Raashid Shah

PASSAGE: Today’s developing economies use much less energy per capita than developed countries such as the United States did at similar incomes, showing the potential for lower-carbon growth. Adaptation and mitigation need to be integrated into a climatesmart development strategy that increases resilience, reduces the threat of further global warming, and improves development outcomes. Adaptation and mitigation measures can advance development, and prosperity can raise incomes and foster better institutions. A healthier population living in better-built houses and with access to bank loans and social security is better equipped to deal with a changing climate and its consequences. Advancing robust, resilient development policies that promote adaptation is needed today because changes in the climate, already begun, will increase even in the short term. The spread of economic prosperity has always been intertwined with adaptation to changing ecological conditions. But as growth has altered the environment and as environmental change has adaptability demands greater capacity to understand our environment, generate new adaptive technologies and practices, and diffuse them widely. As economic historians have explained, much of humankind’s creative potential has been directed at adapting to the changing world. But adaptation cannot cope with all the impacts related to climate change, especially as large changes unfold in the long term. Countries cannot grow out of harm’s way fast enough to match the changing climate. And some growth strategies, whether driven by the government or the market, can also add to vulnerability-particularly if they overexploit natural resources. Under the Soviet development plan, irrigated cotton cultivation expanded in water-stressed Central Asia and led to the near disappearance of the Aral Sea, threatening the livelihoods of fisherman, herders and farmers. And clearing mangroves-the natural coastal buffers against storm surges-to make way for intensive farming or housing development, increases the physical vulnerability of coastal settlements, whether in Guinea or in Louisiana.Q.1 Which of the following conditions of growth can add to vulnerability?1.When the growth occurs due to excessive exploitation of mineral resources and forests.2.When the growth brings about a change in humankind’s creative potential.3.When the growth is envisaged only for providing houses and social security to the people.4.When the growth occurs due to emphasis on farming only.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:A)1 onlyB)2, 3 and 4 onlyC)1 and 4 onlyD)1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.2What does low-carbon growth imply in the present context?1. More emphasis on the use of renewable sources of energy.2.Less emphasis on manufacturing sector and more emphasis on agriculture sector.3.Switching over from monoculture practices to mixed farming.4.Less demand for goods and services.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:A) 1 onlyB) 3 and 4 onlyC)1 and 4 onlyD)None of the above implies low-carbon growth Q.3 Which of the following conditions is/are necessary for sustainable economic growth?1.Spreading of economic prosperity more.2.Popularising/spreading of adaptive technologies widely.3.Investing on research in adaptation and mitigation technologies.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:A) 1 onlyB)2 and 3 only.C)1 and 3 onlyD)1, 2 and 3 Q.4Which of the following inferences can be made from the passage?1.Rainfed crops should not be cultivated in irrigated areas.2.Farming under water-deficient areas should not be a part of development strategy.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:A)1 onlyB)2 onlyC)Both I and 2D)Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5Consider the following assumptions1.Sustainable economic growth demands the use of creative potential of man.2.Intensive agriculture can lead to ecological backlash.3.Spread of economic prosperity can adversely affect the ecology and environment.With reference to the passage, which of the above assumptions is/are valid?A)1 onlyB)2 and 3 onlyC)1 and 3D)Only 1, 2 and 3 Q.6Which one of the following statements constitutes the central theme of this passage?A)Countries with greater economic prosperity are better equipped to deal with the consequences of climate change.B)Adaptation and mitigation should be integrated with development strategies, sC)Rapid economic growth should not be pursued by both developed and developing economies.D)Some countries resort to overexploitation of natural resources for the sake of rapid development.   1.A2.D3.B4.D5.D6.B    

PASSAGE Chemical pesticides lose their role in sustainable agriculture if the pests evolve resistance. The evolution of pesticide resistance is simply natural selection in action. It is almost certain to occur when vast numbers of a genetically variable population are killed. One or a few individuals may he unusually resistant (perhaps because they possess an enzyme that can detoxify the pesticide). If the pesticide is applied repeatedly, each successive generation of the pest will contain a larger proportion of resistant individuals Pests typically have a high intrinsic rate of reproduction, and so n few individual in one generation may give rise to hundreds or thousands in the next, and resistance spreads very rapidly in a population. This problem was often ignored in the past, even though the first case of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) resistance was reported early as 1946. There is exponential increase in the numbers of m vertebrates that have evolved resistance and in the number of pesticides against which resistance has evolved. Resistance has been recorded in every family of arthropod pests (including dipterans such as mosquitoes and house flies, as well as beetles, moths, wasps, fleas, Lice and mites) as well as well as in weeds and plant pathogens, Take the Alabama leaf-worm, a moth pest of cotton, as an example. It has developed resistance in one or more regions of the world to aldrin, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, lindane and toxaphene. If chemical pesticides brought nothing but, problem-if their use was intrinsically and acutely unsustainable then they would already have fallen out of widespread use. This has not happened. Instead, their rate of production has increased rapidly. The ratio of cost of benefit for the individual agricultural producer has remained in favour of pesticide use. In the USA insecticides have been estimated to benefit the agricultural products to the tune of around $5 for every $1 spent. Moreover, in many poorer countries, the prospect of imminent mass starvation, or of an epidemic diseases, are so frightening that the social and health cost of using pesticides have to be ignored. In general the use of pesticides is justified by objective measures such as lives saved, economic efficiency of food production and total food produced. In these very fundamental senses, their use may be described as sustainable. In practice, sustainability depends on continually developing new pesticides that keep at least one step ahead of the pests pesticides that are less persistent, biodegradable and more accurately targeted al the pests. Q.1 The evolution of pesticide resistance is natural selection in action. What does it actually imply? A) It is very natural for many organisms to have pesticide resistance. B) Pesticide resistance among organisms is a universal phenomenon.C)Some individuals in any given population show resistance after the application of pesticides.D) None of the statements a, b & c given-above is correct. Q.2 With reference to the passage, consider the following statement. 1) Use of chemical pesticides has become imperative in all the poor countries of the world. 2) Chemical pesticides should not have in role in sustainable agriculture. 3) One pest can develop resistance to many pesticides. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A) 1 and 2 B) only 3 C) only 1 and 3 D) only 1, 2 and 3 Q.3 Though the problems associated with the use of chemical pesticides is known for a long time, their widespread use has not waned. Why? A) Alternatives to chemical pesticides do not exist at, all. B) New pesticides are not invented at all. C) Pesticide are biodegradable. D) None of the statements a, b & c given above is correct. Q.4 How do pesticides act as agents for the selection of resistant individuals in any pest population? 1) It is possible that in a pest population the individuals will behave differently due to their genetic makeup. 2) Pests do possess the ability to detoxify the pesticides. 3) Evolution of pesticide resistance is equally distributed in pest population. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A) 1 onlyB) 1 and 2 C) only 3 D) only 1, 2 and 3 Q.5 Why is the use of chemical pesticides generally justified by giving the examples of poor and developing countries? 1) Development countries can afford to do away with use of pesticides by adapting to organic farming, but it is imperative for poor and developing countries to use chemical pesticides. 2) In poor and developing countries, the pesticides addressing the problem of epidemic diseases of crops and eases the food problem. 3) The social and heath costs of pesticides use are generally ignored in poor and developing countries. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A) 1 only B) 1 and 2 C) only 2 D) Only 1, 2 and 3 Q.6 What does the passage imply? A) Alternative options to chemical pesticides should be promoted. B) Too much use of chemicals is not good for the ecosystem. C) There is no scope for the improvement-of pesticides and making their use sustainable. D) Both the statements a & b above are correct.   1.C2.C3.D4.B5.C6.D    

PASSAGE Education, without a doubt, has an important functional Instrumental and utilitarian dimension. This is revealed when one ask question such as what is the purpose of education? The answers, too often, are to acquire qualifications for employment/upward mobility, wider/higher in terms of income opportunities, and to meet the needs for trained human power diverse fields for national development. But in its deepest sense education is not instrumentalist. That is to say, it is not to be justified outside of itself because it leads to the acquisition of formal skills or of certain desired psychological social attributes Ii must he respected in itself. Education is thus not a commodity lo be acquired or possessed and then used, but a process of inestimable importance to individuals and society, although it can and dose have enormous use value. Education then, is a process at expansion and conversion, not in the sense of converting or turning students into doctors or engineers, but the widening and turning out of the mind-the creation, Kustenaneo and development of self-critical awareness independence of thought. It is an inner process of moral-intellectual development. 1.What you understand by the instrumentalist view of education?a.Education is functional and utilitarian in its purposesb.Education is meant to fulfil human needs.c.The purpose of education is to train the human intellectd.Education is meant to achieve moral development 2.According to the passage, education must be respected in itself because:a.it helps to acquire qualifications for employmentb.it helps in upward mobility and acquiring uncial statusc.it is an inner process of moral and intellectual developmentd.All the a, b & c given above are correct in this context. 3.Education is a process in whicha.students are converted into trained professionals.b.opportunities for higher income are generated.c.individuals develop self-critical awareness and independence of thought.d.qualifications for upward mobility are acquired.     1.B2.C3.C    

PASSAGE Now India’s children have a right to receive at least eight years of education, the gnawing question is whether’ it will remain ‘on paper’ or ‘become a reality’. One hardly needs a reminder that this right is different from the others enshrined in the Constitution, that the beneficiary – a six year old child cannot demand it, nor can she or he fight a legal battle when the right is denied or violated. In all cases, it is the adult society which must act on behalf of the child. In another peculiarity, where a child’s right to education is denied, no compensation offered later can be adequate or relevant. This is so because childhood does not last. if a legal battle fought on behalf of a child is eventually won, it may be of little use to the boy or girl because the opportunity missed at school during childhood cannot serve the same purpose later in life. This may be painfully true for girls because our society permits them only a short childhood, if at all. The Right to Education (RTE) has become law at a point in India’s history when the ghastly practice of female infanticide has resurfaced in the form of feticides. This is “symptomatic of a deeper turmoil” in society which compounding the traditional obstacles to the education of girls. Tenacious prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls runs across our cultural diversity and the system of education has not been able to address it. 1.With reference to the passage, consider the following statements :1. When children are denied education, adult society does not act on behalf of them.2. Right to Education as a law cannot be enforced in the country.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. According to the passage, what could be the traditional obstacles to the education of girls ?1. Inability of parents to fight a legal battle when the Right to Education is denied to their children.2. The traditional way of thinking about girl’s role in society.3. The prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls.4. Improper system of education.Select the correct answer from the codes given below :a. 1 and 2 onlyb. 2, 3 and 4 onlyc. 1, 3 and 4 onlyd. 1, 2, 3 and 4 3. On the basis of the passage, consider the following statements:1. Right to Education is a legal right and not a fundamental right.2. For realising the goal of universal education, the education system in the country must be made identical to that of developed countries.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?a. 1 onlyb. 2 onlyc. Both 1 and 2d. Neither 1 nor 2 4.Which one of the following statements conveys the key message of the passage ?a. India has declared that education is compulsory for its children.b. Adult society is not keen on implementing the Right to Education.c. The Right to Education, particularly of a girl child, needs to be safeguarded.d. The system of education should be address the issue of right to education. 5.Which one of the following statements conveys the inference of the passage ?a. The society has a tenacious prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls.b. Adults cannot be relied upon to fight on behalf of children for their Right to Education.c. The legal fight to get education for children is often protracted and prohibitive.d. There is no sufficient substitute for education received in childhood.       1.D2.B3.D4.C5.D      

PASSAGE Ecosystems provide people with a variety of goods and services; food, clean water, clean air, flood control, soil stabilization, pollination, climate regulation, spiritual fulfilment and aesthetic enjoyment, to name just a few. Most of these benefits either are irreplaceable or the technology necessary to replace them is prohibitively expensive. For example, potable fresh water can be provided by desalinating sea-water, but only at great cost. The rapidly expanding human population has greatly modified the Earth’s ecosystems to meet their increased requirements of some of the goods and services, particularly food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel. These modifications have contributed substantially to human well being and economic development. The benefits have not been equally distributed. Some people have actually been harmed by these changes. Moreover, short-term increases in some ecosystem goods and services have come at the cost of the long-term degradation of others. For example, efforts to increase the production of food and fiber have decreased the ability of some ecosystems to provide clean water, regulate flooding and support biodiversity. Q.1 With reference to the passage, consider the following statements. Expanding human population has an adverse effect on :1. Spiritual fulfillment2. Aesthetic enjoyment3. Potable fresh water4. Production of food and fiber5. BiodiversityWhich of the statements given above are correct ?a. 1, 2 and 3 onlyb. 2, 4 and 5 onlyc. 3 and 5 onlyd. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Q.2 The passage mentions that “some people have actually been harmed by these changes”. What does it imply ?1. The rapid expansion of population has adversely affected some people:2. Sufficient efforts have not been made to increase the production of food and fiber.3. In the short term some people may be harmed, but in the long term everyone will benefit from modifications in the Earth’s ecosystems. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?a. 1 onlyb. 2c. 1 and 3d. None of the statements given above Q.3 With reference to the passage, consider the following statements:1. It is imperative to modify the Earth’s ecosystems for the well being of mankind.2. Technology can never replace all the goods and services provided by ecosystems.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a. 1 onlyb. 2 onlyc. Both 1 and 2d. Neither 1 nor 2 1. C2. A3. D      

PASSAGE A moral act must be our own act; must spring from our own will. If we act mechanically, there is no moral content in our act. Such action would be moral, if we think it proper to act like a machine and do so. For, in doing so, we use our discrimination. We should bear in mind the distinction between acting mechanically and acting intentionally. It may be moral of a king to pardon a culprit. But the messenger carrying out the order of pardon plays only a mechanical part in the king’s moral act. But if the messenger were to carry out the king’s order considering it to be his duty, his action would be a moral one. How can a man understand morality who does not use his own intelligence and power of thought, but lets himself be swept along like a log of wood by a current ? Sometimes a man defies convention and acts on his own with a view to absolute good. Q.1 Which of the following statements best describe/describes the thought of the writer ?1.A moral act calls for using our discretion.2.Man should react to a situation immediately3.Man must do his duty.4.Man should be able to defy convention in order to be moral.Select the correct answer from the codes given below :a.1 onlyb.1 and 3c.2 and 3d.1 and 4 Q.2 Which of the following statements is the nearest definition of moral action, according to the writer ?a.It is a mechanical action based on official orders from superiors.b.It is an action based on our sense of discretion.c.It is a clever action based on the clarity of purpose.d.It is a religious action based on understanding. Q.3 The passage contains a statement “lets himself be swept along like a log of wood by a current.” Among the following statements, which is/are nearest in meaning to this ?1. A person does not use his own reason.2. He is susceptible to influence/pressure.3. He cannot withstand difficulties/ challenges.4. He is like a log of wood.Correct answer?(a) 1 only(b) 1 and 2(c) 2 and 3(d) 1 and 4       1. B2. B3. B      

PASSAGE A species that exerts. an influence out of proportion to its abundance in an ecosystem is called a keystone species. The keystone species may influence both the species richness of communities and the flow of energy and materials through ecosystems. The sea star Pisaster the flow of energy and materials through ecosystems. The sea star Pisaster ochraceus, which lives in rocky intertidal ecosystems on the Pacific coast of North America, is also an example of a keystone species. Its preferred prey is the mussel Mytilus californianus . In the absence of sea- stars, these mussels crowd out other competitors in a broad belt of the intertidal zone. By consuming mussels, sea star creates bare spaces that are taken over by a variety of other species. A study at the University of washington demonstrated the influence of Pisaster on species richness by removing sea stars from selected parts of the intertidal zone repeatedly over a period of five years. Two major changes occured in the areas from which sea stars were removed. First, the lower edge of the 46. mussel bed extended farther down into the intertidal zone, showing that sea stars are able to eliminate mussels completely where they are covered with water most of the time. Second, and more dramatically, 28 species of animals and algae disappeared from the sea star removal zone. Eventually only Mytilus, the dominant competitor, occupied the entire substratum. Through its effect on competitive relationships, predation by Pisaster largely determines which species live in these rocky intertidal ecosystems. Q.1 What is the crux of the passage ?a.Sea star has a preferred prey.b.A preferred prey determines the survival of a keystone species.c.Keystone species ensures species diversity.d.Sea star is the only keystone species on the Pacific coast of North America. Q2. With reference to the passage, consider the following statements :1. Mussels-are generally the dominant species in intertidal ecosystems.2. The survival of sea stars is generally determined by the abundance of mussels.Which of the statements given above is /are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 ony(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q3. Which of the following is/are implied by the passage ?1.Mussels are always hard competitors for sea stars.2.Sea stars of the Pacific coast have reached the climax of their evolution.3.Sea stars constitute an important component in the energy flow in intertidal ecosystem.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 1 and 3(d) 3 only Q4. Consider the following assumptions:1.The food chains/food web in an influenced ecosystem are keystone species.2.The presence of keystone species is a specific characteristic of aquatic ecosystems.3.If the keystone species is completely removed from an ecosystem, it will lead to the collapse of the ecosystem.With reference to the passage, which of the above assumptions is/are valid?(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3       CDDC    

PASSAGE : A country under foreign domination seeks escape from the present in dreams of a vanished age, and finds consolation in visions of past greatness. That is a foolish and dangerous pastime in which many of us indulge. An equally questionable practice for us in India is to imagine that we are still spiritually great though we have come down, in the world in other respects. Spiritual or any other greatness cannot be founded on lack of freedom and opportunity, or on starvation and misery. Many western writers have encouraged that notion that Indians are other-worldly. I suppose the poor and unfortunate in every country become to some extent other-worldly, unless they become revolutionaries, for this world is evidently not meant for them. So also subject peoples. As a man grows to maturity he is not entirely engrossed in, or satisfied with, the external objective world. He seeks also some inner meaning, some psychological and physical satisfactions. So also with peoples and civilizations as they mature and grow adult. Every civilization and every people exhibit these parallel streams of an external life and an internal life. Where they meet or keep close to each other, there is an equilibrium and stability. When they diverge conflict arises and the crises that torture the mind and spirit. Q1. The passage mentions that “this world is evidently not meant for them”. It refers to people who1. seek freedom from foreign domination.2. live in starvation and misery.3. become revolutionaries .Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3(d) 3 only Q2 Consider the following assumptions :1.A country under foreign domination cannot indulge in spiritual pursuit.2.Poverty is an impediment in the spiritual pursuit.3.Subject peoples may become other-worldly.With reference to the passage, which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?a.1 and 2b.2 onlyc.2 and 3d.3 only Q3. The passage thematically centres ona.The state of mind of oppressed peopleb.Starvation and miseryc.The growth of civilizationd.Body, mind and spirit of people in general Q4. According to the passage, the torture of the mind and spirit is causeda.by the impact of foreign domination.b.by the desire to escape from foreign domination and find consolation III visions of past greatness.c.due to lack of equilibrium between an external life and an internal life.d.due to one’s inability to be either revolutionary or other-worldly.       BCAC    

PASSAGE The concept of ‘creative society’ refers to a phase of development of a society in which a large number of potential contradictions become articulate and active. This is most evident when oppressed social groups get politically mobilized and demand their rights. The upsurge of the peasants and tribal, the movements for regional autonomy and self-determination, the environmental movements, and the women’s movements in the developing countries are signs of emergence of creative society in contemporary times. The forms of social movements and their intensity may vary from country to country and place to place within a country. But the very presence of movements for social transformation in various spheres of a society indicates the emergence of a creative society in a country. Q1. What does the author imply by “creative society” ?1.A society where diverse art forms and literary writings seek incentive.2.A society where social inequalities are accepted as the norm.3.A society where a large number of contradictions are recognized.4.A society where the exploited and the oppressed groups grow conscious of their human rights and upliftment. Select the correct answer using the codes given below :(a) 1, 2 and 3(b) 4 only(c) 3 and 4(d) 2 and 4 Q2. What according to the passage are the manifestations of social movements?1.Aggressiveness and being incendiary.2.Instigation by external forces.3.Quest for social equality and individual freedom.4.Urge for granting privileges and self-respect to disparaged sections of the society.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:a.1 and 3 onlyb.2 and 4 onlyc.3 and 4 onlyd.1, 2, 3 and 4 Q3. With reference to the passage. consider the following statements:1.To be a creative society, it is essential to have a variety of social movements.2.To be a creative society, it is imperative to have potential contradictions and conflicts.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2     CCC    

PASSAGE For achieving inclusive growth there is-a critical need to rethink the-role of the State. The early debate among economists about the size of the Goverment can be misleading. The need of the hour is to have an enabling Government. India is too large and complex a nation for the State to be able to deliver all that is needed. Asking the Government to produse all the essential goods, create all the necessary jobs, and keep a curb on the prices of all goods is to lead to a large cumbersome bureaucracy and widespread corruption. The aim must be to stay with the objective of inclusive growth that was laid down by the founding fathers of the nation and also to take a more modern view of what the State can realistically deliver. This is what leads to the idea of an enabling State, that is, a Government that does not try to directly deliver to the citizens everything that they need. Instead, it (1) creates an enabling ethos for the market so that individual enterprise can flourish and citizens can, for the most part, provide for the needs of one another, and (2) steps in to help those who do not manage to do well for themselves, for there will always be individuals, no matter what the system, who need support and help. Hence we need a Government that, when it comes to the market, sets effective, incentive-compatible rules and remains on the sidelines with minimal interference, and, at the same time, plays an important role in directly helping the poor by ensuring that they get basic education and health services and receive adequate nutrition and food . Q.1 According to passage :1. The objective of inclusive growth was laid down by the founding fathers of the nation.2. Need of the hour is to have an enabling Government.3. The Government should engage III maximum interference in market processes.4. There is a need to change the size of the Government.Which of the statements given above are correct ?a. 1 and 2 onlyb. 2 and 3 onlyc. 1 and 4 onlyd. 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q2. According to the passage, the strategy of inclusive growth can be effected by focusing ona.meeting all the needs of every citizen in the country.b.Increasing the regulations over the manufacturing sector.c.Controlling the distribution of manufacturing goods.d.Delivery of the basic services to the deprived sections of the society. Q3. What constitutes an enabling Government?1.A large bureaucracy.2.Implementation of welfare programs through representatives.3.Creating an ethos that helps individual enterprise4.Providing resources to those who are underprivileged.5.Offering direct help to the poor regarding basic services.Select the correct answer from the codes given below :a.1, 2 and 3 onlyb.4 and 5 onlyc.3, 4 and 5 onlyd.1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Q4. Why is the State unable to deliver “all that is needed”?1.It does not have sufficient bureaucracy.2.It does not promote inclusive growth.Select the correct answer from the codes given below :a. 1 onlyb. 2 onlyc. Both 1 and 2d. Neither 1 nor 2 Q5. What is essential message being conveyed by the author of the passage ?a.The objectives of inclusive growth laid down by the founding fathers of the nation should be remembered.b.The Government needs to make available more schools and health sevices.c.The Government needs to establish markets and industries to meet the needs of the poor strata of the society.d.There is a need to rethink the role of the State in achieving inclusive growth.           ADCDD