20. Reading Skills Comprehension: Development

DEVELOPMENT

The past decade has upset many preconceptions above development and this, more than anything else, makes it difficult to be overly definite about what the next decade has in store. But there are a few things that one can assert with some confidence. First, education, health and productive employment are crucial both for growth and for equity. We have tended to assume that all of these are the consequences of rapid economic growth and that only growth can generate the resources required for these purposes. But, increasingly, it appears that these are better seen as the causes rather than consequences of development. Virtually every case of successful development involves a prior improvement in literacy, technical skills, health status and access to productive work.

 Second, technological competence is the most important resource endowment and it explains a far larger proportion of growth in output and trade than more conventional factors like natural resources or capital accumulation. The competence required is not just in research. In fact, technological dynamism in the factory and the farm is more important than the presence of large research establishment.

 Third, the environmental imperative can no longer be ignored. Today, as an international issue, it is second only to disarmament. Nationally, the developmental consequences of environmental neglect are increasingly obvious.

 In the Indian context, there are at least two further factors which reinforce the above propositions. The first is population growth. Given the pace of expansion of the population and the workforce, human resource development acquires an added urgency. Population growth is also one, but not necessarily the most important factor, which underlines environmental stress in rural and urban areas. The second factor is that as a large country we cannot carve out an independent position in the global system without building up a substantial capacity for self- reliant growth. The acquisition of technical competence is crucial for this purpose.

 Until now we have tended to treat human resource development, technology issues and the environment as subsidiary to the main task of planning. The thrust has been on: Quantitative expansion of infrastructure and production with a focus on production targets like tones of steel, kWh of electricity etc., capacity targets like road length, rail kilometer age; and coverage targets like number of schools and students, number of villages electrified etcetera, catching up with known technologies —Fuller use of natural resources —Maximum mobilization of financial resources.

1. What seems to be the purpose of the author in writing this passage?

 (a) To appreciate the steps taken by our Government in the past and doubts about future

 (b) lb show how the policymakers have failed

(c) A review of world affairs with special emphasis on developed countries

(d) Review of the past with a view to evolving positive directions for future

(e) To prove how his predictions have turned out to be correct

 2. According to the passage, we have so far placed more emphasis on which of the following?

(a) Optimum use of available natural resources

 (b) Increased number of basic facilities and meeting number targets

 (c) Maximum utilization of available finances

(d) Following known technologies

(e) All of these

 3. According to the author, which of the following factors support and strengthen his point of view?

A. The necessity for carrying outgrowth on the basis of our own strength

B. Increased emphasis on production and coverage targets

(a) Only A (b) Only B

(c) Either A or B (d) Both A and B

(e) Not mentioned in the passage

4. According to the author, which of the following is a less important factor resulting in environmental stress in rural and urban areas?

(a) Increase in capital accumulation

 (b) Rapid economic growth

(c) The rate of growth of population

 (d) Availability of productive employment

(e) Continued environmental neglect

 5. According to the author, at the national level, with the passage of time, the effects of which of the following are being felt?

(a) Expansion of workforce of high quality

(b) Lack of attention and action for protecting environmental wealth

 (c) Reduction in the growth rate of population

(d) Progressive degradation of technological competence in urban areas

(e) Emphasis on the slow rate of disarmament as compared to other nations

6. Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage?

(a) Optimum self-reliance is the need of the day.

 (b) We will have a bright future by only catching up with known technologies.

 (c) We have to now emphasize aspects of human resource development.

(d) Technological competence has to be given due priority over more conventional factors.

 (e) We cannot afford to ignore the importance of the environment.

 7. According to the author, which of the following cannot be viewed as the cause of development?

 (a) Betterment in health services

(b) Increase in underemployment

(c) Speedy economic growth

 (d) Enhancement in technical skills

(e) Improvement in literacy

 8. What seems to be the approach of the author regarding the present status of research?

A. He desires that more research establishments should come up.

B. Application of new technologies in factories and field is more vital than setting up of research laboratories.

(a) Only A                               (b) Only B

(c) Neither A nor B                 (d) Both A and B

 (e) Not mentioned in the passage

 Directions (Q. 9-12): Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the given word as used in the passage.

9. PURPOSE

(a) effect         (b) ability         (c) outcome                

(d) reason                (e) use

 10. CARVE

 (a) drive          (b) cover          (c) forget                    

(d) decide                 (e) acquire

11. LARGE

 (a) long           (b) free            (c) uncontrolled          

(d) big                        (e) diverse

12. CATCHING UP

 (a) coming down    (b) lifting up    (c) drawing level with

(d) leading from      (e) throwing up

Directions (Q 13-15): Choose the word which is opposite in meaning to the given word as used in the passage.

13. TREAT

(a) consider                 (b) disregard                (c) dislike       

(d) misbehave            (e) unwind

14. REINFORCE

(a) strengthen           (b) remove                   (c) weaken      

(d) delink                   (e) simplify

15. OVERLY

(a) casually                (b) certainly                (c) insignificantly 

(d) minutely          (e) inwardly

ANSWERS:-

1. (b)                2. (b)

3. (a)                4. (c)

5.(b)                 6.(c)

7. (b)                8. (b)

9. (c)                10. (e)

11. (b)              12. (c)

13. (e)              14. (c)

15. (a)

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