Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the five questions that follow:-
Who among us has not enjoyed the transient pleasures of a little sugar? A bite of biscuit, a slice of cake, even the simple act of stirring sugar into a cup of something warm—all these constitute a deeply individual moment, a tiny space of solitude in the hectic race of humanity. Worldwide, people enjoy a sugar rush, which they hope ,will pass. The global consumption of sugar crossed 178 million metric tons in 2024—but, in fact, the impact of sugar and its sibling, chocolate, stays with us forever.
Sugar’s planetary history is remarkable. From being a locally grown product, it has expanded to 65 million acres worldwide; a dozen countries use more than 25% of their arable land to grow it. Alongside cattle ranching, 80% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down for growing sugarcane. Once planted, it takes 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of cane sugar—that’s a mind-boggling 34 liters per teaspoon. Meanwhile, the global chocolate market has caused the deforestation of vast stretches worldwide; cocoa decimated 2.3 million hectares just between 2001 and 2015. These industries further emit greenhouse gases, warming air and releasing chemicals into land and water, harming ecology and species.
Alongside, sugar and chocolate have bitter social histories. Both stem from pasts of enslavement; their global boom shows colonialism gleaming in shiny wrappers of business. These transplanted entire families—in a bitter-sweet twist, the ancestors of V.S. Naipaul, the Indian-origin writer, were taken as indentured labour from Uttar Pradesh to Trinidad to grow sugar. Helpless child labourers still work in cocoa farms, spraying pesticides and carrying sacks of goodies. Ironically, commodities which harm earth and vulnerable communities ultimately catch up with everybody—many of the world’s deadliest diseases, diabetes to cardiovascular illness, come from these.
As per the passage the sugar rush 'passes' but the effects of sugar stay with us 'forever'. The writer means that:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Sugar consumption is a bitter pill with veiled but serious side effects.
The writer sets the short "sugar rush", which passes, against the damage that sugar does to the planet, to people and to health, which stays "forever". A bitter pill is an unpleasant truth that has to be accepted; sugar's harm is veiled (hidden) behind its pleasure, but it is serious.
Example: Losing the final in the last over was a bitter pill to swallow.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Even transient pleasures must be partaken. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage warns against sugar; it never says that such short-lived ("transient") pleasures must be enjoyed.
Option 2: Sugar rises and falls in the blood stream. — Incorrect. Misread: it reads "passes" literally; the passage speaks of effects on the earth, society and health, not of blood-sugar levels.
Option 3: Love for sugar is universal. — Incorrect. Wrong link: the opening ("Who among us has not enjoyed ...") suggests this, but it does not explain the contrast between "passes" and "forever".