COMPREHENSION TEST
  54. The mistake has been on the teacher’s side. Here                 (3) to observe the interviewees from a distance.
       the mistake refers to                                           (4) to have a direct conversation with the interviewees.
       (1) making the children to please the teacher.            58. If I want to interview someone,
       (2) asking the children to read books which teachers            (1) all I need to do is to just drop in and have a talk
           do not like.                                                    with the person.
       (3) discouraging children from reading more books.              (2) I ought to plan and prepare for the interview well
       (4) recommending them the books intended for adults.                in advance.
  55. Indigestion and violent stomach-ache will be the re-             (3) I have to ring up the person and ask him/her all
       sult if the child                                                   the questions I want to.
       (1) reads books not suitable for his age.                       (4) establishing good rapport with the person will be
       (2) does not read any book.                                         enough.
       (3) is forced to eat food meant for adults.               59. Face-to-face interaction with the interviewees enables
       (4) is not taken to doctor regularly.                           the interviewer to
      Directions (56-65) : You have two brief passages with            (1) understand shades of meaning not readily avail-
5 questions following each passages. Read the passages                     able in written responses.
carefully and choose the best answer to each question out              (2) observe the physical stature of the interviewee.
of the four alternatives.                                              (3) listen to the voice of the interviewee directly.
        (SSC Statistical Investigators Grade-IV Exam. 31.7.2005)       (4) compel the interviewees to express their opinions
                            PASSAGE-I                                      in writing.
      The interview may be conducted by letter and by tele-      60. The author used ‘individual opinions’, ‘attitudes’ and
phone, as well as in person. Letter and telephone inter-               ‘preferences’ as examples of
views are less satisfactory. Direct contact with an indi-              (1) objective data about the interviewees.
vidual and a face-to-face relationship often provide a stimu-          (2) abstract philosophical concepts irrelevant to the in-
lating situation for both interviewer and interviewee. Per-                terview process.
sonal reaction and interaction aid not only in rapport but             (3) psychological properties particular to a given inter-
also in obtaining nuances and additional information by the                viewee.
reactions which are more fully observed in a face-to-face
                                                                       (4) likes and dislikes common to interviewers and
relationship.
                                                                           interviewees.
      Adequate preparation for the interview is a “must”.
Careful planning saves not only time but also energy of                                    PASSAGE-II
both parties concerned. The interview is used to obtain                Among the natural resources which can be called upon
facts or subjective data such as individual opinions, atti-      in national plan for development, possibly the most impor-
tudes, and preferences. Interviews are used to check on          tant is human labour; without productive labour force, in-
questionnaires which may have been used to obtain data,          cluding effective leadership and intelligent middle manage-
or when a problem being investigated is complex, or when         ment, no amount of foreign assistance or natural wealth
the information needed to solve it cannot be secured easily      can ensure successful development and modernisation. One
in any other way. People will often give information orally      essential factor is usually overlooked or ignored. The for-
but will not put it in writing.                                  gotten factor is the role of women. Development will be
                                                                 handicapped as long as women remain second-class citi-
                  SOME IMPORTANT WORDS                           zens, uneducated, without any voice in family or commu-
  rapport        : a friendly relationship in which people un-   nity decisions, without legal or economic status, married
                    derstand one another very well.              when they are still practically children, and thenceforth
  nuances        : a very slight difference in meaning, sound,   producing one baby after another, often only to see half of
                    colour or somebody’s feelings that is usu-   them die before they are of school age. We can enhance
                    ally not very obvious.                       development by improving ‘woman power’ by giving women
 face-to-face :     directly                                     opportunity to develop themselves.
                                                                 61. The most important natural resource for national de-
 stimulating :      making you feel more active and healthy
                                                                       velopment is
 subjective :       based on your own ideas/opinions
                                                                       (1) human labour.
56. The intention of the writer of this passage is to                  (2) effective leadership.
      (1) warn the readers against conducting interviews.              (3) intelligent middle management.
      (2) instruct people on the best means of conducting              (4) foreign assistance.
          interviews.                                            62. Human power means
      (3) tell people how to make friends with interviewers.           (1) only men.
      (4) advise people on the use of letters and telephone.           (2) only women.
57. According to the author the best way to conduct inter-             (3) people including children.
      views is                                                         (4) both men and women.
      (1) to talk to the interviewees over telephone.            63. The ignored and overlooked for factor in the develop-
      (2) to write letters to the interviewees.                        ment of the nation is
                                                            SEE–910