UP PET ENGLISH QUIZ

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Question 1:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

It is well accorded that COVID-19 extracts a huge toll on the mental health of patients and leaves behind a slew of neurological sequelae in its wake. However, what is alarming is the wide gamut of mental and neurological disorders seen even in those with milder symptoms. Such patients frequently reported being anxious, depressed and having difficulty in sleeping. A higher incidence of frank psychosis manifesting as disorganization of thought processes and personality disorders was also reported. Many survivors of COVID-19 had to battle substance abuse in its immediate aftermath. There was a steep increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by regular drinkers. Persons who had stopped smoking and consuming alcohol resumed their habit in disconcerting numbers. The occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinsonism is concerning as this would bring long-term disability in the form of impaired mobility and memory decline. It has been hypothesized that the causative mechanism for many of the neurological conditions due to COVID-19 may be the direct invasion of the nervous system by the virus, an increased tendency to blood clotting or an exaggerated immune response by the body. Various other factors like pre-existing psychiatric illness, prolonged quarantine, perceived lack of organizational support, and social stigma are risk factors. Anxiety, Nervousness, and Post-traumatic stress disorder are often fuelled by fear of infecting other family members, physical distancing, loneliness, and ________ at home in cramped quarters. The pandemic has radically

transformed the way businesses function and services delivered. Remote working disrupts a healthy-work life balance. Face to face contact and human interactions which were considered so essential for emotional well-being has taken a backseat. Lack of comforting physical contact like shaking hands and hugging friends is stressful and disconcerting. Online classes and home-schooling have placed a gargantuan burden both on students and parents. Lack of access to reliable computer hardware and spotty internet connections, particularly in rural areas and in the economically backward have created a new class divide. Children have been deprived of co-curricular activities, participation in group events and sports which is essential for their holistic development. Mental stress and fatigue have increased manyfold due to the rigours imposed by virtual learning.

What is the synonym of the word accord?

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

It is well accorded that COVID-19 extracts a huge toll on the mental health of patients and leaves behind a slew of neurological sequelae in its wake. However, what is alarming is the wide gamut of mental and neurological disorders seen even in those with milder symptoms. Such patients frequently reported being anxious, depressed and having difficulty in sleeping. A higher incidence of frank psychosis manifesting as disorganization of thought processes and personality disorders was also reported. Many survivors of COVID-19 had to battle substance abuse in its immediate aftermath. There was a steep increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by regular drinkers. Persons who had stopped smoking and consuming alcohol resumed their habit in disconcerting numbers. The occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinsonism is concerning as this would bring long-term disability in the form of impaired mobility and memory decline. It has been hypothesized that the causative mechanism for many of the neurological conditions due to COVID-19 may be the direct invasion of the nervous system by the virus, an increased tendency to blood clotting or an exaggerated immune response by the body. Various other factors like pre-existing psychiatric illness, prolonged quarantine, perceived lack of organizational support, and social stigma are risk factors. Anxiety, Nervousness, and Post-traumatic stress disorder are often fuelled by fear of infecting other family members, physical distancing, loneliness, and ________ at home in cramped quarters. The pandemic has radically

transformed the way businesses function and services delivered. Remote working disrupts a healthy-work life balance. Face to face contact and human interactions which were considered so essential for emotional well-being has taken a backseat. Lack of comforting physical contact like shaking hands and hugging friends is stressful and disconcerting. Online classes and home-schooling have placed a gargantuan burden both on students and parents. Lack of access to reliable computer hardware and spotty internet connections, particularly in rural areas and in the economically backward have created a new class divide. Children have been deprived of co-curricular activities, participation in group events and sports which is essential for their holistic development. Mental stress and fatigue have increased manyfold due to the rigours imposed by virtual learning.

Question 2:

Direction for Reading Comprehension : The passage given here are followed by some question that have four answer choices; read the passage carefully and pick the option whose answer best aligns with the passage. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC)’s letters to central universities, asking them to teach course based on students demand, is based on questionable academic logical. How many students queue up for a course often reflects how much it boosts the chances of their employment. While important, for a university, that must not be the only metric in determining the span of its academic ambition. The work of producing knowledge, training students in critical thinking and pushing ideas towards new frontiers - the reasons why societies invest in universities -- cannot rest on a narrow, instrumentalist approach. That is to say, a university must make space for arcane philosophy as much as economics, even if there are few takers for the former. Seen in this light, the UGC’s insistence that course be taught or stopped based on the number of enrolled students seems rather short-sighted. The Delhi University Democratic Teachers’ front has said that it fears that “rationalising” course in this manner would have grim consequences for social science and language departments, as well as job losses for those who teach in them.

That is not to say that departments must not align course to “the marketplace of ideas”. but that presuppose a degree of autonomy - the freedom to design course, and draw up syllabi - that few public universities in India enjoy. Universities also need resources as much as autonomy. The national Education policy 2020’s ambitions for education and call for greater autonomy to higher educational institutions is undercut by several factors from the slashing of funds to the challenges of inequality. The NEP’s emphasis on inter disciplinary learning cannot also reflected in the shrinking space for free thought in universities. The growing state hostility to debates and dissent shows up in the desire of governments to vet the subject of webinars or to sanitise classrooms of all contentious ideas in the name of nationalism.

True , one of the biggest challenges of the higher education system is its inability to produce employable graduates in sufficiently large numbers. While universities and colleges must do more on this front, the decision of how to maximise their resources, how to hit the sweet spot between academic ambition and market pragmatism, must be left to the teaching community. Each university will find the answer to that question on its own terms. The UGC must not impose top- down criteria that further shrink the space for experimentation and innovation in higher education.

What is the biggest challenge of the higher education system ?

Direction for Reading Comprehension : The passage given here are followed by some question that have four answer choices; read the passage carefully and pick the option whose answer best aligns with the passage.
The University Grants Commission (UGC)’s letters to central universities, asking them to teach course based on student demand, is based on questionable academic logical. How many students queue up for a course often reflects how much it boosts the chances of their employment. While important, for a university, that must not be the only metric in determining the span of its academic ambition. The work of producing knowledge, training students in critical thinking and pushing ideas towards new frontiers - the reasons why societies invest in universities -- cannot rest on a narrow, instrumentalist approach. That is to say, a university must make space for arcane philosophy as much as economics, even if there are few takers for the former. Seen in this light, the UGC’s insistence that course be taught or stopped based on the number of enrolled students seems rather short-sighted. The Delhi University Democratic Teachers’ front has said that it fears that “rationalising” course in this manner would have grim consequences for social science and language departments, as well as job losses for those who teach in them.
That is not to say that departments must not align course to “the marketplace of ideas”. but that presuppose a degree of autonomy - the freedom to design course, and draw up syllabi - that few public universities in India enjoy. Universities also need resources as much as autonomy. The national Education policy 2020’s ambitions for education and call for greater autonomy to higher educational institutions is undercut by several factors from the slashing of funds to the challenges of inequality. The NEP’s emphasis on inter disciplinary learning cannot also reflected in the shrinking space for free thought in universities. The growing state hostility to debates and dissent shows up in the desire of governments to vet the subject of webinars or to sanitise classrooms of all contentious ideas in the name of nationalism.
True , one of the biggest challenges of the higher education system is its inability to produce employable graduates in sufficiently large numbers. While universities and colleges must do more on this front, the decision of how to maximise their resources, how to hit the sweet spot between academic ambition and market pragmatism, must be left to the teaching community. Each university will find the answer to that question on its own terms. The UGC must not impose top- down criteria that further shrink the space for experimentation and innovation in higher education.

Question 3:

Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire and began during the First World War. Commencing in 1917 with the fall of the House of Romanov and concluding in 1923 with the Bolshevik establishment of the Soviet Union (at the end of the Russian Civil War), the Russian Revolution was a series of two revolutions: the first of which overthrew the imperial government and the second placed the Bolsheviks in power. Beginning with the February Revolution in 1917, the first revolt focused in and around the then-capital Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). After major military losses during the war, the Russian Army had reverted to mutiny. In response, members of Russia's parliament (called the Duma) assumed control of the country, and went on to form the Russian Provisional Government. This government was dominated by the interests of prominent capitalists, as well as the Russian nobility and aristocracy.
The army's leadership believed that they did not have the means to suppress the revolution, and this caused the tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, to step down from his throne. Grassroots community assemblies (called Soviets), dominated by soldiers and urban industrial proletariats initially permitted the new Provisional Government to rule, but they insisted on a prerogative (privilege) in order to influence the government and to control various militias. A period of dual power ensued, where the Provisional Government held state power while the network of Soviets, led by socialists, had the allegiance of the lower classes, as well as, increasingly, the left-leaning urban middle class.
According to the given passage, the Russian Revolution was a series of how many revolutions?
Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire and began during the First World War. Commencing in 1917 with the fall of the House of Romanov and concluding in 1923 with the Bolshevik establishment of the Soviet Union (at the end of the Russian Civil War), the Russian Revolution was a series of two revolutions: the first of which overthrew the imperial government and the second placed the Bolsheviks in power. Beginning with the February Revolution in 1917, the first revolt focused in and around the then-capital Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). After major military losses during the war, the Russian Army had reverted to mutiny. In response, members of Russia's parliament (called the Duma) assumed control of the country, and went on to form the Russian Provisional Government. This government was dominated by the interests of prominent capitalists, as well as the Russian nobility and aristocracy.
The army's leadership believed that they did not have the means to suppress the revolution, and this caused the tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, to step down from his throne. Grassroots community assemblies (called Soviets), dominated by soldiers and urban industrial proletariats initially permitted the new Provisional Government to rule, but they insisted on a prerogative (privilege) in order to influence the government and to control various militias. A period of dual power ensued, where the Provisional Government held state power while the network of Soviets, led by socialists, had the allegiance of the lower classes, as well as, increasingly, the left-leaning urban middle class.

Question 4:

Direction: Read the poem given below and answer the following question accordingly.Having this day my horse, my hand, my lance
Guided so well that I obtain’d the prize,
Both by the judgment of the English eyes
And of some sent from that sweet enemy France;
Horsemen my skill in horsemanship advance,
Town folks my strength; a daintier judge applies
His praise to sleight which from good use doth rise
Find the correct option which is nearest in meaning to the given word.
Judgment
Direction: Read the poem given below and answer the following question accordingly.Having this day my horse, my hand, my lance
Guided so well that I obtain’d the prize,
Both by the judgment of the English eyes
And of some sent from that sweet enemy France;
Horsemen my skill in horsemanship advance,
Town folks my strength; a daintier judge applies
His praise to sleight which from good use doth rise

Question 5:

Direction : Read the passage carefully and answer the question given below it.

The disappointing conclusion of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference's last week in Glasgow is proof of great powers’ inability to assume their responsibilities to prevent the world from sinking into the abyss. After having used up the available atmospheric space to develop, the industrialised countries reaffirmed their refusal to honour this climate debt, even though global warming has become an existential issue. The calamitous management of the Covid-19 pandemic is another example. Rich countries have monopolised and hoarded vaccines, and then locked themselves in surreal debates about third doses or the comparative merits of various vaccines. This strategy sows death and hinders economic recovery in vaccine-deprived countries, while making them fabulous playgrounds for the proliferation of more contagious, more deadly and more resistant variants that do not care about borders. Finally, the agreement on the taxation of multinationals imposed by the Northern capitals, symbolises their selfishness and blindness. Concluded in October, it is a gigantic undertaking, the first reform of the international tax system born in the 1920s, totally obsolete in a globalised economy.

Thanks to its loopholes, multinationals cause States to lose some $312 billion in tax revenue each year, according to the “State of Tax Justice in 2021” just published by the Tax Justice Network, the Global Alliance for Tax Justice and Public Services International. (If we add the tax evasion of the ultra-rich using tax havens, we arrive at a total loss of $483 billion). This is enough, the report reminds us, to cover more than three times the cost of a complete vaccination programme against Covid-19 for the entire world population. In absolute terms, rich countries lose the most tax resources. But this loss of revenue weighs more heavily on the accounts of the less privileged: it represents 10 per cent of the annual health budget in industrialised countries, compared to 48 per cent in developing ones. And make no mistake, the people responsible for this plundering are mostly in Europe, first and foremost in the UK, which, with its network of overseas territories and “Crown Dependencies”, is responsible for 39 per cent of global losses.

In this context, the agreement signed in October is a missed opportunity. Rich countries, _______________ of their multinationals, was the best way to serve the national interest, and put themselves behind the adoption of a global minimum corporate tax of 15 per cent. The objective, in theory, is to put an end to the devastating tax competition between countries. Multinationals would no longer have an interest in declaring their profits in tax havens, since they would have to pay the difference with the global minimum tax. In reality, at 15 per cent, the rate is so low that a reform aimed at forcing multinationals to pay their fair share of taxes risks having the opposite effect, by forcing developing countries, where tax levels are higher, to lower them to match the rest of the world, causing a further drop in their revenues. It is no coincidence that Ireland, the European tax haven par excellence, has graciously complied with this new regulation.
There is a highlighted sentence in the passage which may or may not contain a grammatical error. If there is any error, find out which part has an error?
Direction : Read the passage carefully and answer the question given below it.

The disappointing conclusion of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference's last week in Glasgow is proof of great powers’ inability to assume their responsibilities to prevent the world from sinking into the abyss. After having used up the available atmospheric space to develop, the industrialised countries reaffirmed their refusal to honour this climate debt, even though global warming has become an existential issue. The calamitous management of the Covid-19 pandemic is another example. Rich countries have monopolised and hoarded vaccines, and then locked themselves in surreal debates about third doses or the comparative merits of various vaccines. This strategy sows death and hinders economic recovery in vaccine-deprived countries, while making them fabulous playgrounds for the proliferation of more contagious, more deadly and more resistant variants that do not care about borders. Finally, the agreement on the taxation of multinationals imposed by the Northern capitals, symbolises their selfishness and blindness. Concluded in October, it is a gigantic undertaking, the first reform of the international tax system born in the 1920s, totally obsolete in a globalised economy.

Thanks to its loopholes, multinationals cause States to lose some $312 billion in tax revenue each year, according to the “State of Tax Justice in 2021” just published by the Tax Justice Network, the Global Alliance for Tax Justice and Public Services International. (If we add the tax evasion of the ultra-rich using tax havens, we arrive at a total loss of $483 billion). This is enough, the report reminds us, to cover more than three times the cost of a complete vaccination programme against Covid-19 for the entire world population. In absolute terms, rich countries lose the most tax resources. But this loss of revenue weighs more heavily on the accounts of the less privileged: it represents 10 per cent of the annual health budget in industrialised countries, compared to 48 per cent in developing ones. And make no mistake, the people responsible for this plundering are mostly in Europe, first and foremost in the UK, which, with its network of overseas territories and “Crown Dependencies”, is responsible for 39 per cent of global losses.

In this context, the agreement signed in October is a missed opportunity. Rich countries, _______________ of their multinationals, was the best way to serve the national interest, and put themselves behind the adoption of a global minimum corporate tax of 15 per cent. The objective, in theory, is to put an end to the devastating tax competition between countries. Multinationals would no longer have an interest in declaring their profits in tax havens, since they would have to pay the difference with the global minimum tax. In reality, at 15 per cent, the rate is so low that a reform aimed at forcing multinationals to pay their fair share of taxes risks having the opposite effect, by forcing developing countries, where tax levels are higher, to lower them to match the rest of the world, causing a further drop in their revenues. It is no coincidence that Ireland, the European tax haven par excellence, has graciously complied with this new regulation.

Question 6:

Direction for Reading Comprehension : The passage given here are followed by somequestions that have four answer choices; read the passage carefully and pick the option whose answer best aligns with the passage.

Apple’s stock market value, peaking to \$3 trillion on Monday, hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Rapid digitisation along with the pandemic, has accelerated the iPhone maker’s share price --leaving it up more than 200%since the lockdown in march 2020. Investors are reportedly fleeing to the safety of apple’s stocks in an uncertain global economy. The good news is the rally has been accompanied by steady of revenue growth and profitability. Amazon,Google parent company Alphabet and Microsoft too have market caps exceeding \$1 trillion, underlining how Big Tech has been increasing its clout globally. Apple leads this wolf pack. Full credit goes to the company’s drive for innovation and hard-nosed consumer sense.

Apple has reportedly spent more than \$ 82 billon on R&D over past five years, upping it each year the way some countries increases their defence budget. Steve Jobs had bet that consumers would be ready to pay and pay good, when commoditisation becomes popular practice in the hardware industry. When the iPhone was launched in January 2007,Apple was valued at \$73.4billion. This iconic product continues to post robust growth today. Apple maintains tight control and integration between hardware and software for performance and intellectual property protection. What has stood out this year is the payoff it has received by introducing its own M1processor in the new series of Mac computers.

But Apple is not without problem --and rivals. Its upcoming virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) headsets will vie with gear from Meta Platforms. Investor worries over Apple having peaked its user base -with no guarantee that future product categories will deliver another iPhone -are not entirely misplaced. Apple’s current valuation is seen in these circles as a product of economic crisis and investor panic due to lack of consumer options. But if there’s one company that has shown innovation, imagination and the power of the brand, it is this shiny fruit of a tech company, that is so much more than just a tech company today.

What can be the possible synonym of the word payoff as per the given passage?

Direction for Reading Comprehension : The passage given here are followed by somequestions that have four answer choices; read the passage carefully and pick the option whose answer best aligns with the passage.
Apple’s stock market value, peaking to \$3 trillion on Monday, hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Rapid digitisation along with the pandemic, has accelerated the iPhone maker’s share price --leaving it up more than 200%since the lockdown in march 2020. Investors are reportedly fleeing to the safety of apple’s stocks in an uncertain global economy. The good news is the rally has been accompanied by steady of revenue growth and profitability. Amazon,Google parent company Alphabet and Microsoft too have market caps exceeding \$1 trillion, underlining how Big Tech has been increasing its clout globally. Apple leads this wolf pack. Full credit goes to the company’s drive for innovation and hard-nosed consumer sense.
Apple has reportedly spent more than \$ 82 billon on R&D over past five years, upping it each year the way some countries increases their defence budget. Steve Jobs had bet that consumers would be ready to pay and pay good, when commoditisation becomes popular practice in the hardware industry. When the iPhone was launched in January 2007,Apple was valued at \$73.4billion. This iconic product continues to post robust growth today. Apple maintains tight control and integration between hardware and software for performance and intellectual property protection. What has stood out this year is the payoff it has received by introducing its own M1processor in the new series of Mac computers.
But Apple is not without problem --and rivals. Its upcoming virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) headsets will vie with gear from Meta Platforms. Investor worries over Apple having peaked its user base -with no guarantee that future product categories will deliver another iPhone -are not entirely misplaced. Apple’s current valuation is seen in these circles as a product of economic crisis and investor panic due to lack of consumer options. But if there’s one company that has shown innovation, imagination and the power of the brand, it is this shiny fruit of a tech company, that is so much more than just a tech company today.

Question 7:

Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire and began during the First World War. Commencing in 1917 with the fall of the House of Romanov and concluding in 1923 with the Bolshevik establishment of the Soviet Union (at the end of the Russian Civil War), the Russian Revolution was a series of two revolutions: the first of which overthrew the imperial government and the second placed the Bolsheviks in power. Beginning with the February Revolution in 1917, the first revolt focused in and around the then-capital Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). After major military losses during the war, the Russian Army had reverted to mutiny. In response, members of Russia's parliament (called the Duma) assumed control of the country, and went on to form the Russian Provisional Government. This government was dominated by the interests of prominent capitalists, as well as the Russian nobility and aristocracy.
The army's leadership believed that they did not have the means to suppress the revolution, and this caused the tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, to step down from his throne. Grassroots community assemblies (called Soviets), dominated by soldiers and urban industrial proletariats initially permitted the new Provisional Government to rule, but they insisted on a prerogative (privilege) in order to influence the government and to control various militias. A period of dual power ensued, where the Provisional Government held state power while the network of Soviets, led by socialists, had the allegiance of the lower classes, as well as, increasingly, the left-leaning urban middle class.
‘This government was dominated by the interests of prominent capitalists’. What does the word ‘dominate’ mean in the given line?
Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire and began during the First World War. Commencing in 1917 with the fall of the House of Romanov and concluding in 1923 with the Bolshevik establishment of the Soviet Union (at the end of the Russian Civil War), the Russian Revolution was a series of two revolutions: the first of which overthrew the imperial government and the second placed the Bolsheviks in power. Beginning with the February Revolution in 1917, the first revolt focused in and around the then-capital Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). After major military losses during the war, the Russian Army had reverted to mutiny. In response, members of Russia's parliament (called the Duma) assumed control of the country, and went on to form the Russian Provisional Government. This government was dominated by the interests of prominent capitalists, as well as the Russian nobility and aristocracy.
The army's leadership believed that they did not have the means to suppress the revolution, and this caused the tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, to step down from his throne. Grassroots community assemblies (called Soviets), dominated by soldiers and urban industrial proletariats initially permitted the new Provisional Government to rule, but they insisted on a prerogative (privilege) in order to influence the government and to control various militias. A period of dual power ensued, where the Provisional Government held state power while the network of Soviets, led by socialists, had the allegiance of the lower classes, as well as, increasingly, the left-leaning urban middle class.

Question 8:

Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options. 

The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire and began during the First World War. Commencing in 1917 with the fall of the House of Romanov and concluding in 1923 with the Bolshevik establishment of the Soviet Union (at the end of the Russian Civil War), the Russian Revolution was a series of two revolutions: the first of which overthrew the imperial government and the second placed the Bolsheviks in power. Beginning with the February Revolution in 1917, the first revolt focused in and around the then-capital Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). After major military losses during the war, the Russian Army had reverted to mutiny. In response, members of Russia's parliament (called the Duma) assumed control of the country, and went on to form the Russian Provisional Government. This government was dominated by the interests of prominent capitalists, as well as the Russian nobility and aristocracy.

The army's leadership believed that they did not have the means to suppress the revolution, and this caused the tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, to step down from his throne. Grassroots community assemblies (called Soviets), dominated by soldiers and urban industrial proletariats initially permitted the new Provisional Government to rule, but they insisted on a prerogative (privilege) in order to influence the government and to control various militias. A period of dual power ensued, where the Provisional Government held state power while the network of Soviets, led by socialists, had the allegiance of the lower classes, as well as, increasingly, the left-leaning urban middle class.

Find out which part of the given sentence contains an error.


The army's leadership believed that they did not had the means to suppress the revolution.

Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire and began during the First World War. Commencing in 1917 with the fall of the House of Romanov and concluding in 1923 with the Bolshevik establishment of the Soviet Union (at the end of the Russian Civil War), the Russian Revolution was a series of two revolutions: the first of which overthrew the imperial government and the second placed the Bolsheviks in power. Beginning with the February Revolution in 1917, the first revolt focused in and around the then-capital Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). After major military losses during the war, the Russian Army had reverted to mutiny. In response, members of Russia's parliament (called the Duma) assumed control of the country, and went on to form the Russian Provisional Government. This government was dominated by the interests of prominent capitalists, as well as the Russian nobility and aristocracy.
The army's leadership believed that they did not have the means to suppress the revolution, and this caused the tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, to step down from his throne. Grassroots community assemblies (called Soviets), dominated by soldiers and urban industrial proletariats initially permitted the new Provisional Government to rule, but they insisted on a prerogative (privilege) in order to influence the government and to control various militias. A period of dual power ensued, where the Provisional Government held state power while the network of Soviets, led by socialists, had the allegiance of the lower classes, as well as, increasingly, the left-leaning urban middle class.

Question 9:

Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the question that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or delegated authority issued commissions, also referred to as a letter of marque, during wartime. The commission empowered the holder to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war. This included attacking foreign vessels and taking them as prizes, and taking prize crews as prisoners for exchange. Captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under prize law, with the proceeds divided by percentage between the privateer's sponsors, shipowners, captains and crew. A percentage share usually went to the issuer of the commission (i.e. the sovereign).
Privateering allowed sovereigns to raise revenue for war by mobilizing privately owned armed ships and sailors to supplement state power. For participants, privateering provided the potential for a greater income and profit than obtainable as a merchant seafarer or fisher. However, this incentive increased the risk of privateers turning to piracy when war ended. The commission usually protected privateers from accusations of piracy, but in practice the historical legality and status of privateers could be vague. Depending on the specific sovereign and the time period, commissions might be issued hastily; privateers might take actions beyond what was authorized in the commission, including after its expiry. A privateer who continued raiding after the expiration of a commission or the signing of a peace treaty could face accusations of piracy. The risk of piracy and the emergence of the modern state system of centralised military control caused the decline of privateering by the end of the 19th century.
‘A privateer who continued raiding after the expiration of a commission’. Which part of speech is the word ‘expiration’?
Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the question that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or delegated authority issued commissions, also referred to as a letter of marque, during wartime. The commission empowered the holder to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war. This included attacking foreign vessels and taking them as prizes, and taking prize crews as prisoners for exchange. Captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under prize law, with the proceeds divided by percentage between the privateer's sponsors, shipowners, captains and crew. A percentage share usually went to the issuer of the commission (i.e. the sovereign).
Privateering allowed sovereigns to raise revenue for war by mobilizing privately owned armed ships and sailors to supplement state power. For participants, privateering provided the potential for a greater income and profit than obtainable as a merchant seafarer or fisher. However, this incentive increased the risk of privateers turning to piracy when war ended. The commission usually protected privateers from accusations of piracy, but in practice the historical legality and status of privateers could be vague. Depending on the specific sovereign and the time period, commissions might be issued hastily; privateers might take actions beyond what was authorized in the commission, including after its expiry. A privateer who continued raiding after the expiration of a commission or the signing of a peace treaty could face accusations of piracy. The risk of piracy and the emergence of the modern state system of centralised military control caused the decline of privateering by the end of the 19th century.

Question 10:

Direction: Read the passage carefully then answer the question given below.


The death of five elephants, four of them cows, caused by trains colliding with them, and all within a week, has again highlighted the gaps in efforts to reduce man-animal conflicts in the country. On November 26, the first accident occurred near Madukkarai in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu that has seen many an elephant death on a rail track stretch that extends up to Kanjikode, Kerala. The second accident was near Jagiroad in Assam’s Morigaon district, four days later. Both accidents were at night. Elephant deaths in railway accidents are not new in India. A reply by the Project Elephant division of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in May to a set of RTI questions highlighted reasons other than natural causes as having led to the killing of 1,160 elephants over 11 years ending December 2020; 741 deaths were due to electrocution; railway accidents accounted for 186 cases; poaching 169 and poisoning 64. The pattern of train accidents involving elephants has been studied by different stakeholders, including the Railways, Forest and Wildlife Departments and activists, especially with regard to the Madukkarai stretch. That a greater number of casualties getting reported are in elephant passages has been confirmed by the C&AG in its latest compliance audit report on the Ministry of Railways.

There are effective solutions in the case of two causes: electrocution and train hits. Installing hanging solar-powered fences, as has been planned in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and planting citronella and lemon grass, as done in Golaghat district, Assam, to deter elephants are some of the large-scale options. The authorities should ensure that there are no illegal electric fences or barbed wire fences, which, instead, can be replaced with the solar powered ones. Needless to say, the participation of local communities is crucial. The critical role elephants play in biodiversity conservation must be highlighted, especially to those living in areas close to elephant corridors. (A) The Environment Ministry and Ministry of Railways should also expedite proposals for elevated wildlife crossings or eco-bridges and underpasses for the safe passage of animals. A finding of the C&AG was that after the construction of underpasses and overpasses in the areas under the jurisdiction of East Central and Northeast Frontier Railways, there was no death reported. The authorities should also expedite other recommendations made by the C&AG such as a periodic review of identification of elephant passages, more sensitisation programmes for railway staff, standardisation of track signage, installation of an animal detection system (transmitter collars) and ‘honey bee’ sound-emitting devices near all identified elephant passages. Of the 29,964 elephants in India, nearly 14,580 are in the southern region, and the State governments concerned and the Centre need to find lasting solutions to the problem of man-animal conflicts.

There has been a mention of various departments, organisations & Ministries in the passage. Which of the following hasn’t been talked about?

Direction: Read the passage carefully then answer the question given below.
The death of five elephants, four of them cows, caused by trains colliding with them, and all within a week, has again highlighted the gaps in efforts to reduce man-animal conflicts in the country. On November 26, the first accident occurred near Madukkarai in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu that has seen many an elephant death on a rail track stretch that extends up to Kanjikode, Kerala. The second accident was near Jagiroad in Assam’s Morigaon district, four days later. Both accidents were at night. Elephant deaths in railway accidents are not new in India. A reply by the Project Elephant division of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in May to a set of RTI questions highlighted reasons other than natural causes as having led to the killing of 1,160 elephants over 11 years ending December 2020; 741 deaths were due to electrocution; railway accidents accounted for 186 cases; poaching 169 and poisoning 64. The pattern of train accidents involving elephants has been studied by different stakeholders, including the Railways, Forest and Wildlife Departments and activists, especially with regard to the Madukkarai stretch. That a greater number of casualties getting reported are in elephant passages has been confirmed by the C&AG in its latest compliance audit report on the Ministry of Railways.
There are effective solutions in the case of two causes: electrocution and train hits. Installing hanging solar-powered fences, as has been planned in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and planting citronella and lemon grass, as done in Golaghat district, Assam, to deter elephants are some of the large-scale options. The authorities should ensure that there are no illegal electric fences or barbed wire fences, which, instead, can be replaced with the solar powered ones. Needless to say, the participation of local communities is crucial. The critical role elephants play in biodiversity conservation must be highlighted, especially to those living in areas close to elephant corridors. (A) The Environment Ministry and Ministry of Railways should also expedite proposals for elevated wildlife crossings or eco-bridges and underpasses for the safe passage of animals. A finding of the C&AG was that after the construction of underpasses and overpasses in the areas under the jurisdiction of East Central and Northeast Frontier Railways, there was no death reported. The authorities should also expedite other recommendations made by the C&AG such as a periodic review of identification of elephant passages, more sensitisation programmes for railway staff, standardisation of track signage, installation of an animal detection system (transmitter collars) and ‘honey bee’ sound-emitting devices near all identified elephant passages. Of the 29,964 elephants in India, nearly 14,580 are in the southern region, and the State governments concerned and the Centre need to find lasting solutions to the problem of man-animal conflicts.
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