Questions

In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives.

The reason is a fear that we will not ______________ find ourselves in that higher echelon of posts and achievements that get so many likes and reposts, a sign of success and ____________ in our binary outlook. A darker worry also exists at the back _______ our mind. What if we end __________ in the other group, an object of ridicule, derided as another in a long list of failures _________ embarrassments that go viral for all the wrong reasons?

Read the passage carefully and select the best answer to each question out of the given four alternatives.

One should consciously engage in activities that will nourish your soul. Just as we nourish the body, we need to nurture the soul to connect to the creative power of the universe and to manifest joy in our lives. Often, we forget to address the soul, lost as we are in a jungle of material and sensual pleasures. But the more you embrace what feeds your soul, the happier you become. So if you want to enjoy the abundance of life, engage in what enriches your soul. Nurturing the soul is all about finding calm amidst chaos. There are a number of practices that empower people towards this end including silent contemplation, various forms of meditation, yoga and tai chi However, the rigor and discipline involved in the pursuit of such practices often seems to discourage people. Add to this, the temptations of the material world that leave little time and motivation for anyone to pursue the spiritual path. Poet Walt Whitman declared: “Whatever satisfies the soul is truth”. The good news is that simple, everyday activities can also nutrify the soul — like spending time in the midst of nature, dancing in the rain or just putting thoughts on paper. Do whatever is calming and pleases you. Creative pursuits are particularly appealing as inside each one of us, there is an artist craving for release and awaiting an opportunity for expression. One of the ways to indulge the artist within is to get started with the practice of any one or more of the creative art forms such as music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction or essay writing.

When you engage in such soul nourishing activities, all thought and energy gets focused toward goal accomplishment. At this point, you will find that even unknown forces of the universe are conniving to assist you in your amateurish but sincere attempts. As you progress, you are motivated to do better. You touch and access a faculty, a part of you that you never knew existed. Your inner artist is unleashed, baring the beauty of your soul that has found a fond medium of expression. For instance, a sculptor’s soul is seen in his artwork; a musician’s in his compositions; an actor’s in his acting, a painter’s in his paintings and so on. It is immaterial whether your effort is an immaculate artwork or just a clumsy attempt by a layperson. The idea is to try, be inspired and to create giving free rein to the mind. As Michelangelo remarked: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”!

What can you infer from Michelangelo’s statement - "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free"?

In the following question, a sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect speech. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct speech.

The student said, "I must study hard."

In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives.

Anti­apartheid activist Desmond Tutu is even more hard­headed when he says, "In almost ____________ language, the most difficult words are 'I am sorry’." Mr. Tutu adds that ______________ reconciliations can only lead to spurious healing. _____________ him forgiveness is a wager, an ethical wager on the future of ______________ relationship. This is why the few events of apology which stand up to _____________ scrutiny deserve to be treasured.

an ethical wager on the future of ______________ relationship.

Choose the one which is different or odd from the following.

In the following question, a sentence has been given in Active/Passive Voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Passive/Active Voice.

The students have dedicated an issue of magazine to him.

In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives.

______________________ the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the government had purchased assets of struggling banks with a view _______________ ensuring that they did not collapse taking ____________________ them the rest of the financial system. These assets __________________ later at a profit by the government! The U.S. government had acted smartly, while in the Indian case the banks now find themselves ______________________ with loans made by them to an individual with negative net worth.

These assets __________________ later at a profit by the government!

In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom/phrase.

great minds think alike