Questions

A sentence/a part of the sentence is underlined. Four alternatives are given to the underlined part which will improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative and click the button corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the button corresponding to "No improvement".

People ask me why I decide to start a new magazine.

A passage is given with 5 questions following it. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives and click the button corresponding to it.

My brother, David, was always close to our grandmother. Both of them shared a love of Mother Nature and of food that they had grown themselves. Whenever his schedule permitted, he would drop in for a short visit and a cup of coffee. One day, when he found no one home, he left a chunk of dirt on her porch. This started what was later to be known as his "calling card". Grandmother would come home occasionally and instantly know that Dave had been by when she spotted the chunk of dirt on her porch.

Although Grandmother had a poor upbringing in Italy, she managed to do well in the United States. She was always healthy and independent and enjoyed a fulfilling life. Recently she had a stroke and died. Everyone was saddened by her death. David was disconsolate. His life­long friend was now gone.

Grandmother's death made everyone

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 experience sleepiness in the morning because

Aryabhatta and Kalidasa were in the court of which Gupta Emperor?

_______ and _______ are called the "Low countries" of Europe

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

The conclusion of World Trade Organization’s 11th biennial ministerial conference at Buenos Aires was worrisome. From an Indian standpoint, there was no loss as status quo continues in the most important issue: the right to continue the food security programme by using support prices. But the inability of the negotiators to reach even one substantive outcome suggests that WTO’s efficacy is under question. As a 164-country multilateral organisation dedicated to crafting rules of trade through consensus, WTO represents the optimal bet for developing countries such as India. Strengthening WTO is in India’s best interest.

Perhaps the biggest threat to WTO’s efficacy today is the attitude of the US. The world’s largest economy appears to have lost faith in the organisation and has begun to undermine one of its most successful segments, the dispute redressal mechanism. This is significant as the US has been directly involved in nearly half of all cases brought to WTO. Separately, large groups of countries decided to pursue negotiations on e-commerce, investment facilitation and removal of trade obstacles for medium and small scale industries. By itself this should not weaken WTO. But it comes at a time when there is growing frustration with gridlock at WTO.

India did well to defend its position on its food security programme. The envisaged reform package which will see a greater use of direct cash transfers to beneficiaries will be in sync with what developed countries do. But it’s important for India to enhance its efforts to reinvigorate WTO. In this context, India’s plan to organise a meeting of some countries early next year is a step in the right direction. WTO represents the best available platform to accommodate interests of a diverse set of nations. Therefore, India should be at the forefront of moves to fortify it.

What is the biggest threat to WTO’s efficacy today?

By definition a clade is

To keep warm, polar bears have a layer of ________ under their skin.