English Important Reading Comprehension Set 14 Asked in Various Exams for IPPB and IDBI

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases in the passage are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Indra foresaw that a supreme contest was inevitable between his son Arjuna and Karna; and he put on the garb of a Brahmana and came to Karna, who was reputed for his charity, and begged of him his earrings and armour. The Sun god had already warned Karna in a dream that Indra would try to deceive him in this manner. Still, Karna could not bring himself to refuse any gift that was asked of him. Hence he cut off the earrings and armour with which he was born and gave them to the Brahmana.

Indra, the king of gods, was filled with surprise and joy. After accepting the gift, he praised Karna as having done what no one else would do, and shamed into generosity, bade Karna ask for any boon he wanted.

Karna replied: “I desire to get your weapon, the Sakti which has the power to kill enemies.” Indra granted the boon, but with a fateful proviso. He said : “You can use this weapon against but one enemy, and it will kill him whosoever he may be. But this killing done, this weapon will no longer be available to you but will return to me.” With these words Indra disappeared.

Karna went to Parasurama and became his disciple by representing to him that he was a Brahmana. He learnt of Parasurama the mantra for using the master weapon known as Brahmastra. One day Parasurama was reclining with the head on Karna’s lap when a stinging worm burrowed into Karna’s thigh. Blood began to flow and the pain was terrible, but Karna bore it without tremor lest he should disturb the master’s sleep. Parasurama awoke and saw the blood which had poured from the wound. He said: “Dear pupil, you are not a Brahmana. A Kshatriya alone can remain unmoved under all bodily torments. Tell me the truth.” Karna confessed that he had told a lie in presenting himself as a Brahmana and that he was in fact the son of a charioteer. Parasurama in his anger pronounced this curse on him: “Since you deceived your guru, the Brahmastra you have learnt shall fail you at the fated moment. You will be unable to recall the invocatory mantra when you hour comes.”

It was because of this curse that at the crisis of his last fight with Arjuna, Karna was not able to recall the Brahmastra spell, though he had remembered it till then. Karna was the faithful friend of Duryodhana and remained loyal with the Kauravas until the end. After the fall of Bhishma and Drona, Karna became the leader of the Kaurava army and fought brilliantly for two days. In the end, the wheel of his chariot stuck in the ground and he was not able to lift it free and drive the chariot along. While he was in this predicament, Arjuna killed him. Kunti was sunk in sorrow, all the more poignant because she had, at that time, to conceal it.

1. How did Parasurama find that Karna was not a Brahmana?

a) Karna himself confessed his identity before Parasurama.

b) Karna bore the sting of a worm without any tremor

c) Parasurama had acquire3d the ability to know everything through his third eye.

d) He asked Karna’s father about his identity.

2. Why did Karna decide toi become Parasurama’s disciple on the pretext that he was a Brahmana?

a) Because Parsurama was a Brahmana.

b) Parasurama hated Kshatriyas and Sudras.

c) Parasurama was a man who believed in strict notions of castes.

d) Not given in the passage

3. Why could Karna not refuse the demands for his earrings and armour made by Indra?

a) Because Karna was the son of Indra

b) Because Karna was known for his charity.

c) Karna, being the son of a charioteer, could not refuse Indra, the King of Gods.

d) Karna was deceived by Indra in the guise of a Brahmana.

4. Why did Parasurama curse Karna?

a) Because Karna decided to use the Brahmastra on Parasurama.

b) Because Karna failed to learn the techniques of a Kshatriya.

c) Because Karna concealed his identity and betrayed his master.

d) Because Karna had vowed to destroy the hermitage of Parasurama.

5. What would be the effect of the curse?

a) That Karna would not be able to recall the Brahmastra spell when his hour came.

b) That the invocatory mantra would cease to act on the person targeted.

c) That he would not be able to pass the spell to his friends.

d) That he would be killed by his own invocatory mantra of the Brahmastra.

6. Choose the word/group of words which is MOST SIMILAR in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

Tremor

a) Fear b) Trembling c) Offering

d) Sorrow

7. Choose the word/group of words which is MOST SIMILAR in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

Poignant

a) Defile b) Straight c) Foul

d) Painful

8. Choose the word/group of words which is MOST SIMILAR in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

Predicament

a) Difficulty b) Fancy c) Hurry

d) Emergency

9. Choose the word/group of words which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

Reclining

a) Resting b) Standing c) Waiting

d) Thinking

10. Choose the word/group of words which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

Torments

a) Suffering b) Pain c) Anxiety

d) Comfort

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given in bold to help you to locate them, while answering some of the questions.

The wakeup call that China represents to India is not limited to its showpiece urban centres or that New Delhi hopes India will experience the benefits that the Olympic Games have brought to Beijing. More pertinent is the comparison of the agricultural sectors of the two countries. Why and how has China managed to outstrip India in agriculture when 25 years ago the two countries were on par on most parameters? Both have traditionally been agrarian economies and over half their populations continue to depend on the land for their livelihood. With large populations and histories of famine, India and China share concern on issues such as food security, however, while India’s agricultural sector is projected to grow by about 2.5% this year – a slide from the previous year’s growth. China’s has been steadily growing at between 4% and 5% over the last fifteen years. The widest divergence between India and China is in the profitable horticultural sector with the production of fruits and vegetables in China leaping from 60 million tonnes in 1980 compared to India’s 55 million tonnes at the same time, to 450 million tonnes in 2003 ahead of India’s corresponding 135 million tonnes. China’s added advantage lies in the more diversified composition of its agricultural sector with animal husbandry and fisheries which account for close to 45% of growth compared to 30% for India.

According to the latest report by Economic Advisory Council the traditional excuses for India’s substandard is placed favourably when compared to China in terms of quantity of arable land, average farm size, farm mechanization etc. The reasons for China having outperformed India are threefold : technological improvements accruing from research and development (China has over 1000 R and D centres devoted to agriculture), Investment in rural infrastructure and an increasingly liberalised agricultural policy moving away from self-sufficiency to leveraging the competitive advantage with a focus on “effieiency as much as equity”. Investment in rural infrastructure, roads, storage facilities, marketing facilities are also crucial but government support in India has been mainly been through subsidies, not investment. There has been much debate about sibsidies and their utility, the opposing view being that subsidies are against the market reforms and distort the market as well as reduce resource efficiency. In contrast to the 2046 applications for the registration of new plant varieties in China over the past few years data reveals that despite India having the largest number of agricultural scientists in the World India’s current research track record is abysmal, equivalent to what China achieved in the 1908s. Far from developing new strains, the number of field crop varieties fell by 50% between 1997 and 2001 despite the fact that there was sharp and sustained increase in funding. One reason is that majority of the budget is eaten up by staff salaries with only 3% being allotted for research. In contrast, most agricultural research centres in China must use Central Government funding purely for research. Funds relating to salareis and other administrative incidentals must be generated by the centres themselves. The centres and sci entists are thus, encouraged to engage in joint ventures witjh private sector compani es to form commercial signoffs from their research. In fact research staff are now being hired on a contract basis with pay based on performance and salaries raised proportionately for those who perform well. India needs to learn from China’s example and adopt a pragmatic approach if it has to meet its targets of the Eleventh five year plan.

11. What has been the major area of difference in the development of the agricultural sectors of India and China?

a) Quantity of arable land in China is far greater than in India

b) Food security is not a concern for China as the country is basically self sufficient

c) China has experienced substantial growth in production in allied agricultural activities like horticulture

d) India’s agricultural sector is too diversified so it is difficult to channel funds for development

12. How are Chinese agricultural research facilities governed?

a) Salaries of staff are linked to performance which hampers productive research

b) Their funding comes from the government alone to prevent private companies from manipulating the direction of their research

c) A fixed proportion of government grants is allotted to be utilized for administrative incidentals which cannot be exceeded

d) None of these

13. Which of the following is an advantage that India holds over China with respect to the agricultural sector?

a) Lack of diversification of the agricultural sector

b) Superior technology and farming practices

c) Greater prevalence of farm mechanisation

d) Provision of fertilizer and power subsidies

14. Why was there a drop in development of new crop varieties for five years from 1997?

a) Government funding for research fell during that period

b) Funds were diverted during this period to agricultural mechanisation

c) The private sector was not allowed to fund research

d) None of these

15. Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage?

a) Agricultural status of China and India was equivalent a quarter of a century ago

b) India’s current economic growth rate is half that of China

c) China is traditionally an agrarian economy

d) Agricultural research in India is inadequate

ANSWERS:

1. Option B

2. Option D

3. Option B

4. Option C

5. Option A

6. Option B

7. Option D

8. Option A

9. Option B

10. Option D

11. Option C

12. Option D

13. Option C

14. Option D

15. Option C

English Important Reading Comprehension Set 13 Asked in Various Exams for IPPB and IDBI

Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions. Certain words have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

On attending a conference, which focused on the role of the services sector in Indian economy I was amazed. The conference gave a very interesting perspective on the role of the service sector in the growth of Indian economy in relation to growth rates in agriculture and industry. The current situation in India is that the growth rate of services has overtaken both agriculture and industry and is now contributing to more than 50% of GDP. The services sector has the highest growth rate and is the least volatile sector. Growth is particularly marked in public services, IT and financial services. In some areas, the growth rate of the services sector is 40-50% due to increased use of mobile technologies. India, therefore has, a services oriented economy. It hasn’t followed traditional growth models as in China. However, in the process of doing so it has skipped the manufacturing stage and has jumped straight from the agriculture stage to service stage which is also the main reason for the expansion of the service sector. In fact, the situation now is such that the growth in the service sector can and will support in the agriculture and industrial sectors.

However, the only setback for Indian economy is the lack of growth in the manufacturing sector, which causes dependence on other coutnries, which is not so desirable in terms of job creation and increased prosperity.

Population is also a major concern of the Indian economy. As the population of India grows so also does the number of dependents in the population in both the lower and higher age groups. In such a scenario of increasing population, especially in an economy which still recovering from crisis, growth becomes difficult. For such an economy to grow it has to invest.

Currently, the public sector invests more than it saves. The household sector saves in surplus, but it is not increasing so it cannot continue to support private and public sectors. There is a massive need to spend on agriculture and infrastructure development of the country. Apart from that health and educatiopn should also be the priority of the government particularly the education of women in order to reduce the birth rate.

1. Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to word given in bold as used in the passage.

Volatile

a) Erratic b) Impatient c) Stable

d) Solid

2. What does the author mean by the statement, “… a growth window’ for India will open.”?

a) In the coming years, the Indian economy will grow as the service sector of the country would be booming due to the focus of the government in that sector.

b) In the next two decades, Indian economy will have an opportunity to grow as the working population of India will be high as compared to the dependent population.

c) There would be only a small period of time in which the economy of India has to grow and if it fails to do so it will never be able to recover from the economic downfall.

d) Only upto the next two decades would Indian people be interested in finding jobs in the country beyond which they would search for jobs abroad thus hampering the growth of Indian economy.

3. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.

Prerequisites

a) Requirements b) Instincts c) Prohibitions

d) Acknowldgements

4. What does the author mean by the statement, “to change the bad sectors to good sectors.”?

a) In order to deal with the problem of poverty it is important to distinguish between good and bad sectors and encourage people to start searching fro jobs in the good sectors.

b) The government should make efforts to improve the sectors that are not functioning well in order create greater job opportunities in those sectors and in turn eradicate poverty

c) Poverty alleviation is possible only if the government understands the importance of good sectors and provides it with necessary opportunities

d) The bad sectors of the country should be identified and such jobs should be outsourced to other underprivileged countries in order to eradicate poverty from those countries.

5. Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage?

Perspective

a) View point b) Prospect c) Attitude

d) Agreement

6. Which of the following is true as per the passage?

a) India has not followed the conventional model of growth and has moved directly from the agriculture sector to the service sector.

b) The service sector of the country is yet to make a mark on the IT and financial sectors of the country.

c) With availability of labour and growth in human skills, the service sector of Indian economy is booming limitlessly as there is no restriction on movement of labour.

d) India has become self reliant and does not have to depend on other countries because of the development in the manufacturing sector

7. According to the author, which of the following can be said about the growth of service sector in India?

a) India is essentially an agrarian economy and is not yet ready to shift forcus from agriculture sector to service sector

b) The expansion of service sector in India was seen mainly because of the growth in the agricultural sector

c) Indian economy cannot run only on the basis of service sector i.e., without further development in the agriculture and the industrial sector

d) The growth of service sector in India is facilitated by the improvement in technology

8. Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.

Massive

a) Prominent b) Proactive c) Short

d) Little

Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions. Certain words/phrases are given in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

We should never confuse education with training or the ‘tools’ that educators use. Education is no more a computer or an online class than it is a chalkboard-those are simply tools. Additionally, precious few new and relevant findings have been added to our into the learning process; much of what many proclaim to be insightful turns out to be faddish and misguided. What we need for learning to occur are well prepared and motivated teachers, students who are willing and able to learn and a social system that values educational attainment. Many might take exception to these assertions, raising a host of ancillary social, economic, nutritional and sociological issues. However, decades of data from failed public experiments aimed at mitigating these problems argue to the contrary.

What are we to do? Create a wave of educational entrepreneurship? Despite all of the hype and media attention, no one currently knows the best way forward. We must incentivise educationalists, technologists, and classroom teachers to experiment and innovate. Such partnershhips should truly explore alternatives as we seek to define the blended face to face and online class rooms of the future. Some approaches will fail, but that is part of the change process.

There will be no one size fits all experience success will vary by discipline and educational objectives. Unless everyone involved in this process is inspired to take risks, we will not enjoy the full potential these new approaches represent. Also, we should not forget the extent to which those who most benefit from the current system will attempt to hijack this change process for their own purposes.

With these issues in mind, consider the following vision of the change process to the classroom of tomorrow – a vision that leverages technology to create a more personalised learning experience. With the onset of this vision the professor student relationship will change. What is not likely to survive is the large class in which every one progress at the same pace.

That paradigm will be replaced by a more customised and collaborative learning process. The reality of a technology enabled personalised learning environment is till evolving. What seems clear is that at its heart is a more collaborative and student mapped and paced process. The function of the professor, aided by educationalists, will also change.

Student professor collaboration will then determine both what content can be assigned to practice methods and how the student demonstrates mastery of that content. In such cases, timing issues will most likely be left entirely in the student’s hands, while technology specialists recommend the best hardware and software solutions.

Critical thinking or application ideas will involve more specialised, face to face and interactive online approaches geared to the real time needs and progress the students is making.

Thus, the professor, with the students help, will vigilantly mix and blend the learning ingredients to produce a new learning environment. How this process plays out in reality will be the result of educational entrepreneurship but is will surely entail both successes and some failures.

The administration and accreditation of education will also have to change. As more education occurs outside the bricks and mortar framework and is more centred on the student professor interaction, the role of all non teaching staff will need to be reassessed. As students and faculty increase their use of technology to personalise their formal and informal learning, educational technologists must be on hand to facilitate the effective use of that technology.

Also, the current hierarchical and standardised oucomes formulas for administration and accreditation of colleges and universities are no longer tenable. Realistically, they are an impediment to the change needed.

Finally, we must address one of the most serious challenges facing online education – cheating, simply put, cheating is rampant and we are turning a blind eye to the problem. Cheating threatenes the integrity of the educational process and the value added of the degree. Solutions must be found and implemented or all changes will be for naught.

9. Which of the following is most nearly the same in meaning as the word given in bold as used in the passage?

Entail

a) Limit b) Occasion c) Involve

d) Subject

10. Which of the following can be the most suitable title for the passage?

a) Educating through technology – what the future can be

b) Teachers – An obsolete future

c) The hype around technology aided education

d) Limitations of technology

11. Which of the following is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage?

Mitigating

a) Aggravating b) Irritating c) Annoying

d) Frustrating

12. Which of the following is most nearly the same is meaning in the word given is bold as used in the passage?

Personalise

a) Customise b) Cause c) Sensible

d) Own

13. Which of the following is most OPPOSITE is meaning word given in bold as used in the passage?

Impediment

a) Freedom b) Advantage c) Extravagancy

d) Luxury

14. What does the author mean when he uses the words ‘will be for naught’?

a) will be in trouble

b) will face complications

c) will not be allowed

d) will come together

15. According to the author, which of the following is not true about cheating?

a) It is one of the gravest problems faced in education

b) It undermines the value of the credential obtained through education

c) Not much is being done to curtail it at present

d) It is quite prevalent at present

ANSWERS:

1. Option A

2. Option B

3. Option D

4. Option C

5. Option A

6. Option D

7. Option D

8. Option D

9. Option C

10. Option C

11. Option C

12. Option A

13. Option B

14. Option B

15. Option B

English Important Reading Comprehension Set 12 Asked in Various Exams for IPPB and IDBI

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

Delays of several months in Natioinal Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme wage payments and work sites where labourers have lost all hope of being paid at all have become the norm in many states. How are workers who exist on the margins of subsistence supposed to feed their families? Under the scheme, workers must be paid within 15 days, failing which they are entitled to compensation under the Payment of Wages Act – upto Rs.3000 per aggrieved worker. In reality, compensation is received in only a few isolated instances. It is often argued by officials that the main reason for the delay is the inability of banks and post offices to handle mass payments of NREGS wages. Though there is agrain of truth in this, as a diagnosis it is misleading. The ‘jam’ in the banking system has been the result of the hasty switch to bank payments imposed by the Central Government against the recommendation of the Central Employment Guarantee Council which advocated a gradual transition starting with villages relatively close to the nearest bank. However, delays are not confined solely to the banking system. Operational hurdles include implementing agencies taking more than fifteen days to issue payment orders, viewing of work measurement as a cumbersome process resulting in procrastination by the engineering staff and non maintenance of muster rolls and job card etc. But behind these delays lies a deeper and deliberate ‘backlash’ against the NREGS. With bank payments making it much harder to embezzle NREGS funds, the programme is seen as a headache by many government functionaries the workload has remained without the “inducements”. Slowing down wage payments is a convenient way of sabotaging the scheme because workers will desert NREGS worksites.

The common sense solution advocated by the government is to adopt the business correspondent model. Where in bank agents will go to villages to make cash payments and duly record them on handheld, electronic devices. This solution is based on the wrong diagnosis that distance separating villages from banks is the main issue. In order to accelerate payments, clear timilines for every step of the payment process should be incorporated into the system as Programme Officers often have no data on delays and cannot exert due pressure to remedy the situation. Workers are both clueless and powerless with no provision for them to air their grievances and seek redress. In drought affected areas the system of piece rate work can be dispensed with where work measurement is not completed withinn a week and wages may be paid on the basis of attendance. Buffer funds can be provided to gram panchayats and post offices to avoid bottlenecks in the flow of funds. Partial advances could also be considered provided wage payment are meticulously tracked. But failure to recognise problems and unwillingness to remedy them will remain major threats to the NREGS.

1. What impact have late wage payments had on NREGS workers?

a) They cannot obtain employment till their dues are cleared

b) They have benefited from the compensation awarded to them

c) They have been unable to provide for their families

d) None of these

2. Which of the following factors has not been responsible for untimely payment of NREGS wages?

a) Communication delays between agencies implementing the scheme

b) Improper record keeping

c) Behind schedule release of payments by banks

d) Drought conditions prevalent in the country

3. What has the outcome of disbursing NREGS wages through banks been?

a) Theft of funds by administratioin officials responsible for the scheme has reduced

b) Increased work load for local government officials

c) Protests by workers who have to travel long distances to the nearest bank to claim their wages

d) Time consuming formalities have to be completed by workers

4. To which of the following has the author attributed the delay in wage payments?

a) Embezzlement of funds by corrupt bank staff

b) Lack of monitoring by the Central Employment Guarantee Council

c) An attempt to derail the NREGS by vested interests

d) Overworked bank staff deliberately delay payments to protest against extra work

5. Which of the following can be considered a deficiency in the NREGS?

a) Lack of co-ordinatioin among Programme Officers

b) Local officials are unaware of correct operational procedures

c) Workers have no means of obtaining redressal for untimely wage payments

d) Disbursing wages through banks instead of readily accessible post

offices

In the following questions, you have one brief passage with five questions. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.

Although Indians spend less money on allopathic medicines than people in most Asian Countries, more than 40,000 drugs formulations are available here. All manufacturers are required by law to provide information about their product either on the packaging or in a pamphlet inside. But, in many cases, this information is very meagre and hard to understand. Many doctors, too do not tell their patients anything about the drugs they prescribe.

What should we be concerned about when we take drugs? There are two areas: (1) Side effects. Many people taking a drug will notice an undesirable reaction, usually minor. But even the mildest drugs can do harm if taken improperly, long enough or in excessive doses. And everyone responds to a drug differently. (2) Failyre to follow directions. Many of us disobey prescription instructions on how much to take and when. It is eady to fall into thinking that more of the drug will speed up the healing. It is more common, however, for people to stop taking a drug when they begin to feel better. This, too, can be dangerous.

What are the steps to be taken for safety? Take a drug only as recommended on the label or by the doctor. (2) If you feel ill after taking a drug, check it with a doctor. (3) Do not mix drugs. (4) Check whether any food or activities are to avoided.

6. Which one of the following statements is true?

a) Indians use more than 40,000 allopathic drugs

b) Indians hate allopathic medicines

c) Other Asian countries do not have allopathic medicines

d) Indians cannot afford allopathic drugs

7. How are drug users to be instructed by the manufacturers?

a) Doctors should give a manual of instructions.

b) The Chemist should issue an instruction manual.

c) Information should be printed on the carton or in a pamphlet kept inside it.

d) Patients should keep in touch with drug manufactuters.

8. Only one of the following sentences is right identify it.

a) All medicines produce reactions of various degrees in their users

b) Even mild drugs are not always safe

c) Medicines should be discontinued as soon as we feel better

d) More than the prescribed dose brings quicker recovery

9. Drug manufacturers _______

a) do not give instructions

b) give all necessary instructions

c) give very little and unintelligible information

d) give information only when asked

10. Which one of the following is true?

a) Throw away the drug that produces side effects and try another

b) Drugs may be taken with all kinds of foods

c) Drugs do not inhibit our normal life style

d) Drugs should be used only according to prescription

ANSWERS:

1. Option D

2. Option D

3. Option B

4. Option C

5. Option C

6. Option A

7. Option C

8. Option B

9. Option C

10. Option D