Which one of the following best expresses the main purpose of the author?
Explanation:
The author’s subject is India and, British imperialism. Therefore, although there is a mention of imperialism elsewhere, other countries have not been discussed in detail. Consequently, it is not a general case as pointed out by option 1. Thus, it can be eliminated. ‘White man’s burden’ is part of the discussion and the entire passage is not dedicated to this discussion. Option 2, therefore, can be ruled out. Option 3 should be eliminated because the passage focuses on the cost part of empire building and sustenance. It does not dwell too much on the attractiveness part of it. In the passage, the author has been consistently speaking of how financial loss prompted the British to give up India (option 4). In the first paragraph: “This constituted a strong financial case for ending the no-longer-profitable empire.” The author also sums up this idea in the final sentence of the passage, “it's not worth ruling over people you are afraid to tax.”
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.