What’s the Purpose of Gaining Knowledge? Reading Answers

Jan 3, 2023

What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge? Reading Answers contains 12 questions. The IELTS reading section needs to be attempted within a timeline of 20 minutes. What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge? Reading Answers consists of three types of questions including- matching heading, no more than 2 words and yes/no/not given. What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge? Reading Answers has been referenced from the book The Official Cambridge Guide To IELTS Student's Book With Answers. To solve the IELTS Reading section, candidates need to skim the passage for keywords, understand the concept, and answer based on the given instructions. Candidates should use no more than three words for their answers. Candidates must read the IELTS Reading passage, identify keywords, and recognize synonyms to answer the question. Candidates can solve more such IELTS reading samples like- What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge? Reading Answers from IELTS reading practice tests.

Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

What’s the Purpose of Gaining Knowledge? Reading Answers

‘I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any subject'. That was the founder's motto for Cornell University, and it seems an apt characterization of the different university, also in the USA, where I currently teach philosophy. A student can prepare for a career in resort management, engineering, interior design, accounting, music, law enforcement, you name it. But what would the founders of these two institutions have thought of a course called Arson for Profit’? I kid you not: we have it on the books. Any undergraduates who have met the academic requirements can sign up for the course in our program in 'fire science’.
Naturally, the course is intended for prospective arson investigators, who can learn all the tricks of the trade for detecting whether a fire was deliberately set, discovering who did it, and establishing a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law. But wouldn’t this also be the perfect course for prospective arsonists to sign up for? My point is not to criticize academic programs in fire science: they are highly welcome as part of the increasing professionalization of this and many other occupations. However, it’s not unknown for a firefighter to torch a building. This example suggests how dishonest and illegal behavior, with the help of higher education, can creep into every aspect of public and business life.
I realized this anew when I was invited to speak before a class in marketing, which is another of our degree programs. The regular instructor is a colleague who appreciates the kind of ethical perspective I can bring as a philosopher. There are endless ways I could have approached this assignment, but I took my cue from the title of the course: 'Principles of Marketing’. It made me think to ask the students, 'Is marketing principled?’ After all, a subject matter can have principles in the sense of being codified, having rules, as with football or chess, without being principled in the sense of being ethical. Many of the students immediately assumed that the answer to my question about marketing principles was obvious: no. Just look at the ways in which everything under the sun has been marketed; obviously, it need not be done in a principled (=ethical) fashion.
Is that obvious? I made the suggestion, which may sound downright crazy in light of the evidence, that perhaps marketing is by definition principled. My inspiration for this judgement is the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argued that any body of knowledge consists of an end (or purpose) and a means.
Let us apply both the terms 'means' and ‘end' to marketing. The students have signed up for a course in order to learn how to market effectively. But to what end? There seem to be two main attitudes toward that question. One is that the answer is obvious: the purpose of marketing is to sell things and to make money. The other attitude is that the purpose of marketing is irrelevant: Each person comes to the program and course with his or her own plans, and these need not even concern the acquisition of marketing expertise as such. My proposal, which I believe would also be Kant's, is that neither of these attitudes captures the significance of the end to the means for marketing. A field of knowledge or a professional endeavor is defined by both the means and the end; hence both deserve scrutiny. Students need to study both how to achieve X, and also what X is.
It is at this point that ‘Arson for Profit’ becomes supremely relevant. That course is presumably all about means: how to detect and prosecute criminal activity. It is therefore assumed that the end is good in an ethical sense. When I ask fire science students to articulate the end, or purpose, of their field, they eventually generalize to something like, ‘The safety and welfare of society,’ which seems right. As we have seen, someone could use the very same knowledge of means to achieve a much less noble end, such as personal profit via destructive, dangerous, reckless activity. But we would not call that firefighting. We have a separate word for it: arson. Similarly, if you employed the ‘principles of marketing’ in an unprincipled way, you would not be doing marketing. We have another term for it: fraud. Kant gives the example of a doctor and a poisoner, who use the identical knowledge to achieve their divergent ends. We would say that one is practicing medicine, the other, murder.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27- 40, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Questions 27-32:
The Reading Passage has six sections, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

Courses that require a high level of commitment
A course title with two meanings
The equal importance of two key issues
Applying a theory in an unexpected context
The financial benefits of studying
A surprising course title
Different names for different outcomes
The possibility of attracting the wrong kind of student

Section A

Answer: vi. A surprising course title
Supporting Sentence: But what would the founders of these two institutions have thought of a course called Arson for Profit’? I kid you not:
Keywords: course, Arson for Profit
Keyword Location: Paragraph A
Explanation: A student can study for a job in resort administration, engineering, interior design, accountancy, music, or law enforcement, to mention a few options. However, would the creators of these two schools have made of a course titled 'Arson for Profit'. I'm not kidding: it's in the books.

Section B

Answer: viii. The possibility of attracting the wrong kind of student
Supporting Sentence: This example suggests how dishonest and illegal behavior, with the help of higher education, can creep into every aspect of public and business life.
Keywords: higher education, creep, aspect of public, and business life
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: It is not uncommon for a firefighter to set fire to a structure. This case demonstrates how dishonest and unlawful behaviour may infiltrate every facet of public and economic life with the assistance of higher education.

Section C

Answer: ii. A course title with two meanings
Supporting Sentence: I took my cue from the title of the course: 'Principles of Marketing’. It made me think to ask the students, 'Is marketing principled?’
Keywords: marketing principled
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: There are infinite ways I might have tackled this task, but I took my lead from the title of the course: 'Principles of Marketing'. It prompted me to inquire of the pupils about the marketing principles.

Section D

Answer: iv. Applying a theory in an unexpected context
Supporting Sentence: My inspiration for this judgement is the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argued that any body of knowledge consists of an end (or purpose) and a means.
Keywords: inspiration, philosopher Immanuel Kant
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: The student in para D mentions Immanuel Kant, the philosopher who claimed that each body of knowledge. It comprises a goal (or purpose) and a means, inspired by this judgment.

Section E

Answer: iii. The equal importance of two key issues
Supporting Sentence: A field of knowledge or a professional endeavor is defined by both the means and the end.
Keywords: knowledge or a professional endeavor
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: The student in para E mentions that a body of knowledge or a professional activity. It is characterized by both the means and the end result; so, both must be scrutinized. Students must learn both how to obtain X and what X is.

Section F

Answer: vii. Different names for different outcomes
Supporting Sentence: Similarly, if you employed the ‘principles of marketing’ in an unprincipled way, you would not be doing marketing. We have another term for it: fraud.
Keywords: employed the ‘principles of marketing’, marketing
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: In Paragraph F, it mentions that is not what they call firefighting. It even has its own word: arson. Similarly, if you applied the "principles of marketing" in an unethical manner, you would not be marketing. Another word for it is deception.

Questions 33-36:
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

The ‘Arson for Profit’ course

This is a university course intended for students who are undergraduates and who are studying 33 ..................... . The expectation is that they will become 34 ..................... specialising in arson. The course will help them to detect cases of arson and find 35 ..................... of criminal intent, leading to successful 36 ..................... in the courts.

Question 33:

Answer: fire science
Supporting Sentence: the course is intended for prospective arson investigators
Keywords: prospective arson investigators
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: Here paragraph B mentions that the course is designed for aspiring arson investigators. They want to master all the tricks of the trade for determining if a fire was intentionally started. By determining who committed it, and creating a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law.

Question 34:

Answer: investigators
Supporting Sentence: who can learn all the tricks of the trade for detecting whether a fire was deliberately set
Keywords: trade for detecting
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: Here paragraph B mentions that the course is designed for aspiring arson investigators. It wants to master all the tricks of the trade for determining if a fire was intentionally started, determining who committed it. Creating a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law.

Question 35:

Answer: evidence
Supporting Sentence: discovering who did it, and establishing a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law.
Keywords: evidence, effective prosecution
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: Here paragraph B mentions that the course is designed for aspiring arson investigators who want to master all the tricks of the trade. For determining if a fire was intentionally started, determining who committed it. Creating a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law.

Question 36:

Answer: prosecution
Supporting Sentence: establishing a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law.
Keywords: chain of evidence, effective prosecution
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: Here paragraph B mentions that the course is designed for aspiring arson investigators. He wants to master all the tricks of the trade for determining if a fire was intentionally started, determining who committed it. Creating a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law.

Questions 37-40:
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet, write:

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

It is difficult to attract students onto courses that do not focus on a career.

Answer: Not given
Explanation: When students are asked to explain the end goal, or aim, of their area, they finally generalize to something like, "The safety and wellbeing of society,". This sounds appropriate. As we've seen, the same understanding of means may be used to attain a much less noble goal. Such as personal profit through damaging, harmful, and irresponsible behaviour.

The ‘Arson for Profit’ course would be useful for people intending to set fire to buildings.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: As we have seen, someone could use the very same knowledge of means to achieve a much less noble end
Keywords: same knowledge, achieve a much less noble end
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: Paragraph F mentions they have seen, the same understanding of means may be used to attain a much less noble goal. Such as personal profit through damaging, harmful, and irresponsible behaviour. But it is not what we call firefighting. It even has its own word: arson.

Fire science courses are too academic to help people to be good at the job of firefighting.

Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: It is at this point that ‘Arson for Profit’ becomes supremely relevant
Keywords: Arson for Profit
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: At this time, the phrase "Arson for Profit" becomes quite important. That training is probably all about methods: detecting and prosecuting illegal activities. As a result, it is presumed that the overall result is ethically sound.

The writer’s fire science students provided a detailed definition of the purpose of their studies.

Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: When I ask fire science students to articulate the end, or purpose, of their field, they eventually generalize to something like, ‘The safety and welfare of society,’ which seems right.
Keywords: The safety and welfare of society
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: Paragraph F mentions that when they ask fire science students to describe the aim, or purpose, of their discipline. They inevitably generalize to something like societal safety and welfare, which seems reasonable.

Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples