Reading Comprehension

What is a necessary assumption for the argument to be true?

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

Citing the re-emergence of Tuberculosis as a serious disease in the country, a Republican Senator yesterday blamed the CDC for not working hard enough to control contagious diseases. The Senator accused the scientists of CDC of indulging in esoteric research and being unaware of the ground realities.

The author uses the phrase 'when battling the pecuniary zombies' in order to:

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

The Obama administration has its hands full trying to tackle a host of internal and external problem, and though it is brilliantly failing, so far, to get a grip on the situation, they- the administration- would be getting more than a small amount of perverse pleasure from the way that the things have been panning out in Europe. America has been battling increasing fiscal deficit, an economy headed South, and ever increasing personal bankruptcies. The latest thorn in the side for the American federal government has come in the form of the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests- the movement that is protesting the concentration of 80 percent of the nation’s wealth in the hands of an elite one percent of population. However, a recent study found that, now, in the midst of a gripping recession, fewer than ever people were in support of the redistribution of wealth. Another movement, citing that, when compared to the 1960’s, the average American family is earning less in terms of purchasing power, in spite of many more families living on two incomes, is advocating an increase in the minimum wages of $7.25/ hour. The movement is gaining support from unexpected quarters including some senior government policy makers. Many professionals and entrepreneurs, who earn five figure monthly incomes, are coming out in favor of the movement. Many philanthropists like Warren Buffet are also very vocal in their support for the movement. The most resistance for the movement has come from people whose earnings are just above the minimum wages mark. They are dead against the movement, except in the scenario that their salaries also go up in proportion to the minimum wage earners.
 When battling the pecuniary zombies, the Americans can gain strength from their ‘get rich or die trying’ culture, which is in contrast to the more laidback approach in the other parts of the developed world. Greece, Portugal, and Spain have seen their economies slide down the drain in less than a decade. Now it is the turn of Italy to stare down the barrel of a loaded and cocked gun. The finger is whitening on the trigger but the Italian Prime Minister seems unconcerned. His bluster stems from the fact that Italians, unlike other Europeans, are hoarders, not spenders. In reply to what might have been some very uncomfortable questions for some, the Italian Prime Minister pooh-poohed suggestions that Italy, like Greece, is staring at disaster. He quoted the nation’s net saving ratio, which is the second highest in the continent (after Germany), and that while Italy's debt is clearly massive: €1.9tn euros, it’s only 120.5% of GDP compared with 162.8% for Greece. The Premier refused to be drawn into a debate on how Italy’s debt is higher than that of Spain or Portugal, the other two nations facing economic ruin, both of which have a debt ratio of around 100% of their respective GDPs.        

�

What according to the passage, is in America's favor while tackling the current economic recession?

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

The Obama administration has its hands full trying to tackle a host of internal and external problem, and though it is brilliantly failing, so far, to get a grip on the situation, they- the administration- would be getting more than a small amount of perverse pleasure from the way that the things have been panning out in Europe. America has been battling increasing fiscal deficit, an economy headed South, and ever increasing personal bankruptcies. The latest thorn in the side for the American federal government has come in the form of the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests- the movement that is protesting the concentration of 80 percent of the nation’s wealth in the hands of an elite one percent of population. However, a recent study found that, now, in the midst of a gripping recession, fewer than ever people were in support of the redistribution of wealth. Another movement, citing that, when compared to the 1960’s, the average American family is earning less in terms of purchasing power, in spite of many more families living on two incomes, is advocating an increase in the minimum wages of $7.25/ hour. The movement is gaining support from unexpected quarters including some senior government policy makers. Many professionals and entrepreneurs, who earn five figure monthly incomes, are coming out in favor of the movement. Many philanthropists like Warren Buffet are also very vocal in their support for the movement. The most resistance for the movement has come from people whose earnings are just above the minimum wages mark. They are dead against the movement, except in the scenario that their salaries also go up in proportion to the minimum wage earners.
 When battling the pecuniary zombies, the Americans can gain strength from their ‘get rich or die trying’ culture, which is in contrast to the more laidback approach in the other parts of the developed world. Greece, Portugal, and Spain have seen their economies slide down the drain in less than a decade. Now it is the turn of Italy to stare down the barrel of a loaded and cocked gun. The finger is whitening on the trigger but the Italian Prime Minister seems unconcerned. His bluster stems from the fact that Italians, unlike other Europeans, are hoarders, not spenders. In reply to what might have been some very uncomfortable questions for some, the Italian Prime Minister pooh-poohed suggestions that Italy, like Greece, is staring at disaster. He quoted the nation’s net saving ratio, which is the second highest in the continent (after Germany), and that while Italy's debt is clearly massive: €1.9tn euros, it’s only 120.5% of GDP compared with 162.8% for Greece. The Premier refused to be drawn into a debate on how Italy’s debt is higher than that of Spain or Portugal, the other two nations facing economic ruin, both of which have a debt ratio of around 100% of their respective GDPs.        

�

All of the following are true as per the passage, except:

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

In a ‘back to the basics’ approach, organic farmers use just plant and animal origin additives to boost production of crops and to protect them from pests and insects. One commonly used technique is to use dried leaves of Azadirachta indica for pest control.
Many organic farmers attest to the efficacy of the use of this technique. The dried leaves not only emit a strong smell that discourages pests from coming near to the plant, but also produce pheromones, or plant hormones, that upset the metabolic system of the pests if inhaled by the pests. The traditionally used pesticides, although effective, leave residue that is toxic to both humans and farm animals. Also, these insecticides and pesticides are absorbed by the plant and its fruit, thereby making their way into the human food chain. Even spraying crops meant for dairy animals or for animals reared for meat also results in the toxicity passing onto the end users.
The use of this non-traditional insect killer is not without its controversies. Many researchers believe that though the toxicology of traditional insecticides and pesticides is known, can be contained by controlled spraying, and treated symptomatically, the long term side effects, on humans, of the leaching of the chemicals present in Azadirachta indica into the groundwater, or absorption into the crops, are not known. These researchers believe that just because deleterious after effects of organic farming additives are not known, it cannot be taken to mean that they are not there at all. Also, some scientists have raised concerns about the effect of the phyto-hormones released by this natural pesticide on the plants that it is supposed to protect.

Which of the following, if true, best explains the discrepancy in the argument?

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

In 2010, when private airlines in Alstonia were first allowed to operate in the country, the average domestic fares were three times the average train fares to the cities connected both by air and rail network. In the immediately following years, due to the increasing number of flights, the air fares slipped till they were just twice the train fares. Since then, the domestic airfares have reached a level that is again three times the train fare for corresponding cities even though the number of domestic flights has not changed.

Fact 2 would be most likely to contribute to an explanation of fact 1 if which of the following were also true?

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

Fact 1: Government has been unable to control food inflation which has touched 13% and is expected to go up further.
Fact 2: Speculators have been borrowing money at low rates of interest and investing in the agricultural commodities market for quick profits.

All of the following, if given as additional premise, make the argument logical, EXCEPT:

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

Premise 1: Bruce Willis is more popular than Russell Crowe
Premise 2: Mel Gibson is more popular than Richard Gere
Conclusion: Bruce Willis is more popular than Richard Gere

Which of the following reasoning scenarios is most similar to the reasoning given above?

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

I do not trust the Senator at all. He plans to bring a law into force that will impose heavy penalties on all the polluting industries in the State, yet, he owns a conglomerate that alone is one of the biggest polluters in the State.

The author uses the sentence, 'You might like to chew gum, but a cow will still prefer to chew the cud' in order to?

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

For a creative writer, the most important part of the entire process from conception to fructification starts even before conception itself. Just as the human embryo needs a certain set of favorable circumstances before it can even begin to exist, the writer’s muse requires inspiration. Once inspiration strikes, and it can sometimes happen in the middle of sleep, the next step involves holding on to the idea lest it be lost in the rough house of everyday life. This process involves allowing the idea to ferment and hopefully turn into a culture that will deliver heady literary wine. The writer needs to let his subconscious work on the germ, knead it, tweak it, and evaluate it. Many ideas are stillborn, many more are worthy, and still the author fails to take them to the logical conclusion. Only a few survive the tumult and make it to the next stage which involves the channelizing of the idea towards the building up of an atom around the nucleus. While the author needs to nurture the idea, woe betides the one who gets too attached to it, especially if his livelihood depends on it. You might like to chew gum, but a cow will still prefer to chew the cud.

Each of the following, if true, would weaken the argument, EXCEPT:

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

China and India have a similarly large pool of human resources. However, China is surging ahead of India in terms of achievements in the sporting arena. For every medal that India won in the last Olympic Games, China won seven. India, like always, failed to win any Gold medals while China won 40. The difference can clearly be attributed to the proliferation of State run sporting academies in China. These academies identify young children with sporting talent, and take these children under their wing. For the next decade or so, these children live, breathe, eat, and sleep their respective sport. It is no wonder that they turn into prodigies. India needs to pout in place a similar system if it is to achieve some level of international recognition as a sporting power.

As used in the passage, ‘culture’ in sentence 5 most nearly means:

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

For a creative writer, the most important part of the entire process from conception to fructification starts even before conception itself. Just as the human embryo needs a certain set of favorable circumstances before it can even begin to exist, the writer’s muse requires inspiration. Once inspiration strikes, and it can sometimes happen in the middle of sleep, the next step involves holding on to the idea lest it be lost in the rough house of everyday life. This process involves allowing the idea to ferment and hopefully turn into a culture that will deliver heady literary wine. The writer needs to let his subconscious work on the germ, knead it, tweak it, and evaluate it. Many ideas are stillborn, many more are worthy, and still the author fails to take them to the logical conclusion. Only a few survive the tumult and make it to the next stage which involves the channelizing of the idea towards the building up of an atom around the nucleus. While the author needs to nurture the idea, woe betides the one who gets too attached to it, especially if his livelihood depends on it. You might like to chew gum, but a cow will still prefer to chew the cud.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?

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

A recent report in an animal health magazine stated that the big breeds of domestic dogs suffer from an unusually high incidence of hip dysplasia, a disease in which the animal loses cartilage around the bones fitting into the hip joint, and which can result in arthritis and painful osteoporosis. The study also pointed out that wild wolves rarely, if ever, suffer from hip dysplasia. Hence, it is in the interest of dog lovers to replicate, as far as possible, the living conditions that the dogs would face in the wild.

What is a necessary assumption in the argument above?

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

A recent report in an animal health magazine stated that the big breeds of domestic dogs suffer from an unusually high incidence of hip dysplasia, a disease in which the animal loses cartilage around the bones fitting into the hip joint, and which can result in arthritis and painful osteoporosis. The study also pointed out that wild wolves rarely, if ever, suffer from hip dysplasia. Hence, it is in the interest of dog lovers to replicate, as far as possible, the living conditions that the dogs would face in the wild.

The author uses the opening sentence, “Life, they say, is the constant oscillation between the two horns of a dilemma” to imply that:

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

Life, they say, is the constant oscillation between the two horns of a dilemma. Going by the history of the Gold Standard, the quotation seems to be worth its weight in gold! Gold Standard allows the governments to sell gold bullion in exchange for circulating currency. Starting somewhere in 610 BC, gold has been the most trusted currency for trade and for determining the value of goods. Since the fascination with gold is rooted in the farthest reaches of recorded human history, it comes hardly as a surprise that alchemists tried for hundreds of years to find a touchstone that could convert base metals into gold. In the Middle Ages, gold coins issued by the Byzantine Empire were found throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.  The decline of the Byzantine Empire saw a decline in the use of gold as currency and silver became the de-facto medium for trade. However, Sir Isaac Newton, while the master of the Royal Mint, effected a new standard that put gold firmly in the driving seat, once again, as the choice medium for trade.
The Gold Standard, in effect, was the practice of backing circulating currency with full convertibility to gold. Since trade with China involved primarily imports, the cost had to be paid in precious metals, mainly silver. This led to an unprecedented shortfall in the availability of silver as a currency in Europe during the late eighteenth century. This prompted the central banks of European nations to substitute the coins with paper notes (also called bank notes). Since these notes were nothing but a substitute for the silver currency, they continued to be backed by their worth in gold. The first big body blow for the Gold Standard, which proved to be decisive in the long run, was the First World War. Faced with increasingly draining war effort, governments temporarily suspended the convertibility of the bank notes. Germany, after losing the war, could not move back to the gold standard as it had lost all its gold reserves towards war reparations. The process of printing deutschemarks, without backing of gold reserves, lead to hyperinflation in Germany, and drove the first nail in the coffin of Gold Reserve.

Select the sentence in the second paragraph that points towards Knights of Columbus being an organization being deeply rooted in religion despite being a philanthropic body.

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

The Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney founded the order of the Knights of Columbus in 1881 at a time when America was witnessing a renewed interest in the intrepid explorer who had discovered the country. Founded ten years prior to the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering America, this organization, by its very name sought to bridge the ideological gap between the Irish American Catholics who founded the fraternity, and the immigrant Catholics of other nationalities. Another reason for the formation of this establishment was that the Catholics were either barred from other fraternities like the Freemasons, or were asked to give up their religious roots before being considered for membership. Father McGivney believed that Catholic belief and fraternization were not mutually exclusive, and that one did not have to give up his faith to do good for the community.
The fraternity works on the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, the principles that were the very bedrock of its foundation. Knights of Columbus organize blood donation camps, raise money for charity, and offer annuity and insurance to millions in the nations that they operate in. According to one estimate, the Knights gave away more than one billion dollars in direct charity and through millions of manhours of volunteer work in 2010. Also, the Order takes special interest in supporting those with physical and mental disabilities, and has given away nearly $400 million towards the cause in the last three decades. Raising money for papal edicts is another focus area for the Order. The Order also helps those pursuing studies in theology to cover part of their tuition and other expenses. What started off as a concentrated effort to help its members have a fall back option in the time of ill health, and to replace the economic loss to a family in the event of one of its member brother dying, the Order is now ranked among Fortune 1000 companies in terms of annual turnover.