Focus Academy for Career Enhancement 1

SECTION II – VERBAL TIME ALLOWED-40min

DIRECTIONS: Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.

PASSAGE
Satyagraha is fundamentally a way of life, which guides the modes of political activism undertaken by the followers
of its principle (or satyagrahis). On a personal front it involves a life committed to truth, chastity, non-attachment and
hard-work. On the political front, satyagraha involves utilisation of non-violent measures to curb the opponent, and
ideally to convert him rather than to coerce him into submission. A satyagrahi wants to make the evil-doers see the evil
that they are indulging into, and realize their injustice. In an ideal way, it involves transforming them into acceptance of
the right, and if that fails to come around, then at least to stop them from obstructing the right. Picketing, non-
cooperation, peaceful marches and meetings, along with a peaceful disobedience of the laws of the land were typical
modes of resistance adopted by satyagraha. Reverence to the opposition was one of the unique features of the
satyagraha preached by Gandhi. Under no circumstance, should the opposition or the flag of the opposition be insulted
in a Satyagraha movement. Resistance on the part of the authorities would be expected, but a true Satyagrahi had to
bear all hardships, including physical assault with patience, not ever stooping to anger, and to defend the faith even at
the cost of life. Gandhi believed that the Satyagrahis had to be extremely strong in inner strength and moral courage in
order to do that, and also realized that could not be achieved unless the Satyagrahis maintained a pure and simple life.
He made his own life a veritable example of his teachings, and also turned his ashram at Sabarmati as a haven for
individuals who chose to maintain a life based on his teachings. Non-violence of all forms were to be resisted and
refrained from Abuses and swearing were strictly prohibited and all forms of abstinence from sensual pleasures were
highly advocated. Hard labor was an integral part of Satyagraha. Every one was meant to work for his or her food and
the clothes. Khadi developed as the very mark of nationalism, and simple life became the order of the day. Absolute
secularism and eradication of every shade of untouchability were also distinct characteristics of satyagraha. It was only
in such a way, Gandhi believed, that the Indians would be strong enough to tread the paths of a truly non-violent
revolution.
Gandhi achieved success in the revolutions he led in South Africa by following the path of Satyagraha. He had an
innate belief that it would succeed in India too. In fact, Gandhi had an innate belief that it would be the only effective
way to fight the powerful British, because two centuries of colonial rule has financially and morally emasculated India to
such a degree, that any other form of resistance was bound to fail. Gandhi's satyagraha methods had few takers in his
early years at the Indian National Congress. However, under the able guidance of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhi's
method gradually gained acceptance. Gandhi shot into political prominence by successfully employing methods of
Satyagraha at the indigo planters revolution at Champaran in Bihar. The same method was repeated with similar results
at Kheda in Gujarat against the raised taxes from the British authorities. Satyagraha became the foundation of the non-
cooperation movement of 1920, following the infamous Rowlatt Act. Non-cooperation movement ended
unceremoniously with the Chauri Chaura incident. However, it was during the Civil Disobedience movement that Gandhi
re-inroduced satyagraha in a big way. His peaceful denial of government rules started with the celebrated Dandi march
and the making of salt on 12th March 1930, defying the British Salt Law that prohibited the making of salt without
government permission. Although ridiculed in the early years by a majority of the Western and particularly British
press, the true power of satyagraha was soon realised by the British government, as all government endeavors and
enterprises were in doldrums following mass boycott from Indians. Gandhis's satyagraha reached the pinnacle of
success, and Indian Nationalist movement reached a feverish pitch, forcing the government to initiate procedures
towards the Gandhi-Irwin pact, followed by the second round table conference, where Gandhi gave one of his greatest
speeches exposing the evils of the British rule and endorsing the methods of satyagraha.
Satyagraha by that time has gained wide popularity, and there were committed satyagrahis all over the country.
Quit India Movement reclaimed the ideals of satyagraha, which finally went a long in securing Indian independence.

1) According to the author what is satyagraha?

(a) a process of fighting against the laws agressively.
(b) hunger strike done by people for gaining freedom.
(c) a peaceful denial of government laws which were framed against our country and its people.
(d) includes peaceful marches and meetings to create awareness about freedom.

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2) It is inferred from the passage that?

(a) Sathyagraha gained its acceptance by the support of Indian national congress.
(b) Gandhiji had made his trip to south africa to make the freedom struggle more effective.
(c) Sathyagraha became the foundation for indian freedom struggle.
(d) Gandhiji believed sathyagraha would be the only effective way to fight the powerful British
3) The author says that a satyagrahi
(a) need to be physically strong so a sathyagrahi must be a male
(b) need to face lot of hardships so sathyagrahi must be unmarried
(c) must defend the faith even at the cost of life.
(d) must be an origin of Bihar or Gujarat.
4) Which of the following is true according to the above passage?
(a) Sathyagraha served as pure way but was not followed by many because the followers had to face hardships
throughout.
(b) Indians suffered a lot because almost all were sathyagrahis and so as a result they decided to quit sathyagraha
movement.
(c) Gandhi's satyagraha gained wide popularity at the very beginning of it in india.
(d) Gandhiji wanted the Satyagrahis to be extremely strong.
5) Choose a suitable title for the above passage.
(a) satyagraha , way of life
(b)Satyagraha in the Indian National Movement
(c) satyagraha, peaceful disobedience of laws.
(d) distinct characteristics of satyagraha

DIRECTIONS: Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.

PASSAGE
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 maneuvers, these senior executives rely on what is
vaguely termed “intuition” to mangage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity,
inconsistency, novelty, and surprise; and to integrate action into the process to 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.Isenberg’s recent research on the cognitive processes of senior managers reveals
that managers’ intuition is neither of these. Rather, 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 behavior
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. Used in this way, intuition is an almost instantaneous
cognitive process in which a manager recognizes familiar patterns.
One of the implications of the intuitive style of executive management is that “thinking” is inseparable from acting. Since
managers often “know” what is right before they can analyze and explain it, they frequently act first and explain later.
Analysis is inextricably tied to action in thinking/acting cycles, in which managers develop thoughts about their
companies and organizations not by analyzing a problematic situation and then acting, but by acting and analyzing in
close concert. Given the great uncertainty of many of the management issues that they face, senior managers often
instigate a course of action simply to learn more about an issue. They then use the results of the action to develop a
more complete understanding of the issue. One implication of thinking/acting cycles is that action is often part of
defining the problem, not just of implementing the solution.
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6) According to the passage, senior managers use intuition in all of the following ways EXCEPT to
(a) speed up of the creation of a solution to a problem (b) identify a problem
(c) bring together disparate facts (d) stipulate clear goals
(e) evaluate possible solutions to a problem
7) The passage suggests which of the following about the “writers on management” mentioned in line 12?
(a) They have criticized managers for not following the classical rational model of decision analysis.
(b) They have not based their analyses on a sufficiently large sample of actual managers.
(c) They have relied in drawing their conclusions on what managers say rather than on what managers do.
(d) They have misunderstood how managers use intuition in making business decisions.
(e) They have not acknowledged the role of intuition in managerial practice.
8) Which of the following best exemplifies “an ‘Aha!’ experience” (line 28) as it is presented in the passage?
(a) A manager risks taking an action whose outcome is unpredictable to discover whether the action changes
the problem at hand.
(b) A manager performs well-learned and familiar behavior patterns in creative and uncharacteristic ways to solve
a problem.
(c) A manager suddenly connects seemingly unrelated facts and experiences to create a pattern relevant to the
problem at hand.
(d) A manager rapidly identifies the methodology used to compile data yielded by systematic analysis.
(e) A manager swiftly decides which of several sets of tactics to implement in order to deal with the conti ngencies
suggested by a problem.
9) According to the passage, the classical model of decision analysis includes all of the following EXCEPT
(a) evaluation of a problem
(b) creation of possible solutions to a problem
(c) establishment of clear goals to be reached by the decision
(d) action undertaken in order to discover more information about a problem
(e) comparison of the probable effects of different solutions to a problem
10) It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following would most probably be one major difference in
behavior between Manager X, who uses intuition to reach decisions, and Manager Y, who uses only formal decision
analysis?
(a) Manager X analyzes first and then acts; Manager Y does not.
(b) Manager X checks possible solutions to a problem by systematic analysis; Manager Y does not
(c) Manager X takes action in order to arrive at the solution to a problem; Manager Y does not.
(d) Manager Y draws on years of hands-on experience in creating a solution to a problem; Manager X does not.
(e) Manger Y depends on day-to-day tactical maneuvering; manager X does not.
DIRECTIONS : Read the paragraphs given and choose the best option that suits the question asked.
11) The Environmental Protection Agency must respond to the hazard to children's health posed by exposure to
asbestos fibers released in the air in school classrooms. Since it is impossible to close school buildings, the best plan
would be to initiate programs that mandate the immediate removal of asbestos from all the school buildings that
are found to contain asbestos, regardless of whether or not the buildings are in use.
Which of the following, if true, is the strongest reason for the Environmental Protection Agency not to follow the
plan outlined above?
(a) The techniques available for removing asbestos often increase the level of airborne asbestos.
(b) Schools are places where asbestos is especially likely to be released into the air by the action of the occupants.
(c) Children exposed to airborne asbestos run a greater risk of developing cancer than do adults exposed to
airborne asbestos.
(d) The cost of removing asbestos varies from school to school, depending on accessibility and the quantity of
asbestos to be removed.
(e) It is impossible to determine with any degree of certainty if and when construction materials that contain
asbestos will break down and release asbestos fibers into the air.

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12) Aedes albopictus, a variety of mosquito that has recently established itself in the southeastern United States, is less
widespread than the indigenous swamp mosquito. Both the swamp mosquito and A. albopictus can carry viruses
that are sometimes fatal to humans, but A. albopictus is a greater danger to public health.
Each of the following, if true, provides additional information that strengthens the judgment given
about the danger to public health EXCEPT:
(a) Unlike the swamp mosquito, A. albopictus originated in Asia, and larvae of it were not observed in the United
States before the mid-1980's.
(b) Unlike the swamp mosquito, A. albopictus tends to spend most of its adult life near human habitation.
(c) Unlike swamp mosquito larvae, A. albopictus larvae survive in flower pots, tin cans, and many small household
objects that hold a little water.
(d) In comparison with the swamp mosquito, A. albopictus hosts a much wider variety of viruses known to cause
serious diseases in humans.
(e) A. albopictus seeks out a much wider range of animal hosts than does the swamp mosquito, and it is more likely
to bite humans.
13) A person's cholesterol level will decline significantly if that person increases the number of meals eaten per day, but
only if there is no significant increase in the amount of food eaten. However, most people who increase the number
of meals they eat each day will eat a lot more food as well.
If the statements above are true, which of the following is most strongly supported by them?
(a) For most people, cholesterol level is not significantly affected by the amount of food eaten per day.
(b) For most people, the amount of food eaten per meal is most strongly affected by the time of day at which the
meal is eaten.
(c) For most people, increasing the number of meals eaten per day will not result in a significantly lower cholesterol
level.
(d) For most people, the total amount of food eaten per day is unaffected by the number of meals eaten per day.
(e) For most people, increasing the number of meals eaten per day will result in a significant change in the types of
food eaten.
14) A certain type of dinnerware made in Ganandia contains lead. Lead can leach into acidic foods, and Ganandians tend
to eat highly acidic foods. However, the extreme rarity of lead poisoning in Ganandia indicates that the dinnerware
does not contain dangerous amounts of lead.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
(a) The dinnerware is produced exclusively for sale outside Ganandia.
(b) Ganandian foods typically are much more acidic than foods anywhere else in the world.
(c) The only source of lead poisoning in Ganandia is lead that has leached into food.
(d) Most people who use the dinnerware are not aware that it contains lead.
(e) Acidic foods can leach lead from dinnerware even if that dinnerware has a protective coating.
15) Auditor from Acme Industries: Last week at Acme Bakery, about six percent of the pastries baked during the night
shift were found to be imperfect, but no imperfect pastries were found among those baked during the day shift.
Pastries are inspected during the same shift in which they are baked, so clearly the night-shift quality control
inspectors were more alert, despite their nighttime work hours, than the dayshift quality control inspectors.
The argument depends on the assumption that
(a) at least some imperfect pastries were baked during the day shift at Acme Bakery last week
(b) not all of the pastries that the night-shift quality control inspectors judged to be imperfect were in fact imperfect
(c) the night-shift quality control inspectors received more training in quality control procedures than did the day-
shift quality control inspectors
(d) in a normal week, fewer than six percent of the pastries baked during the night shift at Acme Bakery are found
to be imperfect
(e) there are only two shifts per day at Acme Bakery, a day shift and a night shift

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16) Spiders of many species change color to match the pigmentation of the flowers they sit on. The insects preyed on by
those spiders, unlike human beings, possess color discrimination so acute that they can readily see the spiders
despite the seeming camouflage. Clearly, then, it must be in evading their own predators that the spiders’ color
changes are useful to them.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
(a) Among the animals that feed on colorchanging spiders are a few species of bat, which find their prey through
sound echoes.
(b) Certain animals that feed on color-changing spiders do so only sparingly in order to keep from ingesting harmful
amounts of spider venom.
(c) Color-changing spiders possess color discrimination that is more acute than that of spiders that lack the ability
to change color.
(d) Color-changing spiders spin webs that are readily seen by the predators of those spiders.
(e) The color discrimination of certain birds that feed on color-changing spiders is no more acute than that of
human beings.

DIRECTIONS : Fill in the blanks with the best alternatives

17) Despite the ---- of time, space, and history, human societies the world over have confronted the same existential
problems and have come to remarkably ---- solutions, differing only in superficial details.
(a) continuity.. identical (b) uniformity.. diverse (c) actualities.. varied
(d) contingencies.. similar (e) exigencies.. unique
18) Although he was known to be extremely ---- in his public behavior, scholars have discovered that his
diaries were written with uncommon ----.
(a) reserved.. frankness (b) polite.. tenderness (c) modest.. lucidity
(d) reticent.. vagueness (e) withdrawn.. subtlety
19) If the state government's latest budget problems were ----, it would not be useful to employ them as
----examples in the effort to avoid the inevitable effects of shortsighted fiscal planning in the future.
(a) typical.. representative (b) exceptional.. aberrant (c) anomalous.. illuminating
(d) predictable.. helpful (e) solvable.. insignificant
20) Just as some writers have ---- the capacity of language to express meaning, Giacometti ---- the failure of art to convey
reality.
(a) scoffed at .. abjured (b) demonstrated.. exemplified (c) denied.. refuted
(d) proclaimed.. affirmed (e) despaired of .. bewailed
21) The attempt to breed suitable varieties of jojoba by using hybridization to---favorable traits was finally abandoned
in favor of a simpler and much faster ---: the domestication of flourishing wild strains.
(a) eliminate.. alternative (b) reinforce.. method (c) allow.. creation
(d) reduce.. idea (e) concentrate.. theory
22) According to one political theorist, a regime that has as its goal absolute---, without any---law or principle, has
declared war on justice.
(a) respectability.. codification of (b) supremacy .. suppression of (c) autonomy .. accountability to
(d) fairness .. deviation from (e) responsibility .. prioritization of
23) Despite its ---, the book deals---with a number of crucial issues.
(a) optimism .. cursorily (b) importance .. needlessly (c) virtues .. inadequately
(d) novelty .. strangely (e) completeness .. thoroughly
24) Although frequent air travelers remain unconvinced, researchers have found that, paradoxically, the---
disorientation inherent in jet lag also may yield some mental health---.
(a) temporal.. benefits (b) acquired.. hazards (c) somatic .. disorders
(d) random .. deficiencies (e) typical .. standards

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DIRECTIONS : Choose the option that is the best alternative for the underlined phrase in the sentence
25) A “calendar stick” carved centuries ago by the Winnebago tribe may provide the first evidence that the North
American Indians have developed advanced full-year calendars basing them on systematic astronomical
observation.
(a) that the North American Indians have developed advanced full-year calendars basing them
(b) of the North American Indians who have developed advanced full-year calendars and based them
(c) of the development of advanced full-year calendars by North American Indians, basing them
(d) of the North American Indians and their development of advanced full-year calendars based
(e) that the North American Indians developed advanced full-year calendars based
26) A 1972 agreement between Canada and the United States reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had
been allowed to dump into the Great Lakes.
(a) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities had been allowed to dump
(b) reduced the phosphate amount that municipalities had been dumping
(c) reduces the phosphate amount municipalities have been allowed to dump
(d) reduced the amount of phosphates that municipalities are allowed to dump
(e) reduces the amount of phosphates allowed for dumping by municipalities
27) A collection of 38 poems by Phillis Wheatley, a slave, was published in the 1770’s, the first book by a Black woman
and it was only the second published by an American woman.
(a) it was only the second published by an American woman
(b) it was only the second that an American woman published
(c) the second one only published by an American woman
(d) the second one only that an American woman published
(e) only the second published by an American woman
28) A common disability in test pilots is hearing impairment, a consequence of sitting too close to large jet engines for
long periods of time.
(a) a consequence of sitting too close to large jet engines for long periods of time
(b) a consequence from sitting for long periods of time too near to large jet engines
(c) a consequence which resulted from sitting too close to large jet engines for long periods of time
(d) damaged from sitting too near to large jet engines for long periods of time
(e) damaged because they sat too close to large jet engines for long periods of time
29) A controversial figure throughout most of his public life, the Black leader Marcus Garvey advocated that some
Blacks return to Africa, the land that, to him, symbolized the possibility of freedom.
(a) that some Blacks return to Africa, the land that, to him, symbolized the possibility of freedom
(b) that some Blacks return to the African land symbolizing the possibility of freedom to him
(c) that some Blacks return to Africa which was the land which symbolized the possibility of freedom to him
(d) some Black’s returning to Africa which was the land that to him symbolized the possibility of freedom
(e) some Black’s return to the land symbolizing the possibility of freedom to him, Africa
30) A fire in an enclosed space burns with the aid of reflected radiation that preheats the fuel, making ignition much
easier and flames spreading more quickly.
(a) flames spreading (b) flame spreads (c) flames are caused to spread
(d) causing flames to spread (e) causing spreading of the flames
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31) A large rise in the number of housing starts in the coming year should boost new construction dollars by several
billion dollars, making the construction industry’s economic health much more robust than five years ago.
(a) making the construction industry’s economic health much more robust than five years ago
(b) and make the construction industry’s economic health much more robust than five years ago
(c) making the construction industry’s economic health much more robust than it was five years ago
(d) to make the construction industry’s economic health much more robust than five years ago
(e) in making the construction industry’s economic health much more robust than it as five years ago

32) A little under a million years ago, the briny waters of the Baltic Sea began flooding into the cold North Atlantic:
geologists are still debating whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm.
(a) whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(b) if the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(c) about whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(d) whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(e) whether the flood was gradual or it created a cataclysm

DIRECTIONS:Identify the sentence that has an error in it .

33) (a)On the way to theatre,I accidentally came across with an old friend.
(b)None has come to stay in that old hotel for a hundred years.
(c)The dog you have runs very fastly.
(d)I am very slow at calculations.
34) (a)Any of these two pens belongs to me. (b)He fell off the peak and died on the spot.
(c)I shall go on talking to you if you like it or not. (d)I enquired of him that he would help me.
35) (a)Ten million dollars are really a whopping sum.
(b)I will be very grateful to you for this happiness you have given.
(c)No sooner did he enter the stage than there was a loud applause.
(d)She need not to say how obliging she feels.
36) (a) He tied his dog with a leather belt to an electric pole.
(b) He forbade me not to eat fatty things.
(c)Shall you read this book for me?
(d)My leg has been paining for a wek or so.
37) (a)Police atrocities,if widespread, may lead to an upheaval which cannot be suppressed at all.
(b)They gave me much advise which had no effect on me.
(c)There is no relation between you and we.
(d)Good man makes a good industrialist.
38) (a)I have been watching you since two hours. (b)His father brought a spoon and oil in a utensil yesterday.
(c)She is sick, care of her when I am not here. (d)You will go to see him this evening.
39) (a)We know who are they. (b)The student as well as the teacher was making noise.
(c)He has been charged with arson and loot. (d)I would sing loudly if I was allowed.
40) (a)They asked her where did she live. (b)Some of her paintings are well worth looking.
(c)I was told that she has gone to mumbai. (d)I have been living in Indore in India since my childhood.

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