ECAT Pre Computer Science MCQ Test With Answer for English Chapter 8 (Comprehension)

MCQ's Test For ECAT English Chapter 8 Comprehension

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ECAT English Chapter 8 Comprehension

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Question # 1

Fleas are perfectly designed by nature to feast on anything containing blood. Like a shark in the water or a wolf in the woods, fleas are ideally equipped to do what they do, making them very difficult to defeat. The bodies of these tiny parasites are extremely hardy and well-suited for their job.

A flea has a very hard exoskeleton, which means the body is covered by a tough, tile-like plate called a sclerite. Because of these plates, fleas are almost impossible to squish. The exoskeletons of fleas are also waterproof of fleas are also waterproof and shock resistant, and therefore fleas are highly resistant to the sprays and chemicals used to kill them.

Little spines are attached to his plate. The spine the flea scurries through an animal’s fur in – search of grooming pet tries to pull a flea off through the hair coat, these spines will extend and stick to the fur like Velcro.

Fleas are some of the best jumpers in the natural world. A flea can jump seven inches, or 150 times its own length, either vertically or horizontally. An equivalent jump for a person would be 555 feet, the height of the Washington Monument. Fleas can jump 30,000 times in a row without stopping, and they are able to accelerate through the air at an incredibly high rate – a rate which is over ten times what humans can withstand in an airplane.

Fleas have very long rear legs with huge thigh muscles and multiple joints. When they get ready to jump. They fold their long legs up and crouch like a runner on a staring block. Several of their joints contain a protein called resilin, which helps catapult fleas into the air as they jump, similar to the way a rubber band provides momentum to a slingshot. Outward facing claws on the bottom of their legs grip anything they touch when they land.

The adult female flea mates after her first blood meal and begins producing eggs in just 1 to 2 days. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs in one day and over 2,000 in her lifetime. Flea eggs can be seen with the naked eye, but they are about the size of a grain of salt. Shortly after being laid, the eggs begin to transform into cocoons. In the cocoon state, fleas are fully developed adults, and will hatch immediately if conditions are favorable. Fleas can detect warmth, movement, and carbon dioxide in exhaled breath, and these three factors stimulate them to emerge as new adults. If the flea does not detect appropriate conditions, it can remain dormant in the cocoon state for extended periods. Under ideal conditions, the entire life cycle may only take 3 weeks, so in no time at all, pets and homes can become infested.

Because of these characteristics, fleas are intimidating opponents. The best way to control fleas, therefore, is to take steps to prevent an infestation from ever occurring.

The author’s tone in the passage is best described as

Question # 2

What are good parts of our civilization? First and fore-most there are order and safety. If today I have a quarrel with another man, I do not get beaten merely because I am physically weaker and he can knock me down. I go to law and the law will decide as fairly as it can between the two of us. Thus in disputes between man and man. Right has taken the place might. More-over, the law protects me from robbery and violence. Nobody may came and break into my house, steal my books or run off with my children. Of course, there are burglars, but they are very rare and the law punishes them whenever it catches them.

It is difficult for us to realize how much this safety means. Without safety those higher activates of mankind which make up civilization could not go on. The inventor could not invent, the scientist find out or the artist make beautiful things. Hence, order and safety, although they are not themselves civilization, are things without which civilization could be impossible. They are as necessary to our civilization as the air we breathe is to us; and we have grown so used to them that we do not notice them any more than we notice the air.

The first and foremost good parts of civilization are:

Question # 3

The public distribution system, which provides food at low prices, is a subject of vital concern. There is a growing realization that thought Pakistan has enough food to feed its masses three square meals a day, the monster of starvation and food insecurity continues to haunt the poor in our country.

Increasing the purchasing power of the poor through providing productive employment leading to rising income, and thus good standard of living is the ultimate objective of public policy. However, till then, there is a need to provide assured supply of food through a restructured more efficient and decentralized public distribution system (PDS).

Although the PDS is extensive – it is one of the largest such systems in the world – it has yet to reach the rural poor and the far off places. It remains an urban phenomenon, with the majority of the rural poor still out of its reach due to lack of economic and physical access. The poorest in the cities and the migrants are left out, for they generally do not possess ration cards. The allocation of PDS supplies in big cities is larger than in rural areas. In view of such deficiencies in the system, the PDS urgently needs to be streamlined. In addition, considering the large food grains production combined with food subsidy on one hand and the continuing slow starvation and dismal poverty of the rural population on the other, there is a strong case for making PDS target group oriented.

The growing salaried class is provided job security, regular income, and percent insulation against inflation. These gains of development have not percolated down to the vast majority of our working population. If one compares only dearness allowance to the employees in public and private sector and looks at its growth in the past few years, the rising food subsidy is insignificant to the point of inequity. The food subsidy is a kind of D.A. to the poor, the self-employed and those in the unorganized sector of the economy. However, what is most unfortunate is that out of the large budget of the so – called food subsidy, the major part of it is administrative cost and wastages. A small portion of the above budget goes to the real consumer and an even lesser portion to the poor who are in real need.

It is true that subsidies should not become a permanent feature except for the destitute, disabled widows and the old. It is also true that subsidies often create a psychology of dependence and hence is habit – forming, killing the general initiative of the people. By making PDS target group oriented, not only the poorest and neediest would be reached without additional cost, but it will actually cut overall costs incurred on large cities and for better off localities. When the food and food subsidy are limited the rural and urban poor should have the priority in the PDS supplies. The PDS should be closely linked with programs of employment generation and nutrition improvement.

What, according to the passage, is the main concern about the PDS?

Question # 4

Cindy liked parks. She liked the trees and grass and nature. She liked the birds and squirrels she say in parks. She also liked walking down wooded trails or riding bikes along gravel paths. Parks were a lot more fun to exercise in than just walking down the street. because there was so much to see.She had been to many kinds of parks. Some were in mountains, with rivers and hiking. Some were open areas with broad stretches of green grass to play on. Others were in the forest, with paths running beneath towering trees with sweeping branches overhead. Cindy's favorite parks were near lakes.There was a lake park not far form her house. It had a boardwalk trail that was set on pilings across a shallow lake.That was the best part. She loved to walk along the brown wood path and stop along the way, looking in the water for frogs and turtles. There were a few pavilions to stop and sit under in the shade. The water was deeper near them, so she could see fish sometimes. Occasionally, she would even see long-legged water birds, like cranes. The fall was the best time to visit the lake parks. With the leaves changing color, it was very beautiful. The sun would be out in the cloudy sky, and then cool breezes would blow through the reeds and water grasses.Spring was nice, too, because all the butterflies were out. The flowers and blossoming trees along the wooded paths were fragrant and beautiful. The lake grasses were tall and green, rustling in the wind. Cattails bobbed among the reeds. It was a good time to visit. Summer was okay. It was still pretty, but too hot. At least in winter things were pretty, if in a stark and cold way. The white dusting of snow that covered everything gave the park a clean look. It was fun to follow other people's footprints in the snow, or to go out on the boardwalk and look at the frozen top of the lake.If Cindy had her way, she would visit the park every day. Come to think of it, she did it was also a great place to do homework or read.
Question:
What kind of animal CAN'T Cindy see at the lake park near her house?

Question # 5

Elephants on the coast of Thailand are acting strange. They stamp their feet and motion toward the hulls. The sea draws back from the beaches. Fish flop in the mud. Suddenly, a huge wave appears. This is no ordinary wave. It is a tsunamiTsunami (pronounced "soo-nah-mee") waves are larger and faster than normal surface waves. A tsunami wave can travel as fast as a jet plane and can be as tall as a ten-story building. Imagine dropping a stone into a pond. The water on the surface ripples. A tsunami is like a very powerful ripple. Tsumais begin when the ocean rises or falls very suddenly. Large amounts of seawater are displaced. This movement causes huge waves.For a tsunami to occur, there must be some kind of force that causes the ocean water to become displaced. Most trunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes. however,volcanoes, landslides, large,icebergs, and even meteorites are capable of causing one of these mighty waves.Trunamis are extremely powerful. Ordinary waves lose power when they break. Tsunami waves can remain powerful for several days. Because tsunami waves are so strong, they can kill people, damage property , and completely ruin an ecosystem in just one hour.Scientist have no way of predicting when a tsunami will hit. However, if a powerful enough earthquake occurs,scientists can issue a warning or a watch. A warning means that a tsunami will very likely hit soon. A watch means that conditions are favorable for a tsunami. When people are notified about a watch or a warning, they have more time to prepare. It is best not to get caught unaware when a tsunami is on the way. In paragraph, the elephants are most likely acting strange because they

Question # 6

What do you do with your orange peels and corn cobs after you are done eating? Most people throw them in the trash can. But food leftovers do not have to go into the trash. They are biodegradable, which means that they can be broken down by bacteria into natural materials.People who like to garden often put their fruit and vegetable scraps in a special place known as a compost pile.A compost pile is a spot outdoors where food waste can break down into compost, which gardeners use. This process takes several months. Once the compost is created, people spread this mixture in their gardens to add nutrients to the soil. The compost in the soil helps new plants grow in the garden. How do you take care of a compost pile? It needs air, water,and heat. Bacteria and other microorganisms break down the food waste into more basic elements like water and carbon dioxide. This process requires oxygen, so people use a shovel to turn compost regularly and help air reach all parts of the pile. The pile cannot dry out, so it could be covered to keep moisture in. Finally, heat speeds up the process. This means a compost pile should be in the sun for at least part of the day. Food leftovers are not the only things that turn into compost. You can also add yard waste like grass clippings, dried leaves, and straw. In fact, you should add these things to create a healthy balance in your compost. But do no add any weeds to your compost pile unless you want to grow weeds in your garden. Sometimes seeds are left behind in the compost. This can be a welcome surprise if you find a tomato plant sprouting where you had not planted one. The tomato seed was hiding in the compost, waiting to begin a new life in the garden.
Question:
To take care of a compost pile you have to
I. turn in regularly
II.cover it
III.make sure it is in the sun for least part of the day

Question # 7

At the time Jane Austen’s novels were published – between 1811 and 1818 – English literature was not part of any academic curriculum. In addition, fiction was under strenuous attack. Certain religious and political groups felt novels had the power to make so-called immoral characters so interesting that young readers would identify with them; these groups also considered novels to be of little practical use. Even Coleridge, certainly no literary reactionary, spoke for many when the asserted that “novel-reading occasions the destruction of the mind’s powers.”

These attitudes towards novels help explain why Austen received little attention from early nineteenth-century literary cities. (In any case a novelist published anonymously, as Austen was, would not be likely to receive much critical attention.) The literary response that was accorded to her, however, was often as incisive as twentieth-century criticism. In his attack in 1816 on novelistic portrayals “outside of ordinary experience,” for example. Scott made an insightful remark about the merits of Austen’s fiction.

Her novels, wrote Scott, “present to the reader an accurate and exact picture of ordinary everyday people and places, reminiscent of seventeenth-century Flemish painting.” Scott did not use the word ‘realism’, but he undoubtedly used a standard of realistic probability in judging novels. The critic Whately did not use the word ‘realism’, either, but he expressed agreement with Scott’s evaluation, and went on to suggest the possibilities for moral instruction in what we have called Austen’s ‘realistic method’ her characters, wrote Whately, are persuasive agents for moral truth since they are ordinary persons “so clearly evoked that we feel an interest in their fate as if it were our own.” Moral instruction, explained Whately, is more likely to be effective when conveyed through recongnizably human and interesting characters than when imparted by a sermonizing narrator. Whitely especially praised Austen’s ability to create character who “mingle goodness and villainy, weakness and virtue, as in life they are always mingled. “Whitely concluded his remarks by comparing Austen’s art of characterization to Dickens’, starting his preference for Austen’s.

Yet, the response of nineteenth-century literary critics to Austen was not always so laudatory, and often anticipated the reservations of twentieth-century literary critics. An example of such a response was Lewes complaint in 1859 that Austen’s range of subject and characters was too narrow. Praising her verisimilitude, Lewes added that, nonetheless her focus was too often only upon the unlofty and the commonplace. (Twentieth-century Marxists, on the other hand, were to complain about what they saw as her exclusive emphasis on a lofty upper middle class.) In any case having being rescued by literary critics from neglect and indeed gradually lionized by them, Austen steadily reached, by the mid-nineteenth century, the enviable pinnacle of being considered controversial.

The passage supplies information for answering which of the following questions?

Question # 8

Speech is great blessings but it can also be great curse, for while it helps us to make out intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue , the use of unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated may strike an uneducated listener as pompous. Unwittingly, we may use a word which bears a different meaning to our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions to men.
Question:
If one used the same style of language with everyone, one would sound

Question # 9

Educational planning should aim at meeting the educational needs of the entire population of all age group. While the traditional structure of education as a three layer hierarchy from the primary stage to the university represents the core, we should not overlook the periphery which is equally important. Under modern conditions, workers need to rewind, or renew their enthusiasm, or strike out in a new direction, or improve their skills as much as any university professor. The retired and the age have their needs as well. Educational planning, in their words, should take care of the needs of everyone.

Our structures of education have been built up on the assumption that there is a terminal point to education. This basic defect has become all the more harmful today. A UNESCO report entitled ‘learning to Be’ prepared by Edgar Faure and others in 1973 asserts that the education of children must prepare the future adult for various forms of self – learning. A viable education system of the future should consist of modules with different kinds of functions serving a diversity of constituents. And performance, not the period of study, should be the basis for credentials. The writing is already on the wall.

In view of the fact that the significance of a commitment of lifelong learning and lifetime education is being discussed only in recent years even in educationally advanced countries, the possibility of the idea becoming an integral part of educational thinking seems to be a far cry. For, to move in that direction means such more than some simple rearrangement of the present organization of education. But a good beginning can be made by developing Open University programs for older learners of different categories and introducing extension services in the conventional colleges and schools. Also these institutions should learn to cooperate with the numerous community organizations such as libraries. Museums, municipal recreational programs, health services etc.

What is the main thrust of the author?

Question # 10

Recent advances in science and technology have made it possible for geneticists to find out abnormalities in the unborn foetus and take remedial action to rectify some defects which would otherwise prove to be fatal to the child. Though genetic engineering is still at its infancy, scientists can now predict with greater accuracy a genetic disorder. It is not yet an exact science since they are not in a position to predict when exactly a genetic disorder will set in. While they have not yet been able to change the genetic order of the gene in germs, they are optimistic and are holding out that in the near future they might be successful in achieving this feat. They have, however, acquired the ability in manipulating tissue cells. However, genetic mis-information can sometimes be damaging for it may adversely affect people psychologically. Genetic information may lead to a tendency to brand some people as inferiors. Genetic information can therefore be abused and its application in deciding the sex of the foetus and its subsequent abortion is now hotly debated on ethical lines. But on this issue geneticists cannot be squarely blamed though this charge has often been leveled at them. It is mainly a societal problem. At present genetic engineering is a costly process of detecting disorders but scientists hope to reduce the costs when technology becomes more advanced. This is why much progress in this area has been possible in scientifically advanced and rich countries like the U.S.A., U.K. and Japan. It remains to be seen if in the future this science will lead to the development of a race of supermen or will be able to obliterate disease from this world.

Which of the following is not true, according to the passage?

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ECAT English Chapter 8 Important MCQ's

Sr.# Question Answer
1

Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there? Chocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?

Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao beans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate goes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that their bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist Carolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”

The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in 1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank cacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the Spanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in drink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter for most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao drink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th century, rich people in Europe were drinking it.

Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate makers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and getting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J. Van Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder mixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch chocolate.”

It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So other chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started mixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In 1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th century, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with sweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was invented.

Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for almost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the chocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The most chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white chocolate and dark chocolate.

Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart attacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the circulatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can cause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims for chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate could be good for the brain.

Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s Day gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is sometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given at Easter.

Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate is poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their bodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they should never be fed chocolate.

Who was Montezuma?

A. He was an explorer from Mexico
B. He was the emperor of Mexico
C. He was an explorer from Spain
D. He was the king of Spain
2

When her grandmother’s health began to deteriorate in the fall of 1994, Mary would make the drive from Washington, DC to Winchester every few days.

She hated highway driving, finding it ugly and monotonous. She preferred to take meandering back roads to her grandmother’s hospital. When she drove through the rocky town of Harpers Ferry, the beauty of the rough waters churning at the intersection of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers always captivated her.

Toward the end of her journey, Mary had to get on highway 81. It was here that she discovered a surprising bit of beauty during one of her trips. Along the median of the highway, there was a long stretch of wildflowers. They were thin and delicate and purple, and swayed in the wind as if whispering poems to each other.

The first time she saw the flowers, Mary was seized by an uncontrollable urge to pull over on the highway and yank a bunch from the soil. She carried them into her grandmother’s room when she arrived at the hospital and placed them in a water pitcher by her bed. For a moment her grandmother seemed more lucid than usual. She thanked Mary for the flowers, commented on their beauty and asked where she had gotten them. Mary was overjoyed by the ability of the flowers to wake something up inside her ailing grandmother.

Afterwards, Mary began carrying scissors in the car during her trips to visit her grandmother. She would quickly glide onto the shoulder, jump out of the car, and clip a bunch of flowers. Each time Mary placed the flowers in the pitcher, her grandmother’s eyes would light up and they would have a splendid conversation.

One morning in late October, Mary got a call that her grandmother had taken a turn for the worse. Mary was in such a hurry to get to her grandmother that she sped past her flower spot. She decided to turn around head several miles back, and cut a bunch. Mary arrived at the hospital to find her grandmother very weak and unresponsive. She placed flowers in the pitcher and sat down. She felt a squeeze on her fingers. It was the last conversation they had.

As used in the middle of the story, which is the best antonym for ‘lucid’?

A. False
B. Realistic
C. Muddled
D. Determined
3

Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there? Chocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?

Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao beans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate goes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that their bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist Carolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”

The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in 1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank cacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the Spanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in drink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter for most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao drink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th century, rich people in Europe were drinking it.

Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate makers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and getting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J. Van Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder mixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch chocolate.”

It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So other chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started mixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In 1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th century, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with sweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was invented.

Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for almost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the chocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The most chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white chocolate and dark chocolate.

Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart attacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the circulatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can cause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims for chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate could be good for the brain.

Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s Day gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is sometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given at Easter.

Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate is poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their bodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they should never be fed chocolate.

Pastries are

A. Sweet baked goods
B. Bitter-tasting drinks
C. Chocolate candy bars
D. Chocolate candies
4 Nepal, a small, mountainous country tucked between India and China, may seem completely foreign to many Americans. Cows milk down busy streets unharmed, 24 different languages are spoken, and people eat two meals of rice and lentils every day. Nepali holidays, many of which are related to the Hindu religion. can seem especially bizarre to Americans unfamiliar with the culture. However, if we look beyond how others celebrate to consider the things they are celebrating, we find surprising similarities to our own culture.The biggest holiday in Nepal is Dashain, a ten-day festival for the Hindu goddess Durga that takes place in September or October. According to Hindu beliefs, Durga defeated the evil demons of the world. To thank the goddess, people visit temples in her honor and sacrifice goats or sheep as offerings. Throughout the year, most Nepalis do not eat much meat because it is expensive, but Dashain is a time to enjoy meat every day. Children fly colorful, homemade kites during Dashain. People also construct enormous bamboo swings on street corners and in parks.Every evening people gather at these swings and take turns swinging. Nepalis is a time for people to eat good food, relax and enjoy themselves.Aside from eating and enjoying themselves, during Dashain people also receive blessings from their elders. Schools and offices shut down so people can travel to be with their families. Reuniting with family reminds people of the importance of kindness, respect, and forgiveness. People also clean and decorate their homes for Dashain. And, like many holidays in the United States, it is a time for shopping. Children and adults alike get new clothes for the occasion. People express appreciation for all that they have, while looking forward to good fortune and peace in the year to come.During American holidays, people may not sacrifice goats or soar on bamboo swings, but we do often travel to be with family members and take time off work or school to relax. No matter how we celebrate, many people around the world spend their holidays honoring family, reflecting on their blessings, and hoping for good fortune in the future.
Question:
According to the passage, Hindus believe that the goddess Durga
A. sacrifices goats and sheep
B. defeated the evil demons of the world
C. visits temples
D. enjoys meat every day
5 Nepal, a small, mountainous country tucked between India and China, may seem completely foreign to many Americans. Cows milk down busy streets unharmed, 24 different languages are spoken, and people eat two meals of rice and lentils every day. Nepali holidays, many of which are related to the Hindu religion. can seem especially bizarre to Americans unfamiliar with the culture. However, if we look beyond how others celebrate to consider the things they are celebrating, we find surprising similarities to our own culture.The biggest holiday in Nepal is Dashain, a ten-day festival for the Hindu goddess Durga that takes place in September or October. According to Hindu beliefs, Durga defeated the evil demons of the world. To thank the goddess, people visit temples in her honor and sacrifice goats or sheep as offerings. Throughout the year, most Nepalis do not eat much meat because it is expensive, but Dashain is a time to enjoy meat every day. Children fly colorful, homemade kites during Dashain. People also construct enormous bamboo swings on street corners and in parks.Every evening people gather at these swings and take turns swinging. Nepalis is a time for people to eat good food, relax and enjoy themselves.Aside from eating and enjoying themselves, during Dashain people also receive blessings from their elders. Schools and offices shut down so people can travel to be with their families. Reuniting with family reminds people of the importance of kindness, respect, and forgiveness. People also clean and decorate their homes for Dashain. And, like many holidays in the United States, it is a time for shopping. Children and adults alike get new clothes for the occasion. People express appreciation for all that they have, while looking forward to good fortune and peace in the year to come.During American holidays, people may not sacrifice goats or soar on bamboo swings, but we do often travel to be with family members and take time off work or school to relax. No matter how we celebrate, many people around the world spend their holidays honoring family, reflecting on their blessings, and hoping for good fortune in the future.
Question:
Which of the following sentences from the passage best indicates why the author thinks Nepal would seem very foreign to many Americans?
A. "Cows walk busy streets unharmed, 24 different languages are spoken, and people eat two meals of rice and lentils every day."
B. "Every evening people gather at these swings and take turns swinging."
C. "People also clean and decorate their homes for Dashain."
D. "During American holidays, people may not scarifice goats or soar on bamboo swings, but we do often travel to be with family members and take time off work or school to relax."
6

When her grandmother’s health began to deteriorate in the fall of 1994, Mary would make the drive from Washington, DC to Winchester every few days.

She hated highway driving, finding it ugly and monotonous. She preferred to take meandering back roads to her grandmother’s hospital. When she drove through the rocky town of Harpers Ferry, the beauty of the rough waters churning at the intersection of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers always captivated her.

Toward the end of her journey, Mary had to get on highway 81. It was here that she discovered a surprising bit of beauty during one of her trips. Along the median of the highway, there was a long stretch of wildflowers. They were thin and delicate and purple, and swayed in the wind as if whispering poems to each other.

The first time she saw the flowers, Mary was seized by an uncontrollable urge to pull over on the highway and yank a bunch from the soil. She carried them into her grandmother’s room when she arrived at the hospital and placed them in a water pitcher by her bed. For a moment her grandmother seemed more lucid than usual. She thanked Mary for the flowers, commented on their beauty and asked where she had gotten them. Mary was overjoyed by the ability of the flowers to wake something up inside her ailing grandmother.

Afterwards, Mary began carrying scissors in the car during her trips to visit her grandmother. She would quickly glide onto the shoulder, jump out of the car, and clip a bunch of flowers. Each time Mary placed the flowers in the pitcher, her grandmother’s eyes would light up and they would have a splendid conversation.

One morning in late October, Mary got a call that her grandmother had taken a turn for the worse. Mary was in such a hurry to get to her grandmother that she sped past her flower spot. She decided to turn around head several miles back, and cut a bunch. Mary arrived at the hospital to find her grandmother very weak and unresponsive. She placed flowers in the pitcher and sat down. She felt a squeeze on her fingers. It was the last conversation they had.

Which best describes what the act of stopping for flowers on the side of the highway became for Mary?

A. Monotonous
B. A ritual
C. A regret
D. Torturous
7 Q.6 A great deal of discussion continues as to the real extent of global environmental degradation and its implications What few people challenge however is that the renewable natural resources of developing countries are today subject to stresses of unprecedented magnitude these pressures are brought about in part by increased population and the quest for an ever expanding food supply Because the health nutrition and general well-being of the poor majority are directly dependent on the integrity and productivity of their natural resources the capability of governments to manage them effectively over the long term becomes of paramount importance Developing countries are becoming more aware of the ways in which present and future economic development must build upon a sound and sustainable natural resource base some are looking at our long tradition in environmental protection and are receptive to US assistance which recognizes the uniqueness of the social and ecological systems in these tropical countries Developing countries recognize the need to improve their capability to analyze issues and their own natural resource management in February 1981,for example AID funded a national Academy of Sciences panel to advise Nepal on their severe natural resource degradation problems Some countries such as Senegal India Indonesia and Thailand are now including conservation concerns in their economic development planning process.Because so many government of developing nations have recognized the importance of these issues the need today is not merely one of raising additional consciousness but for carefully designed and sharply focused activities aimed at management regimes that are essential to the achievement of sustained development 
d.The poor people of the developing world can lead a happy and contented life if 
A. There is a North-South dialogue and aid flows freely to the developing world
B. Industries based on agriculture are widely developed
C. Economic development takes place within the ambit of conservation of natural resources
D. There is an assured supply of food and medical care
8

The public distribution system, which provides food at low prices, is a subject of vital concern. There is a growing realization that thought Pakistan has enough food to feed its masses three square meals a day, the monster of starvation and food insecurity continues to haunt the poor in our country.

Increasing the purchasing power of the poor through providing productive employment leading to rising income, and thus good standard of living is the ultimate objective of public policy. However, till then, there is a need to provide assured supply of food through a restructured more efficient and decentralized public distribution system (PDS).

Although the PDS is extensive – it is one of the largest such systems in the world – it has yet to reach the rural poor and the far off places. It remains an urban phenomenon, with the majority of the rural poor still out of its reach due to lack of economic and physical access. The poorest in the cities and the migrants are left out, for they generally do not possess ration cards. The allocation of PDS supplies in big cities is larger than in rural areas. In view of such deficiencies in the system, the PDS urgently needs to be streamlined. In addition, considering the large food grains production combined with food subsidy on one hand and the continuing slow starvation and dismal poverty of the rural population on the other, there is a strong case for making PDS target group oriented.

The growing salaried class is provided job security, regular income, and percent insulation against inflation. These gains of development have not percolated down to the vast majority of our working population. If one compares only dearness allowance to the employees in public and private sector and looks at its growth in the past few years, the rising food subsidy is insignificant to the point of inequity. The food subsidy is a kind of D.A. to the poor, the self-employed and those in the unorganized sector of the economy. However, what is most unfortunate is that out of the large budget of the so – called food subsidy, the major part of it is administrative cost and wastages. A small portion of the above budget goes to the real consumer and an even lesser portion to the poor who are in real need.

It is true that subsidies should not become a permanent feature except for the destitute, disabled widows and the old. It is also true that subsidies often create a psychology of dependence and hence is habit – forming, killing the general initiative of the people. By making PDS target group oriented, not only the poorest and neediest would be reached without additional cost, but it will actually cut overall costs incurred on large cities and for better off localities. When the food and food subsidy are limited the rural and urban poor should have the priority in the PDS supplies. The PDS should be closely linked with programs of employment generation and nutrition improvement.

Which of the following, according to the passage, it compared with dearness allowance?

A. Food for work program
B. Unemployment allowance
C. Food subsidy
D. Procurement price of food grains
9

This is the age of machine. Machines are everywhere, in the fields, in the factory, in the home, In the street, in the city, in the country, everywhere. To fly, it is not necessary to have wings; there are machines. To swim under the sea, it is not necessary to have gills; there are machines. To kill our fellowmen in over-whelming numbers, there are machines. Petrol machines alone provide ten times more power than all human beings in the world. In the busiest countries, each individual has six hundred human slaves in his machines.

What are the consequences of this abnormal power? Before the war, it looked as though it might be possible, for the first time in history to provide food and clothing and shelter for the teaming population of the world-every man, woman and child. This would have been the greatest triumphs of science. And yet, if you remember, we saw the world crammed, full of food and people hungry. Today, the leaders are bare and millions, starving. That’s more begin to hum, are we going to see again more and more food, and people still hungry? For the goods, it makes the goods, but avoids the consequences.

The machine age produces:

A. Goods
B. Food
C. Goods but avoid the consequences
D. None of above
10

The history of literature really began was the earliest of the arts. Man danced for joy round his primitive camp fire after the defeat and slaughter of his enemy. He yelled and shouted as he danced and gradually the yells and shouts became coherent and caught the measure of the coherent and caught the measure of the dance and thus the first war song was sung. As the idea of God developed prayers were framed. The songs and prayers became traditional and were repeated from one generation to another, each generation adding something of its own. As man slowly grew more civilized, he was compelled to invent some method of writing by three urgent necessities. There were certain things that it was dangerous to forget and which, therefore, had to be recorded. It was often necessary to communicate with person who were some distance away and it was necessary to protect one’s property by making tools, cattle and so on, in some distinctive manner. So man taught himself to write and having learned to write purely for utilitarian reasons he used this new method for preserving his war songs and his prayers. Of course, among these ancient peoples, There were only a very few individuals who learned to write, and only a few could read what was written.

The first war-song

A. Was inspired by God
B. Developed spontaneously
C. Was a song traditionally handed down
D. Was composed by leading dancers

Test Questions

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