather it distinguishes between the responses dictated by personality and those guided by character.
   • Putting our values and principles to practice requires transcending our personality.
     This option is aligned with the passage's core message, which stresses that character skills help overcome inherent personality tendencies to uphold values.
   • Because principles clash with your personality, character is needed.
     Although this suggests a conflict between principles and personality, it's not entirely the passage's focus. The passage highlights transcending tendencies, not just conflict.
   • Our behavior is a function of our character not our personality.
     This oversimplifies the relationship between personality and character. The passage acknowledges both influence behavior but emphasizes character's role in challenging times.
3. Conclusion: The correct answer is
   Putting our values and principles to practice requires transcending our personality.
   This statement best summarizes the passage's argument that character skills enable individuals to act consistently with their values, beyond personality inclinations.

Answer 2

Step 1: Recall the passage’s distinction.
The passage explained that personality is our predisposition (instincts, reactions), while character is our ability to transcend those instincts and act according to values and principles.
Step 2: Evaluate options.
- Option A: Incorrect — character does not abandon personality. - Option B: Misleading — values are not “tested by” personality, they override it. - Option C: Correct. The author stresses character as transcending personality by prioritizing values and principles. - Option D: Incorrect framing — principles do not “clash,” but require practice beyond personality. - Option E: Too absolute — behavior is influenced by both character and personality.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the best view is Option C.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{C}} \]

Answer 3

This question asks you to determine which option can be best inferred from the given passage about the impact of character skills training versus cognitive skills training. Let us analyze each option carefully to identify the best inference based on the passage's information.

1. Character skills can compensate for poor cognitive skills.
   • This statement implies that character skills can replace cognitive skills, which is not explicitly supported by the passage. The passage highlights the distinct advantages of character skills training over cognitive skills training but does not suggest that character skills can completely replace cognitive skills. Thus, this is not the best inference.
2. Character skills can be built only if one believes in them.
   • The passage mentions that character skills can be developed and has plasticity. However, it does not state that belief in character skills is a prerequisite for building them. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
3. Cognitive skills unlike character skills are always reactive.
   • The passage notes that character skills enable anticipation of market changes, implying proactivity, but it does not claim that cognitive skills are always reactive. It merely highlights one specific case where character skills training led to more proactive behavior. Thus, this inference is not fully supported.
4. Being aware of your character skills enables you to exercise them.
   • While the passage emphasizes the importance of practicing character skills, it does not specifically state that merely being aware of these skills enables one to exercise them effectively. Therefore, this option is not the best choice.
5. Sustainable success in life requires strong character skills.
   • The passage provides examples of businesses achieving significant growth through character skills training, including increased profits and resilience. It also emphasizes that character skills are needed to stand by values under stress and pressure. These points strongly suggest that character skills contribute to sustainable success. Thus, this is the best inference from the passage.

Considering all the options and the context provided in the passage, the correct answer is: "Sustainable success in life requires strong character skills."

Answer 4

Step 1: Recall experimental findings.
The experiment showed that entrepreneurs who trained in character skills saw profit growth nearly triple that of those trained in cognitive skills.
Step 2: Evaluate options.
- Option A: Not stated — character skills don’t “compensate” but enhance opportunities. - Option B: Incorrect — belief is not emphasized, practice is. - Option C: Wrong — cognitive skills are not described as “always reactive.” - Option D: Awareness is not enough; deliberate practice is stressed. - Option E: Correct. The passage shows long-term business growth came from character skills, proving sustainability.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the inference is Option E.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{E}} \]

Answer 5

To understand why character skills might help entrepreneurs more than cognitive skills, let's start by analyzing the passage provided in the comprehension section.

1. Context of the Experiment: A team conducted an experiment with 1,500 entrepreneurs in West Africa, focusing on comparing the effects of cognitive and character skills training. Cognitive skills included areas such as finance, accounting, HR, and marketing. In contrast, character skills focused on personal initiative, proactivity, discipline, and determination.
2. Outcome of the Experiment: The results showed that character skills training led to a profit growth of 30% over two years, nearly triple the impact of cognitive skills training. This indicated a substantial benefit in developing character skills.
3. Generating Opportunities vs. Capitalizing on Them: While cognitive skills might equip founders to capitalize on existing opportunities, character skills enabled them to generate new opportunities. This highlights the proactive nature of character skills—entrepreneurs learned to anticipate market changes, develop creative ideas, and innovate by introducing new products.
4. Resilience and Problem Solving: Entrepreneurs with strong character skills showed greater resilience and resourcefulness when facing financial challenges, illustrating their ability to maintain productivity and devise solutions despite adversity.
5. Conclusion: The critical takeaway is that character skills, through enhancing proactivity and resilience, empower entrepreneurs to not just seize opportunities but to create them. This aligns with the correct answer: "Character skills enable you to generate opportunities rather than capitalize on existing ones."

By focusing on developing character skills, entrepreneurs increase their capacity to adapt, innovate, and maintain their core values, even when facing significant challenges, proving the long-term value of character skills over mere cognitive abilities.

Answer 6

Step 1: Recall findings.
The passage said cognitive skills (finance, marketing) help founders capitalize on existing opportunities, but character skills (discipline, proactivity, resilience) enabled them to create new opportunities and overcome obstacles.
Step 2: Evaluate options.
- Option A: Too simplistic — being “poor in finance” is not the core argument. - Option B: Perfect fit — directly reflects passage’s statement about generating opportunities. - Option C: True but secondary; not the main reason given. - Option D: Unsupported — no evidence that entrepreneurs only lack character skills. - Option E: True but vague; “uncertain future” is not highlighted as main reason.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the correct answer is Option B.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{B}} \]