The days when inflation could topple governments appear to be gone. It is now time for the government to worry about falling prices, especially of food. Retail inflation (1) -------------- to a 17-month low of 2.33% in November, as compared to 3.31% in October, primarily due to the fall in the
prices of various essential food items. Food prices fell by a huge 6.96 percentage points compared to a year ago and, at minus 2.61%, are now in deflationary territory for the second successive month. (2) The fall in inflation is obviously good news for (a) the Reserve Bank of India, which will now have more (b) to pay less for their purchases; also for (c) consumers, particularly those in urban India who are happy (d) room for manoeuvre in the matter of interest rates. (3) But it is bad news for the (a) impacting of basic food items who are (b) located in the (c) distress-affected rural parts of the country, with falling farm incomes also (d) producers landless labour and rural demand. At the heart of this problem is the unpredictability of farm prices, which are known to exhibit extreme levels of volatility owing to various supply-side issues that plague the agricultural sector. (4) Though farmer producer companies have stepped out with help and guidance to farmers to use hedging tools to minimise price risks, they are too few and far between to make a difference. And even when their produce finally commanded impressive prices in the retail market, the cartelised agricultural marketing system has made sure that farmers received little to nothing.
The poor implementation of MSPs is one of the reasons for farmers taking to the streets in protest. The Centre may prod the new RBI Governor to adopt a more dovish monetary policy stance in the run-up to the election citing falling inflation figures. But none of these measures will help farmers, who have increasingly taken the protest route of late to make their demands heard, in any meaningful manner in the long run. (5) Real agricultural reform is crucial to enabling farmers to freely make there own business decisions without the grab hand of the government.
Question no. 1
Which of the following word given in the options should come at the place marked as (1) in the above paragraph to make it grammatically correct and meaningful? Also, the word should fill in the two sentences given below and make them contextually correct and meaningful.
I. She ---------------- the bowl on the floor and it broke into fragments.
II. The quality of the food here has ---------------- a notch recently.
A. Rise
B. Upswing
C. Declining
D. Dropped
Answer: Option D
Explanation: In the context, there is clearly mentioned that Retail inflation dropped as compared to the previous month so option A and B are incorrect, Option C is grammatically wrong.
I. She ---------------- the bowl on the floor and it broke into fragments.
II. The quality of the food here has ---------------- a notch recently.
A. Rise
B. Upswing
C. Declining
D. Dropped
Answer: Option D
Explanation: In the context, there is clearly mentioned that Retail inflation dropped as compared to the previous month so option A and B are incorrect, Option C is grammatically wrong.
Question no. 2
In the sentence(2), the first part which is in bold is consider the first part of the sentence. You have to rearrange the other part of the sentence.
The fall in inflation is obviously good news for (a) the Reserve Bank of India, which will now have more (b) to pay less for their purchases; also for (c) consumers, particularly those in urban India who are happy (d) room for manoeuvre in the matter of interest rates.
A. a b d c
B. b d a c
C. c b a d
D. d b a c
Answer: Option C
Explanation: The correct form of the sentence is ‘The fall in inflation is obviously good news for consumers, particularly those in urban India who are happy to pay less for their purchases; also for the Reserve Bank of India, which will now have more room for manoeuvre in the matter of interest rates’.
The fall in inflation is obviously good news for (a) the Reserve Bank of India, which will now have more (b) to pay less for their purchases; also for (c) consumers, particularly those in urban India who are happy (d) room for manoeuvre in the matter of interest rates.
A. a b d c
B. b d a c
C. c b a d
D. d b a c
Answer: Option C
Explanation: The correct form of the sentence is ‘The fall in inflation is obviously good news for consumers, particularly those in urban India who are happy to pay less for their purchases; also for the Reserve Bank of India, which will now have more room for manoeuvre in the matter of interest rates’.
Question no. 3
The sentence given in (3) has four words given in bold. Amongst the given bold words which of the following option must replace each other to make the sentence contextually correct and meaningful.A. a - d
B. b - d
C. c - a
D. a - c
Answer: Option A
Explanation: The price fall is bad news for the producers, so if we replace a with d the sentence will be correct contextually. The correct form of the sentence is ‘But it is bad news for the producers of basic food items who are located in the distress-affected rural parts of the country, with falling farm incomes also impacting landless labour and rural demand.’
Question no. 4
In the passage given, a sentence (4) is given in italics. Choose the option which has an error in it as your answer. If there is no error, option (E) as your answer.A. Though farmer producer companies have
B. stepped out with help and guidance to farmers
C. to use hedging tools to minimise price risks, they
D. are too few and far between to make a difference
E. No error
Answer: Option B
Explanation: The word ‘stepped out’ is wrong, in the given sentence the correct form is ‘stepped in’ because the meaning of ‘stepped in’ is ‘to become involved in a difficult situation in order to help find a solution’. On the other hand, ‘stepped out’ means leave a room or building.
Answer: Option B
Explanation: The word ‘stepped out’ is wrong, in the given sentence the correct form is ‘stepped in’ because the meaning of ‘stepped in’ is ‘to become involved in a difficult situation in order to help find a solution’. On the other hand, ‘stepped out’ means leave a room or building.
Question no. 5
In the passage given, a sentence (5) is given in italics. There is one part of the sentence which has no errors. Choose the option which has no error in it as your answer.
A. Real agricultural reform is crucial
B. to enabling farmers to freely make
C. there own business decisions without
D. the grab hand of the government.
Answer: Option A
Explanation: In option B the word enabling is wrong, after to the verb should be in the first form, in option C it should be their not there and in option D the word grab is wrong, it should be grabbing.
A. Real agricultural reform is crucial
B. to enabling farmers to freely make
C. there own business decisions without
D. the grab hand of the government.
Answer: Option A
Explanation: In option B the word enabling is wrong, after to the verb should be in the first form, in option C it should be their not there and in option D the word grab is wrong, it should be grabbing.
