Para Summary Quiz Question - 6

  An individual is free and autonomous only because of the collective decisions taken after democratic debate, notably those decisions that guarantee each person access to public goods such as education, health care, etc. Some sense of social solidarity may remain, but it is so abstract that those for whom the wheel of fortune has spun so favourably feel little debt. They believe that they owe their status purely to merit, not to the collective efforts-state-funded schools, universities, etc. – that enabled them to realize their potential.

(a)   Individual success and autonomy are a result of the ability to exploit the system put together through collective efforts with a sense of social solidarity.

(b)   The decisions that guarantee each person access to public goods are collective in nature, and individual merit is a myth.

(c)    Individuals owe their success and autonomy to collective decisions and efforts that guarantee access to public goods like schools and universities.

(d)     Individual success and autonomy are a result of the systems made through collective efforts that guarantee each person access to these systems.

(e)   Individuals are free and autonomous only as far as they realize that they owe their success to collective decisions made with a sense of social solidarity.

Answer & Explaination

Ans.(c)

Sol. The gist of the paragraph is: The principle social solidarity through democratic debates establishes education, healthcare etc. accessible to individuals. Individuals exploit this system (schools, universities) and become successful. But they feel that their success is due to individual merit. Option (D) summarizes this best within the constraints of a précis. Option  (A) is a distortion in “exploit.” Option (B) is a distortion in “myth.” Option (D) is correct but option (C) is better as it specifies “owe their success” rather than “a result of.” Option (E) is not structured well and is vague.

Para Summary Quiz Question - 5

  In recent decades, economists have been struggling to make use of the concept of human capital, often defined as the abilities, skills, knowledge, and dispositions that make for economic success. Yet those who use the term often assume that to conceptualize a phenomenon is a first step to manipulating it. And, indeed, “human-capital policy” is now much in fashion. But what if many of the abilities and dispositions in question are a product of history, capable of being understood and explained but not readily replicated?

(a)    Economists trying to conceptualize human capital must know that the abilities and dispositions are a product of history incapable of being replicated.

(b)   Economists trying to conceptualize human-capital policy for economic success must know history and that success cannot be replicated.

(c)   The abilities, skills, knowledge, and dispositions that make for economic success are a product of history and may not be replicable.

(d)   Economists attempting a policy based on human capital for economic success must know that the abilities referred to as human capital may not be readily replicable.

(e)      Economists struggling to replicate economic success through a human-capital policy must know that human capital is a product of history and may only be understood.

Answer & Explaination

Ans.(d)

Sol. Gist of the paragraph: Human capital is the abilities, skills, knowledge, and dispositions that make for economic success – economists are trying to conceptualize and formulate a human – capital policy for success. Human capital is a product of history and may not be readily replicable. Option (A) talks only about conceptualizing and not about using it for success. Option (B) distorts the idea in “must know history.” Option (C) does not use the terms economists or human capital or policy. Option (E) is almost correct but is a distortion in “struggling to replicate economic success” and misses the most important point about replication. Option (D), though not the ideal precis, is the best.

Para Summary Quiz Question - 4

 For millennia, remembering information was costly and time-consuming, and to forget was a natural part of being human. In the digital age, the opposite is true: cheap computer storage, powerful processors, and ubiquitous Internet access have made remembering the norm. Consider this: we tend to retain our rough drafts, years of e-mail traffic, and thousands of ghastly digital snapshots on our hard drives, not because we have decided that they are worth remembering, but because keeping them is now the default way of doing things. By contrast, deciding what to delete is costly. It actually requires much more time and effort to shed data than to keep it.

(a)  Since the digital age has made retaining information cheap and effortless, we have left behind our natural habit of forgetting.

(b)   Since the digital age has made storage of data cheap and easy, we now store large amounts of information even it is worthless.

(c)  Remembering is no more costly and time consuming in the digital age; hence, we store large amounts of worthless information.

(d)  The digital age has made it possible to retain large amounts of data cheaply and easily; hence we remember more unlike in the past.

(e)  As deciding what to delete is costly and time consuming we now tend to store everything from rough drafts to ghastly images.

Answer & Explaination

Ans.(b)

Sol. The highlight of the paragraph is that the facilities available in the digital age have facilitated storage of data on a large scale. Earlier retaining information was difficult; now deleting is more time-consuming and costly; hence we save almost everything. Option (B), among the options, captures this best. Option (B) is eliminated because it states “natural habit of forgetting” – remembering and forgetting are used more figuratively than literally. Option (C) states “worthless information.” Option (D) is similar to option (B). Option (E) misses the digital age.

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Para Summary Quiz Question - 3

 A severe food crisis currently threatens southern Sudan. In East Africa, where millions of people already are dependent on food aid, a sharp rise in the cost of staple crops looms. These are just the latest sources of concern in a turbulent period that began two years ago when food shortages hit many countries in Africa and Asia due to a worldwide spike in prices. Higher food prices meant that poor people, already struggling to meet basic human needs, were pushed deeper into poverty.

(a) An impending food crisis looms over southern Sudan where higher food prices have pushed people deeper into poverty.

(b) The food crisis in Africa and Asia, especially in southern Sudan already struggling under food shortages, higher prices, and poverty may worsen owing to further a rise in the cost of staple crops.

(c) As many countries in Africa and Asia are experiencing prolonged food shortages, an impending food crisis threatens Sudan due to a rise in the cost of staple crops.

(d) The food crisis in Africa and Asia already struggling under food shortages, higher prices, and poverty may worsen owing to further a rise in the cost of staple crops.

(e) The food crisis in southern Sudan struggling under food shortages, higher prices, and poverty may worsen owing to further a rise in the cost of staple crops.

Answer & Explaination

S3. Ans.(c)

Sol. The gist of the passage is: Asia and Africa are already experiencing food shortages for two years. The cost of crops is expected to rise in Sudan – this may trigger a severe food crisis in Sudan. In option (A), Asia and Africa are left out. Options (B) and (D) extend the crisis to Asia and Africa, especially the rise in the cost of crops. Option (E) leaves out Asia and Africa. Option (C) gives the gist without distortion of idea.

 

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Para Summary Quiz Question - 2

Russia and the United States have signed a new strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty. Officially, the treaty cuts their weapons by one-third; in fact, each party will decommission only several dozen. Nevertheless, the treaty is a considerable achievement. It normalizes political relations between the two countries, thereby facilitating their further cooperation and rapprochement.

(a)   The new strategic arms reduction treaty signed between Russia and the United States may facilitate further cooperation between them.

(b)   The new strategic arms reduction treaty signed between Russia and the United States may lead to cordial relations between them.

(c)    Russia and the United States have signed a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty to reduce weapons by one-third.

(d)   Russia and the United States have signed a new strategic nuclear-arms reduction treaty which normalizes political relations between the two countries.

(e)   Russia and the United States have signed a new strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty is a considerable achievement.

Answer & Explaination

Ans.(d)

Sol. Options (A) and (B) mention “arms treaty” instead of “nuclear arms treaty.” Option (C) misses out on the normalizing of relationship and rapprochement. Option (E) misses out on the significant “normalizing of relations.” Option

(D)  is the best concise description.

 

Para Summary Quiz Question - 1

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

Creativity is now viewed as the engine of economic progress. Various organizations are devoted to its study and promotion; there are encyclopedias and handbooks surveying creativity research. But this proliferating success has tended to erode creativity's stable identity: it has become so invested with a value that it has become impossible to police its meaning and the practices that supposedly identify and encourage it. Many people and organizations committed to producing original thoughts now feel that undue obsession with the idea of creativity gets in the way of real creativity.

1. The obsession with original thought, and how it can be promoted and researched, has made it impossible for people and organizations to define the concept anymore.

2. The value assigned to creativity today has assumed such proportions that the concept itself has lost its real meaning and this is hampering the engendering of real creativity.

3. The industry that has built up around researching what comprises and encourages creativity has destroyed the creative process itself.

4. Creativity has proliferated to the extent that it is no longer a stable process, and its mutating identity has stifled the creative process.

Answer & Explaination

Option (ii) is the best representation of the paragraph since it is completely representing the idea that how real creativity is getting lost in front of giving too much value to creativity and that the original thoughts are getting suppressed.

Building Vocabulary from all Root Words

 Vocabulary is one of the most important building blocks of language. Having a good vocabulary can help you communicate your thoughts, feelings, and ideas more effectively and accurately. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, a job seeker, or a professional, a strong vocabulary is essential in our everyday lives.

Fortunately, improving your vocabulary doesn’t have to be arduous or intimidating. One of the best ways to do this is to study root words. By studying root words, you can gain a better understanding of how English words are created and used. Root words are the building blocks of English language. They are the basic elements of a word, and they carry the meaning of the word. For example, the root word “port” means “to carry” or “to bring”. This root word is used in many English words such as “portal” (an entrance or doorway), “transport” (to carry or move from one place to another), and “import” (to bring in from a foreign country). Studying root words is a great way to learn new words and increase your understanding of the English language. It helps you recognize and understand the meaning of English words more easily. By studying the root words, you can also remember them better and use them in your own writing or speaking.

Check Word Power Made Easy full summary in 10 videos by Bhagyashree Ghosh

To get started with studying root words, you could begin by learning the most common root words. Once you have a few of these down, you can try to recognize them in other words and start to form your own sentences using them. You can also look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary and find out the root words they are based on. Studying root words is not only a great way to improve your vocabulary, but it’s also fun and educational. So, why not give it a try? You may be surprised at how much your vocabulary can be improved by taking the time to learn root words!

More videos in next post!