COMPREHENSION PASSAGES..

COMPREHENSION PASSAGE EXERCISES

PASSAGE 1

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer of the four alternatives and mark your answer. 

Good writing should be governed by the rule that a man can think only one thing clearly at a time; and therefore, that he should not be expected to think two or even more things in one and the same moment. But this is what is done when a writer breaks up his principal sentence into little pieces for the purpose of pushing into gaps thus made two or three other thoughts by the way of parenthesis, thereby unnecessarily confusing the reader. And here it is again my own countrymen who are chiefly at fault. That German lends itself to this way of writing makes the thing possible, but does not justify it.  No prose reads more easily or pleasantly than French, because as a rule, it is free from the error in question. The Frenchman strings his thoughts together, as far as he can, in the most logical and natural order, and so lays them before his reader one after the other for convenient deliberation, so that every one of them may receive undivided attention. The German, on the other hand, weaves them together into a sentence which he twists and crosses, and crosses and twists again; because he wants to say six things all at once instead of advancing one by one.

1. This passage is mainly trying to tell us that
   1.  about the writing style of Germans
   1. about writing style
   1. about the writing style of the French
   1. about the writing style of the Germans and French men 

• Good writing is governed by the rule that
  •  man can think of only one thing at all times
  •  man cannot think of two or three things ever
  • at one time only one thing can be thought of clearly
  •  man cannot think of many changes at the same time

•  They can easily be confused when
  •   the writer of thinks of more than one thing at a time
  •  the writer puts more than one thought into same sentence
  • the writers break his sentence into smaller sentence
  • the writer leaves gaps in the sentence

•  The word parenthesis as used in the sentence means
  •  thesis written by the parent
  • Thesis written to confused reader
  • an additional Idea written as an afterthought
  • anything written between two commas

•  Frenchmen strings his thoughts together… Here strings mean.
  • ties with string
  •  weaves into a garland
  • connect them one after the other
  • Writes with strings

PASSAGE 2

Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:

The condition and characteristic of a person is that he never looks either for help or harm from himself, but only from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philosopher is that he looks to himself all help or harm. The marks of a proficient are that he ensures no one, praises no one, blames no one, accuses no one, says nothing concerning himself as being anybody or knowing anything. when he is any instance restrained or hundred, he accuses himself, and if he is praised, he Smiles to himself at the person who praises him, and if he is censured, he makes no defence. But he goes about with a caution a convalescent, carefully of interference with anything that is doing well but not yet quite secure. He restrains desire; he transfers his aversion to those things which only thwart the proper use our own will. He employs his energies moderately in all directions; if he appears stupid or ignorant, he doesn’t care; and, in word, he keeps watch over himself as over an enemy and one in ambush.

1. The characteristic of a vulgar person is:
   1.  he never looks for anything,
   1.  he never looks for any help from others
   1. he never looks for others to help him
   1.  he never looks for help from himself
2. The chief quality of a philosopher is:
   1.  he always helps himself
   1.  he always helps others
   1.  he always looks at himself
   1. he always looks at others

•  According to the passage, the philosopher does not different himself because
  •  there is nothing to defend

              b)  he cannot defend himself

              c)  there are others to defend him

              d)  he finds defence unnecessarily

•  When a philosopher is prevented from doing something from, he wants to do:
  •  he accuses others for it
  • He does not do it
  •  he blames himself
  •  he does not care about it
•  The phrase ‘one in ambush’ means:
  •  one who is in a bush
  •  one who is under attack
  •  one who is attacking others
  •  one who is not in a bush 

PASSAGE 3

Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:

There is one circumstance in learned education which ought to have much weight, even with those who have no learning at all. The books read at school and colleges are full of incitements to virtue and discouragement from vice, drawn from the wisest reasons, the strongest motives, and the most influencing examples. Thus, young minds are filled with an inclination to good and abhorrence of evil, both which increase in them according to the advances they make in literature; and, although they may be, and too often are, drawn by the temptations of youth, and the opportunities of a large fortune, into some irregularities when they come forward into the great world, it is ever with  reluctance and compunction of mind, because their bias to virtue still continues. They may stray sometimes out of infirmity or compliance, but they will soon return to the right road and keep it always in view. I speak of only those excesses which are too much the attendants of youth and warmer blood, for, as to the points of honour, truth, justice, and other noble gifts of the mind wherein the temperature of the body hath no concern, they are seldom or even known to be wild.

1. ‘To have much weight’ in first sentence means
   1. to be very heady
   1.  to be of great significance
   1. to be weighed very often
   1. to be weightless
2.  The books one reads at school and college
   1.  do not affect the readers in anyway
   1. the reader gains nothing from them
   1. the reader learns about the good and the bad
   1. this form good habits and bad habits in the learner
3.  The study of literature leads to
   1. wisest reasons and the strongest motives
   1. inclination to good and dislike of bad
   1. increase in influencing examples
   1. opportunities of large fortune
4. ‘some irregularities’ as used in the passage means
   1.  some acts are wrong or evil
   1.  some objects that are not regular or smooth
   1. some things that do not have proper shape or size
   1.  some actions that do not have legal permission

•  when young people enter the great world, they
  • Willingly commit acts of evil.
  • Try very hard not to commit acts of evil.
  • In spite of trying hard not to commit acts of evil.
  • Never do any evil acts at all
•  Even if young people commit some irregularities they are never completely lost because
  • they always keep the right road in view
  •  they have come into a great world
  • they are guided by their inner virtues
  •  they are guided by virtuous people
• The expression ’warmer blood’ refers to
  •   the temperature of the blood in young people
  • the weakness that young people have
  •  the blood that has been heated up
  • the daring and courage of young people
•  Noble gifts of the mind refer to
  • Gifts of value received by the mind
  •  valuable gifts presided to the mind
  •  Fine qualities of the mind
  •  fine qualities of the noble people
• According to the author the influence of literature on man is
  • Ennobling
  •  Entertaining
  •  Evil
  •  inciting 
•  Some of the noble gifts of the mind mentioned in the passage are 
  • Reasons and motives
  •  Infirmity and compliance
  •  youth and fortune
  •  Honour and Justice

Answers

1. C          5) B           9) B
2. D          6) C          10) C
3. C          7) B
4. A          8) C

PASSAGE 4

Figures from the 2000 census confirmed what many Americans had observed over the previous decade in the communities and workplaces. The face of the nation was perceptibly changing. The Census Bureau estimated that 6 million legal and 2 million undocumented immigrants entered the country during the 1990s, second only to the 8.8 million foreign immigrants that arrived between 1950 and 1960. More than a third of the population growth over the decade from to 227 million to 248 million came from immigration. This proportion of increase caused by the foreign migrants was greater than any since the decade between 1960 and 1970, when immigration accounted for 40% of population growth. 7 States, headed by California, New York, Texas, and Florida received 75% of the newcomers.

 Hispanics and Asians lead the accelerated trend toward cultural diversity. the Hispanic population increased by more than 50%, from 14.6 million to 24. 4 million. one out of every five immigrants living in the US was Mexican born, and Mexican Americans overall composed more than 60% of the Hispanic population identified in the 2000 census. Demographers predicted that by the middle of the next century Hispanics would replace Americans as the largest minority group in the nation 

The decline of world oil prices had a devastating impact on the Mexican economy, worsening poverty and unemployment and spurring more people to seek a better life in North America. Most Mexican-American struggled in low paying jobs fought to hold onto their distinctive cultural heritage. they worked on farms, in garment sweatshops and high-tech assembly plants, and ad gardeners and domestics. Through education and business success, a significant number achieved middle class status and wealth. but almost 20% of Mexican Americans lived below the poverty line.

 The number of Asian Americans more than doubled, from 3.5 million to 7.3 million. Nearly two out of every five Asian Americans lived in California. The population of Korea town in Los Angeles approached 300000 and the area seemed a world unto itself. Like earlier immigrant groups, new Americans from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines tended to cluster in their own communities and maintain a durable group identity. As a whole, Asian Americans made mobility through education a priority, along with pooling family capital and labour to support small business.  Newcomers selected Communities with job opportunities or where their families and friends had settled. This social network, for example, explained the large number of Hmong’s, a tribal group from Laos, drawn to Minneapolis & St Paul.

The Immigration Reform Act of 1965 act eliminated quotas based on national origin. It also gave preferential treatment to highly educated foreigners seeking professional opportunities in the US. the 1965 act set limits 1,20,000 immigrants per year from the Western hemisphere and 170000 from countries outside the Western hemisphere. By the mid 1980s, growing concern over “illegal aliens” had become the hotly debated political issue, particularly in the southwest. The immigration Reform and Control Act of 1987 addressed the concerns of Anglos worried about” illegals” and the increasingly influential Mexican American community. It required employers for the first time to vouch for the legal status of their employees. At the same time, it offered an amnesty to all undocumented workers who had entered the country before 1982.  The law, critics charged, led to the discrimination in hiring. And no matter what Congress did, the desperate economic realities in Mexico and Central America continue to encourage the flow of illegal immigration.

1.  Which of the following was the main cause of illegal immigration to North America?
   1. The law and promise of an Opulent life
   1. the liberal and free environment prevailing in North America
   1.  America had emerged as a prominent world market for production and innovation
   1.  the economic realities in Mexico and Central America had reached desperate person
2. The increase in ‘diversity’ in American culture was on account of the immigrants who were
   1.  Mexicans
   1. Asians and Hispanics
   1. Germans
   1.  Anglo – Saxons
3. which of the following is out of place in relation to the passage?
   1. The immigration Reform Act of 1965 was highly discriminatory towards foreigners
   1.  Asian Americans had education as prime motive in settling in America
   1. Hispanics are predicted to be the largest minority groups in the nation the middle of the next country
   1. It was not an easy going for Mexican Americans to thrive in North America.
4. The Mexica economic slump was caused by:
   1. a change in the political setup
   1. decline in world oil prices
   1.  overpopulation of foreigners
   1.  stubbornness of the Mexicans to hold onto their cultural heritage and not adapt to changes
5.      which of the following could be a feature of the immigration Reform Act 1965?
   1.   quotas based on national origin were done away with
   1. preference was given to foreigners who had good educational antecedents, seeking opportunities in the US
   1.  annual limits for immigrants were prescribed separately for western & non-Western hemisphere
   1. All of the above
6.  The passage, at best, could be an extract from:
   1.  a chapter on Population studies, part of Curriculum in social science.
   1.  an analytical article on US immigration
   1.  a report regarding The Exodus of Mexicans and Latin Americans
   1.  the findings as regards the life led by the early settlers in US
7.  The objective behind the US immigration, as brought out by the passage, was to:
   1. Surmount the grave problems of poverty and unemployment by seeking better employment opportunities
   1.  support small family businesses by pooling in family capital of labour and add to the group identity
   1.   outnumber the local Americans making them to be a minority group
   1. all except (3)
8.  the situation arising out of an influx of immigrants is:
   1.  beneficial to the host nation in terms of the increase in manpower resources
   1.   Healthy for a balanced mix of varying cultures and traditions making the host nation a truly secular one.
   1. Alarming the host nation as the entire economy would be upset
   1.  not congenial for the host nation as there would be deterioration in law and order situation 
9. As per the passage, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1987:
   1. Expresses the grave concerns on the increasing influence of the Mexican American community
   1.  requires employers for the first time to vouch for the legal status of their employees
   1.   invited wrath and criticism for being discriminatory in hiring people
   1.  all of the above
10.  The passage is handled in a manner which is:
    1.   Illogical
    1.  Interrogative
    1.  Inferential
    1.  illusion 

PASSAGE 5

1. Read the following passage and answer the questions below the passage 

The classical realist theory of International relations has long dominated both academic Institutions and the American government. Even at the birth of the nation, early political thinkers, such as Alexander Hamilton, promoted a realist view of international relations and sought to influence the actions of the government based on this perspective. While the classical realist school of international relations is not entirely homogeneous in nature, there are certain premises that all classical realists share.

The primary principle underlying classical realism is a concern with the issues of war and peace. Specifically, classical realists ask, what are the causes of war and what are the conditions of peace? The members of the classical realist school main attribute for and conflict to what is turned into a security dilemma. In the absence of any prevailing global authority, each nation is required to address its own security needs. However, each nation’s quest for security – through military build ups, alliances, or territorial defences – necessarily unsettles the other nations. These nations react to the feelings of insecurity by engaging in their own aggressive actions, which leads other Nations to react similarly perpetuating the cycle.

It is important to note that for realists, unlike idealists or liberal internationalists, international conflict is a necessary consequence of structural anarchy that nations find themselves in. whereas other schools see international conflict as the result of evil dictators, historical chance, flawed Socio Political systems, or ignorance of world affairs, classical realists see the war  as the logical result of a system that by its nature lacks a true Central authority.

 Hand in hand with this view of conflict as an inevitable condition of the global power structure is the realists view of the nation as a unitary actor.  Because classical realists see international relations as Continuous struggle for dominance, the nation cannot be viewed as a collection of individuals with disparate wants, goals and ideologies. The realist view requires the formulation of a national interest, which in its simplest terms refers to the nation’s ability to survive, maintain its security, and achieve some level of power relative to its competitors.  Realism is not without its critics, many of whom challenge the premise that war is the natural condition of international relations or that there can be a truly national interest. However, the realist school of international relations continues to shape foreign policy because of the successes it has had in describing real-world interactions between nations.

1.  The formation of a national interest serves what function in the classical realist theory of war and peace based on the passage?
   1.  It is a convenience used by theorists to describe national interests where none exist.
   1. It provides the necessary justification for the classical realist view of a continuous global power struggle.
   1. It is less important to the theory than is the idea of the nation as a unitary actor.
   1.  It is the part of the theory that receives the most criticism for opponents.
2. From the passage, members of the classical realist School would be least likely to support which of the following arguments?
   1.  an international policy that seeks to reduce threats of war by providing humanitarian aid to potential aggressor countries.
   1. A domestic policy that attempts to unify the nation’s citizens behind a common cause.
   1.  a domestic policy that allocates a majority of countries but it for defence spending.
   1.  An International policy based on joining a common defence contract with other nations. 
3. Depending on the description provided in the passage, which of the following, if true, would best support the classical realist theory of International conflict?
   1.  Some countries ruled by dictators maintain peaceful relations with their neighbours.
   1. Despite the presence of a world superpower, many countries continue to fight wars with their neighbours.
   1. War has existed from the beginning of recorded history.
   1. After the nations of the world form an authoritative world court, was decreased dramatically.
4.  The author most likely regards the classical realist theory of International relations with:
   1.  general lack of interest
   1.  unconvinced dismissal
   1. indirect disapproval
   1. experienced acceptance
5. According to the passage, what is the underlying principle of classical realism?
   1.  international economic conflicts
   1.  Rem / oval of dictatorship from world
   1. Issues of War and Peace
   1. humanitarian aid to economically depressed nations

1. Each question consists of an incomplete sentence. check out the most appropriate choice from among those given below each incomplete sentence to be completed meaningfully.

• To succeed in a difficult task
  •   one needs to be persistent
  •  persistent is needed
  •  you need a person of persistent
  • persistent is what one needs
•  if they share burden alternatively, then
  •  will get tired soon
  • won’t get tired
  • don’t get tired
  • can’t feel tiring
•  every person must learn
  •  to make wise use of his time
  • that his time needs a wise use
  •  that how wisely his time can be used
  •  to using his time in a wisely manner
•  the more we looked at the pieces of modern art
  •  We liked it less
  •   better we liked it
  •  the less we liked it
  •  the more we like it
•  Many people have law degrees
  •  but some of them do not practice it
  •  but not all of them practice law
  •  however, it isn’t practiced by all
  •  at summer not undergoing practices
• write the antonym of ‘understudy’
  •  Secretary        b) Employer         c)  Slender       d)  sweet
•  write the antonym of ‘obscure’
  •  Reflect            b)   consider          c)  digress       d) Expound
•  write the antonym of ‘complaint’ 
  •  Disrespectful      b)  pleased       c)  obstinate      d)  abusive
• write the synonym of ‘meticulous’ 
  •  very careful       b)  extremely funny      c)  rather merciful     d)  too cautious
•  write the synonym of ‘integrity’
  •  Truth               b)  honesty               c)  loyalty     d)  brilliance

 Answers

1. B        4) D         7) B          10) B         13) C 
2. B        5) C         8) A           11) C         14) A      
3. D        6) A         9) C           12) D         15) B

PASSAGE 6

Read the following passage and answer the questions below it. Certain words / expressions are given in bold in the passage to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

“My God, it speaks” uttered the Emperor of Brazil and the receiver telephone slipped from his hand and banged aground. At the other end Alexander Graham Bell was still on the line.

 The incident goes back to 1876 when at an exhibition in Philadelphia (USA), Alexander Graham Bell was giving a demonstration of his new invention. This strange instrument known as the telephone was to revolutionize life in the years to come.

Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.  He was a teacher and was dedicated to the noble cause of teaching the deaf and dumb. Due to severe illness, Bell was sent to Canada in 1870, where too got engaged in helping the dumb-deaf to hear and speak. Thereafter, he shifted to USA but continued with his work by opening a school for deaf and dumb.

BEL was fond of scientific inventions and was ever engaged in making some machines in his spare time. While at Boston, he tried to communicate through metal wire. His companion in this work was Watson. One day while experimenting with his instrument, Belt spoke to Watson standing at a distance. Watson was taken by a pleasant surprise as he heard Bell clearly through his instrument. The instrument was a success and Bell patented it.

Graham Bell has some sterling qualities of head and heart.  Apart from being an artist, he was a kind of human being, ready to help the needy. He established an institution for the deaf and dumb children.  He died in 1922 in Canada.  The entire Northern America paid him a tribute by hanging their telephones for a while during his funeral.

1.  Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a quality of Graham Bell?
   1. Lover of art
   1. Time natured person
   1. Cooperative individual
   1. Curiosity
2. The words uttered by the employer of Brazil suggest that he was extremely….
   1. Angry      b) Insulted       c) Surprised       d) Agitated
3. Which of the following made Bell invent the telephone?
   1. His activity of teaching
   1. His service to the deaf and dumb
   1. His keen interest in scientific inventions
   1. Encouragement received from Watson
4. What according to the passage was the contribution of the invention of the telephone?
   1.  Interaction between two persons at some distance was possible
   1.  Rich people were able to communicate with others
   1.  Graham Bell could Converse with Watson regarding invention through telephone
   1. It revolutionized human life
5.  Graham Bell made the telephone call of his invention to the Emperor from the city of:
   1.  Edinburgh
   1. Philadelphia 
   1. Brazil
   1. Boston
6. The teaching activity undertaken by Bell was considered ‘noble’ particularly because
   1. He was teaching the physically underprivileged persons
   1. There was nobody else in the field of education
   1. He was not accepting any salary for the job
   1. He was a very famous scientist of this times
7.  The North Americans paid their last respects to Bell by
   1. Attending his funeral
   1. Suspending telephone lines for some time during his funeral
   1. Establishing an institution for the deaf and dumb children
   1. showing their readiness to help the poor and needy
8. Bell had gone to Canada in 187o for:
   1. Treating a patient who was seriously ill
   1. Helping the deaf and dumb children to hear and speak
   1. Undergoing medical treatment for himself
   1. Devoting his full time to his invention
9. Bell was establishing an institution for the deaf and dumb children shows that he was
   1. An expert scientist
   1. A curious Explorer
   1. A dedicated social worker
   1. Genuinely emphatic towards the technology

 Answers 

1. D       2. C      3. C      4. A        5. B        6. A      7. B      8. C

      9. C

PASSAGE 7

Read the following passage and answer the questions below it. Certain words / expressions are given in bold in the passage to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

There is a story told of a king who lived long ago in a country across the sea. He was a very wise king, and spared no efforts to teach his people good habits. Often, he didthings which seemed to them strange and useless; but everything he did, he did to reach his people to be industrious and careful.” nothing good can come to a nation, whose people complain and expect others to fix their problems for them,” he said. “good things from life come to those who take matters into their own hands.” One night, while everyone was asleep, he placed a large stone in the middle of the road that led past the place. Then he hid behind a bush, and waited to see what would happen.

 First came a farmer with his Wagon heavily loaded with grain, which was taking the mill to be ground. “well, who ever has such carelessness?” He said crossly, as he turned his wagon and drove around the stone. “Why don’t these lazy people have that stone taken off from the road?” I am so he went on complaining about the uselessness of others, but not touching the stone himself.

 Soon afterwards, a young soldier came singing along the road. The long trail of his cap waved in the breeze, and a bright sword hung at his side. He was thinking of the wonderful bravery he would show in the war.  the soldier did not see the stone, but struck his foot against it and went tossing in the dust. He rose to his feet, shook the dust from his clothes, picked up his sword, and complained angrily about the lazy people who had no more sense than to leave such a huge stone in the middle of the road. Then, he, too, walked away, not once thinking that he might move It himself.  And so, the day passed. Everyone who came by complained and whined because stone lay on the road, but no one touched it.

At last, just before nightfall, the miller’s daughter came past.  She was a hardworking girl and was very tired because she had been busy since early morning at the mail. But she said to herself,” it is almost dark, somebody may trip over this stone in the night, and perhaps he could be badly hurt. I will move it out of the way.”  so, she tugged at the heavy Stone. It was hard to move, but she pulled and pushed, and lifted until at last moved it from its place. To her surprise, she found a box underneath. She lifted the box. it was heavy, for it was filled with something. Upon it was written: This box belongs to the one who moved the stone. She opened the lid, and found it was filled with gold! The miller’s daughter went home with a happy heart.

 When the farmer, the soldier and all others heard what had happened, the gathered around the spot on the road where the stone had been. They scratched at the dust with their feet, hoping to turn up a piece of gold.

“My friends,” said the King, “We often come across obstacles and burdens our way.” We may complain out loud about them or we may choose to walk around them. Alternatively, we can analyse them & what they mean.  Disappointment is usually the price of laziness.”  Then the wise King mounted his horse and rode away.

1. Why was the miller’s daughter happy?
   1.  she finished all her work at the mill
   1. she won the best place to buy the king
   1. the king declared her the most industrious persons in the Kingdom
   1. The king offered her a hundred gold coins
2.  Why did the king place a stone in the middle of the road?
   1.  he enjoyed troubling others
   1. He wanted to watch people trip and fall
   1. He Wanted to cover a manhole in the road.
   1. He wanted to obstruct people from visiting the place
   1. he wanted to teach his people to take matters into their own hands
3. The people completed while passing the road that led past the palace because 

1. there was a huge stone lying on the road
2.  there was a manhole in road
3.  nobody was allowed to shift the stone on the road

1. Only (1)      b) only (3)      c) only (1) and (3)

              d) only (2)       e) none of these

• which of the following adjectives given below would best describe the king?
  • Evil
  • Industrious
  • Lazy
  • Careless
  • Suspicious
• Why did the people from the country, including the farmer and the soldier gather around the spot where the stone lay?
  • They were hoping to discover a gold mine.
  • They were told that the king was waiting for them at the very spot.
  • They were hoping to discover some more gold for themselves
  • They wanted to make sure that the stone was really removed
  • They wanted to inspect the damage done to the road
• Who among the following did not move the stone?

1. The farmer             2) the Miller’s daughter     3)  the young soldiers

1. Only (1)               b) only (2)          c) only (3)

              d) only (1) and (3)                              e) only (1) and (2)

•  Why did the king hide behind the bush?
  • He wanted to see how his people would react to the stone
  • He was going on the young soldier
  • He was not getting sleep
  • He wanted to guard the palace.
  • None of these
•  Which of the following statements is true of the miller’s daughter according to the passage?
  • She was very considerate girl
  • She was greedy
  • She misguided the farmer and the young soldier
  • She was very busy and had no time for others
  • None of the above is true
• Which of the following statements is true of the King according to the passage?
• He often did useless things like placing stone on the road to irritate his people.
•  he tried his best to teach his people to be industrious
•  he was responsible for placing the box of gold be beneath the strong

1. Only (1)      b) only (3)        c) only (2) and (3)

              d) only (2)                               e) only (1) and (3)

    10. Why did miller’s daughter decide to move the stone?

1. She wanted a gold that lay beneath the stone
   1. She was afraid that someone would get hurt
   1. She knew that the king was watching her from behind the bush
   1. The girl loved challenges and wanted to show her strength to the king
   1. She wanted to escape work at the mill.

Answers:

1. D        2.E     3.A       4.B        5.C        6. D     7.A     8. A     

     9. C        10.B

PASSAGE 8

Recent years have brought minority-owned businesses in the United States unprecedented opportunities — as well as new and significant risks. Civil rights activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups have difficulty in establishing themselves in business is that they lack access to the sizable orders and contracts that are generated by large companies. Now Congress, in the apparent agreement, has required by law that businesses awarded federal contracts of more than 5 lakh dollars do their best to find minority subcontractors and record their efforts to do so on forms filed with the government. Indeed, some federal and local Agencies have gone so far as to set specific percentage goals for apportioning parts of public works contracts to minority Enterprises.

Corporate response appears to have been substantial. According to figures collected in 1977, the total of Corporate contracts with minority business rose from 77 million dollars in 1972 to $ 1.1 billion in 1977. The projected total of Corporate contracts with minority businesses for the early 1980s is estimated to be over 53 billion per year with no let up anticipated in the next decade. Promising as it is for the minority businesses, this increased patronage poses dangerous for them, too. First,  minority firms risk  expanding too fast and overextending themselves financially, Since most are small concerns and  most are small concerns and unique large unlike large businesses, they often need to make substantial Investments  in new plants, staff, equipment, and the like in order to perform work  and the like in order to  work  subcontracted to them. If, thereafter, there subcontracts are for some reason reduced, such firms can face potentially crippling fixed expenses. The world of corporate purchasing can be frustrating for small entrepreneurs who get requests for elaborate formal estimates and bids. Both consume valuable time and resources, and a small company’s efforts must soon result in orders, or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer.

A second risk is that white-owned companies may seek to cash in no the increasing appointments through formation of joint ventures with minority-owned concerns. Of course, in many instances there are legitimate reasons for joint ventures; clearly, White and minority enterprises can team up to acquire business that neither could acquire alone. But civil rights groups and minority business owners have complained to Congress about minorities being set up as “fronts” with White backing, rather than being accepted as full partners in legitimate joint ventures.

Third, a minority enterprise that secures the business of one large corporate customer often runs the danger of becoming — and remaining — dependent. Even in the best of circumstances, fierce competition from larger, more established companies makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases: When such firms have nearly guaranteed orders from a single corporate benefactor, they may truly have to struggle against complacency arising from their current success.

1.  The primary purpose of the passage is to:
   1. Present commonplace idea and its inaccuracies
   1. Describe a situation and its potential drawbacks
   1. Propose a temporary solution to a problem
   1. Analyse a frequent source of disagreement
   1. Explore the implications of a finding
2. The passage supplies information that would answer which of the following questions?
   1. What federal agencies have set percentage goals for the use of minority owned businesses in public works contracts?
   1. To which government agencies must businesses awarded federal contracts report their efforts to find minority subcontractors?
   1.  How widespread is the use of minority-owned concerns as “fronts” by white backers seeking to obtain subcontracts?
   1. How many more minority-owned businesses were there in 1977 than in 1972?
   1.  What is one set of conditions under which a small business might find itself financially overextended?
3. According to the passage, civil rights activists maintain that one disadvantage under which minority owned businesses have traditionally had to labour is that they have 
4. Been especially vulnerable to government mismanagement of the economy
5. Been denied bank loans at rates compared to those afforded larger competitors
6. Not had sufficient opportunity to secure business created by large corporations
7. Not been able to advertise in those media that reach large numbers of potential customers
8. Not had adequate representation in the centres of government power.
9. The passage suggests that the failure of large business to have its bids for subcontracts result quickly in orders might cause it to
10. Experience frustration but not serious financial harm
11. Face potentially crippling fixed expense
12. Have to record its efforts on forms filed with the government
13. Increase its spending with minority subcontractors
14. Revise its procedure for making bids for federal contracts and subcontracts.
15. The author implies that a minority-owned concern that does the greater part of its business with one large corporate customer should
16. Avoid competition with larger, more established concerns by not expanding
17. Concentrate on securing even more business from that corporation
18. Try to expand its custom base to avoid becoming dependent on the corporation.
19. Pass on some of the work to be done for the corporation to another minority
20. Use its influence with the corporation to promote subcontracting with other minority concerns
21. It can be inferred from the passage that, compared with the requirements of law, the percentage goals set by “some federal and local agencies” (lines 14-15) are
22. More popular with large corporations
23. More specific
24. Less controversial
25. Less expensive to enforce
26. Easier to comply with
27. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s assertion that, in the 1970s, corporate response to federal requirements (lines 18-19) was substantial?
28. Corporate contracts with minority-owned business totalled $2 billion in 1979
29. Between 1970 and 1972, corporate contracts with minority-owned businesses declined by 25%
30. The figures collected in 1977 under-represented the extent of corporate contracts with minority-owned business
31. The estimate of corporate spending with minority-owned businesses in 1980 is approximately $10 million too high.
32. The $1.1 billion represented the same percentage of total corporate spending in 1977 as did $77 million in 1972.

8. The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements about corporate response to working with minority subcontractors?

1. Annoyed by the proliferation of “front” organizations, corporations are likely to reduce their efforts to work with minority -owned subcontractors in the near future.
2. Although corporations showed considerable interest in working with minority businesses in the 1970s, their aversion to government paperwork made them reluctant to pursue many government contracts
3. The significant response of corporations in the 1970s is likely to be sustained and conceivably be increased throughout the 1980s.
4. Although corporations are eager to cooperate with minority-owned businesses, a shortage of capital in the 1970s made substantial response impossible.
5. The enormous corporate response has all but eliminated the dangers of over-expansion that used to plague small minority-owned businesses.

Answers

1. B     2. C      3. C      4. E        5. C      6. B        7. B       8. C