Reading Comprehension

Technology

Medium

Typewriters are the epitome of a technology that has been comprehensively rendered obsolete by the digital age. The ink comes off the ribbon, they weigh a ton, and second thoughts are a disaster. But they are also personal, portable and, above all, private. Type a document and lock it away and more or less the only way anyone else can get it is if you give it to them. That is why the Russians have decided to go back to typewriters in some government offices, and why in the US, some departments have never abandoned them. Yet it is not just their resistance to algorithms and secret surveillance that keeps typewriter production lines well one, at least in business (the last British one closed a year ago). Nor is it only the nostalgic appeal of the metal body and the stout well-defined keys that make them popular on eBay. A typewriter demands something particular: attentiveness. By the time the paper is loaded, the ribbon tightened, the carriage returned, the spacing and the margins set, there's a big premium on hitting the right key. That means sorting out ideas, pulling together a kind of order and organising details before actually striking off. There can be no thinking on screen with a typewriter. Nor are there any easy distractions. No online shopping. No urgent emails. No Twitter. No need even for electricity perfect for writing in a remote hideaway. The thinking process is accompanied by the encouraging clack of keys, and the ratchet of the carriage return. Ping!

Which one of the following best describes what the passage is trying to do?

It describes why people continue to use typewriters even in the digital age.

It argues that typewriters will continue to be used even though they are an obsolete technology.

It highlights the personal benefits of using typewriters.uture.

It shows that computers offer fewer options than typewriters.

✅ Correct Option: 1

The passage starts by saying typewriters are obsolete, then spends most of its time explaining why people still use them. This is the key pattern to spot.

From passage: "Typewriters are the epitome of a technology that has been comprehensively rendered obsolete by the digital age... But they are also personal, portable and, above all, private."

The author's strategy -> Start with the obvious problem -> Then explain why typewriters survive anyway -> Give multiple reasons (privacy, focus, no distractions, etc.)

🟢 Option 1 -> correct -> captures the main purpose perfectly. The whole passage describes reasons for continued typewriter use in digital times.

🟠 Option 2 -> tone-error -> says "argues" but the passage is more descriptive than argumentative. Also focuses on future prediction which isn't the main point.

🟠 Option 3 -> scope-error -> only mentions "personal benefits" but the passage covers much more (government use, focus, privacy, nostalgia, etc.). Too narrow.

🔴 Option 4 -> completely wrong -> the passage never compares computer vs typewriter options. It talks about distractions and focus, not number of features.

Student confusion alert: You might get confused between Options 1 and 2. Remember -> "describes why" = explaining reasons (neutral tone). "Argues that" = making a case for something (persuasive tone). This passage is explaining, not arguing.

Question 20

According to the passage, some governments still use typewriters because:

Question 21

The writer praises typewriters for all the following reasons EXCEPT

Which one of the following best describes what the passage is trying to do?

Solution

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