Passage for Questions 6-10

II. There were humans long before there was history. The archaic humans loved, played, formed close friendships and competed for status and power, but so did chimpanzees, baboons and elephants. There was nothing special about them. Nobody, least of all humans themselves, had any inkling that their descendants would one day walk on the moon, split the atom, fathom the genetic code and write history books. The most important thing to know about prehistoric humans is that they were incognisant animals with no more impact on their environment than gorillas, fireflies or jellyfish. Biologists classify organisms into species.

Animals are said to belong to the same species if they tend to mate with each other, giving birth to fertile offspring. Horses and donkeys have a recent common ancestor and share many physical traits. They will mate if induced to do so but their offspring, called mules, are sterile. Mutations in donkey DNA can therefore never cross over to horses, or vice versa. The two types of animals are consequently considered two distinct species, moving along separate evolutionary paths. By contrast, a bulldog and a spaniel may look very different, but they are members of the same species, sharing the same DNA pool. [203 words] (Extracted from Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari)

In the context of the passage, the term ’incognisant’ most likely means:

The correct answer is Unaware of their future potential.

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Analyze the passage context: In the first paragraph, the author discusses how prehistoric humans lived without knowing what their descendants would eventually accomplish. Specifically, the text states, "Nobody, least of all humans themselves, had any inkling that their descendants would one day walk on the moon, split the atom, fathom the genetic code and write history books."

2. Determine the meaning of 'incognisant': Immediately following the discussion about having no "inkling" or awareness of their extraordinary future achievements, the passage describes prehistoric humans as "incognisant animals with no more impact on their environment than gorillas, fireflies or jellyfish." In this context, 'incognisant' (or incognizant) refers to being unaware or ignorant—specifically regarding the grand potential and future impact of the human species.

3. Evaluate the options:

• Lacking intelligence: Incorrect. The text mentions humans loved, formed friendships, and competed for status, showing cognitive ability.

• Unaware of their future potential: Correct. This directly aligns with the context that humans had no inkling of their future capabilities and achievements.

• Incapable of social interaction: Incorrect. The text explicitly states humans formed friendships and competed for status.

• Disinterested in the environment: Incorrect. The passage talks about their impact on the environment being minimal, not their interest or lack thereof.