Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension: English Reading Comprehension Exercises with Answers, Sample Passages for Reading Comprehension Test for GRE, CAT, IELTS preparation
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English Reading Comprehension Test Questions and Answers. Improve your ability to read and comprehend English Passages
Q346. > Two principles are involved in the controversy about the presence of
> foreign controlled media in the country; the free flow of ideas and
> images across national borders and the need to safeguard the national
> interest and preserve cultural autonomy. Both are valid but both are
> at loggerheads because each has been used to promote less lofty goals.
> The first principle conforms to a moral imperative: freedom to
> expression cannot rhyme with restrictions imposed by any government.
> But the free flow rhetoric also clouds the fact that the powerful
> Western, and especially American media, can and often do present,
> subtly or brazenly, news in a manner that promotes Western political,
> ideological and strategic interests. Besides, Western entertainment
> programmes present lifestyles and values that run counter to the
> lifestyles and values cherished by traditional societies. All this
> explains why so many Indian newspapers, magazines and news agencies
> have sought protection from the courts to prevent foreign publications
> and news agencies from operating in the country. Their arguments are
> weak on two counts. As the bitter debate on a new world information
> and communication order demonstrated in the late seventies and early
> eighties, many of those who resent Western ‘invasion’ in the fields of
> information and culture are no great friends of democracy. Secondly,
> the threat of such an ‘invasion’ has been aired by those media groups
> in the developing countries that fear that their business interests
> will be harmed if Western groups, equipped with large financial and
> technological resources and superior management skills, are allowed to
> operate in the country without let. The fear is valid but it goes
> against the grain of the economic reform programme. The presence of
> foreign newspapers and television channels will increase competition,
> which, in the course of time, can only lead to the upgradation of
> dynamic Indian newspapers and television channels, even while they
> drive the rest out of the market. One way to strike a balance between
> the two antagonistic principles would be to allow foreign media entry
> into the country, provided the India state treats them at par with the
> domestic media on all fronts. On the import of technology, for
> instance, foreign media cannot be allowed duty concessions denied to
> their Indian counterparts. Foreign media will also have to face legal
> consequences should they run foul of Indian laws. Why, for example,
> should the BBC, or Time magazine or The Economist get away by showing
> a map of Kashmir, which is at variance with the official Indian map?
> Why should they go scot-free when they allow secessionists and
> terrorists to air their views without giving the government the right
> to reply, or when they depict sexually explicit scenes, which would
> otherwise not be cleared by the Censor Board? Since the government can
> do precious little in the matter, especially about satellite
> broadcasts, what if it should consider attaching the properties of the
> offending parties? Demands of this kind are bound to be voiced unless
> New Delhi makes it clear to the foreign media that they will have to
> respect Indian susceptibilities, especially where it concerns the
> country’s integrity and its culture. It may be able to derive some
> inspiration from France’s successful attempts in the recent GATT to
> protect its cinematography industry.
Which of the following is the meaning of the phrase “at variance”, as used in the passage?
- discrepancy
- at large
- in conformity
- variable
- differing
Solution : differing
Q347. > Two principles are involved in the controversy about the presence of
> foreign controlled media in the country; the free flow of ideas and
> images across national borders and the need to safeguard the national
> interest and preserve cultural autonomy. Both are valid but both are
> at loggerheads because each has been used to promote less lofty goals.
> The first principle conforms to a moral imperative: freedom to
> expression cannot rhyme with restrictions imposed by any government.
> But the free flow rhetoric also clouds the fact that the powerful
> Western, and especially American media, can and often do present,
> subtly or brazenly, news in a manner that promotes Western political,
> ideological and strategic interests. Besides, Western entertainment
> programmes present lifestyles and values that run counter to the
> lifestyles and values cherished by traditional societies. All this
> explains why so many Indian newspapers, magazines and news agencies
> have sought protection from the courts to prevent foreign publications
> and news agencies from operating in the country. Their arguments are
> weak on two counts. As the bitter debate on a new world information
> and communication order demonstrated in the late seventies and early
> eighties, many of those who resent Western ‘invasion’ in the fields of
> information and culture are no great friends of democracy. Secondly,
> the threat of such an ‘invasion’ has been aired by those media groups
> in the developing countries that fear that their business interests
> will be harmed if Western groups, equipped with large financial and
> technological resources and superior management skills, are allowed to
> operate in the country without let. The fear is valid but it goes
> against the grain of the economic reform programme. The presence of
> foreign newspapers and television channels will increase competition,
> which, in the course of time, can only lead to the upgradation of
> dynamic Indian newspapers and television channels, even while they
> drive the rest out of the market. One way to strike a balance between
> the two antagonistic principles would be to allow foreign media entry
> into the country, provided the India state treats them at par with the
> domestic media on all fronts. On the import of technology, for
> instance, foreign media cannot be allowed duty concessions denied to
> their Indian counterparts. Foreign media will also have to face legal
> consequences should they run foul of Indian laws. Why, for example,
> should the BBC, or Time magazine or The Economist get away by showing
> a map of Kashmir, which is at variance with the official Indian map?
> Why should they go scot-free when they allow secessionists and
> terrorists to air their views without giving the government the right
> to reply, or when they depict sexually explicit scenes, which would
> otherwise not be cleared by the Censor Board? Since the government can
> do precious little in the matter, especially about satellite
> broadcasts, what if it should consider attaching the properties of the
> offending parties? Demands of this kind are bound to be voiced unless
> New Delhi makes it clear to the foreign media that they will have to
> respect Indian susceptibilities, especially where it concerns the
> country’s integrity and its culture. It may be able to derive some
> inspiration from France’s successful attempts in the recent GATT to
> protect its cinematography industry.
Which of the following seems to be the most likely purpose of writing this passage?
- To criticize foreign media
- To highlight the exploitation by developed nations
- To highlight the steps and caution to be taken about the entry of foreign media
- To make the public aware of the technological and managerial superiority of western media
- To prevent foreign media from entering our country
Solution : To highlight the steps and caution to be taken about the entry of foreign media
Q348. > Two principles are involved in the controversy about the presence of
> foreign controlled media in the country; the free flow of ideas and
> images across national borders and the need to safeguard the national
> interest and preserve cultural autonomy. Both are valid but both are
> at loggerheads because each has been used to promote less lofty goals.
> The first principle conforms to a moral imperative: freedom to
> expression cannot rhyme with restrictions imposed by any government.
> But the free flow rhetoric also clouds the fact that the powerful
> Western, and especially American media, can and often do present,
> subtly or brazenly, news in a manner that promotes Western political,
> ideological and strategic interests. Besides, Western entertainment
> programmes present lifestyles and values that run counter to the
> lifestyles and values cherished by traditional societies. All this
> explains why so many Indian newspapers, magazines and news agencies
> have sought protection from the courts to prevent foreign publications
> and news agencies from operating in the country. Their arguments are
> weak on two counts. As the bitter debate on a new world information
> and communication order demonstrated in the late seventies and early
> eighties, many of those who resent Western ‘invasion’ in the fields of
> information and culture are no great friends of democracy. Secondly,
> the threat of such an ‘invasion’ has been aired by those media groups
> in the developing countries that fear that their business interests
> will be harmed if Western groups, equipped with large financial and
> technological resources and superior management skills, are allowed to
> operate in the country without let. The fear is valid but it goes
> against the grain of the economic reform programme. The presence of
> foreign newspapers and television channels will increase competition,
> which, in the course of time, can only lead to the upgradation of
> dynamic Indian newspapers and television channels, even while they
> drive the rest out of the market. One way to strike a balance between
> the two antagonistic principles would be to allow foreign media entry
> into the country, provided the India state treats them at par with the
> domestic media on all fronts. On the import of technology, for
> instance, foreign media cannot be allowed duty concessions denied to
> their Indian counterparts. Foreign media will also have to face legal
> consequences should they run foul of Indian laws. Why, for example,
> should the BBC, or Time magazine or The Economist get away by showing
> a map of Kashmir, which is at variance with the official Indian map?
> Why should they go scot-free when they allow secessionists and
> terrorists to air their views without giving the government the right
> to reply, or when they depict sexually explicit scenes, which would
> otherwise not be cleared by the Censor Board? Since the government can
> do precious little in the matter, especially about satellite
> broadcasts, what if it should consider attaching the properties of the
> offending parties? Demands of this kind are bound to be voiced unless
> New Delhi makes it clear to the foreign media that they will have to
> respect Indian susceptibilities, especially where it concerns the
> country’s integrity and its culture. It may be able to derive some
> inspiration from France’s successful attempts in the recent GATT to
> protect its cinematography industry.
Which of the following is the meaning of the phrase “at loggerheads”, as used in the passage?
- in league with
- unimportant
- out of place
- unsuited to each other
- opposite to each other
Solution : unsuited to each other
Q349. > Economist, ethicists and business experts persuade us that honesty is
> the best policy, but their evidence is weak. We hoped to find data
> that would support their theories and thus, perhaps, encourage higher
> standards of business behaviour. To our surprise, their pet theories
> failed to stand up. Treachery, we found, can pay. There is no
> compelling economic reason to tell the truth or keep one’s word.
> Punishment for the treacherous in the real world is neither swift nor
> sure.
> Honesty is, in fact, primarily a moral choice. Business people do tell themselves that, in the long run, they will do well by doing
> good. But there is little factual or logical basis for this
> conviction. Without values, without a basic preference of right over
> wrong, trust based on such delusion would crumble in the face of
> temptation. Most of us choose virtue because we want to believe in
> ourselves and because others respect and believe us.
> And due to this, we should be happy. We can be proud of a system in which people are honest because they want to be, not because they
> have to be. Materially, too, trust based on morality provides great
> advantages. It allows us to join in great and exciting enterprises
> that we could never undertake if we relied on economic incentives
> alone.
> Economists tell us that trust is enforced in the market place through retaliation and reputation. If you violate a trust, your
> victim is apt to seek revenge and others are likely to stop doing
> business with you, at least under favourable terms. A man or woman
> with a reputation for fair dealing will prosper. Therefore, profit
> maximisers are honest. This sounds plausible enough until you look for
> concrete examples. Cases that apparently demonstrate the awful
> consequences of trust turn out to be few and weak, while evidence that
> treachery can pay seems compelling.
According to the passage, what do economists and ethicists, want us to believe?
- (a) Businessmen should always be honest
- Businessmen cannot always be honest
- Businessmen turn dishonest at times
- Businessmen are honest only at times
- Businessmen should always be dishonest
Solution : (a) Businessmen should always be honest
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Q350. > Economist, ethicists and business experts persuade us that honesty is
> the best policy, but their evidence is weak. We hoped to find data
> that would support their theories and thus, perhaps, encourage higher
> standards of business behaviour. To our surprise, their pet theories
> failed to stand up. Treachery, we found, can pay. There is no
> compelling economic reason to tell the truth or keep one’s word.
> Punishment for the treacherous in the real world is neither swift nor
> sure.
>
> Honesty is, in fact, primarily a moral choice. Business people do tell themselves that, in the long run, they will do well by doing
> good. But there is little factual or logical basis for this
> conviction. Without values, without a basic preference of right over
> wrong, trust based on such delusion would crumble in the face of
> temptation. Most of us choose virtue because we want to believe in
> ourselves and because others respect and believe us.
> And due to this, we should be happy. We can be proud of a system in which people are honest because they want to be, not because they
> have to be. Materially, too, trust based on morality provides great
> advantages. It allows us to join in great and exciting enterprises
> that we could never undertake if we relied on economic incentives
> alone.
> Economists tell us that trust is enforced in the market place through retaliation and reputation. If you violate a trust, your
> victim is apt to seek revenge and others are likely to stop doing
> business with you, at least under favourable terms. A man or woman
> with a reputation for fair dealing will prosper. Therefore, profit
> maximisers are honest. This sounds plausible enough until you look for
> concrete examples. Cases that apparently demonstrate the awful
> consequences of trust turn out to be few and weak, while evidence that
> treachery can pay seems compelling.
What did the author find out about the theory that ‘honesty is the best policy’?
- It is correct on many occasions
- It is correct for all businesses
- It is a useless theory
- It is a theory which seems to be correct only occasionally
- It is a baseless theory
Solution : It is correct for all businesses
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Solution :
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