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
