Raashid Shah

A fifth trend that affects research is the globalization of science. Todays research happens in many locations, with many partners. For example, IBM has built a medical device research facility in Japan so that they can tailor products to the local market. Microsoft has placed its R&D; unit in Cambridge, England to have access to the research in computer science at a leading university with a European perspective. This is different from outsourcing, where the goal is to do business more cheaply. The globalization of R&D; is a richer concept, where the goal is to enhance the quality and scope of research by being in multiple locations. A recent paper in the American Scientist stated that scientists in all countries, including developing countries, gain considerable benefit from collaborating with scientists around the world. Creating international partnerships and networks is one of the goals of the Millennium Science Institutes. International collaboration also benefits researchers in the developed world, who need the talented colleagues and new points of view found in other nations. In a broader sense, the developed world urgently needs to encourage faster development of small economics to help narrow the gap between nations. There are large challenges that await us as we enter the new Millennium. We need a higher level of interaction between disciplines, but there are still significant barriers to interdisciplinary research. In the mathematics community, for example, we have a tradition of relative isolation. We are not only isolated internally within our sub fields, but from other fields of science and certainly from nonacademic areas especially the private sector. Its important to build more bridges not only within institutions, but also between them. For example, the cultures of academic research and the private sector are very different, so that few mathematics students consider careers in industry. In the United States, some 80 percent of new doctoral mathematicians anticipate academic positions. And yet many promising opportunities are found in fields where industry is very active, such as bioinformatics and communications technology. Traditional structure of universities works against interdisciplinary collaboration. The existence of physically separated departments of applied mathematics and pure mathematics has perpetuated a narrow view about which kinds of mathematics can or should be applied. This view has limited the application of all of mathematics to important practical problems. In conclusion, it is essential for institutions, supporting agencies, and all of us to understand the importance as well as the difficulties of interdisciplinary research, and to recognize that sustained support is needed to develop excellence. This requires good balance in research portfolios, with special attention to long-term programs. 1. An appropriate title for the passage would beA. Linear model to a dynamic model.B. Disciplinary to interdisciplinary research.C. Study of complex systemsD. Globalization and the diffusion of knowledge.E. Knowledge management a new paradigm. 2. The globalization of research and development sets all of the following goals exceptA. quality enhancement B. scope of researchC. local needs D. access to local knowledgeE. cost effectiveness 3. The author cites the instance of relative isolation in mathematics community primarily in order toA. point out factors that hinder interdisciplinary research.B. show the lack of communication between mathematicians in developing and underdeveloped countries.C. expostulate the difference between the original subject and subsidiaries.D. discuss the extend to which private sectors outsource information from governmental undertakings.E. propose new methods to bring together the different branches of mathematics. 4. The author is of the opinion that a broader view of mathematics wouldve contributed to which of the following?A. Lack of differentiation between the sub-fields of mathematics.B. 80% job placements in private sectors such as bio-informatics and communication technology.C. Finding solutions for practical problems where in mathematical models apply.D. To unify the diverse cultures of academic research and the private sector.E. Many PhDs in mathematics opting for careers in applied mathematics. 5. Which of the following reflects the authors view of knowledge creation and dissemination?A. Secularist B. Particularistic C. Eclectic D. Pragmatic E. Dogmatic           Ans. 1-D 2-E 3-A 4-C 5-C      

About 23 million years ago, a huge ice sheet spread over Antarctica, temporarily reversing a general trend of global warming and decreasing ice volume. Now a team of researchers has discovered that this climatic blip at the boundary between the Oligocene and Miocene epochs corresponded with a rare combination of events in the pattern of the Earths orbit around the Sun. Researchers show the transient glaciations and other climatic variations in the Earths orbit known as Milankovitch cycles. Although the concept of such relationships is not new, some of the results were surprising. The astrophysicist Milutin Milankovitch first proposed that cyclical variations in certain elements of Earth-Sun geometry can cause major changes in Earths climate. The main variables are eccentricity, obliquity, and precession. Eccentricity refers to the changing shape of Earths orbit around the Sun, which varies from nearly circular to elliptical over a cycle of about 100,000 years. Obliquity refers to the angle at which Earths axis is tilted with respect to the plane of its orbit, varying between 22.1 degrees and 24.5 degrees over a 41,000 year cycle. And precession is the gradual change in the direction Earths axis is pointing, which completes a cycle every 21,000 years. Because there are several components of orbital variability, each with lower frequency components of amplitude modulation, there is the potential for unusual interaction between them on long timescales of tens of millions of years. The result of this rare congruence was a period of about 200,000 years when there was unusually low variability in the planets climate, with reduced extremes of seasonal warmth and coldness. Earths orbit was nearly circular, so its distance from the Sun stayed about the same throughout the year. In addition, the tilt of Earths axis, which gives rise to the seasons, varied less than usual. 1. The primary purpose of the passage is toA. Discuss temperature fluctuations in the Antarctica.B. Question the validity of the cyclical hypothesis.C. Explain how earth-sun geometry affects climate.D. Propose a new method to estimate the age of the earth.E. Summarize research findings in astrophysics. 2. If the assertions in the passage are true, which of the following must also be true?A. The shape of the Earths orbit around the Sun doesnt remain constant.B. The Earths orbit around the sun remained elliptical most of the time in the history of Earth.C. The shape of the Earths orbit varies with the changes in the Earths axis.D. Unusual interactions between the components of orbital variability occur in hundreds of millions of years.E. It is impossible to predict the actual causes that result in the tilting of the earths axis. 3. According to the passage, the factors that contribute to climatic change is/areI. The changing shape of earths orbit.II. The angle at which the earths axis is tilted.III. Lack of change in the directions the Earths axis is pointing.A. II only B. I and III C. II and III D. I and II E. I, II, III 4. It can be inferred from the passage that, an unusual interaction between components of orbital variability results in which of the following?A. Maximum variation in climate.B. Extreme warmth or coldness.C. The tilting of Earths axis varied more than usual.D. Unusually low change in climatic conditions.E. The Earths orbits becoming elliptical.         Ans. 1-c 2-a 3-d 4-d      

Lamarck was the first to propose a coherent theory of evolution, according to which all living beings have evolved from earlier, simpler forms under the pressure of their environment. Although the details of the Lamarckian theory had to be abandoned later on, it was nevertheless the important first step. Several decades later Charles Darwin presented an overwhelming mass of evidence in favor of biological evolution, establishing the phenomenon for scientists beyond any doubt. He also proposed an explanation, based on the concepts of chance variation now known as random mutation and natural selection, which were to remain the cornerstones of modern evolutionary thought. Darwins monumental Origin of Species synthesized the ideas of previous thinkers and has shaped all subsequent biological thought. Its role in the life sciences was similar to that of Newtons Principia in physics and astronomy two centuries earlier. The discovery of evolution in biology forced scientists to abandon the Cartesian conception of the world as a machine that had emerged fully constructed from the hands of its Creator. Instead, the universe had to be pictured as an evolving and ever-changing system in which complex structures developed from simpler forms. While this new way of thinking was elaborated in the life sciences, evolutionary concepts also emerged in physics. However, whereas in biology evolution meant a movement toward increasing order and complexity, in physics it came to mean just the opposite a movement toward increasing disorder. 1. Which of the following is a definition of evolution propounded by Lamarck?A. Evolution is a process of genetic mutation.B. Evolution is a process of natural selection.C. Evolution results from chance variation.D. Evolution is a result of influence of external factors.E. Evolution is a process of conservation. 2. It can be inferred from the passage that Origina of SpeciesA. is independent of and different from earlier theories. B. is congruent to Principia.C. accommodated previous theories.D. has changed all subsequent theories.E. was the first theoretical work on evolution. 3. It can be inferred from the passage that scientists began turning away from Cartesian model becauseA. Physics was moving toward disorder.B. Cartesian followers thwarted the emergences of new concepts in physics.C. the unity found among biologists from Lamarck to Darwin was nearly absent among physicists.D. there was no cornerstone in physics just as it was there in biology.E. Cartesian model of the world was more of a mechanistic paradigm incapable of evolution. 4. It can be inferred from the passage that, the author is critical ofA. Lamarcks theory of evolution.B. chance variation as explained by Darwin.C. Newtons theory of physics.D. the emergence of post-Darwinian biologists and their claims.E. development in physics post-Cartesian times.         Ans. 1-D 2-C 3-E 4-E      

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have used a new form of laser technology called single molecule spectroscopy to make important contributions to understanding the motion of molecules in super-cooled liquids, a problem of interest to scientists for more than half a century. The article announces both the discovery of a successful method for observing the movement of individual molecules as well as new insights into molecular motion in a material just before it turns into a glass. When liquids freeze to become solid, the molecules arrange themselves into organized structures. Super cooled liquids, in contrast, are cooled so fast that they go below freezing before the molecules have a chance to organize. If you lower the temperature of a super cooled liquid, the molecules move slower and slower until eventually the material is so cold that all motion has stopped. Then you have a different kind of solid you have a glass, an amorphous solid. If you look at the motions of molecules in super cooled liquid, you discover that they do not look like the motions of molecules in regular liquid. The researchers focused on the rotation of molecules just before this glass transition. In a normal liquid, all the molecules rotate at the same rate, which means only one time scale is involved. The researchers wanted to find out what happens to the rotation of molecules in a super cooled liquid and whether all molecules in a super cooled form were rotating in the same way at the same time, or whether each molecule was rotating at a different rate. The researchers made refinements in previously used laser technology to isolate and illuminate a very bright orange molecule called Rhoda mine 6G. Because the method allowed molecules to be observed individually, the researchers were able to avoid the jumbling effect that masks what is really happening. What they discovered is that the rotations of individual molecules are all very different from each other. Some of the molecules are moving really fast, and some are really slow. In super-cooled liquid, there are regions within the liquid that are different from one another, researchers said. 1. The author of the passage perceives research and understanding of the motion of molecules in super-cooled liquids asA. speculative B. controversial C. inconclusive D. confirmatory E. deductive 2. The molecules of a super-cooled liquid move slower and eventually stops, under which of the following conditions?A. When super-cooled liquid is frozen.B. When the temperature is increased.C. When the temperature is lowered.D. When molecules organize into structures.E. When the liquid is cooled fast. 3. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about our understanding of super-cooled liquids?A. Laser technology was not used earlier to study the motion of molecules in super-cooled liquids.B. Previous researchers failed to observe the jumbling effect that hid what was really happening.C. The new single molecule spectroscopy permits isolation and observation of molecules individually.D. In super-cooled liquids, cooling takes place after the molecules become organized structures.E. Motion of molecules in super-cooled liquids continues at a uniform rate even at extreme low temperatures. 4. Which of the following regarding rotation of molecules can be inferred from the passage?A. Uniform rate of rotation of molecule is not observed in normal liquids.B. There is no differentiation in the rotation of molecules in a super-cooled liquid.C. The rotation of molecules appeared different with different methods used for observation of molecular motion.D. Only one time scale is required when the molecules rotate at different rules.E. There is no uniformity in the rotation of molecules in a super-cooled liquid.             Ans. 1-c 2-c 3-c 4-e      

The seeds of a transformation in agriculture – which could ultimately be comparable in importance to the original Green Revolution – are about to be sown in several countries. This international project, which is being coordinated by a pioneering team at Britains university of Nottingham, has nitrogen fixation at its core. However, what is especially interesting is that this is not the typical nitrogen fixation associated with cleavers or Soya beans but the very real prospect of mainstream, non-leguminous crops such as rice or wheat being able to thrive with little, or no, artificial nitrogen. The search for non-leguminous crops able to exploit the value of nitrogen fixing rhizobia is nothing new. Almost as soon as the phenomenon of symbiotic nitrogen fixation was discovered in legumes, just over a century ago, researchers were trying to understand why other plants couldnt do the same. However, it was not until the late 1960s that researchers with more sophisticated equipment began to target the subject – encouraged by the knowledge that the production of artificial nitrogen utilizes alarming quantities of natural resources. Several options were explored, including the heart-transplant type transfer of genes from nitrogen fixing bacteria directly into the cells of a non-legume. Another possibility was to encourage the bacteria which occur naturally around plant roots to become more efficient at nitrogen fixation. In theory these super-efficient bacteria would then feed the roots of the rice or wheat, without invoking the traditional nodule forming relationship associated with nitrogen fixation in legumes. Under the glare of laboratory lights, both ideas had exciting potential. In practice, the chances of either becoming a commercial reality receded as time progressed. 1. It can be inferred from the passage that one of the reasons why earlier scientists couldnt explain the status of nitrogen fixation among non-leguminious crops was thatA. scientists who were conducting experiments to study nitrogen fixation among non-leguminous crops confused cause with effect.B. The scientists knowledge that the production of artificial nitrogen utilizes alarming quantities of natural resources, was incomplete.C. In the first half of twentieth century researchers who sought to study why non-leguminous crops could not do nitrogen fixation, had to work with primitive equipment.D. Unlike leguminous crops such as cleavers or soya beans, non-leguminous crops were not common in earlier days.E. The staple diet of people in earlier days did not contain non-leguminous products. 2. The emphasis on research on nitrogen fixation since 1960 can be attributed to which of the following?A. Nitrogen fixing plants are abundantly available.B. The energy harvested by symbiosis is usually large.C. Production of artificial nitrogen utilises large quantities of natural resources.D. Productivity of crops was on the decline.E. Previously it was felt that non-leguminous plants could maintain a symbiotic relationship with bacteria. 3. Which of the following is/are possibilities explored by scientists in order to introduce nitrogen fixation in non-leguminous crops?I. Transplantation of genes from nitrogen fixing bacteria into the cells of non-leguminous plants.II. Encouraging bacteria naturally available around plant roots become efficient in fixation of nitrogen.III. Reducing nodule formation in the roots of non-leguminous plants.A. I and III only B. II only C. I onlyD. III only E. I and II only           Ans. 1-c 2-c 3-e        

Among the experiences that psychotic people fail to integrate, those relating to their social environment seem to play a crucial role. Recent major advances in the understanding of schizophrenia have been based on the recognition that the disorder cannot be understood by focusing on the individual patients, but has to be perceived in the context of their relations to other people. Numerous studies of families of schizophrenics have shown that the person who is diagnosed as being psychotic is, almost without exception, part of a network of extremely disturbed patterns of communication within the family. The illness manifested in the identified patient is a really a disorder of the entire family system. The central characteristic in the communication patterns of families of diagnosed schizophrenics was identified by Gregory Bateson as a double bind situation. Bateson found that the behaviour labeled schizophrenic represents a special strategy, which a person invents in order to live in an unlivable situation. Such a person finds himself facing a situation within his family that seems to put him into an untenable position, a situation in which he cant win, no matter what he does. For example, the double bind may be set up for a child by contradictory verbal and nonverbal messages, either from one or from both parents, with both kinds of messages implying punishment or threats to the childs emotional security. When these situations occur repeatedly, the double-bind structure may become a habitual expectation in the childs mental life, and this is likely to generate schizophrenic experiences and behaviour. This does not mean that everybody becomes schizophrenic in such a situation. What exactly makes one person psychotic while another remains normal under the same external circumstances is a complex question, likely to involve biochemical and genetic factors that are not yet well understood. In particular the effects of nutrition on mental health need much further exploration. 1. It can be inferred from the passage that schizophrenia is A. a manifestation of the disturbed communication among the members of the family, on an individual.B. a psychosomatic condition in which the integrity between body and mind ruptures and thereby a disturbance created.C. a condition in which the immediate social system fails to welcome and integrate an individual to its fold.D. a defense mechanism by which an individual rejects the communication pattern of one of the parents.E. a biological breakdown in which the various systems of the body loses balance, thereby affecting the individuals mental health. 2. Which of the following defines the double bind situation as discussed in para 2?A. A situation resulting in split personality.B. A situation in which a patient is confronted with conflicting life goals.C. A situation in which an individual is faced with a contradictory situation with the family.D. A situation in which a person is in conflict with his goal and the goal of his family members.E. A situation in which an individual is faced with an approach-approach conflict. 3. The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following observations about psychosis?A. There has been no concerted effort to analyze and understand psychosis.B. The reasons why individuals become psychotic do not lie in simplistic questions.C. Schizophrenia is directly linked more to genetic factors than to environmental factors.D. Psychosis is a condition arising solely from an individuals environment.E. These has not been any significant research or development in our awareness of schizophrenia. 4. In his statement, the effects of nutrition on mental health need further exploration, the authors tone is A. hopelessness B. pessimism C. indifference D. matter-of-fact E. bitterness           Ans. 1.a 2.c 3.b 4.d      

The tests that the U.S. government relies on to keep foods free from genetically modified contaminants can miss low levels, claims a controversial research paper by the lowa company, Genetic ID. The tests in question use antibodies to detect the presence of GM foods. But the companies making such tests claim that the report is an attempt by Genetic ID to promote the technique it uses. Genetic ID prepared samples of soybean containing between 0.1 and 10 per cent GM beans, and sent them to official testing labs. Of the samples with a GM content of less than 1 per cent, more than 30 percent were incorrectly identified as GM-free. The company says it also has unpublished evidence that there are similar problems with the detection of star link maize, a GM strain not approved for human consumption because of fears that it may trigger allergies. At least one shipment of maize destined for Japan which prohibits even traces of unapproved GM foods was cleared by the U.S. only to fail Japanese tests. Genetic IDs researchers say that antibody tests should be supplemented by the technology the company uses, the polymerize chain reaction (PCR) method, which detects modified DNA directly. But critics disagree. Genetic IDs report admits that the antibody tests are reliable if carried out properly, Layton says. And he points out that the labs that took part were told that the tests should be performed as they are routinely used, Labs do not generally test for levels less than 1 percent for soybeans. So if the labs usually test for a 5 per cent level an acceptable level for soybean exports to Japan its no surprise they failed to detect a 1 percent level. All the labs reliably detected samples with a 10 percent GM content. Don Kendall of the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the USDAs quality assessment of its own labs showed that the tests are being used correctly. In response to Genetic IDs report, however, it is investigating further. But Kendall doesnt expect policy to be changed to include the use of PCR. 1. A primary purpose of the passage is toA. refute a previously held practice.B. discuss a controversial issue.C. propose an alternative hypothesis.D. summarize existing research.E. question the validity of a hypothesis. 2. If the assertions in the passage are true, which of the following must also be true?A. Polymerize chain reaction technique cannot be used in conjunction with antibody tests to detect the presence of GM foods.B. Antibody tests are unreliable in testing for the presence of GM contaminants in foods.C. There are no reliable methods to detect the presence of genetically modified contaminants in foods.D. The technique used by Genetic ID to detect food for GM contaminants is acceptable for Japan.E. Even low levels of genetically modified contaminants in the foods can be harmful. 3. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about Japans restrictions on genetically modified foods?A. Japan doesnt use its own tests to detect the presence of GM foods in the foods imported to the country.B. Japan does not allow foods with a GM content below 5 percent level to be imported to the country.C. Japan permits foods with a GM content of above 5 percent to be imported to the country.D. Japan conducts its own tests to detect the presence of GM content in foods imported from other countries.E. Japan is willing to buy foods from the United States that are tested using the polymerize chain reaction           Ans. 1.b 2.e 3.d    

There exists in the world all manner of political, religious, and social movements which have as their main objective the imposition of their view of reality, their particular version of the truth. Often the object is control over an ever-increasing base of followers. They swallow large numbers of people, if their ambitions are realized, in proselytizing campaigns designed to play on the common fears of the masses. They observe that people are afraid, claim to know why they are afraid, and they offer a solution designed to allay these fears. They are certain they have the key to peace, salvation, safety, and contentment, what Lifton calls “sacred science” (1961/1989, p. VIII).Although the glaring example of this kind of structure is Germany during the Nazi years, it is by no means the only one. Eastern Europe under the Soviets, Iran under Khomeini, or Kampuchia under Pol Pot are but a few others. It is possible to define nationless entities as well; for example the religio-politification of fundamentalist movements such as the Shiite extremists, the Jews for Jesus, the Black Muslims of Louis Farrakhan. Those that also bear close observation are Jerry Falwell and former Moral Majority (or Liberty Foundation), and Pat Robertson, the creator of the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Christian Coalition.Some movement leaders, such as Farrakhan, Hitler, and Khomeini, define an enemy who must be destroyed, an enemy defined as the source of primordial evil (Lester, 1985, p. 11). Others, like Stalin, Falwell and Robertson, see the evil in ideas and life-styles and initially attempt conversion. In either case these movements begin out of moral imperative and change once they achieve power and control. Goodness is an early posture. Later goodness is transformed into destruction as amply demonstrated by the Jonestown example. The struggle for power is one thing, but its attainment and subsequent applications quite another. Initially the identification of both problems and their solutions is oversimplified, thus offering the follower a quick answer to the existential dilemma created by questions such as where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going. People are offered oversimplified answers that dispel fear created by doubt and uncertainty created by internal psychological conflict and external social forces. This has become particularly dangerous in the 20th century because of sophisticated communication technology and increasing expertise of the psycho-social sciences.One way these forces operate is by discouraging critical thinking and moral speculation in favour of a prepackaged imagery and doctrine designed to create impressions rather than reveal substance, to capture people’s hearts rather than stimulate their minds. Polarization and overzealous fundamentalism, whether derived from movements that are religious, social, or political, right or left, radical or reactionary, psychoanalytic or humanistic, Christian, Muslim, or Jewish, can grip us with a particular intensity. Perhaps it is not yet time for alarm, but surely we must learn to recognize leaders with autocratic tendencies before they attain power, before it is too late. Q1: The authors attitude towards autocrats is:(a)objective but disapproving.(b)biased but polite(c)logical, rational and critical.(d)one of strong opposition. Q2:The author has mentioned the Jonestown example:(a) to emphasize the danger in autocratic tendencies.(b) to show that misrepresentation plays a role in furthering a cause(c)to isolate the reason for mass conning of public.(d)to underline that simple answers are usually the wrong ones. Q3: Which of the following titles best describes the passage?(a)The Hows and Whys of Mass Mesmerism(b)Dictators A Universal Entity(c)The Relativity of Truth(d)Unshackling the Mind             ANSWERS AND EXPLANATION1-DExplanation: The analysis is objective, but disapproving is too mild a word, because he considers it necessary and urgent to nip autocracy in the bud. Biased implies personal involvement,and there is no indication of that in the passage. While logical and ratonal are correct, critical is again too mild to explain the authors strong reaction illustrated in terms like ‘swallowing people’, ‘destruction’ and ‘dangerous’. Only correctly sums up the authors attitude. Hence, .2-BExplanation: Refer to the paragraph 3, these movements begin out of … Jonestown example: One can infer that the leaders misrepresent themselves early on, and show their true colours only later, the Jonestown example being such a case. Hence, .3-D    

Vitamin C, known to be a DNA protecting antioxidant, is a switch hitter, also capable of inducing the production of DNA damaging compounds. Mutations caused by these compounds have been found in a variety of tumors. Such mutations can be repaired, however, and Ian Blair of the Centre for Cancer Pharmacology, at the University of Pennsylvania, cautioned that the study shouldnt be interpreted as a claim that vitamin C causes cancer. Nor does it question the wisdom of eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, he said. The findings, which come from test-tube experiments (in vitro), may help explain why vitamin C has thus far shown little effectiveness at preventing cancer in clinical trials. According to the Science authors. Its possible that vitamin C isnt working in cancer prevention studies because its causing as much damage as its preventing, but thats really speculation at this point. What we can say is that vitamin C clearly doesnt work when you expect it to, and now were in a position to see if thats whats happening in vivo, (or, in living cells) Blair said. Some scientists have long recommended dietary supplements of vitamin C, particularly for treating and preventing cancer. But the supplements effectiveness has been hotly debated; with critics saying they either have no effect or that they may be harmful. The logic being used (for vitamin C supplements) is that fruits, vegetables, etc. contain vitamin C; these foods prevent cancer; thus vitamin C prevents cancer, Blair said. But our message is that its the total diet thats important, not just one antioxidant in isolation. Vitamin C is known to do beneficial work in the body, including acting as an antioxidant that disarms free radicals. These highly reactive ions are produced by the breakdown of oxygen, which occurs constantly in cells. In addition to damaging DNA directly, free radicals can also act indirectly. They act by converting linoleic acid, the major polyunsaturated fatty acid in sunflower, and safflower cooking oils, as well as the major polyunsaturated fatty acid in human plasma, into another compound called a lipid hydroperoxide. When certain metal ions are present to act as catalysts, the lipid hydroperoxides degrade further, into DNA damaging agents called genetoxins. These compounds react with DNA, switching one base for another in mutations that have been found in human tumours. Scientists, including Blair and his colleagues, have suspected that vitamin C might also be capable of making lipid hydroperoxides degrade into genotoxins, in place of the transition metal ions. To investigate, the Science authors added vitamin C to solutions of lipid hydroperoxides in the lab. They used concentrations comparable to those found in the human body, assuming a person would take 200 milligrams a day. The vitamin was more than twice as efficient as transition metal ions at inducing the formation of genotoxins, including a particularly potent variety. The researchers next step is to see whether vitamin C produces significant amounts of genotoxins in intact cells, and whether they generate cancer-causing mutations. The study explains why vitamin C has thus far show little effectiveness in preventing cancer in clinical trials. 1. Which of the following simplifies the logic of taking vitamin supplements?A. If A and B are useful for C and D; C and D are also useful for A and B.B. If A contains B and C contains A, then B contains A.C. If A contains B and A is useful for C, then B is useful for C.D. If A is not useful for B, then B cannot prevent A.E. If A is used for C, and B is used for C, then B is used for A. 2. Which of the following can be inferred from te passage about the carcinogenic properties of vitamin C?A. Evidence shows that vitamin C can damage DNA in normal cells and bring in cancer causing changes.B. The clinical studies conducted confused cause with effect; vitamin C is only a catalyst in tumor formation.C. The studies so far are misleading because their findings disprove commonly accepted hypotheses.D. Vitamin C taken as supplements are more damaging than taken in the natural form.E. There is some evidence to prove it, but our understanding of the harmful effects of vitamin C is incomplete. 3. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage as a measure to prevent cancer?A. Regular intake of supplements containing vitamin C.B. A planned diet that is completely devoid of polyunsaturated and lipid hydro peroxides. C. Regular intake of vitamin C-rich fruits such as citrus fruits and lemons.D. A balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and pulses. E. 200 milligrams of vitamin C supplement per day. 4. Which of the following is a finding of the study described in the passage?A. Genotoxins are catalysts that prevent the repair of damaged cells in the human body.B. Vitamin C is not very effective in preventing cancer.C. Vitamin C doesnt have antioxidant properties when taken as supplement.D. In normal cells mutation caused by DNA damaging compounds is rare.E. Vitamin C does not act as catalyst in degrading hydro peroxides into genotoxins. 1-C2-E 3-D 4-B      

PASSAGE: I head for a tried and tested book that I know will serve to yank me out of whatever state I find myself in. Which is how I came to The Outsider by Albert Campus (in the most recent translation by Joseph Laredo) for the umpteenth time. If you think you are wrung out and pissed off with life in general, the state of mind of young Meusault is guaranteed to set you right in a jiffy. From the opening scene where the bored and nihilistic youth boards a bus to attend his mothers funeral (where he does not cry, thereby damning him in the eyes of everyone present) to the final paragraphs in the book, where he lies exhausted in his cell, trying to summon up images of his own execution, The Outsider continues to be one of the greatest psychological inquiries into the kind of a man unable to comprehend the demands life makes on him. Looked at another way, Meusault typifies the uncompromising individual determined to live life on his own terms a man who in so doing upsets everyone around him as cold, heartless and unfit for decent human society. About a decade after The Outsider was published, Camus was asked about Meursault who continued to puzzle and vex readers and critics. The writer had this to say in response: A long time ago, I summed up The Outsider in a sentence which I realize is extremely paradoxical: In our society any man who doesnt cry at his mothers funeral is liable to be condemned to death. I simply meant that the hero of the book is condemned because he does not play the game. In this sense, he is an outsider to the society in which he lives, wandering on the fringe, on the outskirts of life, solitary and sensual. And for that reason, some readers have been tempted to regard him as a reject. But to get a more accurate picture of his character, or rather one which conforms more closely to his authors intentions, you must ask yourself in what way Meursault doesnt play the game. The answer is simple: he refuses to lie. Lying is not only saying what isnt true. It is also, in fact especially, saying more than one feels. We all do it, every day, to make life simpler. But contrary to appearances, Meursault doesnt want to make life simpler. He says what he is, he refuses to hide his feelings and society immediately feels threatened. For example, he is asked to say that he regrets his crime. In time-honoured fashion, he replies that he feels more annoyance about it than true regret. And it is this nuance that condemns him. In his passion to be true to himself, Meursault offends and wounds people both figuratively and literally, of course. But the author refuses to apologise for the character he has created. In his view, Meursault is not a reject, but a poor and naked man, in love with a sun which leaves no shadows. Far from lacking all sensibility, he is driven by a tenacious and therefore profound passion, the passion for an absolute and for truth. This truth is as yet a negative one, a truth born of living and feeling, but without which no triumph over the self or over the world will ever be possible. For nearly 60 years now The Outsider has been the existentialist novel against which all others have been measured. Its a tribute enough to its greatness that it has lasted so long, and to thousands of new readers everywhere, it is as fresh and as compelling as when it was first written. For me, time and again, it has proved to be a great pick-me-up. After a few hours in Meursaults company ones own dispiritedness pales into utter insignificance. 1. Camus comment on his novel, In our society any man who doesnt cry at his mothers funeral is liable to be condemned to death, is considered a paradox by the author himself. The paradox is thatA. the protagonist of the novel, Meursault is an impassive being who neither feels happy nor remorseful.B. the protagonist refuses to hide his feelings and expresses his true feelings, negative or positive.C. the protagonist of the novel The Outsider is a reject, an antisocial being.D. the protagonist of the novel is tenacious and iconoclastic and doesnt heed to the true feelings of other.E. the author didnt create the character of his novel as a personification of his own ideals. 2. Which of the following summarizes the analysts view of The Outsider?A. The translated version of The Outsider doesnt have the character and flavour of the original.B. It is an endeavour to probe into the state of mind of a man who is overwhelmed by the pleasures life offers him.C. The novel is an inquiry into the hypocritical beliefs of ordinary people, depicted through its protagonist Meursault.D. The novel is a standard against which other works of similar nature are measured.E. The novel is an attempt to understand the social psyche of a community that is decadent and moribund. 3. Which of the following words used in the passage best explains the significance of The Outsider?A. Compelling and fresh. B. Nihilistic and uncompromising.C. Demanding and paradoxical. D. Simple and dogmatic.E. Dispirited and triumphant. 4. Which of the following is not true of the critics interpretation of Camus? A. Camus doesnt express his intentions through the protagonist of his novel.B. Meursault could easily be comprehended by readers as a social reject.C. Camus character Meursault can easily degenerate into the hypocrisy of present day prudishness.D. An ordinary reader would find it difficult to interpret the character Meursault.E. Camus novels are read once and forgotten as it fails to create the magic usually seen in existentialistic writings.             Ans.1-b 2-d 3-a 4-c