MAT Exam 2023 Paper

Question Numbers: 11-15DIRECTIONS (Qs. 11-15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.Time is often seen as something we manage, lose, or even waste, depending on the moment. In just one day, a person might describe time in several conflicting ways - as scarce, abundant, or squandered - showing how complex and subjective our relationship with it really is. A while ago, I reflected on the idea that time is the only true currency we possess - a belief I continue to hold. But there's more to it. Time continues, regardless of what we do or think. Contrary to how we talk about it, we don't really control time - we can't hoard it, slow it down, or genuinely waste it. What shapes our sense of time is where our attention lies. Every experience filters through our thoughts, so our concept of time is built around what we focus on in any given moment. This is why we may say we had a "great time" on vacation - not because of time itself, but because of how we felt. Similarly, we call a workday "terrible" not because the time was inherently bad, but because of what we focused on during it. We can't always direct our focus - responsibilities often dictate where our attention must go. But during brief moments of pause, like waiting in a queue, we can choose what to dwell on.By choosing thoughts that are uplifting or joyful, we shape our experience of that moment differently. Once we shift from seeing time as something to spend or waste, and instead see it as what we mentally engage within the present, time becomes less of a burden and more of a reflection of our attention.