Verbal Ability Test (40 Questions in 35 minutes) Directions for Questions 1-5: Read the passage and answer

the questions that follow on the basis of the information provided in the passage. Justin was always prepared. His motto was "Never throw anything out; you never know when it might come in handy." His bedroom was so full of flat bicycle tires, bent tennis rackets, deflated basketballs, and games with missing pieces that you could barely get in the door. His parents pleaded with him to clean out his room. "What use is a fish tank with a hole in the bottom?" his father asked. But Justin simply smiled and repeated his motto, "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy." When Justin was away from home, he always carried his blue backpack. He liked to think of it as a smaller version of his bedrooma place to store the many objects that he collected. It was so worn and stretched that it hardly resembled a backpack anymore. It was full of the kind of things that seemed unimportant, but when used with a little imagination, might come in handy. Justin had earned a reputation for figuring things out and getting people out of otherwise hopeless situations. Many of his classmates and neighbors sought him out when they needed help with a problem. On the first day of school, his friend Kenny, came looking for Justin. "Do you think you have something in your bag that could help me remember my locker combination?" he asked. "I lost the scrap of paper it was written on. I have science class in two minutes and if Im late on the first day itll make me look bad for the rest of the year." Kenny looked genuinely worried. "Relax," Justin said, taking his backpack off and unzipping the top. "Remember how you borrowed my notebook in homeroom to write the combination down? Well, I know how we can recover what you wrote." He took the notebook and a soft lead pencil out of his bag. The page that Kenny had written on had left faint indentations on another page in the notebook. Justin held the pencil on its side and rubbed it lightly over the indentations. Slowly but surely the numbers of the locker combination appeared in white, set off by the gray pencil rubbings. "Thats amazing!" Kenny said. "I owe you one." And he dashed off to open his locker. During science class, Mr. Tran was lecturing on the structure of the solar system using a model. He made a sudden gesture and the model fell apart. Planets and rings and connector rods went everywhere, rolling and clattering and disappearing under desks. The students scrambled around on the floor for ten minutes and were finally able to recover every piece except onea connector rod that was lodged in a crack between two lab stations. "If we had a magnet," said Mr. Tran, "we could easily coax it out that way. But I loaned all of the magnet kits to the elementary school yesterday." Justin was already searching through his backpack. "I have some materials that will work just as well, I think," he told Mr. Tran. He pulled out a battery, an iron nail, and some electrical wire and tape, while Mr. Tran and the other students looked on in amazement. "Why do you have all of that stuff?" Louise Baxter asked. Justin just smiled and repeated his motto. "Never throw anything out; you never know when it might come in handy." By wrapping the wire around the nail and taping each end to a battery terminal, he was able to make a magnet strong enough to lift the rod out of the crack. "Bravo!" said Mr. Tran. "No problem," said Justin. After school, Justin rode the bus to the mall where he worked at a music store. His

boss, Gail, was taking inventory of all of the CDs and tapes in the classical music section. As he helped a customer at the register, Justin heard her exclaim, "Oh, no! I forgot my glasses! Theres no way I can read this list without them." Justin sighed, picked up his backpack, and walked over to Gail. "I think I can help you out," he said, unzipping the bag. While Gail watched in surprise, he pulled out a jar of petroleum jelly, a washer, a glass slide, and a small bottle of water. He put the jelly on the bottom of the washer, placed it securely, jelly-side down, on the glass slide, and then put a drop of water in the center of the washer. He put the contraption on top of the inventory list and said to his boss, "See what happens when you look through the water droplet." Gail looked and her eyes widened with delight. "Wow!" she cried. "It enlarges the print that Im looking at, just like a magnifying glass!" She patted Justin on the back. "Im all set now," she said. "Thanks." Justin smiled. "No problem," he said, returning to the register. It was just another day in the life of the boy whose motto was "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy." 1. Why is Justins room such a mess? A) He always forgets to clean. B) He never throws anything away. C) He has no time to clean. D) He shares a room with his brother. 2. Read this sentence from the story. In what way is Justins backpack a smaller version of his bedroom? A) He uses it as a place to store objects. B) He uses it to carry his books and sports equipment. C) His parents tell him to clean it all the time. D) Hes had for as long as he can remember. 3. Read this sentence from the story. His parents pleaded with him to clean out his room. Which word is a synonym for pleaded? A) ignored B) asked C) pushed D) begged 4. How does Justin help his friends? A) He offers them advice. B) He loans them his backpack C) He listens to their problems. D) He uses the objects in his backpack. 5. How do most of the characters in the story feel toward Justin?

A) annoyed B) grateful C) disinterested D) angry Directions for Questions 6-10: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow on the basis of the information provided in the passage It is difficult to reconcile the ideas of different schools of thought on the question of education. Some people maintain that pupils at school should concentrate narrow range of subjects which will benefit them directly in their subsequent careers. Others contend that they should study a wide range of subjects so that they have not only the specialized knowledge necessary for their chosen careers but also sound general knowledge about the world they will have to work and live in. Supporters of the first theory state that the greatest contributions to civilization are made by those who are most expert in their trade profession. Those on the other side say that, unless they have a broad general education, the experts will be too narrow in their outlook to have sympathy with their follows or a proper sense of responsibility towards humanity as a whole. 6. 'Schools of thought' can be explained as A) groups of people whose job is to think B) groups of people who are schooled to think C) groups of people who study in a particular school thoughtfully D) groups of people having the same ideas but with different perception on a particular subject. 7. Broad general knowledge is necessary because A) specialization is incomplete without it. B) without it no one would get a job C) it teaches us about different things D) it broadens one's outlook 8. The idea of the first school of thought in the passage is that A) students should concentrate on studies B) students should not undertake any specialized work C) students should study all the subjects they want to D) students should study a few subjects that will help them in their profession 9. Supporters of the first theory say that A) experts have contributed most to progress in the modern world B) people with general knowledge have contributed to civilization C) experts have done nothing to help mankind D) people with general knowledge are more useful than experts 10. According to the second school of thought, education will not be very effective if pupils A) have inadequate knowledge of their own work

B) do not have a wide general education C) ignore the study of fine arts D) have nothing but general knowledge

Directions11-18: Pick out the most effective word from the given words to fill in the blank to make the sentence meaningfully complete.
11. Everyday, in the school, one period is..................to games, sports and physical exercise. A) entrusted B) dedicated C) conceded D) devoted E) conferred 12. What frustrates the opposition's effort of unity is the absence of a ...................long term strategy A) credible B) contestable C) creditable D) compatible E) conceivable 13. Some people...................themselves into believing that they are indispensable to the organization they work for A) keep B) fool C) force D) denigrate E) delude 14. The Government sought to set at.....................speculation that there may be a shift in nuclear policy A) pace B) rest C) peace D) fire E) right 15. How do you expect that country to progress when her government is corrupt...............and still largely feudal? A) devalued B) dwindling C) despotic D) demeaning E) demobilised 16. We are certain that the snowstorm was .............................

A) immutable B) extraneous C) unavoidable D) inherent 17. With God not having a ............... , nobody could complain to him. A) telephone B) wireless C) hotline D) None of these 18. He requested all his class .............. to attend his birthday party. A) comrades B) companions C) fellows D) friends Direction Questions 19-26: In each question below is given a passage followed by several inference. You have to examine each inference separately in the context of the passage and decide upon its degree of truth or falsity. mark your answer as : A) if the inference is ' definitely true' i.e. , it directly follows from the facts given in the passage B) if the inference is ' probably true' though not definitely true in the light of the facts given C) if you think the data are in adequate i.e., from the facts given you cannot say whether the inference is likely to be true or false D) if you think the inference is ' probably false' though not definitely false in the light of the facts given; and E) if you think inference is ' definitely false' i.e. it contradicts the given facts. Passage I Primary education in Bihar is in a poor shape. Pupils in over 50% of the schools read in the open throughout the year. Over six million children born to lower income group parents remain unlettered. Not even 1% of the 63,000 primary schools have facilities of furniture, toilet, drinking water and games. 3113 new teachers have been appointed in the current financial year out of which 2747 are women. Now each of the 13270 primary school have at least two teachers. 19. 630 primary schools in Bihar have all the facilities like like furniture, toilet, drinking water , games

20.In Bihar, 90% of the primary teachers are women 21. In Bihar, 50% of the children are illiterate 22. A large number of primary schools in Bihar are one teacher schools 23. Classroom for most of the primary schools in Bihar inadequate. Passage II A tiger when killing its natural prey, which it does not either by stalking or lying in wait for it, depends for the success of its attack on its speed and, to a lesser extent, on the condition of its teeth and claws. When , therefore, a tiger is suffering from one or more painful wounds or when its teeth are missing or defective and its claws worn down, and it is unable to catch animals it has been accustomed to eating , it is driven by the necessity to killing human beings 24. Human beings are natural prey of tigers 25. Old age propels tigers to take to man eating 26. tiger kills man only when it has been incapacitated through wounds.

Direction 27-32: In each of the following questions, find out which part of the sentence has an error. If there is no mistake the answer is 'no error'.
27. In spite of the doctor's stern warning, / he continued taking / sugar in his tea / No error A) B) C) D) 28. myself and Gopalan/ will take care of / the function on Sunday / No error A) B) C) D) 29. Being a very / hot day I / remained indoors / No error A) B) C) D)

30. I saw / a few children /playing on sand / No error A) B) C) D) 31. Interviews for / the post of lectures / will begin from Monday /No error A) B) C) D) 32. As he is rich / so he spends / lavishly / No error A) B) C) D) Directions 33-40 : In each question, a part of sentence is printed in italics. Below each sentence, some phrases are given which can substitute the italicized part of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is, the answer is 'No correction required' 33. He was born to rich parents A) of B) with C) by D) No Correction required 34. Each boy and each girl was busy in her work A) were busy in their work B) was busy in his work C) was busy in one's work D) No Correction required . 35. Place a ladder on the wall A) along B) with C) against D) No Correction required

36. 'Hard Days' was his last novel A) latter B) recent C) latest D) No Correction required 37. It is most unique piece of art. A) a unique B) the most unique C) an unique D) No Correction required 38. A boy has been sunk in this river A) submerged B) immersed C) drowned D) No Correction required 39.Two hours have elapsed since he had fallen asleep. A) fell B) has fallen C) was fallen D) No Correction required 40. with a thundering roar the huge rocket soared up from the launching pad. A) took off B) went upwards C) flew up D) No Correction required