IAS CSAT — Comprehension previous year questions with solutions.
To encourage research is one of the functions of a university. Contemporary universities have encouraged research, not only in those cases where research is necessary, but on all sorts of entirely unprofitable subjects as well. Scientific research is probably never completely valueless. However silly and insignificant it may seem, however mechanical and unintelligent the labours of the researchers, there is always a chance that the results may be of value to the investigator of talent. who can use the. facts collected for him by uninspired but industrious researchers as the basis of some fruitful generalization. But where research is not original but consists in the mere rearrangement of existing materials, where its object is not scientific but literary or historical, then there is a risk of the whole business becoming merely futile. According to the author:
For two or three generations past, ever-increasing numbers of individuals have been living as workers merely, not as human beings. An excessive amount of labour is rule today in every circle of society with the result that man's spiritual element cannot thrive. He finds it very difficult to spend his little leisure in serious activities. He does not want to think; or he cannot even if he wants to. He seeks not self-improvement, but entertainment which would enable him to be mentally idle and to forget his usual activities. Therefore, the so-called culture of our age is dependant more on centaur than on theatre, more on newspapers, magazines and crime stories than on serious literature. Man does not seek self-improvement because he:
The demographic dividend, which has begun in India and is expected to last another few decades, is a great window of opportunity. The demographic dividend is basically' a swelling in the working age population, which conversely means that the relative ratio of very young and very old will, for a while, be on the decline, From -the. experience of Ireland and China, we know that this can be a source of energy and an engine of economic growth. The demographic dividend tends to raise a nation's savings rate since in any nation, it is the working age population that is the main saver, and since the savings rate is an important driver of growth, this should help elevate our growth rate, However, the benefits of demographic dividend depend on the quality of the working age population. And this implies bringing back the importance of education, acquisition of skills and human capital.
Natural selection cannot anticipate future environments on the earth. Therefore, the set of existing organisms can never be fully prepared for environmental catastrophes that await life. An outcome of this is the extinction of those species which cannot overcome environmental adversity. This failure to survive, in modem terms, can be attributed to the genomes which are unable to withstand geological. vagaries or biological mishaps (infections, diseases and so on). In biological evolution on 'the earth, extinction of species has been a major feature. The earth may presently have up to ten million species, yet more than 90% of species that have ever lived on the earth are now extinct. Once again, the creationist doctrines fail to satisfactorily address why a divine creator will firstly bother to create millions of species and then allow them to perish: The Darwinian explanation for extinct life is once again simple, elegant and at once convincing-organisms go extinct as a function of environmental or biological assaults for which their inheritance deems them ill-equipped. Therefore, the so-called Darwinian theory of evolution is not a theory at all. Evolution happens-this is a fact. The mechanism of evolution (Darwin proposed natural selection) is amply supported by scientific data. Indeed, to date no single zoological, botanical, geological, pale-ontological, genetic or physical evidence has refuted either of the central two main Darwinian ideas. If religion is not taken into consideration, Darwinian Jaws are acceptable just like the laws proposed by Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Einstein-sets of natural laws that explain natural phenomena in the universe. With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. Only species that have the ability to overcome environmental catastrophes will survive and perpetuate. 2. More than 90% of the species on the earth are in the" danger of getting extinct due to drastic changes in the environment. 3. Darwin's theory explains all the natural phenomena. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
The majority of people who fail to accumulate money sufficient for their needs, are generally, easily influenced by the opinions of others. They permit the newspapers and the gossiping neighbours to do their thinking for them. Opinions are the cheapest commodities on the earth. Everyone has a flock of opinions ready to be wished upon by anyone who will accept them. If you are influenced by opinions when you reach decisions, you will not succeed in any undertaking. What is the main idea of the passage?
"In simple matters like shoe-making, we think" only a specially trained person will service our purpose, but in politics, we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a State. When we are ill we call for a trained physician, whose degree is a guarantee of specific preparation and technical competence--we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent, one: well then, when the whole State is ill should we not look for the service and guidance of the wisest and the best?" Which one of the following statements best reflects the message of the author of the passage?
The main threat to maintaining progress in human development comes from the increasingly evident unsustainability of production and consumption patterns. Current production models rely heavily on fossil fuels. We now know that this is unsustainable because the resources are finite. The close link between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions needs to be severed for human development to become truly sustainable: Some developed countries have begun to alleviate the worst effects by expanding recycling and investing in public transport and infrastructure. But most developing countries are hampered by the high costs and low availability of clean energy sources. Developed countries need to support developing countries' transition to sustainable human development. Unsustainability in production pattern is due to which of the following? 1. Heavy dependence on fossil fuels 2. Limited availability of resources 3. Expansion of recycling
The demographic dividend, which has begun in India and is expected to last another few decades, is a great window of opportunity. The demographic dividend is basically' a swelling in the working age population, which conversely means that the relative ratio of very young and very old will, for a while, be on the decline, From -the. experience of Ireland and China, we know that this can be a source of energy and an engine of economic growth. The demographic dividend tends to raise a nation's savings rate since in any nation, it is the working age population that is the main saver, and since the savings rate is an important driver of growth, this should help elevate our growth rate, However, the benefits of demographic dividend depend on the quality of the working age population. And this implies bringing back the importance of education, acquisition of skills and human capital. With reference to the passage, which of the following inferences can be drawn? 1. Demographic dividend, is an essential condition for a country to rapidly increase its economic growth rate. 2. Promotion of higher education is an essential condition for a country for its rapid economic growth. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Unless the forces and tendencies which are responsible for destroying the country's environment are checked in the near future and afforestation of denuded areas is taken up on a massive scale, the harshness of the climatic conditions and soil erosion by wind and water will increase to such an extent that agriculture, which is the mainstay of our people, will gradually become impossible. The desert countries of the world and our own desert area in Rajasthan-are a grim reminder of the consequences of large-scale deforestation. Pockets of desert-like landscape are now appearing in other parts of the country including the Sutlej-Ganga Plains and the Deccan Plateau, where only a few decades back there used to be lush green forests with perennial streams and springs, there is only brown earth, bare of vegetation, without any water in the streams and springs except in the rainy season. According to the passage given above, deforestation ultimately lead to which of the following? 1. Depletion of soil resource 2. Shortage of land for the common man 3. Lack of water for cultivation Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The poverty line is quite unsatisfactory when it comes to grasping the extent of poverty in India. It is not only because of its extremely narrow definition of 'who is poor' and the debatable methodology used to count the poor, but also because of a more fundamental assumption underlying it. It exclusively relies on the notion of poverty as insufficient income or insufficient purchasing power. One can better categorize it by calling it income poverty. If poverty is ultimately about deprivations affecting human well-being, then income poverty is only one aspect of it. Poverty Of a life, in our view, lies not merely in the impoverished state in which the person actually lives, but also in the lack of real opportunity given by social constraints as well as personal circumstances-to choose other types of living. Even the relevance of low incomes, meagre possessions, and other aspects of what are standardly seen as economic poverty relate ultimately to their role in curtailing capabilities, i.e., their role in severely restricting the choices people have to lead variable and valued lives. Why is the methodology adopted in India to count the 'poor' debatable?
In some places in the world the productivity of staples such as rice and wheat has reached a plateau. Neither new Strains nor fancy agrochemicals are raising the yields. Nor is there much unfarmed land left that is suitable to be bought under the plough. If global temperature continues to rise, some places will become unsuitable for farming. Application of-technology can 'help overcome these problems. Agricultural technology is changing fast. Much of this change is brought about by affluent farmers in the West Americas. Techniques developed in the West are being adapted in some places to make tropical crops more productive. Technology is of little use if it is not adapted. In the developing world, that applies as much to existing farming techniques as it does to the latest advances in genetic modification. Extending to the small holders and subsistence farmers of Africa and Asia the best of today's. agricultural practices, in such simple matters as how much fertilizers to apply and when, would lead to a greatly increased availability of food for humanity. So would things like better roads and storage facilities, to allow for the carriage of-surpluses to markets and reduce wastage. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. Poor countries need to bring about change in their existing farming techniques. 2. Developed countries have better infrastructure and they waste less food. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
How best can the problems of floods and droughts be addressed so that the losses are minimal and the system becomes resilient? In this context, one important point that needs to be noted is that India gets 'too much' water (about 75% of annual precipitation) during 120 days (June to September) and 'too little' for the remaining 245 days. This skewed water availability has to be managed and regulated for its consumption throughout the year. Which one or the following best reflects the practical, rational and lasting solution?
To encourage research is one of the functions of a university. Contemporary universities have encouraged research, not only in those cases where research is necessary, but on all sorts of entirely unprofitable subjects as well. Scientific research is probably never completely valueless. However silly and insignificant it may seem, however mechanical and unintelligent the labours of the researchers, there is always a chance that the results may be of value to the investigator of talent. who can use the. facts collected for him by uninspired but industrious researchers as the basis of some fruitful generalization. But where research is not original but consists in the mere rearrangement of existing materials, where its object is not scientific but literary or historical, then there is a risk of the whole business becoming merely futile. The author's assumption about scientific research is that
The main threat to maintaining progress in human development comes from the increasingly evident unsustainability of production and consumption patterns. Current production models rely heavily on fossil fuels. We now know that this is unsustainable because the resources are finite. The close link between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions needs to be severed for human development to become truly sustainable: Some developed countries have begun to alleviate the worst effects by expanding recycling and investing in public transport and infrastructure. But most developing countries are hampered by the high costs and low availability of clean energy sources. Developed countries need to support developing countries' transition to sustainable human development. Consider the following statements: Developed countries can support developing countries' transition to sustainable human development by: 1. Making clean energy sources available at low cost 2. Providing loans for improving their public transport at nominal interest rates 3. Encouraging them to change their production and consumption patterns
If presents bring less thrill now that we are grown up, perhaps it is because we have too much already; or perhaps it is because we have lost the fullness of the joy of giving, and with it the fullness of the joy of receiving. Children's fears are poignant, their miseries are acute, but they do not look too forward nor too far backward. Their joys are clear and complete, because they have not yet learnt' always to add 'but' to every proposition. Perhaps we are too cautious, too anxious, too sceptical. Perhaps some' of our cares would shrink if we thought less about them and entered with more single minded enjoyment into the happiness that come our way. With reference to the passage, which one of the following statements is correct?
The majority of people who fail to accumulate money sufficient for their needs, are generally, easily influenced by the opinions of others. They permit the newspapers and the gossiping neighbours to do their thinking for them. Opinions are the cheapest commodities on the earth. Everyone has a flock of opinions ready to be wished upon by anyone who will accept them. If you are influenced by opinions when you reach decisions, you will not succeed in any undertaking. Which one of the following is implied by the passage?
“……. Most people would agree that telling deliberate lies is wrong, except perhaps in certain special situations where more harm will be done by telling the truth. Even the most truthful people probably tell a good many more lies that might be regarded asemantic lies; their use of words contains some measure of falsehood, more or less deliberate." The idea which the first part of the passage mentions is
Computers increasingly deal not just with abstract data like Credit card details and databases, but also with the real world of physical objects and Vulnerable human bodies. A modem car 'is a Computer on wheels; an aeroplane is a computer on Wings. The arrival of the "Internet of Things" will see computers baked into everything from road signs and MIU scanners to Prosthetics and insulin pumps. There is little evidence that these gadgets will be any more trustworthy than their desktop counterparts. Hackers have already proved that they can take remote control of internet connected cars and pacemakers. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above?
It is certain, that seditions, wars, and contempt or breach of the laws are not so much to be imputed to the wickedness of the subject, a to the bad state of a dominion. For men are not born fir for citizenship but must be made so. Besides, men’s natural passions are everywhere the same; and if wickedness more prevails, and more offences are committed in one commonwealth than in another, it is certain that the former has neither enough pursued the end of unity, nor framed its laws sufficient forethought; and that, therefore, it has failed in making quite good its right as a commonwealth. Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the passage given above?
There are reports that some of the antibiotics sold in the market are fed to poultry and other livestock 45 growth promoters. Overusing these Substances can create superbugs, pathogens that are resistant to multiple drugs and could be passed along humans. Mindful of that,' some farming companies have stopped using the drugs to make chickens gain weight faster. Since Denmark banned antibiotic growth promoters in the 1990s, the major pork exporter says it is producing more pigs — and the animals get fewer diseases. Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage given above?
The best Universities like Harvard and MIT, despite having the luxury of having some truly excellent teachers on their payroll, are increasingly embracing the "flipped classroom" format, where students listen to video lectures at home, and spend class time applying their knowledge, solving Problems, discussing examples, etc. Professors guide that discussion and fill in wherever necessary, explaining those bits that Seem to be eluding the students and throwing in advanced ideas that happen to be topical. These universities have made their video lectures available free for anyone. in the world. They are also encouraging colleges and universities all over the world to integrate these online, courses into their own pedagogy, picking the pieces that are appropriate for their needs and building a package around them. Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage given above?
Which one of the following habits is found more often in good people?
At the heart of agro ecology is the idea that agroecosystems should mimic the biodiversity levels and functioning of natural ecosystems. Such agricultural mimics, like their natural models, can be productive, pest-resistant, nutrient conserving, and resilient to shocks and stresses. In ecosystems there is no 'waste, nutrients are recycled indefinitely. Agro ecology aims at closing nutrient loops, i.e., returning all nutrients that come out of the soil back to the soil such as through application of farmyard manure. It also harnesses natural processes to control pests and build soil fertility i.e., through intercropping. Agro ecological practices include integrating trees with livestock and crops. Consider the following: 1. Cover crops 2. Fertigation 3. Hydroponics 4. Mixed farming 5. Polyculture 6. Vertical farming Which of the above fanning practices can be compatible with agro ecology, as implied by the passage?
Researchers were able to use Stem cells to gauge the neurotoxic effects of the environmental pollutant Bisphenol A (BPA). They used a combination of biochemical and cell-based assays to examine the gene expression profile during the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells upon treatment with BPA, a compound known to cause heart diseases, diabetes, and developmental abnormalities in humans. They were able to detect and measure BPA toxicity towards the proper specification of primary germ layers, such as endoderm and ectoderm, and the establishment of neural progenitor cells. On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made: 1. BPA may alter embryonic development, in vivo. 2. Biochemical and cell-based assays are useful in finding out treatments for pollution-induced diseases. 3. Embryonic stem cells could serve as a model to evaluate the physiological effects of environmental pollutants. Which of the above assumptions are valid?