Improve your English with English quiz. English Quiz to help you improve your score for exams like Bank, SSC, Railway, UPSC, UPSSSC, CDS, UPTET, KVS, DSSSB and other Government exams.
Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases are given in bold to help you locale them while answering some of the questions.
Frustration is a global cancer. It has spared no country. In some countries, frustration exists because these countries are populated by “have-nots”. In other countries which are populated by ‘haves’, frustration is among them also because they do “haves”. As far as India is concerned its education system is breeding more and more frustration among both students and teachers. And yet no one sees what can be done to make it more meaningful. Many reforms have been discussed at length but have come to nothing for one reason or another. The authorities are now peddling the idea of autonomous colleges as a means of toning of teaching standards. They argue that by allowing certain colleges to introduce their own courses, hold seminars and above all, evolve their own method of assessing students, students will get a far better deal. Indeed, they make out that such colleges will have free hand in nearly everything except granting degrees. In theory, all this sounds attractive enough. But there is little to show that the managements concerned are keen on such reforms. Even today, nothing prevents a college from inviting guest speakers on specialised subjects or holding courses in English for vernacular students. But not a single one of those who are now glamouring for autonomy has bothered to do so. It is a secret that colleges which may be ‘freed’ to an extent from university control are highly elitist: In Mumbai, for example, there is a big cultural gulf between city colleges and suburban colleges. If some of the former are now given a degree of autonomy, it will only heighten this disparity.
The answer to the vexed problem of declining standards in higher education does not lie in encouraging the growth of ‘model’ institution but in improving overall standards. This is of course easier said than done. Since more and more young people are seeking degrees, the only solution, however unpalatable it may sound, is drastically to reduce the number of those who are admitted to colleges. Even though there is political pressure on many state governments to build new colleges and to reserve more seats for backward classes, it will be sheer folly to expand such facilities recklessly without giving any thought the quality of education imparted. If admissions are made far more selective, it will automatically reduce the number of entrants. This should apply particularly to new colleges, many of which are little more than degree factories. Only they can the authorities hope to bring down the teacher-student ratio to manageable proportions. What is more, teachers should be given refresher courses every summer vacation to brush up their knowledge. Besides, if college managements increase the library budget it will help both staff and students a great deal. At the same time, however, it will be unfair to deny college education to thousands of young men and women unless employers stop insisting on degrees even for clerical jobs. For a start, why can’t the Government disqualify graduates from securing certain jobs-say, Class III and IV posts? Once the degrees are delinked from jobs, at least in some important departments, it will make many young people think twice before joining college.
Q1. The author’s chief concern seems to be—
(a) frustration among students
(b) spread of college education
(c) standard of education
(d) autonomy to colleges
(e) delinking of degrees
Q2. The author’s attitude is—
(a) cynical
(b) optimistic
(c) critical
(d) conservative
(e) constructive
Q3. What according to the passage, would be the result of granting autonomy to some colleges?
(a) The teacher-student ratio will come down
(b) Disparity between city and suburban colleges will increase
(c) College will multiply
(d) Some colleges would start selling degrees
(e) All of these
Q4. Which of the following is the most significant feature of the scheme of autonomous colleges, according to the passage ?
(a) They can introduce new courses
(b) They can hold seminars
(c) They can evolve their method of assessment
(d) They can award degrees
(e) They can make admissions without restrictions
Q5. The author does not believe that
(a) colleges have the capacity to develop courses
(b) colleges have the expertise for assessment
(c) some colleges are only degree factories
(d) college managements are really keen on reforms
(e) some colleges are ‘elitist’
Q6. To which of the following does the author give precedence ?
(a) Increasing library facilities
(b) Holding refresher courses for teachers
(c) Abolishing reservation for backward classes
(d) Stopping opening of new colleges
(e) Instituting entrance examinations..
Directions (7 – 8): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning to the word given in bold as used in the passage.
Q7. VEXED
(a) Annoying
(b) Recurring
(c) Unresolvable
(d) Complex
(e) Dangerous
Q8. EVOLVE
(a) Introduce
(b) Start
(c) develop
(d) Abandon
(e) Establish
Directions (9 – 10): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word given in bold as used in the passage.
Q9. FOLLY
(a) Right
(b) Exact
(c) Mistake
(d) Action
(e) Wisdom
Q10. HEIGHTEN
(a) Widen
(b) Decrease
(c) Strengthen
(d) Dissolve
(e) Disappear
Solutions
- Ans.(c)
Refer to first paragraph of the passage.
- Ans.(e)
The author’s attitude is constructive because author intends to improve standard of education which he has mentioned this clearly in the passage.
- Ans.(b)Refer to first paragraph of the passage. “If some of the former are now given a degree of autonomy, it will only heighten this disparity.”
- Ans.(c)
“They argue that by allowing certain colleges to introduce their own courses, hold seminars and above all, evolve their own method of assessing students, students will get a far better deal.”
- Ans.(d)
Refer to the first paragraph of the passage. “And yet no one sees what can be done to make it more meaningful. Many reforms have been discussed at length but have come to nothing for one reason or another.”
- Ans.(d)
Refer to the 2nd paragraph of the passage, “it will be sheer folly to expand such facilities recklessly without giving any thought the quality of education imparted. “
- Ans.(d)
VEXED means difficult and much debated. So, complex is the word which is similar in meaning to it.
- Ans.(c)
EVOLVE means develop gradually. So, develop is the word which is similar in meaning to it.
- Ans.(e)
FOLLY means lack of good sense. So, wisdom is the word which is opposite in meaning to it.
- Ans.(b)
HEIGHTEN means to make or become more intense. So, Decrease is the word which is opposite in meaning to it.
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