Question 1

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (work motivation linking personal and organisational goals): The passage states that attainment of individual and organisational goals is mutually interdependent and linked by a common denominator—emplo…

Accepted Answer

Given data Individual and organisational goals are mutually interdependent. They are linked by a common denominator: employee work motivation. Employees contribute to organisational objectives as a means to achieve personal goals. Concept / Approach Look for the option that captures motivation as the critical linkage sustaining both sides of the interdependence (people and organisation). Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: If motivation is the common denominator linking interdependent goals, its presence is essential to keep both systems functioning.Step 2: Option B—“crucial for the survival of an individual and organisation”—best reflects that indispensability.Step 3: Options A and D miscast the relationship (priority or external force). Option C introduces a source (physical/mental energy) not stated. Option E asserts a broader societal claim not in the passage. Verification / Alternative Without motivation, neither personal goals (via organisational contribution) nor organisational objectives (via employee effort) can be effectively pursued—underscoring its criticality. Common pitfalls Reading “common denominator” as merely helpful rather than essential. Final Answer Motivation is crucial for the survival of an individual and organisation.

Question 2

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (economics of smuggling): The passage notes enormous profits in smuggling, attraction of hundreds to this anti-national activity, a vast coastline enabling impunity, and that seizures occur but smuggler…

Accepted Answer

Given data Smuggling yields enormous profits and attracts many people. India's long coastline enables smugglers to act with impunity. Despite occasional seizures, smugglers still make huge profits. Concept / Approach Select the inference that aligns with the passage's normative thrust against a harmful, anti-national, lucrative activity. Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: The passage frames smuggling as anti-national and thriving—thus undesirable.Step 2: Option B (“ought to be curbed”) is the natural conclusion.Step 3: Option A (economic development) is plausible but not explicitly drawn. Option C contradicts “impunity.” Option D asserts “fast increasing,” which is not stated. Verification / Alternative Given the harms and impunity described, policy logic dictates curbing the activity—hence B. Common pitfalls Choosing a plausible but unstated economic impact (A) or an unproven trend (D). Final Answer Smuggling ought to be curbed.

Question 3

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (youth and fashion craze): Though time and money are wasted on fashions, fashions are here to stay; nevertheless, strong efforts are needed to displace the excessive craze for fashion from youn…

Accepted Answer

Given data Fashions persist despite cost and time waste. The author urges strong efforts to displace the excessive craze for fashion among youngsters. Concept / Approach Choose the option that targets excess (not fashion per se) and supports constructive use of time/energy. Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: The passage accepts fashion's presence but wants the excessive craze removed.Step 2: Option C mirrors this: do away with hoarding/craze so constructive development is not hindered.Step 3: Option A endorses fashion broadly (contrary to the caution). Option B claims harm to personality (unstated). Option D, though reasonable, is broader and less text-anchored. Verification / Alternative The explicit recommendation—displace excessive craze—maps directly to C. Common pitfalls Interpreting the passage as anti-fashion rather than anti-excess. Final Answer The excessive hoard/craze for fashion should be removed to protect constructive development (Option C).

Question 4

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (technology and status as a leveller): In a highly industrialized society, there is no essential difference between castes or religions; all are equally useful and valuable because individual productivi…

Accepted Answer

Given data Industrial society bases status on productivity (pay cheque) rather than caste or religion. Hence, functional usefulness → value → status. Concept / Approach Pick the statement that summarises the equalising effect described. Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: The passage explicitly says there is “no essential difference” across caste/religion in industrial settings.Step 2: Option E (“industrial society is a great leveller of men”) captures this thesis.Step 3: Options A–D either over-attribute status to technology alone, change the topic, or assert birth equality rather than economic levelling. Verification / Alternative If status arises from productivity instead of identity markers, industrial society levels traditional hierarchies—hence E. Common pitfalls Confusing “technology” with “industrial organisation of work” (the latter drives levelling in the passage). Final Answer Industrial society is a great leveller of men.

Question 5

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (women's education and national progress): The author foresees a bright future for women in India and endorses Napoleon's dictum that educating women educates the whole nation, noting that a country can…

Accepted Answer

Given data Educating women effectively educates the nation. Without the contribution of 50% of the population, a country cannot rise. Concept / Approach Choose the statement that most directly connects women's empowerment/education with national progress. Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: The passage links national rise to women's contribution and education.Step 2: Option C explicitly states that national progress requires giving women equal rights and opportunities—enabling their contribution.Step 3: Option B focuses only on education (important but narrower). Options A and D introduce claims not directly evidenced. Verification / Alternative If half the population must contribute, equality of rights/opportunities is a necessary condition—hence C. Common pitfalls Picking a broadly agreeable statement that is not the passage's central inference. Final Answer A nation can progress only when women are given equal rights and opportunities as men.

Question 6

Industrial safety and accident prevention: Beyond merely guarding exposed machinery with appropriate safety devices, it is necessary that mechanics be thoroughly instructed in the safety rules they must follow for their own protection and that plant…

Accepted Answer

Given data Prevention requires safety devices (guarding exposed machinery). Prevention also requires instruction of mechanics in safety rules for self-protection. Prevention further requires adequate lighting in the plant. Concept/Approach (main-support inference) The author cites multiple, concrete measures that reduce accidents. The explicit call to instruct mechanics in safety rules indicates that lack of knowledge/awareness (ignorance) is a meaningful contributor to accidents. Therefore, the safest, minimally committed inference is that accidents may arise from ignorance, which training can remedy. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) If instructions are necessary, then knowledge gaps exist that otherwise increase risk.2) Adequate lighting and guarding imply that environmental and engineering controls matter, but they do not alone imply inevitability or total eliminability.3) Thus, among the options, the statement identifying ignorance as a cause is directly supported; strong claims like “always avoidable” or “can be eliminated solely by rules” overreach the text. Verification/Alternative check If mechanics lack safety-rule instruction, the risk of accidents rises; providing instruction mitigates that risk—this is consistent with the passage. Common pitfalls Avoid absolute assertions (always avoidable/cannot be overcome) not justified by the text; avoid blaming machinery design when the passage emphasizes training and lighting too. Final Answer Industrial accidents may be due to ignorance (e.g., lack of safety instruction or awareness).

Question 7

Forgiveness and strength: Although forgiving an injury is often misjudged as weakness, the passage argues it actually reflects strong character because it restrains resentment and hate, demonstrates superiority over the wrongdoer, and even shames hi…

Accepted Answer

Given data Forgiveness is commonly misinterpreted as weakness but is actually a sign of strength. Resisting vengeance (resentment and hate) requires strong character. Forgiving puts the wrongdoer to shame and shows the forgiver's superiority. Concept/Approach (synthesis of key claims) The passage frames forgiveness as an active strength that morally surpasses retaliation; by shaming the offender, mercy functions like a higher, nobler form of “revenge.” Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Premise: Vengeance is easy; restraint is hard—thus restraint = strength.2) Effect: Forgiveness shames the offender—thus it “outdoes” revenge.3) Conclusion: The wording “mercy is the noblest form of revenge” encapsulates both strength and shaming effects. Verification/Alternative check Other options (e.g., private intensity of suffering, general difficulty of suppressing passions) are peripheral; the central thesis connects mercy to strength and moral superiority. Common pitfalls Do not confuse “difficulty of suppression” (true but incomplete) with the passage's main claim about the moral primacy and power of forgiveness. Final Answer Mercy is the noblest form of revenge (forgiveness evidences strength and shames the wrongdoer).

Question 8

Role of industrial exhibitions in economic progress: Regular exhibitions (e.g., in Delhi) allow a country to benchmark its comparatively less advanced industries against the powerful showcases of developed nations like the U.K., U.S.A., and Russia, …

Accepted Answer

Given data Exhibitions showcase domestic progress and the powerful industrial capabilities of developed nations. They draw attention and provide comparative exposure. Concept/Approach (benchmarking logic) Seeing advanced products and processes creates benchmarks and learning opportunities, encouraging domestic industries to upgrade quality and scale. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Measurement: Exhibitions let us “measure” our progress relative to leaders.2) Learning: Comparative assessment identifies gaps in technology, quality, and productivity.3) Outcome: Closing these gaps improves both quality (better products) and quantity (higher output). Verification/Alternative check The passage never claims exhibitions harm poor economies or help only developed nations; rather, it implies a positive, catch-up role for developing countries. Common pitfalls Avoid defeatist interpretations that exhibitions are “not useful” to backward economies; the text frames them as learning platforms. Final Answer Exhibitions boost production both qualitatively and quantitatively by enabling analytical comparison with products of developed countries.

Question 9

School versus family in transmitting tradition: Because modern economic development has weakened the family as a bearer of tradition and education, the school today is an even more important means of passing cultural wealth from one generation to th…

Accepted Answer

Given data The school has always been the most important means of transmitting tradition. This is even more true today because the family's role in tradition/education has weakened due to economic developments. Concept/Approach (careful inference) The passage mentions at least two channels—school (primary) and family (now weakened). Therefore, it supports the existence of other means besides school, even while stressing school's primacy. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Identify channels: school (primary), family (secondary, weakened).2) The question asks what is “best supported” about means of transmission.3) The statement “there are means other than the school” follows immediately (family is one). Verification/Alternative check The options do not include “school is most important today,” so the minimal true inference is that other means exist (family), though weakened. Common pitfalls Do not pick “family is the most potent means” (contradicted) or bring in technology/economic development as the transfer means themselves. Final Answer There are means other than the school for transferring tradition across generations.

Question 10

From poetic imagination to technological reality: While poets once imagined mastery over land, sea, and air, modern achievements have converted many such dreams into concrete realities—even beyond what early aviation pioneers envisioned—culminating …

Accepted Answer

Given data Poets imagined sweeping dominion (land, sea, air). Later, technology transformed such visions into reality for all. Even early aircraft innovators scarcely imagined outer-space travel, which later occurred. Concept/Approach (qualified optimism) The thrust is not that every imagination becomes real, but that many once-visionary ideas become possible through creativity and labour. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Contrast poetic dream vs. eventual reality.2) Observe pattern: envision → innovate → realize.3) Correct choice must be optimistic yet not absolute; (c) matches this nuance. Verification/Alternative check Options asserting inevitability (“all imaginations”) or finality (“climax”) overreach what the text supports. Common pitfalls Avoid absolute generalizations; the passage highlights many realizations, not universal ones. Final Answer What humans imagine is often not impossible; through ideas and sustained hard work, many imagined feats are realized.

Question 11

Mobilising surplus agricultural labour: With agriculture described as over-manned, reducing the number of agriculturists would raise their purchasing power, stimulate demand for new goods, and any resulting manpower shortages in production would be …

Accepted Answer

Given data Agriculture is over-manned. Fewer agriculturists would raise purchasing power per agriculturist. Increased demand would require more production manpower, to be supplied by surplus labour moving from agriculture. Concept/Approach (labour reallocation) The passage traces a virtuous cycle: reduce surplus in agriculture → higher incomes → new demand → labour needed in production → move surplus labour. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Over-manning in agriculture implies underutilisation there.2) Demand growth creates labour needs elsewhere (industry/services).3) Therefore, relative to agriculture, other sectors are labour-deficient; reallocation is implied. Verification/Alternative check Options claiming absolute superiority of production jobs or monocausal explanations for economic weakness are not established by the text; the supported claim is the relative surplus/deficit of labour. Final Answer The industrial sector is labour-deficient while the agricultural sector is over-manned in our country.

Question 12

Measuring national prosperity: Exports, imports, trade balance, investments, and bank balances are not definitive prosperity indicators; despite larger pre–World War II exports, England's national prosperity is greater today because the average inco…

Accepted Answer

Given data Traditional macro indicators (exports, trade balance, etc.) are not decisive measures of prosperity. England has higher prosperity now with lower exports than earlier because average worker incomes have risen. Concept/Approach (people-centric metric) Prosperity is reflected in the material well-being of the average citizen; hence income per person, i.e., per capita income, is a better index than trade aggregates. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Counterexample: higher past exports yet lower prosperity then vs. now.2) Explanation: current higher incomes of average workers.3) Inference: per capita income aligns with lived prosperity better than trade metrics. Verification/Alternative check Options tying prosperity to trade balance or export growth contradict the passage's example; claims about continuous trade increases are not stated. Final Answer A country's economic standard is best adjudged by per capita income.

Question 13

Job satisfaction, performance, and growth needs: High satisfaction with co-workers, promotion opportunities, work nature, and pay accompanies high performance only among employees with strong growth needs; among those with weak growth needs, this re…

Accepted Answer

Given data Among high growth-need employees: satisfaction ↔ high performance (positive relation). Among low growth-need employees: relation is absent or even negative for promotion satisfaction. Concept/Approach (contingency perspective) Because the sign/strength of the satisfaction–performance link changes with growth need, growth need is a moderator of the relationship. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Identify two groups by growth-need strength.2) Observe pattern difference in satisfaction–performance relation.3) Conclude moderation: the effect depends on growth need. Verification/Alternative check Universal claims (“always related”) are contradicted by the weak-growth group evidence. Common pitfalls Do not infer inevitability or necessity across all organisations; the key is conditionality. Final Answer The relationship between job satisfaction and performance is moderated by growth need strength.

Question 14

Real education through social engagement: True education arises when a child's powers are stimulated by the demands of the social situations he inhabits, prompting him to act as a member of a group and to view himself from the perspective of collect…

Accepted Answer

Given data Education is linked to stimulation from social demands. Child learns to act as a group member and consider group welfare. Concept/Approach (situated learning) The passage grounds education in social context and interaction, not mere physical strength or self-centred development. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Identify causal driver: social situations → stimulation → growth.2) Identify outcomes: group-oriented action, broader perspective.3) Select the statement that reflects this mechanism (social interaction). Verification/Alternative check Options about “not provided in schools” are unsubstantiated; the text focuses on how real education occurs. Final Answer Real education comes through interaction with social situations and group demands.

Question 15

The democratic role of the press: The press should uphold just causes, criticise government constructively, vigilantly protect the rights of workers and suppressed groups, and provide balanced coverage to help people form healthy public opinion; whi…

Accepted Answer

Given data Press should support just, righteous causes and offer healthy criticism. Press must protect the rights of workers and suppressed sections. Press should provide balanced views to shape healthy public opinion. Concept/Approach (institutional function) These functions—scrutiny, advocacy, balance—are hallmarks of a robust democratic press, implying its great role in democracy. Step-by-Step reasoning 1) Identify roles: watchdog, advocate, informer.2) Map to democracy: these ensure accountability and informed citizenry.3) Choose the statement asserting a major democratic role. Verification/Alternative check The passage does not claim exclusivity (only medium) or partisan messaging; freedom is important but not the sole element stated. Final Answer The press has a great role to play in a democracy.

Question 16

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (role of the businessman in civilisation and industry): The passage claims that across ages the businessman has helped build great cities, provided luxuries, supported artists through patronage, uplifte…

Accepted Answer

Given data Businessmen have historically helped build great cities and provided people with luxuries. They have funded artists (patronage) and lifted fellow citizens' standard of living. In recent centuries, businessmen helped seed the Industrial Revolution around the globe. Concept / Approach Identify the option that synthesises all stated contributions: urban development, cultural patronage, rising living standards, and industrial transformation. The common thread is contribution to civilisation's growth. Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: City-building and luxuries point to material and infrastructural advances.Step 2: Patronage of art shows cultural and aesthetic advancement.Step 3: Raising living standards indicates socio-economic progress.Step 4: Seeding the Industrial Revolution denotes technological and productive transformation.Step 5: Option E precisely encapsulates this multi-faceted impact; other options either add unstated claims (A, B, D) or invert causality (C says beneficiary, not contributor). Verification / Alternative Each cited example is a subset of civilisation's growth; hence the best-supported generalisation is that the businessman has contributed to civilisation's growth. Common pitfalls Choosing a true-sounding but unstated evaluation (e.g., accountability or personal luxury). Confusing beneficiary with contributor. Final Answer has contributed to the growth of civilisation.

Question 17

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (shift from manufacturing to services): The passage notes a structural shift of the economy toward services and highlights that managers in the growing service sector will have to work more with people …

Accepted Answer

Given data The economy is shifting from manufacturing to services. Service-sector managers will work more with people than with assembly-line objects. Concept / Approach Abstract the competency implication: If the job increasingly centres on people, people-centric (interpersonal) skills become more critical. Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: Service orientation implies customer interaction, coordination, and relationship management.Step 2: Therefore, interpersonal and communication skills gain relative importance.Step 3: Option C states this directly. Options A, D, and E introduce claims not made; option B is irrelevant to the inference. Verification / Alternative The premise itself contrasts people vs. objects, pointing to interpersonal skills as the key shift. Common pitfalls General platitudes (balanced mind) or sweeping claims about service firms never dealing with objects. Final Answer interpersonal skills will become more important in the future work place.

Question 18

Reading comprehension—best supported inference (autonomy of art): The passage states that art admits no rule or interference external to itself; only art should touch the work to bring it into being, and nothing should attain the work except through…

Accepted Answer

Given data Art rejects external interference or rule. Only art itself should shape and reach the work. Concept / Approach The doctrine described is the autonomy of art: artistic creation is self-justifying and self-governing, not subordinated to outside ends. Step-by-step reasoning Step 1: If nothing external should govern the work, art is not for politics, utility, or social ends.Step 2: Thus, the most precise summary is that art exists for art itself.Step 3: Option C captures this. Options A, B, D, and E insert external governance or mixed purposes not endorsed by the passage. Verification / Alternative Phrases like “nothing shall attain the work except through art itself” are classic formulations of art-for-art's-sake. Common pitfalls Softening the autonomy claim by adding “and life,” which the passage does not allow. Final Answer art is for the sake of art alone.

Theme Detection Questions