Passage - 2

Only with long experience and opening of his wares on many a beach where his language is not spoken, will the merchant come to know the worth of what he carries, and what is parochial and what is universal in his choice. Such delicate goods as justice, love and honour, courtesy, and indeed all the things we care for, are valid everywhere but they are variously moulded and often differently handled, and sometimes nearly unrecognizable if you meet them in a foreign land, and the art of learning fundamental common values is perhaps the greatest gain of travel to those who wish to live at ease among their fellows.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Travel leads to an understanding of humans.
2. Travel helps those who wish to learn fundamental common values.
3. A person with long experience in travel can resolve differences amongst people.
Which of the assumptions given above are valid?

The correct answer is 1 and 2 only.

Let us analyze the validity of each assumption based on the passage step-by-step:

Assumption 1: "Travel leads to an understanding of humans."
The passage states that the merchant, through long experience and travel to places where their language is not spoken, comes to know "the worth of what he carries, and what is parochial and what is universal in his choice." It further mentions that values like justice, love, honour, and courtesy are "variously moulded and often differently handled, and sometimes nearly unrecognizable if you meet them in a foreign land." Learning how different cultures handle these values is central to understanding human nature and diversity. Thus, travel leads to a deeper understanding of humans and their varied expressions of shared values. This assumption is valid.

Assumption 2: "Travel helps those who wish to learn fundamental common values."
The passage explicitly concludes that "the art of learning fundamental common values is perhaps the greatest gain of travel to those who wish to live at ease among their fellows." This directly supports the idea that travel helps individuals who want to learn these fundamental common values. Therefore, this assumption is valid.

Assumption 3: "A person with long experience in travel can resolve differences amongst people."
While the passage mentions that experienced travelers can learn fundamental common values and live "at ease among their fellows," it does not state or imply that they can resolve differences or conflicts amongst other people. This is an overgeneralization and goes beyond the scope of the text. Thus, this assumption is invalid.

Consequently, only assumptions 1 and 2 are valid. Therefore, the correct option is "1 and 2 only".