According to the passage on learning and knowledge, "the knowledge related to the businesses of men" is described as what?

Introduction / Context:
This question refers to a passage that distinguishes between two types of knowledge: knowledge of immediate life and business, and what the author calls learning. The passage argues that learning is not the practical knowledge of everyday affairs but rather knowledge of things far removed from common life. To answer the question, you must identify which option best reflects the author description of learning as contrasted with knowledge related to the businesses of men.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage says that knowledge of what is before us and about us, which appeals to our experience, passions, and the businesses of men, is not learning.
• Learning is defined as knowledge that none but the learned know.
• The most learned man is described as one who knows the most of what is farthest removed from common life and actual observation.
• The options present different fragments of the passage or related ideas.

Concept / Approach:
The key to this question is understanding that the author draws a sharp contrast between everyday, practical knowledge (businesses of men) and the specialised, abstract knowledge he calls learning. According to him, true learning consists of knowledge of remote and uncommon things, not of ordinary human affairs. Thus, the best way to capture his notion of learning is the description of a learned man as one who knows the most of what is farthest removed from common life and actual observation. This matches option D.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the passage statement that knowledge which appeals to the bosoms and businesses of men is not learning.Step 2: Note how the author then defines learning positively: Learning is the knowledge of that which none but the learned know.Step 3: Focus on the line: He is the most learned man who knows the most of what is farthest removed from common life and actual observation.Step 4: Compare this definition with the options. Option D reproduces the key phrase farthest removed from common life and actual observation, which is central to the author argument.Step 5: Recognise that the other options refer to specific examples or different aspects (characters in history, streets of cities, seeing not with the eyes of others) and do not directly summarise the nature of learning as the author defines it.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check each option against the passage core message. Option A focuses on knowing all the principal characters in history, which is one example of what the learned man can lecture about, but the author presents it as a symptom of learning, not its essence. Option B sees not with the eyes of others does not clearly appear as a central claim in the text. Option C mentions being acquainted with the dimensions of Constantinople and Peking, another illustrative detail but not the main point. Only option D directly reproduces the author general characterisation of the most learned man and therefore summarises what learning means in the passage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is too narrow, referring only to knowledge of historical characters. Option C is similarly narrow, mentioning geographical facts about great cities. The passage uses these as examples of the learned man concern with distant and unusual knowledge, but they are not themselves the definition of learning. Option B does not correspond clearly to any strong statement in the text, and even if interpreted metaphorically, it does not capture the emphasis on distance from common life. All three fail to reflect the key contrast with the businesses of men that the author emphasises.

Common Pitfalls:
Because the passage is rich in colourful details, many readers latch onto striking images such as the tribes and castes of remote peoples or the exact dimensions of foreign cities. However, exam questions about main ideas usually aim for the more general and abstract statement that covers all such examples. A good strategy is to look for definitions that use words like most learned and farthest removed, which clearly convey the author central viewpoint.

Final Answer:
According to the passage, the type of knowledge that counts as learning, as opposed to practical business knowledge, is best summed up as knowing the most of what is farthest removed from common life and actual observation, so option D is correct.