Reading Comprehension || RC PRACTICE SET - 16 || CAT 2021 || 10 May

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 current economic situation resembles an involuntary general strike, as workers cannot reach the capital assets or land that they need for production. This makes it different from a sudden stop in production because of a war or natural calamity: neither the labour force nor capital assets have been destroyed. The general strike is involuntary because the distancing has been imposed by governments to deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, rather than out of choice.

What we are experiencing now is thus primarily a supply shock. There will be a subsequent demand shock as the lack of income damages the ability of people to maintain consumption and/or that of enterprises to invest in new capacity even after the virus threat recedes. The modern economic policy toolkit is generally better suited to deal with a collapse in aggregate demand, rather than a sudden stop in production. The lack of a widely accepted set of policies to manage a supply shock is especially relevant when the national conversation is gradually moving towards ways to partially exit the stringent national lockdown that was imposed as an initial defence against the spread of covid-19.

How does one think of a gradual exit from the lockdown? Consider a very basic economy with two sectors—an agricultural sector that produces food from land, and an industrial sector that produces other goods. There are two ways to think about how to get half of total economic capacity back on stream. First, one of the two sectors are allowed to get back to full capacity while the other sector is kept shut. Second, both sectors are allowed to operate at half their capacity.

The ____(A)____ of both these strategies are dramatically different from each other, once you begin to think about how the two sectors are dependent on each other. Consider the first option. If only agriculture is opened up while the industrial sector is kept shut, then farmers will not get access to the stuff they need to grow and harvest food. Think tractors, fertilizers and jute bags. Similarly, an industrial sector operating at full capacity with no farm production will mean that workers will not get food that they need to be productive. And some industries such as textiles are built on inputs from the farms.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/a-production-model-that-could-guide-an-economic-resumption-11586276999597.html

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 current economic situation resembles an involuntary general strike, as workers cannot reach the capital assets or land that they need for production. This makes it different from a sudden stop in production because of a war or natural calamity: neither the labour force nor capital assets have been destroyed. The general strike is involuntary because the distancing has been imposed by governments to deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, rather than out of choice.

What we are experiencing now is thus primarily a supply shock. There will be a subsequent demand shock as the lack of income damages the ability of people to maintain consumption and/or that of enterprises to invest in new capacity even after the virus threat recedes. The modern economic policy toolkit is generally better suited to deal with a collapse in aggregate demand, rather than a sudden stop in production. The lack of a widely accepted set of policies to manage a supply shock is especially relevant when the national conversation is gradually moving towards ways to partially exit the stringent national lockdown that was imposed as an initial defence against the spread of covid-19.

How does one think of a gradual exit from the lockdown? Consider a very basic economy with two sectors—an agricultural sector that produces food from land, and an industrial sector that produces other goods. There are two ways to think about how to get half of total economic capacity back on stream. First, one of the two sectors are allowed to get back to full capacity while the other sector is kept shut. Second, both sectors are allowed to operate at half their capacity.

The ____(A)____ of both these strategies are dramatically different from each other, once you begin to think about how the two sectors are dependent on each other. Consider the first option. If only agriculture is opened up while the industrial sector is kept shut, then farmers will not get access to the stuff they need to grow and harvest food. Think tractors, fertilizers and jute bags. Similarly, an industrial sector operating at full capacity with no farm production will mean that workers will not get food that they need to be productive. And some industries such as textiles are built on inputs from the farms.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/a-production-model-that-could-guide-an-economic-resumption-11586276999597.html

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 current economic situation resembles an involuntary general strike, as workers cannot reach the capital assets or land that they need for production. This makes it different from a sudden stop in production because of a war or natural calamity: neither the labour force nor capital assets have been destroyed. The general strike is involuntary because the distancing has been imposed by governments to deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, rather than out of choice.

What we are experiencing now is thus primarily a supply shock. There will be a subsequent demand shock as the lack of income damages the ability of people to maintain consumption and/or that of enterprises to invest in new capacity even after the virus threat recedes. The modern economic policy toolkit is generally better suited to deal with a collapse in aggregate demand, rather than a sudden stop in production. The lack of a widely accepted set of policies to manage a supply shock is especially relevant when the national conversation is gradually moving towards ways to partially exit the stringent national lockdown that was imposed as an initial defence against the spread of covid-19.

How does one think of a gradual exit from the lockdown? Consider a very basic economy with two sectors—an agricultural sector that produces food from land, and an industrial sector that produces other goods. There are two ways to think about how to get half of total economic capacity back on stream. First, one of the two sectors are allowed to get back to full capacity while the other sector is kept shut. Second, both sectors are allowed to operate at half their capacity.

The ____(A)____ of both these strategies are dramatically different from each other, once you begin to think about how the two sectors are dependent on each other. Consider the first option. If only agriculture is opened up while the industrial sector is kept shut, then farmers will not get access to the stuff they need to grow and harvest food. Think tractors, fertilizers and jute bags. Similarly, an industrial sector operating at full capacity with no farm production will mean that workers will not get food that they need to be productive. And some industries such as textiles are built on inputs from the farms.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/a-production-model-that-could-guide-an-economic-resumption-11586276999597.html

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 current economic situation resembles an involuntary general strike, as workers cannot reach the capital assets or land that they need for production. This makes it different from a sudden stop in production because of a war or natural calamity: neither the labour force nor capital assets have been destroyed. The general strike is involuntary because the distancing has been imposed by governments to deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, rather than out of choice.

What we are experiencing now is thus primarily a supply shock. There will be a subsequent demand shock as the lack of income damages the ability of people to maintain consumption and/or that of enterprises to invest in new capacity even after the virus threat recedes. The modern economic policy toolkit is generally better suited to deal with a collapse in aggregate demand, rather than a sudden stop in production. The lack of a widely accepted set of policies to manage a supply shock is especially relevant when the national conversation is gradually moving towards ways to partially exit the stringent national lockdown that was imposed as an initial defence against the spread of covid-19.

How does one think of a gradual exit from the lockdown? Consider a very basic economy with two sectors—an agricultural sector that produces food from land, and an industrial sector that produces other goods. There are two ways to think about how to get half of total economic capacity back on stream. First, one of the two sectors are allowed to get back to full capacity while the other sector is kept shut. Second, both sectors are allowed to operate at half their capacity.

The ____(A)____ of both these strategies are dramatically different from each other, once you begin to think about how the two sectors are dependent on each other. Consider the first option. If only agriculture is opened up while the industrial sector is kept shut, then farmers will not get access to the stuff they need to grow and harvest food. Think tractors, fertilizers and jute bags. Similarly, an industrial sector operating at full capacity with no farm production will mean that workers will not get food that they need to be productive. And some industries such as textiles are built on inputs from the farms.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/a-production-model-that-could-guide-an-economic-resumption-11586276999597.html

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 current economic situation resembles an involuntary general strike, as workers cannot reach the capital assets or land that they need for production. This makes it different from a sudden stop in production because of a war or natural calamity: neither the labour force nor capital assets have been destroyed. The general strike is involuntary because the distancing has been imposed by governments to deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, rather than out of choice.

What we are experiencing now is thus primarily a supply shock. There will be a subsequent demand shock as the lack of income damages the ability of people to maintain consumption and/or that of enterprises to invest in new capacity even after the virus threat recedes. The modern economic policy toolkit is generally better suited to deal with a collapse in aggregate demand, rather than a sudden stop in production. The lack of a widely accepted set of policies to manage a supply shock is especially relevant when the national conversation is gradually moving towards ways to partially exit the stringent national lockdown that was imposed as an initial defence against the spread of covid-19.

How does one think of a gradual exit from the lockdown? Consider a very basic economy with two sectors—an agricultural sector that produces food from land, and an industrial sector that produces other goods. There are two ways to think about how to get half of total economic capacity back on stream. First, one of the two sectors are allowed to get back to full capacity while the other sector is kept shut. Second, both sectors are allowed to operate at half their capacity.

The ____(A)____ of both these strategies are dramatically different from each other, once you begin to think about how the two sectors are dependent on each other. Consider the first option. If only agriculture is opened up while the industrial sector is kept shut, then farmers will not get access to the stuff they need to grow and harvest food. Think tractors, fertilizers and jute bags. Similarly, an industrial sector operating at full capacity with no farm production will mean that workers will not get food that they need to be productive. And some industries such as textiles are built on inputs from the farms.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/a-production-model-that-could-guide-an-economic-resumption-11586276999597.html

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 current economic situation resembles an involuntary general strike, as workers cannot reach the capital assets or land that they need for production. This makes it different from a sudden stop in production because of a war or natural calamity: neither the labour force nor capital assets have been destroyed. The general strike is involuntary because the distancing has been imposed by governments to deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, rather than out of choice.

What we are experiencing now is thus primarily a supply shock. There will be a subsequent demand shock as the lack of income damages the ability of people to maintain consumption and/or that of enterprises to invest in new capacity even after the virus threat recedes. The modern economic policy toolkit is generally better suited to deal with a collapse in aggregate demand, rather than a sudden stop in production. The lack of a widely accepted set of policies to manage a supply shock is especially relevant when the national conversation is gradually moving towards ways to partially exit the stringent national lockdown that was imposed as an initial defence against the spread of covid-19.

How does one think of a gradual exit from the lockdown? Consider a very basic economy with two sectors—an agricultural sector that produces food from land, and an industrial sector that produces other goods. There are two ways to think about how to get half of total economic capacity back on stream. First, one of the two sectors are allowed to get back to full capacity while the other sector is kept shut. Second, both sectors are allowed to operate at half their capacity.

The ____(A)____ of both these strategies are dramatically different from each other, once you begin to think about how the two sectors are dependent on each other. Consider the first option. If only agriculture is opened up while the industrial sector is kept shut, then farmers will not get access to the stuff they need to grow and harvest food. Think tractors, fertilizers and jute bags. Similarly, an industrial sector operating at full capacity with no farm production will mean that workers will not get food that they need to be productive. And some industries such as textiles are built on inputs from the farms.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/a-production-model-that-could-guide-an-economic-resumption-11586276999597.html

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 current economic situation resembles an involuntary general strike, as workers cannot reach the capital assets or land that they need for production. This makes it different from a sudden stop in production because of a war or natural calamity: neither the labour force nor capital assets have been destroyed. The general strike is involuntary because the distancing has been imposed by governments to deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, rather than out of choice.

What we are experiencing now is thus primarily a supply shock. There will be a subsequent demand shock as the lack of income damages the ability of people to maintain consumption and/or that of enterprises to invest in new capacity even after the virus threat recedes. The modern economic policy toolkit is generally better suited to deal with a collapse in aggregate demand, rather than a sudden stop in production. The lack of a widely accepted set of policies to manage a supply shock is especially relevant when the national conversation is gradually moving towards ways to partially exit the stringent national lockdown that was imposed as an initial defence against the spread of covid-19.

How does one think of a gradual exit from the lockdown? Consider a very basic economy with two sectors—an agricultural sector that produces food from land, and an industrial sector that produces other goods. There are two ways to think about how to get half of total economic capacity back on stream. First, one of the two sectors are allowed to get back to full capacity while the other sector is kept shut. Second, both sectors are allowed to operate at half their capacity.

The ____(A)____ of both these strategies are dramatically different from each other, once you begin to think about how the two sectors are dependent on each other. Consider the first option. If only agriculture is opened up while the industrial sector is kept shut, then farmers will not get access to the stuff they need to grow and harvest food. Think tractors, fertilizers and jute bags. Similarly, an industrial sector operating at full capacity with no farm production will mean that workers will not get food that they need to be productive. And some industries such as textiles are built on inputs from the farms.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/a-production-model-that-could-guide-an-economic-resumption-11586276999597.html

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.

Since the beginning of human civilization, science and technology has progressed in a continuous process. Fire must have been an exciting new technology for the first humans all singing and dancing. But to this day we are continuing research to fully answer the question, what is fire? But the search for new knowledge is based on rational thinking, which is fundamental for progress and for making new discoveries. I doubt whether there was (or now is) a civilization that reached a high level of achievement without simultaneously nurturing S & T and employing the rational thinking characteristic of the culture of science. After all, we are Homo sapiens, the species characterized by an enlarged brain capacity. Science is an education process that allows the educated and creative minds to question, experiment or observe in an attempt to find answers, and then try to identify a set of unifying principles, concepts, and laws that embraces all phenomena of nature. The aim is to better understand our universe and gain new knowledge that will enlighten humanity by unveiling mysteries of how nature works. In the process we may make new discoveries and inventions that change the way we think and/or create new technologies that transform our society. The sharp division of science into pure and applied branches is not natural. Some managers of science believe in this division and wish to emphasize only "what is relevant" for the prosperity of the society. But that is not the way science works, as scientists themselves in their quest for new knowledge do not know what is relevant. And if they knew ahead of time it would not be new knowledge. Scientific research is not manageable in the usual sense of the word. Most S & T advances are governed by a structure of a connected triad - basic research, technology development, and the involvement of society. In this cycle, both pure and applied sciences become an integral part of a successful endeavour. With rational thought, the benefit of cloning and other developments, such as stem cell research to society would undoubtedly feed back to the support of basic research, and the cycle of the triad continues. Cycles of this type ultimately lead to the development of new concepts and new tools or techniques. Some historians of science make a division between the two. The late influential historian and philosopher of science, Thomas Kuhn, favoured concept-driven research as a paradigm over tool-driven research. Although I am not a historian, I find, from my own experience as a scientist this distinction is not as sharp as Kuhn would have it. In fact new tools and techniques drive scientific research as much as new concepts, and both are part of the progress of science.

Source -http://udyong.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7057:science-and-beyond-the-21st-century-edition-4664848&catid=90&Itemid=1267

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.

Antibiotics play a major role in the field of medicine today. Yet many do not know of how they got their start. Who could’ve imagined that something we use today on a regular basis in hospitals, clinics, and private offices was discovered by chance? The discovery of antibiotics was slow, but once it was really paid attention to on the affect it could have, antibiotics are now something the world could not do without. (Rosenberg, 2011)

In September 1928 a man by the name of Alexander Fleming would make a discovery that would change medicine forever. Fleming had just _________________ with his family and was going through stacks of Petri dishes. These petri dishes were experiments he had left before going on vacation. He was sifting through them to see which ones could still be used and which ones needed to be gotten rid of. While cleaning and getting rid of the contaminated dishes one in particular stuck out at him, it was growing mould but, the mould that was growing had killed off the Staphylococcus aureus ( a type of virus) that had been growing in the dish. It was then that he realized he had by chance discovered something very substantial. Research with the bacteria staphylococci was something he had been performing and had other discoveries in. At the time of his discoveries most of his research was revolved around finding a cure for scarlet fever, pneumonia, diphtheria, and typhoid fever. After his finding he published them in 1929 in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology. His publication gained little or no attention and he soon ran into another problem with the penicillin itself. He found it hard to cultivate and it proved to be even more of a problem to isolate the antibiotic agent. Because of these two things Fleming came to two assumptions, first that the penicillin would not be important in treating infection due to the fact that it seemed slow acting and there was the problem of producing a great enough quantity. Secondly, he assumed that the penicillin would not stay in the body for a long enough period of time to kill bacteria effectively. Fleming continued his work and many trials after that did show promise but in 1940, he finally abandoned his penicillin research, giving someone else the chance to possibly find a way to refine the penicillin.

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.

Antibiotics play a major role in the field of medicine today. Yet many do not know of how they got their start. Who could’ve imagined that something we use today on a regular basis in hospitals, clinics, and private offices was discovered by chance? The discovery of antibiotics was slow, but once it was really paid attention to on the affect it could have, antibiotics are now something the world could not do without. (Rosenberg, 2011)

In September 1928 a man by the name of Alexander Fleming would make a discovery that would change medicine forever. Fleming had just _________________ with his family and was going through stacks of Petri dishes. These petri dishes were experiments he had left before going on vacation. He was sifting through them to see which ones could still be used and which ones needed to be gotten rid of. While cleaning and getting rid of the contaminated dishes one in particular stuck out at him, it was growing mould but, the mould that was growing had killed off the Staphylococcus aureus ( a type of virus) that had been growing in the dish. It was then that he realized he had by chance discovered something very substantial. Research with the bacteria staphylococci was something he had been performing and had other discoveries in. At the time of his discoveries most of his research was revolved around finding a cure for scarlet fever, pneumonia, diphtheria, and typhoid fever. After his finding he published them in 1929 in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology. His publication gained little or no attention and he soon ran into another problem with the penicillin itself. He found it hard to cultivate and it proved to be even more of a problem to isolate the antibiotic agent. Because of these two things Fleming came to two assumptions, first that the penicillin would not be important in treating infection due to the fact that it seemed slow acting and there was the problem of producing a great enough quantity. Secondly, he assumed that the penicillin would not stay in the body for a long enough period of time to kill bacteria effectively. Fleming continued his work and many trials after that did show promise but in 1940, he finally abandoned his penicillin research, giving someone else the chance to possibly find a way to refine the penicillin.