Reading Comprehension

Which of the following could replace 'mixes' as used in the passage?

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

Which of the following could replace 'drive out' as used in the passage?

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

Which of the following options best corrects/completes statement I?

Directions: This passage contains errors and an omission. Choose the correct option to complete the passage.
Statement I: Pets are playful lovable, and tame animals.
Statement II: We take care of all them needs.
Statement III: They return love us with all their hearts and trust us blindly.
Statement IV: Dogs, __________.                                                             

Which of the following could replace 'clock of life' as used in the passage?

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

Which of the following could replace 'need' as used in the passage?

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

What, according to the author, is the attitude of Indians that comes in the way of India's progress?

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

Apathy in addressing community matters has held us back from making progress which is otherwise within our reach. We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else. On the other hand, in the West, people approach societal problems proactively. There are several examples of our apathetic attitude. For instance, all of us are aware of the problem of drought in India. More than four decades ago, Dr. K.L.Rao, an irrigation expert, suggested the creation of a water grid connecting all the rivers in north and south India to solve this problem. Unfortunately, nothing has been done about this. The story of power shortage in Bangalore is another instance. In 1983, it was decided that a power plant would be built to meet Bangalore’s power requirements. Sadly, we have not yet started it. The Milan subway in Bombay has been in a deplorable state for the last four decades, and no action has been taken.
We Indians would do well to remember Thomas Hunter’s words that idleness travels very slowly and poverty soon overtakes it. What could be the reason for our apathy? We were ruled by foreigners for over a thousand years. So, we have always believed that public or societal issues belong to some foreign ruler and that we have no responsibility to solve them. We have got used to just executing someone else’s orders. ‘We are what we repeatedly do,’ said Aristotle. Having waited for some foreigner to tell us what to do over the last thousand years, the decision-makers in our society are not used to taking decisions on their own. They look to somebody else to take their decisions for them. Unfortunately, there is no body to look up to, and this is our tragedy.

The author talks about 'competing interests'. What are they?

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

The most remarkable achievement in post-constitution India is the exercise of the power of the judicial review by the superior courts. So long as this power is wielded by the courts effectively and fearlessly, democracy will remain ensured in India and, with all its shortcomings, the Constitution will survive. The numerous applications for the constitutional writs before the High Courts and the Supreme Court and their results testify to the establishment in India of ‘limited government’, or, ‘the government of laws, not of men’, as they call it in the United States of America. The Supreme Court has well performed its task of protecting the rights of the individual against the executive, against oppressive legislations and even against the Legislature itself, when it becomes overzealous in asserting its privileges not only against the individual citizens but even against the judges.
At the same time, it should be observed that neither the guarantee of the Fundamental Rights nor its adjunct, — Judicial Review, — could have full play during the first quarter of a century of the working of our Constitution owning to their erosion by Proclamations of Emergency over a substantial period of time. It is true that the Emergency provisions are as much a part of the Constitution of India as any other, and that history has proved the need for such powers to meet extraordinary situations, but, broadly speaking, if the application of the Emergency provisions overshadows the other features of the Constitution, the balance between the ‘normal’ and ‘emergency’ provisions is palpably destroyed. Even, apart from Emergency, there has been an astounding erosion of Fundamental Rights owning to multiple amendments of the Constitution.
The means to prevent any such conflict between competing interests is to process all proposals for constitutional amendments through an expert and objective machinery, which would ensure the progressive adaptation of the Constitution to the Copernican changes in the social, economic and political background.

What leads to the conclusion that Indians have a tendency to disown their problems as their own?

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

Apathy in addressing community matters has held us back from making progress which is otherwise within our reach. We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else. On the other hand, in the West, people approach societal problems proactively. There are several examples of our apathetic attitude. For instance, all of us are aware of the problem of drought in India. More than four decades ago, Dr. K.L.Rao, an irrigation expert, suggested the creation of a water grid connecting all the rivers in north and south India to solve this problem. Unfortunately, nothing has been done about this. The story of power shortage in Bangalore is another instance. In 1983, it was decided that a power plant would be built to meet Bangalore’s power requirements. Sadly, we have not yet started it. The Milan subway in Bombay has been in a deplorable state for the last four decades, and no action has been taken.
We Indians would do well to remember Thomas Hunter’s words that idleness travels very slowly and poverty soon overtakes it. What could be the reason for our apathy? We were ruled by foreigners for over a thousand years. So, we have always believed that public or societal issues belong to some foreign ruler and that we have no responsibility to solve them. We have got used to just executing someone else’s orders. ‘We are what we repeatedly do,’ said Aristotle. Having waited for some foreigner to tell us what to do over the last thousand years, the decision-makers in our society are not used to taking decisions on their own. They look to somebody else to take their decisions for them. Unfortunately, there is no body to look up to, and this is our tragedy.

'We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else.' What does author appear to suggest?

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

Apathy in addressing community matters has held us back from making progress which is otherwise within our reach. We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else. On the other hand, in the West, people approach societal problems proactively. There are several examples of our apathetic attitude. For instance, all of us are aware of the problem of drought in India. More than four decades ago, Dr. K.L.Rao, an irrigation expert, suggested the creation of a water grid connecting all the rivers in north and south India to solve this problem. Unfortunately, nothing has been done about this. The story of power shortage in Bangalore is another instance. In 1983, it was decided that a power plant would be built to meet Bangalore’s power requirements. Sadly, we have not yet started it. The Milan subway in Bombay has been in a deplorable state for the last four decades, and no action has been taken.
We Indians would do well to remember Thomas Hunter’s words that idleness travels very slowly and poverty soon overtakes it. What could be the reason for our apathy? We were ruled by foreigners for over a thousand years. So, we have always believed that public or societal issues belong to some foreign ruler and that we have no responsibility to solve them. We have got used to just executing someone else’s orders. ‘We are what we repeatedly do,’ said Aristotle. Having waited for some foreigner to tell us what to do over the last thousand years, the decision-makers in our society are not used to taking decisions on their own. They look to somebody else to take their decisions for them. Unfortunately, there is no body to look up to, and this is our tragedy.

Who cried out aloud with joy?

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

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful forest. In the forest, there were three princesses. They were called Sam, Vic and Liana. They loved to go into the forest and play there. They would bring home many stones and flowers for their mother. The trees were their friends and they would watch them play the whole day long. The sun would shine brightly not only in the forest but in their village too.
One day, something different happened. The sun did not shine. There was a strong wind and it rained the whole day. The princesses could not go to the forest and they hated it. They waited for the next day.
For the next many days, it rained and rained. The princesses complained to their mother. They were lonely without the trees and animal friends from the forest. Their mother told them to smile and not to complain. She said that if the wind-gods were to hear the princesses complaining, then they might take the sun away. All of them listened to their mother and began to do something indoors. Sam drew a beautiful design, Vic sang songs and Liana danced.
The next morning, their mother woke them up and asked them to open their bedroom windows. They cried out aloud with joy, as they saw the sun shining brightly. That day, they could go to the beautiful forest and meet their friends.

The word 'strong' is used to describe

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

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful forest. In the forest, there were three princesses. They were called Sam, Vic and Liana. They loved to go into the forest and play there. They would bring home many stones and flowers for their mother. The trees were their friends and they would watch them play the whole day long. The sun would shine brightly not only in the forest but in their village too.
One day, something different happened. The sun did not shine. There was a strong wind and it rained the whole day. The princesses could not go to the forest and they hated it. They waited for the next day.
For the next many days, it rained and rained. The princesses complained to their mother. They were lonely without the trees and animal friends from the forest. Their mother told them to smile and not to complain. She said that if the wind-gods were to hear the princesses complaining, then they might take the sun away. All of them listened to their mother and began to do something indoors. Sam drew a beautiful design, Vic sang songs and Liana danced.
The next morning, their mother woke them up and asked them to open their bedroom windows. They cried out aloud with joy, as they saw the sun shining brightly. That day, they could go to the beautiful forest and meet their friends.

What did the princesses bring from the forest?

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

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful forest. In the forest, there were three princesses. They were called Sam, Vic and Liana. They loved to go into the forest and play there. They would bring home many stones and flowers for their mother. The trees were their friends and they would watch them play the whole day long. The sun would shine brightly not only in the forest but in their village too.
One day, something different happened. The sun did not shine. There was a strong wind and it rained the whole day. The princesses could not go to the forest and they hated it. They waited for the next day.
For the next many days, it rained and rained. The princesses complained to their mother. They were lonely without the trees and animal friends from the forest. Their mother told them to smile and not to complain. She said that if the wind-gods were to hear the princesses complaining, then they might take the sun away. All of them listened to their mother and began to do something indoors. Sam drew a beautiful design, Vic sang songs and Liana danced.
The next morning, their mother woke them up and asked them to open their bedroom windows. They cried out aloud with joy, as they saw the sun shining brightly. That day, they could go to the beautiful forest and meet their friends.

What did mother tell the princesses?

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

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful forest. In the forest, there were three princesses. They were called Sam, Vic and Liana. They loved to go into the forest and play there. They would bring home many stones and flowers for their mother. The trees were their friends and they would watch them play the whole day long. The sun would shine brightly not only in the forest but in their village too.
One day, something different happened. The sun did not shine. There was a strong wind and it rained the whole day. The princesses could not go to the forest and they hated it. They waited for the next day.
For the next many days, it rained and rained. The princesses complained to their mother. They were lonely without the trees and animal friends from the forest. Their mother told them to smile and not to complain. She said that if the wind-gods were to hear the princesses complaining, then they might take the sun away. All of them listened to their mother and began to do something indoors. Sam drew a beautiful design, Vic sang songs and Liana danced.
The next morning, their mother woke them up and asked them to open their bedroom windows. They cried out aloud with joy, as they saw the sun shining brightly. That day, they could go to the beautiful forest and meet their friends.

What was different one day?

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

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful forest. In the forest, there were three princesses. They were called Sam, Vic and Liana. They loved to go into the forest and play there. They would bring home many stones and flowers for their mother. The trees were their friends and they would watch them play the whole day long. The sun would shine brightly not only in the forest but in their village too.
One day, something different happened. The sun did not shine. There was a strong wind and it rained the whole day. The princesses could not go to the forest and they hated it. They waited for the next day.
For the next many days, it rained and rained. The princesses complained to their mother. They were lonely without the trees and animal friends from the forest. Their mother told them to smile and not to complain. She said that if the wind-gods were to hear the princesses complaining, then they might take the sun away. All of them listened to their mother and began to do something indoors. Sam drew a beautiful design, Vic sang songs and Liana danced.
The next morning, their mother woke them up and asked them to open their bedroom windows. They cried out aloud with joy, as they saw the sun shining brightly. That day, they could go to the beautiful forest and meet their friends.

Which of these is closest in meaning to the word 'hatched' in line 1?

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

1. Dinosaurs hatched eggs and the young ones had legs and lungs.
2. The first dinosaurs to develop resembled their reptile ancestors.
3. They were slender and probably no bigger than a turkey.
4. And, like a turkey, they walked on their hind legs.
5. They lived in low, swampy places.
6. Then an enormous and very heavy asteroid hit the earth and blasted a thick layer of dust to block out sunlight for as long as five years.
7. The plants died and the dinosaurs were deprived of food.
8. Eventually they starved to death.