Read the passage about awareness and education and answer the question: According to the writer, what does "awareness" really mean?

Introduction / Context:
This reading comprehension question is built around a passage that contrasts true awareness with conventional education. The writer uses the example of a small boy enjoying birds and then being told their names by his father. You are asked to focus on the author's explicit definition of "awareness" and choose the option that most accurately reflects that definition.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage begins with a clear statement: "Awareness means the capacity to see a coffee pot and hear the birds sing in one's own way, and not the way one was taught."
• The author emphasises "one's own way" versus "the way one was taught."
• The boy initially sees and hears the birds with delight, without labels or categories.
• When the father names the birds, the boy's experience shifts from direct awareness to intellectual classification.
• The question asks: "What does the writer mean by 'awareness'?"

Concept / Approach:
To answer correctly, you must base your reasoning on the sentence in which the writer directly defines awareness. The key idea is that awareness is a personal, direct way of seeing and hearing, not a second hand, learned way. It is not primarily about naming or categorising but about experiencing the world in an immediate, individual manner. Therefore, the correct option must mention "one's own way" and reject the idea of simply seeing as one was taught.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Locate the definition of awareness in the passage: it is given in the very first sentence. Step 2: Note the contrast: "in one's own way" versus "the way one was taught." Step 3: Understand that the author is criticising the shift from direct experience to labelled, taught perception. Step 4: Compare each option with this definition and identify which one stresses personal perception. Step 5: Recognise that the option mentioning "the capacity to see and hear things in one's own way" fits the passage exactly.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider the other options. Option A directly contradicts the passage by stating that awareness is "the capacity to see as one is taught." The author says awareness is "not the way one was taught," so A cannot be correct. Option C talks about seeing and feeling things "as they are in the present," which sounds appealing but does not capture the specific contrast between one's own way and the taught way. Option D emphasises seeing and hearing as other people do, again the opposite of the passage's stress on individuality. This confirms that only option B matches the writer's definition of awareness.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• The capacity to see as one is taught: The passage explicitly rejects this idea; awareness is the opposite of merely following what one is taught.
• The ability to see and feel things as they are in the present: Although awareness usually involves the present moment, the passage focuses on personal perception versus learned labels, not on "present" versus "past."
• The ability to see and hear things as other people do: This ignores individuality and describes conformity, which the passage criticises.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often choose options that sound generally positive or philosophical, such as seeing things "as they are in the present," even if the passage does not say that. Another common mistake is to overlook a direct definition given by the author at the start and instead rely on vague impressions. When a passage clearly defines a key term, always anchor your answer to that sentence.

Final Answer:
According to the writer, awareness means the capacity to see and hear things in one's own way, and not the way one was taught.