2007 TOEFL- General English Question paper

General English (Comprehension A)

Read the following passage & answer the questions that follows: Though the U. . prides itself on !eing a leader in the world "ommunit#$ a re"ent report shows that it lags far !ehind other industriali%ed "ountries in meeting the needs of its #oungest and most &ulnera!le "iti%ens. The U. .has a higher infant mortalit# rate$ a higher proportion of low !irthweight !a!ies$a smaller proportion of !a!ies immuni%ed against "hildhood diseases and a mu"h higher rate of adoles"ent pregnan"ies . theses findings $ des"ri!ed as a 'quiet "risis ' requiring immediate and far(rea"hing a"tion $ appeared in a report prepared !# a tas) for"e of edu"ators $ do"tors $ politi"ians and !usiness people . A""ording to the report $ a fourth of the nation*s +, million infants and toddlers li&e in po&ert# . as man# as half "onfront ris) fa"tors that "ould harm their a!ilit# to de&elop intelle"tuall# $ ph#si"all# and so"iall# . "hild immuni%ation are too low $ more "hildren are !orn into po&ert# $ more are in su!standard "are while their parents wor) and more !eing raised raised !# single parents . when ta)en together these and other ris) fa"tors "an lead to edu"ations and health pro!lems that are mu"h harder and more "ostl# to re&erse. The "risis !egins in the wom! with unplanned parenthood. -omen with unplanned pregnan"ies are less li)el# to see) pre(natal "are . in the U. . ./0 of teenage pregnan"ies and 120 of all pregnan"ies are unplanned .The pro!lems "ontinue after !irth where unplanned pregnan"ies and unsta!le partnerships often go hand in hand . in"e +31/$ the num!er of single parent families has nearl# tripled . 4ore then ,1 per"ent of all !irths toda# are to unmarried mothers . As the num!er of single parent families grows and more women enter the wor) for"e $ infants and toddlers are in"reasingl# in the "are of people other than their parents . 4ost distur!ingl# $ re"ent statisti"s show that Ameri"an parent are in"reasingl# negle"ting or a!using their "hildren $ 5n onl# four #ears from +3.6(+36+ the num!er of "hildren in foster "are in"reased !# o&er 1/ per"ent. 7a!ies under the age of one are the fastest growing "ategor# of "hildren entering foster "are . The "risis affe"ts "hildren under the age of three most se&erel# $ the report sa#s.#et$ it is this period( from infan"# through pres"hool #ears( that sets the stage fir a "hild*s future. 8: + The main fo"us of the passage is on the plight of (a) orphaned "hildren (!) teenage mothers (") low !irth weight !a!ies (d) unwed mothers (e) 9one of these 8(, Children falling in whi"h are group are most se&erel# affe"ted !# the quiet "risis:; (a) 7elow + #ears (!) 7elow < #ears (") 7etween , & < #ears (d) 7etween +& < #ears (e) 9one of these 8(< -hi"h of the following does not "onstitute the =quite "risis* in the U. . as per the tas) for"e report.;

(a) >ower proportion of new !orn !a!ies with normal weight (!) ?igher in"iden"e of adoles"ent girls !e"oming mothers (") >ower rate of !a!ies sur&i&ing "hildhood diseases (d) >arger proportion of !a!ies who are depri&ed of immuni%ation (e) 5n"reasing "ases of teenage "ouples getting di&or"ed 8(@ -hi"h of the following statements is not true in the "onteAt of the passage ; (a) The num!er of single(parent families toda# is approAimatel# three times that four (!) The num!er of "hildren in the U. .entering foster "are has de"reased after +33+. de"ades ago . (") 5n the U. . the num!er of infants li&ing in po&ert# is a!out < million . (d) Bnl# ,/ per"ent of all the pregnan"ies in the U. . are planed (e) A!out 2 million infants in the U. . are li)el# to de&elop edu"ational and health pro!lems . 8(1 The num!er of "hildren !orn to married mothers in the U. . is approAimatel# how man# times the num!er of "hildren !orn to unwed mothers ; (a) +.1 times (!) , times (") < times (d) <.1 times (e) 9ot mentioned in the passage 8(2 Children !orn out of unplanned pregnan"ies are highl# &ulnera!le !e"ause (a) the# are raised !# single parents. (!) their parents are mostl# poor . (") the# are mostl# malnourished. (d) the# are less li)el# to re"ei&e prenatal "are . (e) their parents are emotionall# immature. (8)(6 de"ide whi"h of the following fa"tor isC are responsi!le for the ph#si"al$ intelle"tual and so"ial under(de&elopment of infants in the U. .; A. 5llitera"# of parents 7. >a") of parental "are C. po&ert# (a) Bnl# A (!) Bnl# 7 (") Bnl# C (d) 7oth A & C (e) 7oth 7 & C (8)(. An in"reasing num!er of infants in the U. . are in foster "are on a""ount of (a) an in"reasing num!er of single parent families with the female mem!er wor)ing (!) an in"reasing num!er of women maintaining the status of unwed motherhood and !e"oming e"onomi"all# independent. (") an in"reasing num!er of emplo#ed "ouples who are required to sta# apart (d) an in"reasing num!er of women getting di&or"ed and a!andoning their !a!ies (e) an in"reasing num!er of parents who la") awareness a!out !a!#("are (8)(3 The tas) for"e report seems to !e !ased on the data pertaining to the period (a) +3.6(3+ (!) +31/ onwards till data (") +3.6 onwards till date (d) +31/(3+ (e) +33+ onwards till date

Read the following passage & answer the questions that follows : During -orld -ar 55$ an in&entor su!mitted a s"heme for !uilding a giant airship armed with death ra#s to the 7ritish go&ernment . ?e had pro&ided details of the engines$ na&igational s#stem $ et". when question a!out the death(ra# themsel&es he eA"laimed $ ' Bh$ 5 thought the militar# had plent# of them a&aila!le $: 5f a ro!ot is defined$ pro&isionall#$ as a ma"hine made in the image of man$ then it must !e stated that li)e death E ra#s in +3@/$ ro!ots in +33/ remain in the world of spe"ulation not of esta!lished fa"t #et$ Fust as the in&entor too) the eAisten"e of death E ra#s for granted and

"on"entrated on putting them to use the popular imagination has !een mu"h more preo""upied !# the question of what we should do when ro!ots do arri&e than with the !usiness of a"tuall# ma)ing them $ it is rather as if the -right !rothers first flight had !een pre"eded !# an eAtensi&e literature on air E traffi" "ontrol . The pre&ailing image on the ro!ots as a wal)ing tal)ing me"hani"al man is firml# esta!lished in our "ons"iousness. 5t is worth pondering how this nation Ea h#pothesis $ too) on so &i&id a form . there are $ it is true $ ma"hines in eAisten"e whi"h we ha&e $ perhaps rather prematurel# $ "ategori%ed as ro!ots . !ut long !efore e&en this primiti&e &anguard !e"ame a pra"ti"al proposition the idea of the ro!ots was enFo#ing a li&el# eAisten"e in human imagination . it seem to ha&e !een around e&en !efore it gained a name . other in&entions had to ta)e "on"rete 8: +/ The author of the passage through the stor# of the in&entor in 7ritain$ desires to illustrate the point that. (a) "ientists and in&entors usuall# ha&e a &er# fertile imagination. (!) Adults & not onl# "hildren "an de&elop an a!sor!ing in fantasti" weapons. (") pe"ulation & h#pothesisng are well()nown & ne"essar# aspe"t of in&entions. (d) Geople sometimes fail to distinguish !etween what is well()nown !ut imaginar# & -hat is fa"t; 8(++ The author "ompares the "ompares the h#potheti"al literature on air(traffi" "ontrol with. (a) Geople*s "urrent preo""upation with how to deal with ro!ots when we en"ounter them. (!) The ela!orate te"hni"al details that those wor)ing on ro!ots must attend to. (") The regulation that will !e ne"essar# to prote"t ro!ots from industrial espionage. (d) The 7ritish in&entor*s plan for the proposed airship. 8(+, Though the wal)ing ta)ing man model of the ro!ot is misleading$ it persists in s"ien"e fi"tion !e"ause. (a) "ien"e fi"tion !# definition distorts realit# (!) The a!ilit# to tal) gi&es them the potential to deal with metaph#si"al issue that s"ien"e fi"tions eAplore. (") Authors want the ro!ot to !e the s#m!ol of all ma"hine )ind. (d) The image is so strong that readers espe"iall# will feel lost if it is "hanged. (d) The image is so strong that readers espe"iall# will feel lost if it is "hanged. 8(+< A""ording to the passage$ Cape)*s pla# RUR is of spe"ial interest !e"ause. (a) 5t pro&ided an a""ount of Cape)*s struggle to "onstru"t a me"hani"al man (!) 5t transformed Cape) who was an Engineer into a famous pla#wright. (") 5t showed that s"ien"e & te"hnolog# were quite ad&an"e in C%e"hoslo&a)ia !# a!out +3,/. (d) 5t ga&e the name =ro!ot* to the familiar motion of a me"hani"al man. 8(+@ 5n the realm of s"ien"e fi"tion$ me"hani"al men ha&e !een treated differentl# from other te"hnologi"al paraphernalia !e"ause. (a) The# "ould "on&enientl# !e used li)e the Fo)er in the pa") of "ards. (!) The# "ould !e "hara"ters in their own right and not onl# !e props (") The# "ould easil# mo&e from one setting in spa"e or time to another. (d) The# "ould help answer metaph#si"al questions !e#ond the rea"h of human "hara"ters. Choose the word whi"h is most nearl# the A4E in meaning as used in the

Gassage. 8(+1 Garaphernalia (a) A""essories (!) Group (") Details (d) 5nputs 8(+2 B!s"ure (a) Hoolish (!) 5naudi!le (") negligi!l# . (d) Unimportant Choose the word whi"h is most opposite in meaning 8(+6 EAtensi&e (a) Enormous (!) Har(rea"hing (") A!solute (d) 4eager

Read the following passage & answer the questions that follow: The past de"ade has upset man# pre"on"eptions a!out de&elopment and this more than an#thing else ma)es it diffi"ult to !e o&erl# definite a!out what the neAt de"ade has in store. 7ut there are a few things that one "an assert with some "onfiden"e. Hirst edu"ation$ health and produ"ti&e emplo#ment are "ru"ial !oth for growth and for equit#. we ha&e tended o assume that all of these are the "onsequen"es of rapid e"onomi" growth and the onl# growth "an generate the resour"es required for these purposes . !ut in"reasingl# $ it appears that these are !etter seen as the "auses rather than as "onsequen"es of de&elopment of de&elopment . Iirtuall# e&er# "ase of su""essful de&elopment in&ol&es a prior impro&ement in litera"#$ te"hni"al s)ills $ health status and a""ess to produ"tion wor) . e"ond$ te"hnologi"al "ompeten"e is the most important resour"e endowment and it eAplains a far larger proportion of growth in output trade than more "on&entional a"tors li)e natural resour"es or "apital a""umulation. the "ompeten"e required is not Fust in resear"h $ in fa"t te"hnologi"al d#namism in the fa"tor# and the farm is more important than the presen"e of a larger resear"h esta!lishment . Third the en&ironmental imperati&e "an no longer !e ignored toda# as an international issueJ it! is se"ond onl# to disarmament. 9ationall#$ the de&elopmental "onsequen"es of en&ironmental negle"t are in"reasingl# o!&ious. 5n the 5ndian "onteAt there are at least two further fa"tors whi"h reinfor"e the a!o&e propositions . the first is population growth . gi&en the pa"e of eApansion of the population and the wor)for"e human resour"e de&elopment a"quires an added urgen"# . population growth is also one $ !ut not ne"essaril# the most important fa"tor whi"h underlines en&ironmental stress in rural and ur!an areas . the se"ond fa"tor is that as a larger "ountr# we "annot "ar&e out an independent position in the glo!al s#stem without !uilding up a su!stantial "apa"it# for self(reliant growth . the a"quisition of te"hni"al "ompeten"e is "ru"ial for this purpose . Until now we ha&e tended to treat human resour"e de&elopment $ te"hnolog# issues and en&ironment as su!sidiar# to the main tas) of planning . the thrust has !een on : quantitati&e eApansion of infrastru"ture and produ"tion with a fo"us on produ"tion targets li)e tones of steel $ K-h of ele"tri"it# $ et"etera "apa"it# targets li)e num!er of s"hools and students $ num!er of &illages ele"trified $ et"etera $ ( "at"hing up with )nown te"hnologies E fuller use of natural resour"es E maAimum mo!ili%ation of finan"ial resour"es .

8: +. A""ording to the passage we ha&e so far pla"ed more emphasis on whi"h of the following; (a) 4aAimum utili%ation of a&aila!le finan"es (!) Hollowing )nown te"hnologies (") 5n"reased num!er of !asi" fa"ilities and meeting num!er targets (d) Bptimum use of a&aila!le natural resour"es 8(+3 A""ording to the author whi"h of the following fa"tors support and strengthen his point of &iew ; (+) 9e"essit# for "arr#ing out growth on the !asi" of our own strength (,) 5n"reased emphasis on produ"tion and "o&erage targets . (A) Bnl# (+) and not (,) (7) Bnl# (,) and not (+) (C) Either (+) or (,) (D) 7oth (+) and (,) 8(,/ -hi"h of the following statements is not true in the "onteAt of the passage ; (a) -e will ha&e !right future !# onl# "at"hing up )nown te"hnologies (!) Bptimum self(relian"e is the need of the da# (") -e ha&e to now emphasise aspe"ts of human resour"e de&elopment (d) Te"hnologi"al "ompeten"e has to !e gi&en due priorit# o&er more "on&entional fa"tors 8(,+ A""ording to the author $ whi"h of the following "annot !e &iew as "ause of de&elopment; (a) 5mpo&ement in litera"# (!) 7etterment in health ser&i"es (") 5n"rease in underemplo#ment (d) peed# e"onomi" growth 8(,, -hat seems to !e the purpose of the author in writing this passage ; (a) To show how the poli"# mar)ers ha&e failed (!) Re&iew of the past with a &iew to e&ol&e positi&e dire"tion for future (") A re&iew of world affairs with spe"ial emphasis on de&eloped "ountries (d) To pro&e how his predi"tions ha&e turned out to !e "orre"t 8(,< A""ording to the author at the national le&el with passage of time $ the effe"ts of whi"h of the following are !eing felt ; (a) Grogressi&e degradation of te"hnologi"al "ompeten"e in ur!an areas (!) Emphasis on slow rate of disarmament as "ompared to other nations (") EApansion of wor)for"e of high qualit# (d) >a") of attention and a"tion for prote"ting en&ironment wealth 8(,@ A""ording to the author $ whi"h of the following is a less important fa"tor resulting in en&ironment stress in rural and ur!an areas ; (a) Continued en&ironment negle"t (!) Rapid e"onomi" growth (") Rate of growth of population (d) A&aila!ilit# of produ"ti&e emplo#ment 8(,1 -hat seems to !e the approa"h of the author regarding present status of resear"h ; (+) ?e desires that more resear"h esta!lishments should "ome up (,) Appli"ation of new te"hnologies in fa"tories and field is more &ital than setting of resear"h la!oratories (a) Bnl# (+) (!) Bnl# (,) (") 9either (+) nor (,) (d) 7oth (+) and (,)