Reading Comprehension

Why are female children welcome in Malaysia and Brunei?

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

Why do couples hanker after male progeny? They believe that the female child will be a liability, that they will have to provide dowry for her. A male child on the other hand, they believe, will look after them in their old age. If the government takes care of these two aspects of the problem, the issue of sex determination will automatically disappear. In Muslim countries like Malaysia and Brunei, which I have visited, I found female children were welcome. This is perfectly understandable. They don’t practice dowry. On the contrary, they take ‘bride price’ for their girls.

I think the hue and cry over pre-selection is unnecessary. After all, there is no 100 percent foolproof technique to ensure male progeny. It is only conception with the Y chromosome or male factor gaining ascendancy during fertilisation which allows the possibility of a male offspring. Couples who would like to exercise the option and try their luck should be allowed to do so.

In western countries, they don’t face this problem because they do not have to confront issues like dowry. Of course, in eastern countries like China, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the situation is somewhat similar to ours.

Why is sex determination prevalent in India?

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

Why do couples hanker after male progeny? They believe that the female child will be a liability, that they will have to provide dowry for her. A male child on the other hand, they believe, will look after them in their old age. If the government takes care of these two aspects of the problem, the issue of sex determination will automatically disappear. In Muslim countries like Malaysia and Brunei, which I have visited, I found female children were welcome. This is perfectly understandable. They don’t practice dowry. On the contrary, they take ‘bride price’ for their girls.

I think the hue and cry over pre-selection is unnecessary. After all, there is no 100 percent foolproof technique to ensure male progeny. It is only conception with the Y chromosome or male factor gaining ascendancy during fertilisation which allows the possibility of a male offspring. Couples who would like to exercise the option and try their luck should be allowed to do so.

In western countries, they don’t face this problem because they do not have to confront issues like dowry. Of course, in eastern countries like China, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the situation is somewhat similar to ours.

What is the main theme of the passage?

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

Why do couples hanker after male progeny? They believe that the female child will be a liability, that they will have to provide dowry for her. A male child on the other hand, they believe, will look after them in their old age. If the government takes care of these two aspects of the problem, the issue of sex determination will automatically disappear. In Muslim countries like Malaysia and Brunei, which I have visited, I found female children were welcome. This is perfectly understandable. They don’t practice dowry. On the contrary, they take ‘bride price’ for their girls.

I think the hue and cry over pre-selection is unnecessary. After all, there is no 100 percent foolproof technique to ensure male progeny. It is only conception with the Y chromosome or male factor gaining ascendancy during fertilisation which allows the possibility of a male offspring. Couples who would like to exercise the option and try their luck should be allowed to do so.

In western countries, they don’t face this problem because they do not have to confront issues like dowry. Of course, in eastern countries like China, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the situation is somewhat similar to ours.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'compatible' in line 7?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'equivalent' in line 1?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'access' in line 8?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'feasible' in line 6?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'overcome' in line 4?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'convenient' in line 5?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'correspondence' in line 3?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'employed' in line 2?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.

1. Electronic mail is the telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary postal service which delivers letters to houses and offices.
2.  The postal service is employed for the delivery of messages that do not need to be delivered
3. within a very short time of their dispatch. Much business correspondence consists of orders, invoice and receipts which are prepared using a computer at the originating office.
4. The use of electronic mail overcomes this problem. It is a system which provides a cheap and
5. convenient method of passing messages.
6.  When electronic mail first became feasible, several different systems were employed. Mail box
7. X400 message handling system allows users to send and receive messages to other compatible mailboxes around the world. 
8.  Customers   can also communicate with Fax and Telex as well as Dialcom systems that give access to online database.

Which of these best fits gap 11?

Directions: Complete the passage by selecting the most suitable word/phrase from each list to fill the corresponding gap.

Since I could not go to the animals, maybe the animals would come to me.  Amazingly enough they did. I must ---9------------an odd sight as I sat on the high Indian plateau sowing.  The wary animals ventured only as far as the most distant clumps of slush.  Each morning I ---10------the cottage and hiked off in search of them.  I --------11----- the hierarchy changes as they settled their differences in violent fights.  Whatever I ---12----------about the animals, my inability ---------13------ communicate with them taught me great rewards of -------14------------.

Which of these best fits gap 13?

Directions: Complete the passage by selecting the most suitable word/phrase from each list to fill the corresponding gap.

Since I could not go to the animals, maybe the animals would come to me.  Amazingly enough they did. I must ---9------------an odd sight as I sat on the high Indian plateau sowing.  The wary animals ventured only as far as the most distant clumps of slush.  Each morning I ---10------the cottage and hiked off in search of them.  I --------11----- the hierarchy changes as they settled their differences in violent fights.  Whatever I ---12----------about the animals, my inability ---------13------ communicate with them taught me great rewards of -------14------------.

In line 8, the word ‘radiates’ could best be replaced with

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option from each list according to the corresponding number in the passage.

1. Shakespeare’s heroines are endowed with
2. wit, humanised sense, humane feelings
3. and noble qualities of head and heart.
4. They are exceptionally winning and charming.
5. It is characteristic of nearly all Shakespeare’s
6. comedies that the heroines should escape his satire.
7. Shakespeare’s heroes maybe fine and handsome but when real business has got to be done, it’s the woman who does it.
8. His comedy radiates the spirit of humanity.
9. He enriches our experience of life.
10. His comedy exhibits his vision of life.

Which of these best fits gap 14?

Directions: Complete the passage by selecting the most suitable word/phrase from each list to fill the corresponding gap.

Since I could not go to the animals, maybe the animals would come to me.  Amazingly enough they did. I must ---9------------an odd sight as I sat on the high Indian plateau sowing.  The wary animals ventured only as far as the most distant clumps of slush.  Each morning I ---10------the cottage and hiked off in search of them.  I --------11----- the hierarchy changes as they settled their differences in violent fights.  Whatever I ---12----------about the animals, my inability ---------13------ communicate with them taught me great rewards of -------14------------.