Carefully read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow:

Passage 1:
We are not only afraid of being in the dark; we are also suspicious of being kept in the dark. We
often feel that the universe has a hidden order that we cannot quite comprehend. In ancient times,
this order was attributed to the gods – omnipotent beings who controlled humans’ Tales, Greek
myths in particular portrayed humans as pawns in the great games played by the gods. More
recently, there are suspicions of global conspiracies. These conspiracies are cited for events that are
too important to be random. We no longer describe them as “Acts of God.” So they must be the
work of other people – people who are hiding their influence over us, covering up their involvement.
They are keeping the rest of us in the dark. Among the events attributed to these people are political
assassinations and UFO sightings. Examining these events in minute detail results in a long list of
“coincidences” which, in the minds of the conspiracy buffs, are too numerous to be truly random.
There must be a central planner who is at the hub of a sinister form of order. No one admits to the
conspiracy, so there must be a cover-up. Better to think that we are all being kept in the dark by
sinister forces than to admit that there is no order.

1. Which of the following statements, if true, would weaken the underlying logic of the above
passage?
i. The human need for order is a highly exaggerated notion. It more often than not leads to creation
of theories about the universe. The more sensational the theory, the more prevalent it becomes.
ii. The universe is less guided by pure randomness than by well-defined natural processes which are
subjected to randomness at varying intervals of time and space.
iii. To strengthen their case for a variety of conspiracies the conspiracy buffs are extrapolating from a
very small set of observed "coincidences".
iv. The persons propounding the different conspiracy theories are usually novelists who use these
theories as a backdrop during the construction of the plots of the novels.
v. The human fear of being kept in the dark is much stronger than the fear of lack of order in the
workings of the universe.
a. i, ii and iii
b. i, ii and iv
c. i, iii and iv
d. i, iv and v

2. Which of the following statements would, if true, strengthen the case for belief in sinister forces
and conspiracies being at work in the above paragraph?
i. Though science has progressed a lot in the last two centuries or so, it is still unable to
explain/account for mine than 80% of the phenomena in the universe.
ii. There is now the existence of photographic evidence of presence of UFOs and a growing number
of parallel studies showing that the human mind can easily be manipulated to do someone else's will
through various events that manipulate the 'perceived reality'.
iii. The fear of our actions and thoughts being controlled by someone else has intensified with the
widespread popularity of the depiction of its gory outcomes by different novelists and movie
makers.
iv. There is a strong movement to reintroduce the teachings of the biblical evolutionary process and
the presence of God in schools around the world.
v. The Darwinian study of evolution, of species, the cornerstone of beliefs in fathomable randomness
of the workings of the universe has conic under a scathing attack for its inaccurate depiction of the
causes and process of evolution.
a. i and iv
b. i and v
c. ii, iii and v
d. i, ii and v

3. The word root 'omni-' means:

a. all
b. some
c. much
d. many

4. ‘We’ as used in the passage could most likely refer to:

a. The governments
b. The common people
c. Intelligence agencies
d. The religious fanatics

5. What in most likeliness is the tone of the passage?

a. Didactic
b. Laudatory
c. Satirical
d. Argumentative

6. “Co-incidences” as used in the passage most likely refers to:

a. Mysterious occurrences in the past
b. An investigation report
c. Concomitant development
d. Vague evidences

Passage 2:
Of the several features or the Toyota Production System that have been widely studied, most
important is the mode of governance of the shop-floor at Toyota. Work and inter-relations between
workers are highly scripted in extremely detailed ‘operating procedures’ that have to be followed
rigidly, without any deviation at Toyota. Despite such rule-bound rigidity, however, Toyota does not
become a ‘command-control system’. It is able to retain the character of a learning organization.
In fact, many observers characterize it as a community of scientists carrying out several small
experiments simultaneously. The design of the operating procedure is the key. Every principle must
find an expression in the operating procedure – that is how it has an effect in the domain of action.
Workers on the shop-floor, often in teams, design the ‘operating procedure’ jointly with the
supervisor through a series of hypothesis that are proposed and validated or refuted through
experiments in action. The rigid and detailed ‘operating procedure’ specification throws up problems
of the very minute kind: while its resolution leads to a refraining of the procedure and specifications.
This inter-temporal change (or flexibility) of the specification (or operating procedure) is done at the
lowest level of the organization; i.e. closest to the site of action.
One implication of this arrangement is that system design can no longer be rationally optimal and
standardized across the organization. It is quite common to find different work norms in contiguous
assembly lines, because each might have faced a different set of problems and devised different
counter measures to tackle it. Design of the coordinating process that essentially imposes the
discipline that is required in large-scale complex manufacturing systems is therefore customized to
variations in man-machine context of the site of action. It evolves through numerous points of
negotiation throughout the organization. It implies then that the higher levels of the hierarchy do
not exercise the power of the fiat in setting work rules, for such work rules are no longer a standard
set across the whole organization.
It might be interesting to go through the basic Toyota philosophy that underlies its system designing
practices. The notion of the ideal production system in Toyota embraces the following – ‘the ability
to deliver just-in-time (or on demand) a customer order in the exact specification demanded, in a
batch size of one (and hence an infinite proliferation of variants, models and specifications), defect-
free, without wastage of material, labour, energy or motion in a safe and (physically and
emotionally) fulfilling production environment’. It did not embrace the concept of a standardized
product that can be cheap by giving up variations. Preserving consumption variety was seen, in fact,
as one mode of serving society. It is interesting to note that the articulation of the Toyota philosophy
was made around roughly the same time that the Fordist system was establishing itself in the US
automotive industry.

7. What can be best defended as the asset which Toyota model of production leverages to give the
vast range of mode-Kin a defect-free fashion?
a. Large scale complex manufacturing systems
b. Intellectual capital of the company’s management
c. Loans taken by the company from banks and financial institutions
d. Ability of workers to evolve solutions to problems

8. Which of the following can be best defended as a pre-condition for the Toyota type of production
system to work?
a. Existence of workers’ union to protect worker’s rights
b. Existence of workers’ union to curtail worker’s rights
c. Cordial work management relations to have industrial peace
d. Management’s faith in workers’ abilities to solve problems in a rigorous manner

9. Based on the above passage, which of the following statements is best justified?
a. Workers have significant control rights over the design of work rules that allow workers’ skill
and ingenuity to continuously search for novel micro solutions using information that often
sticks to the local micro-context work.
b. Managers have significant control rights over the design of work rules that allow workers’
skill and ingenuity to continuously search for novel micro solutions using information that
often sticks to the local micro-context work.
c. Work rules enable the workers to report problems faced at the shop-floor to specialized
personnel who set up experiments to replicate the conditions. This allows the specialists to
come up with solutions that are rigorously tested in experimental conditions.
d. Toyota as an organisation has extensive networks with different specialists who are subject
matter experts in different fields. These networks allow problems to be resolved in the most
advanced manner, enabling Toyota to beat the competition.

10. What could be the best defence of the "different work norms in contiguous assembly lines"?
 a. Without such variations allowed, rights of manager to design work-rules would have made
very little sense, making the company very similar to Ford.
b. Proscribing standardised work norms would prevent Toyota from benefitting from workers’
problem solving ability in resolving different kinds of problems that merge, thus making it
difficult to attain the Toyota philosophy.
c. If similarities were imposed, rights of workers to experiment with work rules would have
made very little sense.
d. Standardisation of work rules is only justified when the investments in plants are huge and
experimenting with the work rules would be detrimental to the efficiency of plants. Since
Toyota’s plants typically involve low investments, it could tolerate non standard work rules.

11. What is the tone of the passage?

a. Factual
b. Analytical
c. Critical
d. Eulogistic

12. Which of the following could be the source of this passage:

a. Travel magazine
b. Business magazine
c. Parliamentary debate
d. Creative Blog

Passage 3:
China lodged a strong diplomatic protest against its long-term strategic ally and neighbour North
Korea, after three Chinese were shot and killed by border troops. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin
Gang said that Beijing had lodged a formal diplomatic complaint with Pyongyang over the incident,
in a rare public criticism of North Korea from its only international ally. “On the morning of June 4,
some residents of Dandong city of Liaoning province were shot by DPRK [Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea, as the North is officially known] border guards on suspicion of crossing the border
for trade activities, leaving three dead and one injured”, said Mr. Qin. After the incident, China
attached great importance to it and immediately raised solemn representations to the DPRK. The
shooting, which also left one person injured, was first reported over, “the weekend by the North
Korea Intellectuals Solidarity, a group of defectors based in Seoul, South Korea. The group said, “The
three Chinese were traders who were trying to smuggle copper into China”. Chinese officials did not
verify this claim, and said investigations into the incident were still progressing. Recent months have
seen some signs of discord between the long-term allies, with China coming under increasing
international pressure to take action against North Korea over an attack on a South Korean warship.
Following the March 26 sinking of the Cheonan warship, which left 46 sailors dead, South Korea and
the West have been calling for strong sanctions against North Korea.

13. The relations between China and North Korea have traditionally been
a. Complementary
b. Antagonistic
c. Apathetic
d. Belligerent
14. Qin Gang may reside in
a. Beijing
b. Pyongyang
c. South Korea
d. the USA

15. The people shot dead were:

a. trying to smuggle copper out of China
b. trying to smuggle copper to South Korea
c. not trying to smuggle copper into China
d. maybe trying to smuggle copper into China

16. North Korea is being sidelined by the international community because of its:
a. corrupt leadership
b. communism and radical ideology
c. military junta
d. belligerence

17. What in most likeliness is the source of the given passage:

a. A newspaper article
b. A parliamentary debate
c. A sci-fi novel
d. A classroom lecture

Passage 4:
Like most teenagers, I dreamed of one day having my name in lights. And perhaps an interview with
National Geographic, for my work with Rwanda’s apes. Maybe an Oscar for my portrayal as a feisty
heroine in an epic drama preferably set in India. Or a Nobel Prize for poetry, which ‘I’d collect in
Stockholm wearing a black turtleneck. Suffice to say, none of these has come true. I prefer dogs to
gorillas. My poetry is used to line the bottom of my drawer, and I’ve never been to India. Sure, as a
writer, I get my name in the occasional glow of a nine-point byline, but the difference between
Oscars and Nobels and Helvetica typeface is that the former are all about me; the latter is by me.
With the advent of the internet, all that has changed. Like most users, I am a gratuitous Googler,
squandering valuable work time looking up invaluable topics such as how to clean my dog’s teeth,
how to cook Risotto, and, myriad medical ailments, including tough heels (definitely cancer), lumps
on elbows (certainly cancer) and easy bruising (absolutely cancer). But among these endless
searches will be a valuable constant: my own name, Helen Walne. In the great scheme of things, I
am not very important. I have never been medically paroled from jailed, I haven’t gone to rehab and
I am not about to marry a famous celebrity. My husband has gently suggested that I seek
psychological help for my addiction. I google myself every day. And yes, there are times when, like a
bulimic digging into a second bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, I feel out of control, gorging on
blogs, images and news and glimpses of myself.
In cyber space, there is no such thing as big fish in little ponds, or little fish in big ponds. Instead, it’s
one swirling, bubbling swamp of amoebae all gasping for their own gulp of air. And for ego surfers,
it’s important we float on the surface. Research has found that 47% of Internet users have
performed self-googling more than double the number who did so five years ago. I have realized
that like wine, watching soap operas and eating pizza, moderation is the key to virtual vanity – and
keeping it to yourself paramount. When you start dabbling in the competitive realms of rival surfing,
you are sure to start sinking under the flotsam of self doubt. There is always someone out there with
a higher ranking, a better picture, a bigger job.

18. According to the passage, the author:

A. received an Oscar for her portrayal as a feisty heroine in an epic drama.
B. feels that moderation is the key to well being in cyber space.
C. feels that she is the centre of all she checks in the net.
a. A, B and C are correct
b. A and B are correct
c. B and C are correct
d. A and C are correct

19. It can be inferred from the passage that:

a. You have gone too far when you start googling your name multiple times daily
b. Competitive rival surfing is the best way to increase your self esteem
c. Being addicted to self googling is the best way forward in the 21st century
d. The advent of internet has helped in creating ‘a somebody’ out of ‘nobody’

20. According to the passage:

a. Helen Walne is a patient of cancer
b. Helen Walne is a megabyte megalomaniac
c. Helen Walne thinks that constant rival surfing is the best way to improve self worth
d. Helen Walne is a conscientious worker

21. According to the passage, all of the following are not true, except:
a. Helen Walne received a prize wearing a turtle neck
b. Helen Walne’s husband feels she needs help to get outof her addiction
c. In reality, there is not much difference in the number of internet users performing self
googling than it was five years ago
d. Rival surfing is good for one’s self being

22. The author of the passage is most likely to belong to:

a. Millenials
b. Gen X
c. Baby boomers
d. Centennials

23. Which of the following could help the author to get free of her addiction:
a. Medication
b. Psychological counselling
c. Confinement
d. None of the above
24. The word ‘gratuitous’ as used in the passage refers to:
a. Unwarranted
b. Provoked
c. Solicited
d. Canvassed

Passage 5:
More than a century later, the Earth seems to be literally falling to pieces – recent environmental
setbacks include billions of tonnes of ice shelves breaking off in the Antarctic and unusually warm
temperatures in different parts of the world. Panic reactions range from predictions of sinking
islands to lamenting the ill-effects of global warming induced by release of greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere. The trouble is that we are too obsessed with the climate change problem to even
acknowledge the fact that the state of the planet hinges on much more. Climate change is at best a
symptom of a far more complex malaise, just as a fever is most often only an indicator of something
that’s gone awry in our body. It’s time for a complete and comprehensive planetary health check,
that will examine the impacts of change in land use, loss of biodiversity, use of fertilizers and
pesticides and consistent pollution of water bodies. This would overcome the limitations of
evaluating how ecosystems work by reacting to just, one major environmental concern as is
happening in the case of global warming. These considerations have been responsible for the setting
up of an international panel, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Financed by four major
international bodies, including the UN and the World Bank, the eco-panel was set up without much
fuss last June, and is expected to determine, over a period of four years, and at a cost of $21 million,
the state of the Earth’s ecosystems. The eco-panel will source inputs from more than 2000 natural
and social scientists the world over. Put simply, the Earth will go through the equivalent of a
thorough physical, so that biological, economic and social information can be collated to help
scientists arrive at a final diagnosis. The newly-constituted eco-panel will have to ensure that data
collection is more representative of the regions of the world. Today, we have the advantage of
sourcing data from remote sensing satellites as well. The information thus gathered would have to
be sorted out and analyzed by specialists, and also by generalists.

25. What is the comparison made between fever in our body and climate changes?
a. Like fever increases the body temperature, climate changes are making the Earth hot
b. The comparison is made just to intensify the problems being discussed about our planet
c. Like fever is a symptom showing that the body has some problems, climate changes show
that the Earth has some problems
d. The fever comparison shows how ecosystems work

26. What will be the task of the newly constituted eco-panel?

a. To collect appropriate data from different regions of the world
b. To manage the finances of the whole collective activity
c. To source data from all over the world and systematically present it to scientists for
consumption
d. To stop making panic reactions regarding climate change

27. What is the primary concern of the passage?

 a. The passage aims to convince the government to provide adequate funds to the Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment
b. It shows the harmful effects of climate change
c. It mentions the environmental challenges being faced by our planet and the need to assess
the damage done to the Earth
d. The passage highlights the contribution of Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Panel.

28. The tone of the passage can best be described as:

a. Boorish
b. Informative
c. Sarcastic
d. Cursory

29. Choose an option closest in meaning to the word ‘malaise’ as used in the passage:
a. Illness
b. Diffusion
c. Transformation
d. Synthesis

30. ‘Fever’ is used as a __________ to ‘climatic change’:

a. Metaphor
b. Simile
c. Irony
d. Personification

Choose the word closest in meaning to the given words:

31. Exult
a. Lament
b. Dejection
c. Deprecate
d. Gloat

32. Extirpate
a. Annihilate
b. Inveigle
c. Accrue
d. Sire

33. Extemporaneous
a. Rehearsed
b. Premeditated
c. Extempore
d. Conscious

34. Eschew
 a. Shun
b. Pursue
c. Embrace
d. Accede

35. Epoch
a. Timeless
b. Distinct
c. Era
d. Facade

Choose the word farthest in meaning to the given words:

36. Entreat
a. Supplicate
b. Implore
c. Demand
d. Importune

37. Extrinsic
a. Foreign
b. Exotic
c. Superficial
d. Innate

38. Extraneous
a. Inappropriate
b. Home
c. Exotic
d. Peripheral

39. Evince
a. Falsify
b. Bespeak
c. Illustrate
d. Attest

40. Esoteric
a. Intricate
b. Public
c. Recondite
d. Occult
Choose an option that best brings out the meaning of given idioms:
41. Eager Beaver
a. A person who is extremely keen
 b. An audacious person
c. A pleasant person
d. A reckless person

42. Early bath

a. Set to a job earlier than expected
b. Lose position earlier than expected
c. Complete a job earlier than expected
d. Get a promotion or raise

43. Ears are burning

a. Discomfort in ears when exposed to loud noise
b. Sense the arrival of a visitor
c. A sense of knowing that people somewhere else are talking about you in a bad way
d. Be able to prophesize

44. Eat crow

a. Taste a rotten dish
b. Fail at something
c. To quit
d. Having to admit that you were wrong

45. Eat one’s hat

a. The kind of thing that one would do if a very unlikely event really happens
b. To exhaust all savings
c. Willing cause trouble to self
d. Be caught red handed

Answers:
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. B
5. D
6. C
7. D
8. D
9. A
10. C
11. A
12. B
13. A
14. A
15. D
16. D
17. A
18. C
19. A
20. B
21. B
22. A
23. B
24. A
25. C
26. C
27. C
28. B
29. A
30. B
31. D
32. A
33. C
34. A
35. C
36. C
37. D
38. B
39. A
40. B
41. A
42. B
43. C
44. D
45. A