Reading Comprehension Test-6

                           Reading Comprehension Test 6

                                   Reading Passage-1

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Generally birds follow the facetious advice often given to pilots -- "fly low and slow." Most cruise speeds are in the 20-to-30-mph range, with an eider duck having the fastest accurately clocked air speed of about 47 mph. During a chase, however, speeds increase; ducks, for example, can fly 60 mph or even faster, and it has been reported that a Peregrine Falcon can stoop at speeds of 200 mph (100 mph may be nearer the norm). Interestingly, there is little relationship between the size of a bird and how fast it flies. Both hummingbirds and geese can reach roughly the same maximum speeds.

There is, of course, a considerable difference between the speed at which a bird can fly and the speed at which it normally does fly. When the bird is "around home" one might expect it to do one of two things, minimize its energy use per unit time, that is, minimize its metabolic rate, or the distance it travels per unit of energy expended. A vulture loitering in the sky in search of prey might, like the pilot of an observation aircraft, maximize endurance; a seabird traveling to distant foraging grounds might, like a Concorde encountering headwinds on a transoceanic flight, maximize range. Staying up longest does not necessarily mean going farthest. A bird might be able to stay aloft 6 hours at 15 mph (maximum endurance, covering 90 miles) or 5 hours at 20 mph (maximum range, covering 100 miles). Birds can also choose to maximize speed, as when being chased by a predator or racing to defend a territory. Or they can choose some compromise between speed and range.

In order to determine what birds normally do, Gary Schnell and Jenna Hellack of the University of Oklahoma used Doppler radar, a device similar to that used by police to catch speeders, to measure the ground speeds of a dozen species of seabirds (gulls, terns, and a skimmer) near their colony. They also measured wind speeds with an anemometer, and used those measurements to estimate the airspeeds of the birds. (The wind speeds were generally measured closer to the ground than the birds were, which led to some errors of estimation, since friction with the surface slows air movements near the ground.)

Airspeeds were found to be mostly in the 10-to-40-mph range. The power requirements of each bird at each speed could be calculated, and that information was used to establish that the birds were generally compromising between maximizing their range and minimizing their metabolic rates with more emphasis on the former. Airspeeds varied a great deal, but near the minimum metabolic rate rather large changes in airspeed did not require dramatic rises in energy consumption. For example, a gull whose most efficient loiter airspeed was 22 mph could fly at anything between 15 and 28 mph without increasing its metabolic rate more than 15 percent.

Most birds fly below 500 feet except during migration. There is no reason to expend the energy to go higher -- and there may be dangers, such as exposure to higher winds or to the sharp vision of hawks. When migrating, however, birds often do climb to relatively great heights, possibly to avoid dehydration in the warmer air near the ground. Migrating birds in the Caribbean are mostly observed around 10,000 feet, although some are found half and some twice that high. Generally long-distance migrants seem to start out at about 5,000 feet and then progressively climb to around 20,000 feet. Just like jet aircraft, the optimum cruise altitude of migrants increases as their "fuel" is used up and their weight declines. Vultures sometimes rise over 10,000 feet in order to scan larger areas for food (and to watch the behavior of distant vultures for clues to the location of a feast). Perhaps the most impressive altitude record is that of a flock of Whooper Swans which was seen on radar arriving over Northern Ireland on migration and was visually identified by an airline pilot at 29,000 feet. Birds can fly at altitudes that would be impossible for bats, since bird lungs can extract a larger fraction of oxygen from the air than can mammal lungs.

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Q1. According to the passage, which one of the following points is/are correct?

1. The lungs of different species exhibit similar aspects although it has no impact on the flying capacity.
2. It is rarely that birds try and climb to higher altitude.                                                                                                                                                                                   A. Both A and B are correct.                                                                                     B. Both A and B are wrong.                                                                                       C. Only A is correct.                                                                                                   D. Only B is correct.

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Q2. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following points is/are correct?

1. In the experiments conducted, it is found that Airspeeds remained unchanged and there has been a need for more energy consumption corresponding to Airspeed.
2. There are no similarities between the potential speed and the Actual speed gained by a bird.
3. Scientists failed to show some ratio between size and flying speed of a bird.
4. Although situations so demand, Birds usually confine to similar speeds.                                                                                                                                                 A. Only 1, 2 are correct.                                                                                             B. Only 2 is correct.                                                                                                     C. Only 1 and 3 are correct.                                                                                       D. Only 2, 4 are correct

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Q3. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. A Bird that stays long usually has a larger body and mastered the techniques of gaining speed and range.
2. Some rare birds alone have the capacity to endure the physical constraints while soaring high and flying well.
3. Generally birds flying at a high altitude and at a greater speed, can't adjust their speed according to the need and threat.
4. Although birds stay up in the air for long, it doesn't mean they are travelling farthest.                                                                                                                         A. Only 4 is correct.                                                                                                    B. Only 1 and 4 are correct.                                                                                      C. Only 2 and 3 are correct.                                                                                     D. Only 2 and 4 are correct.

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Q4. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is correct?

1. Usually long-distance migrants begin with a not-very high altitude and gradually climb up to greater heights.
2. Since Birds have better lungs to inhale more oxygen, they can fly at higher altitudes than that of Bats.
3. Like the pilots, some bird species can maximize speed and minimize range.
4. Scientists researched and confirmed that Birds have been giving more importance to minimizing metabolic rates.                                                          A. Only 1 and 4 are correct.                                                                                     B.Only 1, 2 and 3 are correct.                                                                               C.Only 2 is correct.                                                                                                     D. Only 2 and 4 are correct

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                                   Reading Passage-2

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India has a well- developed tax structure. The power to levy taxes and duties is distributed among the three tiers of Government, in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Constitution. The main taxes/duties that the Union Government is empowered to levy are:- Income Tax (except tax on agricultural income, which the State Governments can levy), Customs duties, Central Excise and Sales Tax and Service Tax. The principal taxes levied by the State Governments are:- Sales Tax (tax on intra-State sale of goods), Stamp Duty (duty on transfer of property), State Excise (duty on manufacture of alcohol), Land Revenue (levy on land used for agricultural/non-agricultural purposes), Duty on Entertainment and Tax on Professions & Callings. The Local Bodies are empowered to levy tax on properties (buildings, etc.), Octroi (tax on entry of goods for use/consumption within areas of the Local Bodies), Tax on Markets and Tax/User Charges for utilities like water supply, drainage, etc.

In the wake of economic reforms, the tax system in India has under gone a radical change, in line with the liberal policy. Some of the changes include:- rationalization of tax structure; progressive reduction in peak rates of customs duty ; reduction in corporate tax rate; customs duties to be aligned with ASEAN levels; introduction of value added tax ; widening of the tax base; tax laws have been simplified to ensure better compliance. Tax policy in India provides tax holidays in the form of concessions for various types of investments. These include incentives to priority sectors and to industries located in special area/ regions. Tax incentives are available also for those engaged in development of infrastructure.

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Q5. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Tax holidays refer to the general leniency to stricter tax regimes and include several rebates on tax rates.
2. Tax holidays have some bearing on rationalization of Tax structure that allows freedom from double, unwanted taxation.
3. Infrastructure development activities and work in priority structures get benefits under Tax incentives.
4. The aftermath of Tax holidays is widening tax net and base.                            A. Only 1 and 2 are correct.                                                                                      B. Only 3 is correct.                                                                                                        C. Only 1 and 3 are correct.                                                                                          D. Only 1, 2 and 3 are correct.

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Q6. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. In the post-reforms era, there have been efforts to make some Taxes and the structure in line with the rest of the world.
2. Reduction in the customs rate is a feature in Post-reform Indian Tax system.                                                                                                                          A. Both A and B are correct.                                                                                    B. Neither A nor B is correct.                                                                                      C. Only A is correct.                                                                                                  D. Only B is correct.

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Q7. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. In Indian federation, the rules and types of taxation have been clearly set in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.
2. The three forms of governments have been endowed, entrusted with different powers to levy taxes in India.
3. Economic reforms set to change the fabric of the Taxation system in India.                                                                                                                                            A. 1, 2 and 3 are correct.                                                                                              B .Only 2 is correct.                                                                                                    C. Only 1 and 3 are correct.                                                                                          D.Only 2 and 3 are correct.

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                                     Reading Passage-3

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If you have any experience of babies you’d be forgiven for thinking of them as entirely selfish, self-oriented little beasts with scant regard for others. It has long been thought that children are born amoral and that it is the job of their culture to teach them the difference between good and bad. However, studies with very young babies suggest that they might be much nicer than we previously thought.

For instance, babies seem to empathize with the distress of others - crying in response to the cries of other babies and stroking or offering toys to those who seem to be upset. Babies also spontaneously help strangers who are struggling. When experimenters acted out a range of troublesome scenarios such as trying open a cupboard with their hands full or straining to reach a dropped peg - 1-year-olds came rushing to their assistance, sometimes traversing extensive obstacles to do so. And it's not just that babies happen to like picking up dropped pegs. If the experimenter was straining to reach a peg that they had deliberately thrown down, rather than accidentally dropped,babies didn't come to their rescue.

These findings suggest that young children may have natural inclinations to assess the intentions of those around them and to help them achieve their goals when they seem to be struggling. The experimenters were unfamiliar to the babies yet they tried to help them spontaneously and without any encouragement from their parents or any reward. If you watch the linked videos of the experiments, you’ll note the experimenter doesn’t even thank them. The authors of these studies interpret this behaviour as evidence that the rudiments of empathy, compassion and altruism may already be in place much earlier than expected, perhaps even from birth. But simply feeling for someone’s anguish isn’t necessarily as sophisticated as reasoning about good and bad.

To explore the roots of this sort of moral evaluation, researchers at the University of yale and British Columbia showed babies a display in which puppets help or hinder each other. For instance, one character will attempt to travel up a hill and either be pushed down or helped up by other puppets. Given the option afterwards, almost all babies will choose to play with helpers and not hinderers. What this suggests is that babies from as young as 6-months of age are making judgments about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ behaviour. And, like most adults, they have a preference for good.

What’s more, babies seem to think that bad behaviour should be punished. Anecdotally, the researchers report that babies go beyond simply choosing the good puppet over the bad one. They also smile during the helping episodes and shake their heads sadly during the hindering episodes, sometimes even giving the hinderer a good smack around the chops before choosing to play with the helper.

This taste for retribution has been shown experimentally as well. Eight-month-olds watched the videos, in which the dog in the blue shirt helps the rabbit by returning its ball and the dog in the yellow shirt selfishly runs off with it. Babies subsequently gave treats to the helper but took treats away from the hinderer.

This desire to see selfish acts punished is nuanced. On the whole, babies always prefer to play with characters who have acted kindly and not with those that have acted selfishly. However, it depends on context. Babies from 8 months will sometimes reward mean behaviour if it is directed towards a puppet who was observed acting selfishly in the past. Not only do babies deliver retribution themselves, they also seem to value it in others.

The authors interpret the results as evidence that judgments about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ behaviour might be in born. They may have evolved over millennia of living in groups where working together and protecting our kin have proven beneficial. Adult morality is a great deal more complex than that seen in babies but this raft of research suggests that, rather than having to be learned, the emotional roots of niceness might be in place right from the get go.

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Q8. According to the passage, how is the concept of morality formed in babies?

1. Modern research asserts that the quality of moral judgment and morality is inborn.
2. Among babies, very few have 'repulsive' characters.
3. Research states that, babies develop some understanding of 'morality' through their observation and watching.
4. Research confirms that babies are born amoral.

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Q9. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Babies have an innate quality of ' empathy'.
2. Babies have the nature of impulsively comforting outsiders who are struggling.                                                                                                                    A. Both A and B are correct.                                                                                      B.Neither A nor B is correct.                                                                                    C. Only 1 is correct.                                                                                                  D.Only 2 is correct.

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Q10. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. As per modern research, babies are not only 'good' but also supports 'good'.
2. As per modern research, the origins of good qualities like mercy, helping nature and sympathetic identification are all there right from birth.
3. Research supports the idea that Babies give no response to the good and bad scenes they see.
4. It has been explained that Babies prefer punishment to selfish acts.                                                                                                                                                          A .Only 1, 2 and 3 are correct.                                                                                    B. Only 1, 3 and 4 are correct.                                                                                    C.Only 1, 2 and 4 are correct.                                                                                    D.Only 2, 3 and 4 are correct.

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Q11. According to the passage, which one of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. In the research, it is speculated that among the babies the rational about good and bad is more refined than that of feeling for someone's suffering.
2. In the research, it is confirmed that among the babies the rational about good and bad is more refined than that of feeling for someone's suffering.
3. In the research, it is speculated that among the babies the feeling for someone's suffering is more refined than that of the rational about good and bad.
4. In the research, it is confirmed that among the babies the rational about good and bad is as refined as the feeling for someone's suffering.

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Q12. According to the passage, which one of the following aspects are noticed among babies?

1. While some babies prefer the rational of 'good over 'bad' others just support 'good'.
2. Babies not only support good but also show good and want that 'bad' should be punished.
3. Babies have 'amoral' sense till they are exposed to the nuances of the adult world.
4. Babies have a contented nature about the different aspects of life and generally don' show any preferences.

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                                       Reading Passage-4

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The brain is extraordinarily good at alerting us to threats. Loud noises, noxious smells, approaching predators: they all send electrical impulses buzzing down our sensory neurons, pinging our brain’s fear circuitry and, in some cases, causing us to fight or flee. The brain is also adept at knowing when an initially threatening or startling stimulus turns out to be harmless or resolved. But sometimes this system fails and unpleasant associations stick around, a malfunction thought to be at the root of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). New research has identified a neuronal circuit responsible for the brain’s ability to purge bad memories, findings that could have implications for treating PTSD and other anxiety disorders.

Like most emotions, fear is neurologically complicated. But previous work has consistently implicated two specific areas of the brain as contributing to and regulating fear responses. The amygdala, two small arcs of brain tissue deep beneath our temples, is involved in emotional reactions, and it flares with activity when we are scared. If a particular threat turns out to be harmless, a brain region behind the forehead called the prefrontal cortex steps in and the fright subsides. Our ability to extinguish painful memories is known to involve some sort of coordinated effort between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The new study, led by Andrew Holmes at the National Institutes of Health, however, confirms that a working connection between the two brain regions is necessary to do away with fear.

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Q13. According to the passage, which one(s) of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. There are two specific areas of the brain that contribute and control fear responses.
2. When a potential threat is benign, an area in the brain works to reduce fear.                                                                                                                                          A. Both A and B are correct.                                                                                  B.Only A is correct.                                                                                                      C. Only B is correct.                                                                                                  D.Neither A nor B is correct.

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Q14. According to the passage, how are we able to extinguish painful memories?

1. There is an innate ability that increases the capacity to reduce the painful memories and their impact.
2. There are two areas in the brain and any one could help mitigate the painful memories.
3. There is an involvement of some sort of coordinated effort between the two important regions of the brain.
4. There is a gradual reduction in the impact of 'painful memories'.

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Q15. According to the passage what is the finding of the new study by Andrew Holmes?

1. Different regions of the brain have different capacities in dealing with the 'wiping' of painful memories.
2. Different regions brain mature at different rates and the coordinated effort of some regions can control the painful memories.
3. It authenticates that a working connection between the two brain regions is necessary to remove the fear.
4. Although fear is the root cause of such painful memories, the chances of removing it depend on the capacity of fear circuitry.

Ans: 

Answers:

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

11.B    12. B      13.A   14.C   15. C

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(C) Prepared by M V L Narasimham Naresh