PC Exercise

A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.
A man can live for three days without bread, but no man can live for
one day without poetry, was an
aphorism of Baudelaire. You can live without pictures and music but
you cannot live without eating,
says the author of Dinners and Dishes; and this latter view is, no
doubt, the more popular. Who,
indeed, in these degenerate days would hesitate between an ode and an
omelette, a sonnet and a
salmis? Yet, the position is not entirely philistine; cookery is an
art; are not its principles the subject
of South Kensington lectures, and does not the Royal Academy give a
banquet once a year?
Besides, as the coming democracy will, no doubt, insist on feeding us
all on penny dinners, it is
well that the laws of cookery should be explained.
_____________________________________
(a) There are twenty ways of cooking a potato and three hundred and
sixty-five ways of cooking an
egg; our cooks, up to the present moment, know only three methods of
sending up either one or
the other.
(b) For were the national meal burned, or badly seasoned, or served up
with the wrong sauce a
dreadful revolution might follow.
(c) The real difficulty that we all have to face in life is not so
much the science of cookery as the
stupidity of cooks.
(d) For a bad cook is a foolish woman who should be turned for her
iniquities into a pillar of salt
which she never knows how to use.
50. A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.
'Everyone feels abandoned at a psychic level', I am told. But for
children whose biological parents
have died or left them with distant family members or institutions,
being dumped and passed on
from one reluctant relative to the other is a stark reality. It is one
that permeates their being in ways
that cannot even be imagined. For girls, it would seem, being unwanted
is the default setting. But for
adopted girls, ironically, loss and rejection from one side and being
warmly embraced from the other
go almost hand in hand._____________________________________________
(a) Despite the insecurity of the first few years of life, they are
open and trusting for the most part.
(b) With the knowledge of having been cast off by their biological
families, they are enveloped, soon
after, by the deep desire of adoptive parents to nurture.
(c) Adoptive parents have to furnish all manner of proof that they are
worthy parents.
(d) Indeed, adoptive parents live with their yearning for children for
many years before it can become
a reality.
A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

This week, Tom Donilon, the US national security advisor, laid out a
detailed Asia plan for Obama's
second administration. The speech, much awaited in Asia, turned out to
be short on specifics and
long on strategic vision. For every country east of India, parsing
through that speech, we were no
wiser about how deep Obama's "pivoted" footprint in Asia is going to
be. We learnt all that was
usual. In the past year, the US has nuanced its Asia pivot from being
the robust variety espoused by
Hillary Clinton to a more cautious one by John Kerry.
_____________________________________
(a) Donilon took time to set out the contours of other relationships
including India.
(b) This comes a couple of years after Barack Obama's chastening
experience with a US-China 'G-
2'.
(c) Obama brings a new flavour to this new strategy.
(d) Donilon, who really speaks for the president, stayed towards the
cautious, continuing the thread
of Obama's light footprint, moderate foreign policy.
A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

My lapse from faith occurred as is usual among people on our level of
education. In most cases, I
think, it happens thus: a man lives like everybody else, on the basis
of principles not merely having
nothing in common with religious doctrine, but generally opposed to
it; religious doctrine does not
play a part in life, in interaction with others it is never
encountered, and in a man's own life he never
has to reckon with it. Religious doctrine is professed far away from
life and independently of it.
________________

(a) It will often happen, perhaps from the nature of things, that it
is impossible to master and
express a religious idea.
(b) In the view of doctrinal developments in general, it cannot be
denied that those which relate to
the objects of faith have a character of their own, and must be
considered separately.
(c) If it is encountered, it is only as an external phenomenon
disconnected from life.
(d) It is the most difficult thing to contemplate upon.
A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

For the reader, however, the novel always begins with that opening
sentence (which may not, of
course, be the first sentence the novelist originally wrote). And then
the next sentence, and then the
sentence after that — When does the beginning of a novel end, is
another difficult question to
answer. Is it the first paragraph, the first few pages, or the first
chapter? However one defines it, the
beginning of a novel is a threshold, separating the real world we
inhabit from the world the novelist
has imagined. ________________

(a) The question is almost as difficult to answer as the question,
when does the human embryo
become a person?
(b) It should therefore, as the phrase goes, "draw us in".
(c) There are, of course, many other ways of beginning a novel.
(d) A novel can provide different perspectives on the same event - but
only one at a time.
A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

Ganesh Pyne, the soft-spoken, gentle-mannered painter based in
Kolkata, was a paradox. The
more the demand for his temperas and water-colours soared in the 1980s
and 1990s, the more he
shrank from the glare of publicity. The galloping prices of his works
made him inversely insecure.
Over a period of time, he painted a series called Performers, where
the artist is shown as a clown,
an entertainer, and a performing animal attempting to please patrons.
Pyne had a modern mind with
a taste for modern poetry, theatre and cinema. ________________

(a) But he nurtured deep within him a mythic imagination.
(b) In the course of my very first interview with Ganesh Pyne, the
artist had stated that he was
obsessed with death.
(c) His paintings that evoke intimations of mortality will continue to haunt us.
(d) What made him a great artist was that he counterbalanced the
darkening mood of his paintings
with some source of light.
1. A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

That is when you stop laughing and start worrying about a team that
was virtually invincible in Test
cricket from the early Nineties to mid-2005 when Australia surrendered
the Ashes to England in a
stirring series at the home of cricket. The setback was followed by
yet another period of domination
up till 2008 after which Australian cricket went into a tailspin and
continues to hurtle from one
disaster to another. Ironically, Arthur seems to have woken up to the
reality only after his team found
itself 0-2 down in the series after playing some pretty ordinary
cricket. _______________

(a) He handed out 'homework' that was meant to make players more
responsible for their own
deeds and improve on-field performances.
(b) The coach had himself shunned doing his own bit prior to the
opening Test match against
India in Chennai.
(c) Both Arthur and skipper Michael Clarke surely need to tell cricket
lovers what prompted their
bizarre decision making that was bound to backfire on them.
(d) He owes his position of eminence to the Argus report that
recommended an enhanced role for
the coach.
1. A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

But the biggest change was recording the sound on the new,
multi-channel Dolby Stereo that could
be played to great effect even in small theatres with the old mono
sound system. Allen and his team
convinced more than 40 theatres to upgrade their audio systems, but
the advantage was that the
new technology could be adapted to the old set-up. The sound thrilled
and the successes of Star
Wars and Close Encounters of The Third Kind gave way to more
inventions, though Allen's focus
remains on creating new technology that is compatible with older
formats. _______________

(a) The 73-year-old, who is currently in India, has been instrumental
in several major sound
engineering innovations in Hollywood.
(b) It's never been easy to convince hard-nosed studio executives and
tight-fisted theatre owners
of the benefits of the new technology.
(c) Over the years, Allen and his colleagues had struck up a personal
equation with the more
powerful filmmakers and producers.
(d) Studio heads have said that the old sound system was not good enough.
1. A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

It is precisely this effect that Satya Paul hoped Masaba's touch would
generate when it hired her as
fashion director last November. With her, the 28-year old fashion
brand, traditionally patronised by
older women, wants to break into the youth segment. "I think the
reason I was chosen for the job is
that I am a gutsy designer. I am fearless in my choice of prints,
colours and presentation," said
Masaba. Love for prints is another thing that connects the brand to
her. But her choice is more edgy
and quirky. _______________

(a) These motifs she chooses represent the journey of a woman.
(b) Eclectic prints, however, are nothing new to fashion, not even in India.
(c) Satya Paul appeals both to the young and those who desperately
want to look young.
(d) Palms, cows, cameras, timepieces are some wacky motifs that have
been spotted on her
creations, especially saris.
A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been
deleted. From the given options,
choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

The recent decision of the government of India to impose a moratorium
on the release of Bt-Brinjal
has been hailed by civil society and scientists alike as a victory for
transparency and has demonstrated
that the government is responsive to societal demands. This decision
is also important since it
could set a precedent within environmental regulation with reference
to technologies with significant
environmental risks.

(a) This establishes a clear case for ensuring legal certainty in
environmental regulations especially
in the case of technologies with significant risks attached to it.
(b) The process of arriving at this decision had also attracted a fair
share of media attention, given
its 'sensational' nature.
(c) However, the decision also reflects a clear departure from
procedure and its legal basis is
tenuous and therefore the risk of it being reversed remains.
(d) The world is waiting, with fingers crossed (or pointed?), as to
what this decision would mean for
farmers across the world.


1

Ans-b

The author of the passage writes his take on the
book Dinners and Dishes. Although, at first glance it
appears as if the author of this passage supports the
views of the book, a closer examination tells us that
it is indeed the opposite. The author writes in a
sarcastic tone. He comments on the absurdity of the
idea that food can be as much as, and even more
important than art forms like poetry. He attacks by
exaggerating the importance of mention of cookery in
South Kensington lectures and by talking about the
Royal Academy's banquets. He proceeds to talk about
the coming democracy feeding people on penny
dinners and this makes the laws of cookery being
explained essential. The sentence that would best
complete the passage should also be in the same
sarcastic tone. Option (b) does that and states that if
the national meal gets burned or is badly seasoned, a
dreadful revolution might follow- again an
exaggeration as this gives badly cooked food status
of a national emergency. Option (a) talks about the
incompetence of cooks as they do not know all the
ways of cooking. This is unconnected to the last line
and is hence incorrect. All the three options apart
from (b) can be eliminated as they shift focus from
the review of the book and 'art of cookery' and also
change the tone of the passage.

2
Ans-b
The tone throughout the paragraph is negative.
However, the last sentence turns towards the positive.
How the loss and rejection that adopted girls face
from their biological parents and the warmth they
receive from the adopting parents go hand in hand is
elaborated upon in option (b). Thus, option (b) is the
correct answer. Option (a) can be ruled out as it
discusses the early years of an adopted girl which is
not related to the last line of the passage. Options (c)
and (d) focus on the adoptive parents, whereas the
paragraph focuses on the child and her emotions/
thoughts. Thus, both of these options can be
eliminated.

3
Ans - d
The paragraph indicates that specific details on
Obama's Asia plan were not revealed in a recent
speech by Tom Donilon. Countries that lie east of
India did not obtain any further information on the US
administration's plan for Asia through Donilon's
speech. The last line talks about the speeches made
in the past that ranged from being robust (that of
Hillary Clinton) to cautious (that of John Kerry). This
should be followed by a statement that talks of
Donilon's speech in light of these past speeches.
Option (d) fits the bill as it states that Donilon's speech
was more towards the cautious. Option (a) indicates
that Donilon elaborated on relationships with other
countries. This can be ruled out because it goes
against the information in the passage which states
that no specific details were given. Option (b) is
incorrect because it links the US' Asia plan with a
specific experience at the US-China G-2. There is
nothing in the passage that suggests such a link.
Option (c) is incorrect because the passage
discusses the Asia plan of the Obama administration
as drafted by Donilon and so Obama cannot bring a
"new flavor to this strategy". Moreover, there is no
antecedent for 'this strategy' in the passage. Option
(d) is the correct answer.

4
AnS (c). In the given paragraph, the author says that for any
human being, the interaction with the religion or
religious doctrine does not happen every day. Option
(c) is in accordance with the given idea as it says that
these interactions are disconnected from life. Option
(a) is incorrect because the author is trying to explain
'religious doctrine' per se and is not talking about
expressing a religious idea. Option (b) is incorrect as
the author specifically refers to religious doctrine and
not to doctrinal developments in general. Option (d) is
inappropriate because the author is not talking about
the difficulty or ease with which religious doctrine
can be understood. He is trying to elucidate the fact
that a human being does not encounter religion or
religious doctrine while performing his daily activities
as this phenomenon is disconnected from us and our
lives. Hence, option (c) is correct.

5
AnS (b). Option (b) is the most suitable choice as the author
talks about 'threshold' in the previous sentence which
indicates 'an entry into something'. The phrase 'draw
us in' further reemphasizes the point of 'entrance into
something' and hence is the correct choice. Option (a)
is incorrect as it talks about the question while the
author has already begun to answer the question in
the last statement of the paragraph. Option (c) could
be a start of another paragraph as it begins to give
more details about ways of beginning a novel. Option
(d) is not related to the 'beginning of a novel' as it talks
about 'perspectives' a novel can provide. Hence, option
(b) is correct.

6
Ans (a). In the first sentence, it is stated that Ganesh Pyne
was a paradox. The next two sentences substantiate
this statement. In the last sentence, the author states
that Pyne had a modern mind. Option (a) logically
follows the paragraph because it states paradoxically
that Pyne's mind was also filled with mythic (fictitious,
dealing in a prehistoric period) imagination. Option (a)
also follows the full circle approach by bringing the
reader back to the assertion made in the first sentence
– that Pyne was a paradox. Options (b), (c) and (d)
are incorrect because they do not substantiate the
central theme that Pyne was a paradox nor do these
statements substantiate the last sentence that Pyne
had a modern mind.

7
Ans.(a). The option that logically completes the paragraph
should either conclude the paragraph or substantiate
the last sentence. Option (a) helps understand how
"Arthur seems to have woken up to the reality" since
it states what Arthur is doing now (handing out
homework 'that was meant to make players more
responsible') to bring the Australian cricket back in
shape. Option (b) can be ruled out because it logically
goes against the last sentence which states that Arthur
seems to have woken up to the harsh reality. There is
a disconnect between the paragraph and option (c)
as the passage doesn't talk about any decision made
by Arthur and skipper Clarke that can be termed as a
bizarre decision. Option (d) is incorrect because it
goes beyond the scope of the paragraph to discuss
Arthur's position of eminence. Hence, option (a) is the
correct answer.

8
.Ans. (b). The correct option should either sum up the entire
paragraph or elaborate upon the last line of the
paragraph. Option (b) does the latter and is hence the
correct option. The author begins by talking of one
technological innovation that Allen brought about in
the field of sound engineering. He adds in the last line
that Allen's focus is on creating new technology that
is compatible with older formats. Option (b) gives a
reason for this by mentioning about the difficulty in
convincing hard-nosed executives and tight-fisted
theatre owners of the benefits of the new technology.
The author has already talked of one new technology
created by Allen and his team. Option (a), which states
that he has been instrumental in several major sound
engineering innovations in Hollywood, doesn't add
anything new to the paragraph. Thus, it is more of an
introductory sentence and doesn't fit in logically at the
end of the paragraph. Option (c) doesn't connect with
the last line of the paragraph as the paragraph doesn't
talk of or hint at the personal equation of Allen with
powerful filmmakers and producers. Option (d) can
be ruled out since the focus in option (d) has shifted
from Allen and his technological innovations to studio
heads that have not been mentioned in the paragraph
before. Thus, option (b) is the correct answer.


9
.Ans.(d). The main focus of the paragraph is on Masaba and
her aesthetic sensibilities. Option (d) is the answer as
it elaborates on how Masaba's choice is edgy and
quirky. Option (a) is incorrect because there is no
antecedent in the paragraph for the pronoun 'these' in
option (a). Option (b) is incorrect because it moves
into the more general discussion on eclectic prints in
Indian fashion, which is completely out of context with
the given paragraph. The paragraph focuses on
Masaba and her choice. Option (c) goes back to Satya
Paul and the segment it appeals to. There's nothing in
the paragraph or the option that signals this shift and
hence option (c) is disconnected with the paragraph.
Option (d) is the correct answer, taking the "edgy and
quirky" theme forward with examples of "wacky"
motifs.

10
Ans.(c). The key to this answer is the word 'however' at the
beginning of option (c). This word marks the shift in
the author's tone from appreciation of the government's
decision to an observation of possible outcomes of
this decision. Option (a) looks close, but it brings in the
concept of legal certainty in environmental regulations.
The precedent to 'This' in the beginning of the sentence
is also not very clear. The passage is applauding a
certain decision. Option (a) seems to be an abrupt
shift as it says that this indicates that we need to
establish legal certainty in regulations. There are no
grounds in the passage on which we can base this
assertion. Option (d) presents a very bleak picture
and is inconsistent with the flow of the paragraph.
Option (b) brings up an altogether different issue –
that of media attention. The word "sensational' in this
option is too far-fetched.