Reading Comprehension

As per the author, the American Declaration of Independence

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the American Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal', he was not seeking to describe men's endowments, but their political and legal rights. He was not saying that men do not differ from one another in the powers and dimensions of their bodies, minds and characters. He was asserting that, despite variations and differences, they all possessed the right to equal political and legal treatment. We must, however, ask of what real value are political and legal equality to a man who has no bread to eat, no clothes to wear, no roof to shelter him, no chance to earn a livelihood? What we understand as a democratic society must provide for its citizen's minimum status as a member of that society, that keeps him from becoming a beggar, outcast or outlaw and that offers him some protection in his deprivation, losses and fears.
In our times, the nations of the democratic world have installed elaborate systems of social security and welfare, ranging from compensation for industrial accidents to subsidised housing, unemployment insurance, old age pensions, psychiatric care and national health services. It is encouraging that the democratic nations are making a serious effort to provide against the characteristic losses and disasters of human life.

As per the author, a democratic society

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the American Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal', he was not seeking to describe men's endowments, but their political and legal rights. He was not saying that men do not differ from one another in the powers and dimensions of their bodies, minds and characters. He was asserting that, despite variations and differences, they all possessed the right to equal political and legal treatment. We must, however, ask of what real value are political and legal equality to a man who has no bread to eat, no clothes to wear, no roof to shelter him, no chance to earn a livelihood? What we understand as a democratic society must provide for its citizen's minimum status as a member of that society, that keeps him from becoming a beggar, outcast or outlaw and that offers him some protection in his deprivation, losses and fears.
In our times, the nations of the democratic world have installed elaborate systems of social security and welfare, ranging from compensation for industrial accidents to subsidised housing, unemployment insurance, old age pensions, psychiatric care and national health services. It is encouraging that the democratic nations are making a serious effort to provide against the characteristic losses and disasters of human life.

Which of the following statements is not true about today's democratic countries?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the American Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal', he was not seeking to describe men's endowments, but their political and legal rights. He was not saying that men do not differ from one another in the powers and dimensions of their bodies, minds and characters. He was asserting that, despite variations and differences, they all possessed the right to equal political and legal treatment. We must, however, ask of what real value are political and legal equality to a man who has no bread to eat, no clothes to wear, no roof to shelter him, no chance to earn a livelihood? What we understand as a democratic society must provide for its citizen's minimum status as a member of that society, that keeps him from becoming a beggar, outcast or outlaw and that offers him some protection in his deprivation, losses and fears.
In our times, the nations of the democratic world have installed elaborate systems of social security and welfare, ranging from compensation for industrial accidents to subsidised housing, unemployment insurance, old age pensions, psychiatric care and national health services. It is encouraging that the democratic nations are making a serious effort to provide against the characteristic losses and disasters of human life.

“I had borne the cross gallantly until that day ...” What does the word ‘cross’ refer to in this passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

The most memorable experience of my life was an inci­dent that occurred some thirty years ago when I was in the secondary school. In those days, the speech­making and prize-giving day was always a great event. It was always a day when the results of the promotion examinations were announced to the students after weeks of suspense.
The afternoon commenced with all students taking their seats in the large hall, and the members of staff, led by the principal, filing in. There were also three guests, each of them an important figure in the town. The principal and the dignitaries made speeches admonishing the students to work hard in order to attain their goal. Then the prize-giving commenced. Soon, it was the turn of my class. For the overall best student, my name was called. This was not unexpected, the position having become almost identified with me. Amidst the clap­ping, I stood up and moved towards the principal whose outstretched hand held a fat book. I was already before him when he peered through his heavy spectacles, surveyed my figure and held back the book. There was a sudden silence. Students were amazed at this turn of events. Then he ex­plained: “You will have prize when you pay your outstanding fees.”
l stood there, almost petrified. Had I been warned of this disgrace, I would simply not have stood up, let alone bothering to go forward. There I was - the sorry focus of attention. l wished my legs would refuse their function but they did no such thing. On the other hand, they refused to beat a retreat, at least, for those burning seconds. Then sud­denly spontaneously, the students started clapping and hail­ing me. Thus, my return .journey was more loudly cheered than the outward journey.
For the prize in English, my name was also called. Of course I sat still, but the students hailed on. 'The prize was kept. For Mathematics, it was the same drama. Somehow, the students' behaviour saved the day for me.
Poorly clothed, in torn tennis shoes and being a debtor, I was the talk of the school. The little fee I had paid that year was earned through doing menial jobs at weekends, supple­mented with donations from some school mates. Father's financial difficulties had been aggravated by a protracted court case. He had no alternative but to ask me to withdraw from school and look for a job. This one I had refused to do.

The announcement of the writer's name as the best student did not surprise anybody because

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

The most memorable experience of my life was an inci­dent that occurred some thirty years ago when I was in the secondary school. In those days, the speech­making and prize-giving day was always a great event. It was always a day when the results of the promotion examinations were announced to the students after weeks of suspense.
The afternoon commenced with all students taking their seats in the large hall, and the members of staff, led by the principal, filing in. There were also three guests, each of them an important figure in the town. The principal and the dignitaries made speeches admonishing the students to work hard in order to attain their goal. Then the prize-giving commenced. Soon, it was the turn of my class. For the overall best student, my name was called. This was not unexpected, the position having become almost identified with me. Amidst the clap­ping, I stood up and moved towards the principal whose outstretched hand held a fat book. I was already before him when he peered through his heavy spectacles, surveyed my figure and held back the book. There was a sudden silence. Students were amazed at this turn of events. Then he ex­plained: “You will have prize when you pay your outstanding fees.”
l stood there, almost petrified. Had I been warned of this disgrace, I would simply not have stood up, let alone bothering to go forward. There I was - the sorry focus of attention. l wished my legs would refuse their function but they did no such thing. On the other hand, they refused to beat a retreat, at least, for those burning seconds. Then sud­denly spontaneously, the students started clapping and hail­ing me. Thus, my return .journey was more loudly cheered than the outward journey.
For the prize in English, my name was also called. Of course I sat still, but the students hailed on. 'The prize was kept. For Mathematics, it was the same drama. Somehow, the students' behaviour saved the day for me.
Poorly clothed, in torn tennis shoes and being a debtor, I was the talk of the school. The little fee I had paid that year was earned through doing menial jobs at weekends, supple­mented with donations from some school mates. Father's financial difficulties had been aggravated by a protracted court case. He had no alternative but to ask me to withdraw from school and look for a job. This one I had refused to do.

Usually students pass through a state of uncertainty and excitement before the prize giving day because

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

The most memorable experience of my life was an inci­dent that occurred some thirty years ago when I was in the secondary school. In those days, the speech­making and prize-giving day was always a great event. It was always a day when the results of the promotion examinations were announced to the students after weeks of suspense.
The afternoon commenced with all students taking their seats in the large hall, and the members of staff, led by the principal, filing in. There were also three guests, each of them an important figure in the town. The principal and the dignitaries made speeches admonishing the students to work hard in order to attain their goal. Then the prize-giving commenced. Soon, it was the turn of my class. For the overall best student, my name was called. This was not unexpected, the position having become almost identified with me. Amidst the clap­ping, I stood up and moved towards the principal whose outstretched hand held a fat book. I was already before him when he peered through his heavy spectacles, surveyed my figure and held back the book. There was a sudden silence. Students were amazed at this turn of events. Then he ex­plained: “You will have prize when you pay your outstanding fees.”
l stood there, almost petrified. Had I been warned of this disgrace, I would simply not have stood up, let alone bothering to go forward. There I was - the sorry focus of attention. l wished my legs would refuse their function but they did no such thing. On the other hand, they refused to beat a retreat, at least, for those burning seconds. Then sud­denly spontaneously, the students started clapping and hail­ing me. Thus, my return .journey was more loudly cheered than the outward journey.
For the prize in English, my name was also called. Of course I sat still, but the students hailed on. 'The prize was kept. For Mathematics, it was the same drama. Somehow, the students' behaviour saved the day for me.
Poorly clothed, in torn tennis shoes and being a debtor, I was the talk of the school. The little fee I had paid that year was earned through doing menial jobs at weekends, supple­mented with donations from some school mates. Father's financial difficulties had been aggravated by a protracted court case. He had no alternative but to ask me to withdraw from school and look for a job. This one I had refused to do.

The author's father wanted him to withdraw from school because

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

The most memorable experience of my life was an inci­dent that occurred some thirty years ago when I was in the secondary school. In those days, the speech­making and prize-giving day was always a great event. It was always a day when the results of the promotion examinations were announced to the students after weeks of suspense.
The afternoon commenced with all students taking their seats in the large hall, and the members of staff, led by the principal, filing in. There were also three guests, each of them an important figure in the town. The principal and the dignitaries made speeches admonishing the students to work hard in order to attain their goal. Then the prize-giving commenced. Soon, it was the turn of my class. For the overall best student, my name was called. This was not unexpected, the position having become almost identified with me. Amidst the clap­ping, I stood up and moved towards the principal whose outstretched hand held a fat book. I was already before him when he peered through his heavy spectacles, surveyed my figure and held back the book. There was a sudden silence. Students were amazed at this turn of events. Then he ex­plained: “You will have prize when you pay your outstanding fees.”
l stood there, almost petrified. Had I been warned of this disgrace, I would simply not have stood up, let alone bothering to go forward. There I was - the sorry focus of attention. l wished my legs would refuse their function but they did no such thing. On the other hand, they refused to beat a retreat, at least, for those burning seconds. Then sud­denly spontaneously, the students started clapping and hail­ing me. Thus, my return .journey was more loudly cheered than the outward journey.
For the prize in English, my name was also called. Of course I sat still, but the students hailed on. 'The prize was kept. For Mathematics, it was the same drama. Somehow, the students' behaviour saved the day for me.
Poorly clothed, in torn tennis shoes and being a debtor, I was the talk of the school. The little fee I had paid that year was earned through doing menial jobs at weekends, supple­mented with donations from some school mates. Father's financial difficulties had been aggravated by a protracted court case. He had no alternative but to ask me to withdraw from school and look for a job. This one I had refused to do.

The word in the passage that can replace 'lengthy' is

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions by selecting the most appropriate options.

The most memorable experience of my life was an inci­dent that occurred some thirty years ago when I was in the secondary school. In those days, the speech­making and prize-giving day was always a great event. It was always a day when the results of the promotion examinations were announced to the students after weeks of suspense.
The afternoon commenced with all students taking their seats in the large hall, and the members of staff, led by the principal, filing in. There were also three guests, each of them an important figure in the town. The principal and the dignitaries made speeches admonishing the students to work hard in order to attain their goal. Then the prize-giving commenced. Soon, it was the turn of my class. For the overall best student, my name was called. This was not unexpected, the position having become almost identified with me. Amidst the clap­ping, I stood up and moved towards the principal whose outstretched hand held a fat book. I was already before him when he peered through his heavy spectacles, surveyed my figure and held back the book. There was a sudden silence. Students were amazed at this turn of events. Then he ex­plained: “You will have prize when you pay your outstanding fees.”
l stood there, almost petrified. Had I been warned of this disgrace, I would simply not have stood up, let alone bothering to go forward. There I was - the sorry focus of attention. l wished my legs would refuse their function but they did no such thing. On the other hand, they refused to beat a retreat, at least, for those burning seconds. Then sud­denly spontaneously, the students started clapping and hail­ing me. Thus, my return .journey was more loudly cheered than the outward journey.
For the prize in English, my name was also called. Of course I sat still, but the students hailed on. 'The prize was kept. For Mathematics, it was the same drama. Somehow, the students' behaviour saved the day for me.
Poorly clothed, in torn tennis shoes and being a debtor, I was the talk of the school. The little fee I had paid that year was earned through doing menial jobs at weekends, supple­mented with donations from some school mates. Father's financial difficulties had been aggravated by a protracted court case. He had no alternative but to ask me to withdraw from school and look for a job. This one I had refused to do.

The writer seems to suggest that sermons should not be taken seriously as

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

One of the easiest things to do in the world, one may be forgiven to say, is to sermonize. Also, one of the commonest things to do is to sermonize. It costs nothing to the one who sermonizes and gives some food for thought to the ones who are at the receiving end of these sermons, although there have been some victims of sermons as well. This might sound queer, but the fact of the matter is—there are quite a few victims in our own midst. What, imagine for a while, must be passing through the minds of those who harangue others with their sermons and what must be passing through the minds of those subjected to these unsolicited dose of words that sound more like hyperbole than anything else? And why people take to sermonizing? Well, those speaking from the pulpit have this uncanny tendency of believing that they only know what is right or wrong for the people below and that the ignoramus ones who gather there to listen to their sermons need to be told again and again that this and not that is the right thing for them to do. Hence sermons become essential. By constantly lending them ears, we only help embolden them to get away with this impression.
Sermons are not always innocuous these days. In fact, more often they are not. They could be inflammatory. Religious and political sermons could be deadly if they are taken to heart. This usually happens with the fanatics, and there is no dearth of these. They tend to take the sermons in letter and not in spirit. This creates situations that have wide ramifications. In the recent past some of these religious sermons have caused many conflagrations than have brought amity which is what a religion is supposed to aim at. Obviously, because of the excessive dose of religious sermons, there have been more fragmentations in our society than there had ever been before.
But it is the political sermons, of all the sermons, that are amusing. Political sermons are so only in the sense that politicians make them, and not because they are political in character. But the occasions they choose to make these sermons are quite sombre and there is nothing ludicrous about them. While celebrating Martyr’s Day, we are told by our leaders to inculcate the qualities of the Father of the nation. Fine indeed! But the very next day when we are celebrating the birth day of Netaji (not exactly the next day), we are asked to emulate his qualities. On another day we are asked to follow in the footsteps of Shivaji and so on and so forth. There is obviously nothing wrong with these sermons. The trouble would begin when someone decides to take these sermons seriously and sets out on inculcating the qualities of those personages who are no longer on the scene. Not all of them had similar qualities. For instance, the only agenda on which both Gandhiji and Netaji agreed was India’s freedom. Imagine the condition of the man who inculcates the qualities of all these great persons. What then will remain of him?

The writer talks about a few hurdles a tenant must face before he actually gets a roof over his head. What is the first hurdle he must cross before he is given a proper hearing by the landlord?

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

Tenants are usually the accursed lot. They are forced by the circumstance to live in a house they do not own, for which they have to cough up a sizeable chunk of their hard earned money. But their travail does not end with just paying the rent. In fact, it begins from there. Of course, there are quite a few tenants who give a torrid time to their landlords. But such cases are more an exception than rule. A tenant is always at the mercy of his landlord or landlady. Landlords, it would seem, like to keep their tenants on a tenterhook.
Relation between a tenant and his landlord is rarely, if ever, a very cordial one. It may begin on a cordial note. But certainly does not end on the same note. Sometimes the process gets reversed too. But such occasions are few. For, if it did not begin on a cordial note, the deal would never be struck. The word cordial however is not appropriate here, because cordiality begins with the tenant and ends with him. It is not for him to expect that the landlord would return cordiality. It is the tenant who needs a roof over his head. The landlord can afford to ignore a number of tenants even for an indefinite period of time.
So, a prospective tenant makes a cautious approach to his prospective landlord who subjects him to a grilling interview before deciding to condescend a proper hearing. The prospective tenant answers every question in great trepidation, for he does not know which answer of his may disqualify him. The prospective landlord extracts every bit of information about his hapless victim, but reveals very little about himself. If the prospective tenant crosses the first hurdle successfully and unscathed, he then faces another crucial area of settling the rent. If this hurdle is also crossed successfully and without being bruised, then he faces the most crucial one. That is the area of do’s and don’ts.
These do’s and don’ts are like Ten Commandments. The tenant has no choice but to follow them meticulously. While listing all those do’s and don’ts here may not be desirable, we can afford to take a look at some of the queer conditions that bind a tenant to what may be called a tether post. One of such conditions must relate to rational (it is rationed, actually) use of water. At the time of striking a deal, water would usually not pose any problem at all and would hardly be a matter of discussion then. But once the house is occupied and the advance rent is paid, water becomes a perennial problem which is resolved always at the cost of the poor tenant. The poor tenant has no choice but to acquiesce to whatever arrangement is made, for he cannot afford to change house so quickly yet again. Besides, he can never be sure he will not be meted out the same or worse treatment elsewhere. So he stays put. If he has small children, he is specifically asked to keep them restrained. They must not make noise, nor must they pluck flowers, if there are any in the close vicinity. They must not dare to socialize with the landlord or his family. Landlords are a class apart. They would not approve of too many guests, or of parties. Ceremonies of all kinds are best avoided. Tenants must lead as sedate a life as can be possible.

He is a new, if 60-year-old face. He is a lavishly decorated ex-marine from a marine family and has a son serving in Iraq. He has plenty of Washington experience – inside the Pentagon - but he is also a novelist, historian and serial divorcee. He had a public spat with Mr. Bush at a party.

The protest crowds like him. And he has themes. Being against the war in Iraq is one of them. Being angry about the increasing economic burdens on middle America – and the grotesque inflation of boardroom pay – is another. And he uses both those tunes to great effect. He looks so alluring now because a marine hero who wants troops out of Iraq and also wants Mr. Bush to fly to Tehran for talks with the President there, fits perfectly with any obvious prescription for success.

Which of the following conclusions cannot be inferred from the passage?

Directions: The last sentence in the following passage has been deleted. Select the sentence, out of the available options, that best suits the end of the passage. Belief in a greater power in the Universe is something I hope never becomes extinct. I hope Man, as a species, never becomes so arrogant in his technological marvels that he sees himself in the role of God; making and destroying life by a humanistic moral code. I still like to look up at the heavens and believe that there is life out there, somewhere, races of beings struggling with the same ideas and concepts that we as a species are experiencing. I hope that one day we do make contact with other life, and that in doing so we find the seeds of Brotherhood out there in the stars, as I believe that this great experiment has been tried elsewhere. The Universe is too vast a place with too many galaxies and stars for Man to be the “Be all and end all”. Don't ask me to explain my reasoning for I can't.

Directions: The last sentence in the following passage has been deleted. Select the sentence, out of the available options, that best suits the end of the passage. Many surveys and studies have been conducted asking buyers what traits they value most in sellers. This information is invaluable for those who truly want to be toward the top of the sales profession. Some of the traits buyers say they want to see in sellers are their being: honest, knowledgeable, organized, punctual, solution-oriented, and empathic. For some sellers, these come very naturally, while for others perhaps it`s a constant struggle to exhibit these traits. Nearly all the traits can be summed up in one word �

Knowledge theorists opine that risk management is actually a combination of management of uncertainty, risk, equivocality and error. Uncertainty arises due to lack of information. As information gathering progresses, uncertainty transforms into risk. In uncertainty, outcomes cannot be estimated even randomly. This is possible in the case of risk. As information about markets and knowledge about possible outcomes increases, risk management provides solutions for cutting risk. Equivocality arises due to conflicting interpretations and the resultant lack of judgement. This happens despite adequate knowledge of the situation. Institutions develop control systems to reduce errors, information systems to reduce uncertainty, incentive systems to manage agency problems in a risk-reward framework and cultural systems to deal with equivocality. Which of the following conclusions cannot be inferred from the passage?

Directions: The last sentence in the following passages has been deleted. Select the sentence, out of the available options, that best suits the end of the passage. While the lethal H5N1 virus has been marching from one country to another, infecting birds and, in some cases, humans, one fact is becoming apparent - as long as the virus persists in birds, be it poultry or wild birds, avian flu outbreaks are bound to recur.