Paragraph Completion Exercise - IV

In each of the following questions a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best answer choices given, to make the passage complete.

Paragraph 1.
Mr. Xi’s penchant for the dominance of the party________________.
I. suggests that he will pack the politburo standing committee — the highest echelon of Chinese power — with officials loyal to his cause.
II. changed virtually all Provincial Party Secretaries in the months ahead of the 19th Congress, and appointments since the Congress have underlined his sway over personnel matters.
III. while he is positioning China as a defender of globalisation, it comes with a strong dose of mercantilism.

(A) Only I
(B) Only III
(C) Only II and III
(D) Only I and IIII
Answers :
Correct Option: A
Penchant means desire/liking. The statement is contextually and grammatically correct.

Paragraph 2.
Residents of five States are currently struggling to cope with the effects of intense rainfall. Many of those lucky to have been rescued owe it to the National Disaster Response Force, but such response systems naturally have limited efficacy in predominantly rural States such as Bihar. _______________________________. Capacity-building to handle catastrophic weather events is poor, and serious attention is not given to setting up relief camps, creating crisis-proof health infrastructure and stockpiling dry rations and medicines.

(A) In Bihar’s case, the shifting patterns and breaches of the Kosi have added to the complexity of the problem, which requires a deeper understanding of the areas most at risk.
(B) An integrated approach to managing floods requires a sound understanding of the patterns that rivers such as the Ganga and its tributaries display during the monsoon.
(C) What stands out in the annual cycle of floods is the generally tardy pace of preparation for rescue and relief.
(D) There are cascading outcomes of infections and the absence of care for pregnant women.
Answers :
Correct Option: C
The sentence preceding the blank states the limited efficacy of our response systems with respect to the flood management and the sentence following the blank validates this constraint by quoting what we actually lack. Clearly, a sentence stating either a limitation or problem would fit the blank.

Paragraph 3.
India’s tax-to-GDP ratio is far lower than the 21 per cent average of its emerging market peers; its public spending-to-GDP ratio is also the lowest among BRICS nations. _________________________________. About 85 per cent of the economy is outside the tax net. Even among those who pay taxes, the number of individuals who earn more than Rs.1 crore a year or pay tax in the 30 per cent tax bracket is unrealistically low.

(A) The country cannot scale up necessary infrastructure and social spending without widening its tax base.
(B) The government had promised to adopt non-intrusive methods and employ information technology to widen the tax base.
(C) As a target, rough or otherwise, it is an ambitious goal for a country where the direct tax base has grown at a snail’s pace over six decades.
(D) It is not clear why there is such panic about the number, especially if it was a mere statement of intent.
Answers :
Correct Option: A
The opening statement of the paragraph states concern over India’s low tax to GDP ratio in comparison to its market peers and the statement following the blank asserts how much percent of the economy is outside the tax net. Clearly, the statement that centres around the same idea would fit the blank.

Paragraph 4.
While individual companies adapt to the new political economy in the West, it does not diminish New Delhi’s responsibility to make a case for more open immigration policies for India’s skilled workers. _______________________________. This, as economists from David Ricardo to Jagdish Bhagwati have pointed out, increases the size of global economic output despite the costs. It is obvious that the tightening of immigration is likely to have a net negative effect on the global economy.

(A) Also, investment in advanced technologies itself, such as by Infosys, could be a measure to deal with high labour costs in the U.S.
(B) Not surprisingly, there is now increasing speculation that many Indian IT giants will refrain from sponsoring H-1B visas for junior engineers.
(C) Sadly, since the benefits of globalisation are diffused among billions of people while its costs are concentrated on a smaller but organised group, such adjustments often end up validating populist, protectionist policies.
(D) The economic rationale behind the free movement of labour is that it promotes economic efficiency.
Answers :
Correct Option: D
The statements preceding as well as following the blank are in support of the idea of immigration of skilled workers and free movement of labour. The statement for the blank hence should centre around the same idea.