Reading Comprehension

Passage 1
More than 125,000 study participants who were free of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease at the start of a
study were selected from the on-going Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Brigham and Womens Hospital
based Nurses Health study. Some 41,934 men were tracked from 1986 to 1998 and 84,276 women from 1980 to 1998
via food frequency questionnaires every two to four years to assess their intake of both regular and decaffeinated coffee.
During the span of the study, 1,333 new cases of type-2 diabetes were diagnosed in men and 4,085 among women
participants. The researchers also found that for men, those who drank more than six cups of caffeinated coffee per day
reduced their risk for type-2 diabetes by more than 50 percent compared to men in the study who didnt drink coffee.
Among the women, those who drank six or more cups per day reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly 30 percent.
Decaffeinated coffee was also beneficial, but its effects were weaker than regular coffee.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
a) The ratio of male participants to female participants in the survey were more than 1: 2
b) The study was carried out between 1980 and 1998.
c) Type-2 diabetes is more common among women as compared to men
d) None of these
2. Which of the following is necessarily false according to the passage?
a) Coffee reduces the risk of occurrence of many cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer
b) Compared to the ones who didnt drink coffee, those who drank more than six cups of caffeinated coffee per
day were less prone to type-2 diabetes.
c) Drinking less than six cups of coffee per day does not really reduce the chances of type 2 diabetes
d) Decaffeinated coffee was found relatively more effective than coffee in reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes.
3. At the beginning of the study, the participants of the study could have been suffering from
a) Type 1 Diabetes b) cardiovascular diseases c) skin allergy D) None of these
4. During which period were only women participants being tracked in the study?
a) 1980 to 1998 b) 1986 to 1998 c) 1980 to 1986 d) None of these
5. What was the exact number of participants involved in the study?
a) 125,000 b) 125,210 C) 126,200 d) 126,210
Passage 2
Rahul Dravid is not merely Indias most dependable or most consistent or most valuable batsman. He is all of these.
But the time has come to recognize that on the basis of his performances in the last three years he is, quite simply, Indias
best batsman. He is not merely the fortress providing Indias dazzling batsmen with a cushion; he has become the pivot
around which the Indian batting revolves. Sachin Tendulkar was Indias batsman of the 90s; Rahul Dravid has made this
decade his very own.
To see a good ball hit for four is a spectacle; surviving a great ball requires no less skill, but it rarely elicits a sense of
wonderment. It is easy to be agog over a batsman responding to a sharp short ball with an explosive hook, but we often
miss the artfulness and skill involved in leaving a bouncer. No one in contemporary cricket, Tendulkar and Lara included,
deals with the short ball with greater poise and equanimity than Dravid, whose eye never leaves the ball. Dravid has been
hit a couple of times while trying to force the ball away, but rarely would you see him ducking into bouncer.
Dravids other great strength is also intangible, and entirely invisible. Dravids batting is as much about technical purity
as it is about the mind. Test cricket, he often says, is such a fulfilling experience because it challenges the mind
continuously for four to five days. Dravid belongs to the priceless breed of champions whose mental resolve is at its
strongest when the situation is the direst, which brings us to the final, and most defining , aspect of Dravids greatness.
The manner of playing and statistics are fair pointers, but to many the heart of a cricketers greatness lies in what his
performances have meant to the team.
He has answered nearly every call of crisis; he has saved them from defeats in South Africa, West Indies and England,
and set up wins in Sri Lanka, England and Australia. Tendulkar will perhaps end his career with a hundred hundreds.
But as Indian cricket stands on the precipice of its own golden age, it must be remembered that Rahul Dravid has made
the most difference.
1. According to the passage, one aspect in which Dravid scores over Tendulkar and Lara is that
a) He is able to deal with the short ball in a better manner than either of them
b) He is able to deliver in crunch situation while the other two generally fail to do so
c) He is technically superior to both and can even hit good balls for fours
d) He is more consistent and dependable than either of them
2. Which of the following makes Dravid invaluable to the team in times of crisis ?

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 a) He has made the greatest contribution to Indian cricket in its golden age when Tendulkar is no longer in his
peak form
b) He is mentally strong and calamitous situations bring out the best in him
c) He is the focal point around whom the strong Indian batting line-up revolves.
d) Unlike the other Indian batsmen who are natural stroke players, Dravid provides the team with solidity.
3. Which of the following is not mentioned or alluded to as one of Dravids greatness?
a) Technical skill as in the case of a short ball.
b) Strong mental resolve in times of challenge
c) The significance of his contributions to the team
d) His likelihood of scoring 100 hundreds in his creer
4. According to the author, statistics are
a) Not correct indicators for measuring greatness
b) The only indicators to measure greatness
c) Also important indicators for measuring greatness
d) Important indicators for measuring greatness of only some players
5 As per the passage, which of the following countries has India not necessarily won against?
a) South Africa b) England c) Sri Lanka d) Australia
Passage 3

Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty seconds. When this short amount of time elapses,
however, the numbers are erased from the memory. How did the information get there in the first place? Information that
makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only
allows stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the working memory.
There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes
from George A. Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks
of information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information, such as a word or name rather than just a letter or
number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking, or classifying
similar information together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the chances of a
memory being passed on to long term storage.
When making a conscious effort to memorize something, such as information for an exam, many people engage
in "rote rehearsal". By repeating something over and over again, one is able to keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this
type of memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the
information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen and paper are not handy, people often attempt to remember a
phone number by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has the opportunity
to make a phone call, he will likely forget the number instantly.*Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass
information from the short term to long term memory.* A better way is to practice "elaborate rehearsal". *This involves
assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre-existing long term
memories.*
Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by
recognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often;
however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is
given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choice tests are often used for
subjects that require a lot of memorization.
Glossary:
semantic: relating to the meaning of something
1. According to the passage, how do memories get transferred to the STM?
A) They revert from the long term memory.
B) They are filtered from the sensory storage area.
C) They get chunked when they enter the brain.
D) They enter via the nervous system.
2. All of the following are mentioned as places in which memories are stored EXCEPT the:
A) STM B) long term memory C) sensory storage area D) maintenance area
3. Why does the author mention a dog's bark?
A) To give an example of a type of memory B) To provide a type of interruption
C) To prove that dogs have better memories than humansD) To compare another sound that is loud like a doorbell

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4. How do theorists believe a person can remember more information in a short time?
A) By organizing it B) By repeating it C) By giving it a name D) By drawing it
5. The author believes that rote rotation is:
A) the best way to remember something B) more efficient than chunking
C) ineffective in the long run D) an unnecessary interruption
6. Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?
A) The working memory is the same as the short term memory.
B) A memory is kept alive through constant repetition.
C) Cues help people to recognize information.
D) Multiple choice exams are the most difficult.
7. Which of the following best provides the important information in the highlighted sentence from the passage. Incorrect
answer choices leave out essential information or change the meaning of it
A) Prompting is the easiest way to retrieve short term memory after an extended period of time.
B) A memory can be retrieved by prompting, in a case where it has been rarely used.
C) It's easier to remember short term memories than long term memories due to regular prompts.
D) Recalling a long term memory that is often used is easy, while forgotten memories often require prompting.

Passage 4
One of the most successful commercial products ever launched is said to have come about as the result of a
mistake. In 1896, Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, was selling a nerve tonic known as French Wine Cola-Ideal
Nerve Tonic. By accidentally adding fizzy water instead of still water to the recipe, a pharmacist called John s.
Pemberton invented what has today become the most popular soft drink in the world: Coca-cola. Along with its closest
rival Pepsiwhich appeared on the market three years later, Coke has enjoyed phenomenal success worldwide,
particularly in the past fifty years. Indeed, old Coke bottles and limited edition cans can often fetch considerable sums
from collectors, and there are even stores which deal exclusively in coke products and memorabilia.
What could possibly account for the amazing success of Coca-cola? How has this combination of carbonated water,
sugar, acid and flavorings come to symbolize the American way of life for most of the world? After all, even the
manufacturers could hardly describe Coke as a healthy product since it contains relatively high amounts of sugar
(admittedly not the case with Diet coke which contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar) and phosphoric acid, both of
which are known to damage teeth.
One explanation may be found in the name. The original recipe included flavoring from the coca plant and
probably included small amounts of cocaine (an addictive substance), but since the early part of this century, all traces of
cocaine have been removed. However, Coke (like all cola drinks) also includes a flavoring from the cola tree; cola extract
contains caffeine, which is a stimulant, and the coca- cola company adds extra caffeine for good measure. While caffeine
is not enough to be an addictive in itself, there is considerable evidence that over a period of time, the consumption of
caffeine has to be increased in order for its stimulating effect to be maintained, and so sales of Coke perhaps benefit as a
result. A more likely reason for the enduring popularity of Coke may, however, be found in the companys enviable
marketing strategies. Over the years, it has come up with some of the most memorable commercials, tunes, slogans and
sponsorship in the world of advertising, variously emphasizing international harmony, youthfulness and a carefree
lifestyle. Few other companies (arguably including Pepsi) have been able to match such marketing ploys so consistently
or effectively. As suggested earlier, the influences of American culture are evident just about everywhere, and Coca-cola
has somehow come to represent a vision of the United States that much of the rest of the world dreams about and aspires
to. Perhaps drinking Coke brings people little bit closer to the dream.

1. According to the, passage, cans can often fetch considerable sums means the same as:
a) Coke is quite expensive in some parts of the world
b) Collectors consider carefully how much they are paying for a can of Coke.
c) Some collectors will only drink coke in exclusive stores.
d) Certain coke cans are worth a lot of money as collectable items.
2. to emphasize the fact that:
a) There is a lot of caffeine in coke
b) The amount of caffeine in coke is carefully measured.
c) The extra caffeine improves the taste of Coke.
d) The extra caffeine balances the amount found naturally in the cold extract.
3. According to the passage, Coke has enjoyed phenomenal success suggests that the author:
a) Thinks that the success of coke is very strange.
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 b) Believes that the success of coke has been impressive
c) Rather disapproves of the success of Coke.
d) Considers the success of the coke to be undeserved. .
4. According to the author, the amazing success Coa-cola can be attributed to
a) Its name
b) The methods of marketing adapted by the company
c) The ingredient caffeine, which has a stimulating effect
d) All the above.
5. Describing Cokes marketing strategies as enviable the author means that:
a) The strategies are based on envy
b) Cokes marketing staff is encouraged to be envious of each others ideas
c) People are persuaded to buy Coke because they are envious of others
d) Rivals are envious of the Coke companys successful methods of marketing.
6. It can be inferred from the last sentence of the passage that:
a) Most people would like to live in America
b) Many people wish for a lifestyle like they imagine most Americans have
c) Drinking Coke reminds a lot of people of visiting America.
d) Living in the United States is a bit like living in a dream.
7. According to the passage, all of the following are NOT TRUE, except
a) Cocaine and caffeine are addictive substances
b) At least one of the ingredients of coke is addictive
c) The stimulating effect of caffeine is reduced over time unless consumption of it is increased
d) The Coca-cola company has gradually increased the amount of caffeine it puts in.
Passage 5
The present industrial age is steadily placing into our hands the power and instruments, which are expected to
relieve us of mechanical drudgery and give us more time for cultural and artistic pursuits. Machines have undoubtedly,
reduced human toil, but have also added somewhat to human misery. Modern industrialization based on a minute
subdivision of labour has robbed the worker of the sense of beauty and craft. The craftsman has become mechanic, a
mere tool for the ends of greater production. The development of intelligence and character with skillful creative work
procedures is now sought in other activities. The workers seek their pleasure outside their work. They claim higher
wages and more leisure and opportunities for recreation and relaxation. But the leisure won after so much effort is wasted
in costly amusement. Leisure is seldom used for the noble pursuits of mind.
Besides, the industrial age has made us worshippers of wealth. In the social hierarchy, anyone who has the luck or the
ability to make money occupies a high place. Before the Industrial Revolution, we had different standards of social
values. Saints, men of learning, poets and philosophers were at the top of the social scale. The days when human values
like honesty, sympathy, understanding, justice and service were considered the most desirable qualities in men are over.
Money-making has become one of the most popular industries of the modern world. And material progress has resulted in
the creation of new wants. The consumers appetite grows by what it feeds on. To want more and to get more is the way
of material progress. By means of this exciting competition we are concealing from ourselves the barrenness of life.
The most serious consequence of the industrial movement is the passing away of the home. We see it in many western
countries. Parents pursue their own pleasures with little consideration of their duties to children. The poverty of an empty
life drives the children into undesirable channels. Unless some corrective measures are adopted to reverse this trend, we
may see, in the not so distant future, a total disintegration of the family.
1. In the context of the passage, which of the following is not applicable to workers?
A) Workers find their work more meaningful
B) Workers have lost their sense of beauty
C) Workers claim higher pay
D) Workers have become the means of increasing production
E) None of these
2. In the context of the passage, the most serious result of industrial development is the --------
A) Creation of new ideas
B) Unreasonable demands of workers
C) Neglect of children by their parents
D) Growing appetite of the consumers
E) Emergence of different standards of social valuation
3. Before the industrial revolution, poets and philosophers --------------
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 A) Were wealthy men from the upper class
B) Did not have the opportunity to make money
C) Were the highest in the social hierarchy
D) Had more opportunities for recreation and relaxation and were not worshipers of wealth.
4. The statement, The consumers appetite grows by what it feeds on means that
A) Consumers are disregarding their appetite and eating more than what is required.
B) It is impossible to satisfy the demands of consumers.
C) Consumers food habits are very different from what they were earlier.
D) Satisfaction of consumer needs leads to further creation of new needs
E) Material progress is responsible for the growing hunger of the consumers.
5 Which of the following statement is true in the context of the passage?
A) Human values like honesty and sympathy are considered as the most desirable qualities in man even today.
B) Machines have, to some extent, contributed to solve human problems.
C) Industrialization has caused deep divisions within the labor force.
D) After the industrial revolution, intellectuals began to occupy the top position in the social scale.
E) None of these.
6. According to the author, leisure ought to be used by workers for
A) Seeking costly amusements
B) Increasing industrial production
C) Engaging themselves in intellectual activities.
D) Giving proper attention to the family
7. Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage ?
A) Skillful creative work helps in developing intelligence and character
B) Wealthy people occupy a higher place in todays society.
C) Family life has been adversely affected by industrial advancement
D) Social values have considerably deteriorated today
E) None of these.

Passage 6
The work which Gandhi had taken up was not only the achievement of political freedom but also the establishment of
a social order based on truth and non-violence, unity and peace, equality and universal brotherhood and maximum
freedom for all. This unfinished part of his experiment was perhaps even more difficult to achieve than the achievement
of political freedom. In the political struggle, thre fight was against a foreign power and all one could do was either join it
or wish it success and give it his moral support. In establishing the social order of this pattern, there was a lively
possibility of a conflict arising between groups and classes of our own people. Experience shows that man values his
possessions even more than his life because in the former he sees the means for perpetuation and survival of his
descendants even after his body is reduced to ashes. A new order cannot be established without radically changing the
mind and attitude of men towards property and, at some stage or the other, the haves have to yield place to the have
nots. We have seen, in our time, attempts to achieve a kind of egalitarian society and the picture of it after it was
achieved. But this was done, by and large, through the use of physical force.
In the ultimate analysis, it is difficult, if not impossible, to say that the instinct to possess has been rooted out or that
it will not reappear in an even worse form under a different fuise. It may even be that, like a gas kept confined within
containers under great pressure or water held by a big dam, once a barrier breaks, the reaction will one day sweep back
with a violence equal in extent and intensity to what was used to establish and maintain the outward egalitarian form.
This enforced egalitarianism contains, in its bosom, the seed of its own destruction.
The root cause of class conflict is possessiveness or the acquisitive instinct. So long as the ideal thatis to be achieved
is one of securing the maximum material satisfaction, possessiveness is neither suppressed nor eliminated but grows on
what it feeds. Nor does it cease to be suchit is possessiveness, still, whether 9it is confined to only a few or is shared by
many.
If egalitarianism is to endure, it has to be based not on the possession of the maximum material goods by few or by all
but on voluntary, enlightened renunciation of those goods which cannot be shared by others or can be enjoyed only at the
expense of others. This calls for substitution of spiritual values for purely material ones. The paradise of material
satisfaction, that is sometimes equated with progress these days neither spells peace nor progress. Mahatma Gandhi has
shown us how the acquisitive instinct inherent in man could be transmuted by the adoption of the ideal of trusteeship by
those who have for the benefit of all those who have not so that, instead of leading to exploitation and conflict, it would
become a means and incentive for the amelioration and progress of society, respectively.

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 1. According to the passage, why does man value his possession more than his life?
A) He has an inherent desire to share his possession with others
B) He is endowed with the possessive instinct
C) Only his possessions help him earn love and respect from his descendants
D) Through his possessions he can preserve his name even after death
E) None of these
2. According to the passage, which was the unfinished part of Gandhijis experiment?
A) Educating people to avoid class conflict
B) Achieving total political freedom for the country
C) Establishment of an egalitarian society
D) Radically changing the mind and attitude of men towards truth and on-violence.
E) None of these
3. Which of the statements is not true in the context of the passage?
A) True egalitarianism can be achieved by giving up ones possessions under compulsion.
B) Man values his life more than his possessions
C) Possessive instinct is a natural part of the human being
D) In the political struggle, the fight was against the alien rule
E) the root cause of class conflict is possessiveness
4. According to the passage, true egalitarianism will last if
A) It is thrust upon people
B) It is based on truth and non-violence
C) People inculcate spiritual values along with material values.
D) Haves and have-nots live together peacefully
5. According to the passage, the root cause of class conflict is
A) The paradise of material satisfaction
B) Dominant inherent acquisitive instinct in man
C) Exploitation of the have-nots by the haves
D) A social order where the unprivileged are not a part of the establishment
E) None of these
6. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE in the context of the passage?
A) A new order can be established by radically changing the outlook of people towards it.
B) Adoption of the ideal of trusteeship can minimize possessive instinct
C) Enforced egalitarianism
D) Idea of new order is to secure maximum material satisfaction
E) None of these
7. According to the passage which of the following statements is TRUE ?
A) A social order based on truth and non violence alone can help the achievement of political freedom
B) In establishing the social order of Gandhijis pattern, the possibility of a conflict between different
classes of society hardly exists
C) It is difficult to change the mind and attitude of men towards property.
D) In an egalitarian society, material satisfaction can be enjoyed only at the expense of others
E) None of these
VERBAL ANALOGY

Verbal analogies provide excellent training in seeing relationships between concepts. From a practical standpoint,
verbal analogies always appear on standardized tests (like the SAT, the GRE, and other professional exams). Increasingly,
too, employers may use these word comparisons on personnel and screening tests to determine an applicants quickness
and verbal acuity. So it is worth your while to master this skill, and besides, theyre fun to do.
Tips for Doing Analogies

Try to determine the relationship between the first pair of words.

Eliminate any pairs in your answer choices that dont have the same relationship.
Try putting the first pair into a sentence: "Aspirin relieves a headache." Therefore, a nap relieves fatigue.
Sometimes paying attention to the words parts of speech helps. For example "knife" (noun) : "cut" (verb) : :
"pen" (also a noun) : "write" (also a verb).
Common Relationships Between Word Pairs
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1. Sameness (synonyms) boring : monotonous

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 wealthy : affluent : : indigent : poverty-stricken
2. Oppositeness (antonyms) genuine : phony
zenith : nadir : : pinnacle : valley
3. Classification Order (general - specific) food : fruit : peach
orange : fruit : : beet : vegetable
4. Difference of Degree (or Connotative Values) cool : cold : frozen
slender : skinny
clever : crafty : : modest : prim
5. Person Related to Tool, Major Trait, Skill, or Interest writer : novel
entomologist : insects : : philosopher : ideas
6. Part and Whole wheels : bicycle
eraser : pencil : : tooth : comb
7. Steps in a Process birth : life : death
cooking : serving : : word processing : printing
8. Cause and Effect (or Typical Result) poison : death
fire : scorch : : blizzard : freeze
9. Thing and Its Function shovel : dig
scissors : cut : : pen : write
10. Qualities or Characteristics gold : valuable
aluminum : lightweight : : thread : fragile
11. Substance Related to End Product cow : milk
silk : scarf : : wool : sweater
12. Implied Relationships light : knowledge
clouds : sun : : hypocrisy : truth
13. Thing and What It Lacks spinster : husband
atheist : belief : : indigent : money
14. Symbol and What It Represents Uncle Sam : U. S.
dove : peace : : four-leaf clover : luck

Analogy Exercise 1
For each item write the word that completes the analogy (that has the same relationship as the pair on the left).

1. arrival : departure : : ________ : death

a. life b. person c. birth d. train
2. elbow : arm : : knee : _________
a. walking b. finger c. leg d. nose
3. car : road : : train : ________
a. track b. vehicle c. fast d. wheel
4. baiting hook : fishing : : _______ : hunting
a. loading gun b. firing gun c. stalking game d. aiming gun
5. violence : activity : : melancholy : ________
a. evening b. cruelty c. mood d. silence
6. man : trousers : : woman : ____________
a. clothing b. skirt c. hat d. blanket
7. university : institution : : mayor : _______
a. official b. town c. law d. councilman

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8. grass : soil : : seaweed : ___________
a. water b. salty c. river d. fish
9. truthfulness : court : : cleanliness : _________
a. virtue b. restaurant c. bath d. pig
10. egg : fish : : ________ : plant
a. leaf b. root c. seed d. stem
11. lion : animal : : flower : ___________
a. plant b. grass c. roots d. rose
12. wave : crest : : _________ : peak
a. water b. top c. moving d. mountain
13. falling : gravitation : : collapse : __________
a. balloon b. electricity c. pressure d. destruction
14. professor : ___________ : : musician : entertainment
a. pupils b. school c. homework d. instruction
15. grains : sand : : drops : __________
a. rain b. snow c. surf d. flood
16. wave : tide : : moment : ________
a. time b. ocean c. tardiness d. clock
17. wife : woman : : _______ : man
a. father b. groom c. boy d. husband
18. book : _______ : : comb : tooth
a. title b. library c. page d. knowledge
19. boy : child : : man : ________
a. father b. uncle c. adult d. person
20. flower : weed : : _______ : buzzard
a. plant b. swan c. bird d. vulture

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 Reading Key Analogy - Key
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. A 7. B 13. D 19. C
1. B D C C 5 - - 2. C 8. A 14. D 20. D
2. A B D C A - - 3. A 9. B 15. A
3. B D B A D D D 4. D 10. C 16. A
4. D A A D D B D 5. D 11. A 17. D
5. A C A D E C A 6. B 12. D 18. C
6. D D B C B D B