A crowd - Marvel Education

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Practice Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers ID: #44044 Short A crowd

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Transcript:

Notice, for example, how people who have unusual hobbies, opinions, strong or unconventional behaviour, tend to congregate. They form clubs, hold meetings, and organise rallies where they can get together and discuss their enthusiasms common or problems. The important word is 'common'. They look for other people with whom they can share what in the normal run of events is regarded by relatives, friends and neighbours as an oddity. A crowd, even a small crowd, is reassuring. Probably all of us recognise a tension within ourselves between the two forces of individualism and conformity, for at the same time that most of us are going with the crowd, we tend to resent any suggestion that this is what we are doing. We feel a self-conscious need to assert our individuality as when the belligerent man at the bar informs his small audience, "Well, I say what I think." Or the wary stranger to whom we have just been introduced announces, "You must take me as you find me. I don't stand on ceremony."

Which two options best capture the central themes of the paragraph?

* Click on the correct answers

People with unusual hobbies or opinions often isolate themselves from society. Unconventional individuals seek reassurance and camaraderie in groups with similar interests. Most people resent the idea of conforming and always strive for individualism. Conformity and individualism coexist as internal conflicts within most people. Asserting individuality is a conscious effort to distinguish oneself from the crowd.

Result:

A.I. Explanation:

Option 1: "People with unusual hobbies or opinions often isolate themselves from society."
Explanation: This option is incorrect because the text emphasizes that individuals with unusual hobbies or opinions actually seek out others with similar interests, forming clubs and gatherings. The idea of isolation contradicts the main theme of seeking connection and reassurance among like-minded individuals.
Option 2: "Unconventional individuals seek reassurance and camaraderie in groups with similar interests."
Explanation: This option is correct as it aligns with the text's main idea that people with unconventional behaviors congregate to share their interests and find comfort in numbers. The text explicitly mentions how they form clubs and hold meetings to discuss their common enthusiasms, highlighting the need for reassurance and camaraderie.
Option 3: "Most people resent the idea of conforming and always strive for individualism."
Explanation: This option is incorrect because while the text mentions a tension between individualism and conformity, it does not state that most people always strive for individualism. Instead, it suggests that people often go along with the crowd while feeling a need to assert their individuality, indicating a more complex relationship than outright resentment.
Option 4: "Conformity and individualism coexist as internal conflicts within most people."
Explanation: This option is incorrect as it oversimplifies the relationship between conformity and individualism. The text does mention a tension between the two, but it focuses more on the behavior of individuals seeking reassurance in groups rather than framing it solely as an internal conflict. The coexistence is acknowledged, but the emphasis is on the social aspect of seeking connection.
Option 5: "Asserting individuality is a conscious effort to distinguish oneself from the crowd."
Explanation: This option is correct because it reflects the text's discussion of how individuals feel a self-conscious need to assert their individuality, as illustrated by the examples of the belligerent man and the wary stranger. This conscious effort to distinguish oneself from the crowd aligns with the themes of individualism and the desire for recognition.

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