CSS 1991 Solved Precis

• Gauge track (Noun): The width between the two rails of a railway line
  • Contextual Explanation: Refers to the differing rail widths used by European countries, such as Spain’s broader gauge, which prevents trains from running smoothly across borders without technical adjustments
• National chauvinism (Noun): An excessive or narrow-minded loyalty to one’s own nation, often accompanied by disregard for international cooperation
  • Contextual Explanation: Describes how national pride and rivalry pose the greatest obstacle to creating a unified European rail system
• Gorged (Adjective): Overfilled; excessively congested
  • Contextual Explanation: Used to describe European roads and airways that are heavily overcrowded, making efficient rail integration increasingly necessary

This passage talks about the challenges of achieving a unified European train network, emphasizing physical and cultural barriers. The author points out that while there are technical incompatibilities, such as differing voltage systems and track gauges, the greater issue lies in national pride and competition. This message suggests that collaboration among countries is essential for developing a cohesive and efficient rail system that can alleviate congestion and pollution across Europe.

Main Idea of the Passage

• In addition to physical hindrances to European rail integration, the primary obstacle is the persistent nationalism of major European powers, which leads them to prioritize individual high-end rail projects over a unified, efficient continental network.

Supporting Ideas Helping the Main Idea

• Although technical and infrastructural disparities in railway systems necessitate border stops for European trains, national chauvinism is the main hurdle.
• Authorities aim for an integrated rail network in the continent for logistical and environmental efficiency.
• However, major member states actively undermine integration by developing expensive, yet incompatible, high-speed technologies.

Confused About Main and Supporting Ideas?

Kindly make sure to revise all five lectures on Precis Writing that I have already delivered. In these sessions, we discussed in detail:

• What a precis is and its purpose.
• What the main idea means and how to extract it effectively.
• What supporting ideas are and how to identify them.
• How to coordinate the main and supporting ideas while writing a concise, coherent precis.

Additionally, go through the 20 examples I shared in the WhatsApp groups. These examples highlight the Dos and Don’ts of Precis Writing, and revising them will help you avoid common mistakes and refine your technique.

Precis 1

While technical disparities impede continental train unification, national dogmatism remains the central bottleneck. And even though authorities advocate for an interconnected network to ensure collective efficiency, leading powers frustrate these goals by engineering exclusive and disparate high-speed rail systems.

• Original Words in the Passage: 119
• Precis Word Count: 39
• Title: National Dogmatism: A Barrier to European Rail Integration

Precis 2

In addition to the technical hurdles, parochial dogmatism thwarts European rail integration. Moreover, where authorities encourage a unified network for systemic efficacy, prominent states sabotage these efforts by engineering exclusive and disparate, high-speed transit technologies.

• Original Words in the Passage: 119
• Precis Word Count: 35
• Title: The Paradox of European Rail Unification

Precis 3

While technical misfits hinder trans-European transit, parochial patriotism constitutes the paramount hurdle. Consequently, administrative efforts for efficient systemic cohesion are sabotaged by prominent states independently perfecting expensive, non-standardized high-speed technologies.

• Original Words in the Passage: 119
• Precis Word Count: 30
• Title: Sovereignty versus European Rail Standardization

Precis 4

Beyond infrastructural hurdles, political insularity obstructs European rail connectivity; despite official drives toward a standardized, efficient system, influential nations prioritize their own costly and uncoordinated high-speed projects.

• Original Words in the Passage: 119
• Precis Word Count: 27
• Title: Limits of European Rail Connectivity