Reading Comprehension

Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

What's a manager have to do about feelings in business? 

Why, manage them of course.
Not to mock your question in the slightest: We are dead serious. If there’s one thing that doesn't get enough attention for undermining productivity, creativity and the general smooth functioning of the business, it's the mismanagement of the emotion in the workplace. Too many managers would rather let people act, well, unmanaged.

Now, we're not even slightly qualified to opine on human nature; well, maybe we are as qualified as the next guy; but you don’t have to watch reality TV to know that, left unattended, people can fall into some pretty dysfunctional behaviours. Maybe it’s because gossip, ganging up, paranoia and the like were hardwired into the human brain to ensure the survival of the species, as some scientists have hypothesized.

But the underlying reasons why groups of people can get so terribly caught up in the negative feelings don’t really matter. All that does-from a manager’s point of view-is that unhealthy emotions usually beget more unhealthy emotions.

That’s why you have to manage them-which, fortunately, takes neither a degree in psychology nor more time than you already have. It takes only an active commitment to remove uncertainty from your organization and to instill a purposeful approach to inspiration.

The problem with unhealthy emotion is that _____.

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question:

What's a manager have to do about feelings in business? 

Why, manage them of course.
Not to mock your question in the slightest: We are dead serious. If there’s one thing that doesn't get enough attention for undermining productivity, creativity and the general smooth functioning of the business, it's the mismanagement of the emotion in the workplace. Too many managers would rather let people act, well, unmanaged.

Now, we're not even slightly qualified to opine on human nature; well, maybe we are as qualified as the next guy; but you don’t have to watch reality TV to know that, left unattended, people can fall into some pretty dysfunctional behaviours. Maybe it’s because gossip, ganging up, paranoia and the like were hardwired into the human brain to ensure the survival of the species, as some scientists have hypothesized.

But the underlying reasons why groups of people can get so terribly caught up in the negative feelings don’t really matter. All that does-from a manager’s point of view-is that unhealthy emotions usually beget more unhealthy emotions.

That’s why you have to manage them-which, fortunately, takes neither a degree in psychology nor more time than you already have. It takes only an active commitment to remove uncertainty from your organization and to instill a purposeful approach to inspiration.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Educational planning should aim at meeting the educational needs of the entire population of all age groups. While the traditional structure of education as three layer hierarchy from the primary stage to the university represents the core, we should not overlook the periphery which is equally important. Under modern conditions, workers need to rewind, or renew their enthusiasm, or strike out in a new direction or improve their skills as much as any university professor. The retired and the aged have their needs as well. Educational planning, in their words, should take care of the needs of everyone.
            Our structures of education have been built up on the assumption that there is a terminal point to education. This basic defect has become all the more harmful today. A UNESCO report entitled ‘Learning to Be’ prepared by Edgar Faure & others in 1973 asserts that the education of children must prepare the future adult for various forms of self learning. A viable education system of the future should consist of modules with different kinds of functions serving a diversity of constituents. The performance, not the period of study, should be the basis for credentials. The writing is already on the wall.
            In view of the fact that the significance of a commitment of lifelong learning & lifetime education is being discussed only in recent years even in educationally advanced countries, the possibility of the idea becoming an integral part of educational thinking seems to be a far cry. For to move in that direction means more than some simple rearrangement of the present organization of education. But a good beginning can be made by developing open university programmes for older learners of different categories & introducing extension services in the conventional colleges & schools. Also these institutions should learn to cooperate with numerous community organizations such as libraries, museums, recreational programmes, health services, etc.

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the author?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Educational planning should aim at meeting the educational needs of the entire population of all age groups. While the traditional structure of education as three layer hierarchy from the primary stage to the university represents the core, we should not overlook the periphery which is equally important. Under modern conditions, workers need to rewind, or renew their enthusiasm, or strike out in a new direction or improve their skills as much as any university professor. The retired and the aged have their needs as well. Educational planning, in their words, should take care of the needs of everyone.
            Our structures of education have been built up on the assumption that there is a terminal point to education. This basic defect has become all the more harmful today. A UNESCO report entitled ‘Learning to Be’ prepared by Edgar Faure & others in 1973 asserts that the education of children must prepare the future adult for various forms of self learning. A viable education system of the future should consist of modules with different kinds of functions serving a diversity of constituents. The performance, not the period of study, should be the basis for credentials. The writing is already on the wall.
            In view of the fact that the significance of a commitment of lifelong learning & lifetime education is being discussed only in recent years even in educationally advanced countries, the possibility of the idea becoming an integral part of educational thinking seems to be a far cry. For to move in that direction means more than some simple rearrangement of the present organization of education. But a good beginning can be made by developing open university programmes for older learners of different categories & introducing extension services in the conventional colleges & schools. Also these institutions should learn to cooperate with numerous community organizations such as libraries, museums, recreational programmes, health services, etc.

What should be the major characteristic of the future educational system?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Educational planning should aim at meeting the educational needs of the entire population of all age groups. While the traditional structure of education as three layer hierarchy from the primary stage to the university represents the core, we should not overlook the periphery which is equally important. Under modern conditions, workers need to rewind, or renew their enthusiasm, or strike out in a new direction or improve their skills as much as any university professor. The retired and the aged have their needs as well. Educational planning, in their words, should take care of the needs of everyone.
            Our structures of education have been built up on the assumption that there is a terminal point to education. This basic defect has become all the more harmful today. A UNESCO report entitled ‘Learning to Be’ prepared by Edgar Faure & others in 1973 asserts that the education of children must prepare the future adult for various forms of self learning. A viable education system of the future should consist of modules with different kinds of functions serving a diversity of constituents. The performance, not the period of study, should be the basis for credentials. The writing is already on the wall.
            In view of the fact that the significance of a commitment of lifelong learning & lifetime education is being discussed only in recent years even in educationally advanced countries, the possibility of the idea becoming an integral part of educational thinking seems to be a far cry. For to move in that direction means more than some simple rearrangement of the present organization of education. But a good beginning can be made by developing open university programmes for older learners of different categories & introducing extension services in the conventional colleges & schools. Also these institutions should learn to cooperate with numerous community organizations such as libraries, museums, recreational programmes, health services, etc.

According to the passage, the present educational structures assume which of the following?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Educational planning should aim at meeting the educational needs of the entire population of all age groups. While the traditional structure of education as three layer hierarchy from the primary stage to the university represents the core, we should not overlook the periphery which is equally important. Under modern conditions, workers need to rewind, or renew their enthusiasm, or strike out in a new direction or improve their skills as much as any university professor. The retired and the aged have their needs as well. Educational planning, in their words, should take care of the needs of everyone.
            Our structures of education have been built up on the assumption that there is a terminal point to education. This basic defect has become all the more harmful today. A UNESCO report entitled ‘Learning to Be’ prepared by Edgar Faure & others in 1973 asserts that the education of children must prepare the future adult for various forms of self learning. A viable education system of the future should consist of modules with different kinds of functions serving a diversity of constituents. The performance, not the period of study, should be the basis for credentials. The writing is already on the wall.
            In view of the fact that the significance of a commitment of lifelong learning & lifetime education is being discussed only in recent years even in educationally advanced countries, the possibility of the idea becoming an integral part of educational thinking seems to be a far cry. For to move in that direction means more than some simple rearrangement of the present organization of education. But a good beginning can be made by developing open university programmes for older learners of different categories & introducing extension services in the conventional colleges & schools. Also these institutions should learn to cooperate with numerous community organizations such as libraries, museums, recreational programmes, health services, etc.

Which of the following is true in context of the passage?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Political education may be defined as the preparation of a citizen to take well informed, responsible and sustained action for participation in the national struggle for the realisation of the socio-economic objectives of the country. The overriding socio-economic objectives in India are the abolition of poverty and the creation of a modern democratic, secular and socialist society in place of the present traditional, feudal, hierarchical and inegalitarian one.

Under the British rule, the congress leaders argued that political education was an important part of education and refused to accept the official view that education and politics should not be mixed with one another. But when they came to power in 1947 they almost adopted the British policy and began to talk of education being defiled by politics. ‘Hands off education‘ was the call to political parties of that time. But in spite of it, political infiltration into the educational system has greatly increased in the sense that different parties vie with each other to capture the minds of teachers and students. The wise academicians wanted political support, without political interference. What we have actually received is infinite political interference. This interference with the educational system by political parties for their own ulterior motives is no political education at all; and with the all round growth of elitism, it is hardly surprising that real political education within the school system (which really means the creation of a commitment to social transformation) has been even weaker than in the pre-independence period.

At the same time, the freedom struggle came to an end and the major non-formal agency of political education disappeared. The press could and did provide some political education. But it did not utilise the opportunity to the fullest and the stranglehold of vested interests continued to dominate it. The same can be said about political parties as well as about other institutions and agencies outside the school system which can be expected to provide political education. All things considered, it appears that we have made no genuine progress in political education in the post independence period and even slid back in some respects. For instance, the education system has become even more elite-oriented. Patriotism has become the first casualty. Gandhiji gave us the courage to oppose the government when it was wrong, in a disciplined fashion and on basic principles. He believed the means to be as important as the ends and taught us to work among the poor people for mobilising and organising them. Today we have even lost the courage to fight on basic issues in a disciplined manner because agitation and anarchic politics for individual, group or party aggrandisement has become common. The education system of today continues to support domination of the privileged groups and domestication of the underprivileged ones. The situation will not change unless we take vigorous steps to provide genuine political education on an adequate scale. This is one of the major educational reforms we need; and if it is not carried out, mere linear expansion of the existing system of normal education will only support the status quo and hamper radical social transformation.

What should be the ultimate objective(s) of political education?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Political education may be defined as the preparation of a citizen to take well informed, responsible and sustained action for participation in the national struggle for the realisation of the socio-economic objectives of the country. The overriding socio-economic objectives in India are the abolition of poverty and the creation of a modern democratic, secular and socialist society in place of the present traditional, feudal, hierarchical and inegalitarian one.

Under the British rule, the congress leaders argued that political education was an important part of education and refused to accept the official view that education and politics should not be mixed with one another. But when they came to power in 1947 they almost adopted the British policy and began to talk of education being defiled by politics. ‘Hands off education‘ was the call to political parties of that time. But in spite of it, political infiltration into the educational system has greatly increased in the sense that different parties vie with each other to capture the minds of teachers and students. The wise academicians wanted political support, without political interference. What we have actually received is infinite political interference. This interference with the educational system by political parties for their own ulterior motives is no political education at all; and with the all round growth of elitism, it is hardly surprising that real political education within the school system (which really means the creation of a commitment to social transformation) has been even weaker than in the pre-independence period.

At the same time, the freedom struggle came to an end and the major non-formal agency of political education disappeared. The press could and did provide some political education. But it did not utilise the opportunity to the fullest and the stranglehold of vested interests continued to dominate it. The same can be said about political parties as well as about other institutions and agencies outside the school system which can be expected to provide political education. All things considered, it appears that we have made no genuine progress in political education in the post independence period and even slid back in some respects. For instance, the education system has become even more elite-oriented. Patriotism has become the first casualty. Gandhiji gave us the courage to oppose the government when it was wrong, in a disciplined fashion and on basic principles. He believed the means to be as important as the ends and taught us to work among the poor people for mobilising and organising them. Today we have even lost the courage to fight on basic issues in a disciplined manner because agitation and anarchic politics for individual, group or party aggrandisement has become common. The education system of today continues to support domination of the privileged groups and domestication of the underprivileged ones. The situation will not change unless we take vigorous steps to provide genuine political education on an adequate scale. This is one of the major educational reforms we need; and if it is not carried out, mere linear expansion of the existing system of normal education will only support the status quo and hamper radical social transformation.

What was the policy of the ruling party regarding political education immediately after independence?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Political education may be defined as the preparation of a citizen to take well informed, responsible and sustained action for participation in the national struggle for the realisation of the socio-economic objectives of the country. The overriding socio-economic objectives in India are the abolition of poverty and the creation of a modern democratic, secular and socialist society in place of the present traditional, feudal, hierarchical and inegalitarian one.

Under the British rule, the congress leaders argued that political education was an important part of education and refused to accept the official view that education and politics should not be mixed with one another. But when they came to power in 1947 they almost adopted the British policy and began to talk of education being defiled by politics. ‘Hands off education‘ was the call to political parties of that time. But in spite of it, political infiltration into the educational system has greatly increased in the sense that different parties vie with each other to capture the minds of teachers and students. The wise academicians wanted political support, without political interference. What we have actually received is infinite political interference. This interference with the educational system by political parties for their own ulterior motives is no political education at all; and with the all round growth of elitism, it is hardly surprising that real political education within the school system (which really means the creation of a commitment to social transformation) has been even weaker than in the pre-independence period.

At the same time, the freedom struggle came to an end and the major non-formal agency of political education disappeared. The press could and did provide some political education. But it did not utilise the opportunity to the fullest and the stranglehold of vested interests continued to dominate it. The same can be said about political parties as well as about other institutions and agencies outside the school system which can be expected to provide political education. All things considered, it appears that we have made no genuine progress in political education in the post independence period and even slid back in some respects. For instance, the education system has become even more elite-oriented. Patriotism has become the first casualty. Gandhiji gave us the courage to oppose the government when it was wrong, in a disciplined fashion and on basic principles. He believed the means to be as important as the ends and taught us to work among the poor people for mobilising and organising them. Today we have even lost the courage to fight on basic issues in a disciplined manner because agitation and anarchic politics for individual, group or party aggrandisement has become common. The education system of today continues to support domination of the privileged groups and domestication of the underprivileged ones. The situation will not change unless we take vigorous steps to provide genuine political education on an adequate scale. This is one of the major educational reforms we need; and if it is not carried out, mere linear expansion of the existing system of normal education will only support the status quo and hamper radical social transformation.

Which of the following is the major pitfall of the present education system?

Directions: Read the passage to answer the question given below.

Political education may be defined as the preparation of a citizen to take well informed, responsible and sustained action for participation in the national struggle for the realisation of the socio-economic objectives of the country. The overriding socio-economic objectives in India are the abolition of poverty and the creation of a modern democratic, secular and socialist society in place of the present traditional, feudal, hierarchical and inegalitarian one.

Under the British rule, the congress leaders argued that political education was an important part of education and refused to accept the official view that education and politics should not be mixed with one another. But when they came to power in 1947 they almost adopted the British policy and began to talk of education being defiled by politics. ‘Hands off education‘ was the call to political parties of that time. But in spite of it, political infiltration into the educational system has greatly increased in the sense that different parties vie with each other to capture the minds of teachers and students. The wise academicians wanted political support, without political interference. What we have actually received is infinite political interference. This interference with the educational system by political parties for their own ulterior motives is no political education at all; and with the all round growth of elitism, it is hardly surprising that real political education within the school system (which really means the creation of a commitment to social transformation) has been even weaker than in the pre-independence period.

At the same time, the freedom struggle came to an end and the major non-formal agency of political education disappeared. The press could and did provide some political education. But it did not utilise the opportunity to the fullest and the stranglehold of vested interests continued to dominate it. The same can be said about political parties as well as about other institutions and agencies outside the school system which can be expected to provide political education. All things considered, it appears that we have made no genuine progress in political education in the post independence period and even slid back in some respects. For instance, the education system has become even more elite-oriented. Patriotism has become the first casualty. Gandhiji gave us the courage to oppose the government when it was wrong, in a disciplined fashion and on basic principles. He believed the means to be as important as the ends and taught us to work among the poor people for mobilising and organising them. Today we have even lost the courage to fight on basic issues in a disciplined manner because agitation and anarchic politics for individual, group or party aggrandisement has become common. The education system of today continues to support domination of the privileged groups and domestication of the underprivileged ones. The situation will not change unless we take vigorous steps to provide genuine political education on an adequate scale. This is one of the major educational reforms we need; and if it is not carried out, mere linear expansion of the existing system of normal education will only support the status quo and hamper radical social transformation.

A few decades ago it was popular to link dramatic increases in urban antisocial behavior with high population density, and to support this with studies of laboratory rats, which exhibit randomly violent behavior under conditions of extreme overcrowding. It has since become obvious that the analogy between rats and humans is simplistic at best, and leaves out considerations like human adaptability and cultural factors which are of key importance in determining human behavior. Which of the following, if true, best support the conclusion the author presents in the passage above?

The blanks in the following passage indicate deletions from the text. Select the completion that is most appropriate to the context. Contemporary legal positivism depends upon the methodological assumption that a theory of law may be conceptual without, at the same time, being normative. In point of fact this assumption is a composite principle. It makes the fairly obvious claim that a conceptual theory, which strives to be descriptive rather than normative, says what the law is not what it ought to be. A conceptual theory must be supplemented by a normative theory, and the arguments in favor of a particular content for law are couched in terms of the results which are expected to flow from proposed legal acts. It is never a part of an argument for what the law ought to be, in the positivist's view, that to be a law it must have a certain content. While the normative argument refers ultimately to agreed-upon ends, it does not assert that these ends_(6)_ Rather, that they are accepted and acted upon is merely a contingent matter. The second part of the methodological premise is more subtle: A conceptual theory such as legal positivism does not claim that the particular description it offers is uniquely correct. Proponents of legal positivism regard their study of law as 'analogous to the physicists' study of the universe: They have one theory of legal institutions _(7)_.

The blanks in the following passage indicate deletions from the text. Select the completion that is most appropriate to the context. Contemporary legal positivism depends upon the methodological assumption that a theory of law may be conceptual without, at the same time, being normative. In point of fact this assumption is a composite principle. It makes the fairly obvious claim that a conceptual theory, which strives to be descriptive rather than normative, says what the law is not what it ought to be. A conceptual theory must be supplemented by a normative theory, and the arguments in favor of a particular content for law are couched in terms of the results which are expected to flow from proposed legal acts. It is never a part of an argument for what the law ought to be, in the positivist's view, that to be a law it must have a certain content. While the normative argument refers ultimately to agreed-upon ends, it does not assert that these ends_(6)_ Rather, that they are accepted and acted upon is merely a contingent matter. The second part of the methodological premise is more subtle: A conceptual theory such as legal positivism does not claim that the particular description it offers is uniquely correct. Proponents of legal positivism regard their study of law as 'analogous to the physicists' study of the universe: They have one theory of legal institutions _(7)_.

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows it.

Early European explorers of the Tropics discovered what they misnamed a louse line. As they went closer to the equator, at some point fleas would abandon the explorers. One explanation is that the heat became too much for the fleas, which may be killed by temperatures even a few degrees higher than 98.6 Fahrenheit, the temperature of a healthy human body. The problem with this explanation is that fleas had been observed abandoning even healthy people when the air temperature in the Tropics was below 98.6 degrees.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the original explanation which the author doubts?

What can be the best possible title for the two passages?

Directions: Answer the question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the twin passage.

Passage – I

The mind has an incredible power. We see it as we go through our everyday activities, constantly displaying the wonders of logic, thought, memory and creativity. Yet, can the mind be more powerful than we know? Is it possible to reduce or even eliminate pain, illness and disease by using the natural powers it possesses? Can the mind heal?

Many of our finest researchers and scientists have explored that question, and while the exact answer still eludes us, the facts seem to bear out that the mind does have the power to assist in both healing, and conversely, bringing on "disease" as well. Two such examples of mind and body healing are hypnotherapy and meditation. There are others such as ionization, which focuses on thinking positive instead of negative. But first, I will describe the reasoning behind the mind-body connection.

Psycho-neuro-immunology is the name for the study of the min-body connection, or PNI for short. PNI has been around for the last 20 years or so and has revolutionized the way we look at health and wellness. There was a point in human existence when the connection between the mind and the body was taken for granted. A couple of centuries ago, science had grown to understand the "mechanical universe" concept. The laws of Sir Newton and the science of physics had begun to infiltrate the science of medicine. If the universe followed mechanical laws, so might the body. To prove this theory, scientists needed to open a body up to observe how it worked.

The Church was very adamant about the body being the temple of the soul and could never be desecrated. After much haggling and several smoke-filled back room discussions, an agreement was reached. The Church would maintain it’s jurisdiction over "the mind" for that is were the personality and soul "truly" resides and science could have the body, which is just a "machine for the mind" and upon death, would become simply an empty vessel.

Furthering the rift, more recent science has discovered that specific diseases can be "cured" through specific medicinal formulas or drugs. This "magic bullet" mentality spread throughout medicine and science. Science has tried to brush aside or explain away this phenomenon by saying, "Oh, it’s just the placebo effect" or "It’s spontaneous remission" as well as other innocuous terms seemingly to lessen it’s importance. It is human nature when something is not understood to either dismiss it, diminish it or ignore it all together. This search to seek out answers to this reoccurring phenomenon is the basis for PNI, the way the mind-body connection is made and how we can utilize it for greater health and well-being.

Passage – II

The brain is a two and a quarter pound piece of living organic tissue that controls the human nervous system. Music is a collection of sound waves that propagate through the air, and has varying frequencies and tones following a discernible order. Yet we all recognize the significance of the brain beyond its physical function. Our minds are the essence of what we are. The brain enigmatically stores memories, and lets people experience such things as emotion, sensations, and thoughts. In the same sense, music is more than just a collection of vibrations. This leads to the question of how does music affect the mind, and in addition, how does music affect human behavior? The reader might ask why such a question should be relevant. If more is known about the psychological and neurophysiological effects of music on the human mind, then the possibilities of this knowledge are unbounded. Music can be used to treat social and behavioral problems in people with disabilities. The use of music in the classroom might enhance or weaken a student's work characteristics. Therefore, whether the influence of music is positive or negative, much needs to be explored about the link between the mind and music.

Physiologically, the brain receives information about sound waves from the ear through the auditory nerve. This information is then processed by the brain and analyzed for the juxtaposition of melody and rhythm. The mixture of melody and rhythm is what we commonly refer to as music. However, our minds interpret this auditory information as more than just sound signals; somehow, we are able to differentiate between certain types of music, and develop preferences for these different types. Yet, what are the ways in which the effects of music manifest themselves?

First, there are particular biochemical responses in the human body to music. Research shows that college students, when listening to music, have more galvanic skin response peaks, as opposed to when they were not listening to music. This research also indicates a significant decrease of nor epinephrine levels in students while they listen to preferred music. Nor epinephrine is a neurotransmitter that arbitrates chemical communication in the sympathetic nervous system of the human body. The release of this neurotransmitter, as a consequence of a function of the brain, results in an increased heart rate and heightened blood pressure. Therefore, the decrease of nor epinephrine in these college students results in a more relaxed state. This could suggest that favored or pleasant music somehow affects the mind, resulting in the relaxing of the body. Another research project, undertaken at the Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, focuses on the effects of music on the mind using electroencephalograms (EEG). An electroencephalograph is a medical instrument that is capable of showing the electrical activity of the brain by measuring electrical potentials on the scalp. In this experiment, volunteers were exposed to silence, music, white noise (simulated hiss), and then silence. The result of this experiment coincides with the previous findings. The volunteers all reported feeling a calming sensation. However, the researches did not attribute the lowered tension to reduced neurotransmitter levels. While listening to music, many of the subjects reported that they felt pleasantly relaxed or comfortable… Music may evoke more organized mental activities which result in subjectively comfortable feelings.