ENGLISH

Many insulters perform small actions which make them appear pompous or ‘superior’ the most
obvious example is the tilting back of the head, combined with half-closed eyes, which has given
rise to the popular expressions ‘look down upon’, ‘turn one’s nose up’ and ‘look down one’s nose’.
This is an exaggerated version of one of the basic high-status signals. In ordinary status displays
the more dominant carry their heads high, the more submissive hang their heads low.

(a) The high/low difference is usually rather slight- so slight that we are rarely aware of it consciously.
(b) Unconsciously, however, we are highly responsive even to minute difference in ‘uprightness’.
(c) This behaviour is usually a symptom of some hidden insecurity in the insulter.
(d) Displays such as these have also been observed in certain animal species, which have a more
developed social structure.

ANSWER

a In the paragraph the author describes the body
language displayed by people in certain situations. He
begins by describing ‘small actions’ performed by
‘insulters’ and calls it ‘an exaggerated version of high
status displays’. In the last line he describes how
ordinary displays are for the dominant and the
submissive. Since they are ordinary and not
exaggerated, the difference between them is very
subtle this is what option (a) is. Option (b) does the
opposite. Options (c) and (d) seem to shift the focus
of the discussion to other topics.