Read the given passage and answer the four questions that follow:-
The aim of life should be to reach one's full potential in body, mind, heart, and spirit. When we see an electric bulb, we think of Thomas Edison, the inventor of the bulb and lighting system. The sound of an aeroplane reminds us of the Wright Brothers, who proved man could fly. A ringing telephone brings to mind Alexander Graham Bell. A unique scientist, Sir C.V. Raman, pondered why the horizon looks blue during sea travel, leading to his Nobel Prize-winning explanation of light scattering.
The world is fortunate to have Mahatma Gandhi, who fought for India's independence and inspired South Africa's fight against apartheid. Madam Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes-one in 1903 for discovering radium and another in 1911 for her research in chemistry. She is the discoverer of radiation that saves the lives of cancer patients today, improves crop yields, powers industry and nuclear weapon systems.
These individuals walked unexplored paths and strived to be unique, leaving lasting contributions to humankind. Every youth desires to be unique, but society often pressures them to conform. The challenge is to fight the hardest battle to become a "Unique You."
Alexander Graham Bell once said, "Don't stay on the beaten path; explore the woods. You'll find something new. Follow it; one discovery will lead to another." This advice inspires us to leave familiar trails and discover our potential.
Are you willing to become a unique personality, or will you settle for being like everyone else? The choice is yours.
Select the core message of the passage from the options given below:-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Striving for uniqueness leads to growth and contribution.
All the people named in the passage walked unexplored paths and strived to be unique, and this left lasting contributions to humankind. The passage then urges the reader to leave familiar trails, discover one's potential and become a "Unique You". Growth of the self and contribution to others, both coming from the effort to be unique, is the core message.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Society prefers conformity over individuality. — Incorrect. Too narrow: the passage does say that society pressures the young to conform, but this is only the obstacle it mentions, not the main message. Conformity means behaving like everyone else; individuality means the qualities that make a person different from others.
Example: The school encourages individuality and lets students choose their own projects.
Option 3: Following others leads to great success and achievement. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage says the opposite: success came to those who did not follow others but explored new paths.
Option 4: Innovation is only for a select few who strive for it. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage says that every youth desires to be unique and asks each reader to make the choice; it does not keep innovation for a few.