Directions Q. 1-10 : Read the following passage carefully
and answer the questions that follow. Certain words/ phrases while are printed
in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions
One of the most critical demographic events in the world
today is population ageing, i.e., the process by which the share of older
individuals in the total population starts becoming larger. The ageing
phenomenon, which has been initially experienced by developed countries, is now
steadily approaching the developing world. Projections show that over the next
five decades, world median age will continue to increase, resulting in enhanced
old age dependency ratios in all parts of the world. Thus, population ageing
would be a major global public unprecedented challenges for fiscal, monetary
and overall macro-economic management.
There is a general consensus that ageing population reduces
output growth, limits economic welfare and lowers employment. One direct effect
of population ageing is labour shortages that are caused by declining birth
rates and increasing life spans. This translates itself into a higher old-age
dependency ratio (i.e., proportion of population aged 15 to 64). Consequently,
with ageing, the economy's capacity to sustain the elderly population would
decline. An important consequence of this development is reflected in
increasing fiscal pressures through higher government spending on social
security, health care and other welfare programmes for the elderly accompanied
by lower tax buoyancy consequent to falling proportions of the productive
labour force. Given the hard budget could mean lower government spending for
programmes that primarily benefit the young. With public pension schemes coming
under increasing pressure to raise contribution levels or cut the size of
social safety benefits, the issue of fiscal sustainability is one of the
principal challenges facing policymakers world wide, particularly in the
context of intergenerational equity.
The experience of the US, Western Europe and other
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries suggests
that substantial demographic changes have occured in the past few decades.
Improvements in life standards, health care and nutrition have increased life
expectancy. As a result, the old-age dependency ration in OECD countries is
projected to reach nearly 50 per cent by 2050. This is going to pose a huge
fiscal burden in terms of social security, health care, pension and other
related expenditures. In this regard, an OECD exercise reveals a rise in old
age pension spending, on an average, by about three to four percentage points
of GDP over the period till 2050. Expenditure relating to health and long-term
medical care is estimated to increase by more than three percentage point of
GDP over the same period. Overall, total age-related expenditures relative to
GDP cold rise in average by about seven percentage points over the period
2000-2050. In turn, this would imply an average decline of six to seven
percentage points in the primary balance to GDP ratio
1. The term " Population ageing" refers to
A. the portion of senior citizen in a developed country.
B. the percentage of older people in a developing nation
C. increase in the overall population of a developed country
D. enhancement in the proportion of older people in the
population
E. None of these
2. Which of the following is definitely true of population
ageing?
A. It was almost simultaneously experienced by all the
countries of the globe
B. The underdeveloped countries cannot experience the
phenomenon.
C. Developing and developed countries experienced the
phenomenon respectively in succession
D. The challenges posed by population ageing had been
witnessed in the past also.
E. None of these
3. On which of the following points related to population
ageing, there is no dispute among thinkers?
A. The direct effect of population ageing is abundance of
labourers
B. Economic welfare will be enhanced due to availability to
experienced people
C. Employment will be lowered significantly due to population
ageing
D. Old age dependency ratio will be lowered significantly
E. None of these
4. What is most likely to happen if the dependency ratio is
higher?
A. It would lower the economist's capacity to sustain the
elderly population
B. Government spending on social security would
significantly decline
C. Productive labour force will reduce
D. Due to increased longevity expenditure on health care
will reduce
E. None of these
5. Which of the following factors is responsible for
increase in longevity?
I. Substantial raise in living status II. Adequate and
timely health care III. Nourishing and healthy diet
A. I and II only
B. II and III only
C. I and III only
D. All of these
E. None of these
6. Which of the following is most likely to happen by middle
of the 21st century?
I. In countries like the US and Western Europe, the old-age
dependency ratio is likely to touch 50 per cent
II. Six to seven points increase in primary balance to GDP
ratio in OECD countries
III. Raise to the extent of three to four percentage points
of GDP in age old pension spending
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. All of these
E. None of these
Directions Q. 7-8: Choose the word which is most nearly the
same in meaning as the word given in bold in the passage.
7. Span
A. width
B. gap
C. duration
D. distance
E. extent
8. Consensus
A. agreement
B. consent
C. harmony
D. compromise
E. interaction
Directions Q. 9-10: Choose the word which is most opposite
in meaning of the word given in bold in the passage
9. Concern
A. reassurance
B. comfort
C. anxiety
D. indifference
E. neglect
10. Sustain
A. prolong
B. uphold
C. protract
D. diminish
E. quit
Directions Q. 11-20: Read each sentence to find out whether
there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any will be in one part of
the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the
answer is (E). (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any)
11. A. He grow up the way B. Many young children grow up C.
Pampered, adored
D. and inwardly E. No error
12. A. He pulled his lips together B. close his eyes C. and
I watched the first teardrop
D. fall down the side of his cheek E. No erro
13. A. One Sunday when his sons B. Rob and Jon was home C.
they all gathered
D. in the living room E. No error
14. A. The audit committee of the board B. has been
constituted C. by the board of directors
D. as per instructions of the Reserve Bank of India E. No
error
15.A Proper care was taken B. for the maintenance of
accounting record C. as per accordance with
D. the provisions of applicable E. No error
16. A. Know he was dying B. Morrie visited with Mitch C. his
study every Tuesday
D. just as they used to back in college E. No erro
17. A. We are planning B. to set up a training college C. to
train our marketing team
D. for effective marketing of our products E. No error
18. A. Nobody knew B. where I spend my day C. and nobody
really
D. seemed to care E. No error
19. A. My father has B. always had a curious habit C. which
I could never understand
D. of consulting astrologers E. No error
20. A. I stopped at Aurangabad B. from which I make
excursions C. to the Ajanta Caves
D. and the temple at Ellora E. No error
Directions. Q. 21-25 : Read the following passage carefully
and answer the questions that follow.
I was born on Nov. 30, 1835 in the almost invisible village
of Florida, Missouri. My parents moved to Missouri in the early 'thirties'; I
do not remember just when, for I was not born then the cared nothing for such
things. The village contained a hundred people and I increased the population
by one percent. It is more than the best men in history doing as much, not even
Shakespeare. But I did it for Florida
Recently, someone in Missouri has sent me a picture of the
house I was born in. Heretofore I have always stated that it was a palace but I
shall be more careful now.
The village and two streets, each a couple of hundred yards
long, covered with stiff black mud in wet times, deep dust in dry. Most of the
houses were of logs. There were none of bricks and none of stones. There was a
Church, which was a school house on week days. There were two stores in the
village. My uncle owned one of them. It was very small with a few rolls of
cloth; a few barrels of salt fish, coffee and sugar, brooms, axes and other
tools here and there; a lot of cheap hats and in pans strung from the walls. At
the other end of the room, there were bags of shot, a cheese or two, and a
barrel or so of whisky. If a boy bought five or ten cents' worth of anything he
was entitled to a handful of sugar from the barrel; if a woman bought a few
yards of cloth; she was entitled to some thread; if a man bought something he
was at liberty to swallow as big a drink of whisky as he wanted.
My uncle was also a farmer and his place was in the country
for miles for Florida. I have not come across a better man than he was. I was
his guest for two or three year after we removed to Hannibal until I was eleven
or twelve years old.
21.The author of the passage was born
A. in a busy village
B. in a village in Mississippi
C. in a village located near a river
D. in a village of Florida in Missouri.
E. None of these
22. Since when the author decided not to describe his house
as a palace?
A. The day he was born in the invisible village
B. When he some one told him not to bluff too much
C. When he saw a dream in which he found his house
D. When some one in Missouri had sent him a picture of the
house
E. None of these
23. The houses in Florida were made of
A. bricks
B. stones
C. marbles
D. logs
E. None of these
24. How was the church utilized on week days?
A. The church was as a theatre for conducting Cinema
B. The villagers used it as a vegetable market during week
days
C. The church was used as a school on week days
D. The log church was kept idle on week days
E. None of these
25. Which of the following statement is true?
I. If a body bought five or ten cents worth of anything, he
was entitled to some thread
II. If a woman bought a few yards of cloth, she was entitled
to a handful of sugar
III. If a man bought something he was entitled to a mouth
full of whisky
A. Only I
B. Only II
C. Only III
D. I and II only
E. I, II and III
Directions Q.26-30 : Rearrange the following six sentences
I, II, III, IV, V and VI in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph;
then answer the questions that them:
I. Lastly, my thanks to Ramesh, for wanting to do this last
thesis together.
II. And, as always, my appreciation to David, who often
believes in me more than I do myself.
III. I would like to acknowledge the enormous help given to
me in creating this book.
IV. For their patience, I wish to thank Joseph and John and
multitude of my friends
V. Also special thanks to Thomas, my editor, for handling
this project with the right touch
VI. Have you ever had a friend like Ramesh
26. Which of the following will be the first sentence after
rearrangement?
A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV
E. V
27. Which of the following will be the second sentence after
rearrangement?
A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV
E. V
28. Which of the following will be the third sentence after
rearrangement?
A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV
E. V
29. Which of the following will be the fourth sentence after
rearrangement?
A. II
B. III
C. IV
D. V
E. VI
30. Which of the following will be the sixth (last) sentence
after rearrangement?
A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV
E. VI
Directions Q. 31-40: In each of the following passage, there
are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are given after the
passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank
appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case
Human Resources Development Department has......31... heads
of all Central Office Departments to ....32....to the notice of the
employees...33...to their departments....34....the availability of professional
counsellor engaged by our organisation on contract basis to....35...counseling
services to employees of Mumbai. HRDD has also sought the...36...of all the
employees to...37...the fears and unfounded notions, if any, about counseling
so that employees were...38...to come forward and avail of it. Counseling
facility for employees was...39...in Mumbai on Sept.21 with the help of a
professional counsellor. The counsellor is...40...on Mondays in the Main
Building Mumbai.
31. A. reported B. indicated C. referred D. advised E.
invited'
32. A. tell B. ask C. show D. give E. bring
33. A. affected B. absolved C. attached D. affixed E.
surrounded
34. A. regarding B. about C. upon D. aforesaid E. consequent
35. A. decide B. determine C. provide D. takeover E. spread
36. A. availability B. presence C. support D. permission E.
objection
37. A. dissolve B. disperse C. dispel D. displace E. differ
38. A. asked B. directed C. diverted D. encouraged E.
offered
39. A. obstructed B. observed C. started D. laid E. resulted
40. A. ready B. available C. accessible D. attainable E.
approachable
Directions Q. 41-45 : Pick out the most effective word from
the given words to fill in the blanks to make the sentence meaningfully
complete
41. All letters received from Government
should.................... be acknowledged
A. suddenly
B. obviously
C. immediately
D. occasionally
E. adequately
42. The note should be.............. to all the concerned
departments for their consideration
A. regulated
B. requested
C. carried
D. forwarded
E. represented
43. The process should be completed as far as possible
within a week, .......... which the matter should be brought to notice of the
officer concerned
A. following
B. failing
C. realising
D. referring
E. regarding
44. The Officers are ....................to regular
transfers
A. free
B. open
C. subject
D. available
E. dictated
45. Mumbai Officer...................a meeting of senior
officials to discuss the high incidence of frauds
A. attended
B. convened
C. reported
D. registered
E. asked
