Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
We also went to Japanese Tea Ceremony where we were ushered into a nicely decorated room with a tatami floor and sat on cushions. There was already a Japanese and an American couple sitting there. The Tea Ceremony is a prevalent cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of powdered green tea, Mocha, which was a unique event.
The hostesses brought all the equipment to the room, and every object used in the ceremony was slowly and ritually cleansed. She put some pulverized green tea in a bowl, poured some hot water, and whisked it very well, then placed each in a bowl in front of us. We were following the Japanese couple. Bows were exchanged, and we took the bowl with both hands and, after a few sips, placed it on the floor and bowed and said "oishi desu" (very tasty). The hostess bowed back and said, "domo arigato" (thank you very much). The ceremony took more than two hours.
Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, is world famous, where blossoms, branches, leaves, and stems are used, and the final result is a work of art. In contrast to the western habits of casually placing the flowers in a vase, Ikebana aims to bring out live materials' inner qualities and express emotions and movement. There are many schools of flower arrangement: the most well-known are O'hara and Sogetsu. The first one is very traditional and the second is more modern. I tried to learn the art of O'hara for three months.
Kabuki is the most famous Japanese dance drama and is performed in a highly stylized manner. Kabuki originated in 1600 when dancer Okuni, the female attendant at the Grant Shrine of Alzumo, created this new dramatic art style. She organized other dancers and actors and started performing regularly. The sensual character of the dancers proved to be too disruptive for the government, which in 1629 banned women from performing. Then older men started performing women's roles also.
Kabuki has many similarities to Kathakali (the dance art form native to Kerala), where men also play the part of women. Kabuki also has stories from mythology, love stories, moral conflicts, and well-known tragedies, just as in Kathakali.
"Ikebana" stands out in comparison to the western flower arrangements as ___________.
Choose the correct option:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → it aims at drawing out the intrinsic qualities of flowers
The writer contrasts Ikebana with "the western habits of casually placing the flowers in a vase": Ikebana "aims to bring out live materials' inner qualities" and to express emotion and movement. Intrinsic means belonging to the basic nature of something, the same as "inner" here.
Example: The intrinsic value of a good book lies in its ideas, not its cover.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: it is traditional in style and theme — Incorrect. Too broad: only the O'hara school is called traditional; Sogetsu is "more modern". Tradition is not the point of the contrast with the West.
Option 2: it uses every part of the plant - the blossoms, branches, leaves, etc. — Incorrect. Wrong focus: the passage does list blossoms, branches and leaves, but as a description of Ikebana, not as the point on which it differs from western arrangement.
Option 4: it is more famous than the western flower arrangements — Incorrect. Overstated: Ikebana is called "world famous", but the passage makes no comparison of fame with western arrangements.