UPSC IAS exam preparation - English Comprehension - Lecture 2

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English Comprehension - 02

Directions: Given below are several passages followed by questions based on them. Read the passages and answer the questions accordingly. Mark your answers in the scoresheet given at the end with an HB pencil.

Passage I

A field in the biological sciences concerned with the identification and description of the body structures of living things, gross anatomy involves the study of major body structures by dissection and observation, and in its narrowest sense, is concerned only with the human body. Gross anatomy customarily refers to the study of those body structures large enough to be examined without the help of magnifying devices, while microscopic anatomy is concerned with the study of structural units small enough to be seen only with a light microscope. Dissection is basic to all anatomical research. The earliest record of its use was made by the Greeks and Theophrastus, called “dissection anatomy”, from “ana temnein”, meaning “to cut up.”

Comparative anatomy, the other major subdivision of the field, compares similar body structures in different species of animals in order to understand the adaptive changes they have undergone in the course of evolution.

This ancient discipline reached its culmination between 1500 and 1850, by which time its subject matter was firmly established. None of the world’s oldest civilisations dissected a human body, which most people regarded with superstitious awe and associated with the spirit of the departed soul. Beliefs in life after death and a disquieting uncertainty concerning the possibility of body resurrection further inhibited systematic study. Nevertheless, knowledge of the body was acquired by treating wounds, aiding in childbirth and setting broken limbs. The field remained speculative rather than descriptive, though, until the achievements of the Alexandrian medical school and its foremost figure, the Greek Herophilus, who dissected human cadavers and thus gave anatomy a considerable factual basis for the first time. Herophilus made many important discoveries and was followed by his younger contemporary Erasistratus, who is sometimes regarded as the founder of physiology.

In the second century AD, the Greek physician Galen assembled and arranged all the discoveries of the Greek anatomists, including with them his own concepts of physiology and his discoveries in experimental medicine. The many books Galen wrote became the unquestioned authority for anatomy and medicine in Europe because they were the only ancient Greek anatomical texts that survived the Dark Ages in the form of Arabic (and then Latin) translations.

Owing to church prohibitions against dissection, European medicine in the Middle Ages relied upon Galen’s mixture of fact and fancy rather than on direct observation for its anatomical knowledge, though some dissections were authorised for teaching purposes. In the early 16th century, the artist Leonardo da Vinci undertook his own dissections and his beautiful and accurate anatomical drawings cleared the way for the Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius to “restore” the science of anatomy with his monumental De humani corporis fabrica libri septem – “The Seven Books on the Structure of the Human Body”, which was the first comprehensive and illustrated textbook of anatomy. As a professor at the University of Padua, Vesalius encouraged younger scientists to accept traditional anatomy only after verifying it themselves and this more critical and questioning attitude broke Galen’s authority and placed anatomy on a firm foundation of observed fact and demonstration.

From Vesalius’ exact descriptions of the skeleton, muscles, blood vessels, nervous system and digestive tract, his successors in Padua progressed to studies of the digestive glands and the urinary and reproductive systems. Hieronymus Fabricius, Gabriello Fallopius and Bartolomeo Eustachio were among the most important Italian anatomists and their detailed studies led to fundamental progress in the related field of physiology. William Harvey’s discovery of the circulation of the blood, for instance, was based partly on Fabricius’ detailed descriptions of the venous valves.

The new application of magnifying glasses and compound microscopes to biological studies in the second half of the 17th century was the most important factor in the subsequent development of anatomical research. Primitive early microscopes enabled Marcello Malpighi to discover the system of tiny capillaries connecting the arterial and venous networks, Robert Hooke to first observe the small compartments in plants that he called “cells,” and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek to observe muscle fibres and spermatozoa. Thenceforth, attention gradually shifted from the identification and understanding of body structures visible to the naked eye to those of microscopic size.

The use of the microscope in discovering minute, previously unknown features was pursued on a more systematic basis in the 18th century but progress tended to be slow until technical improvements in the compound microscope itself, beginning in the 1830s with the gradual development of achromatic lenses, greatly increased the instrument’s resolving power. These technical advances enabled Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann to recognise, in 1838-39, that the cell is the fundamental unit of organisation in all living things. The need for thinner, more transparent tissue specimens for study under the light microscope stimulated the development of improved methods of dissection, notably machines called microtomes that can slice specimens into extremely thin sections. In order to better distinguish the detail in these sections, synthetic dyes were used to stain tissues with different colours. Thin sections and staining had become standard tools for microscopic anatomists by the late 19th century. The field of cytology, which is the study of cells and that of histology, which is the study of tissue organisation from the cellular level up, both arose in the 19th century with the data and techniques of microscopic anatomy as their basis.

In the 20th century, anatomists tended to scrutinise tinier and tinier units of structure as new technologies enabled them to discern details far beyond the limits of resolution of light microscopes. These advances were made possible by the electron microscope, which stimulated an enormous amount of research on subcellular structures beginning in the 1950s and became the prime tool of anatomical research. About the same time, the use of X-ray diffraction for studying the structures of many types of molecules present in living things gave rise to the new subspeciality of molecular anatomy.

Scientific names for the parts and structures of the human body are usually in Latin; for example, the name “musculus biceps brachii” denotes the biceps muscle of the upper arm. Some such names were bequeathed to Europe by ancient Greek and Roman writers and many more were coined by European anatomists from the 16th century onwards. Expanding medical knowledge meant the discovery of many body structures and tissues but there was no uniformity of nomenclature and thousands of new names were added as each medical writer followed his own fancy, usually expressing it in a Latin form. By the end of the 19th century, the confusion caused by the enormous number of names had become intolerable. Medical dictionaries sometimes listed as many as 20 synonyms for one name and more than 50,000 names were in use throughout Europe. In 1887, the German Anatomical Society undertook the task of standardising the nomenclature and, with the help of other national anatomical societies, a complete list of anatomical terms and names was approved in 1895 that reduced the 50,000 names to 5,528. This list, the Basle Nomina Anatomica, had to be subsequently expanded and, in 1955, the Sixth International Anatomical Congress at Paris approved a major revision of it known as the Paris Nomina Anatomica.

Galen’s authority got challenged and became unacceptable because of

the accurate anatomical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.
the discovery of the ancient texts written by Erasistratus.
the critical and the questioning attitude propagated by Vesalius.
De humani corporis fabrica libri septem.

Dissecting the human body was a taboo for the oldest civilisations because

the smell of the corpse offended the sensibilities of those performing the dissecting acts.
there was the fear apparently that God would be angry.
they believed in life after death and in the resurrection of the body.
they considered it to be unhygienic.

Gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy relate respectively to

the study of large body structures and the study of microscopic structures.
staining and dissection.
the study of major body structures and their dissection.
taxonomy and paleontology.

Which of the following is untrue?

Cytology is the study of cells.
Thin sections and staining had become standard tools for microscopic anatomists by the late 19th century.
More than 20,000 anatomical terms were in use towards the end of the seventeenth century.
European medicine was heavily dependent on Galen’s mixture of fact and fancy and not on direct observation as a tool of its anatomical knowledge.

The passage is most likely taken from

an article on the development of anatomy.
a write up in the fortnightly “A Sniff of News”, published by the Bhaura group of publications, Sultanabad.
a presentation in a symposium organised by a leading cultural group of the town.
a rejoinder to the destructive influence of the Church in scuttling human pursuits in the realm of scientific discovery.

Passage II

There is absolutely no point in complaining that over the years, there has been pressure for increased productivity and higher earnings for workers in industry. There are several ways for increasing employees’ earnings. Employee earnings can be increased by raising the selling price of the firm’s products and services, reducing profits or costs of raw materials, or augmenting labour productivity. However, increasing employee earning by means other than increased labour productivity jeopardises the firm’s competitive strength in the market. Higher prices usually means fewer customers, reduced profit means less capital investment, and low-cost materials mean poor product quality. But increasing labour productivity by enhancing skills and motivation creates an almost unlimited resource. The development of economic reassures, human as well as nonhuman, is the product of human effort, and the quality of human effort in large part depends on human motivation.

Enthusing employees with workaholic spirit through traditional authority and financial incentives has become increasingly difficult as employees become economically secure and their dependency on any one particular organization decreases. According to expectancy theorists, the motivation to work increases when an employee feels his performance is an instrument for obtaining desired rewards; Nevertheless, in many organisations today, employees are entitled to organizational rewards just by being employed. Unions, governmental regulations, and the nature of the job itself in some cases prevent management from relating financial rewards to performance. People may be attracted to join and remain in organizations to receive organizational rewards, but being motivated to join an organization is not the same as being motivated to exert effort in an organization. The challenge to management is to find and administer alternative form of incentives which will induce employees to improve work performance. Such alternative forms of reinforcement will require increased understanding of motivational theories and programmes.

Which of the following statements is true in the context of the passage?

Development of economic resources is primarily the product of market conditions.
Earnings can be increased by lowering the selling price of products.
Employees can be best motivated by providing financial incentives.
None of these

Organizations can derive maximum advantages by

providing financial incentives to employees regardless of performance.
enhancing labour productivity by increasing skills and motivation.
encourage employees to expend greater physical energy.
inducing employees to improve work performance and control their demands.

According to the passage, all of the following contribute to and increase in employee earnings except

increasing the selling price of the company’s products.
reducing profits in favour of employees.
providing incentives and fringe benefits to employees.
increasing capital investment.

Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word ‘Induce’, as used in the passage.

appreciate
stimulate
exhibit
inflate

In the context of the passage, a company’s competitive strength in the market is affected mainly because of

a slump in the international market.
poor inter-departmental coordination.
decreased labour productivity.

Only A
Only B
Only C
Both B and C

Passage III

The trouble with cloning is that it isn’t simply an advancement in technology. It also has strong societal and cultural implications. In the hands of one man, it could save a girl from leukaemia. In the hands of another, it could be used to remove the necessity of males to procreate. Cloning reaches further than feminism, abortion or gay rights. On opposing sides are religion and science, each putting their brand of right and wrong on the situation.

Cloning has existed outside the realm of science fiction for many decades. The process has actually existed since 1952. The work originally began with embryonic cells.

Embryonic cells are easy to work with because they are undifferentiated, meaning that they have not been given a specific task to perform within the body. At different points during development, cells are changed from simple chromosome carrying units to useful, task fulfilling units like bone marrow or heart muscle. This process of differentiation also alters the DNA within each cell, making parts of it harder to access. In undifferentiated cells, the DNA remains completely accessible allowing all information to be easily accessed. For many years, the changes in the DNA were thought to be unsalvageable, making cloning from non-embryonic cells impossible.

Cloning undifferentiated cells is not as productive, because the outcome is not known. One could end up with two identical flawed specimens, lowering the value of such activity. By cloning from a developed cell, scientists know what the subject is going to turn out like, nearly eliminating chance from the equation. This is what is thought of, more commonly, when discussing cloning in the classic science fiction sense. The first breakthrough in this area of study took place in the 1980s at the University of Minnesota.

The second major breakthrough took place in July of 1996, when an adult sheep was cloned. After 10 years of research and 277 attempts, Dr. Ian Wilmut of the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh could claim success. By causing the DNA of a blood cell to revert to its undifferentiated state and then combining it with an egg cell that had its nucleus removed, an embryo was created and placed within the uterus of another lamb. After the usual gestation period, an exact clone of the original sheep was born. News of the sheep, dubbed Dolly, spread quickly.

The realisation, that if a sheep could be cloned then a person could be cloned, came quickly. The media began to pick up on the idea and soon after, the government did as well. Government funding was quickly cut to all cloning research in the United States and talk began of a five-year ban on all human cloning research. “This is the right thing to do, at the right time, for the sake of human dignity,” said House majority leader Dick Armey. Shortly thereafter, a man named Richard Seed emerged claiming that he was going to open a human cloning clinic in Chicago. It is this man who was at the forefront of the controversy.

Cloning’s benefits can be most widely seen within the medical field. One of the biggest problems today is rejection of transplanted tissues. When new tissues are placed into an injured person’s body, the body sometimes does not recognise the object as being helpful. In response, fleets of white blood cells are sent out to attack the new tissue, killing it. This in turn often kills the patient if the tissue was essential.

With cloning, a solution to this problem can be found. Take, for example, a person in need of an organ transplant. By taking cells from the person’s defective organ and directly transferring their nuclei to unfertilised egg cells, new clones of the original cells are created. These clones can then be placed back into the body for use, with no danger of rejection.

There are many different ailments that this kind of technology could help to cure. Leukaemia victims could find safe bone marrow transplants. Not only would this create a reliable source of the hard-to-obtain material but also it could lead to a cure. Burn victims could receive new skin. After the skin had been cloned, it could be grafted onto the wound like a bandage. It would grow there, creating a simple process to heal large burns. Diseases that are caused by loss of nerve cells could also see major breakthroughs. Nerve tissue does not normally grow back when injured. By cloning new cells, people with Parkinson’s disease or MS may find a way to begin recovery.

With more research, the process may be tweaked even further to receive better results. Once the process of reverting cells back to their embryonic state is better understood, it may be possible to re-configure currently living cells. Doctors and scientists could take plentiful cells from other organs like skin and modify them to act as rarer cells like those in the liver. Then by cloning them, enough cells could be transplanted back into the patient, patching the once-ailing organ. This could help end the shortage of organs for transplant.

By combining cloning with the work of genetic engineering, further advances could be made. Currently, genetic engineering has not been very successful. Its success rate is very low, around one in twenty. Cloning an embryo several times and then performing the genetic alterations on it can make the success rate marginally higher. This, in turn, could lead to cures for such diseases as Tay-Sachs or sickle cell anaemia.

Cloning could also be used to create offspring for infertile couples. By taking the genetic material of an infertile male and placing it within the egg of a fertile female, it would be possible for the family to have a child of the parents’ genetic material. Combined with in vitro growth, this process could also be used to help infertile females. These are the processes that Richard Seed intends to use when he creates his infertility clinic.

More extreme ideas as to what cloning could be used for exist as well. Once again, by combining it with genetic engineering, things other than inherited diseases could be eliminated. Alcoholism and obesity could be things of the past. Some scientists wish to use it to augment the strength of the body and of the mind.

There is also an idea to grow bodies for organ harvest. Geneticists have already found ways to grow headless bodies of mice and frogs. By cloning humans and then disabling the gene that causes the head to grow, endless supplies of organs could be created. There are those who feel that due to the shortage of organs for transplant, this method, although distasteful, is necessary. It could not be put into effect until a way to grow the headless humans outside of a female womb was found.

In any case, the case of cloning is not an easy thing to decide. It has strong positive and negative implications for society and a lot of grey areas. Only over time and with much discussion can the rest of society catch up with the scientific world and move into the future; a future where cloning exists.

Which of the following is not correct as far as cell differentiation is concerned?

Undifferentiated embryonic cells are difficult to work with, as compared to differentiated cells.
The process of differentiation alters DNA too.
In undifferentiated cells, the DNA remains completely accessible, allowing all information to be easily accessed.
Cloning undifferentiated cells is not so productive, because the outcome is not known.

Richard Seed became the centre of controversy, as he came out with the idea of opening a clinic which would use processes that were

to help reduce the chances of rejection of transplanted tissues.
helpful in taking the genetic material of an infertile woman and combining it with in vitro growth.
a combination of genetic mutation and cloning.
conducive to the idea of growing bodies for organ harvesting purposes.

Cloning from a developed cell is fruitful because

DNA is easily accessed, which demolishes the belief that it (DNA) is unsalvageable.
cloning undifferentiated cells is not equally fruitful.
scientists then know what the outcome would be.
All of the above

Transplanting tissues could prove fatal due to the

“rejection-response” of the body.
“killer response” of white blood cells.
infection of tissues during transplantation.
vital tissues killed by the white blood cells.

Select a suitable title for the passage.

Cyrogenic Cloning
Cloning – Endless Opportunities
Cloning and Genetic Engineering
Cloning – Advantages and Drawbacks

Passage IV

Long considered an intensely subjective and a deeply personal experience, dreams are slowly opening out to research methodology and in the process spilling out the secrets of consciousness, volition and the nature of imaginary worlds. At the absolute cutting edge of dream research today lies the study of an elusive and unusual type of dream called a “lucid dream”. Simply put, a lucid dream is a dream in which one knows, at the time of the dream, that one is dreaming and that one can then control the course of the dream. Although only a small percentage of people have lucid dreams, there are now methods available which can induce such dreams in people.

Keath Hearne of the University of Hull and Stephen LaBerge of Stanford University, California, realised that if a person (who was conscious that he or she was dreaming) could somehow communicate to the outside world, it would open a whole new process of dialogue between the conscious and the unconscious. Hearne exploited the fact that in dream sleep the eyes move. He thought perhaps that a lucid dreamer could signal by moving the eyes in a predetermined pattern and, in 1980, he succeeded in making a volunteer move his eyes left and right for eight times in succession. From there it was a simple step to use the movements in Morse code to make whole sentences. One of the next steps envisaged is to link the Morse signals to a speech synthesiser for a real conversation to take place.

What can we expect to get out of all this? For one thing, there is a great debate going on at present about the nature of dreaming that could possibly be resolved. An older school still clings to the Freudian viewpoint of dreams being representations of unconscious wish-fulfillment symbolism while another newer one maintains they are nothing more than random electrochemical bursts which the brain then does its best to put into some sort of coherent scenario as visual imagery. If a person could talk about what he or she is seeing while it is happening, dream interpretation could finally take place with the dreamer participating in real time.

On the other hand, investigators could try to stimulate various areas of the brain through electrodes to see what effect, if any, it has on the content of dreams while getting simultaneous feedback from the dreamer. This could lend support to their theory. For both sides, though, research right now looks like a dream come true.

The concept of “lucid dream” is a significant one because

dream research requires the help of non-lucid dreamers.
lucid dreamers are a typical class of dreamers.
it suggests a way to analyse dreams in real time.
real dreamers and lucid dreamers are closely related people.

The author is unlikely to agree with all of the following except

visual imagery and its relationship with the Morse code is indeed a very complex one.
research shows that the dreamer can be made to participate concurrently in real time dream research.
dream research is chiefly developing strategies for research into eye movement.
None of the above

The author’s view is that the Freudian concept of dreams

relies on the wishful thinking of the subconscious.
relies on the unfulfilled wishes of the unconscious.
is not an outdated one.
Both (2) and (3)

Select a suitable title for the passage.

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of
Dream Is Reality
Becoming Unconsciously Subconscious
Dreams Analysed

The tone of the passage can be best described as

Reminiscing
Objurgatory
Analytical
Critical

Class assignment

This part will be covered in the class during the language session.

Grammar Test

Directions: Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (5).

The number of pilgrims
who visit
the annual Puri Rath Yatra
increase every year.

When she comes
to see us
she usually
will bring something with her.

e came
as soon as
he got
the news.

He picked up
the books
and put it
on the table.

My father decided
to sell
his belongings
and to retire.

She said to tell
you that she
will not be
home today.

The chirping of a lone bird was
the
only
sound to hear.

If something is
to come from the project
work should
be started at once.

This hutment is
much too
small for
them to live.

They thought
to talk it
over
at dinner.

DIRECTIONS: Below each sentence, there are four different ways to rewrite the underlined portion of the sentence. Choose the best option.

Our historical writings with their communal, chauvinistic and leftist-rightist leaning leave no scope for freedom of research, and justify the assertion of Prof. Walsh, a historian of renown, “the claim to scientific status made for modern historians at least is which cannot be sustained”.

Our historical writings with their communal, chauvinistic and leftist-rightist leaning leave no scope for freedom of research and justify the assertion of Prof. Walsh,
Our historical writings with their communal, chauvinistic and leftist-rightist lean leaving no scope for freedom of research and justify the assertion of Prof. Walsh,
Our historical writings with its communal, chauvinistic and leftist-rightist leaning leave no scope for freedom of research, and justify the assertion of Prof. Walsh,
Communal , chauvinistic and leftist-rightist leaning leave no scope for freedom of research of our historical writing to justify the assertion of Prof. Walsh,

Corporate punishment is sure to dissuade students from indulging in antisocial and destructive behaviour. It is better to teach decency and respect for the laws at schools to our future citizen than to churn out directionless ruffians who end up in jails because of our over-indulgence during their native years in school.

It is better to teach decency and respect for the laws at schools to our future citizen than to churn out directionless ruffians who end up in jails because of our over-indulgence during their native years in school.
It is better to teach decency and respect for the law in schools to our future citizens than to churn out directionless ruffians who end up in jails because of our over-indulgence during their native years in school.
To teach decency and respect for the law in schools it was better to our directionless ruffians who end up in jails because of our over-indulgence.
Then to churn out directionless ruffians who end up in because of our over-indulgence during this native years in schools, it is better to teach decency and respect for the law in schools to our further citizens.

All professions have its existence because of politicians who decide its sphere of activity, emoluments, social relevance, etc. through enactments in legislatures and executive orders.

All professions have its existence because of politicians who decide its sphere of activity, emoluments, social relevance, etc. through enactments in legislatures and executive orders.
All professions have its existence because of politicians who decide their sphere of activity, emoluments, social relevance, etc. by enactments in legislatures and executive orders.
All professions have their existence because of politicians who decide their sphere of activity, emoluments, social relevance, etc. through enactments in legislatures and executive orders.
Each profession have their existence because of politicians who decide their sphere of activity, emoluments, social relevance, etc. through enactments in legislatures and executive orders.

What was missing was both his lost youth, and a clear, satisfied sense of who he was today. His daydream of living in Paris was a unconscious attempt to bring back that lost youth part of himself and at the same time to soothe himself for not being that young man now.

daydream of living in Paris was a unconscious attempt to bring back lost youthful part of himself and at the same time to soothe himself for not being the young man now.
daydream for living at Paris was a unconscious attempt to bring back that lost youth part of himself and at the same time to soothe himself for not being that young man now.
daydream of living in Paris was an unconscious attempt to bring back that lost youthful part of himself and at the same time to soothe himself for not being that young man now.
daydreams for living in Paris were an unconscious attempt to bring back that lost youthful part of himself and at the same time to soothe himself for not being that young man now.

We attempted to use an order in our description which ignored, for the moment, the fact that we are part of the universe, and that any account which we can give of it depend upon its effects upon ourselves, and are to this extent inevitably anthropocentric.

any account which we can give of it depend upon its effects upon ourselves, and are to this extent inevitably anthropocentric.
any account who we can give of it depends upon its effects upon ourselves, and is to this extent inevitably anthropocentric.
any account which we can give of it depends upon it’s effects upon ourselves, and is to this extent inevitably anthropocentric.
any account which we can give of it depends upon its effects upon ourselves, and is to this extent inevitably anthropocentric.

Directions: Each statement has a part missing. Choose the best option from the four options given below the statement to fill the gap [...].

The old man looked disappointed “ [...] you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it”.

if you start out by promising what you don’t even have yet,
if you start out by promising what you don’t even have them
if you had started out by promising what you don’t even have yet,
if you had had your start out by promising what you don’t even have yet

They were men who had dedicated their entire lives to the purification of metals in their laboratories; they believed that, [...] and what was left would be the soul of the world.

if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties
if a metal was heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties
if a metal were heated for many years, it should free itself of all its individual properties
although metal is heated of many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties

The Planning Commission has pointed out that these resources position in the remainder of the tenth plan period [...] the plan was formulated.

will be very much more difficult than was envisaged at the time
may be much more difficult than was envisaged at the time
will be much more difficult that was envisaged at the time
will be much more difficult than was envisaged at the time

While telling the Americans that Indians were not worth quality time, [...] loading the triangle with possibilities that intrigued the Americans.

(1) the Chinese themselves were engaged in a delicate rapprochement

(2) the Chinese themselves are engaged in a delicate rapprochement

(3) the Chinese themselves were engaged in delicate rapprochement

(4) the delicate rapprochement of the Chinese, themselves were engaged

Imagine, then, the candidate’s dismay when he [...] in one neighbourhood.

had ripped off his posters which was discovered that by ruling party workers
discovered the ruling party workers had ripped off his posters
discovered that ruling party workers had ripped off his posters
discovered that ruling party workers had ripped of his posters

Directions: For each of the following questions, choose the option that carries the best phrasing of the idea.

He had failed in the examination owing to carelessness.
He had failed in the examination due to carelessness.
Due to carelessness his failed in the examination.
Owing to carelessness he failed in the examination.

We believe that the persons engaged in the teaching profession are doing the best service to the nation.
It was believed that the persons engaged in the teaching lines were the best one.
We believe that the persons engaged in the teaching lines are doing best services to the nation.
The person engaged in the teaching line are doing best services to the nation, it is believed.

Bad habits to be guarded away from.
We should guard ourselves against bad habits.
We must guard ourselves against bad habits.
Bad habits to be guard against by us.

Why we opted over this career, we have been asked often?
We have often been asked why we opted for this career.
We had opted for this career why have we been asked always.
We have been asked often why we opted for this career.

Piece of advices my teacher called and gave me in his room.
My teacher called me to his room and gave me much advice.
My teacher called me to his room and gave me pieces of advice.
Advise was given by my teacher to me in his room.

Class assignment

This part will be covered in the class during the language session.

Vocabulary Test

Directions: Fill in the blanks by choosing the pair of words that best complete the sentence.

His excessive ..... is proof enough of his ..... motives.

praise, clandestine
flattery, ulterior
cajolery, evasive
blandishment, apparent

The American ..... has caused terrorism to ..... over the last decade.

hegemony, mushroom
supremacy, diminish
suzerainty, disintegrate
policy, palaver

..... periods of ..... concentrations can cause long-term damage to the liver.

Brief, waggish
Extended, alleviated
Prolonged, elevated
Long, immaculate

Sales in the FMCG ..... , owing to excessive competition, have ..... .

sector, plummeted
markets, abased
department, stopped
block, suppressed

His ..... dreams were ..... by more down to earth projects.

pompous, relegated
grand, inhibited
grandiose, thwarted
insignificant, realised Directions: Choose the word that does not mean the same as the capitalised word.

MAROON

Desert
Forsake
Renege
Repartee

VERACITY

Veridicality
Probity
Annuity
Integrity

GORGE

Surfeit
Cloy
Glut
Clot

FORCE

Duress
Coerce
Necessitate
Induce

PALAVER

Adulate
Wheedle
Blandish
Berate Directions: Choose the antonym of the capitalised word.

MORIBUND

Stagnant
Indolent
Flourishing
Extinct

ATROPHY

Thrive
Whither
Deteriorate
Atone

VAPID

Cliché
Trite
Jejune
Arresting

DISTRAUGHT

Frantic
Distracted
Jubilant
Dreary

EXPEDIENT

Contrive
Subterfuge
Veracity
Artifice Directions: Choose the option that best matches the analogy in the capitalised words.

DIAMETER : CIRCLE

Diagonal : Rectangle
Equator : Hemisphere
Altitude : Triangle
Noon : Day

CATERPILLAR : BUTTERFLY

Larva : Mosquito
Tadpole : Frog
Filly : Horse
Fledgling : Bird

CONFESS : DENY

Royal : Regal
Loud : Audible
Release : Capture
Pretend : Act

MAGNIFICENT : NICE

Macabre : Unpleasant
Giant : Small
Indexterity : Maladroitness
Poor : Bad

CRAB : SHELL

Jewellery : Box
Fingers : Hand
Gypsy : Caravan
Bird : Nest Directions: Pick the option that best illustrates the meaning of the sentence.

He had no right to read my letters.

Pretensions
Presumptuous
Ostentatious
Fortuitous

There was a time when the company used to have many clients.

Heyday
Heresy
Outré
Privy

My views and his are poles apart.

Dialectic
Dilate
Dichotomy
Incommensurability

Christianity started from Central Asia, but now Christians populate the world.

Diaspora
Diatribe
Fission
Prevalent

He has a tendency to get in the way of everything.

Impede
Outset
Regent
Sever Directions: Choose the word that does not belong to the group.

Yokel
Upshot
Lout
Bumpkin

Paranoia
Schizophrenia
Megalomania
Dementia

Fetid
Fetor
Reek
Cense

Scimitar
Stiletto
Sheath
Cutlass

Addax
Beaver
Drongo
Chipmunk

Solutions

Class Assignment – Reading Comprehension

(RC) Test

Ans.(3). The fourth paragraph says that Vesalius encouraged the younger generation of scientists to question received truths and not to accept facts blindly, which undermined Galen’s authority. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(3). The third paragraph mentions that people believed there was life after death and that the body would be resurrected. This forced the people to abstain from dissecting the human body. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(1). The first paragraph supports option (1). Hence, option (1) is the right choice.
Ans.(3). The seventh paragraph supports options (1) and (2). The third paragraph supports option (4). Option (3) finds no direct or indirect support from the text. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(1). The passage is about anatomy. Hence, option (1) is the right choice.
Ans.(4). None of options (1), (2) and (3) finds mention in the passage. Hence (4) is the answer.
Ans.(2). Refer to the second paragraph. The second last sentence of the paragraph/passage supports option (2).
Ans.(4). From the first paragraph option (4) does not lead to an increase in an employees earnings, whereas each of one, two, three and four would cause increase in employee’s earning. Hence, (4) is the answer.
Ans.(2). This is nearest in meaning to the given word, in the context of the passage.
Ans.(3). While statements (A) and (B) are general reasons which might affect the companies competitive strength. Statement (C) specifically causes it. Hence statement (C) holds as being an answer to the question.
Ans.(1). Options (2) and (3) are mentioned in the third paragraph. Option (4) finds mention in the fourth paragraph. However, option (1) has the opposite of it stated in the third paragraph. Hence, option (1) is the right choice.
Ans.(2). The twelfth paragraph of the passage posits the idea of cloning being employed by infertile couples to beget offspring through the taking of genetic material from an infertile male and its placement in the ovum of a fertile female for in vitro growth. Hence, option (2) is the right choice.
Ans.(3). The fourth paragraph says it all. Cloning from a developed cell enables scientists to know the outcome beforehand. The element of “chance” is eliminated. Hence, option (3) is the right choice.
Ans.(4). The seventh paragraph details the issue and refers to the role played by the white blood cells. Hence, option (4) is the correct option.
Ans.(4). Option (1) and (3) refer to concerns that lie outside the scope of this passage. Option (2) connotes merely the positive side of cloning. Option (4) connotes both the positive and the negative aspects of cloning and is, therefore, the most balanced of the options. Hence, option (4) is the correct option.
Ans.(3). Lucid dreamers are helpful in aiding dream research. They make it possible to analyse dreams simultaneously with the dreamer in the real world, the beginning of which was made by Keith Hearne two decades back. Option (3) best portrays this viewpoint. Options (1), (2) and (4) are irrelevant in the given context. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(2). The second and third paragraphs illustrate option (2). The idea of a “lucid dreamer” has opened new vistas in the realm of dream research and it is possible to ensure the participation of a dreamer in the real world. Options (1) and (3) do not find a place in the passage and are invalid. Option (4) is incorrect as it does not include option (2). Hence, option (2) is the correct option.
Ans.(2). The third paragraph comes out with the Freudian idea of the dream being a representation of unconscious wish which is unfulfilled. Option (2) best depicts this viewpoint. Option (1) is incorrect as it is irrelevant in the given context. Option (3) is refuted by the third paragraph of the passage. Option (4) is incorrect as it also includes option (3), which is an incorrect option. Hence, option (2) is the correct option.
Ans.(2). The last line of the passage says it all. Dreams, whose notions, theories and the mechanisms are intense personal experiences can be related to the happenings in the conscious world. The passage is all about dream research and establishing the links between the unconscious and the conscious. Thus, option (2) would be an apt title and the correct option.
Ans.(3). The author has given a detailed understanding of dream research methodology and hence only option (3) is correct. The rest of the option can be eliminated.

Solutions

Class Assignment – Grammar Test

Ans.(4). Replace “increase” by “increases”.
Ans.(4). Replace “will bring” by “brings”.
Ans.(5). No error.
Ans.(3). Replace “put it” by “put them”.
Ans.(4). Delete “to” before “retire”.
Ans.(3). Replace “will” by “would”.
Ans.(4). Replace “to hear” by “to be heard”.
Ans.(2). Replace “from” by “of”
Ans.(4). Replace “live” by “to live in”.
Ans.(5). No error.
Ans.(1). Option (1) is correct as it provides the best phrasing of the underlined part in the given context. Option (2) is incorrect with the usage of the word “lean” after rightist instead of “leaning”. Elements of equal importance within a sentence should have similar form. Option (3) is incorrect as “its” is the wrong pronoun for “historical writings”. Option (4) is incorrect as “historical writings” is not the subject here. Hence, option (1) is the correct option.
Ans.(2). Option (2) is correct as it provides the best phrasing of the underlined part in the given context. Option (1) is incorrect because it uses “laws” in the plural form while its singular form should be used to refer to all laws in general. Also, the correct usage is “in schools” and not “at schools”. Option (3) wrongly uses an infinitive in the beginning and is wrong in its structure. In Option (4), it does not make sense to use “Then” in the beginning. Hence, option (2) is the correct option.
Ans.(3). Option (3) is correct as it provides the best phrasing of the underlined part in the given context. Option (1) is incorrect because “its” is the wrong pronoun for “professions”. Option (2) repeats this error and also uses the wrong preposition “by” instead of “through”. Option (4) begins with the singular “Each” that uses a plural “have”. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(3). Option (3) is correct as it provides the best phrasing of the underlined part in the given context. Option (1) is incorrect because it uses the indefinite article “a” instead of the correct “an” before “unconscious”. Also, instead of “the”, “that” should come before “young man”. Option (2) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “for living” instead of “of living”. Again, the indefinite article “a” is wrongly used instead of “an”. Option (4) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “daydreams” in plural followed by a singular “an unconscious attempt”. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(4). Option (4) is correct as it provides the best phrasing of the underlined part in the given context. Option (1) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “depend” in the plural form followed by the plural “are”, while the subject is singular. Option (2) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “who” instead of the correct “which”. “It’s” in Option (3) should be “its” without the apostrophe. Hence, option (4) is the correct option.
Ans.(1). Option (2) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “them” instead of “yet”. Options (3) and (4) are incorrect with the illogical use of “had”. Hence, option (1) is the correct option.
Ans.(1). Option (2) is incorrect because it uses “was” which does not bring out the probability case in the clause. Option (3) is incorrect with its use of “should”, wrongly expressing supposition, possibility or obligation. Option (4) is incorrect with its illogical usage of “although”. Hence, option (1) is the correct option.
Ans.(4). Option (1) is incorrect with its unnecessary use of “very” and “much” together. Option (2) is incorrect as it wrongly uses a less definitive “may” instead of “will”. Option (3) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “that” instead of the comparative “than”. Hence, option (4) is the correct option.
Ans.(1). Option (2) is incorrect with the use of present tense with past action or past tense. Option (3) is incorrect with the omission of indefinite article “a” before delicate rapprochement. Option (4) is incorrect with the use of “comma”, as it does not make any sense. Hence, option (1) is the correct option.
Ans.(3). Option (1) is incorrect as it is illogical and unidiomatic. Option (2) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “the” instead of “that”. Option (4) is incorrect because it uses “ripped of” instead of the correct “ripped off”. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(4). Option (1) is incorrect as it wrongly uses the past perfect “had failed” instead of the past simple “failed”. Option (2) is incorrect as it wrongly uses “due to” instead of “owing to”. Option (3) is incorrect as it makes wrong use of “Due to”. Hence, option (4) is the correct option.
Ans.(1). Options (2) and (3) are incorrect as the word “lines” is used as a slang. Option (4) is incorrect as the subject is singular and the verb is plural. Hence, option (1) is correct.
Ans.(3). Option (1) is incorrect as it is grammatically inappropriate and does not make any sense. Option (2) is incorrect as it uses “should” instead of “must”, as habits are compulsions. Option (4) is incorrect as it is an incomplete sentence. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Ans.(2). Option (1) is incorrect because it wrongly uses the preposition “over” instead of “for”. Option (3) is incorrect with the use of past perfect “had opted” instead of the past simple “opted”. Option (4) is incorrect with the wrong placement of the adverb “often”. Hence, option (2) is the correct option.
Ans.(3). Option (1) is incorrect as it uses “piece of advices” instead of “pieces of advice”. Option (2) is incorrect as “much” does not go with advice. Option (4) is incorrect with the wrong use the verb “advise” instead of the noun “advice”. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.

Solutions

Class Assignment – Vocabulary Test

Ans.(2). Motives cannot be evasive as in option (3). Option (4) does not fit at all, and in option (1) praise does not go with clandestine.
Ans.(1). Supremacy cannot diminish terrorism (option 2), and option 3 and 4 are clearly misfits.
Ans.(3). Waggish (option 1) means playful, immaculate (option 4) means clean. Alleviate means to ease (option 2). The appropriate pair is option (3).
Ans.(1). In the given context, both “stopped” (option 3) and “suppressed” (option 4) do not fit. Abase (option 2) means to degrade and also does not fit.
Ans.(3). Option 4 does not fit at all. Both relegated (option 1) and inhibited (option 2) do not fit in the context of dreams.
Ans.(4). Maroon means to leave alone, desert. Repartee on the other hand means a witty reply.
Ans.(3). Veracity means truthfulness; annuity means annual payment.
Ans.(4). Gorge is to stuff; clot means a solidified drop of blood.
Ans.(4). Force is to compel; induce is to cause.
Ans.(4). Palaver means to coax; while berate is to scold.
Ans.(3). Moribund is to stagnate; flourishing is the opposite.
Ans.(1). Atrophy is to waste away; thrive is to flourish.
Ans.(4). Vapid means boring; arresting on the other hand is something very interesting.
Ans.(3). Distraught is to be very disturbed; jubilant means full of high-spirited delight.
Ans.(3). Expedient is to achieve something through not very correct means; veracity is honesty.
Ans.(1). Diameter divides a linear figure into two equal parts. So does the diagonal of a rectangle.
Ans.(1). Caterpillar develops into a butterfly. Though tadpole too grows into a frog, larva develops into a mosquito, which is an insect, just like a butterfly.
Ans.(3). Confess and deny are opposites; same as release and capture.
Ans.(1). Magnificent and nice are synonyms of different degree; same as macabre and unpleasant. Option 3 too has synonyms but in the reverse order, compared to the question.
Ans.(3). Crab lives in its shell and carries it with itself. Similarly, a gypsy moves with his caravan.
Ans.(2). Doing something you are not authorised to is being presumptuous.
Ans.(1). The days of prosperity are referred to as heyday.
Ans.(3). Dichotomy means separation; completely opposite views.
Ans.(1). The movement of a people away from their homeland is called Diaspora.
Ans.(1). Impede means to get in the way, to prevent progress.
Ans.(2). Upshot means result. All other words refer to an individual with low intelligence.
Ans.(3). Megalomania is infatuation with power. All others are psychiatric disorders.
Ans.(4). Cense is good smell, all others mean bad smell.
Ans.(3). Sheath is a covering. All others are sharp-edged weapons.
Ans.(3). A drongo is a bird. All others are animals.