Q.1

PASSAGE: It must be the season of pessimism. Having worried about the war in Afghanistan, the battle against Al–Qaeda, the Arab reaction and the anthrax scare, we have found the next target for our gloom and it’s an easy one: the prospect for Afghanistan. You can hear the weary phrases tripping off people’s tongues: the country can’t be rebuilt, it will revert to civil war and a Marshall Plan would be a colossal waste of money. If these were just the musings of commentators, they wouldn’t matter much. But many within the administration are urging Washington to quickly and quietly wash its hands off Afghanistan and move on. Not only would this be a strategic error, but it would show blindness to one of the most important lessons of the last decade. What comes to mind when you think of the following: Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Mozambique and Uganda? For most people the answer is civil war, ethnic cleansing, failed states and intractable woes. And that’s what they represented the last time you looked at them. But a funny thing happened over the last five years. As the UN Development Chief, Mark Malloch Brown puts it, “The spotlight went away, but these countries slowly began putting their houses in order. Today they are all peaceful, reasonably stable societies with the first stirrings of genuine economic activity”.<br />

Which of the following has NOT been cited as a reason for a pessimistic viewpoint with respect to the situation in Afghanistan?

Q.2

PASSAGE: It must be the season of pessimism. Having worried about the war in Afghanistan, the battle against Al–Qaeda, the Arab reaction and the anthrax scare, we have found the next target for our gloom and it’s an easy one: the prospect for Afghanistan. You can hear the weary phrases tripping off people’s tongues: the country can’t be rebuilt, it will revert to civil war and a Marshall Plan would be a colossal waste of money. If these were just the musings of commentators, they wouldn’t matter much. But many within the administration are urging Washington to quickly and quietly wash its hands off Afghanistan and move on. Not only would this be a strategic error, but it would show blindness to one of the most important lessons of the last decade. What comes to mind when you think of the following: Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Mozambique and Uganda? For most people the answer is civil war, ethnic cleansing, failed states and intractable woes. And that’s what they represented the last time you looked at them. But a funny thing happened over the last five years. As the UN Development Chief, Mark Malloch Brown puts it, “The spotlight went away, but these countries slowly began putting their houses in order. Today they are all peaceful, reasonably stable societies with the first stirrings of genuine economic activity”.<br />

Which of the following is being referred to by ‘the most important lessons of the last decade’?

Q.3

PASSAGE: It must be the season of pessimism. Having worried about the war in Afghanistan, the battle against Al–Qaeda, the Arab reaction and the anthrax scare, we have found the next target for our gloom and it’s an easy one: the prospect for Afghanistan. You can hear the weary phrases tripping off people’s tongues: the country can’t be rebuilt, it will revert to civil war and a Marshall Plan would be a colossal waste of money. If these were just the musings of commentators, they wouldn’t matter much. But many within the administration are urging Washington to quickly and quietly wash its hands off Afghanistan and move on. Not only would this be a strategic error, but it would show blindness to one of the most important lessons of the last decade. What comes to mind when you think of the following: Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Mozambique and Uganda? For most people the answer is civil war, ethnic cleansing, failed states and intractable woes. And that’s what they represented the last time you looked at them. But a funny thing happened over the last five years. As the UN Development Chief, Mark Malloch Brown puts it, “The spotlight went away, but these countries slowly began putting their houses in order. Today they are all peaceful, reasonably stable societies with the first stirrings of genuine economic activity”.<br />

What will happen if Washington washes its hands off Afghanistan?

Q.4

PASSAGE: It must be the season of pessimism. Having worried about the war in Afghanistan, the battle against Al–Qaeda, the Arab reaction and the anthrax scare, we have found the next target for our gloom and it’s an easy one: the prospect for Afghanistan. You can hear the weary phrases tripping off people’s tongues: the country can’t be rebuilt, it will revert to civil war and a Marshall Plan would be a colossal waste of money. If these were just the musings of commentators, they wouldn’t matter much. But many within the administration are urging Washington to quickly and quietly wash its hands off Afghanistan and move on. Not only would this be a strategic error, but it would show blindness to one of the most important lessons of the last decade. What comes to mind when you think of the following: Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Mozambique and Uganda? For most people the answer is civil war, ethnic cleansing, failed states and intractable woes. And that’s what they represented the last time you looked at them. But a funny thing happened over the last five years. As the UN Development Chief, Mark Malloch Brown puts it, “The spotlight went away, but these countries slowly began putting their houses in order. Today they are all peaceful, reasonably stable societies with the first stirrings of genuine economic activity”.<br />

Which of the following conclusions based on the given passage are justified?

Q.5

PASSAGE: It must be the season of pessimism. Having worried about the war in Afghanistan, the battle against Al–Qaeda, the Arab reaction and the anthrax scare, we have found the next target for our gloom and it’s an easy one: the prospect for Afghanistan. You can hear the weary phrases tripping off people’s tongues: the country can’t be rebuilt, it will revert to civil war and a Marshall Plan would be a colossal waste of money. If these were just the musings of commentators, they wouldn’t matter much. But many within the administration are urging Washington to quickly and quietly wash its hands off Afghanistan and move on. Not only would this be a strategic error, but it would show blindness to one of the most important lessons of the last decade. What comes to mind when you think of the following: Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Mozambique and Uganda? For most people the answer is civil war, ethnic cleansing, failed states and intractable woes. And that’s what they represented the last time you looked at them. But a funny thing happened over the last five years. As the UN Development Chief, Mark Malloch Brown puts it, “The spotlight went away, but these countries slowly began putting their houses in order. Today they are all peaceful, reasonably stable societies with the first stirrings of genuine economic activity”.<br />

In the context in which it appears, ‘intractable’ means

Q.6

PASSAGE: There are good reasons for pessimism. Afghanistan is the most ambitious project that the international community will have ever undertaken. And as a senior American official said, “The one thing that seems to unite Afghans over long period of time is they don’t much like foreigners. But consider what the foreigners were up to in the past. The British and the Russians tried to colonize the place. The Arabs turned it into a base for international terrorism. Maybe now that the foreigners are coming for quite different reasons, the locals will be more welcoming”. The country has been through invasion, occupation and civil war for two decades. Despite mountains of skepticism the reality has been that over the last five years the international community and the United Nations learned tough lessons from their initial failures in dealing with peace–keeping and nation–building. Today the major powers and the international agencies are pulling together and working effectively. As a result, once hopeless situations are moving toward some semblance of normalcy. Is it so crazy to think that may be Afghanistan can be next on this list?<br />

The outlook of the Afghans towards the foreigners is likely to change because

Q.7

PASSAGE: There are good reasons for pessimism. Afghanistan is the most ambitious project that the international community will have ever undertaken. And as a senior American official said, “The one thing that seems to unite Afghans over long period of time is they don’t much like foreigners. But consider what the foreigners were up to in the past. The British and the Russians tried to colonize the place. The Arabs turned it into a base for international terrorism. Maybe now that the foreigners are coming for quite different reasons, the locals will be more welcoming”. The country has been through invasion, occupation and civil war for two decades. Despite mountains of skepticism the reality has been that over the last five years the international community and the United Nations learned tough lessons from their initial failures in dealing with peace–keeping and nation–building. Today the major powers and the international agencies are pulling together and working effectively. As a result, once hopeless situations are moving toward some semblance of normalcy. Is it so crazy to think that may be Afghanistan can be next on this list?<br />

Which of the following means the same as ‘reasons for pessimism’?

Q.8

PASSAGE: There are good reasons for pessimism. Afghanistan is the most ambitious project that the international community will have ever undertaken. And as a senior American official said, “The one thing that seems to unite Afghans over long period of time is they don’t much like foreigners. But consider what the foreigners were up to in the past. The British and the Russians tried to colonize the place. The Arabs turned it into a base for international terrorism. Maybe now that the foreigners are coming for quite different reasons, the locals will be more welcoming”. The country has been through invasion, occupation and civil war for two decades. Despite mountains of skepticism the reality has been that over the last five years the international community and the United Nations learned tough lessons from their initial failures in dealing with peace–keeping and nation–building. Today the major powers and the international agencies are pulling together and working effectively. As a result, once hopeless situations are moving toward some semblance of normalcy. Is it so crazy to think that may be Afghanistan can be next on this list?<br />

The author uses ‘mountains of skepticism’ to refer to

Q.9

PASSAGE: There are good reasons for pessimism. Afghanistan is the most ambitious project that the international community will have ever undertaken. And as a senior American official said, “The one thing that seems to unite Afghans over long period of time is they don’t much like foreigners. But consider what the foreigners were up to in the past. The British and the Russians tried to colonize the place. The Arabs turned it into a base for international terrorism. Maybe now that the foreigners are coming for quite different reasons, the locals will be more welcoming”. The country has been through invasion, occupation and civil war for two decades. Despite mountains of skepticism the reality has been that over the last five years the international community and the United Nations learned tough lessons from their initial failures in dealing with peace–keeping and nation–building. Today the major powers and the international agencies are pulling together and working effectively. As a result, once hopeless situations are moving toward some semblance of normalcy. Is it so crazy to think that may be Afghanistan can be next on this list?<br />

Which of the following would be the list on which the author questions placing Afghanistan?

Q.10

PASSAGE: There are good reasons for pessimism. Afghanistan is the most ambitious project that the international community will have ever undertaken. And as a senior American official said, “The one thing that seems to unite Afghans over long period of time is they don’t much like foreigners. But consider what the foreigners were up to in the past. The British and the Russians tried to colonize the place. The Arabs turned it into a base for international terrorism. Maybe now that the foreigners are coming for quite different reasons, the locals will be more welcoming”. The country has been through invasion, occupation and civil war for two decades. Despite mountains of skepticism the reality has been that over the last five years the international community and the United Nations learned tough lessons from their initial failures in dealing with peace–keeping and nation–building. Today the major powers and the international agencies are pulling together and working effectively. As a result, once hopeless situations are moving toward some semblance of normalcy. Is it so crazy to think that may be Afghanistan can be next on this list?<br />

Which of the following conclusions based on the given passage is NOT justified?

Q.11

PASSAGE: The Indian mind delights in ambiguity in ambivalence, in trying to have the best of both worlds, in harboring a medley of conflicting ideas without much discomfort. Whatever the public rhetoric, the practice is always based on half- measures, of leaving things half done, of a refusal to anticipate trouble and a tendency to wake up when the crisis has already matured, this may be an exaggeration. But the slovenliness of approach to every problem is a fact of life which hits in the eye even the most sympathetic foreign observer. But, India is a democracy and democracies make many small mistakes. However, dictatorships are more susceptible to making huge ones and risking everything on one decision – like going to war. Democracies are the political equivalent of free markets. Companies know they can’t fool the consumer too often; he will simply switch to the competition. The same goes for political parties. When they fail to live up their promises in government, the political consumer opts for the competition. Democratic freedoms too are important for the economy, especially now that information is supreme. Few doubt that the internet will play an important part in the global economy in the decades to come out. But China, by preventing free access to it, is already probably destroying its capabilities in this area. As service industries grow in importance, China may well be at a disadvantage though that may not be apparent today when its manufacturing juggernaut is rolling ahead.<br />

Which of the following best describes how the problem being discussed in the passage is approached?

Q.12

PASSAGE: The Indian mind delights in ambiguity in ambivalence, in trying to have the best of both worlds, in harboring a medley of conflicting ideas without much discomfort. Whatever the public rhetoric, the practice is always based on half- measures, of leaving things half done, of a refusal to anticipate trouble and a tendency to wake up when the crisis has already matured, this may be an exaggeration. But the slovenliness of approach to every problem is a fact of life which hits in the eye even the most sympathetic foreign observer. But, India is a democracy and democracies make many small mistakes. However, dictatorships are more susceptible to making huge ones and risking everything on one decision – like going to war. Democracies are the political equivalent of free markets. Companies know they can’t fool the consumer too often; he will simply switch to the competition. The same goes for political parties. When they fail to live up their promises in government, the political consumer opts for the competition. Democratic freedoms too are important for the economy, especially now that information is supreme. Few doubt that the internet will play an important part in the global economy in the decades to come out. But China, by preventing free access to it, is already probably destroying its capabilities in this area. As service industries grow in importance, China may well be at a disadvantage though that may not be apparent today when its manufacturing juggernaut is rolling ahead.<br />

According to the author, the Indian mind

Q.13

PASSAGE: The Indian mind delights in ambiguity in ambivalence, in trying to have the best of both worlds, in harboring a medley of conflicting ideas without much discomfort. Whatever the public rhetoric, the practice is always based on half- measures, of leaving things half done, of a refusal to anticipate trouble and a tendency to wake up when the crisis has already matured, this may be an exaggeration. But the slovenliness of approach to every problem is a fact of life which hits in the eye even the most sympathetic foreign observer. But, India is a democracy and democracies make many small mistakes. However, dictatorships are more susceptible to making huge ones and risking everything on one decision – like going to war. Democracies are the political equivalent of free markets. Companies know they can’t fool the consumer too often; he will simply switch to the competition. The same goes for political parties. When they fail to live up their promises in government, the political consumer opts for the competition. Democratic freedoms too are important for the economy, especially now that information is supreme. Few doubt that the internet will play an important part in the global economy in the decades to come out. But China, by preventing free access to it, is already probably destroying its capabilities in this area. As service industries grow in importance, China may well be at a disadvantage though that may not be apparent today when its manufacturing juggernaut is rolling ahead.<br />

Which of the following have been drawn as similarities between a market and a democratic form of government?

Q.14

PASSAGE: The Indian mind delights in ambiguity in ambivalence, in trying to have the best of both worlds, in harboring a medley of conflicting ideas without much discomfort. Whatever the public rhetoric, the practice is always based on half- measures, of leaving things half done, of a refusal to anticipate trouble and a tendency to wake up when the crisis has already matured, this may be an exaggeration. But the slovenliness of approach to every problem is a fact of life which hits in the eye even the most sympathetic foreign observer. But, India is a democracy and democracies make many small mistakes. However, dictatorships are more susceptible to making huge ones and risking everything on one decision – like going to war. Democracies are the political equivalent of free markets. Companies know they can’t fool the consumer too often; he will simply switch to the competition. The same goes for political parties. When they fail to live up their promises in government, the political consumer opts for the competition. Democratic freedoms too are important for the economy, especially now that information is supreme. Few doubt that the internet will play an important part in the global economy in the decades to come out. But China, by preventing free access to it, is already probably destroying its capabilities in this area. As service industries grow in importance, China may well be at a disadvantage though that may not be apparent today when its manufacturing juggernaut is rolling ahead.<br />

Which of the following strengthen the claim, ‘is already probably destroying its capabilities in this area’?

Q.15

PASSAGE: The Indian mind delights in ambiguity in ambivalence, in trying to have the best of both worlds, in harboring a medley of conflicting ideas without much discomfort. Whatever the public rhetoric, the practice is always based on half- measures, of leaving things half done, of a refusal to anticipate trouble and a tendency to wake up when the crisis has already matured, this may be an exaggeration. But the slovenliness of approach to every problem is a fact of life which hits in the eye even the most sympathetic foreign observer. But, India is a democracy and democracies make many small mistakes. However, dictatorships are more susceptible to making huge ones and risking everything on one decision – like going to war. Democracies are the political equivalent of free markets. Companies know they can’t fool the consumer too often; he will simply switch to the competition. The same goes for political parties. When they fail to live up their promises in government, the political consumer opts for the competition. Democratic freedoms too are important for the economy, especially now that information is supreme. Few doubt that the internet will play an important part in the global economy in the decades to come out. But China, by preventing free access to it, is already probably destroying its capabilities in this area. As service industries grow in importance, China may well be at a disadvantage though that may not be apparent today when its manufacturing juggernaut is rolling ahead.<br />

‘The political consumer opts for the competition’ carries the same meaning as