Practice
Category : 9th Class
Passage - 1
With 1.21 billion people, India is currently the world's second largest country. India crossed the one billion mark in the year 2000; one year after the world's population crossed the six billion thresholds. Demographers expect India's population to surpass the population of China, currently the most populous country in the world, by 2030. At that time, India is expected to have a population of more than 1.53 billion while China's population is forecast to be at its peak of 1.46 billion. India's 2011 census showed that the country's population had grown by 181 million people in the prior decade. When India gained independence from the United Kingdom sixty years ago, the country's population was a mere 350 million. Since 1947, the population of India has more than tripled. In 1950, India's total fertility rate was approximately 6 children per woman. Nonetheless, since 1952 India has worked to control its population growth. The U.S. Census Bureau does predict a near-replacement total fertility rate of 2.2 to be achieved in India in the year 2050. India's high population growth results in increasingly impoverished and sub Standard conditions for growing segments of the Indian population. As of 2007, India ranked 126th on the United Nations' Human Development Index, which takes into account social, health, and educational conditions in a country. Population projections for India anticipate that the country's population will reach 1.5 to 1.8 billion by 2050. While only the Population Reference Bureau has published projections out to 2100, they expect India's population at the close of the twenty-first century to reach 1.853 to 2.181 billion. Thus, India is expected to become the first and only country on the planet that will ever reach a population of more than 2 billion.
Read the passage carefully and tick the correct answers:
The word 'demographer' relates to:
(a) Checking the changes in number or births and deaths
(b) Having authority to check the population of a country
(c) Being capable of taking into account the register of births and deaths (d) Keeping record of births and deaths of a place
(e) None of these
The census of 2011 reflect that the population of India had grown by:
(a) 1.53 billion
(b) 350 million
(c) 1.46 billion
(d) 181 million
(e) None of these
The population of India since its independence has:
(a) Crossed the six billion threshold
(b) Forecasted to rise and touch 1.46 billion
(c) Surpassed China's population
(d) More than tripled
(e) None of these
Starting 1952, India has been constantly processing:
(a) Curb population growth
(b) Replace total fertility rate
(c) Find a method to check fertility
(d) Become the most populous country
(e) None of these
Passage - 2
Many nationals and expatriates do not agree with Qatar's decision to lift government control over pricing of medicines, which they believe had caused the sudden rise in the prices of pharmaceutical products in the local market. Majority of the respondents, about 64 per cent, to an online survey conducted by Al Sharq, called for a strict state control over pricing of medicines. And a bigger number of respondents, 80 percent, felt that the decision of the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) to keep away from fixing the prices, as stipulated by the new laws, had caused the current hike in medicine prices. Only five per cent of the 407 respondents, who commented on the price hike, felt that the hike was not linked with implementation of the new laws that sought liberalization of imports and abolition of state control over pricing. Reacting to the survey, several nationals and expatriates expressed the view that the new laws had failed to achieve the targeted goals. The laws were intended to address the high prices of medicines in the country, but what actually happened in the market was just the opposite. 'Prices of medicines have soared by up to 50 percent. The new rule has failed to make any positive impact on the market. It has also led to price variations in 'different pharmacies. The government should review its decision. The Consumer Protection Department should intervene to control the market, because medicines are of prime importance to public health/ a respondent, Hussain Al Sayed, was quoted as saying. He felt that if medicines are directly imported by the government, the prices would fall by about 50 percent.
Read the passage carefully and tick the correct answers:
The sudden rise in the price of pharmaceutical products in Qatar is due to:
(a) Government has decided to keep it under its control
(b) Leave control over medicine pricing by the government
(c) Keep away from fixing the medicine prices
(d) Could not make any positive impact on the market
(e) None of these
According to the survey, most of the respondents were of the view:
(a) Hike was linked with the implementation of new laws
(b) Qatar's decision to lift government control over medicine prices is wrong
(c) Welcomed strict control over pricing of medicine
(d) Decision of the SCH had caused the hike
(e) None of these
Various nationals and expatriates expressed their views that:
(a) New laws have turned to become a total failure
(b) What was projected had all proved wrong
(c) New laws had filed to achieve targeted goals
(d) The laws hardly could make any positive impact
(e) None of these
The importance of medicine as reflected in the passage is:
(a) Medicines are prime importance to public health
(b) Pharmaceutical products should not be priced high
(c) Medicines are lifesaving drugs and should be cheap
(d) Prices of medicines should be less so that everybody could buy
(e) None of these
Passage - 3
Seeking to resolve their vexed boundary dispute, India and Bangladesh are likely to sign a pact soon as both the countries have completed a joint-survey along the international border and identified adversely-held enclaves. There are 126 Indian enclaves on the Bangladesh territory and 96 Bangladesh enclaves on Indian soil along the 4,098-km-long border between the two countries. During the joint survey, both India and Bangladesh have identified adversely- held enclaves. India has also completed the survey at the enclaves. A similar exercise has also been done in Bangladesh, 'Since both sides agree upon areas that the other side possesses, the only task remaining would be to exchange them said a government official. Both India and Bangladesh are now trying to overcome; the 'difference of opinion' on patches located in Meghalaya, which is hardly 20 per cent of the total areas under dispute. There are 11 such areas in Meghalaya, 'We hope to resolve the dispute in Meghalaya as soon as possible. Once the problem on the ground is resolved, the Home Minister may undertake the visit to Dhaka to carry forward the process into its logical conclusion/ the official said. The new pact will cover all outstanding border issues in line with the Land Boundary Agreement, 1974 when both India and Bangladesh had agreed to exchange the enclaves or at least provide easy access to the enclaves, but since then little has materialized. Talks between the two countries on the issue resumed in 2001 but lack of a concrete time frame has relegated the issue to the back burner.
Read the passage carefully and tick the correct answers:
The survey of both the countries could be concluded that:
(a) India will sign a pact with Bangladesh
(b) Bangladesh has agreed to identify adversely-held enclaves
(c) Both India and Bangladesh will exchange it heir areas
(d) India and Bangladesh both have enclaves on each other's territory
(e) None of these
The objective of the new pact will be:
(a) Solve all pending issues related to Land Boundary Agreement
(b) Cover and solve outstanding border issues in context to Land Boundary Agreement
(c) Exchange enclaves both by India and Bangladesh
(d) Provide easy access to the enclaves both by India and Bangladesh
(e) None of these
The term 'difference of opinion' means:
(a) Difference of view
(b) Difference of outlook
(c) Difference of attitude
(d) Difference of viewpoint
(e) None of these
What does the term 'back burner' mean in context to the passage?
(a) Sidelined
(b) Terminated
(c) Kept away
(d) Made useless
(e) None of these
Passage - 4
China recently acknowledged there were 'difficulties' in defence ties with India but noted improvement following the visit of a military delegation from India. 'Last year, Sino-lndian military exchanges experienced some difficulties, but both sides worked hard to find a good way of resolving this; said a Defence Ministry spokesperson. 'Both sides said that they were willing to work hard together to ensure peace and tranquility on the border and further promote exchanges between their militaries; he said, which marked the resumption in defence exchanges after almost one year. An eight-member delegation, led by Major-General Gurmeet Singh, concluded after having talks with the People's Liberation Army's leadership following a visit to Beijing, Urumqi-the capital it yo f the west ernfrontier X in ji an gregion, and Shanghai. Defence exchanges were suspended by India in July 2010, after China objected to issuing a visa 'to the head of the Northern Command saying the 'sensitive region' of Kashmir was under his control. The refusal was linked to their recent policy of issuing stapled visas to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir. India agreed to resume ties following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to China to attend the BRICS summit in Sanya, in Hainan province. Indian officials cited a toning down of the stapled visa policy and willingness to host officials from the Northern Command, though of a lower rank, as being behind the decision to resume ties.
Read the passage carefully and tick the correct answers:
Due to the visit of an Indian military delegation to China:
(a) Relationship has improved than before
(b) India-China ties have grown healthy
(c) Tension between both the countries has ceased
(d) There has been a noted improvement
(e) None of these
With the following visit of military delegation, defence exchange has resumed:
(a) After a longtime
(b) After more than a year
(c) After a limestone year
(d) After several years
(e) None of these
The reason of the suspension of defence exchange was:
(a) China objection to issue visa to the head of the Northern Command
(b) The calling of Kashmir by China as 'sensitive region'
(c) India objected to China's confirmation that Kashmir was under the control of the Northern Command
(d) China's refusal to the Northern Command to enter the province of China
(e) None of these
The resumption of ties between India and China is due to:
(a) Recent policy of issuing stapled visas to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir
(b) China agreeing to resume ties with India
(c) Development of goodwill between both the countries
(d) Manmohon Singh's visit to China to attend the BRICS summit
(e) None of these
Passage - 5
India's more than a decade old campaign to get a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council received a major boost at G-8 summit when Britain PM Gordon Brown reportedly expressed support for India's endeavour to restructure the UNSC and other institutions, to reflect the world of 21st century where India is seen an emerging power. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a bilateral meeting with his British counterpart on the sideline ofG-8 summit. The two discussed a wide range of issues including trade, agriculture and terror. Margaret Beckett had said, 'lndia has become such an important and central part of the global infrastructure that just about everything that Britain wants to achieve internationally requires us to work in partnership with India. We can't just discuss specifically Indian or British issues with our Indian counterparts - we need to be discussing the whole gamut of global issues. That is why we are such strong supporters of India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council and its adequate representation in other international organizations', while addressing members of the Labour Friends of India in London. India has again broached the subject of UNSC's expansion at the G-8 summit in 2011. In an article for he has written for The Vision of Emerging Powers - India, PM Manmohan Singh had said, 'The Security Council has not changed at all and its present structure poses serious problems of legitimacy. The system of two-tiered membership, which gives a veto to the five permanent members i.e., the nations that emerged victorious after the Second World War, is clearly anachronistic. It is obvious that if the system was being designed today it would be very different he said while critiquing the sluggish movement in the crucial area of reforms of international institutions.
Read the passage carefully and tick the correct answers:
The major boost that India received at G-8 summit:
(a) Become a permanent member of the UN Security council
(b) Support of Britain PM Gordon Brown in favour of India's seat in the UNSC
(c) Success of the decade old campaign to get a permanent seat in the UIMSC was met
(d) India's Endeavour to restructure the UNSC and other institutions for permanent UNSC seat
(e) None of these
The bilateral meeting of the Indian Prime Minister and his British counterpart did not discuss on:
(a) Terrorism
(b) Trade
(c) Agriculture
(d) Environment
(e) None of these
The importance of India being the central part of global infrastructure has urged Britain to:
(a) Work in joint venture
(b) Achieve international requirements
(c) Discuss various global issues
(d) Solve major issues related to terror
(e) None of these
Manmohan Singh asserted in his article that:
(a) The Security Council has not changed very much
(b) The permanent members of the UNS exercise veto
(c) The system of two-tiered membership gives the veto power
(d) The present structure of the Security Council poses serious legitimate problems
(e) None of these
Passage -1
1. A
2. D
3. D
4. A
Passage - 2
1. B
2. D
3. C
4. A
Passage -3
1. C
2. B
3. D
4. C
Passage - 4
1. D
2. C
3. A
4. D
Passage - 5
1. B
2. D
3. A
4. D
Passage - 1
Passage - 2
Passage - 3
Passage - 4
Passage - 5
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