Reading Comprehension

Community participation will result in

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

However romantic the concept of self government might be, the reality is as grim as it was a decade ago. Power to the people has been a lip service, a mere slogan. If anything, the Panchayat System has virtually legitimised the exploitation of the rural elite, barring, of course, in a few states like West Bengal and Karnataka.

No one is blind to the fact that the scheduled caste members are made to sit separately in panchayat meetings, that the poorest of the poor is never identified and the benefits go to the preferred ones. So vicious is the trap that no law from Delhi can undo it overnight. Instead of mere legislation, however well-intentioned it may be, what is needed is political education and general awareness. The villager must be given scope for critical thinking on his environment. This is possible through his initiation into the understanding of the system he is a victim of.

The concept of community control must be replaced by community participation which would free the villager of unnecessary political and bureaucratic interference and give him a sense of belonging to the village property. Unless the Panchayati Raj builds up into a truly people’s movement backed by a willing community, the vested interests will stifle the rare lone voice of resistance.

What is the meaning of 'romantic' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

However romantic the concept of self government might be, the reality is as grim as it was a decade ago. Power to the people has been a lip service, a mere slogan. If anything, the Panchayat System has virtually legitimised the exploitation of the rural elite, barring, of course, in a few states like West Bengal and Karnataka.

No one is blind to the fact that the scheduled caste members are made to sit separately in panchayat meetings, that the poorest of the poor is never identified and the benefits go to the preferred ones. So vicious is the trap that no law from Delhi can undo it overnight. Instead of mere legislation, however well-intentioned it may be, what is needed is political education and general awareness. The villager must be given scope for critical thinking on his environment. This is possible through his initiation into the understanding of the system he is a victim of.

The concept of community control must be replaced by community participation which would free the villager of unnecessary political and bureaucratic interference and give him a sense of belonging to the village property. Unless the Panchayati Raj builds up into a truly people’s movement backed by a willing community, the vested interests will stifle the rare lone voice of resistance.

To whom do the benefits of the Panchayati Raj go?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

However romantic the concept of self government might be, the reality is as grim as it was a decade ago. Power to the people has been a lip service, a mere slogan. If anything, the Panchayat System has virtually legitimised the exploitation of the rural elite, barring, of course, in a few states like West Bengal and Karnataka.

No one is blind to the fact that the scheduled caste members are made to sit separately in panchayat meetings, that the poorest of the poor is never identified and the benefits go to the preferred ones. So vicious is the trap that no law from Delhi can undo it overnight. Instead of mere legislation, however well-intentioned it may be, what is needed is political education and general awareness. The villager must be given scope for critical thinking on his environment. This is possible through his initiation into the understanding of the system he is a victim of.

The concept of community control must be replaced by community participation which would free the villager of unnecessary political and bureaucratic interference and give him a sense of belonging to the village property. Unless the Panchayati Raj builds up into a truly people’s movement backed by a willing community, the vested interests will stifle the rare lone voice of resistance.

Under the Panchayat System the rural elite has not been able to exploit in

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

However romantic the concept of self government might be, the reality is as grim as it was a decade ago. Power to the people has been a lip service, a mere slogan. If anything, the Panchayat System has virtually legitimised the exploitation of the rural elite, barring, of course, in a few states like West Bengal and Karnataka.

No one is blind to the fact that the scheduled caste members are made to sit separately in panchayat meetings, that the poorest of the poor is never identified and the benefits go to the preferred ones. So vicious is the trap that no law from Delhi can undo it overnight. Instead of mere legislation, however well-intentioned it may be, what is needed is political education and general awareness. The villager must be given scope for critical thinking on his environment. This is possible through his initiation into the understanding of the system he is a victim of.

The concept of community control must be replaced by community participation which would free the villager of unnecessary political and bureaucratic interference and give him a sense of belonging to the village property. Unless the Panchayati Raj builds up into a truly people’s movement backed by a willing community, the vested interests will stifle the rare lone voice of resistance.

Our world is going out of control due to

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

History would suggest that once every couple of generations there is a “cleansing cycle” that occurs within the financial markets, society, and even within humanity as a whole. Financial institutions collapse, diseases rage, locusts fly, hailstones fall, earthquakes increase, volcanoes rumble, sunspots explode out from our heat source, wars breakout all over and despotism reigns supreme. We appear to be entering one of these historic cycles at this seminal point in the maturation of the human race. Almost as if the entire planet is vibrating out of control, has some kind of harmonic resonance pushed us out of kilter, like we are getting disconnected from our core and spiralling out of control? Maybe it’s our collective lack of moral backbone precipitating these events, as historically, such perilous times tend to follow a period of wild excess. The last time this happened was in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. It started with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and then it moved through to the Great Depression and ended beyond World War II. The question is: is it cyclically returning?

What is the meaning of the word 'seminal' in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

History would suggest that once every couple of generations there is a “cleansing cycle” that occurs within the financial markets, society, and even within humanity as a whole. Financial institutions collapse, diseases rage, locusts fly, hailstones fall, earthquakes increase, volcanoes rumble, sunspots explode out from our heat source, wars breakout all over and despotism reigns supreme. We appear to be entering one of these historic cycles at this seminal point in the maturation of the human race. Almost as if the entire planet is vibrating out of control, has some kind of harmonic resonance pushed us out of kilter, like we are getting disconnected from our core and spiralling out of control? Maybe it’s our collective lack of moral backbone precipitating these events, as historically, such perilous times tend to follow a period of wild excess. The last time this happened was in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. It started with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and then it moved through to the Great Depression and ended beyond World War II. The question is: is it cyclically returning?

The writer thinks that

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

History would suggest that once every couple of generations there is a “cleansing cycle” that occurs within the financial markets, society, and even within humanity as a whole. Financial institutions collapse, diseases rage, locusts fly, hailstones fall, earthquakes increase, volcanoes rumble, sunspots explode out from our heat source, wars breakout all over and despotism reigns supreme. We appear to be entering one of these historic cycles at this seminal point in the maturation of the human race. Almost as if the entire planet is vibrating out of control, has some kind of harmonic resonance pushed us out of kilter, like we are getting disconnected from our core and spiralling out of control? Maybe it’s our collective lack of moral backbone precipitating these events, as historically, such perilous times tend to follow a period of wild excess. The last time this happened was in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. It started with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and then it moved through to the Great Depression and ended beyond World War II. The question is: is it cyclically returning?

Which of these words best reflects the meaning of the word 'spiralling' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

History would suggest that once every couple of generations there is a “cleansing cycle” that occurs within the financial markets, society, and even within humanity as a whole. Financial institutions collapse, diseases rage, locusts fly, hailstones fall, earthquakes increase, volcanoes rumble, sunspots explode out from our heat source, wars breakout all over and despotism reigns supreme. We appear to be entering one of these historic cycles at this seminal point in the maturation of the human race. Almost as if the entire planet is vibrating out of control, has some kind of harmonic resonance pushed us out of kilter, like we are getting disconnected from our core and spiralling out of control? Maybe it’s our collective lack of moral backbone precipitating these events, as historically, such perilous times tend to follow a period of wild excess. The last time this happened was in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. It started with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and then it moved through to the Great Depression and ended beyond World War II. The question is: is it cyclically returning?

Judging from the passage as a whole, the writer's attitude can be described as being generally

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

History would suggest that once every couple of generations there is a “cleansing cycle” that occurs within the financial markets, society, and even within humanity as a whole. Financial institutions collapse, diseases rage, locusts fly, hailstones fall, earthquakes increase, volcanoes rumble, sunspots explode out from our heat source, wars breakout all over and despotism reigns supreme. We appear to be entering one of these historic cycles at this seminal point in the maturation of the human race. Almost as if the entire planet is vibrating out of control, has some kind of harmonic resonance pushed us out of kilter, like we are getting disconnected from our core and spiralling out of control? Maybe it’s our collective lack of moral backbone precipitating these events, as historically, such perilous times tend to follow a period of wild excess. The last time this happened was in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. It started with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and then it moved through to the Great Depression and ended beyond World War II. The question is: is it cyclically returning?

Does the author welcome community control?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

However romantic the concept of self government might be, the reality is as grim as it was a decade ago. Power to the people has been a lip service, a mere slogan. If anything, the Panchayat System has virtually legitimised the exploitation of the rural elite, barring, of course, in a few states like West Bengal and Karnataka.

No one is blind to the fact that the scheduled caste members are made to sit separately in panchayat meetings, that the poorest of the poor is never identified and the benefits go to the preferred ones. So vicious is the trap that no law from Delhi can undo it overnight. Instead of mere legislation, however well-intentioned it may be, what is needed is political education and general awareness. The villager must be given scope for critical thinking on his environment. This is possible through his initiation into the understanding of the system he is a victim of.

The concept of community control must be replaced by community participation which would free the villager of unnecessary political and bureaucratic interference and give him a sense of belonging to the village property. Unless the Panchayati Raj builds up into a truly people’s movement backed by a willing community, the vested interests will stifle the rare lone voice of resistance.

What can be the best title of the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

However romantic the concept of self government might be, the reality is as grim as it was a decade ago. Power to the people has been a lip service, a mere slogan. If anything, the Panchayat System has virtually legitimised the exploitation of the rural elite, barring, of course, in a few states like West Bengal and Karnataka.

No one is blind to the fact that the scheduled caste members are made to sit separately in panchayat meetings, that the poorest of the poor is never identified and the benefits go to the preferred ones. So vicious is the trap that no law from Delhi can undo it overnight. Instead of mere legislation, however well-intentioned it may be, what is needed is political education and general awareness. The villager must be given scope for critical thinking on his environment. This is possible through his initiation into the understanding of the system he is a victim of.

The concept of community control must be replaced by community participation which would free the villager of unnecessary political and bureaucratic interference and give him a sense of belonging to the village property. Unless the Panchayati Raj builds up into a truly people’s movement backed by a willing community, the vested interests will stifle the rare lone voice of resistance.

Which of the following may be concluded from the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

History would suggest that once every couple of generations there is a “cleansing cycle” that occurs within the financial markets, society, and even within humanity as a whole. Financial institutions collapse, diseases rage, locusts fly, hailstones fall, earthquakes increase, volcanoes rumble, sunspots explode out from our heat source, wars breakout all over and despotism reigns supreme. We appear to be entering one of these historic cycles at this seminal point in the maturation of the human race. Almost as if the entire planet is vibrating out of control, has some kind of harmonic resonance pushed us out of kilter, like we are getting disconnected from our core and spiralling out of control? Maybe it’s our collective lack of moral backbone precipitating these events, as historically, such perilous times tend to follow a period of wild excess. The last time this happened was in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. It started with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and then it moved through to the Great Depression and ended beyond World War II. The question is: is it cyclically returning?

‘The fringe of the problem’ means

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

The importance of early detection of tuberculosis (TB), regular treatment and nutritious food are just not known widely enough. Often TB victims discontinue the treatment when the symptoms disappear, without waiting for a complete cure; the next attack is more virulent from bacteria which have thus become drug - resistant.
Anti - TB drugs are produced in India. The capability to meet the country’s requirements of anti - TB drugs in full already exists. Yet millions of Indians suffer from TB and thousands of them die every year. Voluntary organisations and government agencies are doing commendable work. But we have so far tackled only the fringe of the problem. What is now needed is a nation-wide determination to fight TB. India eradicated smallpox with a national campaign. We can eradicate TB too.

Who or what becomes ‘drug-resistant’, according to the passage?

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

The importance of early detection of tuberculosis (TB), regular treatment and nutritious food are just not known widely enough. Often TB victims discontinue the treatment when the symptoms disappear, without waiting for a complete cure; the next attack is more virulent from bacteria which have thus become drug - resistant.
Anti - TB drugs are produced in India. The capability to meet the country’s requirements of anti - TB drugs in full already exists. Yet millions of Indians suffer from TB and thousands of them die every year. Voluntary organisations and government agencies are doing commendable work. But we have so far tackled only the fringe of the problem. What is now needed is a nation-wide determination to fight TB. India eradicated smallpox with a national campaign. We can eradicate TB too.

When the treatment of TB is discontinued too early

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

The importance of early detection of tuberculosis (TB), regular treatment and nutritious food are just not known widely enough. Often TB victims discontinue the treatment when the symptoms disappear, without waiting for a complete cure; the next attack is more virulent from bacteria which have thus become drug - resistant.
Anti - TB drugs are produced in India. The capability to meet the country’s requirements of anti - TB drugs in full already exists. Yet millions of Indians suffer from TB and thousands of them die every year. Voluntary organisations and government agencies are doing commendable work. But we have so far tackled only the fringe of the problem. What is now needed is a nation-wide determination to fight TB. India eradicated smallpox with a national campaign. We can eradicate TB too.