Infosys English-Language

 

INFOSYS NEAR PATTERN TEST : ENGLISH

Number of Questions: 35 

Time: 30 Minutes

Passage 1

Supernatural events have always held a fascination for mankind. At various times in history, men have claimed to possess extraordinary mental or psychic powers, such as the ability to see ghosts or spirits, to talk with the dead and to foretell the future. Scientists have ignored such claims as fictitious and unscientific. But as reports of such phenomena continued to pour in from all quarters, psychologists were forced to take notice of them. In 1882 professor Sidgwick founded the Society for Psychical Research. The aim of this society was to gather anecdotes and stories of psychic phenomena that could not be explained by the law of nature. Since then the study of such phenomena has gained some importance. It is known by the name of parapsychology. When people have ability to 'communicate' without the aid of their senses, they are said to possess extra-sensory perception (ESP).Psychologists divide ESP into four types. The first is telepathy or thought transference. In telepathy a person is able to communicate with another who may be far away. A soldier on the battle front 
receives a message from his wife, or a father hears a call for help from his son who is far away. Stories like those have been recorded and investigated by psychologists. Another type of ESP is clairvoyance, the ability to see, or otherwise be aware of events, persons or things not known to anyone else. A clairvoyant person may be able to locate a document that is hidden in a secret place or to find a missing child. The third type of ESP is precognition, the ability to foresee what is going to happen in future. Finally there is psychokinesis (PK) the power of mind over matter: a person having this ability will be able to move objects or displace them without touching them. The scientist who has done most to study these phenomena is professor J.B. Rhine of Duke University in America. He started with a study of clairvoyance from the written records of communication with spirits. He also conducted tests with mediums, men or women who had the power to establish contact with spirits. But he could not get sufficient evidence to accept such phenomena as scientific.

Rhine then went to conduct more practical tests in controlled conditions. He made use of cards to test people who claimed to be clairvoyant. He used 25 cards in which 5 different colours and 5 different figures were used. The subject (the person who was being tested) was asked to guess the figure or the colour on the card. The statistical probability of guessing right was calculated and found to be 1 in 5. If any person consistently guessed more than 1 in 5, he probably had ESP. Rhine published the results of his study in 1937 under the title, "New Frontiers of the Mind". This publication led to a big controversy among psychologists. Many of them still viewed 

parapsychology with scepticism.The position today is that ESP is accepted by about 10 per cent of psychologists and rejected by another 10 per cent. The remaining 80 per cent feel that the evidence now available is insufficient. In the meantime authentic reports of ESP continue to come. Ingo Swann was able to copy with remarkable accuracy figures that were placed on a shelf above her head, clearly out of range other vision. Examples of psychokinesis have come from different places. Madame Kulagine of Russia moved matches that were scattered on a table into one heap without touching them. In 1971 Uri Geller created a sensation when he showed that he was able to bend or displace pieces of metal by the power of his mind.

1. If you have to talk about the main point from the first paragraph, you would say
a. Supernatural Events
b. Professor Sidgwick’s Contribution
c. Para Psychology-Answer
d. Law of Nature

2. What is ESP in one word?
a. Telepathy
b. Clairvoyance
c. Communicate
d. Perception-Answer

3. ESP is accepted by about 
a. 80 per cent of psychologists.
b. 10 per cent of psychologists.-Answer
c. 20 per cent of psychologists.
d. 90 per cent of psychologists.

4. The scientist who has done most to study these phenomena is
a. J.B. Rhine-Answer
b. Ingo Swann
c. Sidgwick
d. Madame Kulagine

5. In the year _______ Uri Geller created a sensation when he showed that he was able to bend or displace pieces of metal by the power of his mind.
a. 1937 
b. 1971 -Answer
c. 1882 
d. 1961

Passage 2
When a young student from Chandigarh was told that he had developed a tumour in a critical area of the brain and worse, that it was too dangerous to perform surgery in the area, paralysis and eventual death seemed to be his fate. Until doctors at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad,.told him about a revolutionary treatment, radio-surgery which eradicates deep-seated lesions in the most critical areas of the brain without opening the skull. He is now in Sweden awaiting treatment and a return to a completely normal life.

A Swedish doctor, Lars Leskell, developed radio surgery, or the destruction of diseased brain tissue through the delivery of a concentrated dose of radiation to pinpointed area in the brain. Since brain tissue, unlike tissue elsewhere in the body, does into regenerate itself, mistakes in neurosurgery can be crippling and permanent.Leskell first conceived the idea of radio surgery and after two decades of research to identity the ideal radiation source and equipment, developed the Gamma knife in 1968. While the procedure takes on the three hours, actual treatment time in the Gamma knife unit is 10 to 20 minutes. The patient's head is positioned in a helmet which places the radiation target at the exact point of intersection of 201 cobalt 60 beams. At this point of convergence, enough radiation is delivered to destroy deceased tissue without affecting the adjacent normal tissue. Radiation is precisely delivered to the affected tissue and the dose absorbed by surrounding cerebral tissue is minimal. In 1968, the first Gamma knife was installed at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm. A second Gamma knife was installed at the institute in 1974. The Gamma knife however, came into its own following the development of sophisticated imaging techniques. "Today there are around 15 units in use of leading institutions all over the world, while 15 are now being installed," says Percy Shroff, manager of the India operations of Elekta Instrument AB, Sweden that manufactures medical equipment in the field of neuroscience.

"No such systems have been installed in India which has led quite a few patients to seek the treatment overseas. Taking India's patient population, the number of cases for which the treatment is suitable would be around 100 per million," reckons Shroff.At Rs. 12 crore, the Gamma Knife is a hefty investment but one that is cost-saving in the long-run. Treatment costs are reduced by 30 per cent to 70 percent as compared to conventional surgery. 
Furthermore, the hidden costs of prolonged convalescence after open surgery of the brain are eliminated since the patient leaves hospital the same day or a day after treatment. The producer is virtually painless as there is no incision nor any need for general anaesthesia. "Not only is the patient spared the pain, he is also spared the problems associated with traditional invasive surgery such as bleeding, infection, formation of scar tissue and lengthy hospitalisation and convalescence" says Dr. Keki E. Turel, consultant neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery, Mumbai Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences. Given the cost benefits, the Gamma knife is a suitable option for Government hospitals. In China, it has been installed in four large public hospitals where treatment is provided at a cost of $3000 to $5000 compared to $20,000 to $25,000 in the US 10,000-15,000 in Japan and Europe. 
Neurosurgeons in India expect to make the treatment available at the same cost as in China. The continuing refinement of imaging techniques has correspondingly increased the potential applications of the Gamma knife, with further development. It can be used to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson's diseases, and provided relief to patients suffering from intractable pain neurolgia, psyche-neurosis and epilepsy. Already of the 21,428 cases treated worldwide around 2 percent account for such therapy. Tumors account for 62 percent of treatments which malformations of blood vessels account for 36 percent. With on going research, the applications of the Gamma knife should spread to the other specialties also. Research related to inner ear and retinal cancers is currently underway.

6. The gamma knife reduces the cost of treatment of brain tumour by
a. 80% to 90%.
b. 20% to 80%.
c. 30% to 70%.-Answer
d. By 50%.

7. In China, the treatment through gamma knife costs
a. $3,000.00 to $5,000.00-Answer
b. $20,000.00 to $25,000.00
c. $10,000.00 to $15,000.00
d. $10,000.00 to $17,000.00

8. Consultant Neuro surgeon, Mumbai hospital Institute of Medical Science, is ___ (as mentioned in the passage) 
a. Lars Leskell.
b. Keki.E. Turel.-Answer
c. Percy Shroff.
d. N. Eziekel.

9. The first gamma knife was installed in
a. Karolinska Institute-Answer
b. Apollo Hospital
c. Mumbai Hospital Institute of Medical Science
d. Elekta Instruments

10. Gamma knife is use to cure
a. Parkinson’s Disease
b. Epilepsy
c. Brain Tumour-Answer
d. Neurolgia

Directions for questions 11-20: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate choice

11. Latin America has for long been a forgotten wasteland…………..Indian foreign policy
a. to the politics controllers
b. to the politics controllers by
c. to the political controllers by
d. to the politics controllers in-Answer

12. …………ahead of the herd.
a. Intelligence investors make their move 
b. Intelligence investors make its move
c. Intelligent investors make their moves-Answer
d. Intelligent investors make their move

13. Hakeem said the Muslims had been overlooked in…………….
a. earlier peace bids which ended in disaster-Answer
b. earliest peace bids which ended in disaster
c. early peace bids which ended in disaster
d. earlier peace birds which end in disaster

14. The speaker was so ……and elaborate that the audience started getting fidgety
a. terse 
b. prolix -Answer
c. curt 
d. brief

15. The Asian Games concluded with a colorful………….., in which, in addition to the athletes and players, a number of artists also participated.
a. ovation 
b. tablet 
c. pageant -Answer
d. finale

16. She…..her talents at the National School of dramatics. 
a. fine-tuned -Answer
b. stupefied 
c. abraded 
d. downgraded

17. This sort of an aggressive attitude would only serve to ………the supporters you already have. 
a. encourage 
b. exhort 
c. alienate -Answer
d. cooperate

18. Focus on solving the refugee problems and drawing plans for …………development was less evident. 
a. short-range 
b. sustainable -Answer
c. needless 
d. merit

19. The groups were feared but at the same time …….by the locals
a. revered -Answer
b. detested 
c. rebelled 
d. loathed

20. …………………; the logo and the product were repeatedly flashed with jingle that dinned the name into our heads
a. There was a time when visual advertising styles was blatantly direct-Answer
b. It was this kind of advertising that paved the way. 
c. There was no escape from the bombardment
d. Similar products are clubbed together by a brand inspired generic name

(Directions for questions 21-25): 
In each of the question given below. one or more statement is/are followed by inferential conclusions. The conclusion. which can be derived without supposing anything else. i.e.. without adding anything extra to the statement (s). is your answer.

21. Statement: 
The Education Secretary said that it was extremely necessary that the professional researchers along with practical school teachers conduct the practical research.
Conclusions: 
(a) Practicing teachers know the technique of research.
(b) Professional researchers are quite aware of the problems related to the school education.
(c) Educational Secretary was speaking to the school students.
(d) There is a communication gap between researchers and the practicing school teachers.
(e) School education is quite a specialized field and so long as teacher is not trained, the standard of education cannot be qualitatively better.-Answer

22. Statement:
Vehicular source contributes 60% to the total pollution level of Delhi, as informed in the Rajya Sabha today.

Conclusions: 
(a) The court has ordered that the main source of pollution should be identified.
(b) The problem of pollution is high in the work list.-Answer
(c) In the other cities also, vehicular source contributes around the same percentage level of pollution.
(d) This matter was raised first in the Lok Sabha.
(e) Not many towns in India face the problem of pollution.

23. Statement: 
PVC shoe producers union has welcomed the announcement of relief on production surcharge from Rs. 50 per pair to Rs 75 per pair.

Conclusions: 
(a) All PVC shoe producers are members of this union.
(b) Relief on production surcharge of Rs 50 on every pair to shoes, had been given only recently.
(c) Union had demanded an increase in relief.-Answer
(d) Govt. will collect more production surcharge.
(e) Other producers will also demand relief on production surcharge.

24. Statement : 
There are chances of hike in the electricity tariff soon. This proposal will bring about a sharp increase for the industrial consumers and marginal increase for the domestic consumers.

Conclusions: 
(a) At present there is a disparity in the electricity tariff between the domestic and the industrial consumers.
(b) Industrial consumers consume more electricity than the domestic users.
(c) Consumption of electricity by the industrial consumer is comparatively lower than the domestic user.
(d) After this hike, the electricity board will start making profit.-Answer
(e) If this proposal is accepted, then industrial output will get positively affected.

25. Statement :
State government imposes a monthly tax on the salary of all the employees. 
The tax amount varies according to the income slab. 
The Central govt. also imposes tax on the same income, which is known as the income tax. 
This is against the theory of taxation.

Conclusions: 
(a) A regular collection, irrespective of the income slab, by the Central govt. is the income tax.
(b) The Central govt. should not collect any tax on income.
(c) Income tax should not vary according to the income slabs.
(d) Tax should be imposed only once on an individual.-Answer
(e) The State govt. should not impose any tax on income.

Directions for Questions 26-30
Mark (1) if the 1st underlined word/phrase has error.
Mark (2) if the 2nd underlined word/phrase has error.
Mark (3) if the 3rd underlined word/phrase has error.
Mark (4) if the 4th underlined word/phrase has error.
Mark (5) if the sentence has NO ERROR

26. She wore a dress to the party that was more attractive than the other girls. D--Answer

27. If I would have been there, I certainly would have taken care of the problem. A--Answer

28. Unless there can be some assurance of increased wages, workers morale all ready low, will collapse C--Answer

29. No sooner had he began to speak when the opposition members started shouting slogans. A-Answer

30. Each of the hotel’s 150 rooms were equipped with central air-conditioning and colour television. B-Answer

Directions for questions31-35: Select the pair of words, which do have a relationship similar to the relationship between the given pair.

31. NOCTURNAL: BAT 
(a) amphibian: frog -Answer
(b) sly: cat
(c) carnivorous: cow 
(d) aquatic: lizard

32. TETHER: COW 
(a) trap: rat 
(b) manacle: man-Answer
(c) aerial: radio 
(d) ring: finger

33. FOOT: FINGERS 
(a) bottom: top 
(b) finger: thumb
(c) pedal: handicap 
(d) pedicure: manicure-Answer

34. NATURAL: SYNTHETIC 
(a) hypothesis: conclusion 
(b) cotton: wool-Answer
(c) fragrance: perfume 
(d) honey: sugarcane

35. MOVING: STATIC
(a) rain: cloud 
(b) glacier: snow-Answer
(c) river: alluvium 
(d) dynamics : electronics