Directions (1 - 15) : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
As the price of gasoline spiked to
record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels, and
electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised however, many
questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as
an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting
automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars
are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the
hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such
,as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air
and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may
still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed ones but with more
electric and hybrid vehicles on the
road, there is greater scope for makeover in the way environment is impacted by
the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle
is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal-fired power plants, the
electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an
increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to
produce more power and thus more
pollution, unless greener ways of
energy production are used. But as of now the bulk of the electricity used to
charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning
power stations and only 12% by the clean methods.
Also the amount of energy used by
coal fired power stations to create the electricity to recharge electric
vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate
that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there
is a sudden Surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making the rechargeable
cars less include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the
coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges
the car, and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and
motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power
station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along
the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. These
amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on
ignition: A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This
suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do
it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station' and then try
to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted, and finally
to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since
the cars emissions would be far · less polluting than those that run on fossil
fuels. 'With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge
and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are
zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well.
Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation-account
for 54 percent of nitrities of oxygen, 89
percent of carbon monoxide and 28
percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero, and
only slightly increases sulfur
emissions. So even when the power plants burn dirty fuel, the amount of
pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources
are added to the grid.
The goal should be to make more
electric cars with greater incentives
for consumers and producers, as well as feeding
grids with more power from renewable resources as per the objectives stated in
the numerous plans on Climate Change. And till this goal is achieved, the
debate whether controlling emission at a few power plants is more convenient
than controlling emission at millions of tailpipes is, would continue.
1. Why does the author fear that the
electric cars may eventually not be very eco-friendly?
a) The exhausts of these cars emit as
much pollutions as the oil fuelled cars.
b) Electric cars though have lesser
quantity of other emissions, the sulphur emissions will rise substantially,
thus harming the environment.
c) The electricity for charging the
batteries of these cars comes from power plants using pollution causing fossil
fuels.
d) Only a) and c)
e) None of these
2. What according to the author,
needs to be done in order to make the electric cars more eco-friendly?
a) Encouraging power plants to
generate electricity using the eco-friendly methods.
b) Setting certain emissions
standards for electric cars is done for the oil consuming cars.
c) Controlling sulphur emissions which
are one of the major contributors to environmental pollution at present.
d) Making, provisions for easy
availability of recharging sockets at all the places.
e) None of these
3. Which of the following suggestions
does the author make in order to popularize the electric cars?
a) Discontinue the use of fuel
powered cars completely.
b) Optimize the benefits of using
electric cars to both consumers as well as the producers.
c) To supply grids with renewable
sources of energy for the production of electricity.
d) Only b) and c)
e) None of these
4. Why, according to the author, are
electric cars not a popular option among the people?
(A) The recharging points are not
easily available everywhere.
(B) Effective marketing of the
eco-friendly cars has been lacking.
(C) Lack of appreciation among the
people for the need of unpolluted air.
a) Only A and C
b) Only B and C
c) Only A and B
d) All A, B and C
e) None of these
5. Why, according to the author, may
the electric cars survive despite all their current deficiencies?
(A) Electric cars will by subsidized
and this world prove to be cost efficient
(B) An increasing number of grids are
shifting to alternate forms of energy production.
(C) In the future, incentives would
be provided to those driving electric cars.
(D) Pollution caused by the electric
cars is far less as compared to the fossil fuel driven cars.
a) Only A
b) Only C and D
c) Only B and D
d) Only A and 8
e) None of these
6. Which of the following can be the
most appropriate title for the given passage?
a) The failure of the power grids.
b) The rise and fall of cars using
fossil fuels.
c) The adverse effects of pollution caused
by the power grids.
d) The growing popularity of the
electric cars.
e) Why eco-friendliness of electric
cars is a fiction at present.
7. Which of the following can be
inferred from the given passage?
a) Electric cars may completely
replace the fossil fuel powered cars one day.
b) Electric cars have brought about a
drastic improvement in the pollution levels at present.
c) Electric cars have universally
been accepted as the environment friendly cars.
d) All a), b) and c) are true.
e) None of these
8. Which of the following is NOT TRUE
in context of the given passage?
a) Nearly three-fourth of the total
energy generated for powering electric cars is wasted.
b) The interest in electric cars
increased during the last year when most of the power grids shifted to clean
sources of fuel.
c) Electric car engines do not
produce any carbon emissions.
d) There would not be any noticeable
improvement in the pollution level if the oil burning cars are shifted to
electric cars at present.
e) None of these
9. Why, according to the author, is
the efficiency of the electric cars low even to the buyers before they actually
hit the roads?
(A) A lot of energy is lost during
the transit of electricity from the grid to the recharge point.
(B) The manufacturing cost of the
electric cars is much higher than that of the other cars.
(C) The batteries and the motors of
the electric cars are still relatively new and waste a lot of power.
a) Only A and C
b) Only B and C
c) Only B
d) Only A and B
e) None of these
Directions (10-12) : Choose the
word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
10. PICTURE
a) Situation
b) Photograph
c) Representation
d) Art work
e) Idea
11. FEEDING
a) Eating
b) Supplying
c) Consuming
d) Encouraging
e) Nourishing
12. SURGE
a) Alteration
b) Modification
c) Intensification
d) Increase
e) Evolution
Directions (13-15): Choose the
word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
13. SLIGHTLY
a) Adequately
b) Miserly
c) Certainly
d) Remotely
e) Substantially
14. SWITCHING
a) Prolonging
b) Withdrawing
c) Continuing
d) Exchanging
e) Alternating
15. INCENTIVES
a) Deterrents
b) Preventions
c) Disadvantages
d) Prohibitions
e) Liability
Directions (16-25) : Read each
sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error,
if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that- part will be
the answer. If there is no error, mark e) as the answer.
(Ignore errors of punctuation, if
any.)
16. Sheela had to travel all the way
back a)/ when she remembered that b)/ she had forgot to take c)/ important
document with her. d)/ No error e)
17. The party is holding a meeting
a)/ in order to begin the b)/ painful and difficult process c)/ of rethink its
political strategy. d)/ No error e)
18. The only bad thing about a)/
these flowers are the b)/ pollen which causes c)/ allergy in many people. d)/
No error e) 19. Nobody in the bus a)/ offered to give their seat b)/ to the
elderly lady who had to c)/ travel a long distance. d)/ No error e)
20. This is the only organization a)/
which could somehow continue b)/ to making profits c)/ in the face of
recession.
d)/No error e)
21. Many more would have died a)/ if
they hadn't received b)/ the timely helping from c)/ the relief team. d)/ No
error e)
22. A man along with a)/ his wife and
two children b)/ was rescued with the help c)/ of an army helicopter. d)/No
error e)
23. In the past two decades, a)/ preventive
measures have b)/ drastically reduced the c)/ occurrence of polio in children.
d)/ No error e)
24. Neither the ministers a)/ nor the
intelligence sources b)/ was aware of the coup c)/ being planned in the
country. d)/
No error e)
25. Certain amounts of stress a)/at
work is natural but b)/ it is important that one learns c)/ to keep it in the
right proportion. d)/ No error e)
Directions (26-30) : Which of the
phrases a), b), c) and d) given below each statement should replace the phrase
printed in bold in the sentence to
make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and
'no correction is required, mark e) as the answer.
26. An NQO is working towards
providing free education to the girl child so that every girl can stand on their own feet.
a) stands on their own
b) stand on her own
c) stand in her own
d) stand on their own's
e) No correction required
27. The animal rescuers anesthetized
the dog which had been with great
pain after having met with an accident?
a) which had been in
b) which is being with
c) who had been in
d) who has been at
e) No correction required
28. In its final decision, the court
ruled that all the allegations leveled
for the accused were false and baseless.
a) allegation leveled against the
b) allegations level against that
c) allegations leveled against the
d) allegation leveled with that
e) No correction required
29. If I leave early from home, I could have made it on time to the
airport.
a) If I would leave early
b) Had I leave earlier
c) If I could left early
d) Had I left earlier
e) No correction required
30. Thousands of fire-fighters were
deployed at the factory when a fire
suddenly broke out due to a short circuit.
a) on the factory when
b) at the factory while
c) at that factory when
d) in the factory while
e) No correction required
Directions (31-35) : Rearrange the
following sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) to make a meaningful
paragraph and then answer the questions which follow.
(A) This decision on which force is
to be maximized lies with every individual.
(B) This belief comes from the fact
that science reflects the social forces prevailing at a particular time.
(C) We must maximize the constructive
forces of science and the destructive ones should be minimized.
(D) Contrary to popular belief, the
greatest enemy of mankind is not science but war.
(E) She/he must understand that
science can only help us in providing ways to reach at either war or peace and
is actually not responsible for causing these.
(F) During peaceful times science is
constructive and during war, science is perverted to destructive ends.
31. Which of the following sentence
should be the SIXTH (LAST) after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E
32. Which of the following sentence
should be the THIRD after rearrangement?
a) A
b) E
c) F
d) D
e) C
33. Which of the following sentence
should be the FIFTH after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) E
e) F
34. Which of the following sentence
should be the FIRST after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E
35. Which of the following sentence
should be the SECOND after
rearrangement?
a) A
b) B
c) D
d) E
e) F
Directions (36-45) : In the following
passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are
printed below the passage and against each, five words/phrases are suggested,
one of which fits the blank
appropriately. Find out the
appropriate word/phrase in each case.
Asteroids are rocks and debris which
are leftovers of the construction of our solar system. Most are in a belt,
which (36) between Mars and Jupiter.
However the gravitational influence of the giant planets, like Jupiter, or an
impact by a comet can knock these large rocks out of their orbit, thus hurling
them (37) the Earth. Many bodies have struck Earth in
the (38), and a widely accepted
theory blames the impact of an asteroid for the extinction of dinosaurs about
65
million years ago. The scale of such
a disaster can be understood by the example of a relatively small-size asteroid
strike in Siberia in early 20th country which (39) more than half a million acres of forest.
However, what relieves the common man
of the (40) regarding asteroid
impact is the fact that many scientific groups are dedicated towards tracking
the asteroid paths and orbit all around the year. With advanced equipments and
technology, they can predict any upcoming danger much in (41). According to them the chances of finding such an asteroid
crossing Earth in this or the next five generation's lifetime is only one in
thousands. Even if such an asteroid is found out, there will be (42) of time to track it, measure its
orbit precisely, and plan a system for (43)
it from its orbit away from that of the Earth's. There will be no great hurry,
and no great panic. It would be a project for all the world's nations to take
part in. It could be a globally unifying event. Because it will be (44) long before it actually hits the
Earth. It probably would take only a small measure such as chemical rockets, or
perhaps an atomic explosion to divert it from a threatening path.
Thus, in short, it can be said that
though the impact would pose enormous risk to all living forms on Earth, the
odds of it occurring within our lifetimes is very (45) and it is unnecessary to run around believing that the sky is
falling.
36.
a) rotates
b) appears
c) strikes
d) encircles
e) exists
37.
a) past
b) around
c) towards
d) against
e) inside
38.
a) future
b) centuries
c) earliest
d) past
e) history
39.
a) extinct
b) devastated
c) wasted
d) shriveled
e) fell
40.
a) apprehension
b) expectation
c) distrust
d) sufferings
e) hesitation
41.
a) sooner
b) accuracy
c) advance
d) time
e) distance
42.
a) dearth
b) loss
c) most
d) lack
e) plenty
43.
a) blocking
b) deflecting
c) avoiding
d) destroying
e) changing
44.
a) experienced
b) harmful
c) perceived
d) noticed
e) devastating
45.
a) low
d) noticed
c) narrow
d) high
e) few
Directions (46-50) : Each question
below has two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted-.
Choose the set of words for each
blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
46. After having been friends for
more than a decade, they had a ___________ last year and have not ___________
each other ever since.
a) fight, talked
b) argument, met
c) dispute, seen
d) quarrel, admired
e) difference, introduced
47. The workers, several of
___________ had complained about their low wages earlier have now ___________
to move the court for the labour rights.
a) who, indicated
b) whom, decided
c) which, threatened
d) them, resolved
e) number, warned
48. The hutment dwellers were
jubilant when the government ___________ an apartment to each of them at
___________ rates.
a) demolished, fast
b) announced, less
c) provided, high
d) acquired, low
e) promised, subsidized
49. The organization was deeply
___________ by difficulties a decade ago but the new CEO brought many
___________
changes in it and took it to a new
high.
a) indebted, necessary
b) plagued, vital
c) coping, more
d) hurt, critical
e) shaken, inevitable
50. The prime minister who is
___________ in his holiday home at the moment said that he was very ___________
by the news of India winning the world cup.
a) visiting, happy
b) residing, obliged
c) intruding, dejected
d) staying, pleased
e) resting, cheerful
