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Reading Comprehension || RC PRACTICE SET - 13 || CAT 2021 || 4 May

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Question 1

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
The scariest part about smartphone addiction is that it can affect our physical and mental health, relationships and productivity. America’s obsession with smartphones has even been compared to the obesity epidemic. That’s because just like drug or gambling addictions, smartphones provide an escape from reality.
Humans are, by nature, prone to distraction. With smartphones, we literally have a world of distractions at our fingertips. It’s time to acknowledge that our devices can negatively impact our lives— and we must make a change.
Initially, cell phones used to be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything - from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything— we rely on them.
The brain on ‘smartphone’ is the same as the brain on cocaine. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.
At the same time, having access to a constant flow of information has all but destroyed attention spans: a few years ago, a widely publicized study proved goldfish can focus longer than we can. This increase in ADD-like symptoms has been linked to the overuse of smartphones.
The effects of smartphone addiction don’t stop there; our overuse of technology has completely transformed how we communicate and interact with other people. Instead of getting real face time with the people in our lives, we hide often behind a screen. While technology can be a useful tool for keeping us connected, we must be careful with when and how we use it.
There’s nothing wrong with using the technology available to us. But when our smartphone usage interferes with our health and relationships with others, that’s when it becomes a problem. There’s a time and place to use devices and, more importantly, times to put them away.
Most people are aware of when it’s appropriate (or inappropriate) to use their smartphones, such as in meetings or job interviews. The scary thing is that the majority of those people will use them anyway! That’s where addiction comes into play: they know it’s wrong, but they can’t control the compulsion to pick up their phones.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

Which of the following words is similar in meaning to ‘acknowledge’ as used in the passage?

Question 2

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
The scariest part about smartphone addiction is that it can affect our physical and mental health, relationships and productivity. America’s obsession with smartphones has even been compared to the obesity epidemic. That’s because just like drug or gambling addictions, smartphones provide an escape from reality.
Humans are, by nature, prone to distraction. With smartphones, we literally have a world of distractions at our fingertips. It’s time to acknowledge that our devices can negatively impact our lives— and we must make a change.
Initially, cell phones used to be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything - from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything— we rely on them.
The brain on ‘smartphone’ is the same as the brain on cocaine. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.
At the same time, having access to a constant flow of information has all but destroyed attention spans: a few years ago, a widely publicized study proved goldfish can focus longer than we can. This increase in ADD-like symptoms has been linked to the overuse of smartphones.
The effects of smartphone addiction don’t stop there; our overuse of technology has completely transformed how we communicate and interact with other people. Instead of getting real face time with the people in our lives, we hide often behind a screen. While technology can be a useful tool for keeping us connected, we must be careful with when and how we use it.
There’s nothing wrong with using the technology available to us. But when our smartphone usage interferes with our health and relationships with others, that’s when it becomes a problem. There’s a time and place to use devices and, more importantly, times to put them away.
Most people are aware of when it’s appropriate (or inappropriate) to use their smartphones, such as in meetings or job interviews. The scary thing is that the majority of those people will use them anyway! That’s where addiction comes into play: they know it’s wrong, but they can’t control the compulsion to pick up their phones.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

Which of the following words is opposite in meaning to ‘appropriate’ as used in the passage?

Question 3

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
The scariest part about smartphone addiction is that it can affect our physical and mental health, relationships and productivity. America’s obsession with smartphones has even been compared to the obesity epidemic. That’s because just like drug or gambling addictions, smartphones provide an escape from reality.
Humans are, by nature, prone to distraction. With smartphones, we literally have a world of distractions at our fingertips. It’s time to acknowledge that our devices can negatively impact our lives— and we must make a change.
Initially, cell phones used to be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything - from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything— we rely on them.
The brain on ‘smartphone’ is the same as the brain on cocaine. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.
At the same time, having access to a constant flow of information has all but destroyed attention spans: a few years ago, a widely publicized study proved goldfish can focus longer than we can. This increase in ADD-like symptoms has been linked to the overuse of smartphones.
The effects of smartphone addiction don’t stop there; our overuse of technology has completely transformed how we communicate and interact with other people. Instead of getting real face time with the people in our lives, we hide often behind a screen. While technology can be a useful tool for keeping us connected, we must be careful with when and how we use it.
There’s nothing wrong with using the technology available to us. But when our smartphone usage interferes with our health and relationships with others, that’s when it becomes a problem. There’s a time and place to use devices and, more importantly, times to put them away.
Most people are aware of when it’s appropriate (or inappropriate) to use their smartphones, such as in meetings or job interviews. The scary thing is that the majority of those people will use them anyway! That’s where addiction comes into play: they know it’s wrong, but they can’t control the compulsion to pick up their phones.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

Which of the following words is similar in meaning to ‘prone’ as used in the passage?

Question 4

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
The scariest part about smartphone addiction is that it can affect our physical and mental health, relationships and productivity. America’s obsession with smartphones has even been compared to the obesity epidemic. That’s because just like drug or gambling addictions, smartphones provide an escape from reality.
Humans are, by nature, prone to distraction. With smartphones, we literally have a world of distractions at our fingertips. It’s time to acknowledge that our devices can negatively impact our lives— and we must make a change.
Initially, cell phones used to be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything - from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything— we rely on them.
The brain on ‘smartphone’ is the same as the brain on cocaine. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.
At the same time, having access to a constant flow of information has all but destroyed attention spans: a few years ago, a widely publicized study proved goldfish can focus longer than we can. This increase in ADD-like symptoms has been linked to the overuse of smartphones.
The effects of smartphone addiction don’t stop there; our overuse of technology has completely transformed how we communicate and interact with other people. Instead of getting real face time with the people in our lives, we hide often behind a screen. While technology can be a useful tool for keeping us connected, we must be careful with when and how we use it.
There’s nothing wrong with using the technology available to us. But when our smartphone usage interferes with our health and relationships with others, that’s when it becomes a problem. There’s a time and place to use devices and, more importantly, times to put them away.
Most people are aware of when it’s appropriate (or inappropriate) to use their smartphones, such as in meetings or job interviews. The scary thing is that the majority of those people will use them anyway! That’s where addiction comes into play: they know it’s wrong, but they can’t control the compulsion to pick up their phones.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

One of the phrases of the italicized sentence in the passage is grammatically incorrect. Identify the incorrect phrase and find its correct replacement from the following options.

Question 5

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
The scariest part about smartphone addiction is that it can affect our physical and mental health, relationships and productivity. America’s obsession with smartphones has even been compared to the obesity epidemic. That’s because just like drug or gambling addictions, smartphones provide an escape from reality.
Humans are, by nature, prone to distraction. With smartphones, we literally have a world of distractions at our fingertips. It’s time to acknowledge that our devices can negatively impact our lives— and we must make a change.
Initially, cell phones used to be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything - from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything— we rely on them.
The brain on ‘smartphone’ is the same as the brain on cocaine. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.
At the same time, having access to a constant flow of information has all but destroyed attention spans: a few years ago, a widely publicized study proved goldfish can focus longer than we can. This increase in ADD-like symptoms has been linked to the overuse of smartphones.
The effects of smartphone addiction don’t stop there; our overuse of technology has completely transformed how we communicate and interact with other people. Instead of getting real face time with the people in our lives, we hide often behind a screen. While technology can be a useful tool for keeping us connected, we must be careful with when and how we use it.
There’s nothing wrong with using the technology available to us. But when our smartphone usage interferes with our health and relationships with others, that’s when it becomes a problem. There’s a time and place to use devices and, more importantly, times to put them away.
Most people are aware of when it’s appropriate (or inappropriate) to use their smartphones, such as in meetings or job interviews. The scary thing is that the majority of those people will use them anyway! That’s where addiction comes into play: they know it’s wrong, but they can’t control the compulsion to pick up their phones.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

Which of the following statements is/ are TRUE with reference to the passage?

I. Besides being used as a communication device, nowadays, cell phones also act as navigation tools and cameras.
II. Smartphones influence the way we interact and connect with the people.
III. Smartphone addiction increases concentration.

Question 6

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
The scariest part about smartphone addiction is that it can affect our physical and mental health, relationships and productivity. America’s obsession with smartphones has even been compared to the obesity epidemic. That’s because just like drug or gambling addictions, smartphones provide an escape from reality.
Humans are, by nature, prone to distraction. With smartphones, we literally have a world of distractions at our fingertips. It’s time to acknowledge that our devices can negatively impact our lives— and we must make a change.
Initially, cell phones used to be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything - from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything— we rely on them.
The brain on ‘smartphone’ is the same as the brain on cocaine. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.
At the same time, having access to a constant flow of information has all but destroyed attention spans: a few years ago, a widely publicized study proved goldfish can focus longer than we can. This increase in ADD-like symptoms has been linked to the overuse of smartphones.
The effects of smartphone addiction don’t stop there; our overuse of technology has completely transformed how we communicate and interact with other people. Instead of getting real face time with the people in our lives, we hide often behind a screen. While technology can be a useful tool for keeping us connected, we must be careful with when and how we use it.
There’s nothing wrong with using the technology available to us. But when our smartphone usage interferes with our health and relationships with others, that’s when it becomes a problem. There’s a time and place to use devices and, more importantly, times to put them away.
Most people are aware of when it’s appropriate (or inappropriate) to use their smartphones, such as in meetings or job interviews. The scary thing is that the majority of those people will use them anyway! That’s where addiction comes into play: they know it’s wrong, but they can’t control the compulsion to pick up their phones.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

According to the passage, which among the following could be a suitable way to control smartphone addiction?

Question 7

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
The scariest part about smartphone addiction is that it can affect our physical and mental health, relationships and productivity. America’s obsession with smartphones has even been compared to the obesity epidemic. That’s because just like drug or gambling addictions, smartphones provide an escape from reality.
Humans are, by nature, prone to distraction. With smartphones, we literally have a world of distractions at our fingertips. It’s time to acknowledge that our devices can negatively impact our lives— and we must make a change.
Initially, cell phones used to be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything - from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything— we rely on them.
The brain on ‘smartphone’ is the same as the brain on cocaine. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.
At the same time, having access to a constant flow of information has all but destroyed attention spans: a few years ago, a widely publicized study proved goldfish can focus longer than we can. This increase in ADD-like symptoms has been linked to the overuse of smartphones.
The effects of smartphone addiction don’t stop there; our overuse of technology has completely transformed how we communicate and interact with other people. Instead of getting real face time with the people in our lives, we hide often behind a screen. While technology can be a useful tool for keeping us connected, we must be careful with when and how we use it.
There’s nothing wrong with using the technology available to us. But when our smartphone usage interferes with our health and relationships with others, that’s when it becomes a problem. There’s a time and place to use devices and, more importantly, times to put them away.
Most people are aware of when it’s appropriate (or inappropriate) to use their smartphones, such as in meetings or job interviews. The scary thing is that the majority of those people will use them anyway! That’s where addiction comes into play: they know it’s wrong, but they can’t control the compulsion to pick up their phones.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

What is meant by the following sentence of the passage?
‘The brain on 'smartphone' is the same as the brain on cocaine’.

Question 8

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.

According to the latest National Health Profile (NHP) 2018, India is among the countries with the least public health spending. The Indian government plans to live up to its promise of 'health assurance to all Indians' with a health spending of just Rs 3 per person per day that counts for 1.02 per cent of the GDP. India is one of the countries with the lowest public health spending. Even lower-income countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal spend 2.5 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent of the GDP respectively on their people’s health. There is a need to enhance public health spending to a minimum of 5 per cent of the GDP. According to the National Health Accounts (NHA) estimate for 2014-15, the Government Health Expenditure (GHE) per person per year is only Rs 1,108 that comes to Rs 3 per day. This is in contrast to the Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OPE) of Rs 2,394, which comes out to be 63 per cent of the total health expenditure.

The Union health ministry reveals that medicines are the biggest financial burden on Indian households. Of more than three lakh crore rupees that households spent on health in 2014-15, around 43 per cent of the total out-of-pocket spending (OOP) went in buying medicines. In private hospitals, households spent around 28 per cent of the OOP spending. Much of this problem of debt can be solved if medicines are made available to people at affordable prices. The National Health Policy 2017 also highlighted the need for providing free medicines in public health facilities by stepping up funding and improving drug procurement and supply chain mechanisms. One of the central problems has been the low levels of public spending on health, and as a, result the poor access to affordable and good quality healthcare for the majority of India’s population. The National Crime Records Bureau says that 0.38 million people committed suicide in India between 2001 and 2015 due to the lack of treatment facilities. This is 21 per cent of the total suicides in that time. According to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), outstanding loans for health reasons doubled between 2002 and 2012. In India, low health spending is pushing people towards the private sector for their healthcare needs since India stands sixth in the out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending among the low-middle income group of 50 nations. The result of that, about 55 million Indians were pushed into poverty in a single year because of having to fund their own healthcare and 38 million of them fell below the poverty line due to spending on medicines alone, according to a new study.

Source - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/dte-infographics/india_s_health_crisis/index.html

Which of the following statements will the author agree with the most?

I. India has a vast health care system, but many differences remain in quality of services between rural and urban areas as well as between public and private health care.
II. Lack of adequate coverage by the health care system in India means that many Indians turn to private healthcare providers, although this is an option generally inaccessible to the poor.
III. Private hospitals in India offer world class quality health care at a fraction of the price of hospitals in developed countries. This aspect of health care in India makes it a popular destination for medical tourists.

Question 9

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.

According to the latest National Health Profile (NHP) 2018, India is among the countries with the least public health spending. The Indian government plans to live up to its promise of 'health assurance to all Indians' with a health spending of just Rs 3 per person per day that counts for 1.02 per cent of the GDP. India is one of the countries with the lowest public health spending. Even lower-income countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal spend 2.5 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent of the GDP respectively on their people’s health. There is a need to enhance public health spending to a minimum of 5 per cent of the GDP. According to the National Health Accounts (NHA) estimate for 2014-15, the Government Health Expenditure (GHE) per person per year is only Rs 1,108 that comes to Rs 3 per day. This is in contrast to the Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OPE) of Rs 2,394, which comes out to be 63 per cent of the total health expenditure.

The Union health ministry reveals that medicines are the biggest financial burden on Indian households. Of more than three lakh crore rupees that households spent on health in 2014-15, around 43 per cent of the total out-of-pocket spending (OOP) went in buying medicines. In private hospitals, households spent around 28 per cent of the OOP spending. Much of this problem of debt can be solved if medicines are made available to people at affordable prices. The National Health Policy 2017 also highlighted the need for providing free medicines in public health facilities by stepping up funding and improving drug procurement and supply chain mechanisms. One of the central problems has been the low levels of public spending on health, and as a, result the poor access to affordable and good quality healthcare for the majority of India’s population. The National Crime Records Bureau says that 0.38 million people committed suicide in India between 2001 and 2015 due to the lack of treatment facilities. This is 21 per cent of the total suicides in that time. According to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), outstanding loans for health reasons doubled between 2002 and 2012. In India, low health spending is pushing people towards the private sector for their healthcare needs since India stands sixth in the out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending among the low-middle income group of 50 nations. The result of that, about 55 million Indians were pushed into poverty in a single year because of having to fund their own healthcare and 38 million of them fell below the poverty line due to spending on medicines alone, according to a new study.

Source - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/dte-infographics/india_s_health_crisis/index.html

What is the tone of the given passage?

Question 10

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.

According to the latest National Health Profile (NHP) 2018, India is among the countries with the least public health spending. The Indian government plans to live up to its promise of 'health assurance to all Indians' with a health spending of just Rs 3 per person per day that counts for 1.02 per cent of the GDP. India is one of the countries with the lowest public health spending. Even lower-income countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal spend 2.5 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent of the GDP respectively on their people’s health. There is a need to enhance public health spending to a minimum of 5 per cent of the GDP. According to the National Health Accounts (NHA) estimate for 2014-15, the Government Health Expenditure (GHE) per person per year is only Rs 1,108 that comes to Rs 3 per day. This is in contrast to the Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OPE) of Rs 2,394, which comes out to be 63 per cent of the total health expenditure.

The Union health ministry reveals that medicines are the biggest financial burden on Indian households. Of more than three lakh crore rupees that households spent on health in 2014-15, around 43 per cent of the total out-of-pocket spending (OOP) went in buying medicines. In private hospitals, households spent around 28 per cent of the OOP spending. Much of this problem of debt can be solved if medicines are made available to people at affordable prices. The National Health Policy 2017 also highlighted the need for providing free medicines in public health facilities by stepping up funding and improving drug procurement and supply chain mechanisms. One of the central problems has been the low levels of public spending on health, and as a, result the poor access to affordable and good quality healthcare for the majority of India’s population. The National Crime Records Bureau says that 0.38 million people committed suicide in India between 2001 and 2015 due to the lack of treatment facilities. This is 21 per cent of the total suicides in that time. According to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), outstanding loans for health reasons doubled between 2002 and 2012. In India, low health spending is pushing people towards the private sector for their healthcare needs since India stands sixth in the out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending among the low-middle income group of 50 nations. The result of that, about 55 million Indians were pushed into poverty in a single year because of having to fund their own healthcare and 38 million of them fell below the poverty line due to spending on medicines alone, according to a new study.

Source - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/dte-infographics/india_s_health_crisis/index.html

Which of the following options is the correct theme of the given passage?
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