General Knowledge Questions

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

India’s title triumph in the Under-19 cricket World Cup at the Bay Oval in New Zealand seemed inevitable. Prithvi Shaw’s boys, astutely coached by Rahul Dravid, maintained an unbeaten record through their three-week sojourn. The rousing campaign commenced with a 100-run win against Australia on January 14; in subsequent games, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Pakistan were all emphatically defeated. There were no big-game nerves and even in the much- hyped semifinal against Pakistan, India pocketed a facile 203-run victory. In the summit clash against Australia, Shaw’s boys followed their template of dominance.

Australia was bowled out for 216 and India cruised home in 38.5 overs with eight wickets to spare, and enjoyed the added lustre of opener Manjot Kalra’s unbeaten 101. Through the tournament India found diverse heroes. Fittingly, its batting troika of Shaw, Kalra and Shubman Gill, along with seamer Kamlesh Nagarkoti and spinner Anukul Roy, found a berth in the International Cricket Council’s Under-19 World Cup team, essentially a tribute to the best players on view in the championship. Cricketing excellence allied with the resultant celebrity status, especially during the teenage years, can be a double-edged sword and it helped that in the dressing room there was the calming presence of Dravid. As the ecstatic players leapt and photo-bombed after clinching the trophy, Dravid cut through the hype and said that this win should not be the team’s defining memory as each individual cricketer has much more to achieve in his career. Dravid has a point. India has won the Under-19 World Cup on four occasions, including the previous golden runs in 2000, 2008 and 2012. From among these champion sides, only a few graduated to the big stage. Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli came through the under-19 ranks and managed to carve a niche for themselves, but Unmukt Chand, who led the team to the Cup in 2012, and then featured in a soft drink advertisement besides writing a book, has been unable to make it to the Indian senior team.

What does Rahul Dravid mean by saying that U-19 Cricket World Cup victory of India should not be the “team’s defining memory”?

The question below consists of a set of labelled sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced form a coherent paragraph. Select the most logical order of sentences from among the options.

P: We can be kind to human beings who need our help.
Q: Kindness is a quality that human beings show in various ways.
R: We can also be kind to other life forms like dogs, cats and other pets and domesticated animals, and to wildlife like birds and animals.
S: We can be kind to our family members, relatives, friends and neighbours.

In the following question, the sentence given with blank to be filled in with an appropriate word. Select the correct alternative out of the four and indicate it by selecting the appropriate option.

The ______ of many archaic and dilatory procedures have proved to be extremely damaging to our governance and society.

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.

As one of the most misunderstood practices, yoga has often borne the brunt of being __________ in extremes: of yogis in pretzel-like contortions at __________ end of the spectrum, and young Instagram-led, erstwhile-overweight beach posers ____________ the other. The truth is that yoga is what you want it to be — the ultimate customisable exercise form. For a runner, it may mean lengthening muscles to gain _______________, while for someone who is hyper-flexible, it could be a way of __________core strength.

it could be a way of __________core strength.

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.

___________ it became difficult to empirically prove that children __________ better in private schools, the attack __________ a new weapon: per unit cost of learning outcomes. Most of the learning outcome researches almost _______________ fail to understand the entire ______________ of education in any depth and reduces it to learning of so­called 3Rs for economic purposes.

children __________ better in private schools

In the following question, the sentence given with blank to be filled in with an appropriate word. Select the correct alternative out of the four and indicate it by selecting the appropriate option.

The demand of self-esteem is that never stand _______ for what you have the power to earn

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 old man said, "Thanks I shall never forget this kindness, Ankit."

In the following questions, the sentence given with blank to be filled in with an appropriate word. Select the correct alternative out of the four and indicate it by selecting the appropriate option.

Language, they say, is the _____ through which human beings perceive the world. If so, English is perhaps the most _____ lens through which to see animals. It has _____ a cross eyed view of birds, beasts, fish and fowl. The very word “animal” can _____ the brutish and the sensual. Animal _____ imply baseness and vulgarity.
If so, English is perhaps the most _____ lens through which to see animals.