READING

COMPREHENSION
(Vol.-II)

This book is a part of set, not be sold separately.

 Contents
1. TEST - 1 ... 5 - 20
2. TEST - 2 ... 21 - 32
3. TEST - 3 ... 33 - 45
4. TEST - 4 ... 46 - 57
5. TEST - 5 ... 58 - 69
6. TEST - 6 ... 70 - 87
7. TEST - 7 ... 88 - 102
8. TEST - 8 ... 103 - 114
9. TEST - 9 ... 115 - 127
10. TEST - 10 ... 128 - 140
Answers ... 141 - 145
READING COMPREHENSION

TEST – 1
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
For decades, earthquake experts dreamt of being able to predict the time and place
of the world’s next disastrous shock. But by the early 1990s the behaviour of quake-
prone faults had proved so complex that they were forced to conclude that the
planet’s largest tremors are isolated, random and utterly unpredictable. Most
seismologists now assume that once a major earthquake and its expected aftershocks
do their damage, the fault will remain quiet until stresses in the earth’s crust have
time to rebuild, typically over hundreds or thousands of years. A recent discovery -
that earthquakes interact in ways never before imagined - is beginning to overturn
that assumption. This insight corroborates the idea that a major shock relieves stress
and thus the likelihood of a second major tremor in some areas. But it also suggests
that the probability of a succeeding earthquake elsewhere along the fault or on a
nearby fault can actually jump by as much as a factor of three. At the heart of this
hypothesis -known as stress triggering - is the realization that faults are unexpectedly
responsive to subtle stresses they acquire as neighboring faults shift and shake.
Drawing on records of past tremors and novel calculations of fault behaviour, my
colleagues and I have learned that the stress relieved during an earthquake does not
simply dissipate; instead it moves down the fault and concentrates on sites nearby.
This jump in stress promotes subsequent tremors.
Examinations of the earthquakes in Turkey and in Southern California fortified our
assertion that even tiny stress changes can have momentous effects, both calming
and catastrophic. But despite the growing number of examples we had to support
this idea, one key point was difficult to explain: roughly one quarter of the
earthquakes we examined occurred in areas where stress had decreased. It was easy
for our more skeptical colleagues to argue that no seismicity should occur in these
shadow zones, because the main shock would have relieved at least some stress and
thus pushed those segments of the fault further from failure. We now have an answer.
Seismicity never shuts off completely in the shadow zones, nor does it turn on

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completely in the trigger zones. Instead the rate of seismicity - the number of
earthquakes per unit - merely drops in the shadows or climbs in the trigger zones
relative to the preceding rate in that area.
We owe this persuasive extension of stress triggering to a theory proposed by
Dieterich in 1994. Known as rate/state friction, it jettisons the comfortable concept
of friction as a property that can only vary between two values - high friction when
the material is stationary and lower friction when it is sliding. Rather, faults can
become stickier or more slippery as the rate of movement along the fault changes
and as the history of motion, or the state, evolves. These conclusions grew out of
lab experiments in which Dieterich’s team sawed a miniature fault into a Volkswagen-
size slab of granite and triggered tiny earthquakes. -
When earthquake behaviour is calculated with friction as a variable rather than a
fixed value, it becomes clear that Omori’s law is a fundamental property not just of
so-called aftershocks but of all earthquakes. The law’s prediction that the rate of
shocks will first jump and then diminish with time explains why a region does not
forever retain the higher rate of seismicity that results from an increase in stress.
But that is only half the story. Dieterich’s theory reveals a characteristic of the
seismicity that Omori’s law misses entirely. In areas where a main shock relieves
stress, the rate of seismicity immediately plunges but will slowly return to preshock
values in a predictable manner. These points may seem subtle, but rates/state friction
allowed us for the first time to make predictions of how jumps or declines in
seismicity would change over time. When calculating Coulomb stresses, we could
define the general location of new earthquakes but not their timing.
Our emerging ideas about both the place and the time of stress-triggered earthquakes
were further confirmed by a global study conducted early last year. Parsons
considered the more than 100 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater that have
occurred worldwide in the past 25 years and then examined all subsequent shocks
of at least magnitude 5 within 250 kilometers of each magnitude 7 event. Among
the more than 2,000 shocks in this inventory, 61 percent occurred at sites where a
preceding shock increased the stress, even by a small amount.
Few of these triggered shocks were close enough to the main earthquake to be
considered an aftershock, and in all instances the rate of these triggered tremors
decreased in the time period predicted by rates/state friction and Omori’s law.
Now that we are regularly incorporating the concept of rate/state friction into our
earthquake analyses, we have begun to uncover more sophisticated examples of

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earthquake interaction that Coulomb stress analyses alone could have illuminated.
Until recently, we had explained only relatively simple situations, such as those in
California and Turkey, in which a large earthquake spurs seismicity in some areas
and makes it sluggish in others. We knew that a more compelling case for the stress-
triggering hypothesis would be an example in which successive, similar-size shocks
are seen to turn the frequency of earthquakes up and down in the same spot, like a
dimmer switch on an electric light.
Toda and I discovered a spectacular example of this phenomenon, which we call
toggling seismicity. Early last year we began analyzing an unusual pair of magnitude
6.5 earthquakes that struck Kagoshima, Japan, in 1997. Immediately following the
first earthquake, which occurred in March, a sudden burst of seismicity cropped up
in a 25-square-kilometre region just beyond the west end of the failed segment of
the fault. When we calculated where the initial earthquake transferred stress, we
found that it fell within the same zone as the heightened seismicity. We also found
that the rate immediately began decaying just as rate/state friction predicted. But
when the second shock struck three kilometers to the south only seven weeks later,
the region of heightened seismicity experienced a sudden, additional drop of more
than 85 percent. In this case, the trigger zone of the first earthquake had fallen into
the shadow zone of the second one. In other words, the first quake turned seismicity
up, and the second one turned it back down.
Eavesdropping on the conversations between earthquakes has revealed, if nothing
else, that seismicity is highly interactive. And although phenomena other than stress
transfer may influence these interactions, my colleagues and I believe that enough
evidence exists to warrant an overhaul of traditional probabilistic earthquake
forecasts. By refining the likelihood of dangerous tremors to reflect subtle jumps
and declines in stress, these new assessments will help governments, the insurance
industry and the public at large to better evaluate their earthquake risk. Traditional
strategies already make some degree of prioritizing possible, driving the
strengthening of buildings and other precautions in certain cities or regions at the
expense of others. But our analyses have shown that taking stress triggering into
account will raise different faults to the top of the high-alert list than using traditional
methods alone will. By the same token, a fault deemed dangerous by traditional
practice may actually be at a much lower risk.
An important caveat is that any type of earthquake forecast is difficult to prove
right and almost impossible to prove wrong. Regardless of the factors that are
considered, chance plays a tremendous role in wherever a large earthquake occurs,
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just as it does in whether a particular weather pattern produces a rain-storm. The

meteorologists’ advantage over earthquake scientists is that they help improve their
predictions. Weather patterns are much easier to measure than stresses inside the
earth, after all, and storms are much more frequent than earthquakes.
In the end, the degree to which any probabilistic forecast will protect people and
property is still uncertain. But scientists have plenty of reasons to keep pursuing
this dream: several hundred million people live and work along the world’s most
active fault zones. With that much at stake, stress triggering — or any other
phenomenon that has the potential to raise the odds of a damaging earthquake -
should not be ignored.
1. One of the following is not mentioned in Omori’s law but is observed in
Dieterich’s theory:
(1) The rate of seismicity at a place tends to return to its original level inspite
of stress relief there.
(2) The rate/state friction of a fault decides the intensity of an earthquake
occurring there.
(3) The method to calculate the rate of frequency of earthquakes at a given
fault zone.
(4) The formula to demark the earthquake zones into shadow and trigger areas.
2. The author and his team tried to prove their critics wrong by
(1) saying that very few earthquakes occur in the shadow areas.
(2) citing the data collected from quake prone areas like Turkey, California
etc.
(3) citing the fact that seismicity is always present but the rate differs depending
on the type of zone under which the area falls.
(4) calculating the frequency of the stress triggered quakes.
3. The statement(s) which is/are relevant to the term toggling seismicity is/are:
(1) It is the term used by the author and his colleagues to build a strong case
for stress triggering hypothesis.
(2) It describes the phenomenon in which successive similar-sized triggers
seem to alter the frequency of earthquake in the same spot.
(3) It is clearly explained by the author using the example of the earthquakes
that struck Japan in 1997.
(4) All the above three statements are true.
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4. The phrase, “eavesdropping on the conversations between earthquakes” implies

(1) listening to them.
(2) measuring their intensities.
(3) collecting and comparing the pertinent data.
(4) none of the above.
5. Earthquake prediction may become more accurate through
(l) the extensive data collected regarding the critical variables and their
subsequent analyses, using traditional techniques.
(2) the recognition of the fact that seismicity can vary.
(3) the adoption of error free systems to analyse the data.
(4) the measurement of similar sized shocks that affect the frequency of
earthquakes.
6. Which of the following is true, according to the passage?
(1) The pair of earthquakes that hit Japan in 97 were of the same magnitude.
(2) The rate/state friction supports the concept that there is high friction when
the material is stationary and lower friction when it is sliding.
(3) Omori’s law states that the rate of shocks is higher immediately after an
earthquake and the place thus retains higher rate of seismicity.
(4) No type of earthquake forecast is dependable.
(1) A and B are true but definitely not D.
(2) C and D are true but definitely A.
(3) A and D are true but definitely not B.
(4) B and D are true but definitely not C.
7. ‘A recent discovery is beginning to overturn that assumption’. The assumption
is that
(1) the stress released during an earthquake prevents its recurrence.
(2) all places along a fault line have an equal chance of being hit by an
earthquake.
(3) any minute change in the stress level of a place can result in an earthquake.
(4) no place can be hit by earthquakes having different epicentres.
8. Quakes can occur even in areas of reduced stress because
(1) faults tend to possess high ratio of rate/state friction.
(2) according to Omori’s Law, the ratio of shocks comes down but does not
disappear completely.
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(3) the characteristic feature of seismicity operates irrespective of shadow/

trigger zones.
(4) all the places present along a fault are prone to quakes.
9. Which of the following can be said to lend support to the stress triggering
hypothesis?
(1) Earthquakes observed in Turkey and Southern California.
(2) The global study conducted by Parsons.
(3) Earthquakes that struck Kagoshima.
(4) All the above three.
PASSAGE – II
The power of the information age descended on China in 1989. As authorities
clamped down on activists after the carnage at Tiananmen Square, protesters around
the world clogged fax machines with foreign-news coverage and messages of
solidarity. For officials accustomed to a monopoly on information, it was a startling
lesson. Guards were posted at fax machines across the country. The trickle of
information stopped.
It has become commonplace, in this digital era, to say that electronic communication
will spell doom for authoritarian regimes. Information, the techno-libertarians say,
is now too fluid to control. It flows in over airways, via satellites, through microwave
relays to cellular phones, faxes, televisions, radios, beepers, modems. Information
will mean more openness, the logic goes, and openness will mean more freedom.
Rupert Murdoch used to be a believer. “Television’s impact on the world cannot be
overstated,” he told an audience of American broadcasters in 1993. “When Lech
Walesa was asked what caused the phenomenal collapse of communism in Eastern
Europe, he pointed to a television set and said, ‘It all came from there.’ It was a nice
idea-unless you happened to run a communist state yourself. China, for one, was
not amused. After Murdoch’s speech, the Chinese government announced it would
ban his Star-TV satellite network on the mainland. Murdoch quickly changed his
tune and, in an attempt to placate the Chinese, removed the BBC World Service
from Star,
Murdoch’s lesson is one that many optimists refuse to accept: that the airwaves are
not as free as they appear to be. Even when it seems beyond the reach of any
government, electronic information can be controlled, in ways both subtle and
obvious. The Internet, heir to so many Utopians hopes, will prove particularly rich

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in disappointment. Many technologists have painted it as a kind of virtual

freethinkers’ paradise, a Montana of the mind. But anarchy does not mean equality.
The clever, the strong and the ruthless will always have the upper hand on a lawless
frontier. Freedom from censorship also means freedom from protection against
bullying harassment and misinformation. The most chilling example of this truth
thus far involved not a government but an organised religion. After a former member
posted secret doctrines of the Church of Scientology on the Internet, the US cult
began an all-out offensive against its opponents in cyberspace. It filed lawsuits and
managed to confiscate critic’s disks. It also sent out a sort of virtual agent to cancel
critical remarks in Internet discussion groups, replacing them with an ominous-
sounding warning message.
Another form of attack works in reverse, by bombarding an enemy with hundreds
or thousands of junk messages. The technique, known as “spamming,” was widely
used against a pair of Arizona lawyers, Martha Siegel and Laurence Canter, after
they sent electronic advertisements to thousands of discussion groups. Outraged
cyberpurists responded by deluging Siegel and Canter with angry E-mail messages,
following them with a steady stream of abuse as they fled from one electronic home
to another. If ordinary citizens can stifle their opponents, governments have even
more power to do so. As Murdoch’s case showed, the electronic world is not as
barrier-free as it seems. Even the Internet, that supposedly borderless new frontier
of the digital age, can be fenced off. China, Vietnam and Singapore are allowing
Internet access to be provided only by the government or a small number of private
companies, which can be easily monitored by officials. The apparent freedom of
the Internet, in fact, could be its most dangerous feature-drawing solitary dissenters
out into the open, making the Net an agent not of freedom but of control. There are
subtler ways to manage the Web. In Singapore, government agents monitor Internet
discussion groups not to identify subversives but, according to one official, to “ensure
that the government’s point of view is heard.” Will more governments feel the need
to intervene in discussions among citizens?
Few countries other than Singapore would need to bother with such measures. As
long as cyberspace is limited to the rich, educated and the English-speaking, there
seems little danger of its digital brush fires spreading very far. Will the Internet
someday threaten one-party rule? So far, the strongmen are laughing. Indonesia’s
government, which vigorously suppressed the newsmagazine Tempo, does not seem
at all concerned that a digital version has appeared on the Net. The pen may be
mightier than the sword, but either one could kick the stuffing out of a modem.
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10. It may be inferred from the passage that Lech Walesa...

(1) is a politician. (2) is a media person.
(3) is a Lech. (4) None of the above.
11. Which of the following is not applicable to China?
(1) It is an authoritarian state.
(2) It has banned the Star-TV network from the country.
(3) It had killed many protesters in 1989.
(4) It is a communist state.
12. The main idea of the passage may be put into the following sentence—
(1) The information revolution cannot be stopped by external agencies.
(2) The flow of information is not as free as is commonly assumed.
(3) Electronic communication makes absolutely no difference to authoritarian
regimes.
(4) Fax machines were the most effective mode of communication with the
Chinese activists.
13. It may be inferred from the passage that Rupert Murdoch’s decision to placate
the Chinese government was dictated by...
(1) economic considerations.
(2) political considerations.
(3) philanthropic considerations.
(4) Cannot be determined from information in passage.
14. Which of the following is a lesson to be derived from the Church of Scientology
incident?
(1) It is not easy or desirable to interfere in any religion.
(2) Organised religions are very powerful and can influence governments.
(3) The Internet is still a place where might is right.
(4) A lot of bullying and harassment still goes on in the Internet.
15. By the reactions of the cyberpurists, it may be inferred that the action of Martha
Siegel and Laurence Canter in advertising on the Internet was wrong.
(1) hypermetrically (2) morally
(3) theoretically (4) ethically

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16. Which of the countries are not mentioned as monitoring access to the Internet?
(1) Taiwan. (2) Indonesia
(3) Vietnam. (4) Singapore.
17. The word ‘techno-libertarians’, in the context of the passage means
(1) technologically liberated people.
(2) people who believe in the liberation of technology.
(3) people who believe that technology should be available to all without
shackles.
(4) ail of the above.
18. It can be inferred from the passage that, according to Murdoch.,
(1) communism could not stand the onslaught of technology.
(2) messages and images of freedom overthrew communism.
(3) Television and Internet overthrew communism.
(4) none of the above.
19. The Net could also be used
(1) as an agent of government propaganda.
(2) to make the government’s views heard.
(3) both 1 and 2.
(4) none of the above.

PASSAGE – III
Now is the time for women’s equality in Congress and at all other government and
corporate decision-making levels. With men, we get rhetoric, more problems and
no answers - but lots of excuses. I am convinced that we need women’s realistic,
common sense approach to the needs of modern age. With the current, male-
dominated workplace, our country receives severe criticism for its poor standards.
A complete upgrading is needed, and my experience proves that women do not
accept low standards when they are the decision-makers. They just do not accept
poor-quality thinking and performances. We need a new coalescence, one based on
grass roots reality, and one designed to produce a firm base.
Women, you will need to make this change happen for yourselves. You will need to
formulate new rules, new standards, that you must in turn implement, enforce and
uphold. The new standards must include the premise that sexual differences must

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be accepted as merely physical and not permitted to preempt your ability to excel in
the workplace.
You must aim at excellence: you will have to become exceptional in the areas of
education, experience and leadership, so that men will see your true value and be
eager to follow you. You will have to work harder and be more dedicated. I urge
you to reach for these higher standards and teach men what “good” really means.
You can be the catalyst. The time is now to develop yourselves and plan your goals
to succeed so that this male trend can be reversed. You can do it! You really can!
Are you ready for this challenge? You will need resolve and you won’t succeed
with self-doubt. You must be committed to success and be ready to prove to the
world that you are as good as any man. I want to see you succeed in this as I know
you are strong and the measure of any man. Daily, I have observed the superior way
in which you approach work projects and stick with them. My experience proves
that you do this much better than men do. I, along with other clear thinking men,
would rather have you performing a job than a man because of the superior results
and the time saved. You, likewise, know you are as good as any man. Now is your
time to prove it, so prepare yourself for new opportunities. George Bernard Shaw
explains equality in a poignant way: “A woman is really only a man in petticoats,
or, if you like, a man is a woman without petticoats.”
All too often I have witnessed your hesitation or refusal to accept an earned
promotion, new opportunity, new responsibility or any new, innovative challenge.
You have turned down many a job advancement because you let your self-esteem,
self-confidence or self-worth dictate your thinking. You have, in fact, resorted at
times to stereotypical excuses that denounced yourself and your capabilities.
During my years of corporate experience, I watched a more deserving woman step
aside so that a man could take the promotion or better job in her place. She offered
the excuse, “He is raising a family and needs it worse than I do”, but the real reason
was her lack of self-confidence. This same lack of self-confidence forced another
woman to refuse a potentially prestigious assignment, one that would have opened
the door to a directorship in a new, permanent, in-house training department. A man
got the job and became quite successful by using most of the woman’s ideas.
Be prepared! When your boss or your superiors offer a promotion, they want you to
accept. They wouldn’t offer if they weren’t convinced of your abilities and
qualifications. When these important stepping stones come your way, take them,
but don’t rest; push for the next promotion, and the next. People and companies

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want you to succeed. Similarly, I have further witnessed women stepping aside to
let men steal their opportunities, their thoughts and their ideas, because they lacked
the mental fortitude to challenge the man and claim what was rightfully theirs.
Don’t give up your opportunities! Don’t step aside to the intimidating appearance
and aggressive behaviour of any man, especially if it is because you are a woman
and you may feel inadequate.
Become innovative. Find the need for your abilities, experience, great personality
and other positive qualifications and present them to your boss or even his boss.
Good leaders and companies like this. It convinces them that the atmosphere in the
workplace is good and that they are motivating people to want to get ahead. More
than anything, when that opportunity comes knocking, you must say yes to it,
especially when your heart and spirit want you to say yes. Don’t question your
abilities or manufacture excuses to refuse and don’t look for an easier alternative,
either; take the assignment.
Don’t let any man take away your progress, and don’t let any supervisor or boss
prove his point about the inflexibility of career women by your failure to respond
positively. When in doubt about a promotion or new assignment, be quick to take
the risk. You will thank yourself tenfold later. Keep this thought in mind, “I am
needed and the time is ripe.” You will constantly need this motivation as you face
unanswered questions week after week, month after month, and you will need it
during the times when you try to do your best and receive little or no attention.
Success doesn’t come easy for anyone and for some it seems like an endless journey.
Women are not immune to this feeling. Always remember, you have an added
challenge because you are overcoming the inertia of thousands of years of repression.
Don’t give up! Some men, like me, are just waiting and hoping you will succeed,
and we know that we really do need YOU.
20. The tone of the passage is
(1) condescending (2) critical
(3) brusque (4) encouraging
21. The writer is making an attempt to convince that :
(1) women’s realistic, common-sense approach to the needs of present age is
needed today
(2) success comes easily to modern women
(3) men are not as convincing as women in expressing their emotions
(4) men need to be more emotive and more expressive

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22. According to the writer what one should do when opportunity comes knocking?
(1) One mustn’t refuse the abundance which it spreads before us
(2) One must not behave irrationally and selfishly
(3) One must say yes to it
(4) One must question one’s abilities and attempt to find an easier alternative
23. George Bernard Shaw, according to the writer,
(1) has written poignant essays on women’s liberation
(2) has been one of the most famous champions of women’s movement in the
twentieth century
(3) is a firm believer of emancipation of women
(4) none of the above
24. The writer exhorts women to
(1) aim at excellence
(2) fight for her right to maternity leave
(3) to become exceptional in the areas of education and leadership
(4) both (1) and (3) above
25. The new standards or new change according to the writer, must
(1) include the premise that sexual differences must be accepted as merely
physical
(2) be adhered to if progress has to be made by any woman in her career
(3) not be neglected and followed by every woman who is serious about her
self-esteem
(4) none of the above
26. From the passage, the writer appears to be
(1) a misogynist (2) a philanthropist
(3) a feminist (4) a misogamist
27. “Coalescence” in the context of the passage means
(1) blend (2) picture
(3) milieu (4) freeze

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PASSAGE – IV
The antirepresentationalist is quite willing to grant that our language, like our bodies,
has been shaped by the environment we live in. Indeed, he or she insists on this
point-the point that our minds or our language could not (as the representationalist
skeptic fears) be “out of touch with the reality” any more than our bodies could.
What he or she denies is that it is explanatorily useful to pick and choose among the
contents of our minds or our language and say that this or that item “corresponds
to” or “represents” the environment in a way that some other item does not.
Antirepresentationalists see no way of formulating an independent test of accuracy
of representation-of reference or correspondence to an “antecedently determinate”
reality-no test distinct from the success which is supposedly explained by this
accuracy. Representationalists offer us no way of deciding whether a certain linguistic
item is usefully deployed because it stands in these relations, or whether its utility is
due to some factors which have nothing to do with them-as the utility of a fulcrum
or a thumb has nothing to do with its “representing” or “corresponding” to the
weights lifted, or the objects manipulated, with its aid.
This point that there is no independent test of the accuracy of correspondence is the
heart of Hilary Putnam’s argument that notions like “reference”-semantical notions
which relate language to nonlanguage-are internal to our overall view of the world.
The representationalists’ attempt to explain the success of astrophysics and the
failure of astrology is, Putnam thinks, bound to be merely an empty compliment
unless we can attain what he calls a God’s-eye standpoint-one which has somehow
broken out of our language and our beliefs and tested them against something known
without their aid. But we have no idea what it would be like to be at that standpoint.
As Davidson puts it, “there is no chance that someone can take up a vantage point
for comparing conceptual schemes, e.g., the astrologer’s and the astrophysicist’s,
by temporarily shedding his own.”
From the standpoint of the representationalist, the fact that notions like
representation, reference, and truth are deployed in ways which are internal to a
language or a theory is no reason to drop them. The fact that we can never know
whether a “mature” physical theory, one which seems to leave nothing to be desired,
may not be entirely off the mark is, representationalists say, no reason to deprive
ourselves of the notion of “being off the mark.” To think otherwise, they add, is to
be “verificationist,” undesirably anthropocentric in the same way in which nineteenth-

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century idealism was undesirably anthropocentric. It is to fall under the influence

of what Thomas Nagel calls “a significant strain of idealism in contemporary
philosophy, according to which what there is and how things are cannot go beyond
what we could in principle think about.” Nagel thinks that to deprive ourselves of
such notions as “representation” and “correspondence” would be to stop “trying to
climb outside of our own minds, an effort some would regard as insane and that I
regard as philosophically fundamental.”
Antirepresentationalists do not think such efforts insane, but they do think that the
history of philosophy shows them to have been fruitless and undesirable. They
think that these efforts generate the sort of pseudoproblems which Wittgenstein
hoped to avoid by abandoning the picture which held him captive when he wrote
the Tractatus. Wittgenstein was not insane when he wrote that book, but he was
right when he later described himself as having been buzzing around inside a fly-
bottle. His escape from the bottle was not a matter of buzzing off in the direction of
transcendental idealism, but rather of refusing any longer to be tempted to answer
questions like “Is reality intrinsically determinate, or is its determinacy a result of
our activity?” He was not suggesting that we determine the way reality is. He was
suggesting that questions which we should have to climb out of our own minds to
answer should not be asked. He was suggesting that both realism and idealism
share representationalist presuppositions which we would be better off dropping.
Rorty and other American philosophers from the pragmatic and analytic traditions,
as well as such Continental philosophers as Jurgen Habermas, Michel Foucault,
and Jacques Derrida have provided a philosophical framework or defense for a
kind of relativism that has many adherents in American higher education these
days, especially in the humanities. This popular academic relativism to which the
philosophers mentioned above may not subscribe in so many words, holds there is
no absolute truth and maintains, as a corollary, that the purpose of education therefore
cannot be to pass the torch of truth. The university must therefore be, it is thought,
just one more instrument for accomplishing social and political objectives. It is
held that, in the past, these objectives included the suppression and subjugation
and marginalization of women and minorities, and that now education must be
used to ensure equality and social justice. These ideas have had a profound effect
not only on university policies, standards, curriculum, and pedagogy but also on
social and political thought beyond the academy, as reflected in current debates on
affirmative action, feminism, and multiculturalism.

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28. All of the following are true with the respect to the passage, except that :
(1) there is no absolute truth.
(2) education is not meant to pass the torch of truth.
(3) equality and social justice must be the end result of education.
(4) None of the above.
29. Which, according to the passage, is the view of the antirepresentationalist?
(1) Environment shapes the language, like the body, of the human being.
(2) Everything is ordained according to nature and none can violate or
transgress it.
(3) Philosophy is an index of insanity.
(4) Questions which one should have in order to climb out of one’s own minds
to answer should not be asked.
30. According to the passage, American education :
(1) is totally on modern lines and is devoid of any traditionalism.
(2) has come out against suppression, subjugation and marginalisation of
women and minorities.
(3) is against the University being just an instrument for accomplishing social
and political objectives.
(4) All except (1).
31. All of the following are false with respect to the passage, except that :
(1) one’s mind and language is isolated from reality whereas a body is not so.
(2) all pursuits related to philosophy have been fruitless and undesirable.
(3) truth is absolute and education has a role to pass on the torch of truth.
(4) None of the above.
32. The passage has been handled in a manner which is :
(1) descriptive. (2) rhetoric.
(3) logical. (4) sentimental.
33. The central idea of the passage is that :
(1) education should be environmental friendly.
(2) education should reflect truth.
(3) education should promote equality and social justice.
(4) education should produce successful professionals.

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34. The passage is at best an extract from :

(1) an article on the thoughts and writings of American thinkers.
(2) the thesis regarding the origin of language.
(3) the writings of a columnist decrying American Education.
(4) the viewpoints of representationalist confronted with those of
antirepresentationalist.
35. A suitable little for the passage is :
(1) Philosophy- A Realm Of The Insane.
(2) University - A Source Of Fulfilling Social And Political Objectives.
(3) Equality And Social Justice Emanate From Education.
(4) Environment Maketh The Language.
36. The passage relates to the field of :
(1) sociology. (2) philosophy.
(3) linguism. (4) theology.
37. The author, as per the passage, considers ‘trying to climb outside of our own
minds’ :
(1) an exciting and explorative venture.
(2) an effort that smacks of insanity.
(3) an enterprise that is ahead of times.
(4) an endeavour which is philosophically fundamental.

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TEST – 2
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
Since Britain pioneered the privatisation of state-owned firms in the 1980s, hardly
a country in the world has failed to follow in its footsteps. Now, governments around
the world are starting to look closely at a policy that went hand-in-hand with Britain’s
big sell-offs : regulation.
A clutch of watchdogs with names such as Oftel (the telecoms regulator) and Ofgas
(for gas) now oversee Britain’s privatised monopolies, with two objectives: to set
maximum prices and to promote competition. Now Latin America and Asian
countries, in which the privatisation of utilities is well under way, are showing great
interest in this method of regulation. Other European Union (EU) and Eastern
European governments, which are also starting to sell off state monopolies, are
getting interested in British regulation too.
To many Britons this may seem perverse. Few of the new regulators are popular.
When Ian Byatt, the boss of Ofwat (the water industry regulator), announced a new
price limit on July 28th, press headlines labeled him a “poodle” of the industry and
decreed that “water prices just won’t wash”. On August 11th, Stephen Little Child,
who regulates the electricity industry, provoked a milder outcry when he revealed
new price caps. Tony Blair, the leader of the Labour opposition, has already argued
for a tax on utilities to claw back the “excessive” profits they have been allowed to
earn.
Consumers are angry with regulators because they reckon prices have risen since
privatisation, and second, because the salaries paid to top managers have soared.
This second point, whilst true, is no fault of the regulators, who have no control
over salaries. As for prices, they have in fact fallen in real terms in telecoms, gas
and electricity. Only water prices have risen faster than general inflation, but that is
largely because water companies have had to finance a massive programme of
investment to meet quality regulations imposed by the EU – rules that Ofwat’s Mr.
Byatt believes may be tougher than consumers would choose if left to themselves.

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The reason most prices have fallen in real terms is the price-capping formula, known
as “RPI-minus-X”, whereby the regulator decrees that a utility’s prices can rise by
no more than X percentage points below the rate of consumer-price inflation. An
alternative method, favoured in America, involves limiting the profits that firms
can earn. This satisfies consumers’ concern about excessive profits but gives firms
no incentive to keep costs, and thus prices, as low as possible. The British approach,
by contrast, allows firms to earn big profits, provided they keep prices within the
cap. This gives them an incentive to keep costs down.
In principle, then, soaring profits are not bad for consumers; they merely show that
the privatised firms have become more efficient. And the higher profits may only
be temporary; regulators can raise X every few years. There is one big caveat to
this, however. In setting X, the regulator must take a view of what a fair level of
profit is for firms to earn, if they make no new efficiency savings. Judging this level
is extremely tricky - even in theory. As Mr. Byatt points out in a contribution to a
new book of articles from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), regulation
involves “a great deal of art as well as science”. The regulators have generally had
to raise X at each review. That suggests that the artists in government who originally
set them, did so too low. So profits may indeed have been too high.
Consumers could also be angry because, although most prices have fallen on average,
some have gone down more than others. Regulators have let firms “rebalance”
their prices to reflect costs more closely - provided that on average they still comply
with the RPI-minus-X formula. This encourages more efficient use of resources;
but it has also meant bigger price cuts for business customers than for domestic
ones. This may be fair; it was never going to be popular.
As for promoting competition, the regulators seem to have been relatively successful.
The telecom market is becoming highly competitive. New entrants are looming in
the gas industry. A host of new generators have taken on the privatised electricity
companies. Yet, here too, there are legitimate quibbles.
Writing in the IEA volume, John Kay, an economist at the London Business School,
points out that though competition is desirable, the success of competitors has so
far hinged less on them being more efficient than the privatised incumbent, more
on whether the regulator has forced the incumbent to charge its rival an attractive
price to use its network (such as telephone or electricity cables). Setting that price
is art, not science. And Dieter Helm, an economist at Oxford University, argues
that there have been too many new entrants into electricity generation, creating
costly excess capacity.
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Many of these problems could have been avoided if the government had ensured
that the utilities had the right structure before privatisation, by splitting off the bits
liable to market failure, such as monopoly local gas pipelines, from the rest of the
industry. However it did this only in electricity. For this, blame short-term politics.
The government wants to make soon-to-be-privatised firms attractive to potential
buyers, and to keep their managers sweet. Neither of these dubious aims would
have been helped by bringing in a good dose of competition.
Yet to dwell on these defects is to run the risk of making the best the enemy of the
good. Compared with other countries and with what preceded it - decisions taken in
secret by civil servants – British regulation is a big step forward. The price cap
setting process is transparent; debate is formalised; regulated firms can appeal if
they do not like a decision. And it is cheap, certainly compared with America;
there, regulatory disputes are manna for lawyers.
Utility bosses have by and large been given the right incentives to keep prices and
costs low. Even the flaws in the structure of the firms at privatisation are being put
right by the regulators, albeit slowly. Indeed, the telecom market is becoming so
competitive that it may be possible to do away with regulation altogether before
long. Foreigners looking for a regulatory system can learn two useful lessons from
Britain; a fine concept, and what to avoid when putting it into practice.
1. Why does the author say that the British utilities benefit by keeping the costs
down?
(1) The regulator limits the maximum cost that can be shown by each firm.
(2) The service providers are bound by the price cap fixed by regulators and
hence better operational management can contribute positively to their
bottom line.
(3) Any increase in prices will invite consumer dissatisfaction and thereby
closer scrutiny of their policies and records.
(4) The outcome of regulation is difficult to predict as the process can get
influenced by public sentiment and by the regulators’ knowledge among
other things.
2. According to the author, consumers’ ire over the price escalation especially in
case of utilities like electricity, gas and telecom may
(1) be justified, as the utilities seem to make abnormal levels of profit.
(2) not entirely be correct, if aspects like inflation are factored in.
(3) kill the competition, thereby paving the way for monopoly.
(4) prevent the formation of cartels that try to influence the government’s
policies.

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3. Identify the statement which is not true as per the passage:

(1) The competition in various fields thrived after privatisation only because
of their increased efficiency, according to JohnKay.
(2) The fact that, by way of regulation, business customers benefited more
than domestic users angered the latter.
(3) The British government tinkered with the structure of electricity industry
only to make it appear to be more profitable during privatisation.
(4) The policy of RPI minus X has led to the efficient use of scarce resources.
4. As per the passage, which of the following industries does not seem to witness
as much competition as the others?
(1) Telecom (2) Water
(3) Gas (4) Electricity
5. The policies of the British regulation, though made with the objective of
consumer benefit, seem not to gain complete public acceptance probably
because
(1) the consumers tend to see only the salaries being made by the chiefs of the
utilities.
(2) the customers, mainly domestic, feel that the price caps can still benefit
the utilities more.
(3) the balance achieved by the regulators between RPI and X always results
in market irregularities.
(4) of the fact that the value of X is amenable to revision as and when required.
6. Which of the following is not true regarding the regulatory efforts of the public
utilities of Britain?
(1) At least one of the explicit objectives of regulation has been fulfilled by
the electricity industry.
(2) But for the higher quality standards set by the EU, the water industry
would probably not have witnessed the current price hike.
(3) The prevailing organisational structure of the utilities may hamper the
fructification of the efforts of regulation, unless suitably modified.
(4) The lower the level of X, the higher the consumer-price inflation.
7. The author, through the passage,
(1) attempts to project the supervisory work of the British government in a
positive light.
(2) lists the benefits that can accrue over a period of time, if Britain’s public
utilities get privatised.
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(3) analyses the monitoring attempts of the British public utilities and states
their positive and negative points.
(4) criticises the idea of administering Britain’s public utilities in this age of
privatisation.

PASSAGE – II
Plato who may have understood better what forms the mind of man than do some of
our contemporaries who want their children exposed only to “real” people and
everyday events - knew what intellectual experiences make for true humanity. He
suggested that the future citizens of his ideal republic begin their literary education
with the telling of myths, rather than with mere facts or so-called rational teachings.
Even Aristotle, master of pure reason, said: “The friend of wisdom is also a friend
of myth.”
Modern thinkers who have studied myths and fairy tales from a philosophical or
psychological viewpoint arrive at the same conclusion, regardless of their original
persuasion. Mircea Eliade, for one, describes these stories as “models for human
behaviour [that,] by that very fact, give meaning and value of life. “Drawing on
anthropological parallels, he and others suggest that myths and fairy tales were
derived from, or given symbolic expression to, initiation rites or other rites of
passage-such as metaphoric death of an old, inadequate self in order to be reborn
on a higher plane of existence. He feel that this is why these tales meet a strongly
felt need and are carriers of such deep meaning.
Other investigators with a depth-psychological orientation emphasise the similarities
between the fantastic events in myths and fairy tales and those in adult dreams and
daydreams- the fulfillment of wishes, the winning out over all competitors, the
destruction of enemies- and conclude that one attraction of this literature is its
expression of that which is normally prevented from coming to awareness.
There are, of course, very significant differences between fairy tales and dreams.
For example, in dreams more often than not the wish fulfillment is disguised, while
in fairy tales much of it is openly expressed. To a considerable degree, dreams are
the result of inner pressures which have found no relief, of problems which beset a
person to which he knows no solution and to which the dream finds none. The fairy
tale does the opposite: it projects the relief of all pressures and not only offers ways
to solve problems but promises that a “happy” solution will be found.
We cannot control what goes on in our dreams. Although our inner censorship
influences what we may dream, such control occurs on an unconscious level. The
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fairy tale, on the other hand, is very much the result of common conscious and
unconscious content having been shaped by the conscious mind, not of one particular
person, but the consensus of many in regard to what they view as universal human
problems, and what they accept as desirable solutions. If all these elements were
not present in fairy tale, it would not be retold by generation after generation. Only
if a fairy tale met the conscious and unconscious requirements of many people was
it repeatedly retold, and listened to with great interest. No dream of a person could
arouse such persistent interest unless it was worked into a myth, as was the story of
the pharaoh’s dream as interpreted by Joseph in the Bible.
8. It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s interest in fairy tales centres
chiefly on their
(1) literary qualities (2) historical background
(3) factual accuracy (4) psychological relevance
9. According to the passage, fairy tales differ from dreams in which of the following
characteristic?
I. The communal nature of their creation
II. Their convention of a happy ending
III. Their enduring general appeal
(1) I (2) II
(3) I & II (4) I, Il & III
10. It can be inferred from the passage that Mircea Eliade is most likely
(1) a writer of children’s literature
(2) a student of physical anthropology
(3) a twentieth-century philosopher
(4) an advocate of practical education
11. Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward fairy tales?
(1) Reluctant fascination (2) Wary skepticism
(3) Indulgent tolerance (4) Open approval
12. The author quotes Plato and Aristotle primarily in order to
(1) define the nature of myth
(2) contrast their opposing points of view
(3) support the point that myths are valuable
(4) give an example of depth psychology.

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13. The author mentions all of the following as reasons for reading fairy tales
except
(1) emotional catharsis (2) behavioural paradigm
(3) uniqueness of experience (4) sublimation of aggression
PASSAGE – III
My objective is to analyze certain forms of knowledge, not in terms of repression
or law, but in terms of power. But the word power is apt to lead to misunderstandings
about the nature, form, and unity of power. By power, I do not mean a group of
institutions and mechanisms that ensure the subservience of the citizenry. I do not
mean, either, a mode of subjugation that, in contrast to violence, has the form of the
rule. Finally, I do not have in mind a general system of domination exerted by one
group over another, a system whose effects, through successive derivations, pervade
the entire social body. The sovereignty of the state, the form of law, or the overall
unity of a domination are only the terminal forms power takes.
It seems to me that power must be understood as the multiplicity of force relations
that are immanent in the social sphere; as the process that, through ceaseless struggle
and confrontation, transforms, strengthens, or reverses them; as the support that
these force relations find in one another, or on the contrary, the disjunctions and
contradictions that isolate them from one another; and lastly, as the strategies in
which they take effect, whose general design or institutional crystallization is
embodied in the state apparatus, in the formulation of the law, in the various social
hegemonies.
Thus, the viewpoint that permits one to understand the exercise of power, even in
its more “peripheral” effects, and that also makes it possible to use its mechanisms
as a structural framework for analyzing the social order, must not be sought in a
unique source of sovereignty from which secondary and descendent forms of power
emanate but in the moving substrate of force relations that, by virtue of their
inequality, constantly engender local and unstable states of power. If power seems
omnipresent, it is not because it has the privilege of consolidating everything under
its invincible unity, but because it is produced from one moment to the next, at
every point, or rather in every relation from one point to another. Power is
everywhere, not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from
everywhere. And if power at times seems to be permanent, repetitious, inert, and
self-reproducing, it is simply because the overall effect that emerges from all these
mobilities is a concatenation that rests on each of them and seeks in turn to arrest
their movement. One needs to be nominalistic, no doubt: power is not an institution,
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and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the
name that one attributes to a complex strategic situation in a particular society.
14. The author’s primary purpose in defining power is to
(1) counteract self-serving and confusing uses of the term
(2) establish a compromise among those who have defined the term in different
ways
(3) increase comprehension of the term by providing concrete examples
(4) avoid possible misinterpretations resulting from the more common uses
of the term
15. According to the passage, which of the following best describes the relationship
between law and power?
(1) Law is the protector of power.
(2) Law is the source of power.
(3) Law sets bounds to power.
(4) Law is a product of power.
16. Which of the following methods is NOT used extensively by the author in
describing his own conception of power?
(1) Restatement of central ideas
(2) Provision of concrete examples
(3) Analysis and classification
(4) Comparison and contrast
(5) Statement of cause and effect
17. With which of the following statement would the author be most likely to agree?
(1) Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
(2) The highest proof of virtue is to possess boundless power without abusing
it.
(3) To love knowledge is to love power.
(4) It is from the people and their deeds that power springs.
18. The author’s attitude toward the various kinds of compulsion employed by
social institutions is best described as
(1) concerned and sympathetic
(2) scientific and detached
(3) suspicious and cautious
(4) reproachful and disturbed
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19. According to the passage, states of power are transient because of the
(1) differing natures and directions of the forces that create them
(2) rigid structural framework in which they operate
(3) unique source from which they emanate
(4) pervasive nature and complexity of the mechanisms by which they operate
20. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes the conflict among
social forces to be
(1) essentially the same from one society to another even though its outward
manifestation may seem different
(2) usually the result of misunderstandings that impede social progress
(3) an inevitable feature of the social order of any state
(4) wrongly blamed for disrupting the stability of society
PASSAGE – IV
In the societies dominated by muscle power and money power, men determined the
conditions governing the terms of relationship between man and woman. Since
men fought the wars and ran the enterprises of industrial production, they arrogated
themselves to superior position and gave women a subordinate role in social and
economic activity of communities. Marxists and liberal thinkers of the 19th and
20th Century raised their voice against the long standing harassment of women and
advocated equality for women. It took long for these ideas to fructify in legislation.
Women were given right to vote in 1921 in the imperialist England.
The first half of the Twentieth Century saw the emergence of a series of protest
movements in many countries of the world aimed at securing equality for women.
In Europe and United States, women obtained legal equality. The Communist regimes
of U.S.S.R. and China were committed to liberation of women and assigned greater
role to them in ushering in an egalitarian society. Women’s participation in the
labour force registered impressive increases. But the emancipation of women was
overlooked by many conservative countries of Asia and Africa.
Of late, a new way of thinking has emerged in many democratic countries of the
world, seeking a more effective role for the woman in society. The accent of feminine
movements has undergone a qualitative shift from the strategy of securing
emancipation of women to facilitating empowerment of women. Mere equality for
women is not sufficient. Since most of the institutions of society are dominated by
man, the concept of legal equality of women has not been able to demolish the
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traditional prejudices nurtured by man regarding unsuitability of women to hold

top positions in industry, business, politics, scientific establishments and even in
academics and arts. The physiologists and psychologists have repeatedly
demonstrated through scientific tests and experiments that women are not inferior
to men in intellectual capacity or emotional stability and can perform as well as
men in social and economic activities. Since the life and career of most women is
still guided by men, they are not able to direct their lives and make sufficient efforts
for impressive achievements.
The empowerment of women aims at giving women power to exercise autonomy
over their destiny. They will refuse to submit to the conventions that bind them to
the four walls of the house and to a subservient role in the bringing up of the family.
They will seek a more active role in the bringing up of the family. They will seek a
more active role in the shaping and grooming of the children than the current role
of cooking food for them and giving them emotional sustenance by their
unconditional love and affection. For playing a greater role in the family and society,
they have to shape up their personality through education. Moreover, economic
self sufficiency is a precondition for empowerment of women. Women should seek
careers for earning money as well as for recognition, growth and self-actualisation.
They will not aim at merely supplementing the income of their husbands. They
must make a fuller use of their talents and skills to secure for themselves and their
children the best of nutrition, education and cultural life.
The social position of women is determined by their economic position. In spite of
extensive legislation providing equal inheritance to women in the paternal property,
most property still remains in the constructive as well as legal control of men.
Vigorous efforts should be made to transfer the property in name of women who
rightfully own the land. Effective monitoring of the progress in this regard can
accelerate the process. The title of women to land should be publicly displayed in
the offices of Panchayat bodies so that effective intervention can be made if their
rights are encroached upon.
Notions of women’s inferiority thrive on ignorance. Achievements made by women
in the field of science, academics, public services, literature and politics should be
widely publicised to mould public perception. Their practical sense, aesthetic taste
and capacity to love and care should be appreciated by the society.
When women face discrimination on ground of getting lower wages or denial of
educational opportunity, they have to organise themselves and demand equality.

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They may also seek legal aid and fight for restoration of their rights. They can enlist
the support of existing organisation in this cause or may set up their own legal aid
groups.
A more active role in local bodies and state politics will accelerate the process of
empowerment of women. In India, reservation of 30% seats for women in Panchayat
bodies has already been made. This provision, if fully utilised, can offer them an
enhanced role in village affairs and will add to their strength in fighting against
sexual discrimination.
In South-Asian countries women’s role in agriculture operation has been crucial
particularly in paddy-transplanting and harvesting. Moreover, the dairy, fishery,
poultry and piggery depend heavily on women’s labour. Seeing that credit institutions
have generally passed them by, women in Bangladesh have effectively organised
themselves into co-operatives and secured substantial financial assistance from the
Gramina Banks there. They have improved their economic condition and have
become a source of strength to their children. The Bangladesh experiment can be
replicated in countries like India with profit.
21. According to the passage, the author:
(1) has doubts on the empowerment of women.
(2) genuinely believes in and fights for women empowerment.
(3) has opined that women are themselves to blame for the stature enjoyed in
society.
(4) has invalidated the relationship of the economic position of women with
their social position.
22. All of the following are true, with respect to the passage, except that :
(1) women in Bangladesh have improved their economic condition and have
become a source of strength to their children.
(2) economic self sufficiency is a precondition for empowerment of women.
(3) social position of women is determined by their economic position.
(4) women empowerment thrives on notions of the inferiority of women.
23. The main aim of women empowerment, as per the passage, is :
(1) to promote their efficiency and improve their skills.
(2) to make the society acknowledge the pivotal role they have been discharging
diligently all these years.
(3) to enable the women to exercise autonomy over their destiny.
(4) to give them the opportunity to learn, train and expertise.

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24. The position of women in society, as per the passage, is :

(1) because of the arrogance of men in doing certain activities that are not
possible to be done by women.
(2) because of the lack of knowledge, exposure and training.
(3) because of the fickle-minded nature of women.
(4) because of their lack of stamina to do heavy jobs.
25. The passage advocates women to seek career because :
(1) they would acquire recognition, growth and self actualisation.
(2) it would make them assertive and aggressive.
(3) they would appreciate the conditions in which men work.
(4) children derive great inspiration from working mothers.
26. Which of the following is not true, as per the passage?
(1) Nature has ordained women to play second fiddle to men.
(2) Women are not inferior to men in intellectual capacity or emotional stability.
(3) Women’s empowerment is confined to merely securing equality for women.
(4) Notions on women’s inferiority are based on ignorance.
27. A suitable title for the passage could be :
(1) Men And Women Perform Different Roles.
(2) Discrimination And Injustice Done To Women.
(3) Empowerment Of Women.
(4) Men Are Stronger Than Women.
28. The passage is at best an extract from :
(1) an article on ‘Women’s subjugation to Men’.
(2) an essay on ‘Ways and means of uplifting Women’.
(3) a report on the proceedings of the conference held to discuss women’s
rights.
(4) a debate on ‘Who is more cruel -Man or Woman?
29. The author, while handling the passage, has displayed :
(1) bias towards man. (2) antipathy towards women.
(3) an objective approach. (4) ignorance of key issues.
30. The passage related to :
(1) morality. (2) sociology.
(3) political science. (4) psychology.

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TEST – 3
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
The Great American metaphysician Chuck Jones discerned some years ago that the
universe operates in sequences of violent Newtonian reciprocities. Jones dramatised
his ideas in the famous Wile E. Coyote - Road Runner Dynamic; The cartoon
character Coyote sets in motion giant boulder A, which whistlingly descends into a
canyon to strike lever B, catapulting giant boulder C into orbit... and so on. Jones
work is a bridge that carries Isaac Newton across into Chaos Theory. And now
Jones is vindicated: we see that some 16 million years ago, the slapstick asteroid A
slammed into planet B (Mars the fourth rock from the sun), dislodging spud-size
meteorite C, which spitballed through space and whammed into planet D (Earth).
Betimes, the alien microspud wakes up in the Antarctic and assumes the shape of an
outlandishly hot idea, E (LIFE ON MARS!!!), which pinballs hectically through
Earthling media, knocking vases off the mantelpiece, toppling assumptions, causing
tabloid amazement and theological consternation.’ More vindication: Jones
anticipated last week’s news by suggesting long ago that life on Mars takes the
form of a supercilious ass who wants to disintegrate Earth with his: “lludium pew-
36 Explosive Space Modulator” because Earth obstructs his view of Venus.
Earthkind’s hero, Bugs Bunny, snuffs out Marvin the Martian’s modulator fuse and
saves the world, a feat that, theologians agree, must rank slightly ahead of Daffy
Duck’s space exploration in quest of “Aludium Phosdex, the shaving-cream atom.”
The mind resists reducing cosmogony to cartoons. On the other hand, what could
be more in the spirit of Coyote and Road Runner than the Big Bang? Science instructs
us that the universe is made of beer suds, or of string. Time bends like a pretzel and
vanishes into a black hole. What if the universe is the hysterically funny work of a
trickster-comic? When humans confront the unknown, they may, at one extreme,
resort to humour, or, at the other extreme, to theology. Both impulses (one disciplined,
the other not) are forms of speculation, and both may be, in different ways, profound.
Anarchic humour tends to inherit the universe when theology falls apart. The humour

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is either a refreshing relief or a prelude to despair. The wandering piece of Mars

reminds everyone of cartoons and fantasies that the Red Planet has always stimulated;
among other things, it has brought radio talk shows alive with the voices of vindicated
UFO spotters, the Mars rock being their Rosetta stone, the key that unlocks the
mystery. But does the rock threaten the centuries-long assumptions and designs of
theology?
Most of the world’s faiths are content to enlarge the franchise and embrace the
possibility: if life exists on Mars, or anywhere else in the universe, God put it there.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions.” Humankind has been living in one
small room. Interesting questions do arise among Christians. For example: If life
exists on other words, is it intelligent life? Mars’ fugitive microbial traces are a
long, long way from the ensoulment that distinguishes humankind. If creatures on
other planets have souls, are they fallen in the Christian sense? Or are they an unfallen,
sinless race? If fallen, does the earthly incarnation and sacrifice of Christ redeem all
extraterrestrials as well? Or will - must - Christ redeem each planet’s souls separately
by taking an incarnation in their form? C.S. Lewis worried about these questions
years ago, and quoted poet Alice Meynell’s Christ in the Universe:”... in the eternities/
Doubtless we shall compare together, hear/ A million alien Gospels, in what guise/
He trod the Pleiades, the Lyre, the Bear.”
The possibility that life exists elsewhere is of course a bow to the incorrigible human
sense of self-importance. People accustomed to thinking of themselves as significant
- masters of the universe to whom God made all else in creation subsidiary - might
be demoted to distant cousins tenant-farming on their speck of dust. Sentimentalists
have clung to the thought that life gives meaning to a barren, indifferent universe.
What if life-surprise! - turns out to be a miracle almost infinitely replicated across
the universe? Is its meaning thereby infinitely augmented, or is it instead reduced to
a commonplace, as the miracle of human flight became ordinary? The moment, of
course, is far off. As early as the 18th century, British scholar Richard Bentley
pursued the argument that God’s omnipotence and glory might require many planets
arenas, for their display. Comedy might reconcile with theology along the same line
of thought, by suggesting that perhaps God is a performer who created intelligent
life because he needs an audience. “Good evening, ladies and germs,” begins the
Voice across the deep. “I know you’re, out there. I can hear you breathing.”
1. The tone of the passage may be called...
(1) humorous and whimsical. (2) timorous and funny.
(3) ingenuous and articulate. (4) solipsistic and aphoristic.

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2. According to the passage, why was “iludium pew-36 Explosive Space

Modulator” to be used?
(1) To disintegrate Earth because Earth obstructed Mars’ view of Venus.
(2) To disintegrate Mars because Mars threatened to blow Earth up.
(3) To slam an asteroid into Earth in retaliation for Earth obstructing Mars’
view of Venus.
(4) To act as conveyance for the first manned trip to Mars.
3. Which of the following is a fictional character?
(1) Bugs Bunny. (2) Willie E. Coyote.
(3) Marvin. (4) All of them.
4. According to the passage, what does the human mind do when confronted by
the unknown?
(1) They become hilarious. (2) They become religious.
(3) Neither (1) nor (2). (4) Both (1) and (2).
5. What do you think is the main idea of the passage?
(1) Life on Mars.
(2) The effect of Mars on comic literature.
(3) Life on Mars and its reactions on people.
(4) A funny view of reports of life on Mars.
6. Which of the following is not a question arising from a Christian perspective,
as far as life on Mars is concerned?
(1) Will Christ redeem extra-terrestrials as well?
(2) Are. Martians as moral and rational as Earth people?
(3) Are Martians pure and sinless?
(4) Will Christ have to take a Martian incarnation to redeem them?
7. Who is most probably the “the Voice across the deep?”
(1) Extra-terrestrials. (2) God.
(3) Probably both. (4) Not enough information in passage.
8. The last three lines of the passage introduces the theory that...
(1) God is egoistic.
(2) God is omnipotent.
(3) God is unimportant.
(4) God did not create the whole universe.

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PASSAGE – II
In the old days of laissez faire when industrial relations were governed by the harsh
weighted law of hire and fire, the management was the supreme master. Over a
period of time, notions of social justice developed and the expanding horizons of
socio-economic justice necessitated statutory protection to the workman. The
management can still hire but cannot scold at will. It is too late in the day now to
stress absolute freedom of an employer to impose any conditions which he likes on
his employee. To get rid of an undesirable person, the employer shall have to initiate
disciplinary action against him as per provisions of standing orders or service rules
and by following principles of natural justice in holding the domestic inquiry for
proving alleged misconduct against him. The handling of the disciplinary matters
has become more difficult task in the field of the pampered and over protected
labour force combined with a highly politicised trade union movement.
It is said that principle of natural justice is of very ancient origin and were known to
early Greeks and Romans. It is said that when the man and woman ate the fruit of
knowledge, which was forbidden by God, even God did not pass sentence on Adam
before he was called upon to make his defence. Same thing was repeated in case of
Eve. Latter on, the principle of natural justice to be so fundamental as to over-ride
all laws.
The principle of natural justice relates to a few accepted rules which have been
enunciated over a period of time. The expression “natural justice’ means, justice
according to the conscience. It is derived from the Roman concept “jusnaturale”,
which meant principle of natural law, natural justice equity or good conscience.
That every person whose rights are affected must have a reasonable notice of the
matter he has to meet.
That he must have reasonable opportunity of being heard in his defence. That the
hearing must be by an impartial person i.e. person who is neither directly nor
indirectly a party to the case. One who has an interest in litigation is already biased
against the party concerned. That the authority hearing the case must act in good
faith not arbitrarily but reasonably.
Now, in view of principle, “can a manager of an employer Company - who is
ordinarily a disciplinary authority by virtue of standing orders, issue charge sheet,
hold inquiry, consider its findings, and impose punishment”. The theme of this piece
of writing confines to this precise question which is vastly important for the employers
of modern times.
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READING COMPREHENSION

Since the purpose of the departmental probe is to ascertain whether punishment

should or should not be awarded to an employee, the principles of natural justice
are applicable to domestic inquiries even though there may not be any rule or
provision to that effect. The principles of natural justice are considered very important
to ensure justice to the workman whose conduct is being inquired into. It is therefore
essential that we understand its scope and extent and implications for purposes of
domestic inquiry. We come across new cases every day but basic structure about
the machinery entrusted with the task of holding departmental inquiry and coming
to decision, remains the same. Time is ripe when employer should give proper
attention to this aspect of the disciplinary-action so that net falls on this score could
be avoided.
The principles of natural justice are easy to proclaim, but their precise extent is far
easy to define. The rule against bias is one thing. The right to be heard is another.
These two rules are characteristics of what is often called natural justice. They are
twin pillars supporting it. They have recently been put in two words: Impartiality
and Fairness.
Viewed from this angle would a manager of an employer company be an impartial
inquiry office if he were to hold it and the proceedings so held be fair. This simple
question needs a thorough examination fairly, objectively yet critically and with a
perceptive bent of mind. The simple and direct diction would be that he would not
be so being a judge in his own case as we are apt to comprehend this proposition
these days, but legal position is quite different.
9. With regard to the industrial relations the writer talks about the following three
stages of development. What is the chronological order of the development of
these stages, according to the writer?
i. Socio-economic justice
ii. Management as supreme master
iii. statutory protection to workmen
(1) i, ii, iii (2) ii, iii, i
(3) ii, i, iii (4) iii, ii, i
10. The writer thinks that the handling of disciplinary matters has become difficult.
Which of the following reasons does he give?
(1) the service rules make it difficult
(2) principle of natural justice creates difficulties
(3) trade unions are politicised
(4) None of these
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11. Which of the following is not the constituent of natural justice?

(1) the affected person must have a reasonable notice of the matter
(2) the affected person must get an opportunity to be heard
(3) hearing must be by an unbiased person
(4) the affected person must get financial help for the case
12. For the purpose of domestic inquiry the employer should not take which of the
following.
(1) service rule (2) principle of natural justice
(3) provisions of standing orders (4) rules laid down by trade unions
13. According to the writer which two rules are characteristics of natural justice?
i. There should be no biased hearing
ii. The right to be heard
iii. The right to appeal against their decision
iv. The right to participate in management.
(1) i & ii (2) ii & iii
(3) iii & iv (4) i & iv
14. The writer’s attitude towards management is
(1) mechanical (2) liberal
(3) rational (4) communistic
15. The theme of the passage is
(1) the concept of management has passed through many stages
(2) socio-economic considerations have changed management concept
(3) an employer should be guided by natural justice in disciplinary concept
(4) None of these.

PASSAGE – III
Since 1900, guns have killed over 800,000 persons in America. More than 20,000
people are shot to death and upwards of 200,000 are injured or maimed by firearms
each year.
Total casualties from civilian gunfire in this century exceed our military casualties
in all the wars from the Revolution through Vietnam. Guns are dangerous even in
the best-trained and most responsible hands. In America, guns are readily in the
grasp of psychotics, incompetents, criminals, addicts, alcoholics, children: anyone
who wants them, however dangerous he may be.
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Estimate of the number of firearms in private ownership range from 50 million to

200 million. We can only guess. Surveys indicate more than 40 million people own
guns. Some have arsenals. They live in slums, high rise apartments, on farms-
everywhere. Guns are in attics, garages, bureau drawers, glove compartment, closets,
desks, under beds, standing in the corner, hanging on the wall-anywhere you might
imagine and may places you might not.
Throughout our history, ownership of firearms has been widespread. From earliest
times Americans have identified their safety and too often their personal power
with guns. Young boys were given guns and they owned them with pride. For many,
a gun was a thing of beauty. Nothing they possessed manifested such craftsmanship.
With their cool blue steel, clean and smooth, the mechanical precision of their
parts, the well-oiled natural grained wood stock, their perfect balance and fine
workmanship, guns captured the hearts and minds of male America. Nothing was
treated with greater respect. Guns were works of art, things of beauty, sources of
power and symbols of manliness.
But we are no longer pioneers venturing into the wilderness, dependent on our
rifles for food and protection. We are more than 200 million highly urbanised and
interdependent citizens of the most technologically advanced and affluent nation in
history. We must control guns or continue to suffer the violence they generate the
crime they cause and the injury they inflict.
We have failed to control firearms because history and habit are more powerful
influences on human conduct than reason and recent experience. Customs adapt
gradually to meet new conditions. Society is slow to see how change makes senseless,
and often dangerous, ancient activities long deemed essential to survival. Guns
were once thought to be provider, protector and defender of liberty. Today they
murder.
If government is incapable of keeping guns from the potential criminal while
permitting them to the law-abiding citizen, then government is inadequate to the
times. The only alternative is to remove guns from the American scene. In question
is our ability to meet a crisis. It is not hysteria that demands gun control; it is 8,900
murders, 12,000 suicides, 65,000 assaults, 99,000 robberies-all committed with
guns in the single year of 1968. The toll will rise until we act.
Between 1964 and 1969 robberies with guns increased 113 per cent and assaults
with guns 117 per cent. More than 25 per cent for all violent crimes, which now
exceed half a million annually, involve the use of firearms.

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The peril has existed for decades. It has been disregarded at an awesome cost,
which, when totalled, amounts to a national catastrophe.
Guns are designed to kill. That is their purpose. In mass urban society they are not
the beautiful provider and protector. They are the ugly killer. They are death. They
add immeasurably to the climate of violence in America. When viewed as a source
of power by other-wise powerless people, guns can only mean violent crime. This
is the lesson to be learnt from the man ironically chosen in 1969 as the typical
prisoner in the District of Columbia Department of Corrections. Interviewed by the
press after his selection and asked what he would do when released again, he replied,
“Do what I always did-get a pistol and stick up anything that moves”.
The more violence we experience in America, the more guns we stock. Following
every riot, firearm sales have soared. With the repeated and compounded reporting
of increase in crime known to the police, gun sales steadily rise. Rifle sales in the
United States from 1963 through 1967 increased 115 per cent to 1,882,000 annually.
In the same period shotgun sales increased 151 percent to 1,515,000. Pistol sales
were up 139 percent to 1,118,00. Total firearms sales increased during these four
years by 132 per cent to an annual total of 4,585,000 in 1967.
Two million firearms are manufactured in the United States annually for private
ownership-70 percent are rifles and shotguns. Of 1,200,000 guns imported annually,
60 percent are handguns. America is the chief world market for pistols, which have
little utility expect to shoot people. Most of the pistols imported are inexpensive
and so poorly constructed that they dangerous to the user as well as to anyone in the
general direction that they may point towards.
The murder and suicide rates by gunfire in our country are incredibly higher than
the rates in other advanced nations. Japan, with one-half our population, had 16
murders and 68 suicides by gunfire in 1966 compared to 6,885 murders and 10,407
suicides in the US. Australia a pioneer country herself, had 57 gun murders among
its 11 million people in 1965. Here, in America, the rate is seven times higher.
Canada had 98 murders among 19,604,000 people in 1966, one-seventh the rate of
its neighbour to the south. England and Wales had 27 murders committed with guns
in 1966 among 54 1/2 million people, while Houston, Texas, alone had 150 gun
murders among its 1 1/2 million citizens. That same year Sweden, with a suicide
rate nearly twice ours, experienced 14 murders and 192 suicides by gunfire. Its
murder rate by guns was one-seventeenth as high as ours; its suicide rate by gunfire
was one-half as high.

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Murders and other crimes committed with firearms occur more frequently where
guns are most plentiful and gun control laws least stringent. Surveys indicate 34 per
cent of the households in the Eastern parts of the United States contain guns,
compared to 53 percent in the West, 55 percent in the Midwest and 64 percent in
the South. Not only is the percentage of murders committed by firearms higher in
areas where there are more guns and weaker laws-the overall murder rate is higher,
too. Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts have strong gun control laws.
Arizona, Texas and Mississippi have more guns per capita and very weak gun control
laws.
16. According to the passage, annual injuries from guns, including fatalities, are in
the area of
(1) 20,000 persons (2) 120,000 persons
(3) 160,000 persons (4) 220,000 persons
17. Historically, guns were viewed as which of the following?
I. a symbol of masculinity
II. artistic creations
III. a symbol of power
(1) I (2) II
(3) III (4) I, II and III
18. The author explains that imported guns
(1) cut into the market for the domestic product
(2) are extremely dangerous due to poor workmanship
(3) are brought in to the country by organised crime syndicates
(4) are less lethal than US made weapons
19. The article indicates that we have failed to control firearms because
(1) of pressure from gun lobbies
(2) firearms are still needed by the military
(3) we are bound by our traditions & customs
(4) of inertia on the part of the legislature
20. Most of the domestically produced firearms for private ownership are
(1) revolvers (2) military weapons
(3) rapid fire automatics (4) rifles and shotguns

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21. The author asserts that the government

(1) cannot prevent the criminal from getting guns without prohibiting access
to the non- criminal as well
(2) should regulate the sale of guns ghetto and high crime areas
(3) must educate prisoners on the danger of guns
(4) plans to control gun quality and restrict imports
22. Why does the author compare the gun crimes in the US with the gun crimes of
Australia?
(1) Because Australia has the same population as the US
(2) To show that the US has more gun crimes than ever a frontier country.
(3) To illustrate Australia’s crime detection techniques.
(4) To indicate the effectiveness of Australia’s gun control laws.
23. The area of the US with the highest concentration of households with guns is
(1) the Far West (2) Midwest
(3) the South (4) the New England State
24. The passage indicates that states with stricter gun control laws have which of
the following characteristics?
I. Fewer gun murders per capita.
II. More gun murders per capita.
III. A lower over all murder rate.
(1) I (2) II
(3) III (4) I and III only
25. This was most likely excerpted from
(1) an easy on the control of violent crime
(2) a manual on gun care
(3) a history of firearms
(4) a book on prison reform

PASSAGE – IV
Thus at the extreme left stand the Marxists, whose prediction of the ultimate undoing
of our system is little changed from the days of Karl Marx himself. Their prophecy
we know; their persuasion is that we should line up on the side of history, as they see
it. It is not a blueprint of the future which the Marxists try to sell us, but a sense of
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historical participation, of joining the winning team, of riding the “wave of the
future.” If Russia or China were not there as an object lesson in applied “Marxism,
their urgings might be a more formidable competitor for our belief. As things now
stand, the rigors which are the price of rapid collectivist growth have an appeal
only to the most miserable peoples in the world-those who have never known
anything but a beggar’s lot. Perhaps our task is to understand with genuine
compassion the hard choice that history has enjoined on the poor-and to attempt in
every way to facilitate their escape from poverty.
To the right of the Marxists are the socialists. Many of them are Marxian in their
prognosis of capitalism’s end but they are not Marxian in their prediction of things
to come. The Marxists extol the inevitability of history; the socialists extol the idea
of liberty inherent in social change. The Marxists are so much interested in What
Comes Next-but this is the very heart and essence of the socialist persuaders. Whether
the society of the future is to be centralised or built on old-fashioned guilds; whether
it is to be entirely planned, or only partially so; the extent to which the consumer
should have a voice, and the extent to which the producer should be heard-these are
the burning questions of socialism-but not of communism. While the Marxists hold
out the prospect of blindly and trustingly enlisting oneself with the inexorable process
of history, the socialists ask us to join them in shaping history as they wish it.
Next on the spectrum of prophecy and persuasion are the advocates of, managed
capitalism. Unlike the socialists, they do not believe that capitalism must disappear,
and unlike the socialists they do not want to displace the institution of private
ownership with public ownership. Their central philosophy is something else again:
they feel that capitalism can be maintained if we intervene sufficiently to make’ it
viable. Left to itself, they say, capitalism may run off the rails-if not its economic
rails, then its moral rails, Given a strong policy of guidance, it can continue to
prosper. Hence we are asked to ensure our futures with a strong pillar of government
investment with active enforcement of antimonopoly laws, with the encouragement
of public activity as well as private. This road to the future lies in making capitalism
work-rather than in relying on its inner stability.
Not so, say the next group of public counsellors, the protagonists of the Right-of-
Centre. Capitalism can work only in an atmosphere of hands-off. While liberal
aims may be commendable, the liberal means are incompatible with the essence of
a market economy itself. Leave the system alone and it will fare well; try to patch it
up and you will only succeed in hopelessly paralysing it. It is some such spectrum
of prophecy and persuasion that we face.
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As we listen to the debates which now surround us-and which will command our
attention as long as our society survives-we can recognise the voices of the past.
Adam Smith still speaks to us from the platform to the Right; Karl Marx seeks to
enrol us in the legions of the left. We can distinguish the voice of John Stuart Mill in
the words of the socialists, and that of John Maynard Keynes in the arguments of
the liberal capitalist reformers. The analytic insight of Ricardo, the gloomy
presentiments of Malthus, the vision of the more Utopian Utopians, the complacency
of the Victorians, the disquietude of the underworld, the shrewd skepticism of Veblen-
they are all there.
26. Proceeding from Left to Right on the economic spectrum, one would find
(1) Marx-Smith-Mill-Keynes (2) Mill-Keynes-Marx-Smith
(3) Smith-Mill-Keynes-Marx (4) Marx-Mill-Keynes-Smith
27. The founder of Capitalism is
(1) Adam Smith (2) Thomas Malthus
(3) Friedrich Engels (4) Throstein Veblen
28. The “Gloomy presentiments of Malthus” refers to Malthus’ prediction that
(1) government would take over the operation of all industry
(2) the world’s food supply would become insufficient for its population
(3) economics would no longer be a factor in the history of nations
(4) capitalism would eventually be overthrown by communism
29. Advocates of managed capitalism, differing from socialists, believe that
(1) private ownership should not be displaced by public ownership
(2) the government should not get involved at all in industry
(3) capitalism should be left to itself
(4) the capitalist economy must disappear
30. The existence of Russia and China has made Marxism
(1) a more formidable competitor of our system
(2) a system with appeal to all nations of the world
(3) the dominant economic philosophy in North America
(4) a system with appeal only to the poorest peoples of the world

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31. Favouring capitalism with the qualification that monopolies should be carefully
supervised are the
(1) Socialists
(2) Rightists
(3) Managed capitalism advocates
(4) Utopians
32. The Marxists believe in
(1) the encouragement of public, as well as, activity
(2) liberty inherent in social change
(3) a society built on old-fashioned guilds
(4) the inevitability of history
33. According to the author, socialists believe in
(1) riding the “wave of the future”
(2) rapid collectivist growth
(3) shaping history
(4) the inevitability of history
34. The Right of Centre advocates believe
(1) in patching up the market
(2) in old-fashioned guilds
(3) managed capitalism can succeed
(4) that liberal policies interfere with the proper functioning of the market
economy
35. The author classifies John Stuart Mill among the
(1) socialists (2) Marxists
(3) capitalist reformers (4) liberals

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TEST – 4
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
The Deve Gowda government has come at a historic time of transition in Indian
politics and society, and indeed the economy as well. Its success (survival) will
serve three vital ends. First, it will mark a clear shift of political power from the
forward castes to the backwards and the dalits. Second, it will make coalition
governments respectable at the Centre (the idea is already an acknowledged fact in
many states, including West Bengal, Kerala and Maharashtra). And third, it will
underline what the economic reformers have been saying for the last three years -
that the country’s mindset has changed with regard to economic management, and
therefore the reforms are here to stay, and indeed will continue.
A fourth point could be made as well, though this is less dependent on the continued
survival of the Deve Gowda government, and this is that the destruction of the
Babri Masjid in December 1992 has proved to be a watershed in ways that the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may not have realised at that time. For it has divided
the country into two clear camps on the issue of secularism; the result being that
even those parties that have been willing in the past to be the BJP’s allies, now want
nothing to do with it. This would mean that unless the BJP can end its political
isolation in some way, or increase its share of the vote fairly dramatically, it will be
condemned to sitting in the opposition benches.
But the transitions represented by the Deve Gowda government are more basic in
nature than party alignments. These alignments can be transitory, but the underlying
changes are more long-term in nature. The rise of the backwards and the dalits, for
instance, underlines not just the new assertiveness of social classes that constitute
the overwhelming majority, but also a breakdown of the coalition that used to be
represented by the Congress. This social change came much earlier to many of the
southern states (through the Dravida movement in Tamil Nadu, for instance, and
the Devraj Urs government in Karnataka), and is only now sweeping the Hindi
heartland. Laloo Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav (Bihar chief

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minister, Janata Dal parliamentary party leader and Janata Dal working president,
respectively) represent a clear change from the forward caste base of the leadership
in both the Congress and the BJP. Equally, the rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party to its
current prominence in the space of a decade, has given the Dalits a new voice. One
may bemoan the greater caste consciousness that all this begets, but the fact of the
matter is that in large parts of the countryside, caste was in any case the determinant
of most factors governing people’s daily lives. One can only hope that castelessnes
will follow the greater sense of quality that the current forces represent.
The second idea that will be cemented if the Deve Gowda government manages to
stay in office, is that coalitions can work at the national level. The very idea has got
a bad name because of the experience with the Janata Party in 1977-79 and the
Janata Dal in 1989-90, and the contradictions in today’s United Front are all too
evident. To take just one instance, the Left parties are not at all happy with the
economic policy content of the common minimum programme, drafted in large
part by P.Chidambaram. Additional contradictions abound in the fact that the United
Front government depends for its survival on the Congress, which is the main rival
of many of the Front’s constituents in states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
It is impossible to predict if these contradictions will bring down the Deve Gowda
government but if the political players involved manage to rustle up the required
maturity, a new era of coalition governance may well have been born. The Narasimha
Rao government took Indian democracy beyond the dynastic confines of the Nehru-
Gandhi family; the Deve Gowda government may serve to take it away from a one-
dominant-party form of democracy.
1. According to the author,...
(1) caste has nowadays begun to play a big role in people’s lives.
(2) caste should not play such a big role in people’s lives.
(3) caste has always played a big role in people’s lives.
(4) none of the above.
2. It may be inferred from the passage that...
(1) the Deve Gowda government will not be able to survive long.
(2) the Deve Gowda government will face big problems in the future elections.
(3) the Deve Gowda government will have some difficulty in surviving its
term.
(4) the Deve Gowda government is a good thing to have happened to India at
this time.
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3. Which of the following purposes will not be served by the continuance of the
new government?
(1) The Bharatiya Janata Party will have to strive to be more acceptable to the
electorate.
(2) The upper caste electorate will finally be shorn of their unjustified pride.
(3) It will make coalition governments acceptable to the people who do not
trust them.
(4) It will reinforce the fact that India is serious about economic reforms and
that they will continue.
4. The author gives the example of the Dravida movement and the Urs government
to...
(1) draw a parallel between the rise of the backward classes in South India.
(2) show how the North Indians are influenced by their Southern counterparts.
(3) lament the alarming rise in casteism in politics throughout India.
(4) show a precedence for the rise of backward castes in the North of India.
5. It may be inferred from the passage that...
(1) there is complete unanimity among the constituents of the Deve Gowda
government and that is the only real strength they have.
(2) there is no unanimity among the constituents of the Deve Gowda
government and it is bound to fall in the next few months.
(3) there is no unanimity among the constituents of the Deve Gowda
government but it may not be entirely an opportunistic conglomeration.
(4) there is no unanimity among the constituents of the Deve Gowda
government except for the fact that they are all Dalits.
6. It may be inferred from the passage that...
(1) the destruction of the Babri Masjid was the cause of the election of the
Gowda government at the cost of the BJP.
(2) the rise of the backwards and dalits is a representation of the rising
assertiveness of the social classes.
(3) the fact that the Gowda ministry is still a minority government proves that
the emancipation of the backward and dalit classes is still not complete.
(4) Laloo Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav constitute what may
be called the holy trinity of the dalit and backward leaders of India.

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7. What, according to the author, may Deve Gowda be able to do which would be
as unexpected as what Narsimha Rao did before him?
(1) Give coalitions respectability.
(2) Emancipate the downtrodden.
(3) Start economic reforms in earnest.
(4) none of the above.

PASSAGE – II
Although antiseptic literally means ‘against putrefaction’ or prevention of sepsis
(spread of bacteria), the term usually is used to refer to agents applied to the living
tissues of animals (including man) and plants in order to destroy or inhibit the
growth of infectious micro-organisms. In low concentrations, an antiseptic many
inhibit microbial growth; in high concentrations, it may kill them. Substances (e.g.
ointments and dressing) that are in contact with external tissues, such as skin, for
long periods of time are considered antiseptics if they inhibit microbial growth. On
the other hand, substances (e.g. mouthwashes, douches, gargles) that have only
brief contact with internal tissues such as mucous membranes are considered
antiseptics only if recommended amounts destroy micro-organisms. The term asepsis
is used to describe a process by which micro-organisms are prevented from entering
some objects; surgical asepsis, for example, refers to preventing the introduction of
disease-causing bacteria into wounds of animals, including man.
Germicides, (disinfectants) destroy harmful micro-organisms and also may inactivate
viruses and protozoans but ordinarily do not affect bacterial or fungal spores, which
are walled, usually dormant, reproductive bodies. Disinfecting has been officially
defined by the governments of several countries, including the US and Great Britain,
as the killing of disease-causing (pathogenic) agents by direct application of chemical
or physical methods. The term disinfectant is usually used to refer to destruction of
micro-organisms on inanimate surfaces; e.g., surgical instruments, floors walls, lines.
Many antiseptics and germicides are specific regarding destruction of certain micro-
organisms and not others. An ideal compound that will destroy all micro-organisms,
without causing any residual toxic effect in high concentrations, has not yet been
developed.
Sterilisation, any process, physical or chemical, that destroys all forms of life, is
used especially to destroy micro-organisms, spores, and viruses. Precisely defined,
sterilisation is the complete destruction of all micro-organisms by a suitable chemical
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agent or by heat, either wet steam under pressure at 120° C (250° F) or more, for at
least 15 minutes, or dry heat at 160° to 180° C (320° to 360°F) for three hours.
Objects that are to be sterilised must withstand treatment without suffering deleterious
effects.
A sanitise is an agent, usually chemical in nature, that is used to reduce the number
of micro-organisms to a level that has been officially approved as safe. Sanitises are
commonly used to control bacterial levels in equipment and utensils found in dairies,
other food-processing plants, eating and drinking establishments, and other places
in which no specific pathogenic micro-organisms are known to be present and
destruction of all micro-organisms may not be necessary.
Preservatives, usually chemical agents, are added to certain foods and medicines to
prevent the growth of micro-organisms that may cause spoilage or disease.
Prophylactics also are agents used to prevent infections and diseases. Although
antibiotics usually are used to treat infectious diseases already in progress in man &
other animals, they also have been used as antiseptics, especially on the skin or on
mucous surfaces, to prevent the entry of pathogenic micro-organisms. Vaccination
is the administration of harmless amounts of disease-causing micro-organisms into
animals, including man, to prevent diseases.
8. A compound that can destroy all micro-organisms without causing toxic effects
is
(1) an antiseptic (2) a sanitise
(3) not yet developed (4) a germicide
9. Sterilisation results in
(1) destruction of the sterilised object
(2) preservation of food
(3) death of all micro-organisms
(4) reduction of micro-organisms to safety level
10. To destroy spores one must use
(1) disinfectants (2) sanitises
(3) asepsis (4) sterilisation
11. In the vaccination process
(1) all micro- organisms are destroyed
(2) spoilage of food is prevented
(3) specific disease producing micro-organisms are kept alive and used
(4) wet steam is used under pressure

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12. From the least effective to the most effective for destroying harmful micro-
organisms, the various processes can be graded as ;
(1) germicides, antiseptics, sanitises, sterilises
(2) preservatives, sanitises, disinfectants, sterilisation
(3) antiseptics, sterilisation, germicides, sanitises
(4) sterilisation, germicides, disinfectants, preservatives
13. It can be deduced from the passage that
(1) all micro-organisms are dangerous at all levels of concentration
(2) there is a safety level of tolerance of micro-organisms
(3) sanitises are used to kill all micro-organisms.
(4) antibiotics are used only for curing diseases.

PASSAGE – III
Many people who are willing to concede that the railroad must be brought back to
life are chiefly thinking of bringing this about on the very terms that have robbed us
of a balanced transportation network-that is, by treating speed as the only important
factor, forgetting reliability, comfort and safety, and seeking some mechanical dodge
for increasing the speed and automation of surface vehicles.
My desk is littered with such technocratic fantasies, hopefully offered as “solutions”.
They range from old-fashioned monorails and jet-propelled hovercraft (now extinct)
to a more scientific mode of propulsion at 2,000 miles an hour, from completely
automated highway travel in private cars to automated vehicles a Government
department is now toying with for “facilitating” urban traffic.
What is the function of transportation? What place does locomotion occupy in the
whole spectrum of human needs? Perhaps the first step in developing an adequate
transportation policy would be to clear our minds of technocratic cant. Those who
believe that transportation is the chief end of life should be put in orbit at the safe
lunar distance from the earth.
The prime purpose of passenger transportation is not to increase the amount of
physical movement but to increase the possibilities for human association, co-
operation, personal intercourse, and choice.
A balanced transportation system, accordingly, calls for a balance of resources and
facilities and opportunities in every other part of the economy. Neither speed nor
mass demand offers a criterion of social efficiency. Hence such limited technocratic,

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proposals as that for high-speed trains between already overcrowded and

overextended urban centres would only add to the present lack of functional balance
and purposeful organisation viewed in terms of human need. Variety of choices,
facilities and destinations, not speed alone, is the mark of an organic transportation
system. And, incidentally, this is an important factor of safety when any part of the
system breaks down. Even confirmed air travellers appreciate the railroad in foul
weather.
If we took human needs seriously in recasting the whole transportation system, we
should begin with the human body and make the fullest use of pedestrian movement,
not only for health but for efficiency in moving large crowds over short distances.
The current introduction of shopping malls, free from wheeled traffic, is both a far
simpler and far better technical solution than the many costly proposals for
introducing moving sidewalks or other rigidly automated modes of locomotion. At
every stage we should provide for the right type of locomotion, at the right speed,
within the right radius, to meet human needs. Neither maximum speed nor maximum
traffic nor maximum distance has by itself any human significance.
With the over-exploitation of the motor car comes an increased demand for
engineering equipment, to roll ever wider carpets of concrete over the bulldozed
landscape and to endow the petroleum magnates of Texas, Venezuela and Arabia
with fabulous capacities for personal luxury and political corruption. Finally the
purpose of this system, abetted by similar concentration on planes and rockets, is to
keep an increasing volume of motorists and tourists in motion, at the highest possible
speed, in a sufficiently comatose state not to mind the fact that their distant destination
has become the exact counterpart of the very place they have left. The end product
everywhere is environmental desolation.
If this is the best our technological civilisation can do to satisfy genuine human
needs and nurture man’s further development, it’s plainly time to close up shop. If
indeed we go farther and faster along this route, there is plenty of evidence to show
that the shop will close up without our help. Behind our power blackouts, our polluted
environments, our transportation breakdowns, our nuclear threats, is a failure of
mind. Technocratic anaesthesia has put us to sleep. Results that were predictable
and predicted - half a century ago without awakening any response still find us
unread to cope with them -or even to admit their existence.

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14. The author criticises most railroad advocates because their emphasis is primarily
on
(1) monetary costs (2) speed
(3) traffic flow (4) reliability
15. The author states that the purpose(s) of transportation is (are)
I. to move people from place to place efficiently
II. to increase social contact
III. to open up opportunities
(1) I (2) ll
(3) III (4) I and II
16. A solution advocated by the author for transporting masses of people over
short distances involves
(1) moving side walks (2) automated vehicles
(3) conveyor belts (4) pedestrian malls
17. Excessive reliance on the automobile, according to the author, is associated
with
(1) the enrichment of the oil industry
(2) monopoly power
(3) our transportation breakdown
(4) inefficiency in transportation
18. It can be inferred that the author would oppose
(1) a balance transportation system
(2) shopping malls
(3) an expansion of the interstate highway system
(4) sacrificing speed for comfort
19. The author predicts that if we continue our present transportation policy
(1) we will succumb to a technocratic dictatorship
(2) our society may die
(3) human needs will be surrendered
(4) rockets and planes will predominate
20. According to the article, the fulfilment of human needs will require
(1) far greater use of walking (2) a automated travel
(3) abandoning the profit system (4) a better legislative policy

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21. The author believes that the nation has placed too treat an emphasis on all of
the following except
(1) speed (2) traffic flow
(3) diversity (4) technological needs
22. It may be inferred that the author is a(n)
(1) highway engineer (2) historian
(3) oil baron (4) lawyer
23. It is stated in the article that safety in transportation is aided by the existence of
(1) remote air-to-ground control for airplanes
(2) technological sophistication
(3) a variety of transport modes
(4) fail-safe systems

PASSAGE – IV
India once gave the world the slogan ‘health is wealth’. If it goes by its own yardstick,
the country must consider itself penurious. Statistics related to health in this country
tell a frightening story. There are 60 million malnourished children in India. About
100,000 of them die due to malnutrition every month. Two and a half million children
are threatened with blindness because of vitamin A deficiency. By the end of this
year, 12,000 of them will lose their sight completely. Despite all the rhetoric about
progress and being the most developed of developing nations, India is literally a
diseased nation. Its health statistics are worse than those of Ghana, Vietnam, the
Philippines or Mexico. Public health has never been a priority with governments in
India. As diseases and epidemics have ravaged the country and damaged its economy,
the solutions offered have been ad hoc and short-term at best. It is symbolic that
former school teachers and even advocates have become Union health ministers
but medical doctors have rarely done so. The cumulative impact of little planning
and a feckless leadership is an inefficient delivery system. It is more comfortable
controlling disasters than developing a preventive health mechanism.
A comparative study of particular health indices in India and other third world
countries would put matters in perspective. The touchstone of an efficient health
care system is a low infant mortality rate (IMR). In India, over the past few years
the IMR has hovered around 80, per 1,000 births. Poorer countries such as Thailand,
the Philippines and even Sri Lanka have fared better with meagre resources - their

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IMR being, respectively, 40, 46 and 38. These figures debunk claims that a lack of
money is the essential reason for poor public health. Being an impecunious nation
contributes to India’s ills but is not the root of all evil, as politicians would have
citizens believe. Thailand’s economy is far less mature than India’s. It has been
debilitated by war and AIDS. Yet, it has half the infant mortality rate of India. A
maternal mortality rate of 460 per 100,000 births is another statement of the
dysfunctional health delivery system in India. Comparative figures range from two
in Ireland and four in Israel to 41 in South Korea and 95 in China. Similarly, it has
been calculated that only 62 per cent of children in India live to enter class V. On
the other hand, 98 per cent do so in Turkey, 95 per cent in Sri Lanka and 85 per cent
in Mexico, to cite but a few examples.
It must be appreciated that statistics reflecting public health in highly developed
nations such as the United States, Germany or Sweden have not been quoted. A
comparison has only been made with countries which share, to whatever degree,
India’s social and economic problems. It is clear that distorted strategies and
inefficiency, rather than only a lack of funds, are keeping India on the sick bed. It
would be pertinent to examine the reasons behind this dismal record. For one, the
health expenditure in this country is woefully low. The World Health Organisation
prescribes at least five per cent of a country’s gross national product be spent on
health. India spends only three per cent. The health sector gets only 4.9 per cent of
the Union budget. In the United Kingdom it gets 9.5 per cent and in Malaysia 6.7
per cent. Even Ghana and Congo, hardly rich countries, allocate, respectively, 7.3
and 6.1 per cent of the national budget to health.
Public health programmes in India are also marked by an urban bias. Despite official
attempts to rectify the imbalance, rural India remains largely neglected. Most well
equipped hospitals are in the cities and as a consequence, doctors prefer to practise
here. A specialist posted at a rural primary health centre has at his disposal only
antacids and drugs like Septran, to which most infections are resistant. The frustration
at having to battle disease in such conditions can be expected, especially since the
practitioner has been trained in the latest techniques. In fact, the very concept of
making the health system doctor-based is illogical and leads to a waste of resources.
Sending doctors to rural primary health centres is, in itself, not a panacea for all
ills, medicinal and otherwise. Adequate support facilities for pathology (in case of
even a blood test) and radiology (to conduct an x-ray) are equally important. All

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this requires a trained army of paramedical staff; it is here that the true scarcity lies.
For example, the nurse-doctor ratio in a country should be at least 3:1. In India, it is
only 1.1:1. In the light of all these factors, it is no wonder that public health standards
are abysmal in India - and the system continues to be curative rather than preventive.
Also, though money cannot be an absolute remedy, this does not justify the paltry
health outlay. At the crux of the issue is the fact that health has not become an
important aspect of overall national policy. In 1992, Bill Clinton’s election campaign
was centred around while in the United States the health issue is decisive enough to
elect a candidate president, in India it hardly finds mention in party manifestos.
24. It may be inferred from the passage that...
(1) the author is highly critical of India.
(2) the author does not like the Indian doctors and health officials much.
(3) the author is highly critical of the health care services in India.
(4) None of the above.
25. The word ‘penurious,’ in the context of the passage, means...
(1) poor. (2) lucky.
(3) anorexic. (4) vandalised.
26. Which of the following countries has the highest infant mortality rate?
(1) Sri Lanka, (2) Thailand.
(3) Philippines. (4) None of the above.
27. Which of the following is not a proof of bad health care management in India?
(1) There are not enough hospitals and primary health centres in India.
(2) About 100,000 children die of malnutrition every month.
(3) All kinds of people have become health ministers but doctors rarely so.
(4) India has a very high infant mortality rate.
28. Which of the following is not a reason for Thailand having bad health care
services?
(1) It is a poor country.
(2) It has a debilitated unstable government.
(3) It has been ravaged by war.
(4) It has been subject to the AIDS epidemic.

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29. What is the average approximate percentage of standard V students in Turkey,

India and Mexico?
(1) 88.33 (2) 81.67
(3) none of the above (4) no information in the passage
30. In the opinion of the author...
(1) sending more doctors to the rural areas is the only way to. tackle the rural
medicinal problems.
(2) sending doctors to the cities should take place only after the need for doctors
in the rural areas is fulfilled.
(3) sending doctors to the rural areas is not useful if there is no backup in the
form of staff, nurses and medicine.
(4) None of the above.

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TEST – 5
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
Like her white friends Eleanor Roosevelt and Aubrey Williams, Mary Bethune
believed in the fundamental commitment of the New Deal to assist the black
American’s struggle and the need for blacks assume responsibilities to help win -
that struggle. Unlike those of her white liberal associates, however, Bethune’s ideas
had evolved out of a long experience as a “race leader.” Founder of a small black
college in Florida, she had become widely known by 1935 as an organiser of black
women’s groups and as a civil and political rights activist. Deeply religious, certain
of her own capabilities, she held a relatively uncluttered view of what she felt were
the New Deal’s and her own people’s obligations to the cause of racial justice.
Unafraid to speak her mind to powerful whites, including the President, or to differing
black factions, she combined faith in the ultimate willingness of whites to discard
their prejudice and bigotry with a strong sense of racial pride and “commitment of
Negro self-help.
More than her liberal white friends, Bethune argued for a strong and direct black
voice in initiating and shaping government policy. She pursued this in her
conversations with President Roosevelt, in numerous memoranda to Aubrey
Williams, and in her administrative work as head of the National Youth
Administration’s Office Negro Affairs. With the assistance of Williams, she was
successful in having blacks selected to NYA posts at the national, state, and local
levels. But she also wanted a black presence throughout the federal government. At
the beginning of the war she joined other black leaders in demanding appointments
to the Selective Service Board and to the Department of the Army; and she was
instrumental in 1941 in securing Earl Dickerson’s membership on the Fair
Employment Practices Committee. By 1944, she was still making appeals for black
representation in “all public programs, federal, state, and local,” and “in policy-
making posts as well as rank and file jobs.”
Though recognising the weakness in the Roosevelt administration’s response to

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Negro needs, Mary Bethune remained in essence a black partisan champion of the
New Deal during the 1930s and 1940s. Her strong advocacy of administration
policies and programs was predicated on a number of factors: her assessment of the
low status of black Americans during the Depression; her faith in the willingness of
some liberal whites to work for the inclusion of blacks in the government’s reform
and ‘ recovery measures; her conviction that only massive federal aid could elevate
the Negro economically; and her belief that the thirties and forties were producing
a more self-aware and self-assured black population. Like a number of her white
friends in government, Bethune assumed that the preservation of democracy and
black people’s “full integration into the benefits and the responsibilities” of American
life were inextricably tied together. She was convinced that, with the help of friendly
government, a militant, aggressive “New Negro” would emerge out of the devastation
of depression and war, a “New Negro” who would “save America from itself,” who
would lead America toward the full realisation of its democratic ideas.
1. The author’s main purpose in this passage is to do which of the following?
(1) Criticise Mary Bethune for adhering too closely to New Deal policies
(2) Argue that Mary Bethune was too optimistic in her assessment of race
relations
(3) Demonstrate Mary Bethune’s influence on black progress during Roosevelt
years
(4) Point out the weaknesses of the white liberal approach to black needs
2. It can be inferred from the passage that Aubrey Williams was which of the
following?
I. A man with influence in the National Youth Administration
II. A white liberal
III. A man of strong religious convictions
(1) I (2) II
(3) I & II (4) II & III
3. The author mentions Earl Dickerson primarily in order to
(1) cite an instance of Bethune’s political impact
(2) contrast his career with that of Bethune
(3) introduce the subject of a subsequent paragraph
(4) provide an example of Bethune’s “New Negro”

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4. It can be inferred from the passage that Bethune believed the “New Negro”
would “Save America from itself” by
(1) joining the army and helping America overthrow its Fascist enemies
(2) helping America accomplish its egalitarian ideals
(3) voting for administration anti-poverty programs
(4) electing other blacks to government office
5. The tone of author’s discussion of Bethune is best described as
(1) adulatory (2) sentimental
(3) ironic (4) objective
6. The author uses all the following techniques in the passage except
(1) comparison and contrast (2) development of an extended analogy
(3) direct quotation (4) reiteration of central ideas
7. Which of the following statements about the New Deal does the passage best
support?
(1) It was strongly committed to justice for all races.
(2) It encouraged black participation in making policy decisions.
(3) It was actively involved in military strategy
(4) It shaped programs for economic aid and growth

PASSAGE – II
Many claim that with the advent of the web and internet, the future has arrived. The
dream of an interconnected planet where physical labour becomes minimally
important and knowledge creation becomes the source of value and wealth appears
to be here. For cyber-enthusiasts, the new information and communication
technologies increase our choices. Bill Gates believes “it will affect the world
seismically, rocking us in the same way the discovery of the scientific method, the
invention of printing, and the arrival of the Information Age did. Author of ‘Being
Digital’, Nicholas Negroponte writes, “while the politicians struggle with the baggage
of history, a new generation is emerging from the digital landscape free of many of
the old prejudices. These kids are released from the limitation of geographic
proximity as the sole basis of friendship, collaboration, play, and neighbourhood.
Digital technology can be a natural force drawing people into greater world harmony.
Douglas Rushkoff believes that computers are creating a generation gap between
the “screenagers” and others, with screenagers having the most important skill of

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all - multi-tasking, choosing and doing many things at the same time (of course,
forgetting that women have always had to do many things at the same time - taking
care of the home and children as well as other types of formal and informal work).
In any case, information and communication technology (ICT) is creating a new
world, an interactive, truly democratic world.
For proponents, the new technologies reduce the power of Big business and Big
State, creating a vast frontier for creative individuals to explore. Cyberspace has
the potential to be egalitarian, to bring everyone into a network arrangement. It has
the capacity to create a community; to provide untold opportunities for
communication, exchange and keeping in touch. Cyber technologies will allow
more interaction creating a global acumen. They create wealth, indeed, a jump in
wealth. The new technologies promise a transformational society where the future
is always beckoning, a new discovery is yearly.
Critics, however, argue it is not a communicative world that will transpire but a
world of selves downloading their emotional confusion onto each other. Writes Zia
Sardar, “Far from creating a community based on consensus, the information
technologies could easily create states of alienated and atomized individuals, glued
to their computer terminal, terrorising and being terrorised by all those whose values
conflict with their own.
Social scientist Kevin Robbins is not convinced that our lives will be meaningfully
changed by the information revolution; rather, he believes the ICT hype merely
replaces the classical opiate of religion and the modernist idea of progress. Indeed,
for Robbins, the new technologies impoverish our imagination of alternative futures,
particularly our geographic imagination. Focusing on distance, Robbins quoting
Heidegger reminds us that the end of distance is not the creation of nearness, of
intimacy, of community. “We are content to live in a world of uniform
‘distancelessness’, that is, in an information space rather than a space of vivacity
and experience. There is the illusion of community - in which we can create virtual
communities far and away but still treat badly our neighbours, partners and children”.
But, writes Robbins, more than destroying the beauty of geography, techno-optimists
such as Bill Gates, Nicholas Negroponte and others take away space for critical
commentary, that is, for the creation of futures that are different. Critical commentary,
however, is not merely of being pessimistic or optimistic, but a matter of survival.
As Paul Virilio writes: “I work in the ‘resistance’ because there are now too many
“collaborators’ once again telling us about salvation through progress, and
emancipation, about man (sic) being freed from all constraints”.
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Earlier it was Comte’s positive science that was to solve all the problems of religion,
of difference and now with the end of the cold war, it is liberal democracy. Michael
Tracey in his essay “Twilight: illusion and decline in the communication revolution”
writes that it is not an accident that just at the precise moment “the planet is being
constructed within the powerful, pervasive all consuming logic of the market, there
is a second order language, a fairy tale ... that suggests in Utopian terms new
possibilities, in particular, those presented by the new alchemies of the Net. What
was once the cant of progress is now the cant of cyberspace - from love to democracy,
from evil to poverty, all will be delivered, all will be redeemed - virtuality is “here”.
Thus, while the internet helps connect many people and supplies much needed
information, it also represents a specific form of cultural violence. While it intends
to create a global community of equals, making identification based on age, looks,
race, (dis)ability, class or gender less relevant, it also, through promoting, enhancing
and cementing current ways of communicating, silences billions of people.
Some of the excluded are non-English speaking nations, “irrelevant” nations and
peoples, national, religious and ideological minorities, poor in poor countries and
poor in rich countries, the majority of women, most old and disabled, and many
children. Even today most of the world’s population will still be silenced. Reality
will still be that of the strongest and most powerful. The new communication
technologies will further enhance differences between poor and rich, between women
and men, and between the world and its narrow part defined as “the West”. And
once poor, if the world and women catch up with the dominating forces, it will be
on their terms and it will be in their language.
8. According to Kevin Robbins, Heidegger
(1) feels that ICT will create virtual communities devoid of emotions.
(2) says that the apparent proximity offered by the ICT is not reflected in its
true spirit in our relationships.
(3) thinks that though people are close in the virtual sense, emotionally there
is a disconnect.
(4) says all the above.
9. Which of the following is the most appropriate title for the passage?
(1) Reflections on the role of ICT in creating greater global harmony.
(2) Opinions about the communicative nature of ICT.
(3) Pros and Cons of the wired community.
(4) The successes and failures of a community powered by the ICT.
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10. Pick the odd man out.

(1) Kevin Robbins (2) Zia Sardar
(3) Negroponte (4) Paul Virilio
11. Regarding the use of the Internet, the author is
(1) Critical (2) Appreciative
(3) Skeptical (4) non-commonittal
12. The statement, ‘take away space for critical commentary’, in the context of
ICT implies one of the following. Which one?
(1) Clubbing all criticism under one head, as being negative, without
appreciating the content.
(2) Denying the possibility of alternate visions of the future.
(3) Failing to perceive the fact that it is the individual opinion that helps create
new avenues.
(4) Discrediting all criticism as having no value.
PASSAGE – III
And with Mrs. Behn we turn a very important corner on the road. We leave behind,
shut up in their parks among their folios, those solitary great ladies who wrote
without audience or criticism, for their own delight alone. We come to town and
rub shoulders with ordinary people in the streets. Mrs Behn was a middle-class
woman with all the plebeian virtues of humour, vitality and courage; a woman
forced by the death of her husband and some unfortunate adventures of her own to
make her living by her wits. She had to work on equal terms with men. She made,
by working very hard, enough to live on. The importance of that fact outweighs
anything that she actually wrote, even the splendid ‘A Thousand Martyrs I have
made’, or ‘Love in Fantastic Triumph sat’, for here begins the freedom of the mind,
or rather the possibility that in the course of time the mind will be free to write what
it likes. For now that Aphra Behn had done it, girls could go to their parents and
say, You need not give me an allowance; I can make money by my pen. Of course
the answer for many years to come was, Yes, by living the life of Aphra Behn!
Death would be better! And the door slammed faster than ever. That profoundly
interesting subject, the value that men set upon women’s chastity and its effect
upon their education, here suggests itself for discussion, and might provide an
interesting book if any student a Girton or Newnham cared to go into the matter.
Lady Dudley, sitting in diamonds among the midges of a Scottish moor, might
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serve for frontispiece. Lord Dudley, the Times said when Lady Dudley died the
other day, ‘a man of cultivated taste and many accomplishments, was benevolent
and bountiful, but whimsically despotic. He insisted upon his wife’s wearing full
dress, even at the remotest shooting-lodge in the Highlands; he loaded her with
gorgeous jewels’, and so on, ‘he gave her everything - always excepting any measure
of responsibility.’ Then the Lord Dudley had a stroke and she nursed him and ruled
his estates with supreme competence for ever after. That whimsical despotism was
in nineteenth century too.
But to return. Aphra Behn proved that money could be made by writing as the
sacrifice, perhaps, of certain agreeable qualities; and so by degrees writing became
not merely a sign of folly and a distracted mind, but was of practical importance. A
husband might die, or some disaster overtake the family. Hundreds of women began
as the eighteenth century drew on to add to their pin money, or to come to the rescue
of their families by making translations or writing the innumerable bad novels which
have ceased to be recorded even in text-books, but are to be picked up in the
fourpenny boxes in the Charing Cross Road. The extreme activity of mind which
showed itself in the later eighteenth century among women - the talking, and the
meeting, the writing of essays on Shakespeare, the translating of the classics - was
founded on the solid fact that women could make money by writing. Money dignifies
what is frivolous if unpaid for. It might still be well to sneer at ‘blue stockings with
an itch for scribbling,’ but it could not be denied that they could put money in their
purses. Thus, towards the end of the eighteenth century a change came about which,
if I were rewriting history, I should describe more fully and think of greater
importance than the Crusades or the Wars of the Roses. The middle-class woman
began to write. For if Pride and Prejudice matters, and Middlemarch and Villette
and Wuthering Heights matter them, it matters far more than I can prove in an
hour’s discourse that women generally, and not merely the lonely aristocrat shut up
in her country house among her folios and her flatterers, took in writing. Without
those forerunners, Jane Austen and the Brontes and George Eliot could do more
have written than Shakespeare could have written without Marlowe, or Marlowe
without Chaucer, or Chaucer without those forgotten poets who paved the ways and
tamed the natural savagery of the tongue. For masterpieces are not single and solitary
births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by
the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice.
Jane Austen should have laid a wreath upon the grave of Fanny Burney, and George
Eliot paid homage to the robust shade of Eliza Carter - the valiant old woman who
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tied a bell to her bedstead in order that she might wake early and learn Greek. All
women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn which is,
most scandalously but rather appropriately, in Westminster Abbey, for it was she
who earned then the right to speak their minds. It is she - shady and amorous as she
was - who makes it not quite fantastic for me to say to you tonight. Earn five hundred
a year by your wits.
13. A suitable title to the passage would be...
(1) The plebeian women in Literature.
(2) When the middle class began to write.
(3) Mrs. Behn and middle class women writers.
(4) Feminist literature and Mrs. Behn.
14. Aphra Ben, according to the description given by the author, may be termed...
(1) pathbreaking. (2) iconoclastic.
(3) adumbrative. (4) heretical.
15. Which of the following, according to the passage, may not be a plebeian
characteristic?
(1) Humour (2) Virtue
(3) Courage (4) Vitality.
16. What was the most important thing that the life of Aphra Behn taught the women
of posterity?
(1) That writing was not the sole prerogative of men and that women could
write as well.
(2) That one could be rich as well as write serious stuff and not just cheap
novels.
(3) That a woman could actually make a living by writing.
(4) None of the above.
17. Why do you think that the author has given the example of the Dudley couple?
(1) To show us an example of an ideal marriage where both people have perfect
understanding.
(2) To show us the innate amazing potentialities of a woman who had been
cosseted and protected all her life.
(3) To show us how much a husband can love his wife even if she is a writer
by loading her with jewels all the time.
(4) Cannot be determined from the passage.
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18. It may be inferred from the passage that Mrs. Aphra Behn...
1. was not of a very good moral character.
2. was not a very aristocratic person.
(1) 1 only (2) 2 only
(3) Both 1 and 2 (4) Neither 1 nor 2.
19. When the author says, “Money dignifies what is frivolous if unpaid for,” he/she
means that...
(1) earning money is a frivolous and undignified thing when it is done through
writing.
(2) people respect a craft only when it fetches the craftsman money.
(3) money makes a man more dignified than manners or style.
(4) if you pay for something then automatically take the thing seriously.
20. Which of the following statements would the author probably agree with?
(1) There can be no art without influence of previous art.
(2) There is nothing called originality and every modern art is a copy of older
art.
(3) A work of art cannot be called true art if it is not liked by a majority of
people.
(4) Women authors are as good if not better than men who write.
21. According to the author, the women writers before Aphra Behn...
(1) were usually extremely bad authors who were not worth publishing.
(2) were usually very rich and wrote for a very limited circle of admirers.
(3) were mere copiers of men and had no originality.
(4) were so bad that they did not earn any money at all from writing.

PASSAGE – IV
A trust is formed in this way: a few gentlemen “promote” it-that is to say, they get it
up, being enormous fees for their kindness, which fees are loaded on to the
undertaking in the form of securities of one kind or another. The argument of the
promoters is, not that every one who comes into the combination can carry on his
business more efficiently than he did before; the argument is: we will assign to you
as your share in the pool twice, three times, four times, or five times what you could
have sold your business for to an individual competitor who would have to run it on

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an economic and competitive basis. We can afford to buy it at such a figure because
we are shutting out competition. We can afford to make the stock of the combination
half dozen times what it naturally would be and pay dividends on it, because there
will be nobody to dispute the prices we shall fix.
Talk of that as sound business? Talk of that as inevitable? It is based upon nothing
except power. It is not based upon efficiency. It is no wonder that the big trusts are
not prospering in proportion to such competitors as they still have in such parts of
their business as competitors have access to; they are prospering freely only in
those fields to which competition has no access. Read the statistics of the Steel
Trust, if you don’t believe it. Read the statistics of any trust. They are constantly
nervous about competition, and they are constantly buying up new competitors in
order to narrow the field. The United States Steel Corporation is gaining in its
supremacy in the American market only with regard to the cruder manufactures of
iron and steel, but wherever, as in the field of more advanced manufactures of iron
and steel, it has important competitors, its portion of the product is not increasing,
but is decreasing, and its competitors, where they have a foothold, are often more
efficient than it is.
Why, with unlimited capital and innumerable mines and plants everywhere in the
United States, can’t they beat the other fellows in the market? Partly because they
are carrying too much; partly because they are unwieldy. Their organisation is
imperfect. They bought up inefficient plants along with efficient, and they have got
to carry what they have paid for, even if they have to shut some of the plants up in
order to make any interest on their investments; or, rather, not interest on their
investments, because that is an incorrect word, on their alleged capitalisation. Here
we have a lot of giants staggering along under an almost intolerable weight of
artificial burdens, which they have put on their own backs, and constantly about
looking less some little pygmy with a round stone in a sling may come out and slay
them.
I take my stand absolutely, where every progressive ought to take his stand, on the
proposition that private monopoly is indefensible and intolerable. And there I will
fight my battle. And I know how to fight it. Everybody who has even read the
newspapers knows the means by which these men built up their power and created
these monopolies. Any decently equipped lawyer can suggest to you statutes by
which the whole business can be stopped. What these gentlemen do not want is
this: they do not want to be compelled to meet all comers on equal terms. I am
perfectly willing that they should beat any competitor by fair means; but I know the

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foul means they have adopted, and I know that they can be stopped by law. If they
think that coming into the market upon the basis of mere efficiency, upon the mere
basis of knowing how to manufacture goods better than anybody else and to sell
them cheaper than anybody else, they can carry the immense amount of water that
they have put into their enterprises in order to buy up rivals, then they are perfectly
welcome to try it. But there must be no squeezing out of the beginner, no crippling
his credit; no discrimination against retailers who buy from a rival; no threats against
concerns who sell supplies to a rival; no holding back of raw material from him; no
secret arrangements against him. All the fair competition you choose, but no unfair
competition of any kind. And then when unfair competition is eliminated, let us see
these gentlemen carry their tanks of water on their backs. All that I ask and I shall
fight for is that they shall come into the field against merit and brains everywhere.
If they can beat other American brains, then they have got the best brains.
But if you want to know how far brains go, as things now are, suppose you try to
match your better wares against these gentlemen, and see them undersell you before
your market is any bigger than the locality and make it absolutely impossible for
you to get a fast foothold. If you want to know how brains count, originate some
invention which will improve the kind of machinery they are using, and then see if
you can borrow enough money to manufacture it. You may be offered something
for your patent by the corporation, -which will perhaps lock it up in a safe and go on
using the old machinery; but you will not be allowed to manufacture. I know men
who have tried it, and they could not get the money, because the great money lenders
of this country are in the arrangement with the great manufacturers of this country,
and they do not propose to see their control of the market interfered with by outsiders.
And who are outsiders? Why, all the rest of the people of The United states are
outsiders.
22. The greatest enemy of a trust is
(1) power (2) competition
(3) good leadership (4) proper organisation people
23. The basic reason for the increasing success of the United States Steel
Corporation is that it
(1) has absolutely no competitors (2) pays little heed to its competitors
(3) faces competition coolly (4) has few competitors
24. The author indicates that the “best brains”
(1) are likely to succeed in business
(2) are monopolised by large corporations
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(3) are not disadvantageous in business

(4) do not often go far against capitalistic competition
25. According to the passage, the difficulty of obtaining a patent for an invention
is often due to
(1) dealings between capitalists and manufacturers
(2) dealings between capitalists and patent offices
(3) public prejudice
(4) lack of money for the patent legal manner of obtaining a patent
26. The passage was written some time between
(1) 1860 and 1872 (2) 1890 and 1902
(3) 1908 and 1920 (4) 1930 and 1942
27. All of the following would be unfair competition practices except
(1) ruining the credit of a competitor
(2) withholding raw materials from the competitor
(3) showing a competitor that there is a lack of interest in the latter’s goods
(4) imitating the competitor’s product
(5) threatening business which sell goods to competitor
28. The author compares the trusts and their potential competitors to
(1) giants and pygmies (2) scoundrels and gentlemen
(3) monopolists and oligopolists (4) buyers and sellers
29. All of the following terms are used to describe the US Steel Corporation except
(1) unlimited capital (2) innumerable mines and plants
(3) imperfect organisation (4) impervious to competition
30. The stock prices of companies which join a trust
(1) are inflated because there is no price competition
(2) fall at first and rise later
(3) rise steadily
(4) remain constant
31. The author believes private monopoly is
(1) unstoppable (2) intolerable
(3) inevitable (4) progressive

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TEST – 6
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
Medieval Europe abounded in castles. Germany alone had ten thousand and more,
most of them now vanished; all that a summer journey in the Rhineland and the
south-west now can show are a handful of ruins and a few nineteenth century
restorations. Nevertheless, anyone journeying from Spain to the Dvina, from Calabria
to Wales, will find castles rearing up again and again to dominate the open landscape.
There they still stand, in desolate and uninhabited districts where the only visible
forms of life are herdsmen and their flocks, with hawks circling the battlements, far
from the traffic and comfortably distant even from the nearest small town: these
were the strongholds of the European aristocracy.
The weight of aristocratic dominance was felt in Europe until well after the French
Revolution; political and social structure, the Church, the general tenor of thought
and feeling were all influenced by it. Over the centuries, consciously or
unconsciously, the other classes of this older European society the clergy, the
bourgeoisie and the ‘common people’ -adopted many of the outward characteristics
of the aristocracy, who became their model, their standard, their ideal. Aristocratic
values and ambitions were adopted alongside aristocratic manners and fashions of
dress. Yet the aristocracy were the object of much contentious criticism and
complaint; from the thirteenth century onwards their military value and their political
importance were both called in question. Nevertheless, their opponents continued
to be their principal imitators. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the reforming
Papacy and its clerical supporters, although opposed to the excessively aristocratic
control of the Church (as is shown by the Investiture Contest) nevertheless themselves
first adopted and then strengthened the forms of this control. Noblemen who became
bishops or who founded new Orders helped to implant aristocratic principles and
forms of government deep within the structure and spiritual life of the Church.
Again, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the urban bourgeoisie, made prosperous
and even rich by trade and industry, were rising to political power as the servants

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and legal proteges of monarchy. These ‘patricians’ were critical of the aristocracy
and hostile towards it. Yet they also imitated the aristocracy, and tried to gain
admittance to the closed circle and to achieve equality of status. Even the unarmed
peasantry, who usually had to suffer more from the unrelieved weight of aristocratic
dominance, long remained tenaciously loyal to their lords, held to their allegiance
by that combination of love and fear, amor et timor, which was so characteristic of
the medieval relationship between lord and servant, between God and man.
The castles and strongholds of the aristocracy remind us of the reality of their power
and superiority. Through the long warring centuries when men went defenseless
and insecure, the ‘house’, the lord’s fortified dwelling, promised protection, security
and peace to all whom it sheltered. From the ninth to the eleventh centuries, if not
later, Europe was in many way all too open. Attack came from the sea, in the
Mediterranean from Saracens and Vikings, the latter usually in their swift, dragon-
prowed, easily manoeuvred longboats, manned by some sixteen pairs of oarsmen
and with a full complement of perhaps sixty men. There were periods when the
British Isles and the French coasts were being raided every year by Vikings and in
the heart of the continent marauding Magyar armies met invading bands of Saracens.
The name of Pontresina, near St. Mortiz in Switzerland, is a memento of the stormy
tenth century; it means pons Saracenorum, the ‘fortified Saracen bridge’, the place
where plundering expeditions halted on their way up from the Mediterranean.
It was recognised in theory that the Church and the monarchy were the principal
powers and that they were bound by the nature of their office to ensure peace and
security and to do justice; but at this period they were too weak, too torn by internal
conflicts to fulfil their obligations. Thus more and more passed into the hands of
warriors invested by the monarchy and the Church with lands and rights of
jurisdiction, who in return undertook to support their overlords and to protect the
unarmed peasantry.
Their first concern, however, was self-protection. It is almost impossible for us to
realise how primitive the great majority of these early medieval ‘castles’ really
were. Until about 1150 the fortified houses of the Anglo-Norman nobility were
simple dwellings surrounded by a mound of earth and a wooden stockade. There
were the motte and bailey castles: the motte was the mound and its stockade, the
bailey an open court lying below and also stockaded. Both were protected, where
possible, by yet another ditch filled with water, the moat. In the middle of the motte

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there was a wooden tower, the keep or donjon, which only became a genuine
stronghold at a later date and in places where stone was readily available. The stone
castles of the French and German nobility usually had only a single communal
room in which all activities too place.
In such straitened surroundings, where warmth, light and comfort were lacking,
there was no way of creating an air of privacy. It is easy enough to understand why
the life of the landed nobility was often so unrestrained, so filled with harshness,
cruelty and brutality, even in later, more ‘chivalrous’ periods. The barons’ daily life
was bare and uneventful, punctuated by war, hunting (a rehearsal for war), and
feasting. Boys were trained to fight from the age of seven or eight, and their education
in arms continued until they were twenty-one, although in some cases they started
to fight as early as fifteen. The peasants of the surrounding countryside, bound to
their lords by a great variety of ties, produced the sparse fare which was all that the
undeveloped agriculture of the early medieval period could sustain. Hunting was a
constant necessity, to make up for the lack of butcher’s meat, and in England and
Germany in the eleventh and twelfth centuries even the kings had to progress from
one crown estate to another, from one bishop’s palace to the next, to maintain
themselves and their retinue.
1. Class conflict in the Middle Ages was kept in check by
(1) the fact that most people belonged to the same class
(2) tyrannical suppressions of rebellions by powerful monarchs
(3) the religious teachings of the church
(4) the fact that all other classes admired and attempted to emulate the
aristocracy
2. The urban bourgeoisie was hostile to the aristocracy because
(1) the bourgeoisie felt that the aristocracy was immoral
(2) aristocrats often confiscated the wealth of the bourgeoisie
(3) the bourgeoisie saw the aristocracy as their rivals
(4) the aristocrats often deliberately antagonised the bourgeoisie
3. Castles were originally built
(1) as status symbols (2) as strongholds against invaders
(3) as simple places to live in (4) as luxurious chateaux

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4. One of the groups that invaded central Europe during the Middle ages from the
ninth century on was the
(1) Magyars (2) Franks
(3) Angles (4) Celts
5. The aristocracy was originally
(1) the great landowners (2) members of the clergy
(3) the king’s warriors (4) slaves who had rebelled
6. The reform Popes eventually produced an aristocratic church because
(1) they depended on the aristocracy for money
(2) they themselves were more interested in money than in religion
(3) they were defeated by aristocrats
(4) many aristocrats entered the structure of the church and impressed their
values on it
7. Hunting served the dual purpose of
(1) preparing for war and engaging in sport
(2) preparing for war and getting meat
(3) learning how to ride and learning how to shoot
(4) testing horses and men
8. The phrase “amor et timor” is used to describe
(1) the rivalry between bourgeoisie and aristocracy
(2) the payment of food in exchange for protection
(3) the peasant’s loyalty to the aristocracy
(4) the adaptation of aristocratic manners and dress.
9. Protection of the peasantry was implemented by
(1) the King’s warriors (2) the Magyar mercenaries
(3) the ruling monarchy (4) the princes of the Church
10. The effectiveness of the Church and King was diminished by
(1) ambition of the military
(2) conflicts and weaknesses within the Church and Royal house
(3) peasant dissatisfaction
(4) economic instability

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PASSAGE – II
Pottery of a profoundly ironic kind subverts our relationship to the humble, enduring
craft of the potter’s wheel. More than even a crumbling monument evoking images
of past grandeur, or a frayed parchment carefully preserved in a glass case in a
museum, a shard of broken pottery connects us to human history.
Pottery is as ancient as human civilization and is perhaps, the first craft, which rose
from its utilitarian origins to become a thing of beauty and artistic expression. When
you see a piece of broken pottery, labelled and dated in a museum, a strange sense
of continuity with an ancient, shared past grips an overimaginative mind... the
dailiness of life lived all those centuries ago is linked by unknown sensitive hands
which shaped the pliant clay to forms that grow organically out of the earth. The
echo of inevitability of dust returning to dust, reverberates across the aeons, yet,
there is this surviving fragment of an artifact that symbolizes continuum and fragile
immortality.
Still gripped by this strangely uplifting sense of human continuity, you return to the
disquieting dissonances of the present. The ubiquitous mud pot perched on a high-
rise windowsill anchors the rootless urbanite to the good earth. But there are
discordant ironies, which displace the craft and craftsmen into an alienated, often-
artificial ethos. Centuries from now, when archaeologists dig up the debris of the
20th century, will they too date us by the shards of pottery found deep under our
built-over cities? Will they puzzle over the remains and conclude that this piece of
painted terracotta plate with hauntingly familiar hieroglyphics is from a late 20th
century Mumbai apartment which seems to have had an eclectic mix of moulded
plastic furniture, antique wood, stainless steel utensils and remnants of mass
produced, outdated electronic gizmos?
Is it any wonder that the traditional potter is so hard to come by in the metropolitan
city? Even twenty years ago, when you stopped by a busy road to buy a gamla for
the new plant, the people selling the variously shaped and sized pots, pitchers and
the odd jar, were the potters themselves who spread their wares and their families
on the pavements. They lived in shanties that clung to the highways and some even
came from outlying villages. But not anymore! The middlemen and art galleries,
designer lifestyle stores and exclusive outlets have taken over from the traditional
craftsman. Swami Vivekananda Road is an artery that flows through Mumbai’s
western suburbs. Unceasing traffic struggles through this cholesterol-coated artery.
Amid the faceless new apartment blocks that have supplanted the gracious cottages
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and spacious bungalows of old, there is this blank, surreal space with roofless
blackened stumps of walls. Weeds and nameless shrubs widen the cracks in the
stone pavement abutting the walls and foliage creeps out from this modern ruin like
Medusa’s serpent locks. But all over the cleared frontage, bang next to the pavement,
are serried rows of terracotta elephants and horses, like an ancient army arrayed in
battle formation against the fleet of Marutis, Fiats, Esteems, Cielos and the lumbering
BEST double-deckers splashed with advertising messages. The richly decorated
elephants and horses, the floridly engraved pots sitting squat on the ground, upright
urns rearing proudly in the background, black, brown and ochre jars jostling for
attention... they all spill out disconcertingly and vie for your delighted browsing.
The terracotta cavalry and the huge urns rimmed with ornamental rings, are from
Madanapalli in Andhra Pradesh. The ceramic pots and jars - rather uninteresting
compared to the rich variety of shapes, sizes, forms of the earthenware boasting
both a sheen of glaze as well as rough hewn ruggedness - with their entwined tracery
in predictable blue, maroon and yellow patterns are from Delhi and Rajasthan. The
gamlas - in the usual reddish brown and beige off-white - are from nearby Gujarat.
The fecund decorations that proliferate on our temple friezes are transplanted unto
these utensils which were originally used for storing grain. These urns now adorn a
special niche or form the base of an unusual table, modern sensibility adapting a
utility article to its own times and ideas of interior decor.
The potters of Gorakhpur bring an endearing touch of rusticity to their horses and
elephants, even as the decorations echo the intricate patterns of Moradabad’s
enamelled brassware. Like much else in Uttar Pradesh, the potters reflect the
symbiotic marriage of styles- the arabesque geometry of Mughal architecture and
the teeming fecundity of Hindu embellishment, a riot of curlicues and embossed
patterns. Most of the pots - whether they are just four inches or three feet tall - have
a charming garland of terracotta bells fringing the rims and emphasizing the round
girth. Even a tiny cup, meant to hold pens, sports these scaled down pendants.
What is amazing is the enduring echo of Mohenjodaro and its fertility goddesses.
The Gorakhpur potters sculpt a small female deity - squat, round and beaming
benevolence - and she holds a small diya. Sometimes, a trio of diyas in which you
can pour oil and light the wick. Ganesh is the other favourite deity who becomes yet
another diya bearer. Ganesh is sometimes embedded into a semi-circular wall plaque
outlined with tiny diyas. You can picture a village home lit by this wonderfully
innovative image which is a symbolic blend of light and divine protection.

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This rugged nativity is missing from the ceramic pots, vases and tall jars made by
the urban potters which somehow have a cheap bazaar look. They do not evoke the
feeling of loving human hands creating these images and shapes out of a lump of
wet, pliant clay. The ceramic pots can neither achieve the individuality of a studio
potter nor the bland uniformity of a mass-produced article. They often appear like
an uncreative man’s poor version of Chinese and Persian ceramics. It is when you
go to the exclusive designer shops that you find ceramic objects alluring out of
their tasteful display racks with originality of colour, shape, glaze, texture and form.
The mugs and dinner sets have flamboyant designs or muted sophistication, folk
motifs and stylized abstractions to go with any decor or a decorator’s latest dictum
of what is currently fashionable.
If designers are making pottery upscale, kitsch of the worst kind proliferates all too
frequently. More so, during Diwali enterprising shopkeepers and market savvy
department stores take the traditional diya and transform it into a thing of kitsch
horror. Diyas of all shapes and sizes are painted over - usually a bright brick red
with touches of green and yellow-and then have sequins or mirrors pasted on them.
A strip of gaudy zari is sometimes wound round a tall standing diya to compound
the insult to the purity of form and function. This is more eloquent of our own
debased taste nurtured by the greed of money-grubbers who buy the diyas at
wholesale prices from potters and then unleash a crude decoration festive times
where gleam is mistaken for class.
The saddest part is the gradual obliteration of the functional aspect. You cannot
find the ghada, the oval-shaped pot, or the elegant surahi, which really cools water
to the degree that is best for quenching thirst. Twenty years ago, you found the
ghada with a water tap (potters turning practical) in many middle-class homes.
Now, the stainless steel or aluminium or plastic container is the preferred choice.
Even in villages, where the Gujarati seasonal delicacy Undhyu was cooked in an
earthern pot, how only the poorest of the poor use mudware. If it is steel or aluminium
for cooking, it is plastic for storage. The potter’s product lives in cities, where it is
an inalienable part of ethnic chic.
But the potter’s wheel has attracted acclaimed artists too. The unassuming, everyday
article of domestic use - a water jug, a mug, a plate et al - attracted Picasso’s inventive
genius. He may not have turned the wheel but transformed these intimate articles
into surreal, cubist sculptures. Like the other great Spanish artist Joan Miro, pottery
drew Picasso to his Mediterranean, classical roots. A similar blending of art and

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craft has not happened in India. The master artist and master craftsman have remained
separate identities, with the vast chasm of status, recognition and monetary benefits
bringing yawning gap between them. Only middlemen and designer labels thrive.
11. What are the discordant ironies that displace the craft and craftsmen into an
alienated and often artificial ethos?
(1) the inevitability of returning unto dust
(2) disquieting dissonance of the present
(3) the possibility that archaeologists will date us by the shards of pottery
(4) none of the above
12. The writer laments that
(1) the pottery in its true form ceases to exist in rural India today
(2) middlemen benefit more than the artists themselves
(3) the pottery from Mohenjo Daro, Harappa tells us a lot about their culture
(4) none of the above
13. Which of the following statements is/are not true
I. The traditional potters are difficult to find in the city today.
II. Ceramic pots made by the urban potters have a cheap bazaar look.
III. A shard of broken pottery connects us to human history.
(1) All of the above (2) None of the above
(3) Only I and II above (4) Only II and III above
14. Ceramic pots
(1) often resemble uneducated version of Chinese and Persian ceramics
(2) match the individuality of studio potter
(3) which are displayed in exclusive designer shops are original in their designs
(4) both (1) and (3) above
15. The functional aspect of pottery
(1) is gradually being obliterated (2) is being ignored by the urban rich
(3) is a thing out of the ordinary (4) none of the above
16. The writer
(1) aims the reader to stop buying gaudy diyas during Diwali
(2) is of the opinion that pottery is dying in India today
(3) value his opinion as a potter
(4) none of the above
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17. Picasso - the master artist

(1) was a famous surreal artist of the 20th century
(2) was drawn to pottery and transformed it into cubist structures
(3) was cubist in nature
(4) all of the above
18. The central theme of the passage is
(1) promotion of pottery in its pure form
(2) changing faces of pottery
(3) dissonance of the ubiquitous potters
(4) urban versus rural potters

PASSAGE – III
With the Java programming language, ever-faster modems and improving graphics,
there’s no need to go to an arcade to use video machines or even to a store to buy a
board game. Today, nearly any game imaginable can be played online, either against
live opponents or against a computer. That goes for older games requiring little in
terms of computing power, such as chess or checkers, as well as sophisticated,
graphics-intensive games like Quake and Mage Storm.
By some estimates, there are more than 6,500 web sites in place where one can join
in multiplayer games. The market is currently worth around US $70 million but
will inflate to about $250 million by 2000 and hit $1.4 billion by 2002, according
to Datamonitor (London). By the end of that period, people will be paying around
$1.4 billion to play the computer games. The online games are popular, Datamonitor
senior analyst Michael Evason says, because they enable players to test their skills
against others from all over the world. Some game sites also give players the
opportunity to win money or other prizes.
Yet, despite the popularity with the players, many of these online game sites are
struggling. While some sites charge fees, a sizable number are free. These sites
derive some revenue from advertising, but this alone isn’t generally enough to make
the sites profitable. Some sites use the games as a way to draw people to the site for
a host of services, many of which are fee-based.
In the rush to increase player number, many larger networks are making a good
proportion of services available free, according to Evason. This is raising the profile
of the industry, but also forcing revenues down to unsustainable levels. So, an
increasing number of game services are seeking to augment revenues from multiple
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sources, such as advertising and merchandising, and are striving to differentiate

themselves from the rest of the market with innovative and superior customer service
strategies, community functions, technology and content.
Similarly, Internet portals, such as Yahoo! Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.) and Netscape
Communications Corp. (Mountain View, Calif.), offer the games not so much to be
profitable for themselves, but to try to offer the best suite of services (games, stock
quotes, news) within their particular markets. Excite Inc. (Redwood City, Calif.) in
late 1998 launched a new online games channel that lets users play interactively
with each other. The service features classic card and board games as well as
multiplayer adventure games. In the future, the channel will feature reviews and
other gaming resources.
While there are reasons for the portals to offer the games for free, Evason agrees
that there isn’t enough revenue from advertising alone to make “game-only” sites
profitable. Even those sites charging fees and those with a combination of free and
fee-based games need to bring in profits eventually. They also need numbers. One
of the most successful sites, Microsoft Corp.’s MSN Gaming Zone, offers everything
from traditional board games to multiplayer fantasy tournaments. By early 1999, it
was not uncommon to have 10.000 or more players on the site at any one time.
While the biggest players, such as MSN Gaming Zone, have enough reach to bring
in a large number of players or fee-paying subscribers and can command the highest
advertising rates, the small players don’t have the same marketing clout, Evason
says.
Many sites have one level of free games, which tend to be limited in number, scope
and duration, and a level of games for a fee, which will have fewer restrictions.
The free games are primarily for the novice game player, someone who may visit
occasionally but would never pay a fee. These players can still generate revenue for
the site, at least indirectly, from advertisers. But the advertising revenue alone isn’t
enough to support these sites, according to Evason.
Advertising rates dropped from US $37.78 to $35.13 per thousand impressions in
the United States in the last six months of 1998, according to AdKnowledge Inc.
(Palo Alto, Calif.), a trend that was expected to continue in 1999. In Europe, however,
advertising rates never reached that peak, so were still expected to go higher. In
either case, Evason says, the fee-based games can bring in additional revenue.
For example, the Games Zone site, which started operations in February 1998, was
still unprofitable a year later. However, Games Zone’s owner, ICL PLC (London),
expects strong growth in the number of fee-based players, who are paying £5 (US
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$8) a month for the right to play action/fighting and role-playing games like Mage
Storm. Users can try the site free of charge for 30 days. “ICL expects this to be
profitable-it’s not a charity,” says Ian Niran, project director of ICL’s online game
service through the end of 1998 and a current executive with Sega Soft Inc. (San
Francisco). Sega Soft is working in partnership with ICL on the Heat game services,
one of the games channels within Games Zone.
The service had 10,000 fee-paying players by February, most of whom had joined
the service in the previous three months. Niran likens Games Zone’s business model
to that of MTV. Rather than marketing directly to consumers, Games Zone markets
its service to Europe’s Internet service providers (ISPs) and had become a game
channel within many of the largest cable networks by the end of 1998. That is much
like MTV selling its service to cable operators.
“Games Zone will grow as the ISPs grow”, Niran says, adding that the number of
people using the Internet is expected to increase 50 to 70 per cent per year for the
next several years.
Those might be optimistic estimates. Forrester Research Inc. (Cambridge. Mass.)
reports that only 4 percent of Europeans had Internet access in 1998 and the figure
is expected to reach only 13 per cent by 2001. This compares poorly with the United
States, where 40 per cent of the population is expected to be online within the same
time frame.
Two of the reasons Forrester gives for Europe’s lag are slow initial start and
connection charges that are as much as five times those in the United States. In the
United States, a local call from a residential line for an Internet connection (or for
any other reason), costs just a few cents, regardless of the connection time. So
players can spend hours online incurring only fees from the game providers. In the
United Kingdom and other parts of the world, more minutes online means additional
telephone charges besides any site charges, Evason says. But there will be growth,
even if it is slow, most experts agree.
In addition to the rising number of Internet users, Internet game providers also
expect growth from new and enhanced games that will be made available. The Sega
Soft/ICL Heat venture is just one example.
E-Pub Holdings Ltd. in early 1999 started working with Pearson Television Ltd.
(London) to develop online versions of several of Pearson’s marquee game show
formats. Pearson is using its syndicated television game shows to promote E-Pub’s
Uproar site (www.uproar.com) and the online versions of Pearson’s Television game
shows, including “Family Feud,” “Password” and “Match Game”.
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Uproar also offers games like bingo, crossword puzzles and the like, along with the
opportunity to win prizes and chat online with other players. All the services are
offered free of charge. Uproar and many other game sites, besides offering prizes,
are increasingly using player tournaments to heighten interest. Battle.net, the free
online game service from Blizzard Entertainment (Irvine, Calif.) had its highest
usage figures during a weekend tournament of its Brood War game. Nearly 500,000
games were played in a three-day period as players vied for the right to play during
the “regular season.” The Brood War Championship, scheduled for late 1999, offers
more than US $20,000 in cash and prizes. Battle.net had an estimated 2.1 million
active users-those who had played in the previous three months-in early 1999.
There are basically two types of game players, with the numbers split fairly evenly,
according to Niran. Half want to play the games like most of those offered at Uproar,
while the other half want the action or role-playing games like Mage Storm or
Quake.
The more involved games require more bandwidth, reliable communication across
the network and the best speed available, be it a 56-kbit/s modem from home or a
T1 line at work. Therefore, Games Zone is offered only through Europe and not to
other continents.
The connection between the United States and Europe is one of the most congested
parts of the internet, Niran says. Additionally, though Internet communications move
swiftly in most instances, they are still bound by the laws of physics. So
communications between Europe and the United States, or between Europe and
other continents, have inherent latency due to the distance, in addition to the
congestion problems. Players who are willing to pay fees don’t want these problems,
so, ICL chose to offer its fee-based games only in Europe. To ensure that players
have the best game playing experience, the servers for the fee-based games are
connected directly to the Internet backbone in Europe.
Just as with ICL, the online games market as a whole is still in its infancy, so, there
will be significant evolution in the next few years, says Evason. He also sees
continuing consolidation in the industry and expects more combinations of large
and small Internet game providers. The smaller ones can often contribute some
technical expertise that some of the larger ones lack.
Other business combinations may also be forthcoming to take advantage of the
expected growing popularity of online games. Evason expects more
telecommunications firms, especially in Europe, to get involved in Internet games

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in order to gain revenue both from game subscriptions and from access and per-
minute charges. BT already does this, though its fee-based games are offered through
a proprietary dial-up rather than via the Internet.
19. Which of the following is applicable to online games, as per the passage above?
(1) On line games are popular because they enable players to test their skills
against others from all over the world.
(2) The online games market as a whole has matured and there is not much
scope for further growth.
(3) More and more teenagers are becoming addicted to the video games across
the globe.
(4) None of the above
20. In the rush to increase the player number,
(1) many larger networks are making a good proportion of services available
free.
(2) an increasing number of game services are seeking to augment revenues
from multiple sources.
(3) a large number of portals are striving to differentiate themselves from the
rest of the market with innovative and superior customer service strategies,
community functions, technology and content.
(4) All of the above
21. Which of the following statements are true?
I. There isn’t enough revenue from advertising alone to make “game-only”
sites profitable.
II. In the field of online games, the smaller players have as much clout as the
larger players
(1) Both land II above (2) Only I above
(3) Only II above (4) Neither I nor II above
22. The growth of the Internet is slower in Europe as compared to America because,
(1) American economy has been growing much faster as compared to Europe.
(2) the Euro currency has slowed the pace of growth in Europe
(3) a slow initial start and connection charges that are as much as five times
those in the United States.
(4) both (1) and (3) above

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23. The main theme of the passage is ‘

(1) Differences in the Internet growth between America and Europe
(2) rapid growth in Internet in the last decade
(3) impact of the growth of net on teenagers
(4) developments in the field of Internet games
24. The given passage can be best described as
(1) descriptive (2) judicious
(3) prosaic (4) analytical
25. Some of the changes expected in the field of online games are
(1) continuing consolidation in the industry
(2) more combinations of large and small Internet game providers
(3) growth in fee-based games
(4) (1) and (2) above
26. Which of the following companies is NOT into internet gaming
(1) Netscape Communications Corp
(2) E-Pub Holdings Ltd
(3) Forrester Research Inc
(4) ICL PLC
27. The online games market is
(1) at its peak (2) past its peak
(3) yet to reach its peak (4) in its infancy

PASSAGE – IV
In Moulmein, in Lower Burma, I was hated by large number of people. The only
time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me. I was
subdivisional police officer of the town, and in an aimless, petty kind of way anti-
European feeling was very bitter. No one had the guts to raise a riot, but if a European
woman went through the bazaars alone somebody would probably spit betel juice
over her dress. As a police officer, I was an obvious target and was baited whenever
it seemed safe to do so. When a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football field
and the referee (another Burman) looked the other way, the crowd yelled with hideous
laughter. This happened more than once. In the end the sneering yellow faces of
young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe

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distance got badly on my nerves. The young Buddhist priests were the worst of all.
There were several thousands of them in the town and none of them seemed to have
anything to do except stand on street corners and jeer at Europeans.
All this was perplexing and upsetting. For at that time, I had already made up my
mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got
out of, it the better. Theoretically-and secretly, of course-I was all for the Burmese
and all against their oppressors, the British. As for the job I was doing, I hated it
more bitterly than I can perhaps make clear. In a job like that you see the dirty work
of Empire at close quarters. The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages
of the lock-ups, the grey, cowed faces of the long-term convicts, the scarred buttocks
of the men who had been flogged with bamboos - all these oppressed me with an
intolerable sense of guilt. But I could get nothing into perspective. I was young and
ill-educated and I had to think out my problems in the utter silence that is imposed
on every Englishman in the East. I did not even know that the British Empire is
dying, still less did I know that it is a great deal better than the younger empires that
are going to supplant it. All I knew was that I was stuck between my hatred of the
empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make
my job impossible. With one part of my mind I thought of the British Raj as an
unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down upon the natives. Feelings like
these are the normal by-product of imperialism, ask any Anglo-Indian official, if
you can catch him off duty.
One day something happened which in a roundabout way was enlightening. It was
a tiny incident in itself, but it gave me a better glimpse than I had before of the real
nature of imperialism - the real motives for which despotic governments act. Early
one morning the sub-inspector at a police station at the other end of the town rang
me up on the phone and said that an elephant was ravaging the bazaar. Would I
please come and do something about it ? I did not know what I could do, but I
wanted to see what was happening and I got one to a pony and started out. I took my
rifle, an old .44 Winchester and much too small to kill an elephant but I thought the
noise might be useful in terrorizing the elephant. Various Burmans stopped me on
the way and told me about the elephant’s doings. It was not, of course, a wild elephant,
but a tame one which had gone “musth.” It had been chained up, as tame elephants
always are when their attack of “musth” is due, but on the previous night it had
broken its chains and escaped. Its mahout, the only person who could manage it
when it was in that state, had set out in pursuit, but had taken the wrong direction

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and was now twelve hours journey away, and in the morning the elephant had
suddenly reappeared in town. The Burmese population had no weapons and were
quite helpless against it. It had already destroyed somebody’s bamboo hut, killed a
cow and raided some fruit-stalls and devoured the stock, also it had met the municipal
rubbish van and, when the driver jumped out and took to his heels, had turned the
van over and inflicted violences upon it.
The Burmese sub-inspector and some Indian constables were waiting for me in the
quarter where the elephant had been seen. It was a very poor quarter, a labyrinth of
squalid bamboo huts, thatched with palm-leaf, winding all over a steep hillside. I
remember that it was a cloudy, stuffy morning at the beginning of the rains. We
began questioning the people as to where the elephant had gone and, as usual,
failed to get any definite information. That is invariably the case in the East, a story
always sounds clear enough at a distance, but the nearer you get to the scene of
events the vaguer it becomes. Some of the people said that the elephant had gone in
one direction, some said that he had gone in another, some professed not even to
have heard of any elephant. I had almost made up my mind that the whole story was
a pack of lies, when we heard yells a little distance away. There was a loud,
scandalized cry of “Go away, child! Go away this instant, and an old woman with a
switch in her hand came round the corner of a hut, violently shooing away a crowd
of naked children. Some more women followed, clicking their tongues and
exclaiming; evidently there was something that the children ought not to have seen.
I found the hut and saw a man’s dead body sprawling in the mud. He was an Indian,
a black Dravidian coolie, almost naked, and he could not have been dead many
minutes. The people said that the elephant had come suddenly upon him round the
corner of the hut, caught him with its trunk, put its foot on his back and ground him
into the earth. This was the rainy season and the ground was soft, and his face had
scored a trench one foot deep and a couple of yards long. He was lying on his belly
with arms crucified and head sharply twisted to one side. His face was coated with
mud, the eyes wide open, the teeth bared and grinning with an expression of
unendurable agony. (Never tell me, by the way, that the dead look peaceful. Most of
the corpses I have seen looked devilish.) The friction of the great beast’s foot had
stripped the skin from his back as neatly as one skins a rabbit. As soon as I saw the
dead man, I sent an orderly to a friend’s house nearby to borrow an elephant rifle. I
had already sent back the pony, not wanting it to go mad with fright and throw me
if it smelt the elephant.

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The orderly came back in a few minutes with a rifle and five cartridges, and
meanwhile some Burmaese had arrived and told us that the elephant was in the
paddy fields below, only a few hundred yards away. As I started forward practically
the whole population of the quarter flocked out of the houses and followed me.
They had seen the rifle and were all shouting excitedly that I was going to shoot the
elephant. They had not shown much interest in the elephant when he was merely
ravaging their homes, but it was different now that he was going to be shot. It was a
bit of fun to them, as it would be to an English crowd; besides they wanted the meat.
It made me vaguely uneasy. I had no intention of shooting the elephant -I had merely
sent for the rifle to defend myself if necessary-and it is always unnerving to have a
crowd following you. I marched down the hill, looking and feeling a fool, with the
rifle over my shoulder and an ever-growing army of people jostling at my heels. At
the bottom, when you got away from the huts, there was a metalled road and beyond
that a miry waste of paddy fields thousand yards across, not yet ploughed but soggy
from the first rains and dotted with coarse grass. The elephant was standing eight
yards from the road, his left side towards us. He took not the slightest notice of the
crowd’s approach. He was tearing up bunches of grass, beating them against his
knees to clean them and stuffing them into his mouth.
28. The theme of the passage is :
(1) a description of the devilish British Raj over the eastern nations
(2) a description of the author’s elephant safari
(3) a description of the author’s experiences in the east
(4) a description of the havoc created by the elephant
29. Which of the following is not correct as per the passage?
(1) The author loathed both British and the Burmese.
(2) The author thought that British oppression was not irrevocable.
(3) The author as a police officer was not sure he could do something .
(4) None of the above.
30. The striking aspect of this passage is that:
(1) it terminates just when the real story is about to begin.
(2) it succinctly captures the true nature of the British Raj.
(3) it is a reflection of the true feelings of an Anglo-Indian officer.
(4) it gives you, in a nutshell, the real moral of the elephant story.

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31. The author is likely to agree with the statement that:

A. he wanted to paint a true picture of heroism before the natives
B. he wanted to show the elephant its real place
C. he did not really want to kill the elephant
(1) only A (2) only B
(3) only C (4) none of these
32. The author is likely to agree with the statement that:
A. a story in the east cannot be relied upon in the first instant
B. he had genuine plans to contribute his bit to the downfall of imperialism
C. his stay at Burma was an eye-opener because he witnessed the true strength
of an elephant in full fury
(1) only A (2) only B
(3) A and B (4) A and C
33. The man crushed to death by the elephant:
(1) was an escaped coolie prisoner
(2) made a gory vision that was not advisable for the young to see
(3) was the old woman’s husband
(4) was the author’s bodyguard
34. The author’s attitude towards the Burmese was one of
(1) pity (2) loathing
(3) love (4) indifference
35. The author sent for his gun
(1) to defend himself from the elephant
(2) to defend himself from the crowd
(3) to kill the elephant
(4) all of the above

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TEST – 7
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
There has always prevailed among that part of mankind that addict their minds to
speculation, a propensity to talk much of the delights of retirement; and some of the
most pleasing compositions produced in every age contain descriptions of the peace
and happiness of a country life.
I know not whether those who thus ambitiously repeat the praises of solitude, have
always considered, how much they depreciate mankind by declaring that whatever
is excellent or desirable is to be obtained by departing from them; that the assistance
which we may derive from one another is not equivalent to the evils which we have
to fear; that the kindness of a few is overbalanced by the malice of the many; and
that the protection of society is too dearly purchased, by encountering its dangers
and enduring its oppressions.
These specious representations of solitary happiness, however opprobrious to human
nature, have so far spread their influence over the world, that almost every man
delights his imagination with the hopes of obtaining some time an opportunity to
retreat. Many indeed, who enjoy retreat only in imagination, content themselves
with believing, that another year will transport them to rural tranquillity, and die
while they talk of doing what if they had lived longer they would never have done.
But many likewise there are, either of greater resolution or more credulity, who in
earnest try the state which they have been taught to think thus secure from cares and
dangers; and retire to privacy, either that they may improve their happiness, increase
their knowledge, or exalt their virtue.
The greater part of the admirers of solitude, as of all other classes of mankind, have
no higher or remoter view, than the present gratification of their passions. Of these
some, haughty and impetuous, fly from society only because they cannot bear to
repay to others the regard which themselves exact, and think no state of life eligible,
but that which places them out of the reach of censure or control, and affords them
opportunities of living in a perpetual compliance with their own inclinations, without
the necessity of regulating their actions by any other man’s convenience or opinion.
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There are others with minds more delicate and tender, easily offended by every
deviation from rectitude, soon disgusted by ignorance or impertinence, and always
expecting from the conversation of mankind, more elegance, purity and truth than
the mingled mass of life will easily afford. Such men are in haste to retire from
grossness, falsehood and brutality; and hope to find in private habitations at least a
negative felicity, and exemption from the shocks and perturbations with which public
scenes are continually distressing them.
To neither of these votaries will solitude afford that content, which she has been
taught so lavishly to promise. The man of arrogance will quickly discover, that by
escaping from his opponents he has lost his flatterers, that greatness is nothing
where it is not seen, and power is nothing where it cannot be felt: and he, whose
faculties are employed in too close an observation of failures and defects, will find
his condition very little mended by transferring his attention from others to himself;
he will probably soon come back in quest of new objects, and be glad to keep his
captiousness employed on any character rather than his own.
Others are seduced into solitude merely by the authority of great names, and expect
to find those charms in tranquillity which have allured statesmen and conquerors to
the shades: these likewise are apt to wonder at their disappointment, from want of
considering, that those whom they aspire to imitate, carried with them to their country
seats, minds full with subjects of reflection, the consciousness of great merit, the
memory of illustrious actions, the knowledge of important events, and the seeds of
mighty designs to be ripened by future meditation. Solitude was to such men a
release from fatigue, and an opportunity of usefulness. But what can retirement
confer upon him, who, having done nothing, can receive no support from his own
importance, who having known nothing can find no entertainment in reviewing the
past, and who intending nothing can form no hopes from prospects of the future: he
can, surely, take no wiser course, than that of losing himself again in the crowd, and
filling the vacuities of his mind with the news of the day.
Others consider solitude as the parent of philosophy, and retire in expectation of
greater intimacies with science. These men have not always reason to repent. Some
studies require a continued prosecution of the same train of thought, such as is too
often interrupted by the petty avocations of common life: sometimes, likewise, it is
necessary, that a multiplicity of objects be at once present to the mind; and every
thing, therefore, must be kept at a distance, which may perplex the memory, or
dissipate the attention.

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But though learning may be conferred by solitude, its application must be attained
by general converse. He has learned to no purpose, that is not able to teach; and he
will always teach unsuccessfully, who cannot recommend his sentiments by his
diction or address.
Even the acquisition of knowledge is often much facilitated by the advantages of
society: he that never compares his notions with those of others, readily acquiesces
in his first thoughts, and very seldom discovers the objections which may be raised
against his opinions; he, therefore, often thinks himself in possession of truth, when
he is only finding an error long since exploded. He that has neither companions nor
rivals in his studies, will always applaud his own progress, and think highly of his
performances, because he knows not that others have equalled or excelled him. And
I am afraid it may be added, that the student who withdraws himself from the world,
will soon feel that ardour extinguished which praise or emulation had enkindled,
and take the advantage of secrecy to sleep rather than to labour.
There remains yet another set of recluses, whose intention entitles them to higher
respect, and whose motives deserve a more serious consideration. These retire from
the world, not merely to bask in ease or gratify curiosity, but that being disengaged
from common cares, they may employ more time in the duties of religion, that they
may regulate their actions with stricter vigilance, and purity their thoughts by more
frequent meditation.
To men thus elevated above the mists of mortality, I am far from presuming myself
qualified to give directions. On him that appears “to pass through things temporary
with no other care than “not to lose finally the things eternal”, I look with such
veneration as inclines me to approve his conduct in the whole, without a minute
examination of its parts; yet I could never forebear to wish, that while vice is every
day multiplying seducements, and stalking forth with more hardened effrontery,
virtue, would preserve dignity by open and undaunted perseverance in the right.
Piety practised in solitude, like the flower that blooms in the desert, may give its
fragrance to the winds of heaven, and delight those unbodied spirits that survey the
works of God and the actions of men; but it bestows no assistance upon earthly
beings, and however free from taints of impurity, yet wants the sacred splendour of
beneficence.
Our Maker, who, though he gave us such varieties of temper and such difference of
powers yet designed us all for happiness, undoubtedly intended that we should
obtain that happiness by different means. Some are unable to resist the temptations
of importunity, or the impetuosity of their own passions incited by the force of
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present temptations: of these, it is undoubtedly the duty to fly from enemies which
they cannot conquer, and to cultivate, in the calm of solitude, that virtue which is
too tender to endure the tempests of public life. But there are others, whose passions
grow more strong and irregular in privacy; and who cannot maintain an uniform
tenor of virtue, but by exposing their manners to the public eye, and assisting the
admonitions of conscience with the fear of infamy: for such it is dangerous to exclude
all witnesses of their conduct, till they have formed strong habits of virtue, and
weakened their passions by frequent victories. But there is a higher order of men so
inspirited with ardour, and so fortified with resolution, that the world passes before
them without influence or regard: these ought to consider themselves as appointed
the guardians of mankind; they are placed in an evil world, to exhibit public examples
of good life; and may be said, when they withdraw to solitude, to desert the station
which Providence assigned them.
1. The author feels that retiring to the country side can be totally useless for
people who :
(1) in their daily lives have ample amount of subjects to reflect upon
(2) are distressed by the miseries of the practical world
(3) expect to find happiness because several other great men did
(4) want to increase their knowledge
2. The author would definitely agree with all of the following except that:
(1) solitude offers a unique opportunity to learn
(2) retirement is peaceful for a person who cannot review the past
(3) practical life will not always be merciful and sophisticated
(4) many who escape from the daily life, do so in order to retain a false sense
of independence
3. The best title for the passage would be :
(1) Lessons from solitude (2) Retirement: Pros and Cons
(3) True nature of social beings (4) Solitude : The mesmerizing placebo
4. The author is all praises for those who seek the bliss of solitude to :
(1) pursue the higher philosophical traditions of a linear train of thought
(2) reach the hidden depths of their own being
(3) meditate and indulge in religious duties
(4) improve their teaching skills

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5. The author is least likely to agree with the idea that:

(1) although all humans are different, God gave them a common quest for
happiness
(2) those having no control over their behaviour are dangerous in solitude
(3) a virtue not present in the daily life cannot be developed in solitude
(4) None of the above
6. The “Guardians of Mankind”:
(1) are man-made devils (2) are saints and angels
(3) are policemen (4) are stoical by nature
7. The author feels that every man :
(1) would like to pendulate between solitude and tempestuous public life
(2) wants solitude at some point of time
(3) deserves solitude at some point of time
(4) is capable of philosophical pursuits in solitude
8. The ‘negative felicity’ mentioned in the passage :
(1) connotes a sense of eternal pride
(2) denotes a false sense of opprobrium
(3) highlights the dangers of public life
(4) refers to a false sense of security
9. Those who seek solitude to have a tryst with science are always disappointed.
(1) True (2) False
(3) Can’t say (4) Indeterminate

PASSAGE – II
Personal leadership is one of the most-studied topics in American life. Far less-
studied, and more important, is group leadership. The problems we face are too
complex to be solved by any one person or any one discipline. Our only chance is to
bring together people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, who can refract
a problem through the prism of complementary minds allied in common purpose. I
call such collections of talent ‘Great Groups’. The genius of Great Groups is that
they get remarkable people to work together to get results. But these groups serve a
second, and equally important, function: they provide psychic support and personal
fellowship. Without a sounding-board arrangement and perspective when we hit a
roadblock, we’d all lose our way.
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To see what makes Great Groups tick, I studied some of the most noteworthy groups
of our time, including the Manhattan Project; the computer revolutionaries at Xerox’s
Palp Alto Research Center (PARC) and Apple Computer, whose work led to the
Macintosh; the Lockheed Skunk Works, which pioneered the fast, efficient
development of top-secret aircraft; and the Walt Disney Studio animators. Every
Great Group is extraordinary in its own way, but my study suggests 10 principles
common to all of them, which apply as well to their larger organizations.
At the heart of every Great Group is a shared dream. All Great Groups believe that
they are on a mission from God, that they could change the world, make a dent in
the universe.
They manage conflict by abandoning individual egos to the pursuit of the dream. At
a critical point in the Manhattan Project, George Kistiakowsky, a great chemist,
threatened to quit because he couldn’t get along with a colleague. Project Leader
Robert Oppenheimer simply said:”George, how can you, the free world hangs in
the balance.”
They are protected from the “suits” Great Groups have disdain for corporate
overseers, and are protected from them by a leader, not necessarily the leader who
defines the dream.
They have a real or invented enemy. Even a noble mission can be helped by an
onerous opponent. During their greatest years, Apple Computer’s implicit mission
was: Bury IBM.
They view themselves as winning underdogs. World-changing groups are, usually,
populated by mavericks, people at the periphery of their disciplines.
Members pay a personal price. Divorces, affairs, and other emotional fallouts are
typical, especially when a project ends. So, Great Groups strike a Faustian bargain
for the intensity and energy they generate.
Great Groups make strong leaders. On the one hand, they’re non-hierarchical, open,
and egalitarian. On the other, they have strong leaders. That’s paradox of group
leadership. Great Groups are the product of meticulous recruiting. it took
Oppenheimer to get a George Kistiakowsky and a Niels Bohr to come to his
godforsaken outpost in the desert.
Great Groups are, usually, young. Youth provides the physical stamina demanded
by these groups. But they are also young in their spirit, ethos, and culture. Most
important, because they’re young and naive, their members don’t know what’s
supposed to be impossible.

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Steve Jobs constantly reminded the Apple renegades that their work meant nothing
unless they brought a great product (Real artistship) to market. Great Groups have
to produce a tangible outcome external to themselves.
These principles not only define the nature of Great Groups, they also redefine the
roles of leaders. Despite their differences in style, the leaders of such groups share
four behavioural traits. Without exception, the leaders of Great Groups Provide
direction and meaning, Generate and sustain trust, Display a bias toward action,
risk-taking, and curiosity, and are purveyors of hope.
Great Groups remind us how much we can really accomplish by working towards a
shared purpose. They rely on many long-established practices of good management.
But they also remind us of Luciano de Crescanzo’s observation that” we are all
angels with only one wing. We can only fly while embracing one another.” In the
end, Great Groups cannot be managed; they can only be led in flight.
10. Which according to the author is more important .
(1) personal leadership (2) group leadership
(3) shared leadership (4) none.
11. How many ‘Great Groups’ did the author study?
(1) Two, (2) Four
(3) Five (4) Six.
12. What do the 10 principles underlying great organizations suggest?
(1) Defining nature of Great Groups
(2) Redefining the role of leaders.
(3) Defining shared leadership
(4) (1) & (2)
13. “We are angels with only one wing” was said by
(1) Luciano de Crescanzo (2) George Kistiakowsky
(3) Niels Bohr (4) None
14. What is the 2nd most important function of ‘Great Groups’.
(1) Getting remarkable people to work together and get results.
(2) Psychic support and personal fellowship.
(3) Serving as personal encouragement.
(4) (1) & (2)

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15. Why did Mr. Kistiakowsky threaten to quit the project?

(1) He was bored of his job.
(2) His job gave him a lot of work.
(3) He could not get along with a colleague.
(4) He had a new job.
16. Leaders of Great Groups do all the following except
(1) generate trust among employees
(2) give direction to company
(3) provide hope.
(4) write a mission statement.
17. Of the 10 principles the following are true except
(1) existence of an opponent (2) strong leaders.
(3) young spiritual people. (4) motivational ability.
18. According to Steve Jobs, everything was useless
(1) unless a great product was brought to the market
(2) if a product has more appeal
(3) if a great product was unique
(4) (1) & (3)
19. The tone of the passage is
(1) sarcastic (2) humorous
(3) descriptive (4) ironical
20. In context to the passage, the word “egalitarian” means:
(1) dynamic
(2) highly competitive
(3) holding the principle of equal rights
(4) winning underdogs
21. Talking about the Great Groups, all of the following are true, except:
(1) Great Groups have disdain for corporate overseers.
(2) Great Groups are the product of meticulous recruiting.
(3) Great Groups constitute people from similar backgrounds having a common
mindset and purpose.
(4) Great Groups usually constitute young people.

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22. It can be safely concluded that the source of the given extract is:
(1) a newspaper article (2) a research paper
(3) a book on “Great Groups” (4) cannot be ascertained

PASSAGE – III
She was the personification of female allure until Marilyn Monroe replaced her in
the public mind and heart years later. She was known as the “Platinum Blonde”
during the Golden Age of Hollywood -1930s. Most of her roles were created specially
to suit her blonde beauty, scorching screen presence and her inborn flair for comedy.
Her appearances enraged puritans, American women’s associations and film censors
in her heyday. In her short life of mere twenty and six years she became a legend
that still lives. Yet, her real life was in sharp contrast to her reel life. It was tragic,
painful and pathetic. In spite of scandals, shocking stories about her, she was an
affectionate, lovable intellectual, a much-maligned young woman craving for love
and affection. More sinned against than sinning. Such a remarkable star, Hollywood’s
immortal movie icon is Jean Harlow.
Her movie career was short, lasting less than a decade but some of her films created
film history. Such films include “Hell’s Angels” (1930), “The Public Enemy” (1931),
“Red - Headed Woman” (1932), “Red Dust” (1932) “Dinner At Eight” (1933) and
“Blonde Bombshell” (1933). In most of her films, she played the lovely temptress.
Harlean Carpenter was born on March 3,1911 in Kansas city, Missouri. Her father
was a dentist and her mother’s maiden name was Jean Harlow, the name she took in
movie and made it immortal. Her father left the family in the lurch when the daughter
was only nine. She lived with her maternal grandparents who were ardent Christian
scientists. The parting proved traumatic and she sought the father figure in her men.
At fifteen she eloped with a rich man and married him but it did not last long. Her
second husband, the ill-fated Paul Bern was a noted Hollywood producer much
older to her. Interestingly, she always called him “Daddy!”.
Paul Bern (1889-1932) was one of Louis B. Mayer’s screenwriters and trusted men
and later producer at MGM who directed a few films. A troubled man with a
complicated personal life he fell for Jean Harlow and after a flowering courtship
the two married in 1932. Within a month he was found dead with gunshot wounds,
a suicide note and the lethal gun in his hand. The scandal press went to town carrying
titillating tales about her. Indeed “the Bern affair” is still being discussed after nearly
seventy long years. Many articles and books have been written about it and one is

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titled, “Jean Harlow: the Murder of Paul Bern”. She was in love with him, twenty-
two years senior to her, and with his interest in writing, movies, and other arts he
was a father-figure and an affectionate companion to her.
To support her mother, Jean arrived in Los Angeles looking for work. Her photos
were seen by the comedy film maker, Hal Roach who cast her in a Laurel and
Hardy movie, “Double Whoopee” (1929) in a minor but visible role. She played a
similar role in the Chaplin classic, “City Lights” (1931).
Jean’s life and career took a soaring sweep upwards when the invisible, intriguing
and eccentric billionaire and dabbler in movies, Howard Hughes cast her in his film
about fliers, “Hell’s Angels” (1930). Hughes built up Jean as a sex symbol.
She became a superstar with the hit classic “Red Dust” (1932). She played the role
of a woman who seduces a writer on his honeymoon in Indo-China. The man was
“the King of Hollywood”, Clark Gable and the modest bride was the famed star,
Mary Astor. The male lead was originally intended for Silent Movie superstar and
another movie icon, John Gilbert but Louis B. Mayer replaced him with Gable for
much reasons, one of them was the unsuitability of Gilbert’s voice for talkies.
The change in casting proved the factor for the enormous success of the movie and
its classic status. (This film was remade twice and “Mogambo” (1954) proved a
major success. It had Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and again Clark Gable who repeated
his role after 22 years. The locale was shifted to Kenya and the hero was a hunter.
Ava was the seductress. It was directed by the movie maestro, John Ford.)
Another film that elevated Jean to new peaks of popularity was the classic and box-
office bonanza “Dinner At Eight” (1933), produced by the brilliant movie moghul,
David O. Selznick and based on a Broadway hit play by the master playwright,
George Kaufman and noted writer, Edna Ferber, the celluloid poet George Cukor
made it into a movie classic. It had a starstudded cast, John Barrymore, Lionel
Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Billy Burke, Marie Dressier and Jean Harlow, Jean
plays Beery’s wife who spends her time in bed eating chocolates and entertaining
her doctor-lover.
After the tragic death of Paul Bern in a daring movie David Selznick wrote a story
and produced “Reckless” (1935) in which he cast Jean as a stage star with whom
her agent is in love.
The film was inspired to some extent by Jean’s tragic life. Her hero was the suave
and handsome star, William Powell. She fell in love with him and both planned to
get married. But sadly that was not to be. While shooting “Saratoga” Jean collapsed

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on the set with kidney infection which needed an emergency surgery. But her mother
by now a staunch Christian scientist prevented any medical aid for it was against
her religion which relied only on prayer to cure illness. Jean Harlow died on June 7,
1937.
She was only 26. Many books, more than many articles have been written about her.
A movie “Harlow” was made in 1965 with Carol Baker, Peter Lawford and Angela
Lansbury. It was however more fiction than fact and film history. A TV film was
also made with Carol Lynley and Ginger Rogers in the 1960s and it was converted
into a film by the “Electronovision” but it caused few ripples.
23. Jean Harlow’s appearances enraged
(1) film censors (2) american women’s associations
(3) puritans (4) all the above
24. Jean Harlow had her first brush with real success
(1) after the success of City Lights, the chaplin movie classic
(2) after the enormous success of Red Dust
(3) only after Mogambo became a major success
(4) when she was cast as a sex-symbol by Howard Hughes
25. The Jean Harlow film created in 1933 was
(1) Red Headed Woman (2) Red Dust
(3) Dinner At Eight (4) Public Enemy
26. According to the passage, female allure is personified by
(1) Marilyn Monroe (2) Jean Harlow
(3) Both (4) None of the above
27. According to the passage, Jean Harlow’s movie of 1935
(1) Reckless (2) Red Dust
(3) Mogambo (4) None of the above
28. According to the passage, the movie shot after her death was
(1) Saratoga (2) Reckless
(3) The Public Enemy (4) Harlow
29. Jean died because of
(1) medical aid (2) brain tumor
(3) kidney infection (4) surgery

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30. Why did Harlow always call her husband Paul Bern ‘Daddy’
(1) She has seen her lost father in her husband
(2) Her husband was over-protective
(3) She always resented her father’s desertion
(4) She sought her father figure in him
31. Who starred opposite Jean in Reckless?
(1) Pauls Beery (2) David Selznick
(3) William Powell (4) Jackie Chan
32. Which of the following is not Jean Horlow movie
(1) Double Whoopee (2) Blonde Bombshell
(3) Mogambo (4) Hell’s Angel
33. Who gave Jean Horlow her first break in the motion picture industry
(1) Paul Bern (2) Howord Hughes
(3) David Selzmish (4) Hal Roach

PASSAGE – IV
What do a restaurateur, an architect, an entertainment executive, and a housewife
have in common? Answer: All are individuals who are looking to Feng Shui for
prosperity, balance, and well-being in their lives, or in the lives of their clients.
Feng Shui is experiencing a tremendous growth here in the United States and all
other areas of the world. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Western Europe,
and Brazil are all seeking information about Feng Shui and what place it holds in
their culture and lives. Internet Usenet, web sites, books, television and other forms
of media all contain an ambient buzz about Feng Shui.
So why is there this resurgence in popularity of a 2000+year-old practice? What are
people looking to have Feng Shui accomplish in their lives? Why now, is Feng Shui
becoming something that everyone wants to have? There are so many questions
about the timing of this expansion of Feng Shui. People are seeking this information
from the Internet, books, and by word-of-mouth. Feng Shui holds a lot of answers
that people are seeking today.
With the new millennium relatively a few days away, people are looking for answers.
At the end of every century there are doomsayers, predictions of disasters, and
seekers of new information. If you watch today’s popular media, including movies,
books, and television, you will find more and more information about disaster
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prediction, end of the world stories, and other forms of negativity. Why? Because
more and more people are buying this idea “end of the millennium” and “end of the
world” stories as the century mark comes closer.
Feng Shui is about balance, comfort and harmony. Feng Shui is not a religion or a
mystical belief. Rather, it is a science that offers the ability to create a balance in
your dwelling or place of work. It is no coincidence that with the end of this
millennium, we are in a Tui (#7) cycle of Feng Shui. Tui is the Trigram that is
associated with entertainment and communication. The movie industry is booming
and the Internet is leading to communication never before seen in the world.
So is Feng Shui frivolous and a passing fad? Definitely not! Why? Because Feng
Shui is not a fad, rather, it has been a means to build one’s prosperity and well-being
for more than two millennia. Its resurgence in popularity might be attributed to this
time period, but the science of Feng Shui remains squarely rooted in architecture,
astronomy, physics, and design. The definition of science is as follows:
1. a. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and
theoretical explanation of phenomena.
b. Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena.
c. Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study.
2. Methodological activities, discipline, or study.
3. Knowledge, especially that gained through experience.
Feng Shui uses observation, repeatable calculations and methodologies, and is based
on the study of the environment around, both inside and out. Kan Yu, the original
name for Feng Shui, means “Raise the head and observe the sky above. Lower the
head and observe the environment around us.” More precisely, Feng Shui is the
scientific study of the natural and built environment. Chinese Geomancy is another
way of describing Feng Shui. Geomancy can be described as “Earth Wisdom”. All
in all, it is the study of environmental effects on people.
Feng Shui, at its most basic level, is about helping people. People are seeing the
benefits of properly aligning their homes, offices, and new developments within the
principles of Feng Shui. Utilizing these principles, people are creating comfortable,
safe, and re-energizing environments for themselves and the people who visit their
buildings or dwellings. More and more, architecture is seeking to use Feng Shui
concepts. People are demanding it. With proper Feng Shui principles applied, people
can see the results of happier attitudes, more prosperity, more sense of harmony and
balance, and an improvement in health and well-being.
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Clients have reported many results directly attributed to Feng Shui. One man had
his asthma disappear. Salespeople report their sales have increased. Couples have
realized a sense of calm in their relationship. People from all cross-sections of life
are utilizing Feng Shui to create improvements in their environment, thus creating
improvements in their lives.
With society and media creating false impressions of doom and gloom, Feng Shui
is finding resurgence due to this solace spirit in people. They are looking for some
order in this fast paced world. They go home to become grounded again. If in the
chaos of modern living, one can find balance and harmony in their home or office
through applying Feng Shui, doesn’t it make sense that people utilize this age-old
science?
34. As per the passage,
(1) There is a resurgence in the popularity of Feng Shui
(2) Feng Shui is both a science and an art
(3) Society and media is creating a false prediction of doom and despondency
today
(4) None of the above
35. Today’s popular media
(1) is finding resurgence in spirits
(2) is predicting disaster and negativity
(3) is very reliable and popular with a very large section of the population
(4) is fast paced
36. Feng Shui
(1) is an art about balance, comfort and harmony
(2) is not a religion or a mystical belief
(3) is a science that offers the ability to create a balance at home or office
(4) all of the above
37. The writer considers that
(1) The interest in Feng Shui is transitory
(2) Feng Shui holds the key to success and creativity in children
(3) Feng Shui has been a means to build one’s prosperity and well-being for
more than two millennia
(4) The millennium bug has affected the popularity of Feng Shui

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38. The Tui cycle

(1) Is a trigram associated with communication
(2) affects Internet and movies
(3) is responsible for technological advances in media
(4) (1) and (3) above
39. Some of the benefits of Feng Shui illustrated in the passage are
(1) boom in the movie and Internet industry
(2) a man had his asthma disappear
(3) salesmen have recorded a growth in their sales
(4) (2) and (3) above
40. The writer is against
(1) popularizing the science of Feng Shui
(2) skeptical of predictions like “the end of the world”
(3) media and Internet
(4) none of the above
41. The passage above is probably written by a
(1) science expert (2) Feng Shui master
(3) Feng Shui annotator (4) new age counsellor
42. The style of writing is
(1) simple and informative (2) stifling and staid
(3) detailed and analytical (4) scientific- and research-based
43. The word “rooted” in the context means
(1) dug up (2) embedded
(3) search (4) eradicate

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TEST – 8
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
Like the majority of educated Indians, I had passively accepted without examination,
before I had read the Veda, the conclusions of European Scholarship, both as to the
religious and as to the historical and ethnical sense of the ancient hymns. In
consequence, following again the ordinary line taken by modernised Hindu opinion,
I regarded the Upanishads as the most ancient source of Indian thought and religion,
the true Veda, the first Book of Knowledge. The Rig-veda in the modern translations
which were all I knew of this profound Scripture, represented for me an important
document of our national history, but seemed of small value or importance for the
history of thought or for a living spiritual experience.
It was my stay in Southern India which first seriously turned my thoughts to the
Veda. Two observations that were forced on my mind gave a serious shock to my
second-hand belief in the racial division between Northern Aryans and Southern
Dravidians. The distinction had always rested for me on a supposed difference
between the physical types of Aryan and Dravidian and a more definite
incompatibility between the northern Sanskritic and the southern non-Sanskritic
tongues. I knew indeed of the later theories which suppose that a single homogeneous
race, Dravidian or Indo-Afghan, inhabits the Indian peninsula; but hitherto I had
not attached much importance to these speculations. I could not, however, be long
in Southern India without being impressed by the general recurrence of northern or
“Aryan” type in the Tamil race. Wherever I turned, I seemed to recognise with a
startling distinctness, not only among the Brahmins but in all castes and classes, the
old familiar faces, features, figures of my friends of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Hindustan,
even though this similarity was less widely spread, of my own province Bengal.
The impression I received was as if an army of all the tribes of the North had
descended on the South and submerged any-previous populations that may have
occupied it. A general impression of a Southern type survived, but it was impossible
to fix it rigidly while studying the physiognomy of individuals. And in the end I

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could not but perceive that what-ever admixtures might have taken place, whatever
regional differences might have been evolved, there remains, behind all variations,
a unity of physical as well as of cultural type throughout India.
But what then of the sharp distinction between Aryan and Dravidian races created
by the philologists? It disappears. If at all an Aryan invasion is admitted, we have
either to suppose that it flooded India and determined the physical type of the people,
with whatever modifications, or that it was the incursion of small bands of a less
civilised race who melted away into the original population. We have then to suppose
that entering a vast peninsula occupied by a civilised people, builders of great cities,
extensive traders, not without mental and spiritual culture, they were yet able to
impose on them their own language, religion, ideas and manners. Such a miracle
would be just possible if the invaders possessed a very highly organised language,
a greater force of creative mind and a more dynamic religious form and spirit.
And there was always the difference of language to support the theory of a meeting
of races. But here also my preconceived ideas were disturbed and confounded. For
on examining the vocables of the Tamil language, in appearance so foreign to the
Sanskritic form and character, I yet found myself continually guided by words or by
families of words supposed to be pure Tamil in establishing new relations between
Sanskrit and its distant sister, Latin, and occasionally, between the Greek and the
Sanskrit. Sometimes the Tamil vocable not only suggested the connection, but proved
the missing link in a family of connected words. And it was through this Dravidian
language that I came first to perceive what seems to me now the true law, origins
and, as it were, the embryology of the Aryan tongues. I was unable to pursue my
examination far enough to establish any definite conclusion, but it certainly seems
to me that the original connection between the Dravidian and Aryan tongues was far
closer and more extensive than is usually supposed and the possibility suggests
itself that they may even have been two divergent families derived from one lost
primitive tongue. If so, the sole remaining evidence of an Aryan invasion of Dravidian
India would be the indications to be found in the Vedic hymns.
It was, therefore, with a double interest that for the first time I took up the Veda in
the original, though without any immediate intention of a close or serious study. It
did not take long to see that the Vedic indications of a racial division between Aryans
and Dravidians and the identification of the latter with the indigenous Indians were
of a far flimsier character than I had supposed. But far more interesting to me was
the discovery of a considerable body of profound psychological thought and

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experience lying neglected in these ancient hymns. And the importance of this
element increased in my view when I found, first, that the mantras” of the” Veda
illuminated with a clear and exact light psychological experiences of my own for
which I had found no sufficient explanation either in European psychology or in the
teachings of Yoga or of Vedanta, so far as I was acquainted with them, and, secondly,
that they shed light on obscure passages and ideas of the Upanishads to which,
previously, I could attach no exact meaning and gave at the same time a new sense
to much in the Puranas.
1. In the context of the passage, the implication of the statement ‘the general
recurrence of northern or Aryan type in Tamil race’ is that
(1) both the Aryan and the Dravidian races share a common ancestor.
(2) there are no physical distinctions between the body types of the Aryans
and the Dravidians.
(3) irrespective of some physical and cultural differences, there are common
aspects between the Aryans and the Dravidians.
(4) it is impossible to delineate physical characters that are specific to any
one race.
2. The author started to think seriously about the Veda during his stay in Southern
India in order to
(1) derive evidence that can support the claim of races unique to North and
South India.
(2) find out the truth regarding the invasion of India by Indo Afghan tribals.
(3) see if the Veda indicated an Aryan invasion of the Dravidian India.
(4) validate his opinion that the North and South Indians are in fact two separate
races.
3. The author concludes the passage saying that
(1) his preconceived idea regarding the Veda has turned out be a misconception.
(2) the Veda was wrongly mentioned as the source of the Aryan and the
Dravidian bifurcation.
(3) the Upanishads were indeed an integral part of the Puranas.
(4) the Veda and the European psychology offer different points of view on
the subject of religions of India.

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4. Regarding the linguistic aspect of the Aryan and the Dravidian differentiation,
the passage says that Tamil seemed to have certain relationship with languages
like
(1) Sanskrit (2) Latin
(3) Greek (4) All the above
5. The tone of the passage is
(1) informative. (2) analytical.
(3) satirical. (4) critical.

PASSAGE – II
The cowhands who make their living in the Pantanal wetland have an unparalleled
lexicon for mud. Plain old mud is just lama - or barro or lodo - as it is anywhere
else in Brazil. But here in the Pantanal, the bare mud where cattle gather around a
gate has its own name: maiado. And so does deeply hoof-pocked mud with sharp
ridges between the pocks: That’s brocoto. Even the season that gives rise to all this
mud has its own Pantanal name. The cheia, they call it, the “full,” when this whole
grand wet-land floods knew-deep, hip-deep, waist-deep, with water.
Lying far south of the Amazon, the Pantanal is a lopsided, 74,000-square-mile wetland
within the Upper Paraguay River Basin, where the borders of Brazil, Paraguay, and
Bolivia meet. It’s one of the world’s largest wetlands - an area more than a third the
size of France. The name translates loosely as “big swampy place,” Pantano being
the Portuguese world for swamp, but the Pantanal is really an alluvial plain, one so
nearly flat that rainwater just loafs across it, flooding it in the full season, draining
away in the dry. Rain begins saturating the ground about November, and gradually
the water starts to rise. The Paraguay River and tributaries swell and overflow, so
that in January, February, and March - in a really full year - only the winding gallery
forests called cordilheiras and the found, hummocky forests called capoes and the
earth that humans have scraped into dikes and munds are dry land. The rest is damp
or muddy or wet or flooded in various degrees. Wading birds, caimans, fish, and
semiaquatic mammals like tapirs and capybaras disperse across the flooded land.
Animals that like to keep their feet dry - jaguars, ocelots, crab-eating foxes, deer
(and often cattle) – crowd into the narrow forests and make do till the waters subside.
In the dry season, roughly May through September, the water withdraws into its
riverbeds and shrinks into rounded, puddle-like ponds called baias, and the whole

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marsh is transformed into a tawny savanna. Wading birds throng the shrinking baias
and sloughs, gorging on stranded fish. When the seasonal ponds dry up and the last
fish are gone, the birds retreat to the forested rivers and streams.
It’s an improbably soggy place for ranching. But since the late 19th century, the
Pantanal has been given over to immense cattle ranches, called fazendas in Brazil,
so lightly placed on the landscape they look more like wildlife refuges than ranches.
It’s a style of cattle ranching imposed by the sharp extremes of the wet and dry
seasons - and that serendipitously has protected this extraordinary ecosystem. As
wetlands all over the world have been degraded and destroyed, the Pantanal, its
abundant wildlife, and its distinctive ranching culture have survived into the present
relatively intact, insulated by the annual floods and the near-feudal distribution of
land. Fiefdoms of half a million acres were once common and still exist today. Bia
Rondon doesn’t think Santa Sophia’s more than 85,000 acres is much to boast of;
her grandfather’s ranch, Fazenda Rio Negro, once sprawled over 692,000 acres.
“You need a lot of land to raise cattle if three-quarters of it is going to be underwater
three months out of every year,” one Pantaneiro explained. “And you won’t bother
undertaking extensive alterations - roads and dikes and buildings. The full season’s
just going to wash them away, if not this year, surely the next. The man of the
Pantanal learned early on that he couldn’t fight the full.” But the insulation of the
full may no longer provide sufficient protection. Industrial soybean and cotton
plantations increasingly dominate the highlands north and east of the Pantanal,
drizzling damaging sediment and herbicides and fertilizers downstream into the
floodplain. Their owners and the multinational corporations they supply exert
relentless pressure on the governments of Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia to deepen
the Paraguay River for oceangoing tankers and to build an all-season highway to
speed their goods to market. These big infrastructure projects, many believe, would
be catastrophic for the fragile hydraulics of the Pantanal.
Beef prices have fallen as cattle ranching expands elsewhere in Brazil, pulling the
Pantanal standard of living down with them. And the grand old ranches are being
whittled away by what Brazilians wryly call “familial agrarian reform” - divided
among heirs with every passing generation until the individual slivers are too small
to provide a living. Too small, that is, unless you clear the forests on elevated ground.
The incentive to clear is high: the more all-season pasture you own, the more cattle
you can graze year-round. But it’s a blow to the wildlife that looks to these forests
for food and shelter, and in the long term it’s a cause of erosion that could lead to

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permanent flooding. Even ecotourism, which now supplements the income of many
ranchers, is seen as a mixed blessing: outsiders encroaching on what has felt like a
private world.
Many Pantaneiros feel their way of life is under siege. “We’ve been good stewards,”
says Bia Rondon. “People come from all over the world to see our wildlife. But a
way of life we’ve taken for granted can no longer be taken for granted. Ranching
works for nature in the Pantanal. We have to find a way to make ranching keep
working for the Pantaneiros. Otherwise the Pantanal as we know it will not survive.”
6. The distinct ecosystem of the Pantanal till now was protected by
(1) the fiercely private Pantaneiros and the fazenda owners.
(2) the unique seasons prevailing there.
(3) the soggy texture of the soil which prevents the free movements of poachers
there.
(4) the governmental regulations that discourage the industry heavy weights
from setting their foot there.
7. If I were standing near a gate where cattle gather, the mud in the cowhand
language of the Pantanal, would be called
(1) maiado (2) brocoto
(3) barro (4) lama
8. The logic behind the size of the grand old ranches as offered by one Pantaneiro
is
(1) that it is the best way to survive the vagaries of the weather there.
(2) the more the land you own, the better the chances of the sustenance of
your cattle.
(3) the general trend of land distribution demands that size.
(4) the absence of any method of familial distribution of land.
9. During the period of January to March, in a full year, a visitor to the Pantanal
ranch would encounter
(1) a relatively lower density of animals like wading birds, caimans, fish on a
flooded piece of land.
(2) animals like jaguars, ocelots, crab-eating foxes, in the forest areas only.
(3) cordilheiras and capoes as dry land.
(4) All the above.

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10. The statement which is not true as per the passage is:
(1) The Paraguay river and its tributaries swell and flood the Pantanal.
(2) The Pantanal is situated closer to the place where the borders of Paraguay,
Brazil and Bolivia meet.
(3) Any drastic changes to the landscape of the Pantanal are usually not
attempted fearing the fury of the full.
(4) Industrial plantations of crops like soybean and cotton can actually push
up the Pantanal standard of living.
PASSAGE – III
Climatic conditions are delicately adjusted to the composition of the Earth’s
atmosphere. If there were a change in the atmosphere—for example, in the relative
proportions of atmospheric gases—the climate would probably change also. A slight
increase in water vapor, for instance, would increase the heat-retaining capacity of
the atmosphere and would lead to a rise in global temperatures. In contrast, a large
increase in water vapor would increase the thickness and extent of the cloud layer,
reducing the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth’s surface.
The level of carbon dioxide, CO2, in the atmosphere has an important effect on
climatic change. Most of the Earth’s incoming energy is short-wavelength radiation,
which tends to pass through atmospheric CO2 easily. The Earth, however, reradiates
much of the received energy as long-wavelength radiation, which CO2 absorbs and
then remits toward the Earth. This phenomenon, known as the greenhouse effect,
can result in an increase in the surface temperature of a planet. An extreme example
of the effect is shown by Venus, a planet covered by heavy clouds composed mostly
of CO2, whose surface temperatures have been measured at 430º. If the CO2 content
of the atmosphere is reduced, the temperature falls. According to one respectable
theory, if the atmospheric CO2 concentration were halved, the Earth would become
completely covered with ice. Another equally respectable theory, however, states
that a halving of the CO2 concentration would lead only to a reduction in global
temperatures of 3º.
If, because of an increase in forest fires or volcanic activity, the CO2 content of the
atmosphere increased, a warmer climate would be produced. Plant growth, which
relies on both the warmth and the availability of CO2 would probably increase. As
a consequence, plants would use more and more CO2. Eventually CO2 levels would
diminish and the climate, in turn, would become cooler. With reduced temperatures
many plants would die; CO2 would thereby be returned to the atmosphere and
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gradually the temperature would rise again. Thus, if this process occurred, there
might be a long-term oscillation in the amount of CO2 present in the atmosphere,
with regular temperature increases and decreases of a set magnitude.
Some climatologists argue that the burning of fossil fuels has raised the level of
CO2 in the atmosphere and has caused a global temperature increase of at least 1º.
But a supposed global temperature rise of 1º may in reality be only several regional
temperature increases, restricted to areas where there are many meteorological
stations and caused simply by shifts in the pattern of atmospheric circulation. Other
areas, for example the Southern Hemisphere oceanic zone, may be experiencing an
equivalent temperature decrease that is unrecognized because of the shortage of
meteorological recording stations.
11. The passage supplies information for answering which of the following
questions?
(1) Why are projections of the effects of changes in water vapor levels on the
climate so inaccurate?
(2) What are the steps in the process that takes place as CO2 absorbs long-
wavelength radiation?
(3) How might our understanding of the greenhouse effect be improved if the
burning of fossil fuels were decreased?
(4) What might cause a series of regular increases and decreases in the amount
of CO2 in the atmosphere?
12. The author is primarily concerned with
(1) explaining the effects that the burning of fossil fuels might have on climate
(2) illustrating the effects of CO2 on atmospheric radiation
(3) discussing effects that changes in the CO2 level in the atmosphere might
have on climate
(4) challenging hypotheses about the effects of water vapor and CO2 on climate
13. The passage suggests that a large decrease in the amount of CO2 in the
atmosphere would result in
(1) at least a slight decrease in global temperatures
(2) at the most a slight increase in short-wavelength radiation reaching the
Earth
(3) a slight long-term increase in global temperatures
(4) a large long-term increase in the amount of volcanic activity

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14. The author refers to Venus primarily in order to

(1) show the inherent weakness of the greenhouse effect theory
(2) show that the greenhouse effect works on other planets but not on Earth
(3) show the extent to which Earth’s atmosphere differs from that of Venus
(4) support the argument that the CO2 level in the atmosphere has a significant
effect on surface temperature.
15. The passage suggests that if there were a slight global warming at the present
time, it would be
(1) easy to measure the exact increase in temperature because of the abundance
of temperature recording stations throughout the world
(2) difficult to measure the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere because of
local variations in amounts
(3) easy to demonstrate the effects of the warming on the water vapor in the
atmosphere
(4) difficult to prove that the warming was caused by the burning of fossil
fuels
16. The discussion of climate in the passage suggests which of the following
conclusion?
I. Climate is not perfectly stable, and it response to the composition of the
environment.
II. We are unable at present to measure global temperature changes precisely.
III. The most important cause of regional climatic fluctuations is the change
in CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
(1) I only (2) III only
(3) I and II only (4) II and III only
17. All of the following can be found in the author’s discussion of climate EXCEPT
(1) a statement about the effects of increased volcanic activity on the Earth’s
temperatures
(2) an indication of the effect of an increase in water vapor in the atmosphere
(3) a contrast between two theories about the effects of a lowering of CO2
levels in the atmosphere
(4) a generalization about the efficiency of meteorological recording stations

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PASSAGE – IV
Culture pertains to those aspects of society which are learned, rather than inherited.
The process by which children, or other new members of society, learn the way of
life of their society is called socialisation. Socialisation is the primary channel for
the transmission of culture over time and generations. Animals down on the
evolutionary scale are capable of fending for themselves very soon after they are
born, with little or no help from adults. Higher animals, however, have to learn
appropriate ways of behaviour - the young are often completely helpless at birth
and have to be cared for by their elders. Human infants are the most helpless of all;
a human child cannot survive unaided for at least the first four or five years of life.
Socialisation, therefore, is the process whereby the helpless infant gradually becomes
a self-aware, knowledgeable person, skilled in the ways, of the culture into which
she or he is born. Socialisation is not a kind of ‘cultural programming,’ in which the
child absorbs passively the influences with which he or she comes into contact.
Even the most recent newborn infant has needs and demands that affect the behaviour
of those responsible of its care: the child is from the beginning an active being.
Socialisation connects the different generations to one another. The birth of a child
alters the lives of those who are responsible for its upbringing and they themselves
therefore undergo new learning experiences. Parenting usually ties the activities of
adults to children for the remainder of all of their lives. Older people remain parents
when they become grandparents, of course, thus forging another set of relationships
connecting different generations with each other. Socialisation, therefore, should
be seen as a lifelong process in which human behaviour is continually shaped by
social interactions. It allows individuals to develop themselves and their potential,
to learn and to make adjustments.
Sociologists often speak of socialisation as occurring in two broad phases, involving
a number of different agencies of socialisation. Agencies of socialisation are groups
or social contexts in which significant processes of socialisation occur. Primary
socialisation occurs in infancy and childhood and is the most intense period of
cultural learning. It is the time when children learn language and basic behavioural
patterns which form the foundation for later learning. The family is the main agent
of socialisation during this phase. Secondary socialisation takes place later in
childhood and into maturity. In this phase, other agents of socialisation take over
some of the responsibility from the family. Schools, peer groups, organisations, the
media and eventually the workplace become socialising forces for individuals. Social

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interactions in these contexts help people learn the values, norms and beliefs which
make up the patterns of their culture.
Through the process of socialisation, individuals learn about social roles - socially
defined expectations that a person in a given social position follows. Some
sociologists, particularly those associated with the functionalist school, regard social
roles as fixed and relatively unchanging parts of a society’s culture. They are taken
as social facts. According to such a view, individuals learn the expectations that
surround social positions in their particular culture and perform those roles largely
as they have been defined. Social roles do not involve negotiation or creativity.
Through socialisation, individuals internalise social roles and learn how to carry
them out. This view, however, is mistaken. In fact, socialisation is a process in
which humans can exercise agency; they are not simply passive subjects waiting to
be instructed or programmed.
The cultural settings in which we are born and come to maturity influence our
behaviour, but that does not mean that humans are robbed of individuality or free
will. We might seem to be merely stamped into preset moulds which society has
prepared for us. Some sociologists do tend to write about socialisation as though
this were the case; but such a view is fundamentally flawed. The fact that from birth
to death we are involved in interaction with others certainly conditions our
personalities, the values we hold and the behaviour we engage in. Yet socialisation
is also at the origin of our very individuality and freedom. In the course of
socialisation, each of us develops a sense of identity and the capacity for independent
thought and action.
The concept of identity in sociology is a multifaceted one, and can be approached
in a number of ways. Broadly speaking, identity relates to the understandings people
hold about who they are and what is meaningful to them. These understandings are
formed in relation to certain attributes that hold priority over other sources of
meaning. Some of the main sources of identity include gender, sexual orientation,
nationality or ethnicity, and social class. There are two types of identity often spoken
of by sociologists: social identity and self-identity (or personal identity). These
forms of identity are analytically distinct, but are closely related to one another.
Social identity refers to the characteristics that are attributed to an individual by
others. These can be seen as markers that indicate who, in a basic sense, that person
is. At the same time, they place that person in relation to other individuals who
share the same attributes. Many individuals have social identities comprising more
than one attribute. While this plurality of social identities can be a potential source
of conflict for people, most individuals organise meaning and experience in their
lives around a primary identity which is fairly continuous across time and place.

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If social identities mark ways in which individuals are the same as others, self-
identity (or personal identity) sets us apart as distinct individuals. Self-identity refers
to the process of self-development through which we formulate a unique sense of
ourselves and our relationship to the world around us. The notion of self-identity
draws heavily on the work of symbolic interactionists. It is the individual’s constant
negotiation with the outside world that helps to create and shape his or her sense of
self. The process of interaction between self and society helps to link an individual’s
personal and public worlds. While the cultural and social environment is a factor in
shaping self-identity, individual agency and choice are of central importance.
18. According to sociologists belonging to the functionalist school of thought,
social roles
(1) are prescriptive in nature and they contain and direct individual’s behaviour.
(2) help us integrate ourselves into the process of socialisation.
(3) rob individual of his self styled goals.
(4) are independent of any cultural setting.
19. Identify the option that does not qualify to be considered a social identity.
(1) The student (2) The homeless
(3) The lawyer (4) None of the above
20. The bond between the parents and child
(1) underlies many processes of primary socialisation.
(2) prepares the child for more formal agents like schools in the process of
secondary socialisation.
(3) is the starting point of the initiation of a child into a social way of living.
(4) is the basis for all the above three processes.
21. The view which seems to be ‘fundamentally flawed’ about the process of
socialisation is:
(1) Since we come under the influence of our cultural setting, we tend to lose
our independent thought and action.
(2) The friction due to multiple social identities is difficult to be resolved by
the individual alone.
(3) Individuals simply take on roles rather than creating or negotiating them.
(4) The process of creating self-identity often involves subjugation of
individual opinions to societal pressure.

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TEST – 9
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
The lens of the eye is the only transparent tissue in the human body. In the past few
years, scientists have determined that this transparency - critical for focusing light
— stems in large part from the unique ability of the lens to activate a self-destruct
programme in its cells that aborts just before completion, leaving empty but
sustainable cells that transmit visible rays.
A better understanding of how lens cells become and remain transparent should
suggest ways to prevent lens-clouding cataracts. More than half of all Americans
older than 65 develop these sight-blocking occlusions. The only recourse is to
surgically remove the person’s lens and insert an artificial implant, and even then,
complications requiring a second operation occur in a large proportion of patients.
Given that cataracts affect primarily older people, for whom any kind of surgery is
worrisome, a method to slow, stop or reverse cataracts would be a great aid indeed.
Beyond protecting vision, improved knowledge of how the lens tightly controls
cell suicide could reveal ways to treat debilitating conditions characterised by
excessive or inappropriate cell death, chief among them Parkinson’s disease,
Alzheimer’s disease and chronic infectious such as AIDS.
The eye’s lens is a biological marvel, being at once dense, flexible and clear. If it
bore the slightest obscurities, our visual world would be a fun house of warped and
blurred images and glare. And if the lens had any hint of colour, it would absorb
light, preventing us from seeing certain shades. Many animals possess translucent
parts, such as insect wings, but truly transparent tissue in nature is rare and difficult
to achieve. In humans the cornea is clear, but it is more a thin, gelatinous layer of
proteins and sugars than true cellular tissue. The lens comprises about 1,000 layers
of perfectly clear, living cells. Other than vision, the only significant exploitation of
transparency in the natural world occurs among certain ocean and freshwater
creatures, which use the trait to blend into the open water and hide from predators.
Yet almost all these animals, such as jellyfish, qualify only as “very translucent,”
not totally see-through.

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Transparency is unusual because cells have organelles — internal structures such as

the nucleus (which stores DNA), the energy-producing mitochondria, and the Golgi
apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum, which are important in the synthesis of proteins
and lipids. Each structure has its own refractive index, and when a light ray crosses
an area where the index changes, the light scatters, creating a degree of opaqueness.
The lens has no melanins and no blood supply. Yet that alone is not enough for
transparency. Cartilage has no melanin or blood supply and is colourless, but it is at
best translucent. That is because in virtually all tissues, cells or fibres are oriented at
various angles, creating different refractive indices that scatter light as it passes
through. The lens is composed of only one cell type, and the cells are precisely
aligned.
Given that lens cells have no blood supply, no connective or nervous tissue, and no
organelles, can they even be considered alive? The answer depends on how “life” is
defined. Lots of small animals without a blood supply are happily populating the
planet. Human cartilage receives no blood, but any biologist would consider it living.
If life means that a cell has a metabolism, then lens cells are alive -albeit barely.
Although they have no mitochondria to produce energy, certain nutrients and other
molecules diffuse into the lens outermost cells and slowly pass inward, cell to cell.
Young lens cells do have organelles when they first form from stem cells in a foetus,
but the organelles are destroyed during early development. What remains is a
cytoplasm consisting of an unusually thick solution of special proteins called
crystallins. Although the lens is often described as a crystal, it does not qualify in
the chemical sense - where the geometric position of ions or molecules with respect
to one another is systematically repeated. The lens is a “biological crystal” - that is,
it has a very regular arrangement of cells. Each cell contains large molecules —
crystalline proteins — that form complexes with paracrystalline arrangements. This
construction makes the cytoplasm optically homogeneous; the refractive index does
not change inside the cell or from one cell to another.
1. The eye lens is transparent because of its
(1) architecture.
(2) unusual developmental programme.
(3) composition — it has only one type of cell.
(4) All the above

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2. Which of the following is true about human cartilage and eye lens?
(1) Unlike those of the latter, the components of the former are so arranged
that light gets scattered when it passes through it.
(2) The latter is devoid of blood supply, whereas the former is not.
(3) The cells that make up the former exhibit the property of metabolism,
whereas those of the latter don’t.
(4) In a foetus, cartilage cells cannot be distinguished from lens cells.
3. Identify the statement that is not true according to the passage.
(1) All lens cells have the same refractive index.
(2) A mature, fully functional lens cell has cytoplasm only.
(3) The cytoplasm of a cell stores its DNA.
(4) Mitochondria produce energy required for all cell functions.
4. Which of the following is true about cell organelles?
(1) They are opaque to some extent.
(2) They are present in all types of cells across the animal kingdom.
(3) Their size determines how light is focussed in the eye.
(4) Cartilage devoid of its cell organelles would become transparent.

PASSAGE – II
The concept of Industrial Relations (IR) in a democratic society becomes a complex
phenomenon in which employers and their organizations, employees and their
collective associations as well as the State and its agencies interact in order to
evolve procedural as well as substantive policies and instruments in order to regulate
the employer-employee relationship, to manage contradictions which arise in their
transactions and to work towards consensus among contending stakeholders. Conflict
and congruence, co-operation and confrontation characterize the dynamics of the
interactions of various stakeholders.
Industrial relations, therefore, can be crafted only through the dynamic interaction
of several stakeholders who need each other and yet have fundamental differences
as a result of differing perspectives, interests, values as well as perceptions. The
main stakeholders in this sphere of human interaction are employers and their
organizations, employees and their associations as well as the State and its agencies.
The general belief is that employers manage corporations on behalf of shareholders,

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employees join trade unions and associations in order to protect their interests and
the State and its agencies are interested in promoting social good. An interaction of
this kind by its very nature will have areas of shared concern and areas of divergence.
Learning to manage differences which arise as a consequence, is perhaps the most
critical aspect of the management of industrial relations. More often than not, there
is a vested interest in divisiveness as a result of the distortionary incentives that get
created in dynamic interactions characterized by convergence as well as divergence,
dominance as well as compliance.
Ideally, the interactions among the stakeholders in industrial relations should be
characterized by a certain “balance-of-power”. In reality though, the dynamics of
the situation are such that a particular stakeholder may have more leverage at its
disposal, which leads to the dominance of that stakeholder. For instance, in a highly
regulated industrial relations environment, the State is likely to be a dominant player.
In the Indian context, for instance, the disputes resolution process is controlled by
the appropriate Government, as a result of which the development of employer-
employee bilateralism has been severely retarded. In a market-driven economy,
employers tend to dominate, as a result of the right to “hire and fire”, in response to
market exigencies. In socialist economies, trade unions tend to have a significant
role.
In the process, industrial relations can degenerate into a dominance-submission
syndrome in which the dominant stakeholder tends to control the structure, process,
relations and choices at the cost of other stakeholders, leading to a distributive
bargaining environment. Invariably, in an environment in which the dominated are
denied voice in choice making processes, they wait for an opportune moment to
dislodge the dominant stakeholder, to dominate the interactions and direct efforts to
continue in dominance. What the dominated internalise, is a “culture of dominance”,
which becomes the all pervasive perspective informing interactions among the
industrial relations stakeholders. The management of industrial relations within the
framework of the culture of dominance can take three forms:
Managing by Contending, in which the stakeholders engage in a contest of will with
the dominant stakeholder holding the reins and steering the choice making processes
as well as choices. Pressure tactics coupled with employment of leverages like
litigation and direct action go hand in hand with the reaction of the dominated, to
protect threatened interests.
Managing by Conceding, in which the dominant stakeholder manages interactions
with other less dominant and dominated stakeholders by making concessions to
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buy peace on an ad hoc, situational basis. A major ploy here is to adopt a divide and
rule policy.
Managing by Colluding in which mode the dominant stakeholder strikes up equations
with individual stakeholder representatives or with coalitions of stakeholders, through
which mechanism, choice making as well as choices are influenced to favour the
dominant stakeholder. The collusive character of the interaction leads to the
compromise of the interests of the less dominant stakeholder groups.
Within the framework of the culture of dominance, when change is sought, generally,
the change is only of the dominant stakeholder. The culture of managing by
contending or conceding or colluding or a combination of any of those patterns
remains unchanged. Liberation for the dominated stakeholder is to become the
dominant stakeholder and so the cycle of contending, conceding, colluding goes
on. And yet, it is possible to think of breaking this vicious cycle only if the interacting
stakeholders decide to change the culture of dominance and compliance to a culture
of dialogue and mutuality. This is feasible only if an individual or a coalition of
stakeholder changes the mode of choice making from a contending-conceding-
colluding orientation to a mutuality-based cooperative orientation. This is possible
through a collaborative problem solving approach, evidence of which is already
available in various organisations across the globe.
Managing by Collaborative Problem Solving in the sphere of industrial relations
choice making is, perhaps, the key to the development of a new ethos. The
“dominant” stakeholder in today’s deregulated environment is likely to be the
corporation and the onus is on corporations to create a new ethos revolving around
collaboration and mutuality through what can be termed as the Transformational
Process Model (TPM). The key to the Transformational Process Model of industrial
relations management is the belief that the main stakeholder in the emerging global
scenario is management and the initiatives taken by management are going to set
the standards for corporations and corporate stakeholders. And the key to the
transformational process model of industrial relations ought to revolve around, as
Gandhi said in another era, in another context, “self-rule and self restraint, and not
freedom from all restraints”. Mutuality-based self governance, sensitive to multiple
stakeholders, in order to create a corporate community, capable of competitive
resilience, is the solid rock on which the Transformational Process Model will have
to be built. Mere alteration of externalities like amendments to existing procedural
as well as substantive legislation (to be read as the right to hire and fire and the right

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to close and relocate) can only scratch the surface and serve to reinforce further the
culture of dominance. What is needed today is a greater focus on processes rather
than procedures — a greater thrust towards improving the quality of the processes
of choice making among interacting stakeholders in the sphere of industrial relations.
5. What is the central idea in the passage?
(1) The culture of dominance in industrial relations has to be broken and must
be replaced by a culture of mutuality-based co-operation.
(2) Greater emphasis should be placed on processes rather than on procedures,
in order to resolve industrial disputes.
(3) Managing by collaborative problem solving is the key to the development
of a new ethos in industrial relations.
(4) Mere alterations of externalities can only serve to perpetuate the culture of
dominance.
6. Which of the following is/are central to the Transformational Process Model?
(1) Mutuality-based self-governance
(2) Sensitivity to multiple stakeholders
(3) Management by collaborative problem-solving
(4) All of the above.
7. Which of the following is/are true according to the passage?
(A) The dominant stakeholder adopts a divide and rule policy, when IR is
being managed by ‘conceding’.
(B) When managing IR by ‘colluding’, the dominant stakeholder may employ
machiavellian tactics to manage other stakeholders.
(C) In the Indian scenario, managing IR by ‘colluding’, seems to be the best
alternative.
(1) Only A and B (2) A, B and C
(3) Only C (4) Only A
8. The ‘vicious cycle’ in the culture of dominance can be broken when
(1) the mode of making choices incorporates mutuality-based co-operative
orientation.
(2) the dominated stakeholder feels free to exercise his choice.
(3) change is sought within the framework of the culture of dominance.
(4) the dominant stakeholder and the style of operation are amenable to change.

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9. Why is the “balance of power” between stakeholders not a reality in most

Industrial Relations situations?
(1) Perfect balance of power is an ideal situation and cannot be achieved in
reality.
(2) A particular stakeholder may have more leverage than others, due to the
dynamics of the situation.
(3) The government usually adopts a laissez faire approach in order to avoid
confrontation with organisations.
(4) No stakeholder is mature enough to wield power responsibly.
10. The most important aspect of the management of IR is
(1) learning to manage differences that may arise in various aspects, due to
the interaction between various stakeholders.
(2) working towards resolving issues that affect the dominated stakeholder.
(3) recognising the fact that fundamental differences are bound to arise when
many stakeholders are present in decision making processes.
(4) the elimination of distortionary incentives that are created in multiparty
interactions.
PASSAGE – III
One of the many theories about alcoholism is the learning and reinforcement theory,
which explains alcoholism by considering alcohol ingestion as a reflex response to
some stimulus and as a way to reduce an inner drive state such as fear or anxiety.
Characterizing life situations in terms of approach and avoidance, this theory holds
that persons tend to be drawn to pleasant situations and repelled by unpleasant
ones. In the latter case, alcohol ingestion is said to reduce the tension or feelings of
unpleasantness and to replace them with the feeling of euphoria generally observed
in most persons after they have consumed one or more drinks.
Some experimental evidence tends to show that alcohol reduces fear in the approach-
avoidance situation. Conger trained one group of rats to approach a food goal and,
using aversion conditioning, trained another group to avoid electric shock. After an
injection of alcohol the pull away from the shock was measurably weaker, while the
pull toward the food was unchanged.
The obvious troubles experienced by alcoholic persons appear to contradict the
learning theory in the explanation of alcoholism. The discomfort, pain, and
punishment they experience should presumably serve as a deterrent to drinking.
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The fact that alcoholic persons continue to drink in the face of family discord, loss
of employment, illness, and other sequels of repeated bouts is explained by the
proximity of the drive reduction to the consumption of alcohol; that is, alcohol has
the immediate effect of reducing tension while the unpleasant consequences of
drunken behavior come only later. The learning paradigm, therefore, favors the
establishment and repetition of the resort to alcohol.
In fact, the anxieties and feelings of guilt induced by the consequences of excessive
alcohol ingestion may themselves become the signal for another bout of alcohol
abuse. The way in which the cue for another bout could be the anxiety itself is
explained by the process of stimulus generalization: conditions or events occurring
at the time of reinforcement tend to acquire the characteristics of state of anxiety or
fear, the emotional state itself takes on the properties of a stimulus, thus triggering
another drinking bout.
The role of punishment is becoming increasingly important in formulating a cause
of alcoholism based on the principles of learning theory. While punishment may
serve to suppress a response, experiments have shown that in some cases it can
serve as a reward and reinforce the behavior. Thus if the alcoholic person has learned
to drink under conditions of both reward and punishment, either type of condition
may precipitate renewed drinking.
Ample experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that excessive alcohol
consumption can be learned. By gradually increasing the concentration of alcohol
in drinking water, psychologists have been able to induce the ingestion of larger
amounts of alcohol by an animal than would be normally consumed. Other
researchers have been able to achieve similar results by varying the schedule of
reinforcement—that is, by requiring the animal to consume larger and larger amounts
of the alcohol solutions before rewarding it. In this manner, animals learn to drink
enough to become dependent on alcohol in terms of demonstrating withdrawal
symptoms.
11. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(1) compare the learning and reinforcement theory to other theories of
alcoholism
(2) discuss how the behavior of alcoholic persons is explained by learning
theory
(3) argue that alcoholism is a learned behavior
(4) explain how fear and anxiety stimulate and reinforce drinking in alcoholic
persons
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12. The passage contains information that answers which of the following questions?
(1) What are some of the psychosocial problems associated with alcoholism?
(2) Which has proven more effective in the treatment of alcoholism, aversion
conditioning or reinforcement?
(3) Why does alcohol ingestion reduce tension and give rise to a feeling of
euphoria in most people?
(4) According to the learning theory, in what cases does punishment reinforce
rather than deter drinking in alcoholic persons?
13. It can be inferred from the passage that negative experiences do not deter an
alcoholic because of:
(1) proximity of the drive reduction to the consumption of alcohol
(2) behaviour that is punished is avoided
(3) pain is a stronger stimulus than pleasure
(4) alcohol reduces fear
14. According to the passage, which of the following is true of stimulus
generalization?
(1) It contradicts the learning and reinforcement theory of alcoholism.
(2) It is the process by which an organism learns to respond to one stimulus
but not to similar stimuli.
(3) It supports the hypothesis that excessive alcohol consumption can be
learned.
(4) It occurs when the conditions associated with a stimulus come to evoke
the same response as the stimulus itself evokes.
15. The author cites Conger’s experiment with two groups of rats in order to
(1) show that ingestion of alcohol does not affect appetite
(2) corroborate the findings of other academic researchers
(3) show that alcohol decreases fear
(4) disprove the learning and reinforcement theory
16. According to the passage, which of the following could induce an alcoholic to
drink?
I. The need to relieve tension

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II. Anxieties resulting from guilt feelings about previous drinking bouts
III. Punishment for alcoholic behavior
(1) I only (2) II only
(3) I and II only (4) I, II, and III
17. The passage contains information that supports which of the following
statements?
(1) If the pleasurable taste of whisky leads to an acquired taste for brandy,
then stimulus generalization has occurred.
(2) Slapping a child for misbehaving may over time encourage the child to
repeat the misbehavior.
(3) If a person has learned to drink under two sets of conditions, both must be
present in order to induce that person to drink again.
(4) Continued heavy use of alcohol usually causes severe damage to the body
and nervous system.
18. According to the passage, how does the behavior of alcoholics appear to
contradict learning theory?
(1) Learning theory holds that people are drawn by pleasant situations and
repelled by unpleasant ones, but in alcoholics that pattern appears to be
reversed.
(2) Contrary to learning theory, alcoholic persons do not respond to life
situations in terms of approach and avoidance.
(3) The unpleasant consequences of excessive alcoholic consumption do not
deter alcoholics from drinking, as might be predicted from learning theory.
(4) According to learning theory, drinking is a reflex response to an external
stimulus, but for alcoholics it is more often a way to reduce an inner drive
such as fear.
19. It can be inferred from the passage that the author views the learning and
reinforcement theory of alcoholism as
(1) credible (2) unassailable
(3) outdated (4) fallacious

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PASSAGE – IV
No one has yet excavated a complete dinosaur skeleton from this site near Colville
River or anywhere else in Alaska. Nevertheless, my group and other paleontologists
have been able to identify from partial skeletons, isolated bones, teeth and fossil
footprints, eight types of dinosaurs that lived as contemporaries in the far north. All
eight date to the Cretaceous period, which lasted from 145 million to 60 million
years ago. Most come from just the period lasting from 75 million to 70 million
years ago, some five million years before the famous mass demise of the planet’s
dinosaurs. Four of the species ate plants, and four others, called theropods, preyed
on the plant eaters and other creatures. By far the richest area of the state for remains
of both herbivores and predators is the northern part, referred to as the North Slope.
The duck-billed hadrosaur Edmontosaurus earns the prize for the most common
type there and so is the best characterised. Hadrosaurs - large, plant-eating dinosaurs
- also go by the name “duck-bills” because they had broad, flat mouths; in contrast
to ducks, however, they had hundreds of teeth that could grind the tough plants they
fed on. They could stand on their back legs to reach overhead foliage, although
they travelled on all fours, probably in a rocking gait, because their rear legs were
longer than their front. Many hadrosaurs in other parts of the world had head
ornamentations, or crests, but Edmontosaurus did not. Weighing in at between 3,000
and 4,000 pounds, Edmontosaurus ranks among the largest of the hadrosaurs found
in North America. Like other hadrosaurs, Edmontosaurus were social animals that
gathered in herds, as evinced by their bones, which have been found in piles at
various places in northern Alaska, as though groups of them had died in a flash
flood.
Every dinosaur that has been discovered thus far in Alaska has also been found
elsewhere in western North America, so we cannot point to a distinct Alaskan
dinosaur. We find fewer species of dinosaurs in these northern latitudes, however.
This pattern of decreased biodiversity with increased distance from the equator,
follows the trend seen in modern animal populations and, as it is today, may be a
function of the limited resources available in the far north. Alaska was not the only
surprising home to dinosaurs. In the southern polar region, Judd Case of St. Mary’s
College of California and his colleagues are finding a record of dinosaurs in rocks
of similar age.
How did dinosaurs find themselves at the planet’s northern extreme? More than
likely they came from Asia, because ancestral forms of almost all the Cretaceous
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dinosaur families found in North America existed in Asia. Most paleontologists

believe that some of these dinosaurs migrated across a land bridge exposed by a
drop in sea level where the Bering Sea sits today. The configuration of continental
plates during the Cretaceous suggests that the earliest these plates were in position
to serve as a land bridge was approximately 100 million years ago; the land bridge
may have been exposed as many as three times during the period. Some of the
immigrants probably just stayed in the far north because the environment there
supplied their needs; others headed south.
One species, though, seems to have taken a different route. Alamosaurus, a plant-
eating dinosaur roughly 20 metres in length, apparently arrived by a southerly
migration path - remains of its ancestors are found on the continents of South America
and Africa. Alaska is built of enormous geologic blocks, some of which originated
far from their present location. During the Cretaceous, however, many of these
blocks of land were near their current latitudinal position or higher. Thus, the dinosaur
fossils found in Alaska were not posthumously hijacked from distant climes and
brought there on moving plates: they lived in the high latitudes during the Cretaceous.
Did they stay there all year? And if so, how did they manage it?
Climatological data from fossil pollen, leaves and wood indicate that the Cretaceous
forests of northern Alaska consisted of a mixed canopy that included deciduous
conifers with an under storey of flowering plants, ferns and cycads. Today, mixed
coniferous forests occupy a wide but well-defined range of climates with mean
annual temperatures from three to 13 degrees Celsius (37 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit),
suggesting that the average yearly temperature for northern Alaska during the
Cretaceous was similar. One of the striking aspects of the modern Arctic is the
angle of sunlight and the length of the day - commonly, though mistakenly, referred
to as six months of daylight and six months of night. In actuality, north of the Arctic
Circle, darkness occupies a longer and longer part of each day until the winter
solstice (December 22), when the sun does not rise. During the Cretaceous, northern
Alaska was even farther north than it is today, and so the dinosaurs that lived there
would have needed mechanisms to cope with both the cold and the dark.
20. The one feature that sets apart the Edmontosaurus from other hadrosaurs is
(1) its preferred place of habitation.
(2) its eating and preying habits.
(3) the absence of crests on its head.
(4) its socialising behaviour.
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21. The passage does not help answer one of the following questions regarding the
Alaskan dinosaurs. Identify it.
(1) What was the coping mechanism that these animals adopted in order to
survive the Alaskan weather?
(2) Which migratory route did the dinosaurs take during the Cretaceous period?
(3) What types of dinosaurs were found in Alaska?
(4) During which part of the Cretaceous period did the Edmontosaurus inhabit
Alaska?
22. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
(A) Biodiversity is greatest in the equatorial regions of the earth.
(B) Hadrosaurs are not theropods
(C) All the species of dinosaurs that were found in western North America
were also found in Alaska.
(1) Only A (2) Only A and B
(3) Only B and C (4) A, Band C
23. Which of the following does the author seek to convey when he states that the
dinosaur fossils in Alaska were not posthumously hijacked?
(1) The mass demise of the planet’s dinosaurs took place when Alaska was
populated with dinosaurs.
(2) The land bridge across the Bering Sea predates the Cretaceous period.
(3) The remains found in Alaska are mainly of those dinosaurs that died in
Alaska.
(4) The Alaskan weather was indirectly responsible for the demise of the
hadrosaurs.
24. According to the passage, when did the mass demise of the planet’s dinosaurs
take place?
(1) After the end of the Cretaceous period.
(2) At the beginning of the Cretaceous period.
(3) At the fag end. of the Cretaceous period.
(4) This question cannot be answered based on the information given in the
passage.

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TEST – 10
DIRECTIONS: Each passage is followed by questions. Read the passage and
choose the best answer for each question. Questions in all the passages carry one
mark each.
Time : 25 Min.
PASSAGE – I
Put Stephen Hawking, Kip Thorne, Igor Novikov, Timothy Ferris and Alan Lightman
in a room together, and I would imagine that the intellectual sparks would fly lively
and thick. The five essays collected in this book are adapted from those sparks,
talks given at the California Institute of Technology to honour the 60th birthday of
physicist Kip Thorne. If there is a unifying theme to the essays, it is the possibility
of time travel, one of Thorne’s obsessions as a theoretician of general relativity and,
of course, a topic of perennial popular interest. None of the authors was paid for his
contribution, and royalties will go to a Caltech scholarship fund in Thome’s name.
Theoretical physicist Igor Novikov starts by asking, “Can we change the past?” He
shows how curious foldings and warpings of spacetime apparently allow the
possibility of travelling back in time and considers the so-called grandfather paradox:
What if I travel back in time and kill my grandfather? Then, logically, I would never
have been born to make my journey into the past. Novikov argues that the laws of
nature would prevent such logical paradoxes from happening. Stephen Hawking is
perhaps the world’s most famous theorist of spacetime. He is less sanguine than
Novikov that time travel is possible, except on the scale of individual atomic particles,
which is not of much use for science-fiction fantasies. If Hawking’s take on the
physics is correct, grandfather is doubly safe. Thorne uses his commanding presence
at the heart of the book to address the question implicit in the title: How will our
understanding of spacetime evolve in the near future, theoretically and
experimentally? The final two essays, by writers Timothy Ferris and Alan Lightman,
though excellent in themselves, have nothing directly to do with the topic at hand.
Ferris considers how science is communicated to the genera! public, and Lightman
muses on relations between science and art.
It all adds up to less than the sum of its parts. The word “hodgepodge” comes to
mind, and the fact that the editors decided the book needed a long preparatory
introduction (longer than all but one of the five contributions) and a puffed-up
glossary suggests that the problems were apparent from the beginning. Anyone who
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wants the skinny on time travel and the future of spacetime would do we!! to go
directly to Thorne’s excellent popular book, ‘Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein’s
Outrageous Legacy’. Still, there is a terrific story lurking among the disparate parts
of the present volume, but readers will have to dig it out for themselves. I would
suggest skipping the introduction and going straight to Lightman’s piece on science
and art. He was trained as a physicist and has transformed himself into a successful
novelist, so he knows both sides of which he speaks. He takes us to the heart of the
creative process and shows us what physicists and novelists have in common. For
one thing, they both make up stories, and they both want their stories to be true.
Ferris tells us why scientific story-making is essential to a healthy and free body
politic. “Technologically, intellectually, and even politically, science resides
somewhere near the centre of our culture, by which I mean the society of all those
persons who value their freedom, honour their responsibilities, appreciate their
ignorance, and are willing to keep learning,” he writes.
Now go to the essays by Novikov and Hawking and watch two outrageously clever
minds at play in the fields of knowledge and ignorance. They take Einstein’s supreme
story - his theory of gravity and spacetime, called general relativity - and make
delightful riffs on the theme. What if? They ask. They agree on this: even if it turns
out that time travel is impossible, it is important that we understand why it is
impossible. Finally, turn to Thorne’s central essay, where it all comes together. We
have in Einstein’s legacy a fabulously inventive story: black holes, time travel,
ripples in spacetime, the big bang - stuff any novelist would have been proud to
invent. But the story must be put to the experimental test, and so far general relativity
has passed muster. Soon new tests of a most exquisite sensitivity will come on line,
and these are the focus of Thome’s crystal-ball gazing. The Laser Interferometer
Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) - three huge instruments at Hanford,
Washington, and Livingston, Los Angeles, and similar devices in Italy, Germany
and Japan promise the possibility of detecting gravitational waves rippling through
spacetime from colossal events (imploding stars, colliding black holes, even the
big bang itself) unfolding across the universe. Then, sometime around 2010, if
physicists get their way, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be
launched into space. Three intercommunicating space-craft arrayed across millions
of kilometres of the solar system, bobbing like corks in water as gravitational waves
roll by, will map in fine detail the bending of space, the warping of time, and the
whirl of spacetime around distant black holes. LISA will detect ripples in spacetime
as small as one hundredth the diameter of an atom.

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What a story! What a test! This is the story making that lifts the human spirit out of
our sometimes petty terrestrial concerns and places us among the stars.
1. Of the scientists mentioned in the passage, who are the ones whose discourses
do not centre on the topic of Thorne’s obsession?
(1) Novikov and Hawking (2) Novikov and Ferris
(3) Ferris and Lightman (4) Lightman and Hawking
2. Which of the following is/are false in the context of this passage?
(1) Novikov uses the theory of general relativity to study the feasibility of
time travel because it has experimental proof.
(2) Novikov believes that time travel is independent of the twisted and
convoluted shape of the fabric of space-time.
(3) Hawking was more optimistic than Novikov about the possibility of time
travel.
(4) All the above.
3. Which of the following points to the fact that the editors were aware of the
problems besetting the book at the beginning itself?
(1) The author’s assertion that the parts add up to less than the overall meaning.
(2) An introduction that is lengthier than four of the contributions and an
elaborate glossary.
(3) The author classifying the book as a ‘hodge-podge’.
(4) The author recommending a different book for all time-travel aficionados.
4. The common streak in physicists and storywriters as per the passage is
(1) their dexterity in conjuring up new stories.
(2) their ability to make predictions about the future.
(3) their desire to see that their stories become reality.
(4) Both (1) and (3).
5. The phrase, ‘grandfather is doubly safe’, with respect to Hawking
(1) implies the fact that science fiction fantasies have their own drawbacks.
(2) indicates Hawking’s opinion regarding the possibility of time travel.
(3) reveals the fact that only atomic particles, but not the entire man, can travel
back in time.
(4) helps us conclude that we can never undo what has been done already.

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PASSAGE – II
By its very nature, the market for art reflects the relationship between art and society.
Markets, as demand driven entities, have existed and been created by societies, for
societies, since the early ages. Studying the art market over the last four hundred
years reveals no exceptions. The art market has evolved with the changing
relationship between art and society. An integral part of this relationship is, in turn,
the relationship between artist and society.
During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the artist was regarded as a craftsman,
being on the same societal level as carpenters, goldsmiths and guilders. Patronage
to a single patron or church was common and subject matter was restricted. Art
served more of a defined purpose - either strictly religious or plainly decorative.
Therefore the artist regarded himself as inclined to the side of trade and commerce,
with realistic and more simplistic goals - that of earning a decent living. The artist
ran his workshop in much the same way a proprietor or sole-trader would run his
business. In this sense, the artist’s consideration of art marketing was integral to its
creation, as were sensible business practices and efficient production to facilitate
demand.
It is for these reasons that artists of the Renaissance and Baroque were able to
consider and conduct marketing and business practices transparently. This
transparency can be traced to the relationship between art and society at the time.
Artwork in itself was not perceived to be enlightening or empowering. Although it
often carried religious connotations, art was not the object of significance, but a
way of seeing. As a result, those who created it were not regarded as genius and
consequently not iconised by society. Rather, artists earned respect and money for
their skills as craftsmen. It is also interesting to note that around this period, the
notion of artist as icon begins to emerge as growing workshops, the professional
dealer and art fairs gain importance. Bernini’s workshop is a good example of both
notions of artist as craftsman and artist as icon.
The change in the role of artist from craftsman to icon was influenced by several
factors - the first art fairs, exhibitions, auctions and markets, the emergence of
professional dealers and the increase in collectors. These factors helped lead to the
gradual commodification of art to the extent we see today, whereby it is impossible
to comment on a significant artwork without mentioning its monetary value. Starting
from the seventeenth century, the collector base for artwork was pulled out from

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under its feet as increasing numbers of dealers and emerging markets introduced
art, including prints, to the middle and lower classes. Art was no longer mainly
restricted to wealthy patrons and the church. It was probably this new ‘popularisation’
of art that was a major influence on artist as icon.
The ‘popularisation’ of art was led by many changes that plot the emergence of
artist as icon. The proliferation of fairs and markets exposed art to the common
people more than any single dealer could. Art began to merge with popular culture
and the work of individual artists began to be recognised. Dealers were instrumental
in introducing art to the upper middle classes before art fairs and markets appeared.
Dealers helped change the relationship between artist and buyer from artist-patron
to artist-client. Although the first dealers were not much more than enterprising
shopkeepers -history speaks tales of their sly, exploitative demeanour; they were to
become pivotal in changing the role of the artist. The emergence of these markets
and the professional dealer were signs that art had entered the public domain and
that individual artists had captured the interest of the public.
Artist as icon created a new breed of collector. As individual artists like Rembrandt,
Cezanne, Van Gogh and Picasso grew famous, collecting art became as fashionable
as the artists themselves. The collectors gave artists their iconic status, and in return
artists gave collectors self-indulgence, security, ownership and identity. Artist as
icon served the market as much as it served the artist. As collectors’ tastes changed
in a fashion cultured by dealers and critics, artists were left alone and no longer in
control of their work. The artist as icon today is plagued by the public perception of
genius -that the artist must pursue art for moral and enlightening purposes; that the
artist is genius only by suffering, self-realisation or torture. The artist as icon today
cannot consider profit, money or even making a living. Wishing for a nice house,
even studio is seen as ‘not pursuant to the cause’ or immoral. Artist as icon has
made it increasingly difficult for the artist to even consider marketing and business
practices today.
As society began to regard artists more for their genius and less for their skills, art
evolved to become an enlightening product of genius - not involved with everyday
concerns of humanity, including business efficacy and marketing. As a result artists
during the Abstract Expressionist period and today find it increasingly difficult to
consider business and marketing without suffering criticism of their work ethics.

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6. By speculating that in earlier times the notion of art as business and marketing
was more transparent than it is today, we are inherently
(1) looking at a systematic and efficient operation of selling works of art.
(2) addressing the change in the role of the artist from artist as craftsman to
artist as icon.
(3) categorising the works of artistes into distinct classes.
(4) studying the purchasing trends of people.
7. As artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, etc., gained fame and name, they
(1) were venerated for their masterpieces.
(2) catered only to the wealthy.
(3) could not market their paintings abroad.
(4) market preferences started exerting pressure on their creative production.
8. Which of the following is true with respect to public perception of artist as an
icon:
(1) He has to pursue art for art’s sake - not as a commercial activity.
(2) A true artist can never paint for the sake of money alone.
(3) He has to suffer in order to create masterpieces.
(4) Masterpieces are produced only by the play of artist-client relationship.
9. The passage tries to trace
(1) the origin of Abstract Expressionist Art.
(2) the relationship between various art forms and the role of an artist.
(3) the effect of society’s attitude on the commodification of art.
(4) the change in the relationship between artist and society that affected an
artist’s consideration and conduct of marketing and business practices.
PASSAGE – III
Many readers assume that, as a neoclassical literary critic, Samuel Johnson would
normally prefer the abstract, the formal, and the regulated to the concrete, the natural,
and the spontaneous in a work of literature. Yet any close reading of Johnson’s
criticism shows that Johnson is not blind to the importance of the immediate, vivid,
specific detail in literature; rather, he would underscore the need for the telling
rather than the merely accidental detail.
In other ways, too, Johnson’s critical method had much in common with (in common
with that of the Romantics, with whom Johnson and, indeed, the entire neoclassical

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tradition are generally supposed to be in conflict. Johnson was well aware, for
example, of the sterility of literary criticism that is legalistic or pedantic, as was the
case with the worst products of the neoclassical school. His famous argument against
the slavish following of the “three unities” of classical drama is a good example, as
is his defense of the supposedly illegitimate “tragicomic” mode of Shakespeare’s
latest plays. Note, in particular, the basis of that defense: “That this is a practice
contrary to the rules of criticism,” Johnson wrote, “will be readily allowed; but
there is always an appeal from criticism to nature.”
The sentiment thus expressed could easily be endorsed by any of the Romantics;
the empiricism it exemplifies is vital quality of Johnson’s criticism, as is the
willingness to jettison “laws” of criticism when to do so makes possible a more
direct appeal to the emotions of the reader. Addison’s Cato, highly praised in
Johnson’s day for its “correctness,” is damned with faint praise by Johnson: “Cato
affords a splendid exhibition of artificial and fictitious manners, and delivers just
and noble sentiments, in diction easy, elevated, and harmonious, but its hopes and
fears communicate no vibration to the heart.” Wordsworth could hardly demur.
Even on the question of poetic diction, which, according to the usual interpretation
of Wordsworth’s 1800 preface to the Lyrical Ballads, was the central area of conflict
between Romantic and Augustan, Johnson’s views are surprisingly “modern.” In
his Life of Dryden, he defends the use of a special diction in poetry, it is true; but his
reasons are all-important. For Johnson, poetic diction should serve the ends of
direct emotional impact and ease of comprehension, not those of false profundity
or grandiosity. “Words too familiar,” he wrote, “or too remote, defeat the purpose
of a poet. From those sounds which we hear on small or on coarse occasions, we do
not easily receive strong impressions, or delightful images; and words to which we
are nearly strangers, whenever they occur, draw that attention on themselves which
they should transmit to things.” If the poetic diction of the neoclassical poets, at its
worst, erects needless barriers between reader and meaning, that envisioned by
Johnson would do just the opposite: it would put the reader in closer contact with
the “things” that are the poem’s subject.
10. The author of the passage develops her points about Johnson primarily by
(1) contrasting Johnson’s critical methods with those of his contemporaries
(2) citing specific illustrations drawn from Johnson’s work
(3) alluding to contemporary comments about Johnson’s theories
(4) quoting Johnson’s remarks about the critical approaches prevalent in his
own day

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11. The passage implies that the judging of literary works according to preconceived
rules
(1) tends to lessen the effectiveness of much modern literary criticism
(2) is the primary distinguishing mark of the neoclassical critic
(3) was the primary neoclassical technique against which the Romantics
rebelled
(4) characterizes examples of the worst neoclassical criticism
12. The passage implies that the neoclassical critics generally condemned
(1) Shakespeare’s use of the “tragicomic” literary mode
(2) the slavish following of the “three unities” in drama
(3) attempts to judge literary merit on the basis of “correctness”
(4) artificiality and abstraction in literary works
13. According to the author, Johnson’s defense of Shakespeare’s latest plays
illustrates Johnson’s reliance on which of the following in his criticism?
(1) The sentiments endorsed by the Romantics
(2) The criteria set forth by Wordsworth in his 1800 preface to the Lyrical
Ballads
(3) The precedents established by the Greek and Roman playwrights of the
Classical Age
(4) His own experience and judgment
14. According to the passage, Johnson’s opinion of Addison’s Cato was
(1) roundly condemnatory (2) somewhat self-contradictory
(3) ultimately negative (4) effusively adulatory
15. According to the passage, Johnson’s views on the use of a special diction in the
writing of poetry were
(1) “modern” in their rejection of a clear-cut division between the diction of
poetry and that of prose
(2) “neoclassical” in their emphasis on the use of language that appeals directly
to the emotions of the reader
(3) “Romantic” in their defense of the idea that a special diction for poetry
could be stylistically effective
(4) “modern” in their underlying concern for the impact of the literary work
on the sensibility of the reader
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16. It can be inferred from the passage that in addition to being a literary critic,
Johnson was also a
(1) surprisingly modern poet (2) poet in the Augustan mode
(3) dramatist (4) biographer
17. Which one of the following statements best summarizes the main point of the
passage?
(1) Although many of Johnson’s critical opinions resemble those of the
neoclassical critics, his basic concerns are closer to those of the Romantics.
(2) The usual classification of Johnson as a member of the neoclassical school
of criticism is based on an inaccurate evaluation of his critical theories
and ideals.
(3) The Romantic critics were mistaken in their belief that the critical ideas
they formulated represented a departure from those propounded by
Johnson.
(4) Although many of Johnson’s critical opinions resemble those of the
Romantic critics, his basic concerns are closer to those of the neoclassical
critics.
18. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with
(1) defending a reputation
(2) reconciling conflicting views
(3) comparing two schools of thought
(4) challenging an assumption

PASSAGE – IV
Of all the tastes, bitter taste appears to be the most common. It might sound
unbelievable but it is true. Among the various taste stimuli, substances that elicit
bitter taste seem to be the most abundant. However, it is the least preferred. The
most preferred obviously is the sweet taste but then what is useful is almost always
the least attractive and the most attractive may even be harmful. A sweet tooth is
fine but a tooth that is in constant contact with sweet substances tends to rot. This is
because bacteria too like sweet and start growing on the dental surface. Infection
by bacteria or the release of acid and other corrosive substances by them leads to
tooth decay.

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On the other hand, most medicines that we take, are bitter in taste. Quinine, the
medication against malaria, is an archetypal example. The colonial Englishman in
the East Indies who realised this devised an attractive way of taking the drug, he
mixed quinine with water, soda and some gin and thus was born the cocktail drink
“gin and tonic.”
Even some stimulants and addictive drugs are bitter. The active principle in coffee,
the alkaloid caffeine, is a stimulant that perks you up. But caffeine is very bitter and
that is just as well, because the bitter taste serves as a built-in deterrent against
excessive intake. It is a different matter that we make a cocktail even out of coffee
by mixing it with Irish whisky and cream, or with hot water, milk and sugar. The
stimulant in tea is the alkaloid theophylline which also is bitter.
One of the most poisonous substances known is brucine, a milligram of which can
kill a fat rat weighing one kilogram. It is also one of the most bitter substances with
a threshold of one in 2,20,000. Brucine and its relative, strychnine, have been used
not only as rat poisons but even as nerve stimulants. Uses of these are fraught with
danger because, while in minute amounts, they stimulate extremely, a slight increase
in the dose can cause such severe brain damage that the addict, for all practical
purposes, becomes a vegetable. The vicarious pleasures of such drug-taking are,
unfortunately, only too well known, Even a great intellectual as Aldous Huxley
seems to have revelled in the uses of such addictive drugs, but then thank God for
their revulsive and bitter tastes.
Bitter substances have posed a challenge to biochemists and physiologists. What is
the basis of the bitter taste? The answer is yet to come despite decades of research.
Consensus appears to be slowly emerging. Early work done by Steven Price noted
that the chemical structures of the bitterest substances are extremely diverse. It thus
becomes difficult to point out any common structure or pattern that could be
associated with the bitterness principle.
On the one hand are complex alkaloids like brucine and on the other are simple
molecules like sucrose octa acetate. The latter is particularly interesting because
sucrose (cane sugar) is sweet in taste. Its sweetness is related in some manner to the
several hydroxyl groups attached to the molecule (glucose and the fruit sugar, fructose
are similar polyhydroxy compounds which are sweet; even glycerol with only three
hydroxyl groups tastes sweet). But when its eight hydroxyl groups are esterified by
reaction with vinegar, we obtain sucrose octa acetate which is bitter! The general

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principle accepted by many workers is that bitter substances are insoluble in water.
They are fat soluble or lipophilic.
The feature about any sensory perception such as taste or smell is that there exists
a “receptor” molecule usually a protein, on the surface of the cell. This receptor
binds to the signal substance. Upon such binding, the protein changes its shapes or
electrical properties and transmits a signal. The receptor for each class or family of
sensory molecules is thought to be unique. Thus one talks of an “Opioid” receptor
that “receives” or binds to opium and related mind-numbing drugs. This idea suggests
a common mechanism of action, normally based on a shape-dependent fit of the
molecule to the receptor, like a key and a lock or a glove and the hand.
The diverse chemical structures of bitter compounds argue against the possibility
of a protein acting as a receptor or as a jig-saw fit surface on which they can bind
and elicit response. Indeed, it is difficult to consider a shape-specific receptor surface
because even molecules with two closely related shapes differ in their taste. The
amino acid, aspartic acid is slightly sweet whereas its cousin amino acid leucine is
bitter.
Again, there is a classification of what may be called the ‘taster’ or ‘non-taster’
substances. The same substance thiourea tastes bitter to some people but not so to
others. How does one account for this? A group of Japanese researchers led by Dr.
Kenzo Kurihara of the pharmaceutical sciences faculty of the Hokkaido University,
Sapporo, Japan and Tadashi Nomura and Yoshihisa Katsuragi of the Kao Corporation
in Tokyo have given us some clues.
Firstly, they underscore the point, that attempts to isolate the receptor protein for
bitter substances have not succeeded. Next they showed that certain nerve cells
called neuroblastoma, in mouse “respond to bitter substances in the same way as
human taste cells do. Now, one expects to find taste receptor proteins in taste
(gustatory) cells of the mouth - not in neuroblastoma cells of mice. But what these
two cell types will have in common are the lipid molecules that go to make the cell
membranes. So, could it be that membrane lipids acts as “receptors” for bitter
substances? After all, these bitter compounds share one property, namely that they
are fat soluble or lipophilic. Recall that sweet tasting sucrose is water soluble but
its octa acetate, which tastes bitter, is not water soluble but dissolves in oils, fats
and in lipid membranes.

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Accordingly, Kurihara and coworkers decided to make artificial membranes using

pure lipids and to investigate their reaction to bitter substances. Lipid balloons
called liposomes from soyabean phospolipids were prepared as mock cells, and
their electrical properties measured as caffeine, brucine, quinine and other bitter
substances were added. Surprisingly enough, each one of these altered the electric
potential in a definite fashion. The membrane potential was increased by as much
as five to eight millivolts, that is, the membrane was depolarised. The more bitter a
substance is, the more it depolarised the liposome. Even more interestingly, they
correlated this ability of the bitter molecules and their taste thresholds in humans.
It thus appears that bitter substances produce their response by binding to the lipids
on cell membranes. Now lipids come in various types - abbreviated as PC, PA.
cholesterol, SM and so on, and cells differ in their lipid compositions. So should
the membrane depolarisation not depend on the lipid composition of the membranes?
Kurihara and coworkers have showed that it indeed does. This difference in lipid
composition is the basis for the difference in ‘taster’ and ‘non-taster’ property of
the bitter substances.
What happens after the membrane is depolarised by the bitter compounds? This
electrical signal is thought to travel to the synaptic area of the taste cells, or to their
nerve ending where a chemical transmitter molecule is released. It is likely that
these messenger molecules called cyclic nucleotides, modulate the process. Further
research will establish these mechanistic steps.
19. The alkaloid caffeine, the active principle in coffee, is a stimulant, but cannot
be taken in large quantities as
(1) excessive intake of coffee leads to numbing of the brain.
(2) the bitter taste of caffeine acts as a built-in deterrent against excessive
intake.
(3) regular consumption of coffee can slowly turn into an addiction.
(4) the lipids in the membranes of the gustatory cells of the mouth tend to
react to the bitter taste of coffee.
20. Excessive use of brucine and strychnine as nerve stimulants involves a lot of
risk because
(1) it can lead to severe brain damage.
(2) the rate of success is not enough to justify the use.
(3) they are very strong stimulants.

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(4) these drugs have to be administered to the patient taking into consideration
his/her constitution and gender.
21. According to the passage, which of the following statements is not true?
(1) Most medicines are bitter in taste.
(2) Brucine has a threshold of one in 2,20,000.
(3) Sucrose octa acetate with three hydroxyl groups tastes sweet.
(4) Chemical structures of bitter substances do not have a regular pattern.
22. Which of the following statements regarding bitterness is least correct?
(1) Bitter substances are generally fat-soluble.
(2) The “receptor” molecule is always a protein.
(3) In the binding process, the receptor changes its electrical properties or
shape.
(4) The receptor for each class of sensory molecules is different.
23. What do gustatory cells and neuroblastoma cells have in common?
(1) Receptors (2) Cell membrane
(3) Lipid molecules (4) Polyhydroxy compounds
24. Which of the following statements is true regarding the experiments conducted
by the Japanese team?
(1) Lipid balloons called liposomes from soyabean phospholipids were
prepared as mock cells.
(2) When caffeine and brucine were added to lipid balloons, the membrane
potential was increased by as much as nine to twelve milli volts
(3) There is no connection between the bitterness of a substance and the
depolarisation of liposomes.
(4) Most cells have identical lipid compositions.

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TEST-1
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 1 10 4 20 4 28 4
2 3 11 2 21 1 29 1
3 4 12 2 22 3 30 4
4 3 13 4 23 4 31 2
5 4 14 3 24 4 32 3
6 3 15 4 25 1 33 3
7 1 16 1 26 3 34 1
8 3 17 3 27 1 35 3
9 4 18 4 36 2
19 2 37 4

TEST-2
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 2 8 4 14 4 21 2
2 2 9 4 15 4 22 4
3 1 10 3 16 2 23 3
4 2 11 4 17 4 24 1
5 2 12 3 18 2 25 1
6 4 13 3 19 1 26 1
7 3 20 3 27 3
28 2
29 3
30 2

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TEST-3
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 3 9 3 16 4 26 4
2 1 10 3 17 3 27 1
3 4 11 4 18 2 28 2
4 2 12 2 19 3 29 1
5 3 13 3 20 4 30 4
6 2 14 3 21 1 31 3
7 2 15 4 22 2 32 4
8 1 23 3 33 3
24 4 34 4
25 1 35 1

TEST-4
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 3 8 3 14 2 24 3
2 4 9 3 15 4 25 1
3 2 10 4 16 4 26 3
4 4 11 3 17 1 27 1
5 3 12 2 18 1 28 2
6 2 13 2 19 2 29 4
7 1 20 1 30 3
21 3
22 2
23 3

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TEST-5
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 3 8 3 13 3 22 2
2 3 9 1 14 1 23 4
3 1 10 3 15 2 24 4
4 2 11 3 16 3 25 1
5 4 12 2 17 2 26 3
6 2 18 3 27 3
7 4 19 2 28 1
20 1 29 4
21 2 30 1
31 2

TEST-6
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 4 11 3 19 1 28 3
2 3 12 2 20 1 29 3
3 2 13 2 21 2 30 1
4 1 14 4 22 3 31 3
5 3 15 1 23 4 32 1
6 4 16 4 24 1 33 2
7 2 17 2 25 4 34 2
8 3 18 2 26 3 35 1
9 1 27 4
10 2

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TEST-7
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 3 10 2 23 4 34 1
2 2 11 3 24 4 35 2
3 1 12 4 25 3 36 4
4 3 13 1 26 3 37 3
5 3 14 2 27 1 38 1
6 4 15 3 28 4 39 4
7 2 16 4 29 3 40 2
8 4 17 3 30 4 41 2
9 2 18 1 31 3 42 1
19 3 32 3 43 2
20 3 33 4
21 3
22 2

TEST-8
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 4 6 2 11 4 18 1
2 3 7 1 12 3 19 4
3 1 8 2 13 1 20 4
4 4 9 4 14 4 21 1
5 2 10 4 15 4
16 3
17 4

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TEST-9
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 4 5 1 11 2 20 3
2 1 6 4 12 1 21 1
3 3 7 1 13 1 22 2
4 1 8 1 14 4 23 3
9 2 15 3 24 3
10 1 16 4
17 2
18 3
19 1

TEST-10
PASSAGE-I PASSAGE-II PASSAGE-III PASSAGE-IV
Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No. Q. No. Ans. No.
1 3 6 2 10 2 19 2
2 4 7 4 11 4 20 1
3 2 8 1 12 1 21 3
4 4 9 4 13 4 22 2
5 2 14 3 23 3
15 4 24 1
16 4
17 1
18 4

145