Comprehension passages and grammar - Online Test

Q1.
Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answers the questions given below it. 

Dine on a steady diet of books like The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East or When China Rules the World, and it's easy to think that the future belongs to Asia. As one prominent herald of the region's rise put it, 'We are entering a new era of world history: the end of Western domination and the arrival of the Asian century.' 
Sustained, rapid economic growth since World War 2 has undeniably boosted the region's economic output and military capabilities. But it's a gross exaggeration to say that Asia will emerge as the world's predominant power player. At most, Asia's rise will lead to the arrival of a multi-polar world, not another unipolar one. 
Asia is nowhere near closing its economic and military gap with the West. The region produces roughly 30 percent of global economic output, but because of its huge population, its Per Capita GDP is only $5,800, compared with $48,000 in the United States. Asian countries are furiously upgrading their militaries, but their combined military spending in 2008 was still only a third that of the United States. Even at current torrid rates of growth, it will take the average Asian 77 years to reach the income of the average American. The Chinese need 47 years. For Indians, the figure is 123 years. And Asia's combined military budget won't equal that of the United States for 72 years. 
In any case, it is meaningless to talk about Asia as a single entity of power, now or in the future. Far more likely is that the fast ascent of one regional player will be greeted with alarm by its closest neighbours. Asian history is replete with examples of competition for power and even military conflict among its big players. China and Japan have fought repeatedly over Korea; the Soviet Union teamed up with India and Vietnam to check China, while China supported Pakistan to counterbalance India. Already, China's recent rise has pushed Japan and India closer together. If Asia is becoming the world's centre of geopolitical gravity, it's a murky middle indeed. 
Those who think Asia's gains in hard power will inevitably lead to its geopolitical dominance might also want to look at another crucial ingredient of clout: ideas. Pax Americana was made possible not only by the overwhelming economic and military might of the United States but also by a set of visionary ideas: free trade, Wilsonian liberalism, and multilateral institutions. Although Asia today may have the world's most dynamic economies, it does not seem to play an equally inspiring role as a thought leader. The big idea animating Asians now is empowerment; Asians rightly feel proud that they are making a new industrial revolution. But self-confidence is not an ideology, and the much-touted Asian model of development does not seem to be an exportable product.

Which of the following can be inferred from the penultimate paragraph?
Answer : Option D
Explaination / Solution:

The penultimate paragraph makes the point that Asia is not united as a continent and its nations are continually in direct or indirect conflict with each other. [a] and [b] both become clear by the collusions described in the paragraph. The paragraph also mentions military conflict, so [c] can also be inferred. Hence, [d].

Q2.
Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answers the questions given below it. 

Dine on a steady diet of books like The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East or When China Rules the World, and it's easy to think that the future belongs to Asia. As one prominent herald of the region's rise put it, 'We are entering a new era of world history: the end of Western domination and the arrival of the Asian century.' 
Sustained, rapid economic growth since World War 2 has undeniably boosted the region's economic output and military capabilities. But it's a gross exaggeration to say that Asia will emerge as the world's predominant power player. At most, Asia's rise will lead to the arrival of a multi-polar world, not another unipolar one. 
Asia is nowhere near closing its economic and military gap with the West. The region produces roughly 30 percent of global economic output, but because of its huge population, its Per Capita GDP is only $5,800, compared with $48,000 in the United States. Asian countries are furiously upgrading their militaries, but their combined military spending in 2008 was still only a third that of the United States. Even at current torrid rates of growth, it will take the average Asian 77 years to reach the income of the average American. The Chinese need 47 years. For Indians, the figure is 123 years. And Asia's combined military budget won't equal that of the United States for 72 years. 
In any case, it is meaningless to talk about Asia as a single entity of power, now or in the future. Far more likely is that the fast ascent of one regional player will be greeted with alarm by its closest neighbours. Asian history is replete with examples of competition for power and even military conflict among its big players. China and Japan have fought repeatedly over Korea; the Soviet Union teamed up with India and Vietnam to check China, while China supported Pakistan to counterbalance India. Already, China's recent rise has pushed Japan and India closer together. If Asia is becoming the world's centre of geopolitical gravity, it's a murky middle indeed. 
Those who think Asia's gains in hard power will inevitably lead to its geopolitical dominance might also want to look at another crucial ingredient of clout: ideas. Pax Americana was made possible not only by the overwhelming economic and military might of the United States but also by a set of visionary ideas: free trade, Wilsonian liberalism, and multilateral institutions. Although Asia today may have the world's most dynamic economies, it does not seem to play an equally inspiring role as a thought leader. The big idea animating Asians now is empowerment; Asians rightly feel proud that they are making a new industrial revolution. But self-confidence is not an ideology, and the much-touted Asian model of development does not seem to be an exportable product.

According to the passage, what was the prime reason for the rise of the United States as a global superpower?
Answer : Option D
Explaination / Solution:

Option [b] can be a valid reason for the rise of a nation, but it is not mentioned as such in the passage with reference to the United States. [a] is not the only reason mentioned for the United States becoming a superpower. In fact this is explicitly mentioned in the last paragraph. Similarly, though [c] finds a mention in the concluding paragraph, it is not the sole reason. But [a] and [c] taken together are the prime reasons for the rise of the United States.

Q3.
Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answers the questions given below it. 

Dine on a steady diet of books like The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East or When China Rules the World, and it's easy to think that the future belongs to Asia. As one prominent herald of the region's rise put it, 'We are entering a new era of world history: the end of Western domination and the arrival of the Asian century.' 
Sustained, rapid economic growth since World War 2 has undeniably boosted the region's economic output and military capabilities. But it's a gross exaggeration to say that Asia will emerge as the world's predominant power player. At most, Asia's rise will lead to the arrival of a multi-polar world, not another unipolar one. 
Asia is nowhere near closing its economic and military gap with the West. The region produces roughly 30 percent of global economic output, but because of its huge population, its Per Capita GDP is only $5,800, compared with $48,000 in the United States. Asian countries are furiously upgrading their militaries, but their combined military spending in 2008 was still only a third that of the United States. Even at current torrid rates of growth, it will take the average Asian 77 years to reach the income of the average American. The Chinese need 47 years. For Indians, the figure is 123 years. And Asia's combined military budget won't equal that of the United States for 72 years. 
In any case, it is meaningless to talk about Asia as a single entity of power, now or in the future. Far more likely is that the fast ascent of one regional player will be greeted with alarm by its closest neighbours. Asian history is replete with examples of competition for power and even military conflict among its big players. China and Japan have fought repeatedly over Korea; the Soviet Union teamed up with India and Vietnam to check China, while China supported Pakistan to counterbalance India. Already, China's recent rise has pushed Japan and India closer together. If Asia is becoming the world's centre of geopolitical gravity, it's a murky middle indeed. 
Those who think Asia's gains in hard power will inevitably lead to its geopolitical dominance might also want to look at another crucial ingredient of clout: ideas. Pax Americana was made possible not only by the overwhelming economic and military might of the United States but also by a set of visionary ideas: free trade, Wilsonian liberalism, and multilateral institutions. Although Asia today may have the world's most dynamic economies, it does not seem to play an equally inspiring role as a thought leader. The big idea animating Asians now is empowerment; Asians rightly feel proud that they are making a new industrial revolution. But self-confidence is not an ideology, and the much-touted Asian model of development does not seem to be an exportable product.

Which of the following best expresses the author's estimate of Asia's rising power?
Answer : Option A
Explaination / Solution:

Option [b] can be rejected outright as it is very negative and shows Asia in very poor light. While reiterating his belief that Asia cannot be a superpower, the author acknowledges the advancements made by Asia since World War 2. He certainly provides information about the obstacles Asia faces today, but does not suggest remedies to overcome them, so [c] is incorrect. [d] is only partly correct - the author does contend that Asia, if at all it were to match the United States, would take very long to do so. However, he is not optimistic about Asia's rise at all. But [a] is correct. It constitutes the central argument of the author. Hence, [a].

Q4.
Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answers the questions that follow. 

Dine on a steady diet of books like The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East or When China Rules the World, and it's easy to think that the future belongs to Asia. As one prominent herald of the region's rise put it, 'We are entering a new era of world history: the end of Western domination and the arrival of the Asian century.' 
Sustained, rapid economic growth since World War 2 has undeniably boosted the region's economic output and military capabilities. But it's a gross exaggeration to say that Asia will emerge as the world's predominant power player. At most, Asia's rise will lead to the arrival of a multi-polar world, not another unipolar one. 
Asia is nowhere near closing its economic and military gap with the West. The region produces roughly 30 percent of global economic output, but because of its huge population, its Per Capita GDP is only $5,800, compared with $48,000 in the United States. Asian countries are furiously upgrading their militaries, but their combined military spending in 2008 was still only a third that of the United States. Even at current torrid rates of growth, it will take the average Asian 77 years to reach the income of the average American. The Chinese need 47 years. For Indians, the figure is 123 years. And Asia's combined military budget won't equal that of the United States for 72 years. 
In any case, it is meaningless to talk about Asia as a single entity of power, now or in the future. Far more likely is that the fast ascent of one regional player will be greeted with alarm by its closest neighbours. Asian history is replete with examples of competition for power and even military conflict among its big players. China and Japan have fought repeatedly over Korea; the Soviet Union teamed up with India and Vietnam to check China, while China supported Pakistan to counterbalance India. Already, China's recent rise has pushed Japan and India closer together. If Asia is becoming the world's centre of geopolitical gravity, it's a murky middle indeed. 
Those who think Asia's gains in hard power will inevitably lead to its geopolitical dominance might also want to look at another crucial ingredient of clout: ideas. Pax Americana was made possible not only by the overwhelming economic and military might of the United States but also by a set of visionary ideas: free trade, Wilsonian liberalism, and multilateral institutions. Although Asia today may have the world's most dynamic economies, it does not seem to play an equally inspiring role as a thought leader. The big idea animating Asians now is empowerment; Asians rightly feel proud that they are making a new industrial revolution. But self-confidence is not an ideology, and the much-touted Asian model of development does not seem to be an exportable product.

According to the author, which among the following would truly raise Asia to unreachable heights?
Answer : Option A
Explaination / Solution:

Refer to the last paragraph : "Although Asia today may have the world's most dynamic economies, it does not seem to play an equally inspiring role as a thought leader. The big idea animating Asians now is empowerment; Asians rightly feel proud that they are making a new industrial revolution. But self-confidence is not an ideology, and the much-touted Asian model of development does not seem to be an exportable product". Hence, [a].

Q5.
Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answers the questions that follow. 

Dine on a steady diet of books like The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East or When China Rules the World, and it's easy to think that the future belongs to Asia. As one prominent herald of the region's rise put it, 'We are entering a new era of world history: the end of Western domination and the arrival of the Asian century.' 
Sustained, rapid economic growth since World War 2 has undeniably boosted the region's economic output and military capabilities. But it's a gross exaggeration to say that Asia will emerge as the world's predominant power player. At most, Asia's rise will lead to the arrival of a multi-polar world, not another unipolar one. 
Asia is nowhere near closing its economic and military gap with the West. The region produces roughly 30 percent of global economic output, but because of its huge population, its Per Capita GDP is only $5,800, compared with $48,000 in the United States. Asian countries are furiously upgrading their militaries, but their combined military spending in 2008 was still only a third that of the United States. Even at current torrid rates of growth, it will take the average Asian 77 years to reach the income of the average American. The Chinese need 47 years. For Indians, the figure is 123 years. And Asia's combined military budget won't equal that of the United States for 72 years. 
In any case, it is meaningless to talk about Asia as a single entity of power, now or in the future. Far more likely is that the fast ascent of one regional player will be greeted with alarm by its closest neighbours. Asian history is replete with examples of competition for power and even military conflict among its big players. China and Japan have fought repeatedly over Korea; the Soviet Union teamed up with India and Vietnam to check China, while China supported Pakistan to counterbalance India. Already, China's recent rise has pushed Japan and India closer together. If Asia is becoming the world's centre of geopolitical gravity, it's a murky middle indeed. 
Those who think Asia's gains in hard power will inevitably lead to its geopolitical dominance might also want to look at another crucial ingredient of clout: ideas. Pax Americana was made possible not only by the overwhelming economic and military might of the United States but also by a set of visionary ideas: free trade, Wilsonian liberalism, and multilateral institutions. Although Asia today may have the world's most dynamic economies, it does not seem to play an equally inspiring role as a thought leader. The big idea animating Asians now is empowerment; Asians rightly feel proud that they are making a new industrial revolution. But self-confidence is not an ideology, and the much-touted Asian model of development does not seem to be an exportable product.

In the passage, the term 'thought leadership' is meant to be which of the following?
Answer : Option C
Explaination / Solution:

'Thought leadership' as described in the concluding paragraph does lead to the formation of a cohesive, single identity, but by itself does not mean such an identity. So [a] is wrong. [b] is incorrect as it finds no mention in the passage, and nor is it implied. [d] is similarly out of context as far as the part about 'coming into the free world' is concerned. But the presence of a visionary and broad ideology finds mention as a major factor, in the last paragraph. Hence, [c].

Q6. Directions: In each of the following questions a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent.

The main role of DNA is the long-term storage of genetic information. DNA is often compared to a blueprint, since it contains instructions for constructing other components of the cell, such as proteins and RNA molecules. The DNA segments that carry genetic information are called genes. ___________
Answer : Option A
Explaination / Solution:

E is grammatically incorrect. A, B, C and D are all in the context of DNA lines but since the last line before the blank talks about some DNA segments so the continuation must be about the other sequences.

Q7. Direction: A short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent.

Carpe Diem is an exhortation to value the moment over the uncertainties of future plans. It can be understood as a statement that encourages one to enjoy hedonistic pleasures, rather than investing one’s efforts towards attaining an ideal or preparing for the future. It can also be seen as an emphasis on the value of each moment, expressing appreciation for the opportunities found in every day. ______________
Answer : Option B
Explaination / Solution:

Eliminate C and E as they are not related. A, B and D all are correct and related to the context. But since the last line before the blank is explaining Carpe Diem sentence B would be the most suitable one. We can infer this by the term ‘also’ used in the sentence.

Q8. Direction: A short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent.

A fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that employs the literary device, anthropomorphism - that is giving animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature, human attributes while expressing a simple moral or lesson. Examples abound in fables of talking animals that are whimsical, wise, or foolish creatures mimicking human faults and foibles. ______________
Answer : Option C
Explaination / Solution:

D and B are unrelated. We use the terms ‘sometimes’ and ‘other times’ and not ‘sometime’ and ‘other time’ so E is incorrect. Between A and B the use of conjunction ‘but’ is more suitable than ‘and’.

Q9. Direction: A short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent.

Ayodhya, an ancient city of India, holds a cherished place in the faith of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Muslims. The Ramayana, a Hindu classic, portrays the splendor of the city, the virtues of the monarchs, and the loyalty and prosperity of the people. _____________
Answer : Option B
Explaination / Solution:

D and C are not related. In sentence E, it is incorrect to say that Hindu believes since we are not talking about any particular person. Between A and B it is grammatically correct to say that Ayodhya had been the birthplace.

Q10. Directions: In each of the following questions a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent.

AIDS is an acronym for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is a collection of symptoms and opportunistic infections resulting from the depletion of the immune system caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. When the disease exhibits the symptoms of AIDS, its course is almost inevitably fatal. _____________
Answer : Option C
Explaination / Solution:

B and D are not related. E is in the same context so can be suitable. Keep it on hold. Between A and C, C is correct because we are talking about treatments i.e. plural so ‘delay’ is correct and not ‘delays’. Since in the last line before blank we are talking about the disease and its symptoms and is course being fatal, sentence C is more appropriate than E. Apart from this the word ‘however’ has also been used in the beginning which indicates C to be more suitable.