Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage:
Cricket, as a sport, has continually evolved in response to changing audience preferences and technological advancements. Among its many formats, Test cricket and One Day Internationals (ODIs) represent two contrasting philosophies—one rooted in endurance and strategy, the other in dynamism and entertainment. Test cricket, often regarded as the pinnacle of the sport, is a format that unfolds over five days, demanding exceptional levels of patience, technique, and mental resilience. It offers players the opportunity to exhibit classical skills and tactical acumen, where the fluctuating tempo mirrors the rhythm of real life—unpredictable, slow-burning, and layered. For purists, Test cricket is an art form, rewarding not merely flamboyance but consistency and grit. In contrast, ODIs compress the drama into a single day. With limited overs, this format prioritizes aggressive batting, innovative bowling variations, and strategic field placements. The adrenaline-infused pace of ODIs appeals to a broader demographic, especially in an era of dwindling attention spans and time constraints. For broadcasters and advertisers, the shorter format offers commercial viability, making it a lucrative spectacle. However, critics argue that the commercialization of ODIs has come at the expense of depth and nuance. In pursuit of viewership, substance often gives way to spectacle. Conversely, defenders of Test cricket lament its declining audience, attributing it to an increasingly entertainment-driven sports culture. Yet, occasional high-stakes encounters—like the Ashes or India-Australia series—still manage to ignite global interest. The ongoing debate between formats is not merely about preference, but about the identity of the sport itself. While both formats have their merits, the challenge lies in preserving the sanctity of Test cricket without undermining the accessibility of ODIs—a delicate balance that cricketing authorities must negotiate in the years ahead.
What tone does the author adopt toward the preservation of Test cricket?
- (a)Indifferent
- (b)Hopeful and critical
- (c)Mocking and dismissive
- (d)Casual and informal
Answer
Why
Correct — B. Hopeful and critical has two halves, and the passage earns both.
Critical — of the commercial chase: 'In pursuit of viewership, substance often gives way to spectacle.'
Hopeful — the lament over Test cricket's 'declining audience' turns on Yet: 'occasional high-stakes encounters—like the Ashes or India-Australia series—still manage to ignite global interest.'
The close treats preservation as 'a delicate balance' to be negotiated, not a lost cause → option (b).
Why the others are wrong
- (a)Indifferent — Indifferent means not caring how things turn out. This writer calls preserving 'the sanctity of Test cricket' a challenge and the balance 'delicate' — the words of someone who cares.
- (c)Mocking and dismissive — Nothing in the passage mocks Test cricket. It presents the format as 'often regarded as the pinnacle of the sport' and, for purists, 'an art form' rewarding 'consistency and grit'.
- (d)Casual and informal — Casual and informal would describe the writing, not an attitude to preservation — and the writing is formal anyway: 'tactical acumen', 'commercial viability', 'sanctity'.
Concept
A tone question asks for the author's attitude, read from word choice and turning words — here Yet, sanctity and delicate balance.
Check a two-word option half by half. Each word must be earned by a sentence in the passage, and one unsupported half sinks the whole option.
Here the hope sits in the Yet sentence and the criticism in 'substance often gives way to spectacle'.
The criticism is aimed at the commercialization of ODIs and an 'entertainment-driven sports culture', not at Test cricket itself.
So critical here means critical of what endangers the format, which sits comfortably beside hope for it.
Key facts
- Indifferent means having no particular interest or concern either way.
- Sanctity means the quality of being sacred or of the highest importance.
- In the passage, Yet marks the turn from Test cricket's declining audience to the Ashes and India-Australia series that 'still manage to ignite global interest'.
- This question asks for an attitude toward preservation, so an option describing the style of the writing does not answer it.
Study next
Common traps
- Reading critical as critical of Test cricket — the criticism in the passage is aimed at commercialization and spectacle.
- Taking 'While both formats have their merits' as indifference — a balanced writer can still care, and this one calls the balance delicate.
The same passage also sets English Q.15, Q.16, Q.17 and Q.19 of this shift. Q.16's keyed criticism of ODIs, loss of depth due to over-commercialization, is the critical half of this tone.
A two-word tone option is also keyed at 18 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.20: Reflective and critical.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.