Reading Comprehension

Srinagar is known as _______ of Kashmir.

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

A jewel of a destination, Kashmir is one of the most amazing holiday destinations in India. Srinagar, the state’s winter capital, is the first stop for most travellers to Kashmir; and with its great lake and meandering river, its exquisite pleasure gardens and romantic shikara rides, the old-world charm of its houseboats and the ageless grace of its architecture, the city is a fitting introduction to the many enchantments of the valley. The vast Dal Lake is, of course, Srinagar’s emblematic feature, and its deep waters carry the most popular of Srinagar’s attractions: houseboats and shikaras. Many visitors are content to spend a great part of their holiday aboard these waterborne hotels, watching the lake’s traffic float by from cushioned balconies, venturing into the houseboat’s walnut-wood interiors for delicious, fragrant Kashmiri cuisine. If at all one can bring oneself to leave the boat, it is to step into another – the dainty, canopied shikaras. Fitted with generously cushioned seats and footrests, these elongated little boats constitute one of the great luxuries of the world, and have long been the very epitome of romance.
On the shores of the Dal are the great Mughal Gardens, glimpses into an earthly heaven of many-hued flowers, carpets of grass and playful fountains. On the two great hills that overlook the city and the lake – Hari Parbat (Kohi-e-Maran) and Shankracharaya (Takht-e-Sulaiman) are reminders of the city’s eclectic past: graced with ancient temples and medieval mosques, imposing fortress walls and simple, quiet shrines. The sacredness is equally pervasive in the old city, lined along both sides of the Jhelum river. Here are the wooden Islamic shrines with pagoda-like roofs that are so distinctive of Kashmir, and here too are the spires of old temples built amidst winding lanes of wooden houses with their delicately carved balconies, centuries’ old bridges and bustling markets.

The most popular houseboats and shikara rides are found in _______

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

A jewel of a destination, Kashmir is one of the most amazing holiday destinations in India. Srinagar, the state’s winter capital, is the first stop for most travellers to Kashmir; and with its great lake and meandering river, its exquisite pleasure gardens and romantic shikara rides, the old-world charm of its houseboats and the ageless grace of its architecture, the city is a fitting introduction to the many enchantments of the valley. The vast Dal Lake is, of course, Srinagar’s emblematic feature, and its deep waters carry the most popular of Srinagar’s attractions: houseboats and shikaras. Many visitors are content to spend a great part of their holiday aboard these waterborne hotels, watching the lake’s traffic float by from cushioned balconies, venturing into the houseboat’s walnut-wood interiors for delicious, fragrant Kashmiri cuisine. If at all one can bring oneself to leave the boat, it is to step into another – the dainty, canopied shikaras. Fitted with generously cushioned seats and footrests, these elongated little boats constitute one of the great luxuries of the world, and have long been the very epitome of romance.
On the shores of the Dal are the great Mughal Gardens, glimpses into an earthly heaven of many-hued flowers, carpets of grass and playful fountains. On the two great hills that overlook the city and the lake – Hari Parbat (Kohi-e-Maran) and Shankracharaya (Takht-e-Sulaiman) are reminders of the city’s eclectic past: graced with ancient temples and medieval mosques, imposing fortress walls and simple, quiet shrines. The sacredness is equally pervasive in the old city, lined along both sides of the Jhelum river. Here are the wooden Islamic shrines with pagoda-like roofs that are so distinctive of Kashmir, and here too are the spires of old temples built amidst winding lanes of wooden houses with their delicately carved balconies, centuries’ old bridges and bustling markets.

The garden that provides a scenic view of flowers is situated at ________.

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

A jewel of a destination, Kashmir is one of the most amazing holiday destinations in India. Srinagar, the state’s winter capital, is the first stop for most travellers to Kashmir; and with its great lake and meandering river, its exquisite pleasure gardens and romantic shikara rides, the old-world charm of its houseboats and the ageless grace of its architecture, the city is a fitting introduction to the many enchantments of the valley. The vast Dal Lake is, of course, Srinagar’s emblematic feature, and its deep waters carry the most popular of Srinagar’s attractions: houseboats and shikaras. Many visitors are content to spend a great part of their holiday aboard these waterborne hotels, watching the lake’s traffic float by from cushioned balconies, venturing into the houseboat’s walnut-wood interiors for delicious, fragrant Kashmiri cuisine. If at all one can bring oneself to leave the boat, it is to step into another – the dainty, canopied shikaras. Fitted with generously cushioned seats and footrests, these elongated little boats constitute one of the great luxuries of the world, and have long been the very epitome of romance.
On the shores of the Dal are the great Mughal Gardens, glimpses into an earthly heaven of many-hued flowers, carpets of grass and playful fountains. On the two great hills that overlook the city and the lake – Hari Parbat (Kohi-e-Maran) and Shankracharaya (Takht-e-Sulaiman) are reminders of the city’s eclectic past: graced with ancient temples and medieval mosques, imposing fortress walls and simple, quiet shrines. The sacredness is equally pervasive in the old city, lined along both sides of the Jhelum river. Here are the wooden Islamic shrines with pagoda-like roofs that are so distinctive of Kashmir, and here too are the spires of old temples built amidst winding lanes of wooden houses with their delicately carved balconies, centuries’ old bridges and bustling markets.

Famous places that remind about the history of the city are ________.

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

A jewel of a destination, Kashmir is one of the most amazing holiday destinations in India. Srinagar, the state’s winter capital, is the first stop for most travellers to Kashmir; and with its great lake and meandering river, its exquisite pleasure gardens and romantic shikara rides, the old-world charm of its houseboats and the ageless grace of its architecture, the city is a fitting introduction to the many enchantments of the valley. The vast Dal Lake is, of course, Srinagar’s emblematic feature, and its deep waters carry the most popular of Srinagar’s attractions: houseboats and shikaras. Many visitors are content to spend a great part of their holiday aboard these waterborne hotels, watching the lake’s traffic float by from cushioned balconies, venturing into the houseboat’s walnut-wood interiors for delicious, fragrant Kashmiri cuisine. If at all one can bring oneself to leave the boat, it is to step into another – the dainty, canopied shikaras. Fitted with generously cushioned seats and footrests, these elongated little boats constitute one of the great luxuries of the world, and have long been the very epitome of romance.
On the shores of the Dal are the great Mughal Gardens, glimpses into an earthly heaven of many-hued flowers, carpets of grass and playful fountains. On the two great hills that overlook the city and the lake – Hari Parbat (Kohi-e-Maran) and Shankracharaya (Takht-e-Sulaiman) are reminders of the city’s eclectic past: graced with ancient temples and medieval mosques, imposing fortress walls and simple, quiet shrines. The sacredness is equally pervasive in the old city, lined along both sides of the Jhelum river. Here are the wooden Islamic shrines with pagoda-like roofs that are so distinctive of Kashmir, and here too are the spires of old temples built amidst winding lanes of wooden houses with their delicately carved balconies, centuries’ old bridges and bustling markets.

The scope for replacing petrol engines for cars by hybrid or flex engines is limited by

Directions: Read the given passage and answer the following question.

Combustion engines contribute to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and are responsible for climate changes. A sane, sober revision of vehicle use is long overdue. While ethanol has been championed as an alternative to petroleum fuels, it mainly helps to reduce dependency on oil producing countries. Ethanol or methanol can be blended with petrol to reduce petroleum dependency. Petrol engines can use up to 10% ethanol without modification. New "flex" engines can use higher percentages of ethanol up to 100%. Hybrid flex-fuel vehicles are optimised to run on a maximum blend of 15% petrol with 85% ethanol (E85 fuel). The production of flex engine vehicles has increased, but the supply of flex fuel is limited.
There are problems in the bigger picture of carbon consumption and emission. When ethanol is made from corn, a lot of energy value must be spent on its production. While innovations in production technologies continue, there will be an ongoing requirement to invent new methods of production. Investment in new technologies will require government policy changes, subsidies and research grants. This will give rise to new competition between ethanol plants and food production.
If you are an optimist, you might argue that improved technologies will save the day --- corn yields per acre have been increasing mostly because of genetic engineering, so that food and ethanol production need not compete in the future. The ethanol industry uses only the carbohydrate fraction of the corn; the protein and oil fractions are used as animal feed to be consumed by humans as dairy products, eggs and meat. If you are a pessimist, you might point to the recurrent droughts in recent years and predict more crop failures in years to come. Other non-food vegetable sources of carbon will become alternative sources of raw materials.

What is holding up innovations in production technologies?

Directions: Read the given passage and answer the following question.

Combustion engines contribute to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and are responsible for climate changes. A sane, sober revision of vehicle use is long overdue. While ethanol has been championed as an alternative to petroleum fuels, it mainly helps to reduce dependency on oil producing countries. Ethanol or methanol can be blended with petrol to reduce petroleum dependency. Petrol engines can use up to 10% ethanol without modification. New "flex" engines can use higher percentages of ethanol up to 100%. Hybrid flex-fuel vehicles are optimised to run on a maximum blend of 15% petrol with 85% ethanol (E85 fuel). The production of flex engine vehicles has increased, but the supply of flex fuel is limited.
There are problems in the bigger picture of carbon consumption and emission. When ethanol is made from corn, a lot of energy value must be spent on its production. While innovations in production technologies continue, there will be an ongoing requirement to invent new methods of production. Investment in new technologies will require government policy changes, subsidies and research grants. This will give rise to new competition between ethanol plants and food production.
If you are an optimist, you might argue that improved technologies will save the day --- corn yields per acre have been increasing mostly because of genetic engineering, so that food and ethanol production need not compete in the future. The ethanol industry uses only the carbohydrate fraction of the corn; the protein and oil fractions are used as animal feed to be consumed by humans as dairy products, eggs and meat. If you are a pessimist, you might point to the recurrent droughts in recent years and predict more crop failures in years to come. Other non-food vegetable sources of carbon will become alternative sources of raw materials.

The line, “There are problems in the bigger picture of carbon consumption and emission,” deplores

Directions: Read the given passage and answer the following question.

Combustion engines contribute to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and are responsible for climate changes. A sane, sober revision of vehicle use is long overdue. While ethanol has been championed as an alternative to petroleum fuels, it mainly helps to reduce dependency on oil producing countries. Ethanol or methanol can be blended with petrol to reduce petroleum dependency. Petrol engines can use up to 10% ethanol without modification. New "flex" engines can use higher percentages of ethanol up to 100%. Hybrid flex-fuel vehicles are optimised to run on a maximum blend of 15% petrol with 85% ethanol (E85 fuel). The production of flex engine vehicles has increased, but the supply of flex fuel is limited.
There are problems in the bigger picture of carbon consumption and emission. When ethanol is made from corn, a lot of energy value must be spent on its production. While innovations in production technologies continue, there will be an ongoing requirement to invent new methods of production. Investment in new technologies will require government policy changes, subsidies and research grants. This will give rise to new competition between ethanol plants and food production.
If you are an optimist, you might argue that improved technologies will save the day --- corn yields per acre have been increasing mostly because of genetic engineering, so that food and ethanol production need not compete in the future. The ethanol industry uses only the carbohydrate fraction of the corn; the protein and oil fractions are used as animal feed to be consumed by humans as dairy products, eggs and meat. If you are a pessimist, you might point to the recurrent droughts in recent years and predict more crop failures in years to come. Other non-food vegetable sources of carbon will become alternative sources of raw materials.

Around 90% of the overall area under food grains

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

Crop insurance in India accounts for less than 2% of income generated from agriculture in a year. This, despite the fact that more than 60% of India’s labour force is dependent on agriculture, and the remaining two sectors — industry and services — derive a large part of their demand from agriculture. Further, Indian agriculture is still subject to uncontrollable risks, prime among which are the vagaries of the monsoon. A large part of crop insurance happens in the kharif season, which is critically monsoon-dependent. About 82% of total sum insured is for the kharif crop as are the 87% of the farmers who have so far benefited from crop insurance schemes. Nevertheless, in absolute terms, crop insurance’s role in agriculture is miniscule compared to agriculture’s significance to the country. The total insured crop area is only about 10% of the overall area under food grains. 
This suggests that not too much headway has been made in agriculture insurance since its initiation. The first nationwide crop insurance scheme, Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS), which was launched in 1985-86 by the General Insurance Corporation (GIC), did not achieve much. Over the years of its operation, the CCIS insured a total of 1.1% of the agriculture GDP over the period. From 1999-2000, a new scheme — the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) — was launched in place of the CCIS, with a newly-formed Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) as its implementing agency. This has fared slightly better than the CCIS, partly because of its scope. While the CCIS insured only those farmers who had taken short-term loans, the NAIS covers all farmers. The average yearly sum insured forms about 3% of income generated by agriculture in a year. Some of the bigger crop-producing states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan did not participate in the insurance scheme.

When man became conscious of his intellectual ability, he understood that he

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

Before the dawn of civilisation, man overpowered the weak with his physical strength. In the struggle for existence, it was the survival of the fittest. Might was right. Man didn't think twice before killing his prey. So, the prehistoric man was almost barbaric and lived solely on the strength of his muscle power. Gradually, man became aware of his intellectual ability. He learned to turn things in his favour by using his brain. He realised that he was superior to all in the animal kingdom due to his ability to think. He began using his mind to deal with day-to-day situations. As the civilization advanced, it became apparent that there was no need to cross swords to solve all the problems. In fact, it was realized that the pen is mightier than the sword. A sword may kill a man, but it certainly cannot bring about a change of heart or values.

Pens can create a revolution in the minds of men. In France, during the reign of King Louis XIV, there was a lot of discontent among the masses. The writings of Rousseau and Voltaire at that time fired the imagination of people. The King’s strong army could not stop the onrush of the flood-waters of the revolution. On the other hand, even the army was influenced by the slogans of equality, fraternity and liberty. Their loyalties also changed under the influence of the revolutionary ideas of Rousseau and Voltaire.

In India, the concept of agriculture insurance

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

Crop insurance in India accounts for less than 2% of income generated from agriculture in a year. This, despite the fact that more than 60% of India’s labour force is dependent on agriculture, and the remaining two sectors — industry and services — derive a large part of their demand from agriculture. Further, Indian agriculture is still subject to uncontrollable risks, prime among which are the vagaries of the monsoon. A large part of crop insurance happens in the kharif season, which is critically monsoon-dependent. About 82% of total sum insured is for the kharif crop as are the 87% of the farmers who have so far benefited from crop insurance schemes. Nevertheless, in absolute terms, crop insurance’s role in agriculture is miniscule compared to agriculture’s significance to the country. The total insured crop area is only about 10% of the overall area under food grains. 
This suggests that not too much headway has been made in agriculture insurance since its initiation. The first nationwide crop insurance scheme, Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS), which was launched in 1985-86 by the General Insurance Corporation (GIC), did not achieve much. Over the years of its operation, the CCIS insured a total of 1.1% of the agriculture GDP over the period. From 1999-2000, a new scheme — the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) — was launched in place of the CCIS, with a newly-formed Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) as its implementing agency. This has fared slightly better than the CCIS, partly because of its scope. While the CCIS insured only those farmers who had taken short-term loans, the NAIS covers all farmers. The average yearly sum insured forms about 3% of income generated by agriculture in a year. Some of the bigger crop-producing states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan did not participate in the insurance scheme.

With the passage of time, man realised ___________.

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

Before the dawn of civilisation, man overpowered the weak with his physical strength. In the struggle for existence, it was the survival of the fittest. Might was right. Man didn't think twice before killing his prey. So, the prehistoric man was almost barbaric and lived solely on the strength of his muscle power. Gradually, man became aware of his intellectual ability. He learned to turn things in his favour by using his brain. He realised that he was superior to all in the animal kingdom due to his ability to think. He began using his mind to deal with day-to-day situations. As the civilization advanced, it became apparent that there was no need to cross swords to solve all the problems. In fact, it was realized that the pen is mightier than the sword. A sword may kill a man, but it certainly cannot bring about a change of heart or values.

Pens can create a revolution in the minds of men. In France, during the reign of King Louis XIV, there was a lot of discontent among the masses. The writings of Rousseau and Voltaire at that time fired the imagination of people. The King’s strong army could not stop the onrush of the flood-waters of the revolution. On the other hand, even the army was influenced by the slogans of equality, fraternity and liberty. Their loyalties also changed under the influence of the revolutionary ideas of Rousseau and Voltaire.

The kharif season, in particular, is

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

Crop insurance in India accounts for less than 2% of income generated from agriculture in a year. This, despite the fact that more than 60% of India’s labour force is dependent on agriculture, and the remaining two sectors — industry and services — derive a large part of their demand from agriculture. Further, Indian agriculture is still subject to uncontrollable risks, prime among which are the vagaries of the monsoon. A large part of crop insurance happens in the kharif season, which is critically monsoon-dependent. About 82% of total sum insured is for the kharif crop as are the 87% of the farmers who have so far benefited from crop insurance schemes. Nevertheless, in absolute terms, crop insurance’s role in agriculture is miniscule compared to agriculture’s significance to the country. The total insured crop area is only about 10% of the overall area under food grains. 
This suggests that not too much headway has been made in agriculture insurance since its initiation. The first nationwide crop insurance scheme, Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS), which was launched in 1985-86 by the General Insurance Corporation (GIC), did not achieve much. Over the years of its operation, the CCIS insured a total of 1.1% of the agriculture GDP over the period. From 1999-2000, a new scheme — the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) — was launched in place of the CCIS, with a newly-formed Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) as its implementing agency. This has fared slightly better than the CCIS, partly because of its scope. While the CCIS insured only those farmers who had taken short-term loans, the NAIS covers all farmers. The average yearly sum insured forms about 3% of income generated by agriculture in a year. Some of the bigger crop-producing states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan did not participate in the insurance scheme.

The concluding lines of the passage hint at

Directions: Read the given passage and answer the following question.

Combustion engines contribute to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and are responsible for climate changes. A sane, sober revision of vehicle use is long overdue. While ethanol has been championed as an alternative to petroleum fuels, it mainly helps to reduce dependency on oil producing countries. Ethanol or methanol can be blended with petrol to reduce petroleum dependency. Petrol engines can use up to 10% ethanol without modification. New "flex" engines can use higher percentages of ethanol up to 100%. Hybrid flex-fuel vehicles are optimised to run on a maximum blend of 15% petrol with 85% ethanol (E85 fuel). The production of flex engine vehicles has increased, but the supply of flex fuel is limited.
There are problems in the bigger picture of carbon consumption and emission. When ethanol is made from corn, a lot of energy value must be spent on its production. While innovations in production technologies continue, there will be an ongoing requirement to invent new methods of production. Investment in new technologies will require government policy changes, subsidies and research grants. This will give rise to new competition between ethanol plants and food production.
If you are an optimist, you might argue that improved technologies will save the day --- corn yields per acre have been increasing mostly because of genetic engineering, so that food and ethanol production need not compete in the future. The ethanol industry uses only the carbohydrate fraction of the corn; the protein and oil fractions are used as animal feed to be consumed by humans as dairy products, eggs and meat. If you are a pessimist, you might point to the recurrent droughts in recent years and predict more crop failures in years to come. Other non-food vegetable sources of carbon will become alternative sources of raw materials.

How did man make things work for him after the dawn of civilization?

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

Before the dawn of civilisation, man overpowered the weak with his physical strength. In the struggle for existence, it was the survival of the fittest. Might was right. Man didn't think twice before killing his prey. So, the prehistoric man was almost barbaric and lived solely on the strength of his muscle power. Gradually, man became aware of his intellectual ability. He learned to turn things in his favour by using his brain. He realised that he was superior to all in the animal kingdom due to his ability to think. He began using his mind to deal with day-to-day situations. As the civilization advanced, it became apparent that there was no need to cross swords to solve all the problems. In fact, it was realized that the pen is mightier than the sword. A sword may kill a man, but it certainly cannot bring about a change of heart or values.

Pens can create a revolution in the minds of men. In France, during the reign of King Louis XIV, there was a lot of discontent among the masses. The writings of Rousseau and Voltaire at that time fired the imagination of people. The King’s strong army could not stop the onrush of the flood-waters of the revolution. On the other hand, even the army was influenced by the slogans of equality, fraternity and liberty. Their loyalties also changed under the influence of the revolutionary ideas of Rousseau and Voltaire.

Give the correct synonym for the word 'fraternity' as used in the passage.

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

Before the dawn of civilisation, man overpowered the weak with his physical strength. In the struggle for existence, it was the survival of the fittest. Might was right. Man didn't think twice before killing his prey. So, the prehistoric man was almost barbaric and lived solely on the strength of his muscle power. Gradually, man became aware of his intellectual ability. He learned to turn things in his favour by using his brain. He realised that he was superior to all in the animal kingdom due to his ability to think. He began using his mind to deal with day-to-day situations. As the civilization advanced, it became apparent that there was no need to cross swords to solve all the problems. In fact, it was realized that the pen is mightier than the sword. A sword may kill a man, but it certainly cannot bring about a change of heart or values.

Pens can create a revolution in the minds of men. In France, during the reign of King Louis XIV, there was a lot of discontent among the masses. The writings of Rousseau and Voltaire at that time fired the imagination of people. The King’s strong army could not stop the onrush of the flood-waters of the revolution. On the other hand, even the army was influenced by the slogans of equality, fraternity and liberty. Their loyalties also changed under the influence of the revolutionary ideas of Rousseau and Voltaire.