DIRECTIONS (Qs. 1-40): Four sentences are given below a, b, c and d.

Of these, three statements are in logical order and form a coherent

paragraph/ passage. From the given options, choose the option that
does not fit into the sequence.
1.
(a) The list of horrors goes on.
(c) And one in every five is malnourished.
(d) Nobody has been able to figure out a way to reduce the speed
that is at the root of India's over-population problems: a baby born
every second.
(b) Foods with a high content of absorbable micronutrients are
considered the best means for preventing micronutrient deficiencies.
2.
(b) In fact, it suites the purpose of the politicians, they can drag the
people into submission by appealing to them in the name of religion.
(a) In order to inculcate, the unquestioning belief, they condemn the
other states which do not follow their religion.
(d) The emergence of the theocratic states, where all types of crimes
are committed in the name of religion of the Middle Ages is
dangerous.
(c) Monarchy thus entails not only a political-administrative
organization but also a “court society”.
3.
(d) It was something I knew that it would give me a chance to be my
own boss.
(b) Today I have 800 on my staff; office and members.
(c) Although if you work for an ad agency in the 1960s, evidently it
isn't there either.
(a) I was sick of working for others.
4.
(d) Fire ripped through another pipeline in southern Nigeria, killing at
least 40 people.
(b) Fuel is supplied not only to homes, but also to a variety of
businesses and commercial establishments without any difficulty.
(a) The explosion was the third in two weeks.
(c) Police were deployed to stop villagers from stealing fuel from
other pipelines.
5.
(d) You would be very surprised indeed to find it hot.
(b) Cold, of course.
(c) Rivers are the most obvious and significant feature of the
landscape.
(a) When you go bathing in a river or a pond, do you expect the
water to be hot or cold?
6.
(b) In a number of cases, the drivers have refused to carry
passengers according to the meter reading despite it being in
working condition.
(a) Refusal to carry commuters to their respective destinations is
another common complaint which has been lodged with the call
centres.
(d) The most shocking is the complaints about misbehaviour by the
rickshaw drivers with the passengers.
(c) It's hard to reconcile the image of the paan-chewing driver
greeting you with 'Good morning'.
7.
(b) Finish specialists recommended a chewing gum containing xylitol
– a natural sweetener present in birch, maple, corn and straw – to be
used several times a day by young children.
(c) Chewing gum is a new solution that “may work for parents whose
children suffer from chronic ear infections.
(a) Sugared gums can with heavy use cause tooth that xylitol is
decay, gum disease and cavities.
(d) After Finish studies showed that xylitol is effective in preventing
cavities, a team of researchers decided to investigate its effects on a
very similar type of bacteria which causes ear infections.
8.
(d) The CEO's leadership role also entails being responsible for all
day-to-day management decisions.
(a) The chief executive had done an excellent job in welding a group
of motely and successful companies into one profitable company.
(b) It is not surprising that company had been sitting on a cash hoard
of about $24 billion year after year without any attempt to use it for
growth or development.
(c) The chief executive of the General Electric Company in England
once told me that he was very happy when there were no problems
in any of his many divisions.
9.
(d) Businesses often feel that since they have a lot of market muscle
and in such a dominant position, maintenance will be enough.
(b) IBM fell behind on the concept of “connectivity” and has suffered
as a result.
(a) In recent years, however, even mighty IBM found that market
domination was not enough if you fall behind on concept.
(c) IBM has been well known through most of its recent history as
one of the world's largest computer companies.
10.
(b) In the past, the customised tailoring units were localised to the
township or city and catered exclusively to domestic demand.
(a) Traditionally, Indians preferred custom-made clothing and the
concept of ready-to-wear is a relatively recent one.
(d) This is contrary to the popular notion that Indian men do not
spend as much as women on clothing.
(e) The customised tailoring outfits have always been a major source
of clothing for domestic market.
11.
(a) Michael Hofman, a poet and translator, accepts this sorry fact
without approval.
(c) He acknowledges too - in fact, he returns to the point often - the
best translators of poetry always fail at some level.
(b) Poetry typically follows some type of pattern while prose does
not follow any formal patterns of verses
(d) In terms of the gap between worth and rewards, translators come
somewhere near nurses cleaners and street cleaners.
12.
(b) Reservation should not exceed 50% for the civil services for want
of balance and efficiency.
(a) A common form of caste discrimination in India has been the
practice of untouchability.
(c) The number of aspirants to the civil services in India is very large
and they come from various socio-economic backgrounds.
(d) These aspirants come from both reserved and unreserved
category.
13.
(d) Almost a century ago, when the father of the modern automobile
industry Henry Ford, sold the first Model T car, he decided that only
the best would do for his customers.
(a) In October 2012, Toyota announced a recall of 7.43 million
vehicles worldwide to fix malfunctioning power window switches,
the largest recall since that of Ford Motor Company in 1996.
(b) And for over 90 years, this philosophy has endured in the Ford
Motor company.
(c) Thus a vehicle is ready for the customers only, if it passes the Ford
‘Zero Defect Programme’.
14.
(a) Because, if the manager's subordinates are inefficient and
ineffective and are not helped to increase their efficiency and
effectiveness, the task may not be achieved.
(b) This must be just as true as the responsibility for achieving his
prescribed tasks.
(c) Dealing with employees who don't respect you or your authority
can eventually make your job unbearable.
(d) It is often and that one of the prime responsibilities of a manager
is the training and development of his staff.
15.
(b) Over the last decade, Australia and India have set up Test cricket's
most absorbing rivalry.
(d) Every champion needs a counterpoint; legacies, defined
referentially, draw from the dynamic between world-beater and
contender.
(c) It was tough but India outperformed most of the teams in all
three departments of the game in the last two years.
(a) India, thanks to its natural style of calm aggressive cricket, its
distinctive ability to play at the level of the opposition, and the
confluence of some of the finest cricketers in the contemporary
game, fulfilled this role of contender.
16.
(c) Early in August, as his jeep wound its way through the piles of
burning tyres that angry protestors had used to barricade the road
from Srinagar airport into the city, former Chief Minister Farooq
Abdullah, turned to a journalist sitting next to him with a smile on his
face.
(b) "So," he said, "Are you here to write another article about how I
don't know how to run a government?"
(a) More likely than not, Dr. Abdullah's leadership - or that of Jammu
and Kashmir National Conference President, his son Omar Abdullah -
will soon be put to the test.
(d) The three time chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir asserted that
only dialogue can bring peace in the valley.
17.
(a) A nation has gone against its historical record.
(d) The single undeniable aspect of Obama's legacy is that he
demonstrated that a black man can become (president of the United
States.
(b) Risen above its worst prejudices in one, emotional incandescent
moment.
(c) Well, at least partly, and for a while Americans have voted in
larger numbers than they have in decades, perhaps ever.
18.
(d) This is the time of the year when people go out and shop for their
winter wear.
(b) But it seems economic recession has hit the fashion industry as
well.
(a) We haven't seen exclusive fashion shows from big designers this
winter.
(c) Winters for the past two years have been among the warmest,
during December to March, in north India that heavily impacted
sales of winter clothing by almost 30%.
19.
(b) After all, a story told on the large screen inevitably differs from
that told on the small screen.
(c) This critical difference has an impact on viewership in terms of
age, income and occupation.
(a) In this, the age of multimedia, we have to train ourselves to
understand that as a rule, the medium is the message.
(d) In any play you've got to know what's going on around you so you
can hear your cue to give a line or move in the scene.
20.
(d) The size of the carbon footprint of nations in the developing
world has again come in for serious international discussion.
(c) The failed mission of Copenhagen is the immediate cause of the
resumption of this debate.
(b) While the main triggers of the debate are economic, social and
cultural factors also have a major role to play.
(a) There are both natural and human sources of carbon dioxide
emissions.
21.
(b) For pure vegetarians India is a heaven.
(a) These are also prepared using different methods of cooking like
baking, boiling, frying etc.
(c) Indians like their vegetable curries real hot 'n' spicy and so add a
number of spices to make them really exotic.
(d) In factory farms around the world, animals are very often treated
as commodities just to be exploited for profit.
22.
(a) But it's true that Chinese people were well aware about green tea
from ancient time.
(d) We came to know about this green tea very late.
(b) If I had said that tea is a healthy drink some years before the
introduction of green tea, I might have been ridiculed.
(c) Plain tea doesn't contain any sugar or calories, but many bottled
iced teas on the market are loaded with both.
23.
(c) Environment Education Unit of Centre for Science and
Environment has always been working towards providing easy-to-
understand reading material.
(d) Their new publication on this subject is an attempt to lend
teachers a helping hand.
(a) It unfolds in two sections: Climate Change: how to make sense of
it all, and Natural Resources: how to share and care.
(b) During the past century, human activities have released large
amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere.
24.
(d) A famous Japanese rock garden is at Ryoan-ji in North West
Kyoto, Japan.
(c) A rock garden can also turn an otherwise awkward spot, like a
hard-to-mow slope, into a showcase for your more delicate plants.
(b) The garden is 30 meters long from East to West and 10 meters
from North to South.
(a) There are no trees, just 15 irregularly shaped rocks of varying
sizes, some surrounded by moss, arranged in a bed of white
gravel/sand that is raked every day.
25.
(a) When they gathered together, the Buddha was completely silent
and some speculated that perhaps the Buddha xx-as tired or ill.
(b) It is said that Gautama Buddha gathered his disciples one day for
a Dharma talk.
(d) The Buddha silently held up and twinkled a flower and tinkled his
eves; several of his disciples tried to interpret what this meant,
though none of them was correct.
(c) Emperor Ashoka built the first temple near Bodhi tree during the
3rd Century BCE, almost 300 years after Buddha's period (566-486
B.C.E).
26.
(a) The band has gone through several drummers over the years,
though Travis has held the position since 1989 and is the longest-
serving.
(b) 'Judas Priest' are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham,
England, formed in 1969.
(d) The core line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarist
Glenn Tipton, bassist lan Hill, and drummer Scott Travis.
(c) Pop music is a slow and melodious form of music, where you can
relax while listening to the refreshing songs sung by mega pop stars.
27.
(a) In the past year, CBI has registered 170 cases but most of these
relate to middlemen.
(c) Overall, it is proposed to train nearly 550 investigators and
prosecutors in these eminent national institutions over the next
three years.
(d) This is the job only half done as the agency has not been able to
find any incriminating documents against the political class so far.
(b) CBI has made some headway by identifying 121 impersonators
after scanning details of over 9.5 lakh medical students.
28.
(a) In urban-poor households, it is used for both lighting and
cooking.
(c) A recent report by the CEEW shows how shilling from kerosene to
alternatives such as solar-assisted solutions for lighting and LPG for
cooking could be economically beneficial for both the government as
well as households.
(d) The CEEWs analysis of National Sample Survey Office data
highlights that kerosene is predominantly used as a lighting fuel in
rural India.
(b) LPG is used for cooking in many countries for economic reasons,
for convenience or because it is the preferred fuel source.
29.
(a) The income-tax department is reportedly on an overdrive to nab
tax evaders.
(d) This is extremely unfortunate and will result in harassment of the
middle class.
(b) It occurs whenever there is a change of national currency.
(c) Punitive action against non-disclosure should be in consonance
with the existing income tax law.
30.
(a) Trading or investment ideas come in many ways from stock
brokers, investment advisors, media and in most cases from the man
next door who just got rich by following a friend's 'tip.'
(b) Numerous canteens across the country may soon turn quiet at
the lunch hour if the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)
has its way in regulating the flow stock tips on social media.
(d) SEBI, which wants to protect your wellbeing may unintentionally
be preventing you from getting rich.
(c) The BSE is the world's 11th largest stock exchange with an overall
market capitalization of $1.43 Trillion as of March, 2016.
31.
(c) There is no bottle of ink waiting to be typed over on to my writing
pad.
(d) I always read storybooks, newspapers, magazines, and any other
material that I find interesting in my free time.
(b) While it is true that I do most of my writing by hand, this does not
mean that I will use any pencil or pen that comes to hand.
(a) Being one of the clumsiest humans on earth, I am unable to fill or
refill or empty a fountain pen of its ink without getting the said ink,
black, blue or blue-black, all over my hands or onto my coat-sleeves
or shirt front.
32.
(a) This message was primarily aimed at China, a country with which
India has had differences on the issue of Pakistan-sponsored
terrorism against India.
(c) China portrays itself as a Third World country that pursues “an
independent foreign policy of peace.”
(d) China had recently put a technical hold once again at the United
Nations and prevented Azhar from being designated a global
terrorist, despite JeM being a UN-proscribed terror group.
(b) The Prime Minister's focus, by and large, remained on the issue
of terrorism.
33.
(a) Many Indian MNCs with global footprints need linguists to help
them in foreign land.
(b) As the global marketplace expands, the need of personnel who
can communicate in foreign language will increase.
(d) But learning a foreign language is fast becoming a necessary job
skill in its own right.
(c) According to the American Community Survey, more than one in
5 individuals over the age of 5 (21%) speak a language other than
English at home.
34.
(d) It must be appreciated that there is an imperative need for such
special legislations as the normal laws are not adequate to deal with
the situation.
(a) An important issue which has come up in this context relates to
the need for special legislation to cope with the situation.
(b) Any discussion on human rights is incomplete without reference
to the security and terrorist threats facing the country.
(c) But it remains to be seen if the demonetisation really reduced
corruption and whether black money hoarders were truly affected by
the policy.
35.
(c) Else India will continue to be placed in no-win situations, on the
outside looking in as at present.
(b) ASEAN'S decision to tighten its integration should serve as a
wake-up call to India's policy makers.
(a) The success of regional trade agreements where India is not a
party should prod the Centre to quickly move forward with domestic
economic reforms.
(d) The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global
international organization dealing with the rules of trade between
nations.
36.
(a) In this particular case FBI has asked Apple to help them crack into
one particular phone, not develop a generic backdoor into Apple's
encryption.
(b) This could help authorities unearth terror plots and save lives.
(c) In these exceptional circumstances, a channel must be available
for security agencies to access data on devices used by terrorists.
(d) Even if it is argued that terrorism is employed by revolutionaries
as a 'tactic', such means cannot justify the end.
37.
(a) Ambedkar became part of the Constituent Assembly, was
assigned the task of preparing the first draft of the Constitution.
(b) He then joined Nehru's Cabinet as India's first law minister, but
quit later over the question of the Hindu Code Bill.
(d) At that point of time Ambedkar wasn't sure he would be part of
the Constitution making body.
(c) The Constitution applies to the State of Jammu and Kashmir with
certain exceptions and modifications as provided in article 370 and
the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954.
38.
(c) Most heartening is that India is now the 26th easiest place to get
an electricity connection, up 25 places from last year.
(d) That the Bank in its Doing Business 2017 report now ranks India
130 among 190 countries, just one notch higher than last year, is
therefore likely to be taken as a signal of the snail's pace of economic
reform.
(a) As proof of its commitment to economic renewal, the Narendra
Modi government had set itself the target of breaking into the top 50
in the World Bank's annual ranking of countries on ease of starting
and operating a for-profit enterprise.
(b) After the Modi government came the inflation had come down to
around 5% while revised gross domestic product (GDP) data was
pointing to a growth at 7.4% and will help India better even China.
39.
(d) However, it is vulnerable to deliberate abuse, accidental bungling,
and occasional failures.
(b) Stories of such anomalies are not rare in the criminal justice
system of the United States.
(c) In every nation the justice system strives to be perfect.
(a) The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message:
we will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
40.
(a) The recent announcement of Rs 11,300 crore for the Swachh
Bharat Mission (SUM) in the 2016-17 budget reiterates this.
(c) There is an urgent need to build greater momentum around a
broader understanding of what will make India truly Swachh.
(d) Nearly 17 months have passed since Prime Minister Narendra
Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, 2014.
(b) The effects of poor environmental sanitation are numerous and
they include human disease, poor overall human health and
economic disadvantages as well as social disadvantages.
Hints & Explanations
1. (b) Statement b is just out of context; hence, excluded.
2. (c) The monarchy does not find mention in the paragraph, so,
excluded as an odd sentence.
3. (c) The sentence stating working for an ad agency can not be a
part of the paragraph.
4. (b) Statement b just looks odd in the paragraph. Hence, should
be the answer.
5. (c) Statement c does not connect with other three sentences, so,
excluded.
6. (c) The statement about the paan-chewing driver greeting you
with 'Good morning' does not fit into the passage.
7. (a) Sentence a seems to be out of context, hence is the odd
one.
8. (d) 'd' stating CEO's leadership role seems to be unfit
in the paragraph, hence, should be excluded.
9. (c) 'c' is the odd sentence which does not fit into the
arranged paragraph, hence, is the answer.
10.(d) The statement denoting that Indian men do not
spend as much as women on clothing seems to be out of
context.
11. (b) 'The difference between prose and poetry' has no
mention in other sentences; hence, b is an odd sentence.
12. (a) Sentence a does not match with the core issue of
the paragraph, so, excluded.
13. (a) The statement a seems to be unfit into the
paragraph; so, excluded.
14. (c) Sentence c does not match with the paragraph;
hence, excluded.
15. (c) Statement c does not seem to belong to the
paragraph; so, it is excluded.
16.(d) Statement d is not the part of the conversation
between the chief minister and reporter.
17. (d) The statement which talks of Obama's legacy does
not seem to be the part of the paragraph.
18. (c) Statement c talks of the winter season and not
winter wear; hence, is the odd sentence.
19. (d) Statement d does not match with other three
sentences so, it is excluded.
20. (a) Sentence a talks of the sources of carbon dioxide
emissions which does not fit into the paragraph.
21. (d) Statement d seems to be odd in the paragraph.
22. (c) Sentence c talks of the demerits of the tea which is
not the issue in the paragraph.
23.(b) Statement b seems to be out of context, hence,
excluded.
24. (c) Statement c seems not to be so close to the
paragraph, so, excluded.
25. (c) Statement c talks of Ashoka building the first
temple near Bodhi tree which is out of context.
26. (c) Statement about pop singers is not relevant to the
paragraph; so, excluded.
27. (c) Proposing to train investigators and prosecutors
seems to be out of context.
28.(b) LPG does not find mention in the other three
sentences; hence, is an odd sentence.
29. (b) Statement b talks of change in national currency
which is irrelevant to the paragraph.
30. (c) Statement c talks of Bombay Stock Exchange which
is not relevant to the paragraph.
31. (d) This sentence mentions writer's hobbies which is
not relevant to other sentences.
32. (c) Sentence c addresses China's foreign policy while
other sentences discuss the terrorism issue with India.
33.(c) Statement c about individuals speaking a language
other than English at home is out of context.
34. (c) Statement c talks of demonetization while others
discuss handling terrorism by making legislations.
35. (d) Statement d is about WTO whereas all three
sentences talk of ASEAN.
36. (d) Statement d does not match with other three
sentences which discuss FBI and international terrorism.
37. (c) Statement c talks of Article 370 which is not
relevant to the paragraph.
38. (b) Statement b focuses on inflation and GDP while
other sentences discuss the ease of doing business.
39. (a) Statement a warning Iran about its nuclear
ambitions is not relevant to the paragraph.
40. (b) Statement b talks of the effects of poor
environmental sanitation which is not relevant here.