Direction (1-5): Select
the phrase/connector (STARTERS) from the given three options which can be used
to form a single sentence from the two sentences given below, implying the same
meaning as expressed in the statement sentences.
Q1. (1)MC Mary Kom has been described as the Muhammad Ali of
women’s boxing.
(2)It is a trifle unfair because she has her own claim to
fame – the indefatigable MC Mary Kom, the woman from Manipur who attained
global glory.
(I)Though MC Mary Kom has been…
(II)Despite being the indefatigable…
(III)Considering it a trifle unfair…
(a)Only (I) is correct
(b)Only (III) is correct
(c)Both (I) and (II) are correct
(d)Both (I) and (III) are correct
(e)All are correct
Q2. (1) It would be a lengthy affair to list the successes
of MC Mary Kom.
(2)What matters is how she adapted herself to varying
demands, including “gaining weight” because a few competitions did not cater to
her natural weight-category.
(I)To list the successes of MC Mary Kom…
(II)While it would be a lengthy affair…
(III)Adapting herself to varying demands…
(a)Only (I) is correct
(b)Only (II) is correct
(c)Both (I) and (II) are correct
(d)Both (I) and (III) are correct
(e)All are correct
Q3. (1)The Congress was an umbrella organization with many
ideologies coexisting together.
(2)However, it lacked a single focus.
(I)Being an umbrella organization…
(II)In view of the fact that the Congress…
(III)As the Congress was an umbrella…
(a)Only (I) is correct
(b)Only (II) is correct
(c)Both (I) and (II) are correct
(d)Both (I) and (III) are correct
(e)All are correct
Q4.
(1)Deen Dayal identifies honesty to be a principle.
(2)The task is to make it a policy for which the beginning
has to be made by reforming an overdeveloped state that is free of corruption,
with a high level of human development indices, and adhering to a “world
minimum” that Sakharov spoke of.
(I)With the task to make a policy for…
(II)While Deen Dayal identifies honesty…
(III)Owing to the fact that reforming an…
(b)Only (II) is correct
(c)Both (I) and (II) are correct
(d)Both (I) and (III) are correct
(e)All are correct
Q5. (1)Deen Dayal emphasised the relationship of political
ideologies to the factors of time and place.
(2)He discounted the universal validity of Western
ideologies.
(II)For all that emphasis on…
(III)Discounting the universal validity…
(b)Only (III) is correct
(c)Both (I) and (II) are correct
(d)Both (I) and (III) are correct
(e)All are correct
Directions (6-10): Five statements are given below,
labelled a, b, c, d and e. Among these, four statements are in logical order
and form a coherent paragraph. From the given options, choose the option that
does not fit into the theme of the paragraph.
Q6. (a)To make matters worse, the imposition of an
ill-designed Goods and Services Tax (GST), whose impact fell disproportionately
on small manufacturing units and traders, has compounded the crisis.
(b)A year later, the effects of the monumental blunder, undertaken in the name
of fighting the “black money” menace, still linger.
(c)Livelihoods in huge swathes of the economy that were uprooted in the wake of
demonetisation have still not recovered.
(d)It was clear that the troika of Modi, the Finance Ministry and the RBI was
responsible for the crisis.
(e)November 8, 2017, marks the first anniversary of demonetisation, an exercise
that shocked, numbed and grievously wounded livelihoods on a scale
unprecedented since Independence.
Q7. (a)China will
become a “moderately prosperous society” by 2021, the year that will mark 100
years of the CPC’s formation.
(b)From then onwards, China will be on the home stretch to become an advanced
socialist country, and the goal will be accomplished by 2050.
(c)In his marathon speech that lasted over three hours, Xi said his grand
mid-century vision would be realised in three distinct phases.
(d)China will become a leading developed nation, having accomplished the unprecedented
goal of becoming the world’s first advanced socialist country, he said.
(e)China’s new stage of development will be consolidated by 2035.
Q8.
(a)Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla sharply
criticised the U.S.’ move and accused the U.S. of not “sufficiently
cooperating” with the Cuban government’s efforts to investigate the “health
attacks”.
(b)Previously, he had only referred to the cases as
“incidents”.
(c)The Obama administration had relaxed restrictions on travel to Cuba.
(d)In his recent statement on the subject, Tillerson said that there was an
“attack” on his country’s diplomats based in Havana.
(e)The U.S. authorities have not provided access to those affected or to the
doctors examining them.
Q9. (a)Illegal drugs—such as cocaine and heroin—continue to
pose a challenge, but the real threat is from prescription opioids such as
fentanyls of one kind or another.
(b)The declaration of an emergency means that state funds should go post-haste
to help stem the crisis.
(c)In early November, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency
against opioid abuse.
(d)It is not clear, however, if this will be enough.
(e) “The opioid is a tremendous emergency,” he said in his characteristic
style.
Q10. (a)There are issues with encroachment on the western
face of the ranges (in Kanyakumari district) where there are significant human
population pressures.
(b)Coconut plantations, irrigated with borewells, are sprouting in semi-arid
areas.
(c)Change has been a key aspect of the observations—the forest has recovered from
being a degraded plantation to now hosting a plethora of rare and endangered
Western Ghats species.
(d)The challenges in Naraikadu and the wider KMTR protected area in the future
will come from a multitude of sources.
(e)The eastern edges of the hills are now facing development pressures as land
is bought up for investment with little thought for the ecological impact.
Direction (11-15): In each of the given questions an
inference is given in bold which is then followed by three statements. You have
to find the statement(s) from where it is inferred. Choose the option with the
best possible outcome as your choice.
thought about those innocent who were at the receiving end of demonetization at
the advent.
(I) Indians are a very emotional lot and
tend to quickly come to conclusions without delving deep into issues. The
public outcry against demonetization — especially by those with few solutions
at their hand to face the problem of cash crunch. The main criticism against
the government is that demonetisation has inflicted more pain on the poor and
innocent while opening a window for the rich to cleanse their unaccounted
income, of course, after paying a handsome share to the exchequer.
(II) If demonetisation was a war, then those who lost their
lives outside bank queues are true martyrs. These ordinary citizens sincerely
believed the government’s intentions of bringing in transparency in the
economy. Which is why they were willing to put their lives at risk to withdraw
their hard-earned money in new currency. People waiting in endless queues
outside banks to exchange old notes reportedly resulted in even deaths during
the first few weeks after demonetisation. Honouring the sacrifice of these true
martyrs would be a fitting tribute on the first anniversary of demonetisation.
(III) A year after Prime Minister NarendraModi announced the
ban on Rs 1000 and Rs 500 old banknotes, his government described
demonetisation as a historic and multi-dimensional success. Huge advertisements
could be seen where Modi lauded 125 crore Indians for fighting a decisive
battle against black money and corruption. Unfortunately despite tall claims by
BJP, the debate still rages whether the move has benefitted the nation or done
more harm than good.
(a) Both (I) & (III)
(b) Both (II) & (III)
(c) Only (I)
(d) Only (II)
(e) All of the above
Q12.
Extremism has spread
even among Hindus, some of whom believe not in satyamevajayate but in might is
right.
(I) The Parivar proclaims an ideology of “Hindutva,” aimed
at ensuring the predominance of Hinduism in Indian society, politics, and
culture, which it promotes through tactics that include violence and terror.
Its agenda includes subjugating or driving out people of other faiths, who
total some 17 percent of the population. It castigates them as foreign faiths,
imposed by foreign conquerors.
(II) All wanton violence and religious fundamentalism is
wrong, be it of the right or the left, or of any religion, and needs to be
identified, countered and condemned. In this context, the real question for
Hindus is who, and for what reason, is today deliberately fanning this
fanatical violence among them? According to established Hindu practice,
disagreements should be resolved through debate, dialogue and discussion, yet
one has only to remember that it was a fanatical Hindu who killed one of the
greatest messiahs of peace – Mahatma Gandhi.
(III)There is no denying that fringe right wing groups have
created an atmosphere of intolerance to outspoken writers and academics who
question religious practices and myths, thereby putting pressure on freedom of
speech and expression. The event of killing of veteran writer MalleshappaMadivalappaKalburgi
demands the government not to go soft on Hindu fundamentalism and to “crack
down” on these fringe elements in the same way it would deal with other
“religion and ideology based extremist groups.”
(a) Both (I) &
(II)
(b) Both (I) & (III)
(c) Both (II) &(III)
(d) Only (I)
(e) All of the above
Q13.
It is important for
the courts to examine disability as a ground for the grant of bail.
(I) The deplorable conditions in Indian prisons are well
known. It is settled law now that prisoners may be deprived of personal liberty
according to procedure established by law, but that does not include a
derogation of their right to dignity. How do we begin to understand the sanctity
of life, dignity and bodily integrity for a person with disabilities? If
handcuffing is an extraordinary and excessive restraint on an ordinary
prisoner, what constitutes excessive restraint beyond the writ of law for a
person with disabilities? Placing him in solitary confinement with no support
violates his right to life, bodily integrity and autonomy even when conviction
only imposes restraints on personal liberty.
(II) The Indian Constitution gives pride of place to the
fundamental rights of a citizen, including the right to life and liberty. One
would assume that it implies two basic legal principles: one, that the accused
is innocent until proven guilty; and two, that bail is the norm and jail the
exception. The stories of thousands of undertrials- including those with
disabilities-languishing in jails across the country, however, run against the
grain of the constitutional promise that “no person shall be deprived of his
life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law”
(III) The Law Commission has done well to recommend a
complete overhaul in the way courts grant bail. Bail must be the rule rather
than the exception, given that every person charged with a crime is presumed
innocent until proven guilty. Reform in bail jurisprudence that includes fast
disposal of bail applications, easier surety requirements and minimising
pretrial detention is overdue. Courts must deny bail only under three
conditions. One, the person charged with the crime is likely to flee. Two, the
accused is likely to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. Three, the
person is likely to repeat the same crime if granted bail.
(a) Only (III)
(b) Only (I)
(c) Only (II)
(d) Both (I) &
(II)
(e) Both (II) &
(III)
Q14.
Police investigators
should not jump to conclusions, influenced by public outrage
(I) That the police had to extract a false confession is
downright disgraceful, but it is not an isolated case in a country known for
its primitive investigative methods. In cases of demand of a result from the
masses, putting a statement which is refutable isn’t justified. Studies on
police reforms have highlighted the need to make the investigation process more
scientific and more rooted in forensic analysis, but custodial torture and
extracted confessions continue to be reported. When two narratives emerge from
different police agencies for a heinous murder, a sense of disquiet among the
public is inevitable.
(II) Regimes come and regimes go, a new party and a new
leadership adds its own new pages to the annals of India’s political history.
But India’s khaki tales continue with the same old narrative – hackneyed,
violent and tragic, both for the people of the country as well as for the rank
and file cops. Not trained properly for the job that requires mental strength
to withstand public pressure they are often rounded up in botched up
investigations. The strong arm of the state is severely weak within and the
politicians want it that way; bereft of choice, cops take solace in venting
their ‘powerless power’ where they can.
(III) Police bumbling closure in Pradyuman murder case is no
exception. It points to systemic failures. It is often difficult to distinguish
police investigation, especially carried out in the face of public and
political pressure, from the witch-hunt. Police with only rudimentary training
in modern investigation, using beatings and threats as their main truth-seeking
tools, have a long record of securing wrongful convictions, as well as letting
the guilty walk free, sometimes wearing the halo of martyrdom. To explain this
away as the failure of individuals is inadequate.
(a) Both (I) & (II)
(b) Both (I) & (III)
(c) Both (II) & (III)
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (III)
Q15.
More and more
bilateral series have taken away the excitement from the game.
(I) Players often display more cricketing brilliance on the
field as they would be watched by more viewers than in a bilateral ODI series.
The most interesting feature of these tournaments is that they seldom get
boring. On the other hand, a seven-match bilateral ODI series can become
monotonous if one team holds inordinate sway in the opening matches.
(II) With repeated bilateral clashes between the same
opponents, the fans hardly get to speculate as much as they liked to do when
more number of teams brought more number of players and hence more fierce
competition from the players. The near same combinations of the two teams makes
the scope of watching the game for some innovative batting or bowling battles,
narrowed down to negligible. Moreover, Due to the bilateral nature of busy
cricket schedules and the mushrooming of Twenty20 cricket leagues, the space
for triangular cricket tournaments has been squeezed.
(III) The ODI tournaments were more keenly followed than
bilateral ODI face-offs in general. This is for many reasons. In multilateral
tournaments, one gets to see many teams participate and make a bid for the same
trophy. The permutations and combinations of match results creates a unique
interest, allowing fans to constantly examine ways in which a particular team
can reach the knock-out stage or clinch the title.
(a) Both (I) & (II)
(b) Only II
(c) Both (II) & (III)
(d) Both (III) & (I)
(e) All of the above
SOLUTIONS:
S1. Ans. (a)
Sol. Only the first starter can be used to frame a logical
and comprehensive sentence connecting both the sentences given as the question.
The other two starters are incorrect owing to their varying meanings.
(I)Though MC Mary Kom has been described as the Muhammad Ali
of women’s boxing, it is a trifle unfair because she has her own claim to fame
– the indefatigable MC Mary Kom, the woman from Manipur who attained global
glory.
S2. Ans. (c)
Sol. Both the starters (I) and (II) can be used to connect
the given set of two sentences to form a meaningful statement. However, the
third starter is incorrect as it would alter the meaning of the actual sentence.
(I)To list the successes of MC Mary Kom would be a lengthy
affair, what matters is how she adapted herself to varying demands, including
“gaining weight” because a few competitions did not cater to her natural
weight-category.
(II)While it would be a lengthy affair to list the successes
of MC Mary Kom, what matters is how she adapted herself to varying demands,
including “gaining weight” because a few competitions did not cater to her
natural weight-category.
S3. Ans. (e)
Sol. All the three starters are correct enough to form three
logical sentences without altering the meaning of the actual sentence.
(I)Being an umbrella organization with many ideologies
coexisting together, the Congress lacked a single focus.
(II)In view of the fact that the Congress was an umbrella
organization with many ideologies coexisting together, it lacked a single
focus.
(III) As the Congress was an umbrella organization with many
ideologies coexisting together, it lacked a single focus.
S4. Ans. (b)
Sol. Only the second starter can be used to frame a logical
and comprehensive sentence connecting both the sentences given as the question.
The other two starters are incorrect owing to their varying meanings.
(II)While Deen Dayal identifies honesty to be a principle,
the task is to make it a policy for which the beginning has to be made by
reforming an overdeveloped state that is free of corruption, with a high level
of human development indices, and adhering to a “world minimum” that Sakharov
spoke of.
S5. Ans. (b)
Sol. Only the third starter can be used to frame a logical
and comprehensive sentence connecting both the sentences given as the question.
The other two starters are incorrect owing to their varying meanings.
(III)Discounting the universal validity of Western
ideologies, Deen Dayal emphasised the relationship of political ideologies to
the factors of time and place.
S6. Ans. (d)
Sol. Sentences ebca
form a coherent paragraph as it talks about the impact of demonetization and
then GST on the economy that created crises in livelihoods, small manufacturing
units and traders which are still to be recovered. Sentence (d) fails to
connect with the other sentences as it tells about the people who are
responsible for this and mentions the word ‘clear’ as no other sentences are pointing towards
this conclusion. Hence option (d) is the correct choice.
S7. Ans. (d)
Sol. Sentences caeb
a coherent paragraph whereas sentence (d) is not a part of the paragraph as it
is about accomplishing the goal and making China as a leading developed nation.
You will notice that the three phases which are being talked about in the
sentence (c) are following a chronological order and are talking about
different timelines. So while (d) can be a part of the paragraph but when it
comes to coherence ‘caeb’ is the correct
order.
S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. Sentences aedb
form a coherent paragraph talking about criticism made by Cuba against U.S.
move of not supporting them. Sentence (c) is about relaxing restriction during
Obama’s administration which is not making a connection with the other
sentences . Hence option (c) is the right choice.
S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. Going through the sentences we find that sentences cebd form a coherent paragraph and are
discussing about the emergency declared by Donald Trump against opioid abuse
whereas sentence (a) is about threat from the drugs making it unrelated to the
other sentences. Hence option (a) is the correct choice.
S10. Ans. (c)
Sol. Sentences daeb
form a coherent paragraph and discusses about the sources from which the
challenges in protected area will arise that are encroachment on western part,
development pressures on eastern edges of the hills and sprouting of coconut
plantations whereas sentence (c) talks about the recovery of forests making it
unrelated to other sentences. Hence option (c) is the correct choice.
S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. The inference
drawn is about the people who faced severities during the period starting with
implementation of Demonetisation till situations eased out. Statement (I) talks about the emotional
outcry of people and their criticism about government’s step but nowhere
presents any fact or example of unattended
people’s suffering . Statement (III) talks about only the introduction
of the campaign and the related debates about its righteousness. Statement (II)
presents soundly the fact that ordinary innocent people who believed in
government intentions suffered the hardships and not much was done or thought
about easing their suffering at the start of the process.
S12. Ans. (b)
The inference is drawn is that Hindu outfits can no longer
deny the existence of extremism among their ranks. Statement (II) though
mentions the killing of Mahatama Gandhi by a fanatical Hindu, it fails to state
that it has been backed the community. Statement (I) & (III) support the
inference based on facts that fringe Hindus radicals have created an atmosphere
of intolerance for writers, academics speaking against them and predominance of
Hinduism in Indian society, politics, and culture, which it promotes through
tactics that include violence and terror respectively.
S13. Ans. (b)
The inference drawn is based upon the fact that if the court
finds out a circumstance where in there is need for special physical assistance
for the prisoner daily life activities i.e. with a physical disability, he
should be allowed bail on this ground. Statement (II) and (III) beat around the
bush with references to the Indian Constitution stating right to life and
liberty but it doesn’t specifies it particularly for the disabled accused.
Statement (I) alone provides for consideration of a person’s physical condition
as a ground for bail provision.
S14. (b)
The inference drawn centers around the fact that police not
able to withstand public pressure jump to conclusions that may be later
refuted. Supporting this inferences are Statement (I) & (III) which clearly
mentions police investigations carried in wake of public pressure have resulted
into debatable conclusions showing inadequacy. Statement (II) makes a mention of the public pressure but
then deviates to badly carried out investigations. It doesn’t show that a
public statement was issued on the basis of any conclusion.
S15. Ans. (e)
The inference drawn on the basis of increasing bilateral
faceoffs in ODI cricket to be making game watching boring is supported by all
the Statements (I) (II) & (III) as all statements mention the facts :
Number of bilateral series have increased with decrease in more than 2 team
series tournaments hence resulting in increase of monotonous nature in these clashes.
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