English Quiz

Directions Questions (1 to 5): Rearrange the following six sentences A, B, C, D, E, and F in the proper sequence so as to form a meaningful paragraph, then answer the questions given below them.

A. The time for some genuine whistle blowing is now and business leaders like Mr. Tata must stand up and be counted.
B. Recent revelations of corruption, followed by some decisive action by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has whet the nation’s appetite for greater transparency in government.
C. More heads may roll as other instances of corruption in public life and in high places are exposed.
D. The time has come for leaders of Indian business who believe in good governance to speak up and strengthen the hands of those in government who wish to take action but are unable to do so for want of information.
E. A wave of middle-class anger is sweeping through the country.
F. Or else it may be too late and the anger may subside, so will the demand for transparency.

Question.1. Which of the following will be the LAST sentence?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) F

Question.2. Which of the following will be the FOURTH sentence?
1) F
2) E
3) D
4) C
5) B

Question.3. Which of the following will be the THIRD sentence?
1) F
2) E
3) D
4) C
5) A

Question.4. Which of the following will be the FIRST sentence?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) F

Question.5. Which of the following will be the SECOND sentence?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E

Directions for questions 6 to 10: Given below is a passage with five blanks numbered 26 to 30. Options for the blanks are given against corresponding numbers below the passage. Fill up the blanks with the most appropriate word from the options given.

Only public universities have the potential to be truly world-class institutions. Institutions and programmes of national ___6___ have already been identified by the Government. But these institutions have not been ___7___ or consistently supported. The top institutions require sustained funding from public sources. Academic salaries must be high enough to attract excellent scientists and scholars. Fellowships and other grants should be available for bright students. An academic culture that is based on merit-based norms and competition for advancement and research funds is a necessary component, as is a ___8___ mix of autonomy to do creative research and accountability to ___9___productivity. World class universities require world class professors and students – and a culture to sustain and ___10___ them.

Question.6. 
1) prominence
2) level
3) standards
4) symbol
5) level

Question.7. 
1) primarily
2) compulsorily
3) precisely
4) adequately
5) sufficient

Question.8. 
1) fundamental
2) judicious
3) relevant
4) nominal
5) reverent

Question.9. 
1) ensure
2) disable
3) contribute
4) arrange
5) ensue

Question.10.
1) decode
2) stimulate
3) provoke
4) demote
5) demotivate

Answers ▼

Answer for Question (1 – 5): The correct sequence is BECDAF. B is clearly the opening sentence of the paragraph as it introduces the topic of corruption.EC forms a mandatory pair as they talk about growing uneasiness and public anger against corruption. C is followed by D, which is further followed by A. Mr. Tata in A is one of the leaders of Indian business, referred to in D. AF also forms a mandatory pair for they talk about the action that can be taken to stem corruption. ‘Or else’ acts as a connector.

Answer.6. 1; The preceding line suggests that the institutions and programmes that have been identified by the government must be of national prominence, i.e. they are important on a national level. The other options do not logically fit in the sentence.

Answer.7. 4; The sentence suggests that even though the given institutions are of national prominence, they have not received enough or consistent support. Hence, ‘adequately’ logically fits in the sentence.

Answer.8. 2; The sentence talks of a mix of autonomy and accountability which should be ‘judicious’ in nature to be productive. The other options do not justify the importance of the mix in ensuring productivity.

Answer.9. 1; Option (1) logically fits into the sentence. Productivity has to be ‘ensured’ and not ‘disabled’. ‘To contribute’ to something is the correct usage of this word and hence, is negated. ‘Arrange’ does not logically fit into the context of the passage and hence, is negated.

Answer.10. 2; Option (1) does not logically fit into the sentence because ‘decode’ refers to deciphering something. Option (3) is inappropriate as the students do not need to be provoked but need to be stimulated, i.e. to make a person active or excited. Option (4) is negated because of the negative connotation of the word. ‘Sustain’ suggests that the blank will take a positive word. So, option (5) is also negated, making option (2) the answer.