Verbal Section : Reading Comprehension

8. Certain scraps of evidence bear out those who hold a very high opinion of the average level of culture among the Athenians of the great age. Pericles's funeral speech is undoubtedly the most famous evidence from Athenian literature, that its level was indeed high. However, Pericles was a politician, and it is possible that he was flattering his audience. We know that thousands of Athenians sat hour after hour in the theater listening to the plays of the great Greek dramatists. The Greek plays, particularly the tragedies, maintained an extremely high intellectual level throughout, with no letdowns, no concessions to the lowbrows or to the demands of ''realism'', like the gravediggers scene in Shakespeare's Hamlet. The music and dancing seen in these plays were also of an equally high level. The best modern parallel can be seen in the restrained, difficult opera of the 18th century. The comparison is no doubt dangerous, but can you imagine almost the entire population of an American city (in suitable installments, of course) sitting through performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni or Gluck's Orpheus? Perhaps the Athenian masses went to these plays because of a lack of other amusements. They could at least understand something of what went on, since the subjects were part of their folklore. Undoubtedly the theme of grand opera is not part of the folklore of the American people.
   1. From the passage it is evident that the author seems to question the sincerity of
      1. politicians
      2. playwrights
      3. opera goers
      4. ''low brows''
      5. gravediggers.

      Ans : A

   2. According to the author the average American
      1. Enjoys Hamlet
      2. Loves folklore
      3. Is not able to understand grand opera
      4. Seeks a high cultural level
      5. Lacks entertainment.

      Ans : C

   3. From the passage, we can say that the author's attitude toward Greek plays is one of
      1. Qualified approval
      2. Grudging admiration
      3. Studied indifference
      4. Partial hostility
      5. Great respect.

      Ans : E

   4. The author makes a suggestion that Greek plays
      1. Were demanding on the actors
      2. Flattered their audiences
      3. Were focussed on a limited audience
      4. Were dominated by music and dancing
      5. Stimulated their audiences.

      Ans : E

9. Everyone conforms to infancy, infancy conforms to nobody, so that one babe commonly makes four or five out of the adults who prattle and play to it. So God has armed youth and puberty and manhood no less with its own piquancy and charm, and made it enviable and gracious and its claims not to be put by, if it will stand by itself. Do not think the youth has no force, because he cannot speak to you and me. Hark! In the next room his voice is sufficiently clear and emphatic. It seems he knows how to speak to his contemporaries. Bashful or bold, then, he will know how to make us seniors very unnecessary.

   The healthy attitude of human nature can be seen in the nonchalance of boys who are sure of a dinner, and would disdain as much as a lord to do or say aught to conciliate one. A boy is in the parlor what the pit is in the playhouse; independent, irresponsible, looking out from his corner on such people and facts as pass by, he tries and sentences them on their merits, in the swift, summary way of boys, as good, bad, interesting, silly, eloquent, troublesome. He never cumbers himself regarding consequences, about interests and he gives an independent, genuine verdict. You should court him: he will not court you. But the man is, as it were, clapped into jail by his consciousness. As soon as he has once acted or spoken with eclat, he is a committed person, watched by the sympathy or the hatred of hundreds, whose affections must now enter into his account. There is no Lethe for this. Ah, that he could pass again into his neutrality.

   These are the voices, which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Everywhere society is conspiring against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is joint - stock company, in which members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. It is averse to self-reliance. What it loves is names and customs and not realities and creators.

   Whosoever is a man has to be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.

   No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that to this; the only right is what is after my constitution, the only right is what is after me constitution, the only wrong what is against it. A man is to carry himself in the presence of all opposition as if every thing were titular and ephemeral but he. I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions. Every decent and well-spoken individual affects and sways me more than is right. I ought to go upright and vital, and speak the rude truth in all ways.

   I shun father and mother and wife and brother, when my genius calls me. I would write on the lintels of the doorpost, whim. I hope it is somewhat better than whim at last, but we cannot spend the day in explanation. Except me not to show cause why I seek or why I exclude company. Then, again, do not tell me, as a good man did not to-day, of my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they my poor? I tell thee, thou foolish philanthropist, that I grudge the dollar, the time, the cent, I give to such men as do not belong to me and to whom I do not belong. There is a class of person to whom by all spiritual affinity I am bought and sold; for them I will go to prison, if need be; but your miscellaneous popular charities; the education at collage of fools; the building of meeting - house to the vain end to which many now stand; alms to sots; and the thousandfold Relief Societies; - though I confess with shame I sometimes succumb and give the dollar, it is a wicked dollar which by and by I shall have the manhood to withhold.

   If you refuse to conform, you can experience the displeasure of the world. Hence, a man should know how to estimate a sour face. The by - standers look askance on him in the public street or in the friend's parlor. In case this aversion originates from contempt and resistance similar to his own, it might result in a sad countenance; but the sour faces of the multitude, like their sweet faces, have no deep cause, but are caused by reasons as diverse as the direction of the wind and what he reads in the newspapers. Yet is the discontent of the multitude more formidable than that of the senate and the collage.

   Another factor, which frightens us from self - trust in our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word, because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them.

   But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Why drag about this corpse of your memory, lest you contradict somewhat you have stated in this or that public place? Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then?

   This is a rather silly consistency in our minds, which is adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. Uniformly a great soul has almost nothing to do, he could just occupy himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words; and to-morrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said to-day. - ''Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.'' - Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. What can be considered to be truly great is to be misunderstood.

   1. Which of the following statements would best describe the main theme of the above passage?
      1. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little mind."
      2. "Eternal youth means eternal independence."
      3. "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist."
      4. "Colleges are designed to educate fools."
      5. "Infancy conforms to nobody."

      Ans : C

   2. When is the period during which we are most nonconformist?
      1. infancy
      2. puberty
      3. youth
      4. manhood
      5. old age

      Ans : A

   3. In his statement ''What can be considered to be truly great is to be misunderstood'' the author means:
      1. One should refrain from saying, what one exactly means
      2. Being misunderstood, equals being great
      3. All great man have always been misunderstood
      4. Even though a person might be considered inconsistent, he shouldn't hesitate to change his mind if he feels the need to.
      5. It is seldom, that nice people succeed

      Ans : D

   4. As inferred from the passage, the refusal of young people to cater to accept public opinion is:
      1. A feature of the rebelliousness of youth
      2. A healthy attitude of human nature
      3. A manifestation of deep - seated immaturity
      4. Simply bad manners
      5. Part of growing up

      Ans : B

   5. "Society is a joint-stock company etc." is one way which the author shows
      1. The anti-culture attitude of the public
      2. Society is highly organized and structured
      3. The self-rejection of society
      4. The lack of room for solitude in our world
      5. The public's interest in the stock market

      Ans : C

   6. " I would write on the lintels of the doorpost, whim." What does the author mean by this statement:
      1. That one should renounce his immediate family
      2. That signposts have an important educational function in our society
      3. That an impulsive action may have a subsequent rational explanation
      4. That one must never be held responsible for what one says and does
      5. That everyone should do foolish things occasionally

      Ans : C

   7. Which of the following statements best summarizes the spirit and sense of the above passage?
      1. "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."
      2. "With consistency, a great soul; has simply nothing to do."
      3. "Do not think the youth has no force, because cannot speak to you and me."
      4. "The virtue in most request is conformity."
      5. "A man must know how to estimate a sour force."

      Ans : A

10. Furthermore, insofar as any conclusion about its author can be drawn from five or six plays attributed to him, the Wakefield Master is without exception considered to be a man of sharp contemporary observation. He was, probably clerically educated, as indicated by his Latin and music, his Biblical and patristic lore. Even today he is remembered for his his quick sympathy for the oppressed and forgotten man, his sharp eye for character, a ready ear for colloquial, vernacular turns of speech and a humor alternately rude and boisterous, coarse and happy. Therefore in spite of his conscious artistry as can be seen in his feeling for intricate metrical and stanza forms, he is regarded as a kind of medieval Steinbeck, indignantly angry at, uncompromisingly and even brutally realistic in presenting the plight of the agricultural poor.

    It is now fairly accepted to regard the play as a kind of ultimate point in the secularization of the medieval drama. Therefore more stress has been laid on it as depicting realistically humble manners and pastoral life in the bleak of the west riding of Yorkshire on a typically cold night of December 24th. After what are often regarded as almost ''documentaries'' given in the three successive monologues of the three shepherds, critics go on to affirm that the realism is then intensified into a burlesque mock-treatment of the Nativity. Finally as a sort of epilogue or after-thought in deference to the Biblical origins of the materials, the play slides back into an atavistic mood of early innocent reverence. In actuality, the final scene is the culminating scene and also the raison d’etre of the introductory ''realism.''

    Superficially the present play supports the conventional view of its mood of secular realism. At the same time, the ''realism'' of the Wakefield Master is of a paradoxical turn. His wide knowledge of people, as well as books indicates no cloistered contemplative but one in close relation to his times. Still, that life was after all a predominantly religious one, a time which never neglected the belief that man was a rebellious and sinful creature in need of redemption . So deeply (one can hardly say ''naively'' of so sophisticated a writer) and implicitly religious is the Master that he is less able (or less willing) to present actual history realistically than is the author of the Brome Abraham and Isaac. His historical sense is even less realistic than that of Chaucer who just a few years before had done for his own time ''costume romances,'' such as The Knight's Tele, Troilus and Cressida, etc. Furthermore, used highly romantic materials, which could excuse his taking liberties with history.

    1. Of the following statements, which is not true of Wakefield Master?
       1. He and Chaucer were contemporaries.
       2. Wakefield Master is remembered as having written five or six realistic plays.
       3. His plays realistically portray the plight of the country folk of his day
       4. His writing was similar to that of John Steinbeck.
       5. He was an accomplished artist.

       Ans : D

    2. The word 'patristic' in the first paragraph is used to mean:
       1. patriotic
       2. superstitious
       3. folk
       4. relating to the Christian Fathers
       5. realistic

       Ans : D

    3. The statement about the ''secularization of the medieval drama'' (opening sentence of the second paragraph) refers to the
       1. Introduction of religious themes in the early days
       2. Presentation of erudite material
       3. Use of contemporary materials
       4. Return to early innocent reverence at the end of the play
       5. Introduction of mundane matters in religious plays

       Ans : E

    4. From the following what would the writer be expected to do in the subsequent paragraphs:
       1. Make a justification for his comparison with Steinbeck
       2. Put forth a view point, which would take up the thought of the second paragraph
       3. Point out the anachronisms in the play
       4. Discuss the works of Chaucer
       5. Talk about the lack of realism in the works of the Wakefield Master.

       Ans : B

11. The establishment of the third Reich influenced events in American history by starting a chain of events which culminated in war between Germany and the United States. The complete destruction of democracy, the persecution of laws, the war on religion, the cruelty and barrbarism of the Nazis and especially, the plans of Germany and her allies, Italy and Japan, for world conquest caused great indignation in this country and brought on fear of another world war. While speaking out against Hitler's atrocities, the American profile generally favored isolationist policies, and neutrality. The neutrality acts of 1935 and 1936 prohibited trade with any belligerents or loans to them. In 1937 the president was empowered to declare an arms embargo in wars between nations at his discretion

    American opinion began to change somewhat after President Roosevelt's quarantine the aggvessor speech at Chicago (1937) in which he severely criticized Hitler's policies. Germany's seizure of Austria and Munich pact for the partition of Czechoslovakia (1938) also around the American people. The conquest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 was another rude awakening to the menace of the third Reich. In August, 1939, came the shock of the Nazi - Soviet pact and in September the attack on Poland and the outbreak of European war. The United States attempt to maintain neutrality in spite of sympathy for the democracies arranged against the Third Reich. The Neutrality act of 1939 repeated the arms embargo and permitted 'cash' and 'carry' exports of arms to belligerent nations. A strong national defense program was begun. A draft act was passed (1940) to strengthen the military services. A Lend - Lease Act (1940) authorized the president to sell, exchange or lend materials to any county deemed necessary by him for the defense of the United States. Help was given to Britain territory in the western Hemisphere. In August 1941, President Roosevelt and prime minister Churchill met and issued the Atlantic Charter which proclaimed the kind of a world which should be established after the war. In December 1941, Japan launched the unprovoked attack on the United States at Pearl harbor, immediately thereafter Germany declared war on the united states.

    1. USA entered the war against Germany
       1. because Pearl Harbor was attacked
       2. after peaceful efforts had failed
       3. because Germany declare war against it
       4. because Japan was an ally of Germany
       5. after Germany had signed the Nazi - Soviet pact

       Ans : C

    2. The Neutrality Act of 1939 favored Great Britain because
       1. the British had command of the sea
       2. the law permitted U.S.A. to trade only with the allies.
       3. it antagonized Japan
       4. it led to the Land - Lease Act
       5. it agreed with the British on the principle of the Atlantic Charter

       Ans : A

    3. An event that did not occur in 1939 was the
       1. invasion of Poland
       2. invasion of Czechoslovakia
       3. passing of the Neutrality Act
       4. passing of the Land - Lease act
       5. outbreak of the war in Europe

       Ans : D

    4. One item occurring 1937 that the author does not mention in the list of actions that alienated the American Public was
       1. The persecution of religious groups
       2. Nazi barbarism
       3. The pacts with Italy
       4. German plans for conquest of the world
       5. The burning of the Reich tag.

       Ans : E

    5. The Land - Lease Act has designed to
       1. Strengthen USA's national defense
       2. Provide battle shit to the Allies
       3. Help the British
       4. the Atlantic Charter
       5. Avenge Pearl Harbor

       Ans : A

    6. The Neutrality Act of 1939
       1. restated America's isolationist policies
       2. proclaimed American neutrality
       3. permitted the selling of arms to belligerent nation
       4. was cause of USA's entrances in to WORLD WAR II
       5. started USA's national defense programs

       Ans : C

    7. During the years 1933-36, American policy may be described as having been
       1. watchful
       2. isolationist
       3. pacific
       4. incorrect
       5. discretionary

       Ans : B

12. There was in increase of about 10 % in the investment in the public sector, like electricity, irrigation quarrying, public services and transport; even though the emphasis leaned towards transport and away from the other sectors mentioned. A 16-17% growth in investment, including a 30% increase in investment in business premises has been recorded in trade and services. Although there continued to be a decline in the share of agriculture in total gross investment in the economy, investment grew by 9% in absolute terms, largely spurred on by a 23% expansion of investment in agriculture equipment. Housing construction had 12% more invested in it in 1964, not so much owing to increase demand, as to fears of impending new taxes and limitation of building.

    There was a rise of close to 11% in the total consumption in real terms during 1964 and per capita personal consumption by under 7%, as in 1963. The undesirable trend towards a rapid rise in consumption, evident in previous years, remains unaltered. Since at current prices consumption rose by 16% and disposable income by 13%, there was evidently a fall in the rate of saving in the private sector of the economy. Once again a swift advance in the standard of living was indicated in consumption patterns. Though fruit consumption increased, expenditure on food, especially bread and staple items, declined significantly. There was a continuing increase in the outlay on furniture and household equipment, health, education and recreation. The greatest proof of altered living standards was the rapid expansion of expenditure on transport (including private cars) and personal services of all kinds, which occurred during 1964. The changing composition if purchased durable goods demonstrated the progressive affluence of large sectors of the public. On the one hand increased purchase of automobiles and television sets were registered, a point of saturation was rapidly being approached for items like the first household radio, gas cookers, and electric refrigerators.

    1. It is possible to to conclude from this passage, that the people of the country were
       1. spending more money than they earn
       2. investing and consuming at an accelerated pace
       3. saving more money than previously
       4. spending their money wisely
       5. lacking in necessities

       Ans : B

    2. According to the author the trend towards a rapid rise in consumption is "undesirable" as:
       1. there was an increase in the expenditure on frills and luxuries
       2. the people were affluent
       3. there was a rise in the standard of living
       4. people were eating less
       5. people were saving less

       Ans : E

    3. It is possible to conclude that the United States is not the discussed country as:
       1. there was a decline in the expenditures for food
       2. From the statement that the saturation point was rapidly being approached for first household radios
       3. there is no mention of military expenditures
       4. the people were affluent
       5. the people were not saving their money

       Ans : B

    4. The area, which saw the greatest expenditure of investment funds was
       1. The public sector
       2. Business premises
       3. Housing construction
       4. Agricultural equipment
       5. A field which cannot be determined

       Ans : E

13. Visual recognition involves storing and retrieving memories. Neural activity, triggered by the eye, forms an image in the brains memory system that constitutes an internal representation of the viewed object. When an object is encountered again, it is matched with its internal representation and thereby recognized. Controversy surrounds the question of whether recognition is a parallel, one-step process or a serial, step-by-step one. Psychologists of the Gestalt school maintain that object are recognized as wholes in a parallel procedure : , the internal representation is matched with the retinal image in a single operation. Other psychologists have proposed that internal representation features are matched serially with an object's features. Although some experiments show that, as an object become familiar, its internal representation becomes more familiar, its internal representation becomes more holistic and the recognition process correspondingly more parallel, the weight of evidence seems to support the serial hypothesis, at least for objects that are not notably simple and familiar.
    1. It can be inferred from the passage that the matching process in visual recognition is
       1. Not a natural activity.
       2. Not possible when an object is viewed for the very first time.
       3. Not possible if a feature of a familiar object is changed in same way.
       4. Only possible when a retinal image is received in the brain as a unitary whole.
       5. Now fully understood as a combination of the serial and parallel process.

       Ans : A

    2. In terms of its tone and form, the passage can best be characterized as
       1. A biased exposition
       2. A speculative study
       3. A dispassionate presentation
       4. An indignant denial
       5. A dogmatic explanation.

       Ans : C

    3. The author is primarily concerned with
       1. Explaining how the brain receives images
       2. Synthesizing hypotheses of visual recognition
       3. Examining the evidence supporting the serial recognition hypothesis
       4. Discussing visual recognition and some hypotheses proposed to explain it.
       5. Reporting on recent experiments dealing with memory systems and their relationship to neural activity.

       Ans : B

    4. According to the passage, Gestalt psychologists make which of the following suppositions about visual recognition?
       I A retinal image is in exactly the same form as its internal representation
       II An object is recognized as a whole without any need for analysis into component parts.
       III The matching of an object with its internal representation occurs in only one step
       1. II only
       2. III only
       3. I and III only
       4. II and III only
       5. I, II and III

       Ans : D

14. According to Albert Einstein the non mathematician, is seized by a mysterious shuddering when he hears of 'four-dimensional' things, he is seized by a feeling, which is very similar to the thoughts awakened by the occult. And at the same time the statement that the world in which we live is a four-dimensional space - time continuum is quite a common place statement.

    This might lead to an argument regarding the use of the term ''commonplace'' by Einstein. Yet the difficulty lies more in the wording than the ideas. Einstein's concept of the universe as a four-dimensional space-time continuum becomes plain and clear, when what he means by ''continuum'' becomes clear. A continuum is something that is continuous, A ruler, for example, is a one-dimensional space continuum. Most rulers are divided into inches and fractions, scaled down to one-sixteenth of an inch.

    Will it be possible to conceive a ruler, which is calibrated to a millionth or billionth of an inch. In theory there is no reason why the steps from point to point should not be even smaller. What distinguishes a continuum is the fact that the space between any two points can be sub-divided into an infinite number of smaller divisions.

    A railroad track is a one-dimensional space continuum and on it the engineer of a train can describe his position at any time by citing a single co-ordinate point - i.e., a station or a milestone. A sea captain, however, has to worry about two dimensions. The surface of the sea is a two-dimensional continuum and the co-ordinate points by which sailor fixes his positions in his two dimensional continuum are latitude and longitude. An airplane pilot guides his plane through a three - dimensional continuum, hence he has to consider not only latitude and longitude, but also his height above the ground. The continuum of an airplane pilot constitutes space as we perceive it. In other words, the space of our world is a three-dimensional continuum.

    Just indicating its position in space is not enough while describing any physical event, which involves motion. How position changes in time also needs to be mentioned. Thus to give an accurate picture of the operation of a New York - Chicago express, one must mention not only that it goes from New - York to Albany to Syracuse to Cleveland to Toledo to Chicago, but also the times at which it touches each of those points. This can be done either by means of a timetable or a visual chart. If the miles between New York and Chicago are plotted horizontally on a piece of ruled paper and the hours and minutes are plotted vertically, then a diagonal line properly drawn across the page illustrates the progress of the train in two - dimensional space - time continuum. This type of graphic representation is familiar to most newspaper readers; a stock market chart, for example, pictures financial events in a two - dimensional dollar - time continuum. Similarly for the best picturization of the flight of an airplane from New York to Los Angeles a four - dimensional space - time continuum is essential. The latitude, longitude and altitude will only make sense to the traffic manager of the airline if the time co - ordinate is also mentioned. Therefore time is the fourth dimension. If a flight has to be looked at, perceived as a whole, it wouldn't work if it is broken down into a series of disconnected take - offs, climbs, glides, and landing, it needs to be looked at and perceived as a continuous four - dimensional space - time continuum curve.

    1. In order to explain a difficult topic, the author use
       1. Simply phrased definition's
       2. An incessant metaphor
       3. A plain writing style
       4. Familiar images
       5. A quotation from Einstein

       Ans : D

    2. The significant feature of a continuum, according to the passage, revolves around
       1. The divisibility of the interval between any two points.
       2. An ordinary ruler's caliber for marking
       3. Its unending curve
       4. Its lucid from providing comprehensibility to the non - scientists as well
       5. Its variety of co - ordinates.

       Ans : A

    3. The purpose of this passage is to highlight the point that
       1. Plots and sea captains have something in common
       2. Stock market charts may be helpful to physicists
       3. The fourth dimension is time.
       4. Non - mathematician's are often afraid of the commonplace
       5. There is a marked quality to distance

       Ans : C

    4. According to the passage, an airlines traffic manager depends upon all of the following EXCEPT
       1. latitude
       2. altitude
       3. the time co - ordinate
       4. longitude
       5. the continuous curve in co four

       Ans : E

    5. The underlying tone of this selection is
       1. persuasive
       2. deferential
       3. candid
       4. instructive
       5. gently condescending

       Ans : D

    6. According to the author if on wishes portray a physical event in which motion plays a role - one has to
       1. Make use of a time-table
       2. Indicate how position changes in time
       3. Be conversant with the scientist's theories
       4. Describe it graphically
       5. Be aware of altitude, latitude and longitude

       Ans : B

    7. The sea-captain's example has been cited in order to
       1. Help understand a two - dimensional continuum
       2. Set up a logical progression
       3. Simplify what ever is too elaborate
       4. Mitigate the gap between the engineer and pilot
       5. To sustain out interest in the reading of the passage.

       Ans : A
        To Antonyms