Reading Comprehension

Directions: The following passage is followed by a question with five options. Choose the best option.

“We must do something about the way we do business in the Power Industry” said the CEO of Enron. “In the last five years of our existence, Enron has not made a single paisa profit despite pumping a couple of hundred million dollars in the business. Every coaching class in the city of Mumbai makes about 10 lakhs of profit in its second year of operation investing less than 1% of that amount”.

The argument of the CEO above can be criticized in all of the following ways EXCEPT that

Directions: The following passage is followed by a question with five options. Choose the best option.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: When you enroll with Golden Careers Business Institute (GCBI), you will have access to our placement counseling service. Last year, 92% of our graduates who asked us to help them find jobs, found them. So go to GCBI for your future!

Which of the following would be appropriate questions to ask in order to determine the value of the preceding claim?

I. How many of your graduates asked GCBI for assistance? II. How many people graduated from GCBI last year? III. Did those who asked for jobs find ones in the areas for which they were trained? IV. Was GCBI responsible for finding the jobs or did the graduates find them independently?

All of the following can be inferred from the passage about Hemingway's style of writing, except

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

Ernest Hemingway’s style of writing cultivated a mass following for him not only while he was alive but also after his death. Most essayists and critics agree that Hemingway abhorred the use of adjectives and used nouns exhaustively in order to prevent his characters from being bigger than life. Others have accused Hemingway of being rather bland in the description of his characters and transferring the onus onto the readers to build the characters in the way that seems fit to them. Another belief that has emerged about his writing is that he made the characters and their dialogues stay in our heads by laying selective emphasis and by the use of repetition. Hemingway himself acknowledged that he did most of his work in his head and that any sentence, before it could be penned down, had to fit his standards of comprehension and brevity. Hemingway acknowledged that he sometimes felt that his style of writing was more suggestive than direct and that the reader had to involve himself to not miss the subtle nuances of his (Hemingway’s) writings.

In the context of the passage as a whole, “craftsmanship” in sentence 7 is closest in meaning to:

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

Outsourced healthcare, especially expensive surgeries, is a trend that is catching the fancy of the patients both in the United States and in the United Kingdom. However, the similarity ends here as the reasons for healthcare being outsourced to nations like India are different in the two nations. Patients in USA prefer overseas treatment because of high costs associated with healthcare in the US. Patients in the UK, however, prefer going overseas for surgeries because of a huge backlog of surgeries and the long waiting period.
The United Kingdom operates its healthcare on a model that can best be called a socialist model of cooperation and shared responsibility. The healthcare in the nation is managed by the government by using a portion of the tax collections. The policy is all-inclusive and everyone is entitled to subsidized and sometimes free healthcare, irrespective of the patient’s ability to pay. This leaves room for considerable craftsmanship in the construction of socialist systems. All the employees of the public healthcare system are government employees. Surprisingly, this model of socialist, government run healthcare services has reported a higher satisfaction rate among the patients than the private sector model prevalent in the United States. The socialist model also eliminated the need for a medical insurance industry because of the affordability of treatment. According to one estimate, if America were to move to a socialist healthcare model like that of U.K., Cuba, Switzerland, and were to provide healthcare insurance to all its citizens, the American healthcare industry could still save $100 billion. However, the present scenario is that the healthcare industry is making huge profits even as many in need of medical care suffer.

What is the thematic highlight of the passage?

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

Like ethics, morality, in whatever degree it exists in a mortal, sits rather easy on their wearer’s shoulders. A rascal would perhaps recount with more sadistic glee of having made a sucker out of an unsuspecting soul, than how an upright and honest official would describe his stand against corruption and the efforts to corrupt him. For an ordinary Cuban citizen, trapped in a nation battling international embargoes of all sorts, the contest between morality aided by legality, and the need to stock one’s larder is really a no-show because morality does not fill hungry stomachs. One’s amenability to shedding one’s scruples grows in direct proportion to the shortage of what one is seeking. While an over-fed American, in his native country, might turn his nose up at non-organic lettuce, and choose instead to pick up his vegetables from a store that sells ‘certified organic only’, a sterner test of his resolution would only be possible in a setting when, let’s say, he is staying in Cuba for an year. For a nation which has always been the favored child of abundance, and where power, at least in the ‘pioneer years’ flowed from the barrel of the gun, much has always been there for the asking, and the rest was obtained by force, it is easy to be moral.

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

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

Smart people are the catalysts for progress but sometimes they cause immeasurable harm while trying to do good. An eccentric millionaire, Jonathan Holden, living in America in the early 20th century set up a trust that invested two and a half million dollars in a series of trusts at 5% compounding interest. Though such trusts were not uncommon, what was unprecedented about these trusts was that they had a lock-in period of either 500 years or 1000 years. By the time of maturity, it is estimated that the Unitarian Church, one of the beneficiaries of Holden’s generosity will have a wealth of around 25 billion dollars. The State of Pennsylvania, beneficiary of a 1000 years trust, will have a cool $ 425 trillion. The amount of the payout for the State of Pennsylvania, meant by Holden as a tribute to his hero - Benjamin Franklin, and meant to obviate the need for the denizens of the State to ever pay income tax again, might achieve its objective, but would end up bankrupting the United States.

In the context of the passage as a whole, “amenability” in sentence 5 is closest in meaning to

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

Like ethics, morality, in whatever degree it exists in a mortal, sits rather easy on their wearer’s shoulders. A rascal would perhaps recount with more sadistic glee of having made a sucker out of an unsuspecting soul, than how an upright and honest official would describe his stand against corruption and the efforts to corrupt him. For an ordinary Cuban citizen, trapped in a nation battling international embargoes of all sorts, the contest between morality aided by legality, and the need to stock one’s larder is really a no-show because morality does not fill hungry stomachs. One’s amenability to shedding one’s scruples grows in direct proportion to the shortage of what one is seeking. While an over-fed American, in his native country, might turn his nose up at non-organic lettuce, and choose instead to pick up his vegetables from a store that sells ‘certified organic only’, a sterner test of his resolution would only be possible in a setting when, let’s say, he is staying in Cuba for an year. For a nation which has always been the favored child of abundance, and where power, at least in the ‘pioneer years’ flowed from the barrel of the gun, much has always been there for the asking, and the rest was obtained by force, it is easy to be moral.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

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

Outsourced healthcare, especially expensive surgeries, is a trend that is catching the fancy of the patients both in the United States and in the United Kingdom. However, the similarity ends here as the reasons for healthcare being outsourced to nations like India are different in the two nations. Patients in USA prefer overseas treatment because of high costs associated with healthcare in the US. Patients in the UK, however, prefer going overseas for surgeries because of a huge backlog of surgeries and the long waiting period.
The United Kingdom operates its healthcare on a model that can best be called a socialist model of cooperation and shared responsibility. The healthcare in the nation is managed by the government by using a portion of the tax collections. The policy is all-inclusive and everyone is entitled to subsidized and sometimes free healthcare, irrespective of the patient’s ability to pay. This leaves room for considerable craftsmanship in the construction of socialist systems. All the employees of the public healthcare system are government employees. Surprisingly, this model of socialist, government run healthcare services has reported a higher satisfaction rate among the patients than the private sector model prevalent in the United States. The socialist model also eliminated the need for a medical insurance industry because of the affordability of treatment. According to one estimate, if America were to move to a socialist healthcare model like that of U.K., Cuba, Switzerland, and were to provide healthcare insurance to all its citizens, the American healthcare industry could still save $100 billion. However, the present scenario is that the healthcare industry is making huge profits even as many in need of medical care suffer.

What is the role of the last sentence, 'For a nation which has always been the favored child of abundance, and where power, at least in the 'pioneer years' flowed from the barrel of the gun, much has always been there for the asking, and the rest could be obtained by force, it is easy to be moral' in the passage?

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

Like ethics, morality, in whatever degree it exists in a mortal, sits rather easy on their wearer’s shoulders. A rascal would perhaps recount with more sadistic glee of having made a sucker out of an unsuspecting soul, than how an upright and honest official would describe his stand against corruption and the efforts to corrupt him. For an ordinary Cuban citizen, trapped in a nation battling international embargoes of all sorts, the contest between morality aided by legality, and the need to stock one’s larder is really a no-show because morality does not fill hungry stomachs. One’s amenability to shedding one’s scruples grows in direct proportion to the shortage of what one is seeking. While an over-fed American, in his native country, might turn his nose up at non-organic lettuce, and choose instead to pick up his vegetables from a store that sells ‘certified organic only’, a sterner test of his resolution would only be possible in a setting when, let’s say, he is staying in Cuba for an year. For a nation which has always been the favored child of abundance, and where power, at least in the ‘pioneer years’ flowed from the barrel of the gun, much has always been there for the asking, and the rest was obtained by force, it is easy to be moral.

Which of the following explains the most likely reason for the happiness of the residents of the author's building?

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

The residents of my building are very happy as many other old buildings in our, the older part of the city, are undergoing redevelopment. Residents of the buildings that are undergoing redevelopment are happy as the builders not only demolish and rebuild the buildings, but also provide more covered space and in-building parking to the residents once the building is reconstructed. In return, the builders usually keep the ground floor of the new building as their fee and develop it as a showroom or other commercial space.

Every wedding takes a lot of planning. But Marcel and Karina had to do more than the usual preparation. Why should this be so?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
On Saturday I will be a groomsman at what can only be described as a very L.A. wedding: It will feature English and Spanish, rap and marimba, Rick James and Celia Cruz. The story of Marcel Hall and Karina Vasquez is typical of many young, engaged couples: They met in college, attended the same church and fell in love. What makes it so L.A., besides the fact that they both grew up in Los Angeles, is that Marcel is African American and Karina is a first-generation Guatemalan. Their union reflects the transformation of many urban Los Angeles communities, where an influx of Latinos into traditionally black neighborhoods has resulted in panaderias next to storefront churches, and restaurants that serve both Latin and soul food. Cities such as Inglewood, Hawthorne and Compton are now more than 40%  Latino.
             
This trend has also created its share of tension, as when Latino and black students skirmished last spring at Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles.     Still, most of these communities survive such changes, and even prosper, by recognizing the values of both Latino and black culture. On a much smaller scale — there will be only about 150 people there — Marcel and Karina's wedding shows one way to strike the delicate balancing act between the two cultures. The future Mr. and Mrs. Hall say it has taken creativity to incorporate both cultures into their festivities. For the father-daughter dance, Karina will dance a traditional Guatemalan marimba. The groom has requested that his groomsmen move down the aisle to one of his favorite rap songs, while the bridesmaids will enter to a ballad by the Spanish-speaking Italian pop star Laura Pausini.

The wedding will have two emcees, one who will speak Spanish and the other English. The couple also requested that I say grace in both languages. (I have reluctantly accepted. But fair warning: My prayer may be more eloquent in English.).

Yet the couple also has sought out neutral territory — literally, in that they will be married in Altadena, where neither grew up. The neutrality is evident in other ways as well. On a tight budget, the main entrée will be pasta and chicken wings. For their first dance they have chosen "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by the Stylistics, a song they feel both cultures will appreciate. The wedding party, not to mention the guest list, includes people of various races and ethnicities from throughout the segmented city that is Los Angeles.
 
Every wedding takes a lot of planning. But Marcel and Karina had to do more than the usual preparation. Although they dated for two years, they confess their families took a while to warm up to their relationship. Karina jokingly tells how once-disapproving family members now speak of Marcel as "one of the good ones." Marcel confides that his mother was not always keen on the relationship, wondering why her son did not choose a suitable black woman. Yet both have seen their families come around. And they have faith that they will be able to count on the acceptance and support of their families for the rest of their lives.

Which of the following statements best describes Los Angles?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
On Saturday I will be a groomsman at what can only be described as a very L.A. wedding: It will feature English and Spanish, rap and marimba, Rick James and Celia Cruz. The story of Marcel Hall and Karina Vasquez is typical of many young, engaged couples: They met in college, attended the same church and fell in love. What makes it so L.A., besides the fact that they both grew up in Los Angeles, is that Marcel is African American and Karina is a first-generation Guatemalan. Their union reflects the transformation of many urban Los Angeles communities, where an influx of Latinos into traditionally black neighborhoods has resulted in panaderias next to storefront churches, and restaurants that serve both Latin and soul food. Cities such as Inglewood, Hawthorne and Compton are now more than 40%  Latino.
             
This trend has also created its share of tension, as when Latino and black students skirmished last spring at Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles.     Still, most of these communities survive such changes, and even prosper, by recognizing the values of both Latino and black culture. On a much smaller scale — there will be only about 150 people there — Marcel and Karina's wedding shows one way to strike the delicate balancing act between the two cultures. The future Mr. and Mrs. Hall say it has taken creativity to incorporate both cultures into their festivities. For the father-daughter dance, Karina will dance a traditional Guatemalan marimba. The groom has requested that his groomsmen move down the aisle to one of his favorite rap songs, while the bridesmaids will enter to a ballad by the Spanish-speaking Italian pop star Laura Pausini.

The wedding will have two emcees, one who will speak Spanish and the other English. The couple also requested that I say grace in both languages. (I have reluctantly accepted. But fair warning: My prayer may be more eloquent in English.).

Yet the couple also has sought out neutral territory — literally, in that they will be married in Altadena, where neither grew up. The neutrality is evident in other ways as well. On a tight budget, the main entrée will be pasta and chicken wings. For their first dance they have chosen "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by the Stylistics, a song they feel both cultures will appreciate. The wedding party, not to mention the guest list, includes people of various races and ethnicities from throughout the segmented city that is Los Angeles.
 
Every wedding takes a lot of planning. But Marcel and Karina had to do more than the usual preparation. Although they dated for two years, they confess their families took a while to warm up to their relationship. Karina jokingly tells how once-disapproving family members now speak of Marcel as "one of the good ones." Marcel confides that his mother was not always keen on the relationship, wondering why her son did not choose a suitable black woman. Yet both have seen their families come around. And they have faith that they will be able to count on the acceptance and support of their families for the rest of their lives.

“A very L.A. Wedding” could mean

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
On Saturday I will be a groomsman at what can only be described as a very L.A. wedding: It will feature English and Spanish, rap and marimba, Rick James and Celia Cruz. The story of Marcel Hall and Karina Vasquez is typical of many young, engaged couples: They met in college, attended the same church and fell in love. What makes it so L.A., besides the fact that they both grew up in Los Angeles, is that Marcel is African American and Karina is a first-generation Guatemalan. Their union reflects the transformation of many urban Los Angeles communities, where an influx of Latinos into traditionally black neighborhoods has resulted in panaderias next to storefront churches, and restaurants that serve both Latin and soul food. Cities such as Inglewood, Hawthorne and Compton are now more than 40%  Latino.
             
This trend has also created its share of tension, as when Latino and black students skirmished last spring at Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles.     Still, most of these communities survive such changes, and even prosper, by recognizing the values of both Latino and black culture. On a much smaller scale — there will be only about 150 people there — Marcel and Karina's wedding shows one way to strike the delicate balancing act between the two cultures. The future Mr. and Mrs. Hall say it has taken creativity to incorporate both cultures into their festivities. For the father-daughter dance, Karina will dance a traditional Guatemalan marimba. The groom has requested that his groomsmen move down the aisle to one of his favorite rap songs, while the bridesmaids will enter to a ballad by the Spanish-speaking Italian pop star Laura Pausini.

The wedding will have two emcees, one who will speak Spanish and the other English. The couple also requested that I say grace in both languages. (I have reluctantly accepted. But fair warning: My prayer may be more eloquent in English.).

Yet the couple also has sought out neutral territory — literally, in that they will be married in Altadena, where neither grew up. The neutrality is evident in other ways as well. On a tight budget, the main entrée will be pasta and chicken wings. For their first dance they have chosen "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by the Stylistics, a song they feel both cultures will appreciate. The wedding party, not to mention the guest list, includes people of various races and ethnicities from throughout the segmented city that is Los Angeles.
 
Every wedding takes a lot of planning. But Marcel and Karina had to do more than the usual preparation. Although they dated for two years, they confess their families took a while to warm up to their relationship. Karina jokingly tells how once-disapproving family members now speak of Marcel as "one of the good ones." Marcel confides that his mother was not always keen on the relationship, wondering why her son did not choose a suitable black woman. Yet both have seen their families come around. And they have faith that they will be able to count on the acceptance and support of their families for the rest of their lives.

The passage could be found in

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
On Saturday I will be a groomsman at what can only be described as a very L.A. wedding: It will feature English and Spanish, rap and marimba, Rick James and Celia Cruz. The story of Marcel Hall and Karina Vasquez is typical of many young, engaged couples: They met in college, attended the same church and fell in love. What makes it so L.A., besides the fact that they both grew up in Los Angeles, is that Marcel is African American and Karina is a first-generation Guatemalan. Their union reflects the transformation of many urban Los Angeles communities, where an influx of Latinos into traditionally black neighborhoods has resulted in panaderias next to storefront churches, and restaurants that serve both Latin and soul food. Cities such as Inglewood, Hawthorne and Compton are now more than 40%  Latino.
             
This trend has also created its share of tension, as when Latino and black students skirmished last spring at Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles.     Still, most of these communities survive such changes, and even prosper, by recognizing the values of both Latino and black culture. On a much smaller scale — there will be only about 150 people there — Marcel and Karina's wedding shows one way to strike the delicate balancing act between the two cultures. The future Mr. and Mrs. Hall say it has taken creativity to incorporate both cultures into their festivities. For the father-daughter dance, Karina will dance a traditional Guatemalan marimba. The groom has requested that his groomsmen move down the aisle to one of his favorite rap songs, while the bridesmaids will enter to a ballad by the Spanish-speaking Italian pop star Laura Pausini.

The wedding will have two emcees, one who will speak Spanish and the other English. The couple also requested that I say grace in both languages. (I have reluctantly accepted. But fair warning: My prayer may be more eloquent in English.).

Yet the couple also has sought out neutral territory — literally, in that they will be married in Altadena, where neither grew up. The neutrality is evident in other ways as well. On a tight budget, the main entrée will be pasta and chicken wings. For their first dance they have chosen "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by the Stylistics, a song they feel both cultures will appreciate. The wedding party, not to mention the guest list, includes people of various races and ethnicities from throughout the segmented city that is Los Angeles.
 
Every wedding takes a lot of planning. But Marcel and Karina had to do more than the usual preparation. Although they dated for two years, they confess their families took a while to warm up to their relationship. Karina jokingly tells how once-disapproving family members now speak of Marcel as "one of the good ones." Marcel confides that his mother was not always keen on the relationship, wondering why her son did not choose a suitable black woman. Yet both have seen their families come around. And they have faith that they will be able to count on the acceptance and support of their families for the rest of their lives.

The only gain from Hurricane Katrina could be

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
Television News Programs have conveyed the havoc and the heartbreak caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and surrounding areas. Thousands are missing or dead, millions have been forced from their homes and billions of dollars worth of property has been destroyed. And a city with a rich history now finds most of its neighborhoods awash in contaminated water. The devastation is so great, the problems spilling into states outside Katrina's path seem trivial. But over the next several months, they are sure to take a toll as well. Among the most notable impacts is the reduced supply of gasoline, fuel oil and natural gas, which in turn increase the pressure for a more sensible national energy policy.
                      
The United States is heavily dependent on the Gulf for energy — it accounts for more than 25% of the oil and about 20% of the natural gas produced here, and its offshore facilities handle about 10% of the oil imports. The hurricane not only cut off nearly all the oil and gas production and the imports, it shut down eight major refineries and many important pipelines. One of those pipelines reopened Wednesday, but it remained unclear how long the rest of the Gulf's energy infrastructure would remain sidelined.

Gas stations reacted immediately, boosting prices in some areas well above \$3 per gallon. Although wholesale prices dropped back a bit Wednesday, some analysts predicted that most drivers would be paying \$3.50 per gallon within weeks. An extended run of record-high gasoline prices could be devastating to the economy, as higher energy bills force cutbacks in other spending. We may be able to dodge that bullet, though, if the administration and foreign suppliers can fill the gap in crude oil supplies and the Gulf refineries can be brought quickly back to life. The Bush administration has offered to loan oil companies crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and it tried to increase the supply of refined fuel by easing the air-quality requirements for gasoline sold outside California.

More insidious is the impact on natural gas, which fuels about 40% of the electricity generated in California. Wholesale prices have already jumped 16% in Southern California, and those increases are sure to be felt by anyone paying for air conditioning. The disruption of the Gulf drilling platforms and pipelines could mean that less natural gas will be stocked away for the winter, when the need is greatest. The country amassed a healthy surplus early this year, but most of that cushion has been consumed by power plants during the unusually hot summer months.

There's no quick fix for the looming problems with the supply of natural gas. Because there are so few places to stockpile liquid natural gas — only five in the United States — we cannot simply import the stuff from a foreign producer to replace what we're losing from the Gulf. Liquid natural gas storage facilities are controversial; a proposal to put one in Long Beach Harbor has drawn fierce resistance.