Reading Comprehension Passage Practice for UPSC CSAT 2017-2018

Directions for the following 7 (seven) items : Read the following four passages and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only.

 Passage – 1

India has suffered from persistent high inflation. Increase in administered prices, demand and supply imbalances, imported inflation aggravated by rupee depreciation, and speculation – have combined to keep high inflation going. If there is an element common to all of them, it is that many of them are the outcomes of economic reforms. India’s vulnerability to the effects of changes in international prices has increased with trade liberalisation. The effort to reduce subsidies has resulted in a continuous increase in the prices of commodities that are administered.

1. What is the most logical, rational and crucial message that is implied in the above passage?

(a) Under the present circumstances, India should completely avoid all trade liberalisation policies and all subsidies.

(b) Due to its peculiar socio-economic situation, India is not yet ready for trade liberalisation process. 

(c) There is no solution in sight for the problems of continuing poverty and inflation in India in the near future.

(d) Economic reforms can often create a high inflation economy.

Passage – 2 

No Right is absolute, exclusive or inviolable. The Right of personal property, similarly, has to be perceived in the larger context of its assumed legitimacy. The Right of personal property should unite the principle of liberty with that of equality, and both with the principle of cooperation.

2. In the light of the argument in the above passage, which one of the following statements is the most convincing explanation?

(a) The Right of personal property is a Natural Right duly supported by statutes and scriptures.

(b) Personal property is a theft and an instrument of exploitation. The Right of personal property is therefore violative of economic justice.

(c) The Right of personal property is violative of distributive justice and negates the principle of cooperation.

(d) The comprehensive idea of economic justice demands that the Right of each person to acquisition of property has to be reconciled with that of others.

Passage – 3

The conflict between man and State is as old as State history. Although attempts have been made for centuries to bring abouta proper adjustment between the competing claims of State and the individual, the solution seems to be still far off. This is primarily because of the dynamic nature of human society where old values and ideas constantly yield place to new ones. It is obvious that if individuals are allowed to have absolute freedom of speech and action, the result would be chaos, ruin and anarchy.

3. The author’s viewpoint can be best summed up, in which of the following statements?

(a) The conflict between the claims of State and individual remains unresolved.

(b) Anarchy and chaos are the obvious results of democratic traditions.

(c) Old values, ideas and traditions persist despite the dynamic nature of human society.

(d) Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech is not in the interest of society.

Passage – 4 

Climate change is a complex policy issue with major implications in terms of finance. All actions to address climate change ultimately involve costs. Funding is vital for countries like India to design and implement adaptation and mitigation plans and projects. Lack of funding is a large impediment to implementing adaptation plans. The scale and magnitude of the financial support required by developing countries to enhance their domestic mitigation and adaptation actions are a matter of intense debate in the multilateral negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Convention squarely puts the responsibility for provision of financial support on the developed countries, taking into account their contribution to the stock of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Given the magnitude of the task and the funds required, domestic finances are likely to fall short of the current and projected needs of the developing countries. Global funding through the multilateral mechanism of the Convention will enhance their domestic capacity to finance the mitigation efforts.

4. According to the passage, which of the following is/are a matter of intense debate in the multilateral negotiations under UNFCCC regarding the role of developing countries in climate change?

1. The scale and size of required financial support.

2. The crop loss due to climate change in the developing countries. 

3. To enhance the mitigation and adaptation actions in the developing countries.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

5. In this passage, the Convention puts the responsibility for the provision of financial support on the developed countries because of :

1. their higher level of per capita incomes.

2. their large quantum of GDP.

3. their large contribution to the stock of (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

6. With regards to developing countries, it can be inferred from the passage that climate change is likely to have implications on their

1. domestic finances

2. capacity for multilateral trade Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

7. Which one of the following is essentially discussed in the passage?

(a) Conflict between developed and developing countries regarding support for mitigation.

(b) Occurrence of climate change due to excessive exploitation of natural resources by the developed countries.

(c) Lack of political will on the part of all the countries to implement adaptation plans.

(d) Governance problems of developing countries as a result of climate change.

Answers : 

1.(d) Economic reforms can often create a high inflation economy.

2.(d) The comprehensive idea of economic justice demands that the Right of each person to acquisition of property has to be reconciled with that of others.

3.(a) The conflict between the claims of State and individual remains unresolved.

4.(c) 1 and 3 only

5.(c) 3 only

6.(a) 1 only

7.(a) Conflict between developed and developing countries regarding support for mitigation.