Reading Comprehension

What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Stress has very ancient origin, starting from the pre-historic times. This reference, however, need not be taken to hint that today’s important people have any connection whatsoever to prehistoric men. The very thought is demeaning! The allusion occurs only because the way corporate honchos react to stress is reminiscent of the way Homo sapiens circa 5 mn BC reacted to their stress situations. No connection, whatsoever, just historical reference. So, the pre-historic man, when suddenly faced with, say, a wild bear, experienced a surge of blood pressure, faster heart rate, a tautness of muscles, a rush of adrenaline, release of cortisol in the blood and formation of acid in the stomach to digest food in a jiffy and create glucose and energy. These physiological changes in the body helped the pre-historic fellow out there to respond quickly and strongly to the threat from the grizzly and helped him either flatten the beast’s skull or to sprint away at top speed! As he fought the bear, all these physio-chemical changes and release were used to good effect by the club-wielding caveman, who then, perhaps dragged the bear to his cave and asked his mate to make a teeny-weeny wrap-around skirt for herself from the skin of the animal and a loincloth for him.  
Medically speaking, whenever living beings perceived threat, they quickly released hormones that helped them to survive. These hormones increased heart rate and blood pressure, delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to give more energy and power to important muscles. Acid poured into the stomach to convert any food left there into energy quickly. All these physiological changes helped them to run faster and fight harder. Sweating helped cool the muscles. Blood from surface was moved to the core of their bodies, making the muscles more efficient and reducing blood loss in case of injury. The hormones focussed their attention on the threat, excluding everything else. This response was necessary whenever a living being faced physical threat. Making good use of these physiological changes, human being survived and thrived. He thrived, in fact, so well that he became a threat for the wild animals.
So, when man killed sufficient number of bears and other such dreadful beasts, the animals decided to move away from this ferocious being called man and retired peacefully to forests and jungles where they would only be killed by such animals that would not make loincloths out of them. Man gradually settled in settlements made by him. But his blood longed for the physical challenges of yore. He could not keep without fighting for long, and therefore started fighting his fellows. A long series of battles and wars ensued, ensuring man’s name to be remembered and commemorated in history. These physical challenges were aided and abetted by mental ones where one party had to outmanoeuvre the other through cunning. Victory received the old heady feeling of dragging the beast to the cave for the wrap-around skirt.
Then came the time when fighting physically was considered below dignity in certain human circles.  But human being still liked to fight. The desire for challenge and for winning over difficulties and adversaries is innate to human nature. Slowly, physical battles were becoming history, so, human beings created what they loved. They created someone or something to fight with; they created challenges, when they were already not there. They loved the adrenaline rush. So eventually, commercial, financial, psychological and other such warfare became fashionable among the educated class.

What is the underlying idea of the passage?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Stress has very ancient origin, starting from the pre-historic times. This reference, however, need not be taken to hint that today’s important people have any connection whatsoever to prehistoric men. The very thought is demeaning! The allusion occurs only because the way corporate honchos react to stress is reminiscent of the way Homo sapiens circa 5 mn BC reacted to their stress situations. No connection, whatsoever, just historical reference. So, the pre-historic man, when suddenly faced with, say, a wild bear, experienced a surge of blood pressure, faster heart rate, a tautness of muscles, a rush of adrenaline, release of cortisol in the blood and formation of acid in the stomach to digest food in a jiffy and create glucose and energy. These physiological changes in the body helped the pre-historic fellow out there to respond quickly and strongly to the threat from the grizzly and helped him either flatten the beast’s skull or to sprint away at top speed! As he fought the bear, all these physio-chemical changes and release were used to good effect by the club-wielding caveman, who then, perhaps dragged the bear to his cave and asked his mate to make a teeny-weeny wrap-around skirt for herself from the skin of the animal and a loincloth for him.  
Medically speaking, whenever living beings perceived threat, they quickly released hormones that helped them to survive. These hormones increased heart rate and blood pressure, delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to give more energy and power to important muscles. Acid poured into the stomach to convert any food left there into energy quickly. All these physiological changes helped them to run faster and fight harder. Sweating helped cool the muscles. Blood from surface was moved to the core of their bodies, making the muscles more efficient and reducing blood loss in case of injury. The hormones focussed their attention on the threat, excluding everything else. This response was necessary whenever a living being faced physical threat. Making good use of these physiological changes, human being survived and thrived. He thrived, in fact, so well that he became a threat for the wild animals.
So, when man killed sufficient number of bears and other such dreadful beasts, the animals decided to move away from this ferocious being called man and retired peacefully to forests and jungles where they would only be killed by such animals that would not make loincloths out of them. Man gradually settled in settlements made by him. But his blood longed for the physical challenges of yore. He could not keep without fighting for long, and therefore started fighting his fellows. A long series of battles and wars ensued, ensuring man’s name to be remembered and commemorated in history. These physical challenges were aided and abetted by mental ones where one party had to outmanoeuvre the other through cunning. Victory received the old heady feeling of dragging the beast to the cave for the wrap-around skirt.
Then came the time when fighting physically was considered below dignity in certain human circles.  But human being still liked to fight. The desire for challenge and for winning over difficulties and adversaries is innate to human nature. Slowly, physical battles were becoming history, so, human beings created what they loved. They created someone or something to fight with; they created challenges, when they were already not there. They loved the adrenaline rush. So eventually, commercial, financial, psychological and other such warfare became fashionable among the educated class.

What, according to the writer, was the chief reason that impelled man to shift from physical fight to the mental ones?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Stress has very ancient origin, starting from the pre-historic times. This reference, however, need not be taken to hint that today’s important people have any connection whatsoever to prehistoric men. The very thought is demeaning! The allusion occurs only because the way corporate honchos react to stress is reminiscent of the way Homo sapiens circa 5 mn BC reacted to their stress situations. No connection, whatsoever, just historical reference. So, the pre-historic man, when suddenly faced with, say, a wild bear, experienced a surge of blood pressure, faster heart rate, a tautness of muscles, a rush of adrenaline, release of cortisol in the blood and formation of acid in the stomach to digest food in a jiffy and create glucose and energy. These physiological changes in the body helped the pre-historic fellow out there to respond quickly and strongly to the threat from the grizzly and helped him either flatten the beast’s skull or to sprint away at top speed! As he fought the bear, all these physio-chemical changes and release were used to good effect by the club-wielding caveman, who then, perhaps dragged the bear to his cave and asked his mate to make a teeny-weeny wrap-around skirt for herself from the skin of the animal and a loincloth for him.  
Medically speaking, whenever living beings perceived threat, they quickly released hormones that helped them to survive. These hormones increased heart rate and blood pressure, delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to give more energy and power to important muscles. Acid poured into the stomach to convert any food left there into energy quickly. All these physiological changes helped them to run faster and fight harder. Sweating helped cool the muscles. Blood from surface was moved to the core of their bodies, making the muscles more efficient and reducing blood loss in case of injury. The hormones focussed their attention on the threat, excluding everything else. This response was necessary whenever a living being faced physical threat. Making good use of these physiological changes, human being survived and thrived. He thrived, in fact, so well that he became a threat for the wild animals.
So, when man killed sufficient number of bears and other such dreadful beasts, the animals decided to move away from this ferocious being called man and retired peacefully to forests and jungles where they would only be killed by such animals that would not make loincloths out of them. Man gradually settled in settlements made by him. But his blood longed for the physical challenges of yore. He could not keep without fighting for long, and therefore started fighting his fellows. A long series of battles and wars ensued, ensuring man’s name to be remembered and commemorated in history. These physical challenges were aided and abetted by mental ones where one party had to outmanoeuvre the other through cunning. Victory received the old heady feeling of dragging the beast to the cave for the wrap-around skirt.
Then came the time when fighting physically was considered below dignity in certain human circles.  But human being still liked to fight. The desire for challenge and for winning over difficulties and adversaries is innate to human nature. Slowly, physical battles were becoming history, so, human beings created what they loved. They created someone or something to fight with; they created challenges, when they were already not there. They loved the adrenaline rush. So eventually, commercial, financial, psychological and other such warfare became fashionable among the educated class.

Which of the following can definitely not be inferred from the passage?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Stress has very ancient origin, starting from the pre-historic times. This reference, however, need not be taken to hint that today’s important people have any connection whatsoever to prehistoric men. The very thought is demeaning! The allusion occurs only because the way corporate honchos react to stress is reminiscent of the way Homo sapiens circa 5 mn BC reacted to their stress situations. No connection, whatsoever, just historical reference. So, the pre-historic man, when suddenly faced with, say, a wild bear, experienced a surge of blood pressure, faster heart rate, a tautness of muscles, a rush of adrenaline, release of cortisol in the blood and formation of acid in the stomach to digest food in a jiffy and create glucose and energy. These physiological changes in the body helped the pre-historic fellow out there to respond quickly and strongly to the threat from the grizzly and helped him either flatten the beast’s skull or to sprint away at top speed! As he fought the bear, all these physio-chemical changes and release were used to good effect by the club-wielding caveman, who then, perhaps dragged the bear to his cave and asked his mate to make a teeny-weeny wrap-around skirt for herself from the skin of the animal and a loincloth for him.  
Medically speaking, whenever living beings perceived threat, they quickly released hormones that helped them to survive. These hormones increased heart rate and blood pressure, delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to give more energy and power to important muscles. Acid poured into the stomach to convert any food left there into energy quickly. All these physiological changes helped them to run faster and fight harder. Sweating helped cool the muscles. Blood from surface was moved to the core of their bodies, making the muscles more efficient and reducing blood loss in case of injury. The hormones focussed their attention on the threat, excluding everything else. This response was necessary whenever a living being faced physical threat. Making good use of these physiological changes, human being survived and thrived. He thrived, in fact, so well that he became a threat for the wild animals.
So, when man killed sufficient number of bears and other such dreadful beasts, the animals decided to move away from this ferocious being called man and retired peacefully to forests and jungles where they would only be killed by such animals that would not make loincloths out of them. Man gradually settled in settlements made by him. But his blood longed for the physical challenges of yore. He could not keep without fighting for long, and therefore started fighting his fellows. A long series of battles and wars ensued, ensuring man’s name to be remembered and commemorated in history. These physical challenges were aided and abetted by mental ones where one party had to outmanoeuvre the other through cunning. Victory received the old heady feeling of dragging the beast to the cave for the wrap-around skirt.
Then came the time when fighting physically was considered below dignity in certain human circles.  But human being still liked to fight. The desire for challenge and for winning over difficulties and adversaries is innate to human nature. Slowly, physical battles were becoming history, so, human beings created what they loved. They created someone or something to fight with; they created challenges, when they were already not there. They loved the adrenaline rush. So eventually, commercial, financial, psychological and other such warfare became fashionable among the educated class.

Which of the following amply sums up the gist of the passage?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Stress has very ancient origin, starting from the pre-historic times. This reference, however, need not be taken to hint that today’s important people have any connection whatsoever to prehistoric men. The very thought is demeaning! The allusion occurs only because the way corporate honchos react to stress is reminiscent of the way Homo sapiens circa 5 mn BC reacted to their stress situations. No connection, whatsoever, just historical reference. So, the pre-historic man, when suddenly faced with, say, a wild bear, experienced a surge of blood pressure, faster heart rate, a tautness of muscles, a rush of adrenaline, release of cortisol in the blood and formation of acid in the stomach to digest food in a jiffy and create glucose and energy. These physiological changes in the body helped the pre-historic fellow out there to respond quickly and strongly to the threat from the grizzly and helped him either flatten the beast’s skull or to sprint away at top speed! As he fought the bear, all these physio-chemical changes and release were used to good effect by the club-wielding caveman, who then, perhaps dragged the bear to his cave and asked his mate to make a teeny-weeny wrap-around skirt for herself from the skin of the animal and a loincloth for him.  
Medically speaking, whenever living beings perceived threat, they quickly released hormones that helped them to survive. These hormones increased heart rate and blood pressure, delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to give more energy and power to important muscles. Acid poured into the stomach to convert any food left there into energy quickly. All these physiological changes helped them to run faster and fight harder. Sweating helped cool the muscles. Blood from surface was moved to the core of their bodies, making the muscles more efficient and reducing blood loss in case of injury. The hormones focussed their attention on the threat, excluding everything else. This response was necessary whenever a living being faced physical threat. Making good use of these physiological changes, human being survived and thrived. He thrived, in fact, so well that he became a threat for the wild animals.
So, when man killed sufficient number of bears and other such dreadful beasts, the animals decided to move away from this ferocious being called man and retired peacefully to forests and jungles where they would only be killed by such animals that would not make loincloths out of them. Man gradually settled in settlements made by him. But his blood longed for the physical challenges of yore. He could not keep without fighting for long, and therefore started fighting his fellows. A long series of battles and wars ensued, ensuring man’s name to be remembered and commemorated in history. These physical challenges were aided and abetted by mental ones where one party had to outmanoeuvre the other through cunning. Victory received the old heady feeling of dragging the beast to the cave for the wrap-around skirt.
Then came the time when fighting physically was considered below dignity in certain human circles.  But human being still liked to fight. The desire for challenge and for winning over difficulties and adversaries is innate to human nature. Slowly, physical battles were becoming history, so, human beings created what they loved. They created someone or something to fight with; they created challenges, when they were already not there. They loved the adrenaline rush. So eventually, commercial, financial, psychological and other such warfare became fashionable among the educated class.

The writer fears that the planet earth is perched on the brink of a disaster because

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

The world economy continues to be in a state of turmoil. The hope of a global economic recovery looks distant with the crisis not abating in the Europe, the US economy still in slow motion, and the persistent contraction in Japan. The declining growth rates in China, India and Brazil – the poster nations of the emerging world – are also a cause of significant concern. Global unemployment rates have surged this year. Governments across the world are confronted with dwindling revenue and more vociferous demands for economic stimuli.
The problems, however, are far more deep rooted. After more than a century of economic progress, we live in a significantly unequal world. The UN Human Development Report data, a barometer of the world’s real progress, suggests that nearly 2 billion people in the world still live in multi-dimensional poverty. By this measure, more than 600 million people in India are severely deprived. Recent CECD studies reiterate that income inequalities have actually widened in the last 30 years in a majority of advanced nations as well as emerging economies.
And that is not all. The race for unbridled material growth has left a planet seriously depleted of environmental resources and perched on the brink of a disaster. The world’s ecological footprint suggests that consumption of natural resources every year is one and a half times more than the earth’s capacity to regenerate. At this rate, the world will bequeath future generations a barren planet in less than 30 years from now.
India has not been impervious to the global contagions of either the recession or the baggage of unsustainable development. One-third of the world’s poor live in India. With 17% of the world population, India accounts for only 2.4% of the global land mass, 4% of the world’s freshwater resources and 1% of the global forest resources. The list of core challenges is therefore significantly intimidating. Poverty alleviation, livelihood creation, food security, water availability and access, provision of education and healthcare, energy security, infrastructure creation, environment replenishment are all issues that need urgent attention.
The recent economic slowdown in India is therefore a concern, because it limits the capacity to tackle these enormous developmental challenges. The widening fiscal and current account deficits, persistently high and sticky inflation, coupled with a depleted appetite for investment, continue to stifle early economic recovery. The imbroglio on several important long-term policy issues is only adding fuel to this fire. The lack of consensus on issues like GST is particularly disconcerting given the well-acknowledged benefits of such a system in terms of tax buoyancy, collection efficiency and facilitation of one common market for India. It is imperative that urgent solutions are found to break this policy impasse and signal a growth impetus that can once again rebuild confidence in the economy.

What, according to the writer, are the governments across the world confronted with?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

The world economy continues to be in a state of turmoil. The hope of a global economic recovery looks distant with the crisis not abating in the Europe, the US economy still in slow motion, and the persistent contraction in Japan. The declining growth rates in China, India and Brazil – the poster nations of the emerging world – are also a cause of significant concern. Global unemployment rates have surged this year. Governments across the world are confronted with dwindling revenue and more vociferous demands for economic stimuli.
The problems, however, are far more deep rooted. After more than a century of economic progress, we live in a significantly unequal world. The UN Human Development Report data, a barometer of the world’s real progress, suggests that nearly 2 billion people in the world still live in multi-dimensional poverty. By this measure, more than 600 million people in India are severely deprived. Recent CECD studies reiterate that income inequalities have actually widened in the last 30 years in a majority of advanced nations as well as emerging economies.
And that is not all. The race for unbridled material growth has left a planet seriously depleted of environmental resources and perched on the brink of a disaster. The world’s ecological footprint suggests that consumption of natural resources every year is one and a half times more than the earth’s capacity to regenerate. At this rate, the world will bequeath future generations a barren planet in less than 30 years from now.
India has not been impervious to the global contagions of either the recession or the baggage of unsustainable development. One-third of the world’s poor live in India. With 17% of the world population, India accounts for only 2.4% of the global land mass, 4% of the world’s freshwater resources and 1% of the global forest resources. The list of core challenges is therefore significantly intimidating. Poverty alleviation, livelihood creation, food security, water availability and access, provision of education and healthcare, energy security, infrastructure creation, environment replenishment are all issues that need urgent attention.
The recent economic slowdown in India is therefore a concern, because it limits the capacity to tackle these enormous developmental challenges. The widening fiscal and current account deficits, persistently high and sticky inflation, coupled with a depleted appetite for investment, continue to stifle early economic recovery. The imbroglio on several important long-term policy issues is only adding fuel to this fire. The lack of consensus on issues like GST is particularly disconcerting given the well-acknowledged benefits of such a system in terms of tax buoyancy, collection efficiency and facilitation of one common market for India. It is imperative that urgent solutions are found to break this policy impasse and signal a growth impetus that can once again rebuild confidence in the economy.

Which of the following, according to the author, is the most intimidating core challenge facing India?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

The world economy continues to be in a state of turmoil. The hope of a global economic recovery looks distant with the crisis not abating in the Europe, the US economy still in slow motion, and the persistent contraction in Japan. The declining growth rates in China, India and Brazil – the poster nations of the emerging world – are also a cause of significant concern. Global unemployment rates have surged this year. Governments across the world are confronted with dwindling revenue and more vociferous demands for economic stimuli.
The problems, however, are far more deep rooted. After more than a century of economic progress, we live in a significantly unequal world. The UN Human Development Report data, a barometer of the world’s real progress, suggests that nearly 2 billion people in the world still live in multi-dimensional poverty. By this measure, more than 600 million people in India are severely deprived. Recent CECD studies reiterate that income inequalities have actually widened in the last 30 years in a majority of advanced nations as well as emerging economies.
And that is not all. The race for unbridled material growth has left a planet seriously depleted of environmental resources and perched on the brink of a disaster. The world’s ecological footprint suggests that consumption of natural resources every year is one and a half times more than the earth’s capacity to regenerate. At this rate, the world will bequeath future generations a barren planet in less than 30 years from now.
India has not been impervious to the global contagions of either the recession or the baggage of unsustainable development. One-third of the world’s poor live in India. With 17% of the world population, India accounts for only 2.4% of the global land mass, 4% of the world’s freshwater resources and 1% of the global forest resources. The list of core challenges is therefore significantly intimidating. Poverty alleviation, livelihood creation, food security, water availability and access, provision of education and healthcare, energy security, infrastructure creation, environment replenishment are all issues that need urgent attention.
The recent economic slowdown in India is therefore a concern, because it limits the capacity to tackle these enormous developmental challenges. The widening fiscal and current account deficits, persistently high and sticky inflation, coupled with a depleted appetite for investment, continue to stifle early economic recovery. The imbroglio on several important long-term policy issues is only adding fuel to this fire. The lack of consensus on issues like GST is particularly disconcerting given the well-acknowledged benefits of such a system in terms of tax buoyancy, collection efficiency and facilitation of one common market for India. It is imperative that urgent solutions are found to break this policy impasse and signal a growth impetus that can once again rebuild confidence in the economy.

The most fallacious argument about the passage would be that

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

The world economy continues to be in a state of turmoil. The hope of a global economic recovery looks distant with the crisis not abating in the Europe, the US economy still in slow motion, and the persistent contraction in Japan. The declining growth rates in China, India and Brazil – the poster nations of the emerging world – are also a cause of significant concern. Global unemployment rates have surged this year. Governments across the world are confronted with dwindling revenue and more vociferous demands for economic stimuli.
The problems, however, are far more deep rooted. After more than a century of economic progress, we live in a significantly unequal world. The UN Human Development Report data, a barometer of the world’s real progress, suggests that nearly 2 billion people in the world still live in multi-dimensional poverty. By this measure, more than 600 million people in India are severely deprived. Recent CECD studies reiterate that income inequalities have actually widened in the last 30 years in a majority of advanced nations as well as emerging economies.
And that is not all. The race for unbridled material growth has left a planet seriously depleted of environmental resources and perched on the brink of a disaster. The world’s ecological footprint suggests that consumption of natural resources every year is one and a half times more than the earth’s capacity to regenerate. At this rate, the world will bequeath future generations a barren planet in less than 30 years from now.
India has not been impervious to the global contagions of either the recession or the baggage of unsustainable development. One-third of the world’s poor live in India. With 17% of the world population, India accounts for only 2.4% of the global land mass, 4% of the world’s freshwater resources and 1% of the global forest resources. The list of core challenges is therefore significantly intimidating. Poverty alleviation, livelihood creation, food security, water availability and access, provision of education and healthcare, energy security, infrastructure creation, environment replenishment are all issues that need urgent attention.
The recent economic slowdown in India is therefore a concern, because it limits the capacity to tackle these enormous developmental challenges. The widening fiscal and current account deficits, persistently high and sticky inflation, coupled with a depleted appetite for investment, continue to stifle early economic recovery. The imbroglio on several important long-term policy issues is only adding fuel to this fire. The lack of consensus on issues like GST is particularly disconcerting given the well-acknowledged benefits of such a system in terms of tax buoyancy, collection efficiency and facilitation of one common market for India. It is imperative that urgent solutions are found to break this policy impasse and signal a growth impetus that can once again rebuild confidence in the economy.

Which of the following, according to the writer, is the most pressing problem the world could face in a not very distant future?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

The world economy continues to be in a state of turmoil. The hope of a global economic recovery looks distant with the crisis not abating in the Europe, the US economy still in slow motion, and the persistent contraction in Japan. The declining growth rates in China, India and Brazil – the poster nations of the emerging world – are also a cause of significant concern. Global unemployment rates have surged this year. Governments across the world are confronted with dwindling revenue and more vociferous demands for economic stimuli.
The problems, however, are far more deep rooted. After more than a century of economic progress, we live in a significantly unequal world. The UN Human Development Report data, a barometer of the world’s real progress, suggests that nearly 2 billion people in the world still live in multi-dimensional poverty. By this measure, more than 600 million people in India are severely deprived. Recent CECD studies reiterate that income inequalities have actually widened in the last 30 years in a majority of advanced nations as well as emerging economies.
And that is not all. The race for unbridled material growth has left a planet seriously depleted of environmental resources and perched on the brink of a disaster. The world’s ecological footprint suggests that consumption of natural resources every year is one and a half times more than the earth’s capacity to regenerate. At this rate, the world will bequeath future generations a barren planet in less than 30 years from now.
India has not been impervious to the global contagions of either the recession or the baggage of unsustainable development. One-third of the world’s poor live in India. With 17% of the world population, India accounts for only 2.4% of the global land mass, 4% of the world’s freshwater resources and 1% of the global forest resources. The list of core challenges is therefore significantly intimidating. Poverty alleviation, livelihood creation, food security, water availability and access, provision of education and healthcare, energy security, infrastructure creation, environment replenishment are all issues that need urgent attention.
The recent economic slowdown in India is therefore a concern, because it limits the capacity to tackle these enormous developmental challenges. The widening fiscal and current account deficits, persistently high and sticky inflation, coupled with a depleted appetite for investment, continue to stifle early economic recovery. The imbroglio on several important long-term policy issues is only adding fuel to this fire. The lack of consensus on issues like GST is particularly disconcerting given the well-acknowledged benefits of such a system in terms of tax buoyancy, collection efficiency and facilitation of one common market for India. It is imperative that urgent solutions are found to break this policy impasse and signal a growth impetus that can once again rebuild confidence in the economy.

Why does the writer draw our attention to what Thomas Hunter had said? What are his fears?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Apathy in addressing community matters has held us back from making progress which is otherwise within our reach. We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else. On the other hand, in the West, people approach societal problems proactively. There are several examples of our apathetic attitude. For instance, all of us are aware of the problem of drought in India. More than four decades ago, Dr. K.L.Rao, an irrigation expert, suggested the creation of a water grid connecting all the rivers in north and south India to solve this problem. Unfortunately, nothing has been done about this. The story of power shortage in Bangalore is another instance. In 1983, it was decided that a power plant would be built to meet Bangalore’s power requirements. Sadly, we have not yet started it. The Milan subway in Bombay has been in a deplorable state for the last four decades, and no action has been taken.
We Indians would do well to remember Thomas Hunter’s words that idleness travels very slowly and poverty soon overtakes it. What could be the reason for our apathy? We were ruled by foreigners for over a thousand years. So, we have always believed that public or societal issues belong to some foreign ruler and that we have no responsibility to solve them. We have got used to just executing someone else’s orders. ‘We are what we repeatedly do,’ said Aristotle. Having waited for some foreigner to tell us what to do over the last thousand years, the decision-makers in our society are not used to taking decisions on their own. They look to somebody else to take their decisions for them. Unfortunately, there is no body to look up to, and this is our tragedy.

What, accordingly to the passage, is our tragedy?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Apathy in addressing community matters has held us back from making progress which is otherwise within our reach. We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else. On the other hand, in the West, people approach societal problems proactively. There are several examples of our apathetic attitude. For instance, all of us are aware of the problem of drought in India. More than four decades ago, Dr. K.L.Rao, an irrigation expert, suggested the creation of a water grid connecting all the rivers in north and south India to solve this problem. Unfortunately, nothing has been done about this. The story of power shortage in Bangalore is another instance. In 1983, it was decided that a power plant would be built to meet Bangalore’s power requirements. Sadly, we have not yet started it. The Milan subway in Bombay has been in a deplorable state for the last four decades, and no action has been taken.
We Indians would do well to remember Thomas Hunter’s words that idleness travels very slowly and poverty soon overtakes it. What could be the reason for our apathy? We were ruled by foreigners for over a thousand years. So, we have always believed that public or societal issues belong to some foreign ruler and that we have no responsibility to solve them. We have got used to just executing someone else’s orders. ‘We are what we repeatedly do,’ said Aristotle. Having waited for some foreigner to tell us what to do over the last thousand years, the decision-makers in our society are not used to taking decisions on their own. They look to somebody else to take their decisions for them. Unfortunately, there is no body to look up to, and this is our tragedy.

Why, according to the author, Indians are apathetic?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Apathy in addressing community matters has held us back from making progress which is otherwise within our reach. We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else. On the other hand, in the West, people approach societal problems proactively. There are several examples of our apathetic attitude. For instance, all of us are aware of the problem of drought in India. More than four decades ago, Dr. K.L.Rao, an irrigation expert, suggested the creation of a water grid connecting all the rivers in north and south India to solve this problem. Unfortunately, nothing has been done about this. The story of power shortage in Bangalore is another instance. In 1983, it was decided that a power plant would be built to meet Bangalore’s power requirements. Sadly, we have not yet started it. The Milan subway in Bombay has been in a deplorable state for the last four decades, and no action has been taken.
We Indians would do well to remember Thomas Hunter’s words that idleness travels very slowly and poverty soon overtakes it. What could be the reason for our apathy? We were ruled by foreigners for over a thousand years. So, we have always believed that public or societal issues belong to some foreign ruler and that we have no responsibility to solve them. We have got used to just executing someone else’s orders. ‘We are what we repeatedly do,’ said Aristotle. Having waited for some foreigner to tell us what to do over the last thousand years, the decision-makers in our society are not used to taking decisions on their own. They look to somebody else to take their decisions for them. Unfortunately, there is no body to look up to, and this is our tragedy.

Why does a tenant submit to those do’s and don’ts?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Tenants are usually the accursed lot. They are forced by the circumstance to live in a house they do not own, for which they have to cough up a sizeable chunk of their hard earned money. But their travail does not end with just paying the rent. In fact, it begins from there. Of course, there are quite a few tenants who give a torrid time to their landlords. But such cases are more an exception than rule. A tenant is always at the mercy of his landlord or landlady. Landlords, it would seem, like to keep their tenants on a tenterhook.
Relation between a tenant and his landlord is rarely, if ever, a very cordial one. It may begin on a cordial note. But certainly does not end on the same note. Sometimes the process gets reversed too. But such occasions are few. For, if it did not begin on a cordial note, the deal would never be struck. The word cordial however is not appropriate here, because cordiality begins with the tenant and ends with him. It is not for him to expect that the landlord would return cordiality. It is the tenant who needs a roof over his head. The landlord can afford to ignore a number of tenants even for an indefinite period of time.
So, a prospective tenant makes a cautious approach to his prospective landlord who subjects him to a grilling interview before deciding to condescend a proper hearing. The prospective tenant answers every question in great trepidation, for he does not know which answer of his may disqualify him. The prospective landlord extracts every bit of information about his hapless victim, but reveals very little about himself. If the prospective tenant crosses the first hurdle successfully and unscathed, he then faces another crucial area of settling the rent. If this hurdle is also crossed successfully and without being bruised, then he faces the most crucial one. That is the area of do’s and don’ts.
These do’s and don’ts are like Ten Commandments. The tenant has no choice but to follow them meticulously. While listing all those do’s and don’ts here may not be desirable, we can afford to take a look at some of the queer conditions that bind a tenant to what may be called a tether post. One of such conditions must relate to rational (it is rationed, actually) use of water. At the time of striking a deal, water would usually not pose any problem at all and would hardly be a matter of discussion then. But once the house is occupied and the advance rent is paid, water becomes a perennial problem which is resolved always at the cost of the poor tenant. The poor tenant has no choice but to acquiesce to whatever arrangement is made, for he cannot afford to change house so quickly yet again. Besides, he can never be sure he will not be meted out the same or worse treatment elsewhere. So he stays put. If he has small children, he is specifically asked to keep them restrained. They must not make noise, nor must they pluck flowers, if there are any in the close vicinity. They must not dare to socialize with the landlord or his family. Landlords are a class apart. They would not approve of too many guests, or of parties. Ceremonies of all kinds are best avoided. Tenants must lead as sedate a life as can be possible.

The passage leads to the conclusion that

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Tenants are usually the accursed lot. They are forced by the circumstance to live in a house they do not own, for which they have to cough up a sizeable chunk of their hard earned money. But their travail does not end with just paying the rent. In fact, it begins from there. Of course, there are quite a few tenants who give a torrid time to their landlords. But such cases are more an exception than rule. A tenant is always at the mercy of his landlord or landlady. Landlords, it would seem, like to keep their tenants on a tenterhook.
Relation between a tenant and his landlord is rarely, if ever, a very cordial one. It may begin on a cordial note. But certainly does not end on the same note. Sometimes the process gets reversed too. But such occasions are few. For, if it did not begin on a cordial note, the deal would never be struck. The word cordial however is not appropriate here, because cordiality begins with the tenant and ends with him. It is not for him to expect that the landlord would return cordiality. It is the tenant who needs a roof over his head. The landlord can afford to ignore a number of tenants even for an indefinite period of time.
So, a prospective tenant makes a cautious approach to his prospective landlord who subjects him to a grilling interview before deciding to condescend a proper hearing. The prospective tenant answers every question in great trepidation, for he does not know which answer of his may disqualify him. The prospective landlord extracts every bit of information about his hapless victim, but reveals very little about himself. If the prospective tenant crosses the first hurdle successfully and unscathed, he then faces another crucial area of settling the rent. If this hurdle is also crossed successfully and without being bruised, then he faces the most crucial one. That is the area of do’s and don’ts.
These do’s and don’ts are like Ten Commandments. The tenant has no choice but to follow them meticulously. While listing all those do’s and don’ts here may not be desirable, we can afford to take a look at some of the queer conditions that bind a tenant to what may be called a tether post. One of such conditions must relate to rational (it is rationed, actually) use of water. At the time of striking a deal, water would usually not pose any problem at all and would hardly be a matter of discussion then. But once the house is occupied and the advance rent is paid, water becomes a perennial problem which is resolved always at the cost of the poor tenant. The poor tenant has no choice but to acquiesce to whatever arrangement is made, for he cannot afford to change house so quickly yet again. Besides, he can never be sure he will not be meted out the same or worse treatment elsewhere. So he stays put. If he has small children, he is specifically asked to keep them restrained. They must not make noise, nor must they pluck flowers, if there are any in the close vicinity. They must not dare to socialize with the landlord or his family. Landlords are a class apart. They would not approve of too many guests, or of parties. Ceremonies of all kinds are best avoided. Tenants must lead as sedate a life as can be possible.