Directions (1-3): Given below is a set of statements viz, (I), (II), (III), (IV) & (V). Read them to
answer the questions that follow without changing the tone of the paragraph.
(I)There were other buildings in that area prior to Akbar’s construction of a royal city named Fatehpur Sikri on the Vindhya hills.
(II) The word Fateh is of Arabic origin in Persian, meaning “victorious”.
(III)The Mughal association with it began with the Battle of Khanwa between Babur and Rana Sanga in 1527.
(IV) The victory in the battle consolidated the new Mughal dynasty in India.
(V)Babur’s grandson Akbar ordered the construction of a royal city, which then served as the capital of the Mughal empire from 1571, on an isolated elevated, rocky ridge.
Q1. Which among the following sentences can REPLACE Statement (II) so that when all the given statements are combined sequentially they form a coherent paragraph?
(a)The book informed me that the name Sikri came from the Sikarwar Rajputs who controlled it briefly at the end of the 12th century.
(b)Given that the kitchens were nearby and it was cordoned off from the female quarters and lay outside the Haram Sara, this sounds feasible.
(c)My first visit to Fatehpur Sikri was as a teenager and the beauty and haunting loneliness of the majestic red buildings made me fall in love with them.
(d)The Archaeological Survey of India identifies this as Daftar Khana (record room), but Rezavi gives references from various contemporary sources such as Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh (Badayuni), Akbarnama (Abul Fazl) and Tabaqat-i-Akbari (Nizamuddin Ahmed) to prove that this is the Ibadat Khana (house of worship) where Akbar met with scholars and priests of every religion.
(e)None of the above.
Q2. Which one of the following statements can suitably FOLLOW statement (V) to form a coherent paragraph?
(a)The descriptions of the building with aiwans (porticos) given by these chroniclers, along with location, seem to indicate that this was where Akbar held philosophical debates on religion.
(b)Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned by Akbar in 1585 and later used by the British as an army outpost.
(c)Thus was built a majestic imperial city.
(d)It’s a large complex with galleries on four sides with an imperial box in one gallery, meant for the emperor.
(e)None of the above.
Q3. Which one of the following sentences can be placed in between Statement (IV) and Statement (V) without altering the meaning of the paragraph?
(a)The king’s own quarters in the imperial palace were divided into private and public areas: Daulat Khana-e-Khas and Daulat Khana-e-Aam.
(b)After his victory, Babur constructed a garden there, which he named Bagh-e-Fath (victory garden).
(c)On my last visit, however, I went armed with Fathpur Sikri Revisited, a book by Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi, and realised just how many myths are created and retold in that imperial city.
(d)Rezavi also says that the palace known as Maryam’s house was actually a royal dining hall.
(e)None of the above.
Directions (4-6): The following statements have two blanks which are to be filled with the options given below. Choose the correct combination which can most suitably complete the sentence without altering the meaning of the statement. If none of the combinations makes an impact, choose (e) i.e. “No combination fits” as your answer.
Q4. One cannot help noticing that if Hinduism was always ________________ and tolerant, then the recent controversy over Rahul Gandhi’s religious beliefs would not have occurred. One also cannot help noticing that if Islam was __________________ solely with peace, groups of Muslims would not be shooting at each other in almost every third Muslim country in the world.
(I)embraced
(II)inclusive
(III)defined
(IV)correspondent
(V)equated
(a)I-IV
(b)I-III
(c)II- IV
(d)II-V
(e)No combination fits
Q5. The very large number of laws and their ________________ interpretations leave the common man at a loss. Adding to the confusion is a police force that enforces law according to its own understanding or on instructions of the political executive, but _________________ on sound judicial principles.
(I)varied
(II)seldom
(III)often
(IV)disparate
(V)extended
(a)V-III
(b)IV-V
(c)I-II
(d)I-IV
(e)No combination fits
Q6. Given the extraordinary adoption of Aadhaar as a government programme, it is tempting to think of its success as a ______________ to the Indian state’s uniquely coercive powers that it has _______________ and fine-tuned over the past decade thanks to increasing interlinkages between various aspects of our daily lives — from banking to booking a tatkal ticket.
(I)tribute
(II)accrued
(III)consequence
(IV)ensued
(V)testament
(a)III-IV
(b)V-II
(c)I-III
(d)III-II
(e)No combination fits
Directions (7-10): 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.
Q7. (a) This amounts to 12 million Indians joining the labour force every year, which is more than the entire population of Sweden.
(b) The future of jobs will be driven more by education and skills than in the past.
(c) With millions of young people joining the labour market every month, the question on their lips is if there will be enough jobs for them.
(d) Few are asking who creates jobs.
(e) Demographic trends in India, the second most populous country in the world, suggest that a million people join the labour force every month.
Q8. (a) Heavy manufacturing is likely to start shedding jobs first.
(b) Many more new jobs will be created in modern services.
(c) The jobs challenge faced by India will be shaped not just by how India invests in physical and human infrastructure, but by global trends towards increasing use of digital technologies.
(d) Good physical infrastructure is essential to supporting entrepreneurship.
(e) Light manufacturing still has the potential to create some jobs.
Q9. (a) His trilogy of books—India: Macroeconomics And Political Economy, 1964-91; Indian Economic Reforms, 1991-2001; India’s Long Road: The Search For Prosperity—are among the best in their category.
(b) The L K Jha Memorial Lecture that Joshi delivered with his trademark clarity at the Reserve Bank of India this week is a clarion call for the next wave of economic reforms.
(c) Vijay Joshi is one of the most thoughtful commentators on the Indian economy.
(d) Joshi recommends a five-pronged agenda—privatization, employment creation, deep fiscal adjustment, primary education and building state capacity.
(e) The first two were written in collaboration with the great Ian Little, teacher to a generation of Indian economists, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Q10. (a) The most important difference is that India is a political democracy while the East Asian countries were under authoritarian regimes during their years of very rapid growth.
(b) Indian policymakers need to step on the reforms pedal.
(c) India needs to join this exclusive club—since the window of opportunity will slowly close as the labour force peaks and automation begins to destroy jobs on a bigger scale.
(d) The past few years have seen important changes such as macroeconomic stability, a new monetary policy framework, the goods and services tax, and the bankruptcy law.
(e) Economic history tells us that only a handful of countries have been able to sustain 8%-plus growth over two decades.
Directions (11-15): In the questions given below 5 sentences are given out of which only one is grammatically or semantically correct. Choose the sentence which is correct.
Q11. (a) The garden backs onto the former site of British Acoustic Films, a company that left London in 1941 to avoid the Blitz.
(b) One of my friend came running to me and gave me this good news.
(c) She was intrigued by an unmarked manhole cover at her garden and it turned out to be a Second World War bomb bunker.
(d) However, not all smiles is created equal, and it is not a good idea to smile in every situation.
(e) On my request, Amar introduced me to his friend, who is a singer and a scientist.
Q12. (a) Sometimes fear take the form of feeling nervous; perhaps you feel as if your stomach is churning.
(b) Ordinarily, when in difficulty Renuka prefers keeping her counsel than running about taking advice.
(c) Cricket has become so popular that even elderly people are discussing the game when they meet.
(d) Every time, I crave a packet of crisps, I pictured my dream wedding dress.
(e) Another theory is that it was used by the Home Guard and was once populated with volunteers prepared to serve as Britain’s last line of defence.
Q13. (a) My brother said that he preferred the white shirt than the black one which I usually wore.
(b) Many people don’t hardly know about the real factors that have led the state to so many crises.
(c) There are other times since you might feel nervous because you have to wait for something, perhaps your exam results, you might even feel scared in case you have failed.
(d) Often the baby’s father would be present, but sometimes they would wait within call near the entrance to the labour ward.
(e) There are all sorts of ways in which, in English, we describe someone as being scaring, nervous or of something as being scary.
Q14. (a) The orphanages in the thickly populated cities in India they are founded by generous donors.
(b) There were a number of seats there, but often these men would be pace up and down, wearing out the flooring.
(c) The consumer Forum directed the Power Corporation to compensate a complainant for the inconvenience and mental agony who he had to suffer, because of the power officials’ irresponsible attitude.
(d) Some people shy away from travelling alone, a few embrace it.
(e) Dress in black several students from the University took part in a protest march in the city on Thursday as part of a campaign against female infanticide.
Q15. (a) In other words, by procrastination they exonerate themselves from potential blame if something goes wrong or does not work out as they hope, or plan.
(b) These days Ashok along with his friends does not go to a walk in the morning.
(c) I have been visiting your office since last several years but have never met such a hopeless clerk as this.
(d) So the sensible thing to do was to take no notice of such jibes, but not everyone felt able to stand at to the teasing.
(e) Moving to thoughts of joy, appreciation and gratitude can support you to experience an energy shift allowing you to take action.
SOLUTIONS:
S1. Ans.(a)
Sol. The statements provided above can be formed into an account of the author’s visit to the historical sites and a brief description of history related to the same. The second statement should be replaced by the statement given in the option (a) that would follow the other statements contextually. It can be easily connected with the first statement of the passage. Other options find very little relevance to the paragraph so formed. Hence option (a) is the correct choice.
S2. Ans.(c)
Sol. The statement given in option (c) makes an impact to the paragraph as it concludes it in appropriate way. This can be connected to the statement (V) as the mention of “the construction of a royal city” in the statement (V) indicates that only statement (c) can follow it contextually [a majestic imperial city]. Hence (c) is the correct choice.
S3. Ans.(b)
Sol. Statements after (III) is presenting the scenario in the aftermath of the battle. Statement (V) indicates that there were new structural changes. Option (b) fits perfectly as it is is in harmony with this theme as the new garden was made.
S4. Ans. (d)
Sol. The combination of II-V i.e. “inclusive, equated” fits into the blanks respectively. Other combinations are unfit to the given blanks.
Inclusive means including all the services or items normally expected or required.
Equated means considered (one thing) to be the same as or equivalent to another.
Correspondent means corresponding.
S5. Ans. (c)
Sol. The combination of I-II i.e. “varied, seldom” fits into the blanks respectively and thus adds meaning to the sentence contextually. Other combinations are unfit to the given blanks.
Varied means incorporating a number of different types or elements; showing variation or variety.
Seldom means not often; rarely.
Often means frequently; many times.
Disparate means essentially different in kind; not able to be compared.
Extended means made larger; enlarged.
S6. Ans. (b)
Sol. The combination of V-II i.e. “testament, accrued” fits into the blanks respectively. They provide an appropriate meaning to the sentence. Other combinations are unfit to the given blanks.
Testament means something that serves as a sign or evidence of a specified fact, event, or quality.
Accrued means accumulated or received (payments or benefits) over time.
Tribute means an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.
Ensued means happened or occurred afterwards or as a result.
S7. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is not a part of the coherent paragraph, as the paragraph discusses about the question asked by people joining the labour force, but option (b) talks about the factors responsible for job creation. Hence sentences EACD form a coherent paragraph while sentence (b) is not a part.
S8. Ans. (d)
Sol. Sentences CAEB form a coherent paragraph talking about how job challenge can be shaped while sentence (d) talks about the factor that is essential to support entrepreneurship making it unrelated to the other sentences. Hence sentence (d) is the correct choice.
S9. Ans. (d)
Sol. If we read the above sentences, we can easily identify the theme of the sentences forming a coherent paragraph which is about giving the description of Vijay Joshi’s books and lecture, making sentences CAEB interrelated. Sentence (d) talks about the Joshi’s recommendation to a certain issue, which is not been mentioned in other sentences and hence making it unrelated to other sentences. Hence option (d) is the correct choice.
S10. Ans. (a)
Sol. Going through the above sentences, we can conclude that sentences ECBD forms a coherent paragraph as it is talking about the factors responsible for economy slowdown and its solution, whereas sentence (a) talks about the difference between India and East Asian countries during the rapid growth, which fails to connect it with the other sentences. Hence option (a) is the correct choice.
S11. Ans. (a)
Sol. Sentence (a) is grammatically correct.
In Sentence (b), ‘friends’ will be used in place of ‘friend’ as after ‘one of, either of, neither of, every one of’, nouns or pronouns are always plural.
In sentence (c), The use of preposition ‘at’ is incorrect.
In sentence (d), ‘are’ will be used in place of ‘is’. The subject of the sentence ‘smiles’ is plural, hence verb will also be plural.
In sentence (e), ‘a’ will not be used before ‘scientist’ because when two nouns get connected with the words like ‘and’, ‘as well as’ to represent a particular person, then article is used only before first noun.
S12. Ans. (e)
Sol. Sentence (e) is grammatically correct.
In sentence (a), ‘takes’ will be used in place of ‘take’ as the subject ‘fear’ is singular for which verb is also used as singular.
In sentence (b), ‘to’ will be used in place of ‘than’ as if ‘prefer’ is used in the sentence for comparing two nouns or noun equivalents, then preposition ‘to’ is used after ‘prefer’.
In sentence (c), Use ‘discuss’ in place of ‘are discussing’ as to tell the habit of present, simple present tense is used.
In sentence (d), ‘craved’ will be used in place of ‘crave’ as the sentence is in past tense.
S13. Ans.(d)
Sol. Sentence (d) is grammatically correct.
In sentence (a), In place of ‘than’, ‘to’ is used because when two nouns or gerunds are compared through ‘prefer’ then preposition ‘to’ is used after ‘prefer’.
In sentence (b), ‘don’t’ will not be used as ‘hardly/ scarcely’ itself is negative.
In sentence (c), ‘when’ will be used in place of ‘since’.
In sentence (e), ‘scared’ will be used in place of ‘scaring’.
S14. Ans. (d)
Sol. Sentence (d) is grammatically correct.
In sentence (a), the use of ‘they’ is superfluous. The subject of the sentence ‘The orphanages’ is plural for which verb ‘are’ is used.
In sentence (b), ‘pacing’ will be used in place of ‘pace’.
In sentence (c), Change ‘and mental agony who he had to suffer’ to ‘and mental agony which he had to suffer’.
In sentence (e), ‘dressed’ will be used in place of ‘dress’.
S15. Ans. (e)
Sol. In sentence (a), ‘procrastinating’ will be used in place of ‘procrastination’.
In sentence (b), ‘for a walk’ will be used in place of ‘to a walk’ because ‘go for a walk’ is used.
In sentence (c), ‘for the last several years’ is used in place of ‘since the last several years’ as ‘last’ is an ordinal adjective before which ‘the’ is used and ‘the last several years’ is a ‘period of time’ before which ‘for’ is used.
In sentence (d), ‘up’ will be used in place of ‘at’.
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