Hello Aspirants !!!!!
As per the request of the students, we have come up with a quiz for English. Try to attempt maximum number of questions within the allotted time. I advise you to attempt ‘Reading Comprehension’ in the last to maximize the score. Do not get stuck on one questions.
Attempt the quiz seriously by concentrating for 15 mins. The quiz has been rated as difficult.
Par Score : 8
Time allotted: 10 mins
No. of questions: 13
READING COMPREHENSION
Directions Q1-5: Read the passage that follow and answer the questions given below.
Hiking fuel prices at petrol pumps is such a politically fraught exercise that there is even a hesitation to decrease prices so as to safeguard against a possible spike in global petroleum rates in the future. It is worth watching, therefore, how the proposed pilot project by the three public sector oil marketing companies — Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum — proceeds as an effort to reform the pricing mechanism. Starting next month, in select cities fuel prices at the pump point will be reset daily in tandem with global oil price movements. Till the project’s outcomes are assessed, the rest of the country will continue with the existing system, under which petrol and diesel prices are calibrated generally on a fortnightly basis. If one considers the latest price change effected by oil companies (a Rs. 3.77 reduction per litre in the price of petrol accompanied by a Rs. 2.91 cut for diesel on March 31), the case for a daily price reset makes eminent sense. Apart from the fact that it is illogical for an economy integrated with the global financial and commodity markets to keep fuel prices unchanged for as much as a fortnight, aligning prices daily and spreading out the degree of change will lessen the impact on consumers, on both the upside and the downside. Marginal changes in the daily price of fuel will not make or break consumer confidence or fuel inflationary expectations, at least because of oil costs, as it currently does.
A more gradual ascent or descent in fuel prices, rather than abrupt shifts over randomly selected intervals, makes good sense, given how closely our fiscal outlook is tied to oil price movements. The United Progressive Alliance government had freed the regulation of petrol prices in late 2010, and the National Democratic Alliance government followed through by liberating diesel prices within six months of assuming office in 2014. Such dismantling was necessary as previous attempts at abandoning the administered price mechanism for India’s largely import-dependent consumption of petroleum products never really took off, even as subsidies distorted the system further. The fortnightly system of price resets for both fuels has been followed over the last three years. The latest price cuts came after more than two months of no change, overlapping with the Assembly elections in five States. A transparently formulated and dynamic pricing regime would hopefully prevent such distortionary coincidences in the future. It would also allow private companies to compete with the PSU oil marketers, which today control 95% of fuel outlets. The government, on its part, must start winding down the extremely high petroleum product taxes imposed since June 2014, when oil prices began to fall, along with its energy subsidy liabilities.
- Why should fuel prices be changed on a daily basis?
A.To reduce the impact on consumers
B.Because our fiscal outlook is closely tied to oil price movements
C.Because Indian economy is heavily dependent on fuel
D.Both B & C
E.Both A & C - How were the fuel prices revised before the implementation of the new rule?
A.Monthly basis
B.Every three months
C.Every 15 days
D.Every two months
E.Weekly basis - What are the benefits of changing fuel prices on a daily basis?
I.Less impact on consumers
II.Private companies can compete with the PSU oil marketers
III.Fiscal deficit can be managed in a better way
A.Only I
B.Only II
C.Both I & II
D.Both II & III
E.All I, II & III - Why did the governments free the regulation on petroleum prices?
A.Subsidies disrupted the system
B.It was difficult for the govt to administer the prices
C.To help loss making PSUs make some profit
D.To keep in line with international prices
E.Both C & D - What does the phrase ‘winding down’ mean?
A.Eradicate
B.Implement
C.Lessen
D.Enforcing
E.Increase
CLOZE TEST
Directions for Questions 6-10: In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer to each question out of the five alternative and fill in the blanks.
The removal of a sitting President in South Korea brings to a close one phase in the months-long popular mobilisation to enforce accountability among the high and mighty. This verdict by South Korea’s highest court, could well ……6……. a new era. Stripped of presidential immunity, Ms. Park could now face criminal proceedings on allegations that she was complicit in …..7……. activities involving her close confidante, Park Chung-hee. The chief accusation is that they solicited contributions to promote dodgy non-profit organisations in return for clearing ……8……. corporate deals. Her autocratic and whimsical rule was marked by fierce attacks on labour unions, smear campaigns against critics, and efforts to rewrite history textbooks. The most provocative foreign policy move was the …….9……. of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence, an American missile defence system, escalating regional tensions with China. China ……10…….with calls for the boycott of South Korean imports.
- ____________
A.submit
B.open
C.herald
D.epoch
E.subsume - ____________
A.nefarious
B.typical
C.staunch
D.mendacious
E.intended - ____________
A.emblematic
B.controversial
C.uncertain
D.atrocious
E.sonorous - ____________
A.erection
B.launching
C.deployment
D.resurrection
E.enactment - _____________
A.injected
B.displayed
C.demarcated
D.mediated
E.retaliated
FILL – Ups
Directions for Questions 11-13: In the below questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Five alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the five.
- Given that the central bank’s holdings of Treasury bonds reached record levels in the ……………… of the 2008 financial crisis, any plan to begin unwinding these holdings will need to be very carefully ……………….
A.purview, constructed
B.succession, updated
C.consequence, conveyed
D.aftermath, calibrated
E.tenure, formulated - Congress will have to build a ……………… opposition to the BJP, little by little, State by State, instead of trying to pit Mr. Gandhi against the vastly more experienced Mr. Modi in what is clearly an unequal ……………….
A.dramatic, contest
B.robust, debate
C.fragmented, encounter
D.formidable, pitch
E.credible, battle - His confidence that the 2019 general elections will see him………………as an even stronger supreme leader is predicated on the ……………… in the ranks of his political opponents.
A.emerge, disarray
B.define, abetment
C.outgrow, obtrusion
D.nourish, progress
E.prosper, harmony
Explanation :
READING COMPREHENSION
1.B
Reasoning –A is the benefit of changing prices on daily basis. The reason for opting such a practice (changing prices on daily basis) is B – Second paragraph, first line. Option C is not mentioned in the passage. Hence the answer is B.
2.C
Reasoning – It has been mentioned in the passage that prices were changed on a fortnightly basis. Thus the answer is 15 days.
3.C
Reasoning – Second Last line, first paragraph supports the argument I, thus I is true. Second last line, second paragraph supports the argument II, hence II is also correct. Point III has not been mentioned in the passage, so it is wrong. Only I & II are true. So the answer is C
4.A
Reasoning – It has been given in paragraph 2 – “Such dismantling was necessary as previous attempts at abandoning the administered price mechanism for India’s largely import-dependent consumption of petroleum products never really took off, even as subsidies distorted the system further”. So option A is correct. All the other options cannot be inferred from the paragraph. B is another close option but we do not have any substantial mentioning in the paragraph to support the option, it may or may not be true. So its better to stick to answer A.
5.C
Reasoning – ‘Wind down’ means to lessen the impact or intensity of an activity. The sentence says that Govt. had imposed taxes since 2014 and now it should ‘wind down’ these taxes. Since it has been already mentioned in the line that taxes are extremely high, so option E cannot be our answer. Eradicate – completely remove – does not fit in the context of the sentence, hence C. Wind down (verb) – draw or bring gradually to a close.
Cloze test
6.C
Reasoning – Herald – be a sign that something is about to happen, signal, indicate, announce. Epoch is a noun and hence is cancelled out; Epoch – era, time, period, age as in Roman epoch. Subsume – include or absorb (something) in something else. Passage says that this verdict will take South Korea into a new phase, and herald a new era
7.A
Reasoning – Nefarious – wicked, villainous or criminal.
Staunch – very loyal and committed (staunch supporter of Modi).
Mendacious – Insincere, dishonest, insincere.
Typical – having the distinctive qualities of a particular type of person or thing. Passage tells that the President, Ms. Park was involved in bad activities (as there have been allegations on her). So, just like ‘bad’, we need a negative adjective for the noun ‘activities’. Only option A is correct for the first blank. D would be next best choice after A.
8.B
Reasoning – Emblematic – symbolic, representative, demonstrative etc.
Controversial – contentious, debatable, disputable;
Atrocious – extremely bad or unpleasant (atrocious crimes);
Sonorous – related to sound or voice as in sonorous (melodious) voice.
Ms. Park cleared some corporate deals which were controversial or questionable, hence B. D seems like a right choice but we rarely find a combination like ‘atrocious deals’. Atrocious acts, crimes, methods etc are the right combinations.
9.C
Reasoning – Missile system can either be deployed or installed. Deploy – position, station, post, place, install, locate, situate. Missile can be launched but Misslie Defence system cannot be launched. Resurrection – revive, regenerate or renew. Enactment – process of passing a legislation (enactment of GST bill)
10.E
Reasoning – Demarcate – separate, divide, distinguish etc.
Mediate – intervene in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement.
Retaliate – respond, react, reply or reciprocate.
It has to be understood from close reading of the passage that China boycotted the Korean imports – this was a reaction to the deployment of Missile system. In this case, better word than reaction is retaliation.
Fill Ups
11.D
Reasoning – Aftermath – the consequences or after-effects of an unpleasant event. Record levels were reached as a consequence of crisis or in the aftermath of crisis. Do notice the different ways in which options C and D are used. ‘During the crisis’ would also be correct, although meaning will change. For the second blank, we need a verb for the subject ‘plan’. Plans needs to be carefully formulated/calibrated/executed etc. ‘Conveyed’ won’t make any sense.
12.E
Reasoning – For the first blank, we need an adjective for the ‘opposition’. B, D and E are the correct options. For the second, only ‘battle’ fits. ‘Contest’ and ‘Encounter’ could be other correct words too. Robust – strong, rigid. Formidable – daunting, alarming, frightening. Fragmented – broken, not strong.
13.A
Disarray – a state of disorder, confusion, chaos. Abetment – to encourage or support in wrongdoing. Read the sentence closely, in the first part the leader is becoming a stronger leader because of problems in the ranks of political opponents, hence we need a negative word in the second blank, hence option A. For the first blank, ‘develop’ and ‘grow’ could be other correct words.
(Do put in score in the comments section. Detailed reasoning has been provided for each answer, still if any query remains, type it down in the comments section.)
