Reading Comprehension

Skimming
Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information, or 'gist'. Run your eyes
over the text, noting important information. Use skimming to quickly get up to speed on a
current business situation. It's not essential to understand each ord hen skimming.
Examples of Skimming:
!he "espaper #quickly to get the general nes of the day$
%aga&ines #quickly to discover hich articles you ould like to read in more detail$
'usiness and !ravel 'rochures #quickly to get informed$
Scanning
Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information. Run your eyes over the text looking
for the specific piece of information you need. Use scanning on schedules, meeting plans, etc.
in order to find the specific details you require. If you see ords or phrases that you don't
understand, don't orry hen scanning.
Examples of Scanning
!he ()hat's on !*( section of your nespaper.
+ train , airplane schedule
+ conference guide
Extensive reading
-xtensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding of a sub.ect and includes reading
longer texts for pleasure, as ell as business books. Use extensive reading skills to improve
your general knoledge of business procedures. /o not orry if you understand each ord.
Examples of Extensive Reading
!he latest marketing strategy book
+ novel you read before going to bed
%aga&ine articles that interest you
Intensive reading
Intensive reading is used on shorter texts in order to extract specific information. It includes
very close accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to grasp the details of a
specific situation. In this case, it is important that you understand each ord, number or fact.
Examples of Intensive Reading
+ bookkeeping report
+n insurance claim
+ contract
"o that you've revieed the four reading skills, take this reading skills qui& to help you
improve reading skills through understanding of these basic reading types.
GRE READING COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE-1
It must be the season of pessimism. Having worried about the war in Afghanistan, the
battle against AlQaeda, the Arab reaction and the anthrax scare, we have found the
next target for our gloom and its an eas one! the prospect for Afghanistan. "ou can
hear the wear phrases tripping off peoples tongues! the countr cant be rebuilt, it
will revert to civil war and a #arshall $lan would be a colossal waste of mone. If these
were %ust the musings of commentators, the wouldnt matter much. &ut man within
the administration are urging 'ashington to (uic)l and (uietl wash its hands off
Afghanistan and move on. *ot onl would this be a strategic error, but it would show
blindness to one of the most important lessons of the last decade.
+ets tr a word association game. 'hat comes to mind when ou thin) of the
following! ,wanda, &osnia, -osovo, .ast /imor, #o0ambi(ue and 1ganda2 3or most
people the answer is civil war, ethnic cleansing, failed states and intractable woes. And
thats what the represented the last time ou loo)ed at them. &ut a funn thing
happened over the last five ears. As the 1* 4evelopment 5hief, #ar) #alloch &rown,
puts it, /he spotlight went awa, but these countries slowl began putting their houses
in order. /oda the are all peaceful, reasonabl stable societies with the first stirrings of
genuine economic activit.
In some cases, its better than that. #o0ambi(ue, for example, was growing at nine per
cent in 6777 when a flood hit its economic growth 8temporaril, one hopes9. /heres
been political progress across the board. ,wanda has a war:crimes tribunal. -osovo is
doing better than anone could have expected. .ast /imor will have seceded nonviolentl
from Indonesia and set up a liberal democratic regime in a few ears. *one of these
places is li)el to become a ;wit0erland or ;ingapore an time soon. &ut the are far
removed from the hell holes of war, genocide, drugs and terrorism that man once were.
4espite mountains of s)epticism 8and Ive been as guilt of this as anone9 the realit
has been that over the last five ears the international communit and the 1nited *ations
learned tough lessons from their initial failures in dealing with peace)eeping and
nationbuilding. /oda the ma%or powers and the international agencies are pulling
together and wor)ing effectivel. As a result, once hopeless situations are moving toward
some semblance of normalc. Is it so cra0 to thin) that ma be Afghanistan can be next
on this list2
<f course the situation in Afghanistan is gruesome. /he countr has been through
invasion, occupation and civil war for two decades. .conomic activit has come to a
standstill, a condition worsened b periodic famine and drought. #illions of Afghans
have come forward and improving peoples lives will not be so difficult. .ven modest
achievements rebuilding the roads, getting rural irrigation flowing, restoring
electricit: could have dramatic effects.
And there are man hopeful signs. ;o far there have been ver few reprisals b the
victors: a mar)ed shift in behavior. /he neighboring powers: $a)istan, Iran, 10be)istan,
,ussia are not competing to destabili0e the countr, as the did in the past, but
wor)ing to stabili0e it. As ,ichard Haass, 'ashingtons top diplomat on Afghanistan
put it! /he =reat =ames has given wa to the greater good. $erhaps most
significant, the generation of Afghans who thrived on the feuds of the civil war are being
replaced b a ounger wave of leaders who want to build a modern countr. ,apacious
warlords li)e ,ashid 4ostum ma represent the past and moderate, modern men li)e the
interim president, Hamid -ar0ai, the future. &ut first ou need peace. /he international
communit had learned one big lesson over the last decade! when a countr is still
plagued b problems of basic securit ;omalia, &osnia 8for a while9 and 5ongo
peace)eeping and reconstruction are impossible. /he other important lesson is that the
1nited *ations cannot provide this securit. It must come from the ma%or powers.
/hus, the most urgent priorit in Afghanistan is a strong, multinational force that will
bring securit and stabilit to -abul. &ritain had volunteered to be the lead countr and,
if not for Americas strange foot dragging on this issue, the &ritish would have alread
deploed their troops 8/ur)e is another possibilit9. &eond -abul, securit must come
from agreements between the Afghan war lords. It will be a test of their desire for peace
and securit in their regions.
/here are good reasons for pessimism. Afghanistan is the most ambitious pro%ect that the
international communit will have ever underta)en. And as a senior American official
said, /he one thing that seems to unite Afghans over long period of time is the
dont much li)e foreigners. &ut consider what the foreigners were up to in the past.
/he &ritish and the ,ussians tried to coloni0e the place. /he Arabs turned it into a base
for international terrorism. #abe now that the foreigners are coming for (uite different
reasons, the locals will be more welcoming.
Questions
6.'hat could be the most appropriate title for the passage2
8A9 5omparison of 'ar:torn 5ountries.
8&9 ,e:building of Afghanistan.
859 Internal ;ituation in Afghanistan.
849 ,ole and Interests of America in Afghanistan.
8.9 .nsuring $eace in Afghanistan.
>.According to the writer, the pre re(uisite for an development in Afghanistan is
8A9elimination of tribal leaders.
8&9cooperation of the neighboring countries.
859ensuring peace and securit.
849sending &ritish troops before American troops.
8.9sending troops of neighboring countries to Afghanistan.
?.$eace and securit in Afghanistan can be achieved through
8I9agreements with tribal leaders.
8II9cooperation of the neighboring countries.
8III9sending multi:national forces to Afghanistan.
8A9I and II onl.
8&9I and III onl.
859II and III onl.
849All of the above.
8.9*one of the above.
@.+ocal population is now more li)el to accept foreign forces due to following factor!
8A9 +ocal leaders are now read for negotiations.
8&9 *eighboring countries are now more supportive of the idea.
859 It will lead to economic growth.
849 Intentions of the multinational forces are li)el to be in favor of Afghanistan.
8.9 &ritain and America have now reached a consensus on the issue.
A./he writer hints towards inade(uac of 1* when he sas that !:
8A9&eond -abul warlords cannot be controlled.
8&91* cannot guarantee that multinational forces will not exploit the countr.
859<n its own, 1* cannot provide securit. 849It is difficult for 1* to bring all the
coalition partners on a common platform.
8.91* has been a failure in a number of such attempts in the past.
B.<ptimism about Afghanistan can be derived from following factors!:
8I9*eighboring countries are not tring to destabili0e Afghanistan.
8II9*ew generation of leaders.
8III95omparativel peaceful environment.
8A9I and II onl.
8&9I and III onl.
859II and III onl.
849All of the above.
839*one of the above.
C.<ne of the important lessons learnt b the international communit in peace )eeping
missions and nation building is
8A9coordination between ma%or powers and international agencies.
8&9controlling local warlords.
859economic development, for example, as in the case of #o0ambi(ue.
849infrastructural development.
8.9supporting the modern leadership.
D.A pitiable description of Afghanistan has been made b the writer conse(uent to civil
war, famine, invasion, occupation etc. However, the writer claims that this situation can
be exploited for betterment as
8A9civil wars have left the local warlords at their wea)est levels.
8&9 it provides an opportunit for international forces to easil enter Afghanistan and
eliminate terrorist hideouts.
859even humble infrastructural developments can bring fruitful results.
8491* gets an opportunit to demonstrate its capabilities and emerge as a stronger
organi0ation which could ultimatel result in world peace.
8.9if not entered now, the opportunit will be lost forever.
.xplanations
6./he most appropriate answer is 4. /he author compares various war torn countries to
derive analog for the future prospects of Afghanistan. /herefore, A is not correct as it
cannot be a suitable title for the entire passage. 5 can be partiall correct but the essence
of the passage is to explain the reasons wh America should show interest in Afghanistan
and the role to be plaed b it. & and . are the reasons wh America should show interest
in Afghanistan. /herefore, the best answer is 4.
>./he most appropriate answer is 5. As can be seen from the examples of various
countries given in the passage, development was possible onl after peace and securit
had retuned. /he writer emphasi0es this fact several times in the passage. A, 4 and . are
factuall wrong as the have not been explicitl brought out b the writer. & is one of the
means for ensuring securit and peace. /herefore, the best answer is 5.
?.#ost appropriate answer is 4 as all three issues need to be negotiated for ensuring
peace and securit. After due deliberation on the facts stated b the writer it becomes
evident that all the three issues should be addressed appropriatel for return of peace and
securit in Afghanistan. /herefore, the best answer is 4.
@.#ost appropriate answer is 4. /here are no indications in the passage that local leaders
are now read for negotiations. /herefore A is wrong. ;upport of neighboring countries
on the issue has also not been explicitl stated in the passage, hence & is incorrect. 5 will
eventuall be correct once peace and securit has been established. . is clearl wrong.
/he last paragraph of the passage clearl brings out the writers opinion about the
local population which he believes would now be more supportive as compared to their
reactions to earlier foreigners who had totall different intentions. /herefore, 4 is the
best answer.
A. /he most appropriate answer is 5. Agreements between warlords are a pre re(uisite for
lasting peace. However the cannot be interpreted as a shortcoming of 1*. & has not
been explicitl commented upon b the writer though references to the earlier occuping
forces have been made. /he writer clearl brings out option 5 in paragraph number C of
the passage. <ption 4 ma be interpreted from general )nowledge but the writer has not
touched the topic. 'ith regards to option ., attempts b 1* to ensure peace and stabilit
ma have failed initiall but eventuall the programs were successful in most of the
cases. /herefore, . cannot be termed as a completel correct statement. In view of the
above, it is evident that 5 is the best answer.
B./he correct answer is A. /he writer clearl brings out the changed stance of the
neighboring countries with respect to the situation in Afghanistan and the new generation
of Afghans who are willing to wor) for a better countr. <ption III is wrong as absence
of peace in Afghanistan is perhaps the genesis of the article. /herefore, A emerges as the
best answer.
C. <ption A is the most appropriate answer as brought out b the writer in the course of
the passage. /he writer emphasi0es this point in the third and fourth paragraphs of the
passage. He has categoricall stated the names of countries which are experiencing
economic growth after ears of turmoil. /he writer conves the message that countries
are slowl moving towards normalc as a result of the coordination between the ma%or
powers and international agencies. <ptions & to . are possible onl after the restoration
of peace and stabilit which can be enforced as a result of this coordination and this
aspect has been aptl brought out in the second last paragraph. /herefore, A is the best
answer.
D. <ption 5 is the most appropriate answer as made aptl clear b the writer in paragraph
number A. ,elative strength of the warlords has not been commented upon b the writer.
/herefore, option A is incorrect. <ption & is against the ver essence of the passage with
respect to the li)el intention of the coalition forces. <ption 4 and . have not been
commented upon b the writer during the course of the passage. /herefore, 5 is the best
answer.
GRE READING COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE-2

*othing shows up the schi0ophrenia of the Indian mind in the face of this challenge than
that the two principal leaders of the national struggle for independence #ahatma =andhi
and #r. *ehru should have come to contrar conclusions. /he #ahatma was for an
outright re%ection of the western civili0ation, which is often described as ;atanic. #r.
*ehru was for all:out industriali0ation. &oth spo)e from utter conviction and were
extremel articulate in stating their positions. &ut neither of them thought it worth his
while to grapple with the troublesome details when it came to ma)ing the realit conform
to the vision.
/he #ahatma was, of course, most meticulous about detail and when he undertoo) a %ob,
whether it was the spread of the spinning wheel, revival of village industries or helping
the Hari%ans, he did not regard the smallest matter pertaining to the concerned
organi0ation or an individual grievance beneath his personal attention. It was a different
stor, however, with translating his larger vision of a non:violent societ into a blueprint.
He enunciated the general principal ver forcefull. &ut such details as the state structure
the new societ would build and the social legislation it would underta)e, the precise
industrial polic it would pursue or the defense polic it would opt for, he left alone or
dealt with in bits and pieces. 4id he fear that his vision would suffer b raising all these
issues at one go2 <r did he reali0e long before the da of Indias trst with destin that
he would not count on anone even among his closest colleagues in the 5ongress to bac)
him2
#r. *ehru was in a much better position to carr out his ideas. &ut the ver 5onstitution:
ma)ing process became a formal exercise. /here was no attempt to thin) in terms of
institutions, which while preserving the substance of democrac, would contain populist
pressures, ma)e government more business:li)e and more productive of results and ma)e
for eas and cheap access to %ustice. All this is not to believe his role in guiding the
oung republic in its formative ears and setting norms which none of the regimes that
came after him were also to live up to. &ut that does not detract from the processes of
decline. /he proliferation of slums had begun, and small groups were alread hogging up
the larger part of the gains of development. *o concerted attempt was made to close the
loopholes in land laws and little was done to ma)e school education relevant to the needs
of a developing societ. /he language polic was left to flounder.
/hat the people still loo) bac) to the *ehru era with a sense of nostalgia shows that even
things which loo)ed manageable in his das are now out of control. $erhaps this is the
result of a deterioration in the (ualit of leadership, a distressing decline in the integrit
of political life and an alarming build:up of populist pressure. &ut it also is the result of
the wa each government has been bus storing up trouble for future. 5an one be sure
after all this that the foundations on which the republic rests are durable enough2
'hat light does this throw on the Indian mind2 /he Indian mind delights in ambiguit in
ambivalence, in tring to have the best of both worlds, in harboring a medle of
conflicting ideas without much discomfort. 'hatever the public rhetoric, the practice is
alwas based on half: measures, of leaving things half done, of a refusal to anticipate
trouble and a tendenc to wa)e up when the crisis has alread matured, this ma be an
exaggeration. &ut the slovenliness of approach to ever problem is a fact of life which
hits in the ee even the most smpathetic foreign observer.
It is not surprising that the Indian genius which excelled in production mths, which
created wor)s of sculpture which endow the spirit with a bod and a music which
enthralls the mind as well as the spirit, was often at a loss in facing up to the problems of
state building. /he Indian mind still falters as it tires to come to grips with these
problems.
Question 6
'hat is the main purpose of the writer behind writing this passage2
A9/o bring out the contrast in *ehrus and =andhis dreams and vision of India.
&9/o bring out the flaws in Indian democrac.
59/o trace the reasons behind the disordered state of India as one based on hollow
foundation laid b leaders in the past.
49/o show the impact of 'estern 5ivili0ation on todas India.
.9/o bring out the past as a disordered and mismanaged government as a result of
improper implementation of the %ob underta)en b leaders.
Answer! 5
Answer explanation! <ption 5 is the right answer. /he passage see)s to find out the
reason behind the present situation where no attention is paid to issues that can turn into
crisis if neglected. /he writer comes to the conclusion that the present state of affairs is a
result of the non:implementation of the larger visions held b Indian leaders into practice.
<ption A is %ust mentioned in the passage to explain the ideas held b Indian leaders.
<ptions & and 4 are obviousl wrong and lie beond the scope of the passage. <ption .
is a misinterpretation of the passage. It does not deal with disorder in the past, but in the
present.
Question >
'hat is the main idea expressed in the passage2
A9/he passage expresses the vision and dreams of Indian leaders for a better future.
&9/he passage expresses the shaping up of a disorgani0ed state due to the constricted
vision of our leaders.
59/he passage is an account of a successful democratic set up of the Indian government
as a result of the policies made b our leaders.
49/he passage explains how the 5onstitution was made and what clauses it included.
.9/he passage gives an account of the mismanaged government due to the formulation of
fault laws.
Answer! &
Answer explanation! & is the correct answer since the passage deals with how the present
situation has resulted as a disorderl and mismanaged state. /he passage explains the
visions of leaders being neglected b them themselves and thus turning things out of
control. <ption A has a narrow scope and %ust mentions the visions held b the leaders. It
does not mention anthing about their implementation. 5 is wrong since the writer does
not give an account of success of policies, but refers to the failures of the same. <ption 4
is irrelevant and thus obviousl wrong. <ption . seems to be a li)el answer, but when
ou compare it with option &, its scope is narrow. It does not mention the lac) of efforts
in putting thoughts into practice.
Question ?
$rovide a suitable title to the passage.
A9+eaders of the 3reedom ;truggle
&9*ehrus and =andhis Eision of India
59Histor of Indian 4emocrac
49,eflections of the $ast in the $resent India
.9+ac) of .ffective +eaders in India /oda
Answer! 4
Answer explanation! /he writer discusses the present situation as a result of the neglected
and incomplete efforts done in the past b the leaders. /hus we can sa that 4 is the most
suitable answer option. A is obviousl wrong since the passage does not deal with the
leaders of freedom struggle. ;imilarl 5 is wrong since the writer does not explain what
and how of Indian democrac. <ption & is a part of the passage. It does not comprise the
whole passage and thus it is re%ected. ;imilarl option . also has a mention in the passage
where the writer hints at deterioration in the (ualit of leadership that has resulted in the
present situation. /hus it is not fit to be the title of the passage.
Question @
'hat are the writers feelings towards the sub%ect of the passage2
A9/he writer is not satisfied with the present situation of mismanagement.
&9/he writer is comfortable with the medle of conflicting ideas present in todas
world.
59/he writer is nostalgic about the times when *ehru led India.
49/he writer is depressed because of lac) of efforts on part of Indian leaders to
implement their ideas into practice.
.9/he writer is unaffected with the past or present.
Answer! A
Answer explanation! /he option A is the best option. 'e find hints of dissatisfaction of
the writer with the disorderl situation and careless attitude of people. He expresses this
throughout the passage, partl b holding Indian leaders responsible and partl b
referring to the approach of people as slovenliness towards the state of affairs. /he
writer refers to people of India being comfortable with the medle of conflicting ideas but
does not share this feeling himself. /hus we re%ect &. ;imilarl we re%ect 5 since the
writer mentions the nostalgic feelings, as people get sentimental about *ehrus era.
However, this is not the feeling that comes out in the passage as a whole. <ption 4 refers
to the feelings of the writer as depressed, but there is no hint of the writer being depressed
about the lac) of efforts. He is surel not happ and is concerned, but it cannot be
concluded that he is depressed. /he option . is also re%ected, since we feel the writers
emotions while reading the passage, thus we cannot sa that he is unaffected.
Question A
'hat is the purpose of the writer behind mentioning #ahatma =andhi and *ehru2
A9/o give an example of effective leadership to todas incompetent leaders.
&9/o explain that the were incapable of putting their vision into practice which has
resulted in the present situation.
59/o bring out a contrast in the thin)ing of the two leaders towards the industriali0ation.
49/o explain their policies and vision the held for all around development of India.
.9/o explain that the had high dreams and vision for the countr which could ta)e India
to a bright future.
Answer! &
Answer explanation! In the passage, the writer mentions =andhis and *ehrus
vision and refers to them while explaining a lac) of efforts in putting them into practice.
/he larger visions held b such leaders were not put into action b them. /hus option & is
the best choice. A is wrong since the writer does not glorif their achievements. 5 is
re%ected since the contrasting ideas of the leaders are mentioned %ust to explain the
principles held b them, but the writer intends to explain more than that. <ptions 4 and .
are re%ected since the writer does not give an account of their policies and dreams for the
development, rather he brings out the hollowness in the implementation of these ideas.
Question B
'hat is the writers interpretation of the wa Indians have accepted the situations2
A9Indians are delighted with the excellent conditions present.
&9Indians are proud of the leaders of freedom struggle.
59Indians are sentimental about the glorious past of *ehrus times.
49Indians are disappointed b non:implementation of the dreams of leaders into realit.
.9Indians have comfortabl accepted the existing state of India along with its
shortcomings and disorder.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! In the sixth paragraph, the writer goes on to examine the Indian
mind. He believes that the Indians have accepted the present situation and are happ
about the wa things are moving, regardless of their being moving or not. /hus option .
is the best answer choice. 'e re%ect A since it mentions the present situation as
excellent, but nowhere does the writer refer to the situation in that sense. <ption &
is obviousl wrong and is out of the scope of the passage. <ption 5 is re%ected since it
does not refer to the feelings of Indians with respect to the present situation. 4 is also a
wrong answer since the writer does not show disappointment from the side of Indians,
but uses words li)e delighted to express their attitude.
Question C
'hich of the following lies beond the scope of the passage2
A9#ahatma =andhi favored the use of spinning wheel in place of western culture.
&9#ahatma =andhi dealt with the formation of the structure of the state in bits and
pieces.
59/he government did not ma)e an effort to remove the deficienc in the laws of land.
49#ahatma could not give personal attention to the revival of village industries since he
felt that his vision would not materiali0e as a whole.
.9It is a custom in India to leave things incomplete till it becomes dangerous.
Answer! 4
Answer explanation! 'e get a proof of option A in the first two paragraphs of the
passage, according to which =andhi opposed the western civili0ation and wanted to
spread the spinning wheel. /hus option A is re%ected. <ption & also lies well within the
scope of the passage since the writer sas that =andhi did not deal with such details
forcefull, but in bits and pieces. 5 is also mentioned in the passage where the writer
goes on to explain the process of decline due to things li)e increase in slums, little
attention given to school education etc. Here the writer also mentions that no attempts
were made to close the loopholes existing in land laws. /hus 5 is re%ected. . is also
mentioned in the end of passage where the writer refers to the Indian mind, thus it is
re%ected. <ption 4 is false since according to the passage, #ahatma dealt with issues li)e
revival of village industries with most meticulous detail. He did not ignore it, but the
larger visions of structure of state as a whole. Hence we re%ect option 4 on account of its
being false or an untrue statement.
Question D
5omplete the following sentence according to our understanding of the passage.
According to the writer, the things are mismanaged toda sinceFFFFFFFFF
A9Indians do not have leaders li)e =andhi and *ehru to control the situations leading to a
disorderl state.
&9the population of India has increased manifold and enough attention cannot be paid to
the grievances of all.
59small groups are consuming the larger part of the gains of development.
49the government did not form an easil accessible %udiciar.
.9the government has been ignoring issues and piling up problems for the future.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! <ption A is re%ected since the writer does not express the need of
leaders li)e =andhi to mend the situations. <ption & does not come under the scope of
the passage and thus is re%ected. 5 is also false since it is onl one of the reasons for the
decline of the sstem. ;imilarl 4 is re%ected since it refers to one of the areas which was
not given due attention b the leaders. . is the best answer option since it sums up the
reasons behind the things being out of order in todas world. /he writer mentions this
in the fifth paragraph as the governments being bus storing up trouble for future.
GRE READING COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE-3
&illie Holida died a few wee)s ago. I have been unable until now to write about her, but
since she will survive man who receive longer obituaries, a short dela in one small
appreciation will not harm her or us. 'hen she died we the musicians, critics, all
who were ever transfixed b the most heart:rending voice of the past generation
grieved bitterl. /here was no reason to. 3ew people pursued self:destruction more
whole:heartedl than she, and when the pursuit was at an end, at the age of fort:four,
she had turned herself into a phsical and artistic wrec). ;ome of us tried gallantl to
pretend otherwise, ta)ing comfort in the occasional moments when she still sounded li)e
a ravaged echo of her greatness. <thers had not even the heart to see and listen an more.
'e preferred to sta home and, if old and luc) enough to own the incomparable records
of her heda from 67?C to 67@B, man of which are not even available on &ritish +$, to
recreate those coarse:textured, sinuous, sensual and unbearable sad noises which gave her
a sure corner of immortalit. Her phsical death called, if anthing, for relief rather than
sorrow. 'hat sort of middle age would she have faced without the voice to earn mone
for her drin)s and fixes, without the loo)s and in her da she was hauntingl
beautiful to attract the men she needed, without business sense, without anthing but
the disinterested worship of ageing men who had heard and seen her in her glor2
And et, irrational though it is, our grief expressed &illie Holidas art, that of a
woman for whom one must be sorr. /he great blues singers, to whom she ma be %ustl
compared, plaed their game from strength. +ionesses, though often wounded or at ba
8did not &essie ;mith call herself a tiger, read to %ump29 their tragic e(uivalents
were 5leopatra and $haedraG Holidas was an embittered <phelia. ;he was the
$uccini heroine among blues singers, or rather among %a00 singers, for though she sang a
cabaret version of the blues incomparabl, her natural idiom was the pop song. Her
uni(ue achievement was to have twisted this into a genuine expression of the ma%or
passions b means of a total disregard of its sugar tunes, or indeed of an tune other
than her own few delicatel cring elongated notes, phrased li)e &essie ;mith or +ouis
Armstrong in sung in a thin, gritt, haunting voice whose natural mood was an
unresigned and voluptuous welcome for the pains of love. *obod has sung, or will sing,
&esss songs from $org as she did. It was this combination of bitterness and phsical
submission, as of someone ling still while watching his legs amputated which gives such
a blood:curding (ualit to her song, ;trange 3ruit, the anti:lnching poem which she
turned into an unforgettable art song. ;uffering was her professionG but she did not accept
it.
+ittle need be said about her horrifing life, which she described with emotional, though
hardl with factual, truth in her autobiograph +ad ;ings the &lues. After an
adolescence in which self:respect was measured b a girls insistence on pic)ing up
the coins thrown to her b clients with her hands, she was plainl beond help. ;he did
not lac) it, for she had the flair and scrupulous honest of Hohn Hammond to launch her,
the best musicians of the 67?Is to accompan her notabl /edd 'ilson, 3ran)ie
*ewton and +ester "oung the boundless devotion of all serious connoisseurs, and
much public success. It was too late to arrest a career of sstematic embittered self:
immolation. /o be born with both beaut and self:respect in the *egro ghetto of
&altimore in 67A6 was too much of a handicap, even without rape at the age of ten and
drug:addiction in her teens. &ut, while she destroed herself, she sang, unmelodious,
profound and heartbrea)ing. It is impossible not to weep for her, or not to hate the world
which made her what she was.
Question 6
'hat is the main focus of the passage2
A9/o find the reasons behind &illie Holidas death.
&9/he passage tells how &illie Holidas death is not grieved b anone.
59/he passage is an appreciation of &illie Hollidas life and achievements as a
singer.
49/o give an account of her struggle as a singer.
.9/o describe &illie Holidas wrec)ed life, b giving an account of her rise as well as
her destruction.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! /he passage revolves around &illie Hollidas ravaged existence
after the decline of her career as a singer and her conse(uent death. /hus, option . is the
most appropriate answer. 'e re%ect A since the writer mentions her death as a result of
self:destruction, and does not dwell an further on it. <ption & refers to a part of the
passage where the writer mentions that no one had the heart to see or listen to her and she
had sub%ected herself to self:destruction. However, the passage moves on to her life and
her uni(ue art. /hus, we re%ect it. ;imilarl, option 5 is also a part of the passage and
other than her appreciation as a singer, the passage focuses on her ravaged existence as
well. 4 is obviousl wrong since the passage does not discuss her struggle, rather
according to it, she was fortunate to be launched and be among the best singers.
Question >
'hat according to the writer was the cause of her death2
A9;he died b committing suicide since she was not happ with her downfall as a singer.
&9;he was forced to death b other singers.
59;he indulged in ruining her life b giving herself up to drugs and drin)s when her
career as a singer was on a decline.
49;he had an overdose of drugs, which became toxic.
.9;he was suffering from some illness.
Answer! 5
Answer explanation! <ption & is obviousl wrong, as there is no mention of her being
forced to death. ;imilarl the passage has no mention of her being ill, which ma)es us
conclude that option . is also false. 'e re%ect option A on grounds of its referring to her
death as a suicide. Although the writer mentions self:destruction, he refers to it as an
effort to ruin her life b indulging in drin)s and drugs, and not b committing suicide.
'e re%ect 4 since it mentions that an overdose of drugs was the reason of her death.
However, it was not an overdose, but a result of gradual and persistent habit of drugs and
drin)s. /hus, we conclude that 5 is the best answer.
Question ?
'hat cannot be understood from the last paragraph of the passage2
A9Her career was launched b reliable and accomplished producers.
&9;he was praised for her art e(uall b expert %udges as well as people.
59In her autobiograph, she described her life with sentimental and passionate truth.
49;he was gifted with good loo)s.
.9Her stle of music was different from others in terms of the treatment of tunes.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! <ption . is the correct answer since it is not described in the last
paragraph but the second paragraph, where the writer mentions about her uni(ue
achievements of twisting the usual tunes and a total disregard of its sugar tunes. All the
other options have a mention in the last paragraph, and thus are re%ected. /he writer sas
that she had the flair and honest of Hohn Hammond to launch her. /hus, we re%ect A.
;imilarl, & is mentioned in the paragraph where the writer sas that she did not lac)
devotion of connoisseurs, and much public success. /he writers first line of the
paragraph refers to her autobiograph as an emotional truth. 3urther, in the passage the
writer also sas that she was born with beaut, thus option 4 is also proved as a wrong
answer.
Question @
$rovide a suitable title for the passage.
A9&illie Holida! 'rec)age of a =reat ;inger
&9&illie Holida! A =reat ;inger
59&illie Holida! A +ost /alent
49&illie Holida! .nd of an .ra
.9&illie Holida! A ;inger of the &lues
Answer! A
Answer explanation! A is the correct answer since the passage is an account of &illie
Holidas rise as well as fall as a singer, her ravaged life and her conse(uent death.
/hus, the option A covers the topic well. & is re%ected since the passage refers to her
glorious das of fame in the past and tal)s of her ruined life. <ption 5 proposes a title
that suggests the loss of a great singer. However, according to the passage, she was no
more artistic as she had been earlier, and her death does not affect the world of music.
;imilarl, option 4 suggests that an era ended with the death of &illie, but there is no
suggestion in the passage that her death has ended an period in the music world. <ption
. is a part of the passage and does not tell us anthing more about the passage, other than
about her stle of singing. /hus, it is also re%ected.
Question A
'hich of the following statements is beond the scope of the passage2
A9&illie Holida would be remembered more than other persons who have long
obituaries written about them.
&9$ain, bitterness and surrender were reflected in &illies voice.
59&illie did not have the mone to bu her drin)s, which led her to depression and
isolation.
49&illie had not accepted pain, sorrow and suffering present in her profession.
.9&illie had lost her mone as well as loo)s.
Answer! 5
Answer explanation! <ption 5 is beond the scope of the passage since it is not
mentioned in the passage. /he passage surel mentions that she did not have the mone
to bu drin)s 8and had lost her loo)s, proving . as a wrong answer9, but it does not
mention her isolating herself due to depression. /his is an overstated option. <ption A is
mentioned in the beginning of the passage b the writer when he mentions that she will
survive man who receive longer obituaries. /he statement in option & is re%ected since it
is also within the scope of the passage as the writer mentions that her stle was a
combination of bitterness and phsical submission. <ption 4 is also ta)en from the
passage when the writer sas that suffering was her profession but she did not accept it.
/hus, we re%ect this option as well.
Question B
According to the writer, wh is her death a comfort more than a grievance2
A9&ecause she was an intolerable singer.
&9&ecause otherwise she would have had a miserable and ruined life.
59&ecause she was a failure in life.
49&ecause she was a competition for other singers.
.9&ecause she had no one to mourn her death.
Answer! &
Answer explanation! <ption & is the most suitable answer. 'e come to this conclusion
b the writers views expressed in the first paragraph. /he writer expresses doubts of
her leading a comfortable life without her talent, mone and loo)s. <ption A is re%ected
since, tough the writer holds that latel she did not sing as well as she sang in her
esterears, he does not mention this as a reason of her death being a source of comfort.
<ptions 4 and . are obviousl wrong and have no mention in the passage. <ption 5 is
also not a satisfactor answer, since her failure in life does not mean that she would not
be grieved. It does not suggest wh her death would be a relief.
Question C
How can the passage best be described2
A9It is a tribute.
&9It is an obituar.
59It is an ode.
49It is a critical analsis.
.9*one of the above.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! A tribute refers to a statement or account of admiration of a person
in order to show respect to him, especiall after death. 'e cannot call this passage a
tribute since along with appreciation it also refers to &illie Holida as an artistic
wrec). /hus we re%ect A. 'e re%ect & since an obituar is a notice or announcement
of someones death along with his achievements in life for the purpose of printing in
the newspaper soon after the death. However, this passage is not in the form of a notice
and the writer also mentions his dela in writing about her after a few wee)s of her death.
/he passage is definitel not an ode, as an ode is essentiall a poem dedicated to
someone, thus we re%ect option 5. /he writer does not anal0e &illie Holidas wor)
criticall, but is a general article about her life and existence. /hus, we re%ect 4 as well.
/hus, we conclude that option . is the best answer since all the above options stand
re%ected.
Question D
'hat is the antonm of the word scrupulous mentioned in the passage2
A9#eticulous
&94ishonest
593ortunate
495areless
.9$it
Answer! 4
Answer explanation! /he word scrupulous means careful about paing attention to
ever detail. In the passage it refers to the nature and character of Hohn Hammond who
launches &illie Holida in her career. Although the most acceptable opposite is
unscrupulous, it is not given as an option. /hus, we conclude that option 4 is the most
appropriate answer. <ption A is a snonm of the given word. /he other ad%ectives given
as options &, 5 and . are not related to the main word and thus are re%ected as the
probable answer.

GRE READING COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE-4

/he was in which organi0ed societ has dealt with criminal offenders constitutes a long
and painful chapter in the histor of man. ,eference to that histor need onl be made in
sufficient detail to demonstrate that as unenlightened as our present penal sstem is
toda, it represents a giant step forward from earlier societies. In primitive societies, each
individual dealt with wrongs done to him or to his famil in his own wa. /he victim was
motivated chiefl b ideas of revenge, retaliation, or compensation for loss of propert.
;ince in those earl societies there were no well:established rules, the strong predator
ver often went unpunished, and the strong victim sometimes overreacted, resulting in a
compounding of the damage.
As the primitive societies developed, the government, represented b the chief or the
)ing, graduall began ta)ing over the protection of persons and propert and the
punishment of offenders in the name of public peace and order. /he basic concept behind
the intervention of government, however, continued to be that of retribution a
balancing of the scales of %ustice. /he scales tended to be balanced on the side of the
superior power of the state. /he death penalt was the most common response to
common crime. It is recorded that in +ondon, in Hanuar 6DI6, a 6C ear old bo was
hanged for stealing a silver spoon. 4uring the 6Bth and 6Cth centuries in .urope, some
thirt tpes of death penalties were in use, ranging from drawing and (uartering to
burning at the sta)e and brea)ing on the wheel. $hsical torture of all forms was
common, including mutilation, such as cutting out the tongue and burning out the ees.
$ublic flogging and other forms of public degradation were commonl in use for
relativel minor offences. Imprisonment was not loo)ed upon as a means of punishment,
but was used rather for the purpose of guaranteeing the presence of the offender at his
trial and ultimate punishment. 'ith a relativel small population, there were eight
hundred executions in a ear in .ngland alone towards the end of the 6Bth centur. /hen,
even more than now, the recipients of these harsh punishments were mainl the poor and
the Junderprivileged.
#assachusetts &a 5olon was founded b the pilgrims in 6B>I, not merel out of a
desire to worship as the chose, but also because of the social, economic, and legal
in%ustices then so commonplace in .ngland. However, strange as it ma seem, the
American colonists, )nowing no better wa, brought with them criminal codes almost as
severe as those the had left behind.
/he exception to the harsh colonial laws was the K=reat +awK of 'illiam $enn,
emboding the comparativel humane Qua)er criminal code. /his continued in force in
$ennslvania until the death of 'illiam $enn, when, in 6C6D, it was repealed, and
$ennslvania, along with the other colonies, continued under the harsh laws of the
American colonies until the late 6Dth centur and the beginning of the new 1nion.
/he Qua)ers provided the )estone around which modern penal reform developed in
America, and was accompanied b parallel developments in .ngland and on the
5ontinent. Although the harsh methods of .urope are no longer used, current penologists
are beginning to feel dissatisfaction with the dichotom between what our prisons are
supposed to beinstitutions of rehabilitation, and what the all too often
areinstitutions of punishment and demorali0ation. #an feel that the movement awa
from torture and capital punishment to containment is but the first step in effective
penolog.
Question 6
'hat is the main idea expressed in the passage2
A9/he passage gives an account of the use of cruel and inhuman discipline in order to
punish the offenders.
&9/he passage deals with the use of unlimited power of the primitive government to
suppress the people and gain supremac.
59/he passage expresses the need for a better form of government in order to overcome
the cruelties afflicted b rulers in the past.
49/he passage traces the development of a reformed societ in terms of law and order.
.9/he main idea expressed in the passage is the rise and control of American power over
its colonies.
Answer! A
Answer explanation! <ption A expresses the main idea of the passage most effectivel.
/he passage describes use of harsh punishment in order to bring %ustice. /hus it describes
the penal sstem as one:sided, favoring the government and the powerful, and not as a
sstem to restore peace and order. 'e re%ect option & since this statement does not refer
to punishments being used b the government. It onl refers to use of unlimited power,
which can be interpreted in other was as well. <ption 5 is also re%ected since the writer
is revealing facts about cruelties done in the name of %ustice in the past. He does not refer
to an change re(uired in the form of government. /he difference lies in the wa the
passage is written. <ption 4 also mentions a false statement. /he passage is not about the
development of a reformed societ, but of a societ where reforms were not brought
about. <ption . is obviousl wrong since the passage does not give us an details of the
American power and its colonies.
Question >
'hich of the following best describes the passage2
A9/he American $enal 5ode
&9Histor of 5apital $unishment
59,ule of /he -ings
49Histor of ;evere $enal ;stem
.94evelopment of $enal ,eform
Answer! 4
Answer explanation! <ption 4 is the best answer since it covers the whole topic
effectivel. /he passage is about the use of harsh laws to punish even those guilt of a
crime most trivial in nature. It traces the role of government of primitive societies in the
execution of such punishments, the extent of torture inflicted on people and the wide use
of such laws. <ption & is re%ected since the passage does not tal) about onl death
sentence, but harsh punishments in ever form. <ption 5 is also re%ected as according to
it, the passage is about the rule in general, and not about penal code specificall. <ption
. is also not suitable since according to it the passage largel tal)s about the reforms in
the penal sstem, but out of the whole passage, onl the end is dedicated to this topic.
Question ?
'hich of the following statements is true about the passage2
A9/he writer sas that a minorit population was sub%ected to execution in .ngland.
&9/he modern American sstem of reformed %ustice is based on the guidelines of the
Qua)er law.
59'illiam $enn forced the harsh colonial laws.
49A balance was created b the government in delivering %ustice.
.9#assachusetts &a 5olon served to bring economic growth.
Answer! &
Answer explanation! <ption A is false since the writer mentions a relativel small
population, and not a minorit, that was sub%ected to about DII executions in a ear in
.ngland. <ption & is an appropriate answer since the passage mentions that Qua)er law
was the )estone around which modern penal reform developed in America. <ption 5 is
a distorted version of the fact mentioned in the passage, since 'illiam $enn introduced
the =reat law that was an exception to the harsh colonial law. <ption 4 is false
since the passage mentions that the scales of %ustice were not e(ual and tended to be
balanced towards the state. <ption . is re%ected on grounds that it mentions the motive
behind the institution as economic growth, but it served to bring reforms, and not growth.
Question @
According to the passage, what was the main approach of the government in delivering
%ustice in the primitive societies2
A9/he approach was reformative, and the government wanted to introduce welfare.
&9/he approach was of greed to gain more wealth.
59/he approach of the government was progressive to spread prosperit.
49/he approach of the government was positive to maintain law and order.
.9/he approach of the government was harsh to give torturous punishments.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! According to the passage, the basic concept behind the
governments wa of punishing the offenders was cruel and harsh. In the primitive
societies, pain and suffering was inflicted on the offenders without an scope of excuse.
/hus . is the best answer option. A is wrong since the passage does not refer to welfare
of state in primitive societ, and reforms in the penal code were far from practice. <ption
& is obviousl wrong since there is no mention of the governments was and
measures of amassing wealth. <ption 5 mentions the approach as progressive in order to
spread prosperit. 'e re%ect this option since it is beond the scope of the passage.
<ption 4 mentions the approach as positive in order to maintain peace. However, the
means and approach to reach this goal was not positive, but harsh and repressive. /hus
we re%ect it.
Question A
'hat can be understood b the =reat +aw from the passage2
A9It was a different form of colonial law.
&9It was enforced after the death of 'illiam $enn.
59It was compassionate in nature.
49It led $ennslvania to compassionate penolog forever.
.9It was prevalent in American colonies.
Answer! 5
Answer explanation! 'e re%ect option A since the passage mentions the =reat +aw as an
exception to colonial law, thus it cannot be a different form of the same.
<ption & is re%ected since it was 'illiam $enn who introduced this law and it was
enforced as long as he was alive. <ption 4 can be re%ected because it mentions that this
law led $ennslvania to reformed penal %ustice forever. However, according to the
passage, harsh law of America continued after 'illiam $enns death. According to
option . this law was prevalent in all American colonies, but this is a false statement
since harsh and cruel laws were administered in them instead of compassionate laws li)e
the =reat +aw. <ption 5 is the best option, which mentions it as a compassionate law.
'e conclude this from the passage where it is referred to as humane and
exception to harsh colonial laws.
Question B
How does the second paragraph add to the development of the structure of the passage2
A9It forms the conclusion of the passage.
&9It is an introduction to the main idea in the passage.
59It brings forth the hidden intention of the writer.
49It reflects a counter:view of the main idea of the passage.
.9It forms the basis of the passage.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! /he second paragraph gives an account of the harsh punishments
carried out b the )ings and the government in the 6Bth and 6Cth centur in the name of
peace and order. /his is the main focus of the passage and thus this paragraph contains
the main content, or forms the basis of the passage. /hus option . is the best answer
option. 'e re%ect A since the writer is not deriving a conclusion but is explaining the
details of his topic. /his paragraph is also not an introduction to the passage since it is a
direct explanation of the sub%ect matter in detail, and comes after the introductor first
paragraph. /hus we re%ect &. As mentioned, it is a direct explanation, and thus there are
no hidden intentions of the writer that come out in this passage, which proves 5 wrong.
<ption 4 is obviousl wrong since the passage is about the cruelties carried out b the
government, and there is no counter:view mentioned.
Question C
3ill in the blan)s
In the 6Bth and 6Cth centur, FFFFFFF was prevalent for comparativelFFFFFFFF.
A9severe punishment.serious crime
&9retribution.trivial offence
59%ustice.minor sin
49crime.larger societ
.9peacebigger state
Answer! &
Answer explanation! /he passage mentions that public torture and other forms of public
degradation were commonl in use for relativel minor offences. /hus the best answer
option is &. 'e re%ect A since it suggests that harsh punishments were given for serious
and big crimes, but people were punished for small crimes e(uall. <ption 5 is obviousl
wrong, as it does not ma)e much sense. <ption 4 mentions that crime was prevalent in
large societies. However, the passage does not focus on the crime and does not mention
the extent of crime that was prevalent, but the extent of punishment given for the most
trivial crime. /hus we re%ect 4. <ption . is also re%ected since there is no mention of
peace being prevalent. /he passage onl mentions that the government indulged in such
%udgment in order to maintain peace, but there is no account of peace and order as it was
mentioned in the primitive societies.
Question D
'hich of the following is the snonm of the word humane2
A95ruel
&9Individual
59&enevolent
49*atural
.9;ober
Answer! 5
Answer explanation! A snonm is a word similar in meaning to the given word. /he
word humane means showing )indness towards people b ma)ing sure that the
do not suffer more than re(uired. /hus a snonm of this word should represent this
nature. <ption 5 is therefore the correct answer. <ption A is an antonm of the given
word since it is opposite in meaning, thus it is re%ected. <ption &, 4 and . are not related
to the main word in an manner. /hus all these options are incorrect.
GRE READING COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE-5

;tudies of the factors governing reading development in oung children have achieved a
remar)able degree of consensus over the past two decades. /his consensus concerns the
causal role of phonological s)ills in oung childrens reading progress. 5hildren who
have good phonological s)ills, or good phonological awareness, become good
readers and good spellers. 5hildren with poor phonological s)ills progress more poorl.
In particular, those who have a specific phonological deficit are li)el to be classified as
dslexic b the time that the are 7 or 6I ears old.
$honological s)ills in oung children can be measured at a number of different levels.
/he term phonological awareness is a global one, and refers to a deficit in recogni0ing
smaller units of sound within spo)en words. 4evelopmental wor) has shown that this
deficit can be at the level of sllables, of onsets and rimes, or of phonemes. 3or example,
a @:ear old child might have difficult in recogni0ing that a word li)e valentine has three
sllables, suggesting the lac) of sllabic awareness. A A:ear old child might have
difficult in recogni0ing that the odd word out in set of words fan, cat, hat, mat is fan.
/his tas) re(uires an awareness of the sub:sllabic units of the onset and the rime. /he
onset corresponds to an initial consonants in a sllable, and the rime corresponds to the
vowel and to an following consonants. ,imes correspond to rhme in single:sllable
words, and so the rime in fan differs from the rime in cat, hat, and mat. In longer words,
rime and rhme ma differ. /he onsets in val ! en ! tine are L v L and L t L, and the rimes
correspond to the spelling patterns al, en and ine.
A B:ear old might have difficult in recogni0ing that plea and pra begin with the same
initial sound. /his is phonemic %udgement. Although the initial phoneme L p L is shared
between the two words, in plea it is part of the onset pl, and in pra it is part of the
onset pr. 1ntil children can segment the onset 8or the rime9, such phonemic
%udgements are difficult for them to ma)e. In fact, a recent surve of different
developmental studies has shown that the different levels of phonological awareness
appear to emerge se(uentiall. /he awareness of sllables, onsets, and rimes appears to
emerge at around the ages of ? and @, long before most children go to school. /he
awareness of phonemes, on the other hand usuall emerges at around the age of A or B,
when children have been taught to read for about a ear. An awareness of onsets and
rimes thus appears to be a precursor of reading, whereas an awareness of phonemes at
ver serial position in a word onl appears to develop as reading is taught. /he onset:
rime and phonemic levels of phonological structure, however, are not distinct. #an
onsets in .nglish are single phonemes, and so are some rimes 8e.g., sea, go, 0oo9.
/he earl availabilit of onsets and rimes is supported b studies that have compared the
development of phonological awareness of onsets, rimes, and phonemes in the same
sub%ects using the same phonological awareness tas)s. 3or example, a stud b /reiman
and Mudows)i used as same:different %udgement tas) based on the beginning or the end
sounds of words. In the beginning sound tas), the words either began with the same
onset, as in plea and plan), or shared onl the initial phoneme, as in plea and pra. In the
end:sound tas), the words either shared the entire rime, as in spit and wit, or shared onl
the final phoneme, as in rat and wit. /reiman and Mudows)i showed that @: and A: ear
old children found the onset:rime version of the same L different tas) significantl easier
than the version based on phonemes. <nl the B ear olds, who had been
learning to read for about a ear, were able to perform both versions of the tas)s with an
e(ual level of success.
Question 6
'hat is the purpose of the writer behind writing this passage2
A9/o anal0e the phonological awareness and its levels in children that can affect their
reading process.
&9/o introspect deep into the pscholog of a child and find out the capabilities of ? to B
ear olds.
59/o trace the s)ills of a child to recogni0e different words of a language.
49/o compare the development of reading s)ills amongst children in good and poor
readers.
.9/o discuss the difficult in recogni0ing one word from the other.
Answer! A
Answer explanation! <ption A is the best option as in the passage the writer explains the
meaning of phonological awareness, and the level of phonological s)ills in children. /he
writer solves this purpose with the help of examples of different words with smaller units
of sound, representing some relation in either of onset, rime, phonemes or sllables.
<ption & is re%ected since the passage is not about child pscholog and thus the purpose
of the writer is surel not to examine it. <ption 5 is also re%ected, since the passage does
not explain larger words, but small words with small units of sound. <ption 4 is also
wrong, as the passage does not compare reading s)ills. /his is onl mentioned in the first
paragraph of the passage in relation to phonological awareness. <ption . is also re%ected
since the purpose behind the passage is not %ust to discuss the difficult to find the odd
word out, but to anal0e the level of difficult. #oreover, it does not deal with all words
in general.
Question >
'hich of the following statements is supported b the passage2
A9A childs abilit of reading is independent of his phonological s)ills.
&9;llables, onsets, rimes and phonemes are the smaller components of sound from
which words are formed.
59/he development of phonological awareness is independent of factors li)e age.
49$honological awareness adds to the abilit of clear speech of a child.
.9+evel of phonological awareness depends on how (uic)l a child grasps whatever he
reads.
Answer! &
Answer explanation! <ption A is false since in the beginning of the passage, the writer
sas that children with good phonological s)ills become better readers, thus we can not
sa that reading abilit is independent of phonological s)ills. <ption 5 is also wrong
since the passage explains how different levels of phonological awareness develop
se(uentiall, b ta)ing examples of ages from @ to B. /hus, it is not independent of age.
<ption 4 is re%ected since the passage does not explain speech defects and development.
/hus, it does not explain if phonological awareness adds or does not add to the clarit in
speech of a child. <ption . is also false since understanding and grasping the read
material has no mention in the passage. /herefore, there is no (uestion of level of
phonological awareness depending on it. <ption & is the correct answer option since it is
mentioned in the second paragraph while explaining the meaning of phonological
awareness.
Question ?
$rovide a suitable title for the passage.
A94evelopment of ,eading Habit in 5hildren
&94evelopment of +anguage in 5hildren
59Importance of ,eading $rogress
495hild $scholog and ,eading
.9$honological Awareness Amongst 5hildren
Answer! .
Answer explanation! A title must be reflective of the passage and must tell us in brief
what the passage is about. /his passage contains details of phonological awareness and
level of phonological s)ills amongst children. /hus, option A is re%ected since the
passage is not about reading habit. <ption & is also re%ected since it does not deal with
language, but sounds of a language. <ption 5 is also re%ected since the passage does not
concentrate on reading process but on the basis of reading process, as well as the
development of phonological s)ill with )nowledge of reading. <ption 4 is also wrong,
since there is no explanation of child pscholog in the passage. <ption . is the best
option since it describes the passage completel.
Question @
'hat is meant b phonological awareness2
A9/he deficit of recogni0ing units into which a word is divided, containing a vowel
sound and usuall one or more consonants.
&9/he deficit of recogni0ing the terminal sounds of words.
59/he deficit of recogni0ing initial consonants in a sllable.
49/he deficit of recogni0ing phonemes.
.9All of the above.
Answer! .
Answer explanation! <ption A is re%ected since it means that phonological awareness
means deficit of recogni0ing sllables, however, it also means deficit of recogni0ing
rimes, onsets as well as phonemes. ;imilarl, option & is re%ected since it mentions onl
deficit of recogni0ing the terminal sounds of words, which are the same as rimes. <ptions
5 and 4 are also incomplete as the also mention deficit of recogni0ing onset and
phonemes respectivel. /hus, the option . that mentions all the choices, that is the deficit
of recogni0ing sllables, rime, onset as well as phonemes is the complete meaning of
phonological awareness.
Question A
'hat can be concluded from the stud done b /reiman and Mudows)i2
A9/hat @:A ear old children found the tas) based on phonemes eas.
&9/hat B:ear:old children find it easier to read since the have been learning for a ear.
59/hat the same:different tas), where words li)e spit and wit were compared, was
comparativel easier for @ to A ears old, than the tas) where plea and pra were
compared.
49/hat the same:different tas)s, where words li)e plea and plan) or where plea and pra
were compared were easier for @:A ear olds then the tas) where wit and spit were
compared.
.9/hat the tas)s where words li)e rat and wit or words li)e plea and pra were compared
were comparativel simpler for @:A ear old children.
Answer! 5
Answer explanation! <ption A is wrong, since the paragraph clearl mentions that
children of the age @ to A find the tas) based on phonemes tougher than that based on
onset:rime. <ption & is obviousl wrong since the stud did not conclude anthing about
reading of B ear olds. <ption 4 is re%ected since the words plea and pra are ones which
share the initial phoneme, and this version is not eas for @ to A ear olds. <ption . is
also re%ected for the same reason, as the words plea, pra, and wit and rat share either
initial or the final phonemes, and according to the stud done b /reiman and Mudows)i,
this version based on phonemes was difficult for @ to A ear olds. /he best answer option
is 5 since according to it the words li)e spit and wit, which share the same rime were
easier for @ to A ear olds to recogni0e than words li)e plea and pra that share the same
phoneme.
Question B
How can the scope of the second paragraph be extended to the following set of words!
nut, hut, cut, sun
A9@:A ear olds can recogni0e the odd one out.
&9All the words share the same rime.
59@:A ear olds find it difficult to recogni0e the odd one out as these sets of words
contain three sllables.
49/o recogni0e the odd one out children re(uire the awareness of initial consonants in a
sllable and a rime.
.95hildren who can recogni0e the odd one out become good readers and can gain
master over spellings.
Answer! 4
Answer explanation! <ption A is wrong since the second passage ta)es the example of
fan, cat, hat, mat to describe that a A ear old finds it difficult to recogni0e the odd one
out. ;imilarl, in this set of words, sun differs from nut, hut and cut in rime, is difficult to
recogni0e for a @ to A ear old. <ption & is obviousl wrong, since the rime of sun is
different from other words in the same wa as fan is different from cat, hat and mat. 'e
re%ect option 5 because it mentions that these words contain three sllables. However,
these words contain lesser sllables than the word valentine, which has three sllables.
<ption . is false since this is not mentioned in the second paragraph. <ption 4 is the
most satisfactor answer, since according to the paragraph, the tas) of recogni0ing the
odd one out of similar words, an awareness of the sub:sllabic units of the onset and the
rime is re(uired.
Question C
3ill in the blan)s! option
According to the passage, theFFFFFFFFFFF around the ages of @ A, whereas
FFFFFFFFF at around the age of A : B.
A9phonological awareness begins.reading and writing s)ills develop
&9)nowledge of sllables, onsets and rimes generall begins.phonemic %udgement
59specific phonological deficit can be found in children.it can be overcome
49difficult in recogni0ing a word with one sllable happens. difficult in
recogni0ing a word with three sllables happens
.9phoneme version of same:different tas) is easier.onset:time version of same
different tas) is easier.
Answer! &
Answer explanation! 'e re%ect option A since it mentions that reading and writing
develop at the age of A to B, but the passage does not tal) about writing s)ills at all.
<ption 5 is re%ected since it mentions that a child becomes dslexia at the age of @ to A,
but in the passage it is mentioned in the first paragraph that it happens at the age of 7 or
6I. <ption 4 is re%ected since it can be understood from the passage that children of the
age @ or A can recogni0e words with one sllable, and nothing is mentioned about A to B
ear olds recogni0ing three sllables in a word. <ption . is also false as the last
paragraph mentions that phoneme version of the same:different tas) is not eas for @ to A
ear olds. <ption & is the best answer choice since according to the passage the
awareness of sllables, onsets, and rimes appears to emerge at the age of @ or A and that
of phonemes at the age of A to B.
Question D
'hat is the snonm of the word precursor mentioned in the third paragraph2
A9,e(uirement
&93orerunner
594escendant
49<bstacle
.9Help
Answer! &
Answer explanation! /he word precursor means something that precedes or comes
before. A snonm of this word will be same in meaning. In the passage it is used to
explain that awareness of onsets and rimes comes before reading. /hus option & is the
correct answer. <ption 5 is an antonm and thus it is re%ected. /he other options, A, 4
and . are not related to the main word, and thus are re%ected.