Discursive Passages CUET English

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Today’s wars have little in common with the battles of the 19th century. The fighting has gradually moved from clearly defined battlefields to populated areas. Traditional war between armies of opposing states is an exception, while non-international conflicts have become the norm. Nowadays, civilians bear the brunt of armed conflicts. International humanitarian law has adapted to this change. Appalled by the destruction and suffering caused by the Second World War, states agreed in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 on comprehensive protection for those who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities— wounded and sick soldiers, prisoners of war and civilians. This cornerstone of international humanitarian law was supplemented in 1977 and 2005 by three additional protocols. The use of certain weapons, such as biological or chemical weapons, cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines is now widely outlawed. The law has placed barriers to protect the most vulnerable from the brutality of war. Its implementation has also seen a certain amount of progress, such as in the training of soldiers or in the prosecution of the worst war crimes, thanks in particular to the founding of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Nevertheless, regular serious breaches of international humanitarian law are a cause of suffering. Underlying it all is our collective failure. The contracting states undertook in Article 1 — common to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949—“to respect and to ensure respect” for these conventions “in all circumstances.” International humanitarian law has, since its conception, lacked mechanisms for encouraging effective compliance. This impotence has often meant death and destruction for those affected by war. Since the adoption of the first Geneva Convention 150 years ago, international humanitarian law has become a central pillar of the international legal order. Ultimately its provisions serve to protect our key characteristic as human beings: our humanity. This is an irrevocable right. It is based on the belief, forged over centuries and in all our cultures, according to which it is essential to lay down rules if we want to prevent wars from degenerating into barbarism. It is up to our generation to consolidate these achievements and to create an institutional framework to ensure these rules are respected. If it is to be fully effective, the law needs suitable instruments. Never in the history of humankind have we been closer to a solution than we are today.

Question: How did the International humanitarian law change between 1977 and 2005?
a) It abolished use of biological and chemical weapons
b) It abolished use of cluster munitions
c) It abolished use of anti-personnel mines
d) All of the above

Answer: d

Question: When and why were the Geneva Conventions adopted?
a) 1949; to prevent wars from taking place
b) 1977-2005; to preserve humanity during wars
c) 1949; to preserve humanity during wars
d) 100 years ago; to prevent wars from taking place

Answer: c

Question: The International Humanitarian Law has led to
1. Ban of certain weapons
2. Protection of war countries
3. Providing treatment to the wounded
4. Prosecution of war crimes
a) 1 and 2
b) 3 and 4
c) 2 and 3
d) 1 and 4

Answer: c

Question: Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the correct sequence of the data in the passage.
1. The ICC supports the International Humanitarian Law in its functioning.
2. Humanity is the central basis of the International Humanitarian Law.
3. The International Humanitarian Law lacks mechanism of effective compliance.
4. There is a difference between traditional war nd wars that take place today.
a) 1,2,3,4
b) 4,2,1,3
c) 3,2,1,4
d) 1,4,2,3

Answer: b

Question: Which of the following have the contracting states undertaken in Article 1 in all circumstances?
a) Ensure that the conventions are implemented.
b) Affirm that the conventions will not be violated.
c) To respect and to ensure respect for the conventions.
d) None of the above

Answer: c

Question: The significant change that the Geneva Conventions of 1949 brought about was that the countries agreed to protect the people who were no longer fighting the war. Which of the following categories of people did it include?
a) Prisoners of war and civilians
b) Wounded and sick soldiers
c) Both (a) and (b)
d) None of these

Answer: c

Question: The International Humanitarian Law believes that………
a) Humanity is the central pillar of existence
b) It is essential for all countries to follow it in all circumstances
c) It is essential to lay down rules to prevent wars from degenerating
d) The law needs sustainable instruments to be effective

Answer: c

Question: What does the word ‘irrevocable’ mean in paragraph 4?
a) irascible
b) unchangeable
c) irreparable
d) irresponsive

Answer: b

Question: Pick the option showing the correct use of ‘cornerstone’ as used in the passage.
a) This study is the cornerstone of the whole research programme.
b) The cornerstone of that ideology is the doctrine of judicial independence, to which we now turn.
c) The prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality remains a cornerstone of unification.
d) All of the above

Answer: d

Question: The phrase ‘bear the brunt’ means
a) Acting as a main force
b) Suffer the worst
c) Most deeply effected
d) To absorb the attack

Answer: b

Question: What does the word ‘forged’ mean in paragraph 4?
a) imitated/fake
b) broken
c) established
d) barricaded

Answer: c

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

These days, it is not unusual to see people listening to music or using their electronic gadgets while crossing busy roads or travelling on public transport, regardless of the risks involved. I have often wondered why they take such risks: is it because they want to exude a sense of independence, or is it that they want to tell the world to stop bothering them? Or is it that they just want to show how cool they are?
Whether it is a workman or an executive, earphones have become an inseparable part of our lives, sometimes even leading to tragicomic situations. The other day, an electrician had come to our house to fix something. We told him in detail what needed to be done. But after he left, I found that the man had done almost nothing. It later turned out that he could not hear our directions clearly because he had his earphones on.
Hundreds of such earphones addicts commute by the Delhi Metro every day. While one should not begrudge anyone their moments of privacy or their love for music, the fact is ‘iPod oblivion’ can sometimes be very dangerous. Recently, I was travelling with my wife on the Delhi Metro.
Since the train was approaching the terminus, there weren’t too many passengers. In our compartment, other than us, there were only two women sitting on the other side of the aisle. And then suddenly, I spotted a duffel bag.
The bomb scare lasted for several minutes. Then suddenly, a youth emerged from nowhere and picked up the bag. When we tried to stop him, he looked at us, surprised. Then he took off his earpieces, lifted the bag, and told us that the bag belonged to him and that he was going to get off at the next station.
We were stunned but recovered in time to ask him where he was all this while? His answer: he was in the compartment, leaning against the door, totally immersed in the music. He had no clue about what was going on around him. When he got off, earplugs in his hand, we could hear strains of the song.

Question: The reason for people listening to music or using their electronic gadgets while crossing busy roads or travelling on public transport is that they ......... .
a) do not want to be disturbed
b) want to show how fashionable they are
c) want to show their independence
d) All of these

Answer: d

Question: Why had the electrician done nothing?
a) Because he hadn’t heard them.
b) Because he was listening to music.
c) Because he was not interested in the job.
d) Because he couldn’t understand what needed to be fixed.

Answer: a

Question: The electrician had ............ .
a) done his job
b) done almost nothing
c) fixed the defective appliance
d) understood what was to be done

Answer: b

Question: Which of the following correctly lists the tone with which the author had written the passage?
1. Humorous
2. Sarcastic
3. Serious
4. Informative
5. Resentful
a) 1 and 5
b) 2 and 4
c) 3 and 5
d) 1 and 4

Answer: b

Question: ‘iPod Oblivion’ can be defined as
a) the popularity of music
b) the carelessness of people in metro
c) the carelessness of people while listening tomusic
d) the forgetfulness of people

Answer: c

Question: The author says that we should not resent people ............ .
a) indulging in their love for music
b) wanting privacy
c) Both (a) and (b)
d) Neither (a) nor (b)

Answer: c

Question: The bomb scare happened because
a) it is was battered bag
b) no one came to claim it
c) it consisted of wires
d) it was suspicious looking

Answer: b

Question: The passengers were stunned because ............ .
a) the youth was careless
b) the bag contained a bomb
c) the youth had not been visible anywhere near the bag earlier
d) None of the above

Answer: c

Question: Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of ‘stunned’ as used in the passage.
a) The animals are stunned before slaughter.
b) The robber stunned the guard by banging him on the head.
c) Many cinema-goers were stunned by the film’s violent and tragic end.
d) The impact of the ball had stunned her.

Answer: c

Question: The word……in the passage is an antonym of absorb.
a) exude
b) bothering
c) commute
d) stunned

Answer: a

Question: The synonym of ‘absorbed’ used in paragraph 4 is ............ .
a) recovered
b) immersed
c) stunned
d) soaked

Answer: b

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

I was lucky, I found what I loved to do early in life.Woz and I started Apple in my parent’s garage when I was 20. We worked hard and in 10 years Apple had grown into a $ 2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew, we hired someone, who I thought was very talented, to run the company and for the first year or so things went well. But then eventually we had a falling out.When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone and it was devastating.
I really didn’t know what to do for a fewmonths. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. But something slowly began to dawn on me: I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. During the next 5 years, I started a company named NeXT and another company named Pixar. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer Animated Feature Film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love.

Question: What can be inferred from the line, “But something slowly began to dawn on me”?
a) He realised he still loved what he did.
b) He realised he was a public failure.
c) He realised that he had let down the other entrepreneurs.
d) He realised he wanted to return to Apple.

Answer: a

Question: Getting fired from Apple was ……… .
a) the worst thing that ever happened to the author
b) a planned decision
c) helpful to make him successful again
d) the best part of his life

Answer: c

Question: Pixar is credited for
1. being the first animation studio.
2. creating the world’s first computer animated movie.
3. being a bigger company than Apple.
4. buying NeXT.
a) 1 and 2
b) Only 2
c) 2 and 3
d) 3 and 4

Answer: b

Question: Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the CORRECT sequence of the incidents in the passage.
1. The companies NeXT and Pixar were started.
2. Apple grew into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees.
3. The Macintosh was released.
4. The company named Apple was started in the narrator’s parents’ garage.
a) 4, 1, 2, 3
b) 1, 2, 3, 4
c) 4, 3, 2, 1
d) 1, 3, 2, 4

Answer: c

Question: What is the contribution of NeXT?
a) It bought Apple.
b) It bought Pixar.
c) It is the biggest software company.
d) The technology developed at NeXT is central to Apple’s success.

Answer: d

Question: What was the awful tasting medicine?
a) Getting fired from Apple.
b) Success of Pixar.
c) Success of NeXT.
d) Apple’s purchase of NeXT.

Answer: a

Question: What does this passage try to convey?
a) You should always do what you love.
b) You should pursue a career which promises money.
c) You should not fight with your employees.
d) None of the above

Answer: a

Question:  Which of the following words in the passage is an antonym of ‘ordinary’?
a) Extraordinary
b) Remarkable
c) Finest
d) Lucky

Answer: b

Question: What is the meaning of the Phrase ‘‘dropped the baton”?
a) Dropped the rod
b) Feeling of depression
c) Not sure of future
d) Not living upto expectations

Answer: d

Question: Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of ‘falling out’ as used in the passage.
a) The passengers came falling out when the bus went down the hill.
b) After falling out with her husband, she started living downstairs.
c) Many rocks and lava were falling out from the volcano.
d) Did you see people falling out from the pedestal?

Answer: b

Question: Which of the following words in the passage is the synonym of ‘innovative’?
a) Talented
b) Creative
c) Patient
d) Devastating

Answer: b

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Recently a particular brand of noodles was found to contain inadmissible levels of harmful substances in it. But there is something else as important as the controversy about harmful substances. It is that instant noodles are not healthy for anybody, with or without lead and MSG. So we should have a simplified classification system and scale for junk versus healthy food. Eating refined starch that is processed, dried and kept for months with the help of chemical preservatives is unlikely to be good for us. Its advertisements may be emotionally moving, the brand ambassador highly credible and the soupy noodles may taste good. But it is still not good for you.
Of course, the noodles won’t kill you. Our diet today has plenty of other unhealthy things as well. For instance, almost all Indian sweets are unhealthy, as are many of our
gravy ‘delicacies’.
We have given up health benefits of food in favour of cost, convenience or taste. Such compromises are acceptable only up to an extent. However, if done in excess, they can lead to major health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
How does one limit unhealthy food then? The problem comes when ‘junk’ is marketed as ‘healthy’. Our advertising standards for food are extraordinarily lax. Junk food manufacturers not only hide the nature of their food, but also position their products as ‘healthy’ alternatives. Armed with advertisements of smiling mothers feeding bright-looking kids, we find junk being marketed as emotional nectar. Food, be it for Any food is good and the kind of food doesn’t seem to matter. Perhaps this has developed from a time when India was poor and food was scarce. When we worked twelve hours a day in the fields, we could eat and burn as many calories as we wanted.
However, times have changed. Physical labour is reducing and we don’t burn calories as easily. Hence, we need to monitor our food intake carefully. If a big part of our diet has to come from packaged food, we need to understand and label it accordingly.
This will increase awareness about what we are eating and, over sometime, incentivise us as well as manufacturers to move towards healthier foods.
A healthy society will lead to lower healthcare costs, improved productivity at work and a better quality of life for citizens.

Question: Pick the statement that is TRUE as per the passage.
a) Instant noodles are not tasty.
b) All types of instant noodles are bad for health.
c) Noodles are good for health.
d) Instant noodles will slowly kill us.

Answer: b

Question: The problem with advertisements of junk food is that ……… .
1. they market junk food as healthy
2. they are only half correct
3. they show smiling mothers
4. they have misleading taglines
a) Only 1
b) Both 1 and 2
c) Both 3 and 4
d) Only 4

Answer: a

Question: We have given up health benefits of food in favour of ……… .
a) cost
b) convenience
c) taste
d) All of these

Answer: d

Question: Our attitude towards food has its roots in the time when India ……… .
a) was a golden bird
b) was poor and food was scarce
c) when agriculture was predominant
d) was a British colony

Answer: b

Question: Consequences of a healthy society include …… .
a) lower healthcare costs
b) improved productivity at work
c) better quality of life
d) All of these

Answer: d

Question: Which of the following statement is incorrect?
a) All junk food are unhealthy.
b) All instant noodles are unhealthy.
c) Only the junk food in our diet is unhealthy.
d) We compromise with food for its taste or convenience.

Answer: c

Question: Why is it important to monitor our daily calories intake?
a) Because physical labour has reduced.
b) Because physical labour has increased.
c) Because it is good for health.
d) None of these

Answer: a

Question: The word …… in para 2 is an antonym of ‘coarse’.
a) processed
b) credible
c) refined
d) unlikely

Answer: c

Question: The word ‘delicacies’ in para 3 is closest in meaning to ………… .
a) delicate food
b) nutritious food items
c) costly foodstuffs
d) tasty foodstuffs

Answer: d

Question: Pick the correct meaning of the word ‘instant’ as used in the passage.
a) Happening immediately.
b) An extremely short period of time.
c) A particular point in time.
d) Dried and can be prepared very quickly by adding hot water.

Answer: d

Question: Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of the word ‘incentivise’.
a) I am glad to incentivise my friend Rohan.
b) He took the incentivise to make his dream come true.
c) The employees were incentivised to push the sales
by the launch of the new rewards scheme.
d) He incentivised a stone into a man.

Answer: c

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

If you’re addicted to coffee and doctors warn you to quit the habit, don’t worry and keep relishing the beverage, because it’s not that bad after all! In fact, according to a new study, the steaming cup of java even beats fruits and vegetables as the primary source of antioxidants. A study by the University of Scranton states that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet, and both caffeinated and decaf versions appear to provide similar antioxidant levels.
“Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close to it.”, said the study’s lead researcher, Dr Joe Vinson, adding that high antioxidant levels in food and beverages don’t necessarily translate into levels found in the body. Antioxidants in general have been linked to a number of potential health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer, but Vinson said that the benefits ultimately depend on how they are absorbed and utilised in the body.
The researchers analysed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages.
The data was compared to an existing US Department of Agriculture database on the contribution of each type of food item to the average estimated US per capita consumption. The results were surprising. Coffee came out on the top, on the combined basis of both antioxidants per serving size and frequency of consumption. It outranked popular antioxidant sources like tea, milk, chocolate and cranberries.
Of all the food and beverages studies, dates actually have themost antioxidants of all based solely on serving size, but since dates are not consumed at anywhere near the level of coffee, the drink comes as the top source of antioxidants, Vinson said. Besides keeping you alert and awake, coffee has been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, according to some recently published studies.
The researchers, however, advised that one should consume coffee in moderation, because it can make you jittery and cause stomach pains.

Question: On what basis does coffee rank as the top source of antioxidants?
a) Due to its consumption
b) A study by the University of Scranton
c) Because it is a primary source
d) Due to its potential health benefits

Answer: b

Question: Why have dates not made it the top of antioxidant rich foods?
a) Due to their serving size
b) Due to their low consumption
c) Due to their low antioxidant level
d) None of the above

Answer: b

Question: Potential health benefits of antioxidants include……… .
a) protection against heart disease
b) protection against cancer
c) Both (a) and (b)
d) Neither (a) nor (b)

Answer: c

Question: Benefits of antioxidants depend on …… .
a) the quantity in which it is present
b) the way they are absorbed and utilised in the body
c) Both (a) and (b)
d) Neither (a) nor (b)

Answer: b

Question: Other popular sources of antioxidants include ..… .
a) tea
b) milk
c) chocolate
d) All of these

Answer: d

Question: Why are dates not considered as the highest source of antioxidants?
a) They are not consumed everywhere
b) They are not consumed in a quantity anywhere near to coffee
c) They are not readily available
d) They have less amount of antioxidants than coffee

Answer: c

Question: Potential Health benefits of coffee include Protection against ………… .
a) liver and colon cancer
b) type 2 diabetes
c) Parkinson’s disease
d) All of these

Answer: b

Question: Which of the following words in the first paragraph means the same as ‘enjoying’?
a) Delighting
b) Steaming
c) Relishing
d) Tasting

Answer: d

Question: Which of the following words in the second paragraph is the synonym of ‘associated’?
a) Absorbed
b) Linked
c) Joined
d) Utilised

Answer: a

Question: Which word in the passage means ‘a molecule that inhibits oxidation’?
a) protection
b) antioxidants
c) oxidants
d) beverages

Answer: c

Question: The word ‘possibilities’ means the same as the word ……… given in the passage.
a) actually
b) linked
c) potential
d) frequency

Answer: c

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

It is said that everyone lives by selling something. What you can understand by this statement is that teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers live by selling wisdom and priests earn their living by selling spiritual comfort. Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms of money, it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us.
There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely the same service. The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.
Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by. But real tramps are not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity.
A tramp may ask you for money but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. He may never be sure where his next meal is coming from, but he is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people. His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do.
He may hunt, beg or steal occasionally to keep himself alive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his freedom.
We often speak with contempt for tramps and put them in the same class as beggars. But how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from any care in the world?

Question: Which of the following is difficult to judge?
a) The actual value of services given by people
b) The actual value of material goods
c) Both (a) and (b)
d) Neither (a) nor (b)

Answer: a

Question: Which of the following are not selling services?
a) A surgeon
b) A teacher
c) A priest
d) None of these

Answer: d

Question: According to the passage, which of the following correctly lists the qualities of a tramp?
1. Anxious
2. Tranquil
3. Independent
4. Traveler
5. Beggarly
a) 1 and 5
b) 2 and 3
c) 1,3,4
d) 2,3,4

Answer: d

Question: How is a beggar different from a tramp?
a) A beggar sell but tramps don’t.
b) Beggars do not travel but tramps are always on the move.
c) Beggars don’t know when they will eat their next meal but tramps find a means to earn their meals.
d) All of the above

Answer: a

Question: What is the advantage of being a tramp?
a) You sacrifice your dignity.
b) You are free from the worries which burden normal persons.
c) You are not surewhere your nextmealwill be found.
d) All of the above

Answer: b

Question: What will a tramp never give up?
a) His unemployment
b) His possessions
c) His dignity
d) His worries

Answer: c

Question: Why will a tramp not want you to feel sorry for him?
a) It will cost him his dignity.
b) He had made this choice.
c) He wants to be self-sufficient.
d) He wants to be free from worldly boundations.

Answer: b

Question: Which of the following words is the synonym of ‘estimate’ in paragraph 1?
a) Calculate
b) Evaluation
c) Appraisal
d) Determine

Answer: d

Question: Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of ‘afflict’ as used in the passage.
a) There are two main problems which afflict people with hearing impairments.
b) They return to afflict the living, so they have to be sent packing.
c) You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.
d) I wish you wouldn’t afflict me with your constant complains.

Answer: a

Question: Which word in paragraph 3 is the antonym of ‘unconsciously’?
a) Purposefully
b) Occasionally
c) Deliberately
d) Specifically

Answer: c

Question: Which word in passage means same as ‘feel aggrieved about’ ?
a) Anxieties
b) Grude
c) Spiritual
d) Envious

Answer: b