Read the passage about examinations as an opiate and a poison in the education system. Then answer the question. Why does the author describe the examination system as an opiate?

Introduction / Context:
In the passage, the author sharply criticises the examination system and calls it both an opiate and a poison. This is a strong metaphor. The question asks specifically why the examination system is called an opiate. To answer, we must focus on the part of the passage that uses this word and explains its meaning. The word opiate suggests something that dulls awareness and creates a false sense of comfort or well being.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage states that the examination system is an opiate because it lulls man into believing that all is well when most is ill.
• The system is also called a poison because it paralyses or slows the natural activities of a healthy mind.
• The author believes that the true purpose of education is to help a person understand the world and personal capacities.
• Examinations and specialization are described as serious hindrances to this deeper purpose.
• Exams are harmless only when the student is indifferent to their result.

Concept / Approach:
The metaphor opiate is used to highlight a particular effect: it gives a comforting illusion that nothing is wrong, so people do not feel the need to examine or reform the system. This is different from the paralysing effect described later under poison. Therefore, we must select the option that refers to a false sense of well being, not physical or mental paralysis, laziness, or easy questions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the exact sentence in the passage. It says the examination system is an opiate because it lulls man into believing that all is well when most is ill. Step 2: Evaluate option B. It states that the examination system makes people believe that everything is fine even when much is actually wrong. This is almost a direct restatement of the passage. Step 3: Evaluate option A. It refers to complete paralysis of the mind, but paralysis is linked to the metaphor poison in the passage, not to opiate. Step 4: Evaluate option C. It exaggerates by saying all natural activities are slowed without exception, and again confuses the poison image with the opiate image. Step 5: Evaluate option D. It mentions laziness and physical comfort, but the passage does not focus on physical laziness as the main effect. Step 6: Evaluate option E. It claims that exams always give easy questions, which is not discussed in the passage at all. Step 7: Since option B accurately reflects the passage, it must be the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can check by recalling what an opiate does in ordinary language: it dulls pain and awareness and can create a feeling that all is well. That matches the author’s criticism that the exam system hides deep problems by giving a comforting illusion of success. The poison metaphor, on the other hand, is connected with paralysis of mental activity. Therefore, any option that focuses on paralysis is linked to the wrong image and should be rejected for this question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because total paralysis connects more closely with the description of examinations as a poison. Option C is wrong because it overstates and misplaces the idea of slowing down, which again belongs to the poison image. Option D is wrong because laziness is not the central explanation given in the passage for the opiate metaphor. Option E is wrong because the difficulty level of questions is never mentioned as a reason for criticism.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes mix up different metaphors used in the same passage. When a writer uses two separate images such as opiate and poison, each usually emphasises a different aspect of the problem. It is essential to match the correct explanation with the correct metaphor. Another pitfall is to rely on general associations, such as thinking of exams as hard or easy, rather than reading the author’s exact explanation.

Final Answer:
The author calls the examination system an opiate because it makes people believe that everything is fine in education even when much is actually wrong.