Question

Which one of the options does NOT describe the passage below or follow from it? 

Passage: We tend to think of cancer as a 'modern' illness because its metaphors are so modern. It is a disease of overproduction, of sudden growth, a growth that is unstoppable, tipped into the abyss of no control. Modern cell biology encourages us to imagine the cell as a molecular machine. Cancer is that machine unable to quench its initial command (to grow) and thus transform into an indestructible, self-propelled automaton.

• A. It is a reflection of why cancer seems so modern to most of us.
• B. It tells us that modern cell biology uses and promotes metaphors of machinery.
• C. Modern cell biology encourages metaphors of machinery, and cancer is often imagined as a machine.
• D. Modern cell biology never uses figurative language, such as metaphors, to describe or explain anything.

Hint:

When tackling comprehension questions, look for absolute words like "never" or "always." They often signal the incorrect option when the passage gives examples to the contrary.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Identify the key idea of the passage.
The author emphasizes that cancer is understood in modern times through metaphors — particularly, cancer is likened to a machine. Modern cell biology encourages us to use figurative language and imagine the cell as a "molecular machine".

Step 2: Check each option.
- (A) Correctly follows. The passage explains why cancer seems modern, because the metaphors applied to it are modern. - (B) Correctly follows. The passage explicitly says modern cell biology uses and promotes metaphors of machinery. - (C) Correctly follows. The passage literally uses the metaphor of a cell as a molecular machine, showing cancer as an automaton. - (D) Does not follow. The passage repeatedly states that modern cell biology does use metaphors (machine analogy). Saying it "never uses figurative language" is the exact opposite of the passage's meaning. \[ \boxed{\text{The statement that does NOT follow is (D).}} \]