Q.1-10. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given bebold to help you locate them while answering some questions.low it. Certain words have been printed in
In India newspapers have undeniably a vital role to play and an important duty to perform, both as “vox populi” (voice of the people) and a builder of public opinion. The Press is the common man’s university—it is pulpit, theatre and counsellor; all in one. It is true that the vast majority of the people in this country are illiterate, and even from among the literate persons, two-thirds cannot or do not read newspapers. Reading and understanding newspapers require a certain degree of intellectual capacity and comprehension which the Indian mass do not possess. It is believed that not more than 20 per cent people in India read newspapers. Out of these the number of those who read editorials, comments and interpretative articles is probably less than half. The others merely read the headlines or only the most significant news of the day. Young men mostly read the sports news and film reviews; the traders and other business-minded people confine themselves to the commercial page which provides them with the latest market quotations of shares, stocks and the various commodities, apart from the prices of gold and silver. Old, retired people, who wish to pass time somehow, read newspapers from end to end—even matrimonials. If we exclude these categories of newspaper readers, the percentage of those who have a genuine and sustained interest in national and international developments, or who avidly read editorials and special articles on the editorial page is very low.
But it is this intelligent section of Indian society, though small, which matters a great deal to both the rulers and the ruled. They are the national or State leaders, academicians, teachers and lawyers who speak up for the voice their grievances against mismanagement of public affairs
Newspapers in this country should regard their profession as a noble million of enlightening people, broadening their vision and discouraging communal or other divisive trends. It is a pity that many newspa-pers fail to perform their duty towards the Indian masses, most of whom still have an implicit belief in the printed word, and tend to take as truth sometimes used as a weapon to compel compliance. No newspaper can survive without advertisements, which are the chief prop of their economy, the life-blood of all newspaper enterprises. Many cases of such denial of advertisements have been taken to the Press Council of India, and in most cases the Press Council has censured the conduct of the governments concerned. However, most of the country’s leading newspapers are owned or dominated by big industrial houses. Consequently, the interests of the general public are often sacrificed at the altar of business.
Q.1. Why is the Press considered the common man’s university?
(1) It builds their opinion and enables them to voice it.
(2) By reading newspapers one can learn about one’s surroundings
(3) Common man cannot afford education these days.
(4) Newspapers cover news related to universities.
(5) All of these
Q.2. According to the passage, people who read the newspapers with interest and continuity are-
(1) None
(2) Increasing
(3) Very few
(4) Many
(5) Difficult to determine
Q.3. Match the following-
Category They read
(1) Old, retired people A. Editorials
(2) Young people B Commerce related news
(3) Business-minded people C. Entire newspaper
(4) Intelligent/intellectual people D. Film reviews
(1) 1-C, 2-D, 3-A, 4-B (2) 1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D (3) 1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A
(4) 1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A (5) 1-D, 2-B, 3-A, 4-C
Q.4. Why does the intelligent section of Indian society matter to both ruler and the ruled?
(1) They threaten the government for taking action against social malpractices
(2) They express their displeasure against mismanagement of public affairs
(3) They are the most powerful people of India
(4) They take the law in hands and can go to any extent to get their wishes fulfilled.
(5) None of these
Q.5. What is meant by ‘Implicit belief in the printed word’ , as described in the passage?
(1) Authenticity of the news items
(2) Faith in the ideology communicated by the newspaper
(3) Blind faith in the news supplied by the newspapers
(4) Going against the belief prevalent in the society
(5) Not mentioned in the passage
Q.6. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
(1) Majority of people of India are literate.
(2) Newspapers broaden the vision of the people
(3) Newspapers can survive without advertisements.
(4) Newspapers are the voice of the common man only
(5) All of the above
Q.7-8.Choose the word most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
Q.7. Mass
(1) People (2) Weight (3) Density (4) Spread (5) Wisdom
Q.8. Avidly
(1) Surprisingly (2) Practically (3) Intermittently (4) Drastically (5) Dedicatedly
Q.9-10.Choose the word which is most nearly the OPPOSITE in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Q.9. Regard
(1) Consider (2) Disregard (3) Call upon (4) Maverick (5) Dwindle
Q.10. Compliance
(1) Submissive (2) Rage (3) Denial (4) Observance (5) Settlement
Answers:
Q.1.(1)
Q.2.(3)
Q.3.(4)
Q.4.(2)
Q.5.(3)
Q.6.(2)
Q.7.(1) People
Q.8.(5) Dedicatedly
For Other Options:
Intermittently (adv)- Stopping for sometime and beginning again
Drastically (adv)- Acting in a forceful manner
Q.9.(2) Disregard
For Other Options:
Call upon (phr v)- To call someone
maverick (n)- rebel
Dwindle (v)- shaking
Q.10.(3) Denial
For Other Options:
Submissive (adj)- inclined to obey
Observance (n)- an act of obeying
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