Factual Passages

Factual text deals with facts and everyday situations. It involves information in a straightforward, direct
manner about a particular subject. Factual passages may give instructions or description or report of an
event or a new finding. Such a passage does not call for an imaginative, personal, or creative response.

Solved question bank

1. Read the following passage carefully.
With 1 in 5 workers ‘skilled’, India ranks 129 among 162
1. Barely one in five Indians in the labour force is Help Box
“skilled” according to the just released Human
Development Report (HDR) 2020. With the figure dubious – doubtful, suspicious
at 21.2%, India is 129th among 162 countries for
which this data is available. parameters – framework

2. The countries closest to India in sharing this dubious intermediate – middle

distinction are Ivory Coast, Sudan, Liberia and characterised – specified
Cameroon, most of which are classified in the low
informal – casual
human development category. Others with similar
level of skill in their labour force are mostly in sub- vulnerable – unsafe, endangered
Saharan Africa.

42% of Workers Working Proportion

Engaged in Agri poor at of informal
PPP$3.20 employment
Skilled labour force Employment in a day (%) non-agri (%)
(%) 2010–2019 agriculture (%) 2019 2019 2011-2019
129 Bhutan 19 55 11 –
131 India 21 42 42 80
133 Bangladesh 26 39 43 91
154 Pakistan 28 37 27 71
147 Myanmar 28 49 17 80
72 Sri Lanka 39 25 7 60
142 Nepal 42 65 33 78

3. The United Nations Development Programme’s HDR ranks countries according to a wide
range of human development parameters apart from core economic factors like GDP and per
capita income. The report defines skilled labour as people who are 15 years or older and have
“intermediate” or “advanced” level of education as classified by the Unesco.
4. Nearly all countries at the top of this list are advanced economies with very high Human
Development Index. Japan, which tops this list, is ranked 19th in the overall HDI ranking and
has 99.9% of its labour force classified as skilled. Belarus, the US, Lithuania and Russia have
over 96% of their labour force classified as skilled. Apart from the US, Japan and Canada, most
 Reading Skills 33
countries at the top of this list with over 90% of their labour force being skilled are from eastern
Europe. For advanced economies in western Europe like Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, France
and the UK, the proportion ranges between 80% and 90%.
5. In India’s neighbourhood, only Bhutan has a lower proportion of skilled labour than India. In
Nepal and Sri Lanka, nearly 40% of the labour force is skilled, while it is 28.1% in Myanmar,
27.8% in Pakistan and 25.8% in Bangladesh. Bhutan’s 19.5% is lower than India’s proportion.
Data for China was not available.
6. India’s labour force is also characterised by a high proportion of employment in agriculture and
the informal sector with nearly half of its workforce classified as “working poor” — employed
people who live on less than $3.20 a day in purchasing power parity terms (about `70 a day at
the 2020 rate). While they are above the international poverty line defined at PPP $1.90 a day
(about `42), these people are vulnerable to fall below it. According to the report, about 42% of
employed people fall in this category in India. Although this is slightly lower than in Bangladesh,
all other countries in the neighbourhood have a lower proportion of such employment.
(Source : The Times of India)
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) According to Human Development Report 2021, what is the position of skilled labour force of
India? (Paragraph 1)
(i) Two out of 100 Indians in the labour force is skilled.
(ii) One out of two Indians in the labour force is skilled.
(iii) Barely one in five Indians in the labour force is skilled.
(iv) There is no skilled labour force in India.
Ans. (iii) Barely one in five Indians in the labour force is skilled.
(b) Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
The United Nations Development Programme’s HDR ranks countries on the parameters of
................................ . (Paragraph 3)
(i) income and expenditure (ii) GDP and per capita income
(iii) revenue and per capita income (iv) education and standard of living
Ans. (ii) GDP and per capita income
(c) From paragraph 1, we can infer that India ranks at ..................... position out of 162 countries
in skilled labour force.
(i) 79th (ii) 89th (iii) 119th (iv) 129th
Ans. (iv) 129th
(d) Which chart represents the employment % of India in agriculture sector in 2019?
(i) (ii) 45%
(iii) 30% (iv)
50%
20% 80%
50% 55% 70%

Skilled labour Skilled labour Skilled labour Skilled labour

Agriculture sector Agriculture sector Agriculture sector Agriculture sector
Ans. (ii)
(e) How has the UNESCO defined skilled labour?
(i) The people who are 25 years or older and have advanced level of education.
(ii) The people who are 20 years or older and have mediocre level of education.
(iii) The people who are 15 years or older and have ‘intermediate’ or ‘advanced’ level of
education.
(iv) Nothing has been defined about skilled labour in the report.
Ans. (iii) The people who are 15 years or older and have ‘intermediate’ or ‘advanced’ level of
education.
34 Together with® English Communicative—9
(f) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 5.
nearest : closest : : .............................. : ratio
Ans. proportion
(g) List one reason how is India’s labour force characterised.
Ans. India’s labour force is characterised by a high proportion of employment in agriculture and the
informal sector.
(h) What is unique about Japan regarding skilled labour force?
Ans. Japan is ranked 19th in the overall HDI ranking and has 99.9% of its labour force classified as
skilled.
(i) What specific thing has been mentioned about China regarding skilled labour force in the
passage?

Ans. The data of China is not available.
(j) What is the proportion ranges of labour force for advanced economies in Western Europe?

Ans. For advanced economies in Western Europe, the proportion ranges of labour force is between
80% and 90%.
2. Read the following passage carefully.
Families Spend `25K CR for PVT. Tuitions of Kids
1. Indian families spend close to `25,000 crore a year
on giving school kids private tuitions, an analysis of Help Box
data from the education ministry and a recent NSO
report indicates. This does not include coaching context – circumstances,
for entrance exams and is just the money spent on surroundings
bringing children from the pre-primary to the higher proportion – ratio
secondary level up to speed on their school courses.
overall – total, including
2. To put that in context, the amount is more than everything
one-third the central government’s total budget
incurred – acquired
allocation of `59,845 crore to the department of
school education and literacy.
3. Families of children in each of the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels spend over
`6,000 crore on private tuitions while the annual spend in the upper primary (or middle school)
category is a bit over `5,400 crore.
4. These numbers are arrived at by combining the results of a recently released National Statistical
Office (NSO)’s survey on
education for 2017-18 and the Money spent by students in non-technical course on pvt. coaching
education ministry’s data on the as percentage of state govt. spend on education
current number of students at
States and proportion
various levels of schooling. The
ministry’s figures don’t include Highest (major states) Lowest (major states)
pre-primary students, but even West Bengal 29.1 Andhra 0.4
without them, the total adds up Bihar 12.4 Telangana 0.4
to `24,081 crore. The survey
Delhi 10.1 Karnataka 0.9
shows that the average spent on All states
private coaching per student is Jharkhand 9.8 Chhattisgarh 1.0
highest at `2,516 at the higher
6
Odisha 8.5 Tamil Nadu 1.3
secondary level, where a little
over a quarter of students take
 Reading Skills 35
such tuitions. The average annual spend per student is lower at `1,632 for the secondary level,
but the proportion of students who take tuitions is the highest here at just over 30%. The per
student average is `845 for upper primary and `502 for primary school. Private tutors are hired
at even the pre-primary level, where the average expenditure per student is `300.
5. The data also shows that the overall cost incurred by parents for school education is about
`1.9 lakh crore, of which nearly half goes to school fees while a little over 20% is spent on books.
Private coaching accounts for 13% of the total cost of education. (Source: The Times of India)

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) What does an analysis of data from the education ministry and a recent NSO report indicate?
(i) The foreign families spend approximately `5,000 crore per year on giving higher education
to their wards.
(ii) Indian families spend approximately `25,000 crore per year on giving school kids private
tuitions.
(iii) Indian families spend `2,000 per month on giving private tuitions to their wards.
(iv) No amount is spent on private tuitions of the kids.
Ans. (ii) Indian families spend approximately `25,000 crore per year on giving school kids private
tuitions.
(b) Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
The amount that is spent on the tuition of kids is more than ................................ . (Paragraph 2)
(i) half of the central government’s total budget
(ii) one-fourth of the central government’s total budget
(iii) one-third of the central government’s total budget
(iv) two-third of the state government’s total budget
Ans. (iii) one-third of the central government’s total budget
(c) From paragraph 4, we can infer that the average spent on private coaching per student is
......................................... .
(i) lowest at `1,212 (ii) highest at `2,516
(iii) highest at `5,126 (iv) lowest at `1009
Ans. (ii) highest at `2,516
(d) Which graph represents the highest amount being spent by students in non‑technical courses
on private coaching as percentage of state government spend on education?
(i) 40% (ii) 40% (iii) 40% (iv) 40%
30% 30% 30% 30%
20% 20% 20% 20%
10% 10% 10% 10%
0% 0% 0% 0%
Bihar West Bengal Odisha Delhi

Ans. (ii)
(e) How are the results of numbers arrived at?
(i) Only by the results of a recently released National Statistical office’s survey on education
(ii) By education ministry’s data on the current number of students at various levels of schooling
(iii) By the data provided by the parents of kids
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)
Ans. (iv) Both (i) and (ii)
36 Together with® English Communicative—9
(f) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 1.
ratio : proportion : : ............................. : specify
Ans. indicate
(g) List one reason why is so much money spent on the children.

Ans. So much money is spent on bringing children from the pre-primary to the higher secondary level
up to speed on their school courses.
(h) What is the per student average from upper primary and primary school respectively?
Ans. The per student average is `845 for upper primary and `502 for primary school respectively.
(i) At what level are private tutors hired?

Ans. Private tutors are hired even at the pre-primary level.
(j) According to data, how much per cent of amount is spent on school fees and private coaching
respectively?

Ans. According to data, nearly half goes to school fees while 13% of the total cost is spent on private
coaching.
3. Read the following passage carefully.
The Flying Sikh
Help Box
1. Milkha Singh, also known as The Flying Sikh, was an
Indian track and field sprinter who was introduced sprinter – someone who
to the sport while serving in the Indian Army. He runs short
is the only athlete to win gold in 400 metres at the distances very fast
Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth Games.
easing off – begin to useless
He also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962
effort
Asian Games. He represented India in the 1956
Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer orphaned – having no parents
Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics debut – first appearance
in Tokyo. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s in public
fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his chastened – subdue
sporting achievements.
inconsequential – insignificant
2. The race for which Singh is best remembered is his
fourth-place finish in the 400 metres final at the spectators – viewers
1960 Olympic Games. He led the race till the 200 m
mark before easing off, allowing others to pass him. Singh’s fourth-place time of 45.73 seconds
was the Indian national record for almost 40 years.
3. From beginning that saw him orphaned and displaced during the partition of India, Singh became
a sporting icon in the country. In 2008, journalist Rohit Brijnath described Singh as “the finest
athlete India has ever produced”.
4. He was disappointed with his debut performance at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. “I returned to
India, chastened by my poor performance in Melbourne. I had been so excited by the prospects
of being part of the Indian Olympics team, but, hadn’t realized how strong and professional the
competition would be. My success in India had filled me with a false sense of pride and it was
only when I was on the track that I saw how inconsequential my talents were when pitted against
superbly fit and seasoned athletes. It was then that I understood what competition actually
meant, and that if I wanted to succeed on the international arena, I must be prepared to test my
mettle against the best athletes in the world.”
 Reading Skills 37
5. Then he decided to make sprinting the sole focus of his life. “Running had thus become my God,
my religion and my beloved”. “My life during those two years was governed by strict rules and
regulations and a self-imposed penance. Every morning I would rise at the crack of dawn, get
into my sports kit and dash off to the track, where I would run two or three miles cross-country
in the company of my coach.”
6. My only focus was to become the best athlete in the world. But then images of a packed stadium
filled with cheering spectators, wildly applauding me as I crossed the finishing line, would flash
across my mind and I would start again, encouraged by visions of victory.”

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) What feat did Milkha Singh achieve?
(i) He was the only athlete to win gold in 400 metres at the Asian Games.
(ii) He also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games respectively.
(iii) He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.
(iv) All of these
Ans. (iv) All of these
(b) Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
Milkha Singh felt ............................... and ............................... after his debut performance at the
1956 Melbourne Olympics.
1. enthusiastic 2. disappointed 3. surprised 4. dejected
5. elevated
(i) 1 and 3 (ii) 1 and 5 (iii) 2 and 4 (iv) 3 and 5
Ans. (iii) 2 and 4
(c) From paragraph 4, we can infer that Milkha realised that he was
(i) very talented
(ii) not as much talented as the world athlete
(iii) very professional
(iv) the best athlete in the world
Ans. (ii) not as much talented as the world athlete
(d) How was Milkha’s life governed during those two years?
(i) Strict rules and regulations (ii) Full liberty
(iii) Self-imposed penance (iv) Both (i) and (iii)
Ans. (iv) Both (i) and (iii)
(e) Select the option that titles paragraphs 5-6 appropriately with reference to information in the
text.
SET - I SET – II
1. Sprinting – the sole focus of life 1. indisciplined life
2. Focus – best athlete in the world 2. Cool response from spectators
3. Encouraged by visions of victory 3. Laziness
SET – III SET – IV
1. Running – not important 1. Not disciplined life
2. Late riser 2. Football – the focus of life
3. Ran with mates. 3. Discouraged by spectators

Ans. Set – I
38 Together with® English Communicative—9
(f) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 5.
inconsequential : insignificant : : ............................ : atonement
Ans. penance
(g) List any two points that motivated Milkha Singh to become the best athlete in the world.
Ans. (i) Whenever he felt exhausted, he visualised the images of crowd packed stadium cheering
him up.
(ii) The crowd also applauded him near the finish line.
(h) How did Rohit Brijnath, the journalist describe The Flying Sikh?
Ans. Rohit Brijnath described him as “the finest athlete India has ever produced”.
(i) List one reason how he understood what competition actually meant.
Ans. When Milkha Singh’s talents were pitted against superbly fit and seasoned athletes, then only
he understood what competition actually meant.
(j) Explain the phrase, ‘I would start again’ in the last sentence.
Ans. Whenever Milkha Singh was on the verge of giving up and losing hope, he would remember
the cheerful faces of his spectators and encouraged himself to master up the strength and again
started practising.
3. Read the following passage carefully.
Tigers in India
1. Have you ever wondered how naturalists and park guides track tigers?
Tigers are highly territorial and they use different
ways of keeping the rivals out of their territory. They Help Box
mark their territories by spray marking the trees
with urine, or scratching the tree with their claws. naturalist – a person who
They also defecate in the middle or side of pathways studies animals
and later scrape the ground, so the scat is visible to and plants
other rival tigers.
territorial – provincial
2. Naturalists and park guides usually look for scat, or
spray markings on the tree. If it’s fresh and wet it is scratching – erasing, striking
easy to know that the animal might have passed a out
few minutes ago. A fresh tiger spray-mark will smell scat – waste, excrement
like boiled basmati rice!
pugmarks – footprints,
3. To avoid getting injured by thorns on forest floor,
tigers like to walk on open trails. These leave behind footsteps
their pugmarks. So it’s easy for naturalists and predator – a carnivore,
guides to check and follow the fresh pugmarks on animal of prey
the jungle roads, leading to a tiger sighting.
4. Even if the tiger walks silently through
Tigers in the Wild
the jungle there are always other prey
animals keeping a watch. Langurs are Bihar 31 Rajasthan 69
like watchmen of the jungle, sitting Uttarakhand 442 Karnataka 524
atop trees and keeping an eye on their U.P 173 Kerala 190
surroundings. Once the tiger is spotted
Andhra Pradesh 442 Tamil Nadu 264
the langur monkeys and deer start giving
Telengana 26 Arunachal Pradesh 29
alarm calls. So naturalists and guides are
always on an alert, tuned to the sounds of Chhattisgarh 19 West Bengal 88
the jungle. These alarm calls move with Madhya Pradesh 526 Odisha 28
the predator and it’s easy to pin-point the Maharashtra 312
direction in which it is going.
 Reading Skills 39
5. Another way of tracking tiger is by communication with local guides. Before the safari begins
and one enters the park, naturalists and guides discuss sightings of previous safaris and then a
plan is made to go and check the particular area first. Even inside the park when we meet each
other in our jeeps, we share the sightings, so that all guests can go back with happy faces and
lovely memories.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) According to the data given in the passage, which state has least number of tigers in the wild?
(i) Uttar Pradesh (ii) Kerala
(iii) Chhattisgarh (iv) Arunachal Pradesh
Ans. (iii) Chhattisgarh
(b) In the territorial profile of the tiger, we learn that tigers keep rivals from their territory by
..................................... .
(i) spraying boiled basmati rice (ii) spraying scat on trees
(iii) spraying trees with their urine (iv) Spraying trees with spit
Ans. (iii) spraying trees with their urine
(c) Based on the options list the relevant ways of tiger tracking.
1. Keep track of the tiger’s rivals. 2. Look for spray markings on trees.
3. Trace different smells. 4. Make alarm calls like langurs.
5. Discuss tourist plans.
(i) 1 and 3 (ii) 2 and 5 (iii) 2 and 4 (iv) 5 and 6
Ans. (ii) 2 and 5
(d) Choose the answers that lists the correct answer for the following.
1. Smita is an NRI, who loves animals and has come to India with the World Wildlife Fund
to protect tiger.
2. Samir is an environmentalist working in a tiger resort to track tiger behaviour.
(i) 1 is a concerned visitor, 2 is a knowledgeable visitor.
(ii) 1 is an animal activist, 2 is a research scholar.
(iii) 1 is a part-time naturalist, 2 is a full time naturalist.
(iv) 1 is an interested animist, 2 is a scholarly animist.
Ans. (ii) 1 is an animal activist, 2 is a research scholar.
(e) Choose the statement that is TRUE.
(i) Tigers use different ways to keep rivals within their territory.
(ii) To save themselves from getting injured by thorns tigers walk on highways.
(iii) Local guides sit atop trees to keep an eye on their surroundings.
(iv) Inside the park, jeeps share their sightings.
Ans. (iv) Inside the park, jeeps share their sightings.
(f) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 5.
conversation : communication : : ............................... former
Ans. previous
(g) List one reason why the tigers defecate in the middle or side of pathways.
Ans. Because the scat is visible to other rival tigers.
(h) Why do tigers like to walk on open trails?
Ans. Tigers like to walk on open trails to avoid getting injured by thorns on forest floor.
(i) Who are the watchmen of the jungle and what do they do?
Ans. Langurs are like watchmen of the jungle and they sit on the top of the trees. Once the tiger is
spotted, the langur monkeys and deer start giving alarm calls.
40 Together with® English Communicative—9
(j) What do the naturalists and guides discuss before entering the safaris?

Ans. Before entering the safaris, the naturalists and guides discuss sightings of previous safaris and
then a plan is made to go and check the particular area first.
4. Read the following passage carefully.
1. One in five people lack the muscle fibre protein
a-actinin-3. This mutation explains why some Help Box
modern athletes succeed in the cold, while others
remain frozen to the start line. Sometimes called mutation – a change, alteration
the ‘gene for speed’, a-actinin-3 gives athletes a bursts – breaks out
competitive advantage when it comes to powerful
slackening – to make something
bursts of energy and muscle recovery.
less tight
2. All of our skeletal muscles are made up of a
combination of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle propel – to drive or push
fibres but the percentages of each may differ from somebody
muscle to muscle and person to person. respire – to breath
3. Slow-twitch muscle fibres are responsible for slower, endurance – the ability to continue
aerobic actions. They keep us standing upright, doing something
keep our head from falling forward, our jaw from
slackening open, and propel us through walking and deficiency – lack
jogging. contractions – to become shorter
4. Fast-twitch muscle fibres respire anaerobically,
contract in quick bursts, but fatigue more easily. They are only engaged when we lift something,
jump, sprint or try an explosive movement. The protein a-actinin-3 is found only in these.
5. Athletes with 80% of one fibre type are simply born lucky. Ordinary folks are born with 50% of
fast and slow twitch each. This percentage is determined at birth strictly by the nervous system,
and for that reason cannot be changed with exercise.
6. About 80% of an elite athlete’s muscle fibres are either fast-twitch, if they are a power athlete,
or slow-twitch, if they are endurance athletes. The gene regulates the ACTN3 protein, which is
produced in fast-twitch muscle fibres. ACTN3 protein deficiency results in a lower proportion
of fast-twitch muscle fibres (more slow-twitch muscle fibres) which is associated with endurance
athletes. ACTN3 protein efficiency results in a higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibres,
which allows fast muscle contractions for sprinting and high muscle strength.

 Reading Skills 41
7. People with slow-twitch fibres can maintain their body temperature in a more energy-efficient
way on cooling. They increase the activation of these fibres to produce heat by increasing baseline
(tonus).

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) a-actinin-3 is responsible for
(i) breathing (ii) speed (iii) lapse of memory (iv) none of these
Ans. (ii) speed
(b) From paragraph 2, we can infer that the percentage of each skeletal muscles differ from
(i) muscle to muscle (ii) person to person (iii) place to place (iv) both (i) and (ii)
Ans. (iv) both (i) and (ii)
(c) Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
Fast twitch muscle fibres respire anaerobically, contract in quick bursts but ........................ .
(Paragraph 4)
(i) fatigue very slowly (ii) fatigue more easily (iii) fatigue quickly (iv) do not fatigue
Ans. (ii) fatigue more easily
(d) Select the graph that appropriately represents the percentage of athletes of one fibre type who
are simply born lucky.
(i) 80% (ii) 80% (iii) 80% (iv) 80%
60% 60% 60% 60%
40% 40% 40% 40%
20% 20% 20% 20%
0% 0% 0% 0%

Ans. (ii)
(e) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 2.
Cut-throat : competitive : : ................................. : merger
Ans. combination
(f) List one reason why slow-twitch muscle fibres are responsible for slower aerobic actions.

Ans. Because they keep us standing upright, keep our head from falling forward, our jaw from
slackening open and propel us through walking and jogging.
(g) List any two reasons how an elite athlete’s muscle fibres are fast-twitch.
Ans. (i) If they are a power athlete or slow-twitch.
(ii) If they are endurance athletes.
(h) What does a-actinin-3 give to athletes?
Ans. a-actinin-3 gives athletes a competitive advantage when it comes to powerful bursts of energy
and muscle recovery.
(i) What does ACTN3 protein deficiency result in?

Ans. ACTN3 protein deficiency results in a lower proportion of fast twitch muscle fibres which is
associated with endurance athletes.
(j) How do people with slow-twitch fibres can maintain their body temperature?

Ans. People with slow-twitch fibres can maintain their body temperature in a more energy efficient
way on cooling.
42 Together with® English Communicative—9
6. Read the following passage carefully.
1. Globalization has turned the whole world into a
single, restriction-free market. Traders are extending Help Box
their areas of business by treating the world as a
global village. During the 1990s there was a pressure liberalizing – free, redeem
from the rich countries on the poor and developing
simultaneously – at the same time
countries to allow them to spread their businesses by
opening their markets or liberalizing them. milestone – breakthrough,
2. Simultaneously, a new technology from the Third landmark
Industrial Revolution, the Internet, directly consequentially – besides, although,
connected people all over the world. The orders one further more
could place by phone in 1984 were now placed over
bonanza – bonus
the Internet reducing delivery time to just a few days.
The Internet further integrated global value chains. collaboration – partnership,
You could do R & D in one country, sourcing in association
others, production in yet another, and distribution
all over the world.
3. It was globalization on steroids. In the 2000s, global exports reached a milestone, rising to about
a quarter of global GDP. Trade, the sum of imports and exports, consequentially grew to about
half of world GDP. In some countries, like Singapore and Belgium, trade was worth much more
than 100% of GDP. A majority of global population became the global middle class with millions
participating in the global economy.

Trade grew to a third of the US economy and over half of the world’s economy
World and US trade as per cent of GDP (1960-2016)
70
World
60

50

40
United States
30

20

10

0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Sources: World Bank: World Bank DataBank and International Debt Statistics: International Monetary Fund: International
Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases; GDP estimates from World Bank and Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development.

4. In India this process started in 1991 bringing about a major economic revolution when
multinational brands came to India and started delivering a variety of quality products at cheap
prices. Their prices came down because of the cut throat competition in the market.
5. Although, liberalization of the businesses gave us quality foreign products but also affected the
local industries adversely resulting in job loss for poor and uneducated workers. Globalization has
been a bonanza for the consumers, however, it affected the small-scale producers. Globalization
 Reading Skills 43
benefitted the Indian students and education sector to a great extent by making study books
and lots of information available over the internet. Collaboration of foreign universities with the
Indian universities has revolutionized higher education.
6. Globalization of trade in the agricultural sector has brought varieties of quality disease-resistant.
However, the seeds and agricultural technologies are costly. It has brought better employment
opportunities in industries like cottage, handloom, carpet, artisan carving, ceramics, jewellery,
and glassware.
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) What does the graph exhibit?
(i) There was unprecedented growth in the trade of the world.
(ii) There was unprecedented growth in the trade of the United States.
(iii) There was growth as well as recession in the trade of the world as well as the United States
at frequent intervals.
(iv) The world trade always came down to recession in all these years.
Ans. (iii) There was growth as well as recession in the trade of the world as well as the United States
at frequent intervals.
(b) Globalisation has turned the whole world into a ..................................... .
1. single market 2. different market
3. restriction-free market 4. unique market
(i) 1 and 2 only (ii) 2 and 3 only
(iii) 1 and 3 only (iv) 2 and 4 only
Ans. (iii) 1 and 3 only
(c) Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
A new technology from the Third Industrial Revolution, the internet directly ........................... .
(Paragraph-2)
(i) connected all over the world (ii) disconnected all over the world
(iii) disturbed the world (iv) brought tragedy in the world
Ans. (i) connected all over the world
(d) From Paragraph 3, we can infer that a majority of global population became the ...................... .
(i) global upper class (ii) global middle class
(iii) global poor class (iv) global aristocrat class
Ans. (ii) global middle class
(e) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 5.
segment : sector : : ............................... : illiterate
Ans. uneducated
(f) List one reason why there was a pressure from the rich countries on the poor and developing
countries. (Paragraph-1)

Ans. There was a pressure from the rich countries on the poor and developing countries to spread
their businesses by opening their markets or liberalising them.
(g) List any two advantages of globalisation.
Ans. (i) Globalisation revolutionised higher education.
(ii) It has brought better employment opportunities in small scale industries.
(h) In what respect is the year 1991 important for India?
Ans. In 1991, globalisation brought about a major economic revolution when multinational brands
came to India and started delivering a variety of quality products at cheap prices.
44 Together with® English Communicative—9
(i) How has liberalisation affected the local Indian industries?

Ans. Liberalisation has affected the local Indian industries that has resulted in job loss for poor and
uneducated workers.
(j) How has globalisation affected the agriculture industry?

Ans. The seeds and agricultural technologies have become costly.
7. Read the following passage carefully.
1. For all its remoteness, Antarctica has become
Help Box
increasingly accessible in recent years. Weather
permitting, flights land regularly at the South Pole,
bringing construction crews and materials there. remoteness – inaccessibility
Dozens of research stations have been planted all accessible – reachable, attainable
around the coastline. Now, fleets of cruise ships are
venue – place, spot
bringing over 12,000 people a year and Antarctica
is also becoming an increasingly popular venue for withstand – combat, resist
extreme sports. influx – rush
2. Antarctica is owned by no one. 43 nations are joined desolate – barren, bare
in an agreement which allows it to be used only for
science and tourism. Ironically, these agreements ferocity – brutality
may not withstand pressures to exploit the continent’s pristine – undefiled, unpolluted
mineral resources including gold, platinum and oil
triggered – caused
or prevent shipping accidents due to the influx of
ships into the Southern Ocean which could lead to accelerated – at fast pace
devastating oil spills. The U.K. is therefore, trying to
introduce a new ‘Antarctic Code’ for shipping.
3. Even though Antarctica is the Antarctica ice mass variation
world’s most remote and desolate 0
continent, entirely covered by a
vast sheet of ice and having winds –500
raging with unimaginable ferocity,
the damaging effects of human –1000
activity have reached this distant
and pristine place.
–1500
4. Perhaps the most worrying
threat to Antarctica’s wildlife
–2000
comprising penguins, petrels,
seals and albatross comes from
the atmosphere. Air pollution has –2500
triggered the appearance of a vast
hole in the ozone which blocks –3000
out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet 2005 2010 2015 2020
radiation. The plankton in the sea, on which many fish depend, may also be killed off. This is a
real cry for help.
5. Global warming could have an even more devastating effect. Average temperatures in Antarctica
have risen to 2.5°C in the last 50 years, and the ice sheet is melting more rapidly than scientists
anticipated. Large chunks of ice are now actually breaking off or ‘calving’ to create icebergs like
those in the Arctic, disrupting penguins’ breeding grounds in the process. The huge Larsen B
Ice Shelf – a 200 metre thick sheet of floating ice as big as Jamaica, recently broke up shocking
scientists, who had not thought it would happen so soon. A 2018 study estimated that ice loss
 Reading Skills 45
across the entire continent was 43 giga tonnes per year on average during the period from 1992
to 2002 but accelerated to an average of 220 giga tonnes per year during the five years from 2012
to 2017. The total contribution to sea level rise has been estimated as 8 mm to 14 mm of sea
level rise.
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) How has Antarctica become increasingly accessible in recent years?
1. Climate
2. Landing of flights regularly at the south pole
3. Bringing of construction crews and materials
4. Gathering of a large number of people
(i) 1 and 2 only (ii) 2 and 3 only (iii) 1 and 4 only (iv) 2 and 4 only
Ans. (ii) 2 and 3 only
(b) Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
Antarctica is the world’s most remote and desolate continent ......................... . (Paragraph 3)
(i) because no body can reach there (ii) because of less population
(iii) entirely covered by a vast sheet of ice (iv) none of these
Ans. (iii) entirely covered by a vast sheet of ice
(c) Select the option that reflects the central idea of the passage.
(i) Climate change is not necessary.
(ii) Climate change is devastating.
(iii) Climate change affects the surroundings of the area.
(iv) Climate change is for real.
Ans. (iv) Climate change is for real.
(d) Which graph represents the ice loss across the entire continent, according to 2018 estimate.
(i) 50 (ii) 50 (iii) 50 (iv) 50
40 40 40 40
Giga Tonnes

Giga Tonnes

Giga Tonnes

Giga Tonnes
30 30 30 30
20 20 20 20
10 10 10 10
0 0 0 0

Ans. (ii)
(e) Which pollution has triggered the appearance of a vast hole in the ozone which blocks out the
sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
1. Noise pollution 2. Water pollution 3. Air pollution 4. Soil pollution
(i) 1 and 2 (ii) 3 and 4 (iii) 3 only (iv) 1 and 4
Ans. (iii) 3 only
(f) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 4.
accelerate : expedite : : dangerous : ............................. .
Ans. harmful
(g) List one reason why is Antarctica becoming an increasingly popular venue for extreme sports.
(Paragraph 1)
Ans. Because fleets of cruise ships are bringing over 12,000 people a year.
(h) List any two factors which are interlinked in triggering the impact of global warming in
Antarctica.
Ans. (i) Increase in ultraviolet radiation (ii) Depletion of ozone layer
46 Together with® English Communicative—9
(i) Why is a new code being considered to preserve Antarctica?

Ans. Instead of being under co-ownership of many countries, a new code is being considered to stop
shipping accidents and avoid oil spills.
(j) Why are the large chunks of ice breaking off?

Ans. The large chunks of ice are now breaking off or ‘calving’ to create icebergs like those in the
Arctic, disrupting penguins’ breeding grounds in the process.
8. Read the following passage carefully.
1. Anger is usually defined as a strong feeling of hostility, displeasure, indignation, rage or annoyance.
It is an emotional state that is accompanied by
Help Box
physiological and biological changes including an
increase in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as
an increase in the levels of one’s energy hormones, hostility – aggression
adrenaline, and noradrenaline. An angry mind often indignation – shock and anger
loses its capacity to think properly. Anger problems accompanied – to go together with
seem to be growing in scope and intensity and the somebody
collateral issues associated run the risk of becoming
more explosive and destructive. While anger is a physiological – bodily, physical
normal human emotion, ongoing impulsive anger irrevocable – that cannot be
often leads to massive, sometimes irrevocable, changed or reversed
problems in interpersonal relationships, work and susceptible – easily influenced
on general quality of life. People that have difficulty
managing anger are susceptible to road rage, verbal brooding – to worry
and physical violence, and some may find themselves traumatic – agonizing,
in legal trouble due to anger-fueled incidents. distressing
2. Anger can be caused by both external and internal enraging – infuriate, incite
events. You could be angry at a specific person (such
adaptive – the ability to
as a co-worker or classmate) or event (a traffic jam, a
adapt to different
cancelled flight), or your anger could be caused by
conditions
worrying or brooding about your personal problems.
Memories of traumatic or enraging events can also
trigger angry feelings.
3. Anger in a limited quantity is considered to
be good as it gives one an opportunity to Are We Angrier Than A Generation Ago?
unleash negative feelings. Anger is a natural, Yes No
adaptive response to threats. A certain
amount of anger is needed to fight, defend
and justify ourselves in society. Hence, 84%
anger in small quantities is needed for our 16%
survival, like it is justified to get angry when
one feels that one’s rights have been denied.
But excessive anger can lead to destructive 0% 25 50 75 100
results including violent actions.
4. One of the most commonly used anger management methods includes breathing exercises. A
number of anger management courses are available nowadays to help one control one’s anger.
It always helps to have someone from whom one can seek help and talk. It is important to learn
how to express one’s anger assertively rather than aggressively. One can also substitute the thought
that makes one angry with more pleasant thoughts. Nowadays mental health professionals and
psychologists are also available to help people control their anger.
 Reading Skills 47
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(a) How is anger actually defined, according to paragraph 1?
(i) Strong feeling of hostility (ii) Strong feeling of displeasure
(iii) Indignation, rage or anger (iv) All of these
Ans. (iv) All of these
(b) Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
An angry mind often .................................. . (Paragraph 1)
(i) enhances its capacity to think properly
(ii) loses its capacity to think properly
(iii) minimises its capacity to think in an improper way
(iv) neither enhances nor minimises its capacity to think only
Ans. (ii) loses its capacity to think properly
(c) Choose the option that can be the suitable title for the passage.
(i) Taming one’s anger (ii) Increasing one’s anger
(iii) Minimising one’s anger (iv) Anger-not a new phenomenon
Ans. (i) Taming one’s anger
(d) Are we angrier than a generation ago? Which figure depicts?
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
15% 16% 50%
40% 60%
85% 84% 50%

Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No

Ans. (ii)
(e) Which type of people face difficulty in managing anger?
1. The people who are susceptible to road rage.
2. The people who are susceptive to change.
3. The people who are susceptible to verbal and physical violence.
4. The people who are negligent about any other activities.
(i) 1 and 2 (ii) 2 and 3 (iii) 1 and 3 (iv) 2 and 4
Ans. (iii) 1 and 3
(f) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 1.
normal : natural : : aggression : : ............................. .
Ans. hostility
(g) List one reason why anger in a limited quantity is considered to be good? (Paragraph 3)
Ans. Because anger also gives one an opportunity to unleash negative feelings.
(h) List two simple methods of managing one’s anger.
Ans. (i) Breathing exercises (ii) Sharing one’s feelings
(i) What is the range of scale or magnitude of anger?
Ans. The scale or magnitude of anger can range from annoyance to fury.
(j) How does anger management courses help us?
Ans. Anger management courses help to control one’s anger. It always helps to have someone from
whom one can seek help and talk. It is also important to learn how to express one’s anger
assertively rather than aggressively.