The weight of society’s expectations is hardly a new phenomenon but it has become
particularly draining over recent decades, perhaps because expectations themselves
are so multifarious and contradictory. The perfectionism of the 1950s was rooted in the
norms of mass culture and captured in famous advertising images of the ideal white
American family that now seem self-satirising. In that era, perfectionism meant
seamlessly conforming to values, behaviour and appearance: chiselled confidence for
men, demure graciousness for women. The perfectionist was under pressure to look
like everyone else, only more so. The perfectionists of today, by contrast, feel an
obligation to stand out through their idiosyncratic style and wit if they are to gain a
foothold in the attention economy

1. Though long-standing, the pressure to appear perfect and thereby attract attention,
   has evolved over time from one of conformism to one of non-conformism.
2. The pressure to appear perfect has been the cause of tension and conflict because
   the idea itself has been in a state of flux and hard to define.
3. The desire to attract attention is so deep-rooted in individual consciousness that
   people are willing to go to any lengths to achieve it.
4. The image of perfectionism is reflected in and perpetuated by the media; and people
   do their best to adhere to these ideals.

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option
that best captures the essence of the passage.
Gradually, life for the island’s birds is improving. Antarctic prions and white-headed
petrels, which also nest in burrows, had managed to cling on in some sites while pests
were on the island. Their numbers are now increasing. “It’s fantastic and so exciting,”
Shaw says. As birds return to breed, they also poo. This adds nutrients to the soil,
which in turn helps the plants to grow back stronger. Tall plants then help burrowing
birds hide from predatory skuas. “It’s this wonderful feedback loop,” Shaw says.
Today, the “pretty paddock” that Houghton first experienced has been transformed.
“The tussock is over your head, and you’re dodging all these penguin tunnels,” she
says. The orchids and tiny herb that had been protected by fencing have started
turning up all over the place.
Ans 1. Flowering plants, herbs and birds are now being protected on this wonderful Antarctic
island.

2. There is a huge positive transformation of the ecosystem of the island when brought
   under environmental protection.
3. In the absence of pests, life on the island is now protected, and there has been a
   revival of a variety of birds and plants.
4. There is an increasing number of predatory birds and plants on the island despite the
   presence of pests which is a positive development