Questions

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives and click the button corresponding to it.

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents", long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline-construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortage, equipment breakdowns, labour disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.

What are "bents"?

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.

My mother said, "We went to a market that is five kilometers from here."

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives and click the button corresponding to it.

Without breakfast, all of us ­ irrespective of age ­ are likely to experience the late morning slump; tiredness, sleepiness and the urge to sit back. Our efficiency goes down further as the day progresses.Moreover, skipping the first meal of the day leads to intense hunger pangs by late morning and we end up eating chips, samosas, burgers or other high­ fat unhealthy foods. Break fast­skippers are more likely to be overweight. A good breakfast leads to a more active, productive day. Research has found a definite connection between skipping breakfast and memory impairment in both young and older adults. Moreover, breakfast is directly linked with performance in school and college. Breakfast should contribute at least one ­fourth of our daily requirement of nutrients. An ideal breakfast should contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in addition to minerals and vitamins. Essentially this means including most of our food groups in the morning meal. Whole grain cereals ­ like atta in parathas and puris, dalia, suji, etc. are an integral part of the traditional Indian breakfast. Their high fibre and protein content provides a feeling of satisfaction, which lowers the urge to snack before lunch. On the other hand, high­ sugar foods actually make people sleepier, not active.

Milk, cheese, eggs or dals (as sprouts in idli or dosas or as sambhar) are other protein sources. A serving of milk (one cup) provides B­ complex vitamins and also minerals like zinc, magnesium and calcium. Fruits or vegetables provide valuable vitamin C and keep constipation away.

We eat unhealthy food when

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.

Once again, a _____________ monsoon so vital to India's economic fortunes has left some states in shambles. From Assam to Karnataka, heavy rainfall in a ____________ has created paralysing floods that have taken a _______________, wiped out crops and destroyed hard-earned assets. When the waters ___________, a familiar cycle of assessment of damage by Central teams, preparation of loss estimates and expensive ____________ work such as repairs of river embankments, will follow.

When the waters ___________

In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the bracketed part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select "no improvement".

It is nothing less than magic which (will transformed) tiny teeny seeds into fruits of life.

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

We have rich cultural _____ . Its roots go into _____. Ours has never been a closed ______. It has _______ just like a tree, ______ to external ______ but holding its roots _______. But one wonders today whether it will be able to hold its _____. The ______ of our cultural heritage has come under the _____ of western culture.

just like a tree, ______ to external

Why is Carbon Monoxide a pollutant ?

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.

"Do you have anything to tell me, my angel?" said her mother.