How must we approach the ‘meaner’ sort of books:

The correct answer is A. This comes from Francis Bacon's essay Of Studies, where he sorts books by how closely they should be read. Some are to be tasted, some swallowed, and a few chewed and digested. For the lesser or 'meaner' books, of minor subject and matter, he allows that they 'may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others.' That permission is limited to such books.

Why the others are wrong:

• B states the attitude Bacon wants toward all reading: read to weigh and consider, not to contradict and confute. It is a general rule, not the rule for meaner books.
• C describes a different category, books useful only in parts, such as collections or compilations.
• D is also a separate category, books read but not curiously, meaning without close attention to every detail.

The core concept is graded reading: the effort you put in should match the value of the book. For Mains, this links to ethics and to the disciplined, selective study that good administration requires.

Trap: Candidates often pick B because it sounds the most sensible. But Bacon's advice about contradicting and confuting applies to all books, while the question asks only about the meaner sort.