Question

Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows.
Smoking is dangerous. The nitrogen dioxide in the smoke of a cigarette can produce a solution of acid capable of burning holes in a nylon stocking. And this gas is the agent in cigarette smoke that scientists think may cause emphysema, in which whole clusters of alveoli are gradually destroyed. Only the recovery period between each cigarette and the remarkable mechanism of the lungs and the body enzymes in detoxifying and eliminating poisonous substances show its destructiveness. But Dr Hurst Hatch flatly declares that anyone who regularly smokes two packets a day will eventually develop emphysema; may die of it if smoking continues.
In prolonged, excessive smoking, the cilia are eventually destroyed. Deposits of tars and volatile condensates in cigarette smoke can then accumulate on the unprotected bronchial surfaces, directly attacking the naked cells. When these cells develop damaged nuclei and become disordered, the result is the first stage of lung cancer.
The writer's opinion about smoking is ______.
(a) that it is relatively harmless.
(b) that it causes instant and severe damage.
(c) that it inevitably causes cancer.
(d) that it tends to be destructive

Answer 1

Hint:Read the given passage and try to understand the context of the given passage. Choose the option which can best express the action being described while keeping in mind to focus on the author’s opinion regarding the topic of the passage.

Complete answer: In the context of the question, we know that the writer is explaining the dangerous impacts of smoking. He further explains that smoking can cause emphysema and cancer, which can be injurious to health.
Hence, the writer finds smoking to be destructive and damaging.
Now, let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘that it is relatively harmless’ is an incorrect option because it contradicts the main idea discussed in the passage.
Option b- ‘that it causes instant and severe damage’ is an incorrect option because smoking doesn’t cause any instant damages.
Option c- ‘that it inevitably causes cancer’ is an incorrect option because smoking can cause emphysema and cancer.
Option d- ‘that it tends to be destructive’ is the correct option because the writer explains how smoking can be injurious to our health.
The correct answer is Option ‘d’.

Note: Always remember that passage-based questions should only be solved after a thorough reading of the passage. You can also underline the important points in the passage for reference.