Innovative Way To Read Newspaper and Practice English: Part 4

READING COMPREHENSION

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) decision to hold its policy rates, rather than to slash them by a quarter of a percentage point, as had been widely expected, is justified. The chief reason is volatility emanating from global developments. The US has started to withdraw from its extra-easy monetary policy, raising rates once and expected to follow through several times later this year. Oil prices are moving up once again, as also other commodity prices. If higher yields in the advanced markets induce some relocation of capital to these markets from emerging markets, that would weaken emerging market currencies, including the rupee.
That, by itself, would feed into inflation by raising imported energy and other commodity prices. Add rising crude prices, and the effect would be magnified. Clearly, this is not the time for the RBI to widen the interest-rate differential between India and the US, inducing further outflow of footloose capital. The RBI expects growth to be lower this fiscal as well as in the next, as compared to previous estimates, thanks to demonetization. Even the present lower estimate assumes the monsoon would be normal. That remains to be seen.
However, the failure, so far, to tackle the huge and still mounting burden of bad debt on the banking system would make the banks reluctant lenders and Indian industry, reluctant borrowers.
Lowering rates will not alter this reality. So, the central bank is perfectly justified in its implicit assumption that it is not the high cost of money that holds back investment in the country, which, at 26.5 percent of GDP, is lower than in any year since 2004-05. With the ongoing criminal investigations into banking decisions, no banker will want to be accused of having sold off his loan portfolio too cheap and will resist sale of bad loans to an asset reconstruction company.
Only informed, and firm, political action can kick-start investment and lending in the system. And that is beyond the central bank’s remit. It is up to the Union government and the political leadership to do what is required to revive investment in the economy.
(Source: The Economic Times)
1. Choose the word that best expresses the word given in bold in the passage.
Reluctant
(a) Anxious
(b) Undismayed
(c) Disinclined
(d) Propitious
(e) Auspicious

2. Why has the RBI decided to hold its policy rates?

I. Because of rising inflation
II. Weakening of market currencies
III. Bad debts

(a) Only II is correct
(b) Only I and III are correct
(c) Only I and II are correct
(d) Only I is correct
(e) All I, II, III are correct

3. Choose the word which is most opposite to the word given in bold in the passage.
Revive
(a) Rejuvenate
(b) Invigorate
(c) Kindle
(d) Incite
(e) Deaden

4. Choose the word which is most opposite to the word given in bold in the passage.
Emanating
(a) Declining
(b) Efflorescent
(c) Exude
(d) Begot
(e) Emerge

5. What contributes to inflation as given in the passage?
I. Decline in the value of currency
II. Increase of investment
III. Increase in commodity prices

(a) Only I is correct
(b) Only II is correct
(c) Only III is correct
(d) All I, II and II are correct
(e) None of the above

6. Choose the word which is most similar to the word given in bold in the passage.
Implicit
(a) Specific
(b) Expressed
(c) Stated
(d) Tacit
(e) Acquired

Answer: 

1 (c)

2 (d)

3 (e)

4 (a)

5 (c)

6 (d)

CLOZE TEST

Tuesday’s blast near the Supreme Court premises in Kabul that left at least 20 people dead, underscores the growing insecurity in Afghanistan. The suicide attack once again (a) ________ the capability of terrorist outfits in Afghanistan to target even the (b) ____ secure places in the national capital. In the past the Taliban have targeted the court and even the Parliament building. The government of Ashraf Ghani has condemned the attack and vowed a tough response. But beyond the rhetoric, Kabul’s anti-terror strategy has hardly been effective, considering the inroads insurgents (c) _______ in the recent years. After most foreign troops withdrew in 2014, the Taliban have steadily stepped up attacks, expanding the civil war into residential areas. According to the UN report, 2016 was the (d) ______ year for Afghan civilians since the U.S. – led invasion began in 2001. The Taliban’s territorial control has grown in strength. Last year it had briefly overrun the northern city of Kunduz and (e) _________ to attack several other population centres. A report by Sigar, a U.S. Congressional watchdog, says around 28% of Afghans now live in territories over which government troops and the Taliban have been fighting. The Ghani government had initially sought an agreement with the Taliban and (f) ________ to Pakistan, which has some influence over the group. But this yielded nothing. Kabul failed to cash in on an internal power struggle within the Taliban after the death of its leader, Mullah Omar. The Taliban survived the death of Omar’s successor, Mullah Mansoor, in a U.S. drone strike.
(Source: The Hindu)

(a) 

 1. is revealing 

 2. Reveals 

 3. Reveal 

 4. Had revealed

(b) 

 1. Many 

 2. Much 

 3. Most 

 4. Best

(c) 

 1. Had made 

2. Has made 

3. Is making

4. Have made

(d) 

1. Bloody 

2. Blood 

3. Bloodiest 

4 bleeding

(e) 

1. Threatened

2. Threatens 

3. Is threatening 

4 threaten

(f) 

1. Reach 

2. Reach out 

3. Reached out 

4. Reached

Answers: 

(a) 2; 

(b) 3; 

(c) 4; 

(d) 3; 

(e) 1; 

(f) 3

Miscellaneous 

Identify the spelling error or inappropriate word in the given statement and mark the correct option. If there is no error, mark option (e).

1. A die-hard loyalist of Jayalalithaa, and by extension of his one-time benefactor Ms. Sasikala, Mr.Paneerselvam, who was percieved as the archetypal feudal supplicant, chose his moment to strike back at the patricians in the party.

(a) Benefactor
(b) Percieved
(c) Archetypal
(d) Patricians
(e) All are correct

2. Clearly, the clock of invincibility that Jayalalithaa seemed to have on her during even the most testing times was not Ms. Sasikala’s to wear
(a) Clock
(b) Invincibility
(c) Testing
(d) Wear
(e) All are correct

3. Tamil Nadu is at a murky crossroad, and a dose of realism is needed while taking stock of the choices that its political leadership now faces.
(a) Murky
(b) Crossroad
(c) Realism
(d) Stock
(e) All are correct

Answer: 

1. (b)

2 (a)

3 (b)