CHRYSALIS 1

PASSAGE 1

RULES- by the Observation of which, a Man of Wit And Learning, may nonetheless make himself a disagreeable Companion.

Your Business is to shine; therefore you must by all means prevent the shining of others, for their Brightness may make yours less distinguishes. To this end:

If possible engross the whole Discourse; and when other Matter fails, talk much of Yourself, your Education, your Knowledge, your Circumstances, your Successes in Business, your Victories in Disputes, your own wise Sayings and Observations on particular Occasions, etc.

If when you are out of Breath, one of the Company should seize the opportunity of saying something; watch his words, and, if possible, find somewhat either in his Sentiment or Expression, immediately to contradict and raise a Dispute upon, Rather than fail, criticize even his Grammar.

If another should be saying an indisputably good Thing; either give no Attention to it; or interrupt him; or draw away the Attention of others; or, if you can guess what he would be at, be quick and say it before him; or, if gets it said, and you perceive the Company pleased with it, own it to be a good Thing, and withal remark that it had been said by Bacon, Locke, Boyle, or some other eminent Writer; thus you deprive him of the Reputation he might have gained by it, and gain some yourself, as you hereby show great Reading and Memory.

When modest Men have been thus treated by you a few times, they will choose ever after to be silent in your Company; then you may shine on without Fear of a Rival; rallying them, at the same time for their Dullness, which will be to you a new Fund of Wit.

Thus will you be sure to please yourself. The polite Man aims at pleasing others, but you shall go beyond him even in that. A Man can be present only in one Company, but may at the same time be absent in twenty. He can please only where he is, you wherever you are not.

1. The tone of the passage can best be described as

A. Frank B. Facetious C. Inspirational D. Presumptuous E. dilatory

2. The idea of “shining” in line 1 is a metaphor for being

A. Ethereally handsome B. conspicuously intelligent C. theatrically entertaining

D. physically splendid E. quietly intuitive

3. The advice in item 1 recommends that a person be

A. self-absorbed B. Humorous C. Helpful D. Attentive E. Generous

4. The advice in 2 assumes that the advisee will have been

A. just arriving for a gathering and in need of ways to join in the conversation.

B. almost forgetting what he had to say and in need of remembering the conversation.

C. momentarily distracted and in need of appearing attentive to the conversation.

D. constantly talking and in need of more methods for dominating the conversation.

E. frequently winded and in need of some manner of curbing the conversation.

5. The strategy in item 3 is best described as

A. averring that another’s ideas are one’s own

B. claiming for oneself the esteem given to someone else.

C. distracting others from the topic to save them from boredom.

D. displaying one’s vast knowledge of classical authors.

E. emulating wise men such as Bacon, Locke, and Boyle.

6. Although the advisee may interpret the silence of the “modest Men” as “Dullness”, the reader may almost

certainly regard this silence as a sign of

A. Awe and dumbfoundedness

B. Cowardice and conspiracy

C. Stoicism and enlightenment

D. Resignation and displeasure

E. Cooperation and enthusiasm

7. In lines 17-19 (Thus will……not) develop primarily with the use of

A. Paradoxes B. Rhetorical questions C. Repetitions D. Metaphors E. Antithesis

8. In the final paragraph, the advisee can consider himself superior to the “polite Man” because

A. The advisee is ironically capable of pleasing a greater number of people.

B. The polite Man is ignorant of the advisee, but the reverse is not true.

C. The polite Man can engage in only one, while the advisee can enthrall twenty.

D. The advisee is happier since he prefers to please himself over others.

E. The polite Man will strain himself by being too available for social functions.

PASSAGE 2

My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists------ I wish to endeavor to acquire strength both of mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed it’s sister will soon become objects of contempt.

Dismissing then those pretty feminine phases, which the men condescendingly use to soften our slavish dependence, and despising that weak elegancy of mind, exquisite sensibility and sweet docility of manners supposed to be the sexual characteristics of the weaker vessel, I wish to show that elegance is inferior to virtue, that the first object of laudable ambition is to obtain a character as a human being, regardless of the distinction of sex; and the secondary views should be brought to the simple touchstone.

This is a rough sketch of my plan; and should I express my conviction with the energetic emotions that I feel whenever I think of the subject, the dictates of experience and reflection will be felt by some of my readers. Animated by this important object, I shall disdain to cull my phrases or polish my style;----I aim at being useful, and sincerity will render me unaffected; for wishing rather to persuade by the force of my arguments than dazzle by the elegance of my language, I shall not waste my time in rounding periods or in fabricating the turgid bombast of artificial feelings, which, coming from the head, never reach the heart----- I shall be employed about things not words!----and, anxious to render my sex more respectable members of society, I shall try to avoid that flowery diction which has slid from essays into novels, and from novels into familiar letters and conversation.

9. The narrator in the passage regards women as

A. surprisingly contemptible and base.

B. overbearingly sentimental and clawing.

C. irreparably coy and stupid.

D. unquestionably devious and malignant

E. needlessly weak and subservient.

10. In relation to the first sentence in lines 2-3 (unable….body) imply that

A. women need to expand their own femininity and childlike innocence.

B. women who fulfill their expected social roles are respected by men.

C. women are naturally inclined to behave immaturely in the presence of men.

D. women who are mannerly and childish are neither happy nor dignified.

E. women must supplant men in what have been traditionally patriarchal roles.

11. In lines 3-6 (I wish…….contempt), the narrator emphasizes all the following points EXCEPT that

A. she wants to uplift women while seeking her own self-improvement.

B. the strength sometimes exhibited by women can be misunderstood as contempt.

C. any love expressed towards women out of their pitifulness is temporary.

D. vulnerability, delicacy, and refinement are not actually desirable in a woman

E. women who are pitied by men eventually will be despised by them.

12. The second paragraph begins to formulate a writing strategy that will

A. gradually reveal a social problem and the writer’s ultimate purpose.

B. attempt to discuss what no previous writer has been brave enough to broach.

C. dispense with the feminine elegance which the narrator equates with weakness.

D. instruct the reader in ways to overthrow a corrupt social system.

E. not only mimic a masculine approach to writing, but will also generally mock men.

13. The narrator in lines 12-14 (I express…...object) indicates that her writing style will

A. be an apt approach for her female readers.

B. prevent her ideas from being clearly understood.

C. reflect the strength of her human character.

D. offend some of her male readers.

E. help some of her readers empathize with her ideas.

14. The word “unaffected” (line 14) closest in meaning to

A. “distant”

B. “stoic”

C. “forthright”

D. “absolute”

E. “causative”

15. The narrator’s observation in lines 17 -20 (I shall be employed…conversation) about “flowery diction” stresses that

decorative language.

A. is beneficial under certain conditions.

B. lacks both respectability and rarity.

C. interferes with the comprehension of text.

D. attempts to mask a writer’s gender.

E. engages the wrong kind of reading public.

16. Throughout the passage, the narrator creates a link between

A. The roles shared by men and women, and offers ways to maintain them.

B. The elegance of language and women, and marks its problems in both.

C. The different trends in writing and speaking, and tries to merge them.

D. The behavior and language of women, and lauds the distinctness of each.

E. The literature and customs that ennoble women, and attempts to perpetuate them.

YOURS CRITICALLY

17. Principal: Excellence Learning Services offers reading and maths programs for elementary school children. In its promotional literature distributed last year, the company argued that the deficiencies in the current educational system put children at risk of failing statewide maths and reading tests. The literature further claimed that the company’s programs will remedy these problems. Our school responded to this message by enrolling our children in Excellence Learning Services programs.

However, this year the percentage of our students that passed the statewide maths and reading tests is the same as

it was 20 years ago. Therefore, the claims in Excellence Learning Services Promotional literature were misleading.

The principal’s reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?

A. It merely criticizes the maths and reading programs without offering an alternative method of addressing the problems of the current educational system.

B. It assumes that the parents of the enrolled children were not capable of critically evaluating Excellence Learning Services promotional literature.

C. It uses emotionally charged terms as a substitute for relevant evidence.

D. It does not demonstrate that the programs did not provide benefits in areas other than the maths and reading skills.

E. It fails to consider the possibility that the programs were effective in improving maths and reading scores.

18.In addressing the region-wide recession, the comptroller of Country X has asserted that the depressed economy of Country X is indicative of the inevitable consequences of the recession for all countries in the region. But that must be false, considering that the economy of neighboring Country Y is as robust as ever, despite the overall current financial difficulties of the region.

Q. Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the fact that the economy of Country X is suffering while the

economy of Country Y is not?

A. The level of economic recession in the region is less severe than that of its neighboring regions.

B. In overall revenue generated, the economy of Country X surpasses that of Country Y, even during recessionary periods.

C. Unlike Country Y, Country X’s economy relies almost entirely on tourism, which has been crippled by the region’s recession.

D. Country Y relies on imports for most of its nonessential consumer items, most of which come from Country X.

E. When the recession struck, a few retail businesses relocated from Country X to Country Y.

19. Q. The argument above does which of the following?

A. It counters a claim by providing evidence that directly conflicts with that claim.

B. It contests the relevance of one piece of evidence on the grounds that are categorically dissimilar from an

opposing piece of evidence.

C.It counters a claim by asserting the impossibility under the current circumstances of that which is claimed.

D. It supports its conclusion by appealing to an authority.

E. It provides evidence in the form of a generalization that counters the claim being opposed.

20. It is not illegal to use hairspray, air conditioners, or vacuum-pressurized aerosol food containers, but it is well-known that

the use of such products damages the ozone layer, which may in turn have serious negative ecological consequences for

future generations. It is therefore incumbent upon us to stop using these products so as to preserve the environment as best we can, even though we believe these products may enrich our lives and there are no legal sanctions against them.

Q. Which of the following principles is most consistent with the line of reasoning presented above?

A. The legality of one’s self-interested actions should be determined in light of the moral quality of that action.

B. The morality one’s self-interested actions should be judged in light of the legal ramifications of performing those actions.

C. The legality of one’s self-interested actions should be determined based on the consequences such actions had on previous generations.

D. The morality of one’s self-interested actions should be judged in light of the consequences those actions may have for others.

E. The severity of punishment for an illegal action should be determined based on the moral quality of that action.

21. Before it closed last year, Preeti’s Beauty Parlor had been in the same location for 25 years. Two years ago, Habib’s Hair Salon opened one block away offering similar services. The opening of Habib’s Hair Salon directly caused the demise of Preeti’s Beauty Parlor. This provides yet another example of the effects of competition in a free marketplace.

Q. which one of the following can inferred from the statements in the passage above.

A. Competition is ultimately destructive in a free marketplace.

B. Preeti’s Beauty Parlor did not face competitive pressures other than Habib’s Hair Salon.

C. Habib’s Hair Salon served of the same customers who would have gone to Preeti’s Beauty Parlor.

D. Preeti’s Beauty Parlor would be open today if Habib’s Hair Salon had not opened nearby.

E. Two businesses that offer the same services cannot both survive for long in close proximity.

WORD POWER MADE VERY EASY

22.The prisoners came up with ____________ (definite/definitive) demands for the release of the hostages.

23.The citizens of Patna have____________ (deprecated/depreciated) the ransom kidnappings that are taking place regularly.

24.Some politicians were ___________ (discomfited/discomforted) by the disclosures made by the CAG.

25.The tasks given to both contestants were ____________ (discrete/discreet)

26.GK Khairnar was_____________ (disinterred/uninterested) in personal safety when he took on land sharks in Mumbai.

27. The _____________ (enormousness/enormity) of the tasks given to election officials is obvious.

28. Every worker on the Delhi Motor has to ____________ (insure/ensure) that his tasks are completed on time.

29.If most states agreed to an ______________ (equal/equitable/equable) distribution of river water, most interstate problems would vanish.

30. Fights between couples are an _______________ (everyday/every day) affair.

31. The formation of various groups within a political party has fractious/factious) implications.

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING THE WORDS GIVEN AT THE HEAD. USE EACH WORD ONCE ONLY

STAGGER	PLOD	MARCH	PACE
LOITER	STRIDE	STRAY	STRUT
RAMBLE	LURK	CREEP	WANDER

32.The thieves_____________ in the shadows for their unsuspecting victims.

33.The drunkard _____________ from the public house and clung to a lamp post.

34.We reached the village after a very long walk and ______________ wearily to our hotel.

35. The man whose wife was expecting a child _____________ nervously up and down the hospital waiting room.

36. The manager ___________ into the office and asked who was responsible for the error.

CORRECT THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES:

37. I am living in Bangalore.

38. Ansuiya told me that she may proceed on leave.

39. He walks as if the earth belongs to him.

40. Kindly see my testimonials.

41. He avenged himself for the injustice done to his father.

42. He has left painting.

43. Leave my arm please.

44. I should like to forward myself as a candidate for this post.

45. Will you kindly open this knot?

46. I am giving CAT this year.

DIRECTIONS- IN EACH QUESTION, THE WORD AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE IS USED IN FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS, NUMBERED 1 TO 4. CHOOSE THE OPTION IN WHICH THE USAGE OF THE WORD IN INCORRECT OR INAPPROPRIATE.

47. GOODNESS

1.	For goodness’ sake, stop fighting!
2.	His essential goodness makes people want to help him.
3.	This restraint is going to remain closed for goodness how long.
4.	Everybody acknowledges the goodness in milk.

48. IDENTIFY

1.	He could actually identify her handwriting.
2.	Our first job is to identify those who need help.
3.	I am sure you will enjoy the play because you can identify along with the characters.
4.	In college, she was always identified with communism.

49. SHADOW

1.	They wanted to sit in the shadow of the tree to escape the scorching sun.
2.	The sudden death cast a shadow on the mood of celebration.
3.	You can never achieve your full potential under the shadow of his dominating presence.
4.	Everyone knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he was the thief.

50. HAUNT

1.	That was an error of judgment I made that would haunt me for years to come.
2.	This pub is a favourite haunt between celebrities, poets and politicians.
3.	He died an unnatural death; it is but natural that his ghost will haunt this house.
4.	The fear of losing a loved one will always haunt me.

51. HAWK

1.	The hawk swooped down on the little children eating their lunch in the playground.
2.	Peace is a distant possibility with such hawks in the ministry.
3.	I feel uncomfortable for he always watches me like a hawk
4.	He makes his living hawking from door to door.

52. LAW

1.	In the law of averages, you should emerge successful.
2.	As per the law of the jungle only the strong will survive.
3.	He lives by his own values and principles; he is a law unto himself.
4.	If you take the law into your own hands, you will be put behind bars.

53. IRON

1.	In my opinion, you should strike while the iron is hot.
2.	Spinach is full in iron, so you should have plenty of it.
3.	If you want your business to run smoothly, you need to iron out certain issues first.
4.	It might be difficult to get him to change his mind he has an iron will.

54. INVEST

1.	I want to invest in some stocks, bonds and shares.
2.	His promotion as the MD has invested him to a lot of responsibility
3.	If you invest heavily now, you will reap the benefits later.
4.	Don’t invest him with so much power; you may live to regret it.

55. PEAK

1.	Her career was in its peak when she gave it all up to look after her family.
2.	Most actors reach their peak by the age of forty.
3.	The snow covered peaks were a treat to the eyes.
4.	Sales of soft drinks peak during the summer months and then fall sharply.

IT’S A T.I.M.E. KOLKATA ACTIVITY.