Directions (1-3): Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow:
By downgrading the monsoon forecast for the year to ‘deficient’, the India Meteorological Department has pressed the panic button. The forecast now talks of 88 per cent of the long-period average, down from the preliminary figure of 93 per cent. The revised estimate is indeed cause for concern, as it holds the possibility of the country being pushed into a drought situation. These are forward-looking numbers no doubt. Yet the signals can hardly be ignored. The Centre has said it is ready to face a deficit monsoon. Union Agriculture Minister has made it clear that the situation is being monitored on a daily basis and that a ‘contingency plan’ is in place. The immediate worry, nay task, is to quickly devise an emergency plan to tackle the social and economic consequences of a possible drought. In the near-term, the government may do well to prepare a ready-to-roll out action programme to provide farmers a support system and fallback mechanism to ensure that they aren’t consumed by the severity of the impact, should there be a drought. To minimise the annual concerns on this front, governments at the Centre and the States will have to go beyond mere mitigation strategies and work out a long-term irrigation plan in an integrated and holistic manner to optimise the groundwater potential as well. If the forecast does come true, however, India could be facing the 12th worst drought since 1950. Already hit by unseasonal rain during the Rabi season, this portends further trouble during the Kharif cycle. This could lead to serious problems on the food front with consequences on the price situation.
1. What can be inferred from the revised estimates of the long-term period average forecast?

A. The revised estimate is showing 93% of the long-term period average forecast for monsoon. B. There will be a decrease of 5% of the long-period average monsoon in the country. C. The previous estimate for long-term period average forecast for monsoon was 88%. D. The revised estimates bring relief to the issue of drought in the country. E. Meteorological Department upgraded the monsoon forecast.

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: The revised estimates came down to 88% from 93% of the long-period average forecast for monsoon. Hence, there will be a decrease of 5% of the long-period average monsoon in the country.
2. Which crops, according to the author, does not require as much rainfall compared to other crops for cultivation?

A. The Kharif crops cultivated during the summers. B. The Rabi crop cultivated during the summers. C. The Kharif crop cultivated during the monsoons. D. The Rabi crop cultivated during the winters. E. Both the crops cultivated in the summers.

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: The author indicates that Rabi seasonal crop were hit by unseasonal rain and that the impact would be much higher on Kharif seasonal crop. Therefore, it can be inferred that Rabi crop cultivates during the winters and does not require as much rainfall compared to other crops for cultivation.
3. What does the author mean by the term ‘nay task’ in the passage?

A. Quickly constructing emergency plans for drought situation is an impossible task for the government. B. The social and economic consequences of drought situation in the country are unavoidable. C. Constructing emergency plans for tackling the situation of drought is indeed the major responsibility of the government. D. The society should worry about the social and economic consequences of the possible drought situation in the country. E. Tackling the situation of drought in the country is quite an easy task.

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: By the terminology “nay task”, the author means to say that constructing the emergency plans for tackling the social and economic consequences of the possible drought situation in the country, is indeed the major responsibility of the government.
4. Read the four sentences given below:
i. He is one of those people who do not seek a __________ in their troubles. ii. Both the teams say they are _____________ of winning. iii. He ____________ that he was very unhappy with his job. iv. It was the first time she spoke about working as a ___________ informant with anyone other than her Bureau agents.
Which of the following sequence of words would most appropriately fit the blanks?

A. i. Confident ii. Confidant iii. Confidential iv. Confided B. i. Confidant ii. Confident iii. Confidential iv. Confided C. i. Confidant ii. Confident iii. Confided iv. Confidential D. i. Confident ii. Confidant iii. Confided iv. Confidential E. i. Confidant ii. Confidential iii. Confided iv. Confident

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: In sentence i., the word ‘Confidant’ fits which means a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others. In sentence ii., the word ‘Confident’ fits which means feeling or showing confidence in oneself or one's abilities or qualities. In sentence iii., the word ‘Confided’ fits which means tell someone about a secret or private matter while trusting them not to repeat it to others. In sentence iv., the word ‘Confidential’ fits which means something intended to be kept secret.
5. Six words are given below:
I. Academic II. Epidemic III. Pandemic IV. Endemic V. Myxedemic
Which of the above words have similar meanings?

A. II and III only B. III and IV only C. III, IV and V only D. II, III and IV only E. II and IV only

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Epidemic’ means a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time. Pandemic’ means a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world. ‘Endemic’ means a disease or condition regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.
Directions (6-7): The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labeled with a letter. Choose the most logical order of sentences from among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.
6. I. The growth has been driven by increased access to healthcare, improved infrastructure and greater penetration of pharmaceutical companies into tier 1 cities and rural areas. II. Indian pharmaceutical industry is fairly fragmented with top 10 companies contributing to 41% of total sales. III. Urban regions (metros and tier I cities) contribute to about 60% of total sales while the remaining country contributes to the balance 40%. IV. The next ten companies contribute to 22% of sales while the remaining companies contribute to 37% of the total sales. V. Tier I cities are growing at approximate 10% per annum (PA) while rural areas are growing at about 14.5% PA.

A. II, III, IV, I, V B. II, IV, III, V, I C. II, V, III, IV, I D. II, V, IV, III, I E. II, V, I, IV, III

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: The proper sequence of sentences to make a meaningful paragraph will be ‘II, IV, III, V, I’: 1) Indian pharmaceutical industry is fairly fragmented with top 10 companies contributing to 41% of total sales. 2) The next ten companies contribute to 22% of sales while the remaining companies contribute to 37% of the total sales. 3) Urban regions (metros and tier I cities) contribute to about 60% of total sales while the remaining country contributes to the balance 40%. 4) Tier I cities are growing at approximate 10% per annum (PA) while rural areas are growing at about 14.5% PA. 5) The growth has been driven by increased access to healthcare, improved infrastructure and greater penetration of pharmaceutical companies into tier 1 cities and rural areas.
7. I. The framework of the current legal system has been laid down by the Indian Constitution and the judicial system derives its powers from it. II. India’s judicial system is one of the oldest legal systems in the world. III. The independence of judiciary is the cardinal principle enshrined in the Constitution and legal experts worldwide are unanimous that Indian judiciary is one of the most robust and independent institutions with a proven track record. IV. The Constitution has also laid out the powers, duties, procedures and structure of the various branches of the state such as the legislature, the executive and the judiciary at the Union and State levels. V. Nevertheless, the system now is overburdened with long pendency of cases and occasional cases of corruption within the judiciary and its inaccessibility to vulnerable sections of society has raised concerns even among jurists. VI. It has rightly won the trust of the people as no other institution of India’s parliamentary democracy has.

A. II, III, IV, I, VI, V B. II, III, I, IV, VI, V C. II, I, IV, VI, III, V D. II, I, IV, III, VI, V E. II, IV, I, III, VI, V

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: The proper sequence of sentences to make a meaningful paragraph will be ‘II, I, IV, III, VI, V’: 1) India’s judicial system is one of the oldest legal systems in the world. 2) The framework of the current legal system has been laid down by the Indian Constitution and the judicial system derives its powers from it. 3) The Constitution has also laid out the powers, duties, procedures and structure of the various branches of the state such as the legislature, the executive and the judiciary at the Union and State levels. 4) The independence of judiciary is the cardinal principle enshrined in the Constitution and legal experts worldwide are unanimous that Indian judiciary is one of the most robust and independent institutions with a proven track record. 5) It has rightly won the trust of the people as no other institution of India’s parliamentary democracy has. 6) Nevertheless, the system now is overburdened with long pendency of cases and occasional cases of corruption within the judiciary and its inaccessibility to vulnerable sections of society has raised concerns even among jurists.
8. Religion appears to reduce the incidence of depression among those with medical problems. For instance, University of Michigan Professor of Sociology David Williams conducted a randomized survey of 720 adults suffering from leg and hip injuries in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1990. Those who attended religious services regularly were less depressed and less distressed by life events than those who did not. This finding held across age, race, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and religious affiliation. Religious affiliation alone did not have these effects, but religious behavior did.
The writer of the above statement makes which of the following assumptions?

A. The number of incidences of depressions is getting increased over the time through religious services. B. The number of incidences of depressions is getting reduced over the time through religious services. C. People are becoming more religious day by day to become happy. D. Religious affiliations are instigating people to become more violent. E. The socioeconomic status gets improved by following religious paths.

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: It can be assumed that the number of incidences of depressions is getting reduced over the time and religion can be a supporting factor to that.
9. The impact of 1991 Economic Reforms may be gauged from the fact that total foreign investment (including foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, and investment raised on international capital markets) in India grew from a minuscule US$132 million in 1991–92 to $5.3 billion in 1995–96.
Which of the following would strengthen the above argument?

A. India has always attracted foreign investment in the form of long-term bonds. B. Economic Reforms were mainly introduced to bring privatization. C. Before 1991 Economic Reforms, India was going through Fiscal Deficit. D. The consequences of 1991 Economic Reforms were not quite positive. E. Foreign Investments got decreased after the implementation of 1991 Economic Reforms.

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Third option definitely strengthens the above argument, as fiscal deficit can only be reduced by the inflow of more foreign investments.
10. “There has been a high incidence of death in Rajasthan due to tobacco eating last year”. Hence, the Rajasthan’s Chief Minister suggested that tax rates on dangerous tobacco products like cigarette and gutka should not to be reduced as planned by the government.
Which of the following, if true, will most weaken the above argument?

A. Rajasthan Government is trying to reduce the sale of tobacco in the country. B. Incidences of death due to tobacco eating were high last year as compared to previous year. C. The adults and teenagers have easy access to tobacco products. D. Rajasthan is the only state where the sale of tobacco products is the lowest. E. In Rajasthan, sale of tobacco products is quite high as compared to other states.

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: If the tobacco sale is the lowest in the state, then incidences of death in Rajasthan due to tobacco eating cannot be high.