English Usage Test 2

Directions: Read the paragraph and answer the question that follows.

When you take a fish out of the ocean and throw it on the bank – the misery and the suffering and the torture and the hankering and the effort to reach back to the oceans because it is where the fish belongs. Any suffering is simply indicative that you are not in communion with existence that the fish is not in the ocean.
When a dewdrop slips from a lotus leaf into the ocean it does not find that it is part of the ocean, it finds it is the ocean. And to find it is the ultimate goal, the ultimate realization. There is nothing beyond it. I don’t want anybody to stand between the individual and existence.

You are here, every individual is here, and the whole existence is available.

According to you, what is the theme of the passage?

Directions: Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows.

A pattern of black minority ethnic settlement, characterised by residential concentration, segregation and deprivation is now well established in Britain. Although this distinctive geography is largely a product of post-war migration, black settlers have a long history in Britain; small clusters of Africans and Indians emerged in port areas such as London, Liverpool and Cardiff as early as the 1800s. These settlements were, however, extremely localised, so the day-to-day experience of most people living in Britain at that time was a white one. The Victorians nevertheless held some clearly developed images of 'race', colour and ethnic difference, which were rooted in colonial relations with South Asian and West Indian countries. The largely negative stereotypes associated with 'uncivilised people' in far-off lands were to prove powerful constituents of 19^th century racist ideologies, which have survived, albeit in a modified form, into the late 20^th century.

According to you, what is the theme of the passage?

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided. These statements form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the option representing the proper and logical sequencing of these statements.

A. What is best in the national interest is realpolitik that dictates the conduct of foreign policy of all nations.
B. India is also following a policy that is governed by enlightened self-interest.
C. Nations that have been divided on the basis of ideological grounds have come together with trade and economic interests, supervening other interests.
D. Lord Palmerston formulated the oft-quoted maxim of realpolitik, “There are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, there are only permanent interests.”

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided. These statements form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these statements.

A. The worst victim of this abridgement of Fundamental Rights was the great 'Shanker’s Weekly', a pet cartoon magazine of Jawahar Lal Nehru that was closed down by Indira Gandhi.
B. Most of the journalists recall with trepidation the black days when Internal Emergency was clamped down on this country by Indira Gandhi, gagging the Press, muffing all forms of dissent and sending to jail all those out of favour with the Indira Gandhi regime.
C. Anybody who dared opposed Indira Gandhi was sent behind bars.
D. Several newspapers came up with blank editorial pages and political cartoons were banned.

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided between an opening statement 1 and closing statement 6. The four statements are jumbled up and form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these six taken together.

1. By importing non-strategic systems for defence, a nation will not be able to defend both its economic freedom and security.

A. A country’s strength, to protect its security, is dependent on the degree of self-reliance in defence and defence systems.
B. Through our sustained efforts for growth of core-competence and self-reliance in critical technologies, we can transform our nation.
C. This will only perpetuate the dependence on other nations.
D. India’s core-competence in certain technological areas and scientific technological manpower has to be harnessed.
6. Technology is the tool that brings faster economic growth and needs inputs for national security.

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided between an opening statement 1 and closing statement 6. The four statements are jumbled up and form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these six taken together.

1. Malaysia has successfully built upon the wealth of a mere plantation economy to be now considered one of the important industrialized economies of the modern world.

A. The vision articulates the strategies through which Malaysia aspires to be in forefront of certain area of technology, not merely as a leading exporter of tech-intensive product, but also a generator of a few major technologies in micro-electronics.
B. Malaysia has framed a strategic master plan to become a fully developed nation by the year 2020 that calls for concerted development in all areas.
C. The Malaysian vision envisages a role for foreign direct investment, complete design capability and to manufacture products using indigenous expertise.
D. The vision envisages a strong commitment to ‘green’ polices and it states that environmental problems cannot be dealt with unilaterally or even bilaterally, they must be approached holistically and multilaterally.
6. Nation is taking constant measures to drum up the enthusiasm of various interested parties in realizing this vision. Its present emphasis is on action.

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided between an opening statement 1 and closing statement 6. The four statements are jumbled up and form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these six taken together.

1. The Chinese vision is to prepare the country for entry into the ranks of mid–level developed nations by the middle of the 21^st century.

A. Documents describing the Chinese vision state that science and technology constitute premier productive forces and represent a great revolutionary power that can propel economic and social development.
B. They also point to the absence of mechanisms and motivations in their economic activity to promote dependence on science and technology.
C. The main lessons, the Chinese have drawn from their part performance is their failure to promote science and technology as strategic tools for empowerment.
D. Acceleration of the nation’s economic growth and social development by relying on advances in science and technology is pivotal in this.
6. The Chinese vision is therefore aimed at exploiting state of the art, science and technology to enhance the nation’s overall power and strength.

Directions: Select the option that fills in the blanks most suitably (in the same order).

When what 'Mark Twain' was writing was in circuit with his ________ perceptions, he was superb, the breaking of the circuit always threw him into extemporization which meant that fiction fell away into ________ and satire into ________.

Directions: For the set of six statements (A to F) given below, there follow four sets of combinations of three. Choose the set in which the statements are logically related.

A. Some gentle dogs are also mammals.
B. Some dogs are spaniels.
C. All spaniels are good hunters.
D. All spaniels are dogs.
E. All spaniels are gentle dogs.
F. Some dogs are good hunters.

Directions: For the set of six statements (A to F) given below, there follow four sets of combinations of three. Choose the set in which the statements are logically related.

A. Some schools charge hefty fees.
B. All tutorials charge hefty fees.
C. No school charges hefty fees.
D. All schools charges hefty fees.
E. No tutorial is a school.
F. All tutorials are also schools.

Directions: For the set of six statements (A to F) given below, there follow four sets of combinations of three. Choose the set in which the statements are logically related.

A. Some rich people are not status conscious.
B. Some rich people who are traditional in values are also status conscious.
C. All rich people who are status conscious are also traditional in values.
D. All rich people are status conscious.
E. Some rich people are traditional in values.
F. Some rich people are status conscious.