Read the following passage about Cubbon Park in Bengaluru and the statue of Queen Victoria, then answer the question that follows.\n\nThe flora and fauna of Cubbon Park capture our attention more than anything else. But when you take time to look closely at the statue, you will marvel at its sheer grandeur. Sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock, the 11 feet high marble statue is larger than life. It brings out the personality of Queen Victoria, who had been the Monarch of Great Britain from 1837 till 1901, depicting a rather proud, stern person with pronounced features. In 1906, the statue was unveiled in the city by George Frederick Ernest Albert, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and York, making it stand in all its glory in its 111th year. Even though there is a wealth of history to the statue, and it was made to appear imposing, the busy Bengalureans would probably refer to it as just another landmark. As the workers are busy in discussion on the instructions given to them, life continues as usual in the Park.\n\nBased on this passage, how many people unveiled the Queen Victoria statue at Cubbon Park?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
In this reading comprehension item, you are asked to interpret a passage that describes the Queen Victoria statue in Cubbon Park and pick out a factual detail about who unveiled the statue. The test is not about complicated inference but about careful reading and understanding of titles and names. The passage mentions a specific person with several titles, and you must not confuse the number of titles with the number of people.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The passage states that in 1906 the statue was unveiled in the city by George Frederick Ernest Albert.
  • The same person is described as Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and York.
  • These are multiple titles for one royal individual, not separate people.
  • The options ask how many people unveiled the statue, not how many titles are listed.


Concept / Approach:
The key skill is distinguishing between a person and that person's formal titles. Many historical figures, especially royalty, have long strings of names and titles. However, grammatically, the passage uses the preposition by followed by a single proper noun phrase describing one person. Even if the phrase contains several labels such as Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and York, they are all attached to the same individual. Therefore, the correct answer is the number of persons, which is one.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the full phrase after the word by in the relevant sentence: by George Frederick Ernest Albert, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and York. Step 2: Recognise that this phrase is a single long name plus titles for one specific royal person. Step 3: Note that the sentence does not mention any additional names, conjunctions like and followed by another person, or a list of separate people. Step 4: Conclude that only one person performed the act of unveiling the statue, even though that person held multiple titles.


Verification / Alternative check:
You can paraphrase the sentence to check understanding: In 1906, the statue was unveiled in the city by George, who was then Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and York. This rephrasing still clearly refers to one individual. If the passage meant that several people unveiled the statue together, it would mention several distinct names or say something like by George and others. Because it does not, the safest and most accurate interpretation is that a single royal dignitary unveiled it.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, 6, might tempt a student who wrongly counts names and titles as separate persons. Option C, 4, and option D, 2, also result from miscounting titles instead of people. None of these numbers correspond to the actual number of individuals clearly named in the passage. There is only one person named, however long his description is.


Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to assume that every phrase after a comma represents a new person. Another pitfall is being overwhelmed by a long aristocratic name and thinking that each component might refer to somebody different. In comprehension questions, always focus on the grammatical structure of the sentence and check whether multiple separate subjects or objects are actually present before assuming a larger number.


Final Answer:
The Queen Victoria statue at Cubbon Park was unveiled by 1 person.

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