Fighting Filled The Noble's Need Of Something To Do, A Way To Exert GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

Fighting filled the noble's need of something to do, a way to exert himself. It was his substitute for work. His leisure time was spent chiefly in hunting, otherwise in games of chess, backgammon, and dice, in songs, dances, pageants, and other entertainments. Long winter evenings were occupied listening to the recital of interminable verse epics. The sword offered the workless noble an activity with a purpose, one that could bring him honor, status, and if he was lucky, gain. If no real conflict was at hand, he sought tournaments, the most exciting, expensive, ruinous, and delightful activity of the noble class, and paradoxically the most harmful to his true military function. Fighting in tournaments concentrated his skills and absorbed his interest in an increasingly formalized clash, leaving little thought for the tactics and strategy of real battle.

Originating in France and referred to by others as ‘French combat’ tournaments started without rules or lists as an agreed upon clash of opposing units. Though justified as training exercises, the impulse was the love of fighting. Becoming more regulated and mannered, they took two forms: jousts by individuals, and melees by groups of up to forty on a side. Tournaments proliferated as the noble's primary occupation dwindled. Under the extended rule of monarchy, he had less need to protect his own fief, while a class of professional ministers was gradually taking his place around the crown. The less he had to do, the more energy he spent in tournaments artificially reenacting his role.

A tournament might last as long as a week and on great occasions two. Opening day was spent matching and seeding the players followed by days set apart for jousts, for melees, for a rest day before the final tourney, all interspersed with feasting and parties. These occasions were the great sporting events of the time, attracting crowds of bourgeois spectators from rich merchants to common artisans, mountebanks, food vendors, prostitutes, and pickpockets. About a hundred knights usually participated, each accompanied by two mounted squires, an armorer, and six servants in livery. The knight had of course to equip himself, and with banners and trappings and fine clothes. Though the expense could easily bankrupt him, he might also come away richer, for the loser in combat had to pay a ransom and the winner was awarded his opponent's horse and armor.

Because of their extravagance, violence, and vainglory, tournaments were continually being denounced by popes and kings, from whom they drained money. When the Dominicans denounced them as a pagan circus, no one listened. When the formidable St. Bernard thundered that anyone killed in a tournament would go to Hell, he spoke for once to deaf ears. Death in a tournament was officially considered the sin of suicide by the Church, besides jeopardizing family and tenantry without cause, but even threats of excommunication had no effect.

“Fighting filled the noble's need of something to do, a way to exert himself”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with a set of answers. The candidates must learn proper knowledge in order to interpret English GMAT reading comprehension. This section of GMAT Reading Comprehension emerges with four comprehension questions that need to be answered by the candidates. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions enable the candidate to ascertain the passage carefully and to comprehend it in order to utilize understanding. The candidates can gain enhanced knowledge by practising GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solutions and Explanation

1. Which of the following statements from the passage is paradoxical?

1. Tournaments attracted members of all orders, from bourgeois spectators to pickpockets.
2. Tournaments could enrich or bankrupt a knight.
3. The combat of tournaments was the activity most harmful to the true military function of the noble.
4. The combat of tournaments broadened from jousts by individuals to melees by groups of up to eighty.
5. The organization of tournaments and the language describing them mimicked the organization and language of games.

2. This passage describes an inverse relationship that is reflected in which statement below?

1. Tournaments proliferated as the noble's primary occupation dwindled.
2. Tournaments were an artificial reenactment of the noble's real role.
3. Tournaments grew directly out of the noble's military skill.
4. Tournaments were justified as training exercises, but their predominant motivation was the love of fighting.
5. Tournaments began without rules but in their later stages were highly formalized by convention.

3. Which of the following was not an inducement to the rising popularity of tournaments cited in this passage?

1. Once needed for military service to a king, the noble no longer had specific tasks of combat
2. Once needed in an advisory capacity but now replaced by professional ministers, the noble saw his advisory function decline.
3. Tournaments channeled otherwise destructive impulses of an idle warrior class into innocuous social activity.
4. Tournaments provided the noble a way to artificially reenact his historical role.
5. Tournaments provided an arena for gambling on a large scale.

4. According to this passage, what was the central motivation of churchmen and church in denouncing tournaments?

1. Tournaments were pagan events.
2. Tournaments were extravagant, violent, and vainglorious.
3. Tournaments drained money from popes and kings.
4. Tournaments needlessly jeopardized family and the social order.
5. Tournaments usurped the true military function of the noble.

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