Reading Comprehensions

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Read the passages and answer the questions that follow “I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Q1. The poet is describing the beauty of • A bright sunny morning • A particular flower stretched across a bay • A type of penguins filled along the shore of a beautiful island • None of the above

“The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: Q2. In the line “but they out-did the sparkling waves in glee” the author implies • The daffodils are happily flying in a rhythmic wave • The beauty of the daffodils outweigh that of the waves that touch the shore • The daffodils dance along with the rhythmic wave of the shore • The daffodils are dancing due to the cool breeze flowing out of the bay Q3. “Jocund” means • Joking • High spirited • Intelligent • Grand

“The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: Q4. “What wealth the show to me had brought” the poet refers to wealth as • Power of watching such a scenery • Pride of travelling • Joy of loneliness • None of the above

For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.” Q5. “Pensive mood” means • Happy • Thoughtful • Peaceful • Worried

Answers Q1. b Q2. b Q3. b Q4. c Q5. b

[Sherlock Holmes interviews Madame Simza Heron] Sherlock Holmes: Right, I can do better. [sets another card down] The two of cups: a powerful bond. But between whom? A brother and sister, perhaps? [Simza looks at Holmes, realizing what his words mean] And I see a name. Yes, it's.... "Rene". Madame Simza Heron: What do you want? Sherlock Holmes: The Devil. [Places a Devil card on top of the other cards] Madame Simza Heron: Why are we playing this game? [Holmes pulls out of his jacket the letter he snatched from Irene at the auction house; Simza examines it] Where did you get this? Sherlock Holmes: I stole it from a woman at an auction room, but I believe it was intended for you. [Simza unfolds the paper inside the envelope, revealing a sketch of Rene's face; Simza reads the letter on the other side] Q1. Why is Holmes meeting Simza? • She is a fortune teller • She has information about Rene • He wants her alive • He wanted to protect her from being killed by a Cossack

[Sherlock Holmes interviews Madame Simza Heron] Sherlock Holmes: Right, I can do better. [sets another card down] The two of cups: a powerful bond. But between whom? A brother and sister, perhaps? [Simza looks at Holmes, realizing what his words mean] And I see a name. Yes, it's.... "Rene". Madame Simza Heron: What do you want? Sherlock Holmes: The Devil. [Places a Devil card on top of the other cards] Madame Simza Heron: Why are we playing this game? [Holmes pulls out of his jacket the letter he snatched from Irene at the auction house; Simza examines it]Where did you get this? Sherlock Holmes: I stole it from a woman at an auction room, but I believe it was intended for you. [Simza unfolds the paper inside the envelope, revealing a sketch of Rene's face; Simza reads the letter on the other side] Q2. Rene is Simza’s _____ • Husband • Wife • Brother • Daughter

[Sherlock Holmes interviews Madame Simza Heron] Sherlock Holmes: Though you may not have detected the wisp of astrakhan snagged on a nail over my left shoulder, you couldn't have failed to notice the overpowering aroma of herring pickled in vodka, in tandem with a truly unfortunate body odour. There's a man concealed in the rafters above us: a Cossack - renowned for their infeasible acrobatic abilities, and are notorious for moonlighting as assassins. So it's safe to presume that your next client is here to kill you. [smiles] Anything else? [Simza does not answer] No?[Holmes starts to leave, but suddenly turns around and pulls out an umbrella, hooks it around the Cossack’s knee and pulls on it, causing him to fall out of his hiding place and attack’s the Cossack. He then turns to Simza and says] Come with me. I need you alive. Now! Q3. Holmes believes that Simza might have failed to notice “wisp of astrakhan” on his shoulders but not • A man concealed in her ceiling • Her next client • The strong odour of alcohol • The letter that Holmes wanted Simza to read

[Sherlock Holmes interviews Madame Simza Heron] Sherlock Holmes: Though you may not have detected the wisp of astrakhan snagged on a nail over my left shoulder, you couldn't have failed to notice the overpowering aroma of herring pickled in vodka, in tandem with a truly unfortunate body odour. There's a man concealed in the rafters above us: a Cossack - renowned for their infeasible acrobatic abilities, and are notorious for moonlighting as assassins. So it's safe to presume that your next client is here to kill you. [smiles] Anything else? [Simza does not answer] No?[Holmes starts to leave, but suddenly turns around and pulls out an umbrella, hooks it around the Cossack’s knee and pulls on it, causing him to fall out of his hiding place and attack’s the Cossack. He then turns to Simza and says] Come with me. I need you alive. Now! Q4. “Moonlighting” in the context refers to • Camouflaging • Part timing • Enjoying • Prevailing

[Sherlock Holmes interviews Madame Simza Heron] Sherlock Holmes: Though you may not have detected the wisp of astrakhan snagged on a nail over my left shoulder, you couldn't have failed to notice the overpowering aroma of herring pickled in vodka, in tandem with a truly unfortunate body odour. There's a man concealed in the rafters above us: a Cossack - renowned for their infeasible acrobatic abilities, and are notorious for moonlighting as assassins. So it's safe to presume that your next client is here to kill you. [smiles] Anything else? [Simza does not answer] No?[Holmes starts to leave, but suddenly turns around and pulls out an umbrella, hooks it around the Cossack’s knee and pulls on it, causing him to fall out of his hiding place and attack’s the Cossack. He then turns to Simza and says] Come with me. I need you alive. Now! Q5. “Cossack” in the context refers to • drunkard • magician • assassin • client

Answers Q1. b Q2. c Q3. c Q4. b Q5. c

I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. By Martin Luther King Jr. Q1. Who is King addressing? • Native Americans • Indo Americans • African Americans • West Indians Q2. Which of the following statements is true? • According to King, the current situation at Alabama is in favour of the people who are fighting for equality • King believes that his people would someday soon be relieved out of racist disparity • Brotherhood shall not help people be united and win freedom • Never in future are the people going to breathe the air of freedom

I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despaira stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning By Martin Luther King Jr. Q3. “hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” is similar to • To carve a monolith statue from a mountain • To find a diamond from a coal mine • Both a and b • None of the above

I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despaira stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning By Martin Luther King Jr. Q4. The faith that King is talking about is • Dream of freedom and justice through • Dream of freedom and justice through the end of racism • Dream of freedom and justice through unity and the symphony of brotherhood • All of the above

Answers Q1. c Q2. b Q3. a Q4. d

Caffeine, the stimulant in coffee, has been called “the most widely used psychoactive substance on Earth.” Snyder, Daly and Bruns have recently proposed that caffeine affect behaviorby countering the activity in the human brain of a naturally occurring chemical called adenosine. Adenosine normally depresses neuron firing in many areas of the brain. It apparently does this by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters, chemicals that carry nerve impulses from one neuron to the next. Like many other agents that affect neuron firing, adenosine must first bind to specific receptors on neuronal membranes. There are at least two classes of these receptors, which have been designated A1 and A2. Snyder et al propose that caffeine, which is structurally similar to adenosine, is able to bind to both types of receptors, which prevents adenosine from attaching there and allows the neurons to fire more readily than they otherwise would. Q1. According so Snyder et al, caffeine differs from adenosine in that caffeine • stimulates behavior in the mouse and in humans, whereas adenosine stimulates behavior in humans only • increases cyclic AMP concentrations in target neurons, whereas adenosine decreases such concentrations • permits release of neurotransmitters when it is bound to adenosine receptors, whereas adenosine inhibits such release • inhibits both neuron firing and the production of phosphodiesterase when there is a sufficient concentration in the brain, whereas adenosine inhibits only neuron firing

Caffeine, the stimulant in coffee, has been called “the most widely used psychoactive substance on Earth.” Snyder, Daly and Bruns have recently proposed that caffeine affect behaviorby countering the activity in the human brain of a naturally occurring chemical called adenosine. Adenosine normally depresses neuron firing in many areas of the brain. It apparently does this by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters, chemicals that carry nerve impulses from one neuron to the next. Like many other agents that affect neuron firing, adenosine must first bind to specific receptors on neuronal membranes. There are at least two classes of these receptors, which have been designated A1 and A2. Snyder et al propose that caffeine, which is structurally similar to adenosine, is able to bind to both types of receptors, which prevents adenosine from attaching there and allows the neurons to fire more readily than they otherwise would. Q2. Snyder et al suggest that caffeine’s ability to bind to A1 and A2 receptors can be at least partially attributed to which of the following? • The chemical relationship between caffeine and phosphodiesterase • The structural relationship between caffeine and adenosine • The structural similarity between caffeine and neurotransmitters • The ability of caffeine to stimulate behavior

The majority of successful senior managers do not closely follow the classical rational model of first clarifying goals, assessing the problem, formulating options, estimating likelihoods of success, making a decision, and only then taking action to implement the decision. Rather, in their day-by-day tactical manoeuvres, these senior executives rely on what is vaguely termed “intuition” to manage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity, inconsistency, novelty, and surprise; and to integrate action into the process of thinking. Generations of writers on management have recognized that some practicing managers rely heavily on intuition. In general, however, such writers display a poor grasp of what intuition is. Some see it as the opposite of rationality; others view it as an excuse for capriciousness. Q3. The passage suggests which of the following about the “writers on management” • They have criticized managers for not following the classical rational model of decision analysis. • They have relied in drawing their conclusions on what managers say rather than on what managers do. • They have misunderstood how managers use intuition in making business decisions. • They have relied in drawing their conclusions on what managers say rather than on what managers do.

The majority of successful senior managers do not closely follow the classical rational model of first clarifying goals, assessing the problem, formulating options, estimating likelihoods of success, making a decision, and only then taking action to implement the decision. Rather, in their day-by-day tactical manoeuvres, these senior executives rely on what is vaguely termed “intuition” to manage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity, inconsistency, novelty, and surprise; and to integrate action into the process of thinking. Generations of writers on management have recognized that some practicing managers rely heavily on intuition. In general, however, such writers display a poor grasp of what intuition is. Some see it as the opposite of rationality; others view it as an excuse for capriciousness. Q4. Which of the following best describes the organization of the first paragraph of the passage? • An assertion is made and a specific supporting example is given. • A conventional model is dismissed and an alternative introduced. • The results of recent research are introduced and summarized. • Two opposing points of view are presented and evaluated.

Senior managers use intuition in at least five distinct ways. First, they intuitively sense when a problem exists. Second, managers rely on intuition to perform well-learned behaviour patterns rapidly. This intuition is not arbitrary or irrational, but is based on years of painstaking practice and hands-on experience that build skills. A third function of intuition is to synthesize isolated bits of data and practice into an integrated picture, often in an “Aha!” experience. Fourth, some managers use intuition as a check on the results of more rational analysis. Most senior executives are familiar with the formal decision analysis models and tools, and those who use such systematic methods for reaching decisions are occasionally leery of solutions suggested by these methods which run counter to their sense of the correct course of action. Finally, managers can use intuition to bypass in-depth analysis and move rapidly to engender a plausible solution. Q5. Which of the following best exemplifies “an ‘Aha!’ experience”? • A manager performs well-learned and familiar behaviour patterns in creative and uncharacteristic ways to solve a problem. • A manager suddenly connects seemingly unrelated facts and experiences to create a pattern relevant to the problem at hand. • A manager rapidly identifies the methodology used to compile data yielded by systematic analysis. • A manager swiftly decides which of several sets of tactics to implement in order to deal with the contingencies suggested by a problem.

Answers Q1. c Q2. b Q3. c Q4. b Q5. b

Fortunately, a group of astrophysicists has proposed a means of detecting cosmic neutrinos by harnessing the mass of the ocean. Named DUMAND, for Deep Underwater Muon and Neutrino Detector, the project calls for placing an array of light sensors at a depth of five kilometers under the ocean surface. The detecting medium is the seawater itself: when a neutrino interacts with a particle in an atom of seawater, the result is a cascade of electrically charged particles and a flash of light that can be detected by the sensors. The five kilometers of seawater above the sensors will shield them from the interfering effects of other high-energy particles raining down through the atmosphere. The strongest motivation for the DUMAND project is that it will exploit an important source of information about the universe. The extension of astronomy from visible light to radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays never failed to lead to the discovery of unusual objects such as radio galaxies, quasars, and pulsars. Each of these discoveries came as a surprise. Neutrino astronomy will doubtless bring its own share of surprises. Q1. The author describes the development of astronomy in order to • suggest that the potential findings of neutrino astronomy can be seen as part of a series of astronomical successes • illustrate the role of surprise in scientific discovery • demonstrate the effectiveness of the DUMAND apparatus in detecting neutrinos • name some cosmic phenomena that neutrino astronomy will illuminate

Accordingly, it requires a major act of will to think of price-fixing (the determination of prices by the seller) as both “normal” and having a valuable economic function. In fact, price-fixing is normal in all industrialized societies because the industrial system itself provides, as an effortless consequence of its own development, the price-fixing that it requires. Modern industrial planning requires and rewards great size. Hence, a comparatively small number of large firms will be competing for the same group of consumers. That each large firm will act with consideration of its own needs and thus avoid selling its products for more than its competitors charge is commonly recognized by advocates of free-market economic theories. Q2. Price-fixing in industrialized societies is normal arises from the author’s statement that price-fixing is • a profitable result of economic development • an inevitable result of the industrial system • the result of a number of carefully organized decisions • a phenomenon common to industrialized and non-industrialized societies • a phenomenon best achieved cooperatively by government and industry

Moreover, those economists who argue that allowing the free market to operate without interference is the most efficient method of establishing prices have not considered the economies of non-socialist countries other than the United States. These economies employ intentional price-fixing, usually in an overt fashion. Formal price-fixing by cartel and informal price-fixing by agreements covering the members of an industry are commonplace. Were there something peculiarly efficient about the free market and inefficient about price-fixing, the countries that have avoided the first and used the second would have suffered drastically in their economic development. There is no indication that they have. Q3. According to the author, price-fixing in non-socialist countries is often • accidental but productive • illegal but useful • legal and innovative • traditional and rigid • intentional and widespread

Answers Q1. a Q2. b Q3. e

Reading Comprehensions