OET READING PRACTICE SEPT 5

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words/ phrases have been given in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.

Paragraph 1: ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’. These are mantras we hear often
whenever the garbage problem is discussed: but all three require
commitment, a certain level of awareness, and concern for the
environment. None of these seem immediately evident to the average
person. Normally we assume that all the re-saleable garbage we throw
away will be picked up by rag-pickers. This is not always true. The
ragpicker takes what he thinks has value or can be sold, not what we
want him to pick up.

Paragraph 2: The much-touted ‘source segregation’ method to separate
the bio-degradable from the non-biodegradable garbage (usually
packaging) continues to see patchy success for various reasons.
Coercive methods of penalties and fines are not easily implementable in a
democratic polity. The result: many of our cities are eyesores, with
garbage strewn around. And waterways are heavily polluted with floating
junk, causing enormous problems for citizens and animals alike.

Paragraph 3: One way to prevent people throwing away things — and get
them to ‘source-segregate’ — is to ensure that the discards have a value
attached to them that is ‘redeemable’ soon. Have you ever found a
discarded ten paise coin or a one rupee note lying on the road? Never, or
maybe once or twice in your lifetime? Well, the truth is that one rarely
comes across people discarding even a ten paisa coin as ‘useless’.
However, we find people throwing away much more valuable stuff — in
terms of the price they may fetch — labelling them junk; Mostly
packaging, items half-used or old. Why is it that a person who hesitates to
throw away even a ten paisa coin has no qualms when it comes to
discarding ‘junk’ that may be worth more?

Paragraph 4: This paradox is easily explained. The ‘junk’ comes without
an immediately assignable value attached and is not exchangeable the
way a coin can be. We will not discard anything that has a ‘monetary’
value attached to it, however small. But if we do not know the value of
something, we will throw it away without a thought. Take an example. Like
coins we rarely throw old newspapers into the garbage bin; we would
rather sell them to the ‘raddi-wallah’ as we know they will fetch returns.
But used cans, polythene bags, packaging? We are not so sure, and so
they add to the hundreds of tonnes of garbage our cities generate.

Paragraph 5: So how do we make everyone feel garbage has value? Can
we do this by assigning a monetary value that the consumer could encash
and that the producer of the goods or its packaging would be required to
pay to anyone who returns it to him? Some institutions, cities and
countries across the globe have tried this successfully. I found a similar
system implemented effectively at the Mysore zoo. Anyone who wants to
take in a bottle of water into the zoo has to pay Rs. 10 at the entrance. At
the exit the money is returned if the empty bottle is turned in. If you throw
away the bottle you lose Rs. 10. The attendant disbursing the amount at
the exit told me, with a grin, that he rarely came across a case where a
person threw away the bottle, not caring for the amount he would get back
on surrendering the bottle.

Paragraph 6: Now go to any other zoo in India: you will find people
discarding their used bottles, plastic bags and so on at will and right
inside the zoo, without bothering about cleanliness, aesthetics or animal
safety and health; no amount of threats, notices, education, requests or
cajoling seem to work. But the Mysore example shows the moment a
value is attached to that empty bottle or packing, there is virtually 100%
compliance because keeping it safely and returning it to a designated
location implies a monetary benefit!

1. Which of the following statement(s) confirm(s) that efforts made by the
government to reduce the garbage problem have not been that successful?

(I)Most of the cities are still covered under severe filth with garbage littered around
the corners.
(II)Oppressive methods like penalties and fines have failed miserably due to their
improper implementation.
(III)Despite coming out with various schemes, almost all the waterbodies are
extensively polluted with floating junk.

1. Only (I) is correct
2. Both (I) and (II) are correct
3. Both (II) and (III) are correct
4. Both (I) and (III) are correct
5. All are correct

2. Why, according to the author, separating bio-degradable and non-biodegradable
garbage continues to see patchy success?

(I)People consider the waste as invaluable.
(II)Non-biodegradable wastes are profoundly hazardous.
(III)Government has failed in executing innovative plans to redress the issue.
1. Only (I) is correct
2. Only (II) is correct
3. Both (I) and (III) are correct
4. Both (II) and (III) are correct
5. All are correct

3. How, according to the author, the three basic ‘R’s i.e., “Reduce, reuse, recycle” can
be thrived effectively?

(I)All these words are required to be followed with complete dedication and
responsibility.
(II)People need to be aware about the significance of these three terms to help the
nature in turning pollution-free.
(III)There should be a sense of loyalty and genuine concern towards the
environment.
1. Only (I) is correct
2. Only (II) is correct
3. Only (III) is correct
4. Both (I) and (II) are correct
5. All are correct

4. Why, according to the author, there exists a contradiction between discarding a
coin and discarding junk?

(I)The junk does not have an assigned value attached to it like in the case of a coin.
(II)The junk cannot be used as a means of exchange, the way a coin is used.
(III)The collection of junk is more a sophisticated process, unlike a coin.

1. Only (I) is correct
2. Only (III) is correct
3. Both (I) and (II) are correct
4. Both (II) and (III) are correct
5. All are correct

5. Which of the following statement(s) can be inferred from the example of Mysore
zoo?
(I)People should not litter around a zoo as it affects the ecology of the inhabitant
animals.
(II)People, generally, do not care about the cleanliness wherever they go, which
shows their sheer negligence towards the environment.
(III)Attaching a value to the scrap leads to a perfect compliance towards the
environment as it generates a monetary benefit.
1. Only (I) is correct
2. Only (III) is correct
3. Both (I) and (III) are correct
4. Both (II) and (III) are correct
5. All are correct

6. Which of the following statement(s) logically follow(s) the Paragraph 6 in the
context of the passage?

(I)If every single piece of packaging material or container like cardboard boxes,
plastic packages and bags, sachets had a value printed on it with a message, we will
end up capturing most of the garbage at source.
(II)The government should come up with a regulatory framework and institutional
arrangements for initiating an extensive change to implement the methods like
Mysore zoo.
(III)We could perhaps start experimenting with such alternatives at least in the
major cities before our garbage woes come to assume monstrous proportions.

1. Only (I)
2. Only (II)
3. Only (III)
4. Both (I) and (III)
5. All of the above

7. Choose the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) among the four given
words/phrases that is/are SIMILAR in meaning to the word given in bold in the
context of its usage in the passage.

PARADOX

(I)Contradiction
(II)Obstacle
(III)Allusion
(IV)Conundrum

1. Only (I)
2. Only (II)
3. Both (II) and (III)
4. Both (I) and (IV)
5. All of the above

8. Choose the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) among the four given
words/phrases that is/are SIMILAR in meaning to the word given in bold in the
context of its usage in the passage.
DISBURSE

(I)Pay out
(II)Distribute
(III)Hand out
(IV)Set aside

1. Only (I)
2. Both (II) and (III)
3. Only (I), (II) and (III)
4. Only (II), (III) and (IV)
5. All of the above

9. Choose the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) among the four given
words/phrases that is/are OPPOSITE in meaning to the word given in bold in the
context of its usage in the passage.

QUALM

(I)Hesitancy
(II)Confidence
(III)Misgiving
(IV)Compunction

1. Only (II)
2. Both (I) and (III)
3. Only (I), (III) and (IV)
4. Only (II), (III) and (IV)
5. All of the above

10. Choose the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) among the four given
words/phrases that is/are OPPOSITE in meaning to the word given in bold in the
context of its usage in the passage.
CAJOLE

(I)Deceive
(II)Bully
(III)Entrap
(IV)Dissuade
1. Only (I)
2. Both (II) and (IV)
3. Both (I) and (III)
4. Only (I), (II) and (IV)
5. All of the above