GATE2025_CS1_Q6

"I put the brown paper in my pocket along with the chalks, and possibly other things. I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries in one's pocket: the pocket-knife, for instance the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword. Once I planned to write a book of poems entirely about the things in my pocket. But I found it would be too long: and the age of the great epics is past."
– (From G.K. Chesterton's “A Piece of Chalk")

Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?

✅ Final Answer:

The correct answer is option (C) The pocket-knife is described as the infant of the sword.

🔹 Short Answer:

The statement in option (C) is the only one that is directly and explicitly supported by the text. The passage states, "...the pocket-knife, for instance the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword." The other options are either misinterpretations of the text or inferences that are not directly stated.

🔸 Long Answer:

This is a reading comprehension question that requires careful analysis of the provided text to identify the single statement that is factually true according to the passage alone.

Analysis of Each Option:

• (A) The author of the passage carries a mirror in his pocket to reflect upon things.
  This is a misinterpretation. The passage says, "I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries...". Here, "reflected" means to think deeply or ponder. It does not imply the use of a physical mirror. The passage does not mention a mirror. Thus, this statement is false.
• (B) The author of the passage had decided to write a poem on epics.
  This is incorrect. The author states, "Once I planned to write a book of poems entirely about the things in my pocket." His subject was the mundane items he carried. He mentions epics later as a comparison to explain why his book project was too ambitious ("too long"), because "the age of the great epics is past." He did not plan to write *on* epics. This statement is false.
• (C) The pocket-knife is described as the infant of the sword.
  This is directly from the text. The author describes the pocket-knife as "...the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword." Since this is an exact quote from the passage, this statement is undeniably true.
• (D) Epics are described as too inconvenient to write.
  This is an inference, and not a precise one. The passage says, "...the age of the great epics is past." This suggests that such works are no longer in style or are considered anachronistic. While this might imply they are "inconvenient" in some sense, the text doesn't explicitly state this. More importantly, when one option (C) is a direct, verifiable fact from the text, it is a much stronger and more correct answer than an interpretation like (D). This statement is not directly supported and is therefore considered false in the context of the question.

Conclusion

The only statement that can be verified directly from the given passage is (C). In reading comprehension, it is crucial to distinguish between what is explicitly stated and what is merely inferred, and to prioritize the former.

Bibliography:
- Chesterton, G. K. (1909). Tremendous Trifles. "A Piece of Chalk".
- Wren, P. C., & Martin, H. (2017). High School English Grammar and Composition. S. Chand Publishing. (Chapter on Comprehension).

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