COMPREHENSION TEST
1098. A man who cannot decide which of the two things he               (2) A period of change.
         will do first, ends up doing_______.                          (3) A period of certainity.
         (1) all                    (2) the second thing               (4) A loss making period.
         (3) the first thing        (4) nothing                1104. In addition to being socially responsible, what does
1099. What is the meaning of retrograde in the passage?                the author want the banks to be?
         (1) stop moving.           (2) move backwards.                (1) Customer friendly.
         (3) move slowly.           (4) crawl along.                   (2) Able to attract foreign investors.
1100. What will the man who sticks to his resolve and                  (3) Financially healthy.
         executes it advance to?                                       (4) Senseless risk takers.
         (1) Wisdom.                (2) Progress.              1105. How can the banks take risks without risking a
                                                                       failure?
         (3) Eminence.              (4) Resolution.
                                                                       (1) By being innovative.
1101. Who is daunted by petty difficulties?
                                                                       (2) By soliciting the help of the government.
         (1) Someone who fluctuates.                                   (3) By being financially healthy.
         (2) One who hesitates.                                        (4) By being conservative.
         (3) One with a strong spirit.                         1106. What does the absence of any bad advance indicate?
         (4) One with a weak spirit.                                   (1) A penchant for risks.
1102. The writer advises us to be                                      (2) Immense conservatism.
         (1) wise, firm and resolute.                                  (3) Financial independence.
         (2) weak, firm and resolute.                                  (4) A deep-seated social commitment.
         (3) happy, firm and resolute.                         1107. What would happen if novel and pragmatic techniques
         (4) flexible, happy and resolute.                             are ignored?
                             Passage-V                                 (1) It will put the banks in danger.
                                                                       (2) It will undermine the banks social commitment.
                       (Q. Nos. 1103-1107)
                                                                       (3) It will reveal the untapped talent.
      The public sector banks are witnessing in India a period
                                                                       (4) It will result in inefficient portfolio management.
of transition and are at crossroads, where they without
                                                                                           Passage-VI
giving up social responsibility, should also remain healthy.
They need to undertake risky experiments yet perform it                              (Q. Nos. 1108-1112)
innovatively in a way it does not fail. They should make            The human eye is a complex part of the body that is
forays into new areas which are rarely tread by them and       used for seeing. Eyes enable people to perform daily tasks
lose no emerging opportunities. It should be understood        and to learn about the world that surrounds them. Sight,
that absence of any bad advance is no sign of efficient        or vision, is a rapidly occurring process that involves
banking system. It only indicates immense conservatism.        continuous interaction between the eye, the nervous system,
However this is no guarantee for profit. There should be a     and the brain. When someone looks at an object, what he
balance between liquidity and risk. Past sins should be        really sees is the light reflected from the object. This reflected
forgotten. Novel and pragmatic techniques should be adopted    light passes through the lens and falls on the retina of the
without which banks would be in danger.                        eye. Here the light induces nerve impulses that travel
                                                               through the optic nerve to the brain and then over other
                MEANING OF WORDS/PHRASES                       nerves to muscles and glands.
    (1) transition (N.) : the process/ a period of changing         The eye is similar to a television camera. Both the eye
        from one state/condition to another                    and the television camera convert light energy to electrical
    (2) cross roads (N.) : a crisis situation/point in time    energy. The eye converts light to nerve impulses that are
        when a critical decision must be made                  interpreted by the brain as the sense perception called
    (3) forays (N.) : an attempt to become involved in a       sight. A television camera converts light to electronic signals
        different activity/profession                          that are broadcast and transformed into light images in a
                                                               television receiver. It is wonderful that human eyes blink
    (4) tread (V.) : used; attempted
                                                               an average of once every six seconds. This washes the eye
    (5) conservatism (N.) : the tendency to resist great/
                                                               with the salty secretion from the tear or lachrymal glands.
        sudden change
                                                               Each tear gland is about the size and shape of an almond.
    (6) liquidity (N.) : the state of owning things of value   These glands are situated behind the upper eyelid at the
        that can easily be exchanged for cash                  outer corner of the eye. After passing over the eye, the
    (7) pragmatic (Adj.) : solving problems in a practical     liquid from the gland is drained into the nose through the
        and sensible way rather than by fixed ideas/theories   tear duct at the inner corner of the eye.
    (8) novel (Adj.) : different from anything known before;
        new, interesting and often seeming slightly strange                   MEANING OF WORDS/PHRASES
    (9) penchant (N.) : a special liking for something            (1) interpreted (V.) : understood
  (10) at the cross roads (Id.) : at an important point           (2) perception (N.) : the way you notice things (with the
                                                                      senses)
1103. What according to the author, are the public sector         (3) lachrymal (Adj.) : of, pertaining to, tears
         banks witnessing?                                        (4) duct (N.) : a tube in the body through which liquid
         (1) A period of profit.                                      passes
                                                          SEE–1014