Passage 1
According to the WHO, more than 8,00,000 people die by suicide every year, making it a principal cause of death among people in the 15 to 29 age group. In the past few decades, the numbers have reached alarming statistical levels. The prevention requires a multidimensional approach involving the government, health policy makers, educational institutes, coaching institutes, the conventional and social media, sociologists, NGOs, cyberlaw makers, the police, psychiatrists, psychologists, other specialty doctors, parents, friends and society at large. Because of the stigma attached with suicide in people’s mind, getting the sufferers and their families talk about it has been a major issue. And this is the reason the public hardly knows the risk factors of suicide and ways to prevent it.
- It is said that the numbers have reached an alarming level because:
- Suicide has become the principle cause of death.
- Suicide has become the principle cause of death in 15-29 age group
- Suicide has become the principle cause of death in 15-29 age group which is the most productive age
- Because of Suicide, more than 800000 people die every year
- How can we stop or prevent these increasing suicides?
- By coordinating between educational institutions, parents, friends and psychologists
- By using an approach that takes into consideration all the parts and dimensions of the life of a young person
- By improving health policies, educational policies and involving NGOs.
- By using an approach which takes into consideration the medical and educational aspects of a young person’s life.
- People hardly know about the risk factors of Suicide and the ways to prevent it because:
- They don’t talk about it because of the way people see it in the society
- There are no awareness programmes by the Government
- The parents don’t talk about it in their homes
- They don’t talk about it because it is a bad thing
- Who are reluctant to talk about suicide?
- The ones who have suicide
- The ones who have attempted suicide
- The families and friends of sufferers
- The ones who have attempted suicide and their people.
- Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage above?
- The principle cause of death is Suicide
- Earlier the suicides did not take place much
- If the sufferers and their families start talking about the suicide, it can be completely prevented
- Suicide can be prevented if we take the right approach
Passage 2
For a government that rode to power on the back of widespread dissatisfaction among people over runaway prices, especially of food commodities, the rising cost of onion and potato are posing a major challenge now. Though there is no reason to panic yet, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after addressing a meeting of State Food Ministers, there is little doubt that there is cause for concern mainly because the monsoon is playing truant. After its poor performance in June, the revival in July has been patchy, fuelling inflationary expectations in foodgrains and vegetables. The government believes that the expectation of a poor monsoon and consequent fall in harvests has encouraged traders and middlemen to hoard food staples such as onion and potato. The decision to bring the two vegetables under the purview of the Essential Commodities Act and imposing stock limits on them is a direct result of this reading. Simultaneously, the government has increased the minimum export price of onion to $500 a ton; the earlier level of $300 a tonne has not been effective enough. India is one of the largest onion exporters in the world, and last year it shipped out about 1.3 million tonnes of the bulb — which was a little less than 10 per cent of the country’s total output.
- The Government has increased the export price of onion because:
- The prices of onion in the domestic market have increased.
- the earlier level of $300 per tonne was low
- India is one of the largest onion exporters in the world
- The onions have been hoarded by the traders.
- What is the only reason to worry about the food grains as per the Jinance Minister Arun Jaitley?
- Excessive Monsoon
- Too little monsoon
- Inconsistent monsoon
- Delayed Monsoon
- Why did Arun Jaitley have a meeting with all the State food Ministers?
- Just as a formality
- To know the status of production of food grains in each state and the difficulties faced in production
- To know the status of monsoon
- To know the status of food consumption in each state
- What has encouraged traders to hoard the food staples?
- Rising prices of onion
- Low monsoon
- Expectation of bad monsoon resulting in low production
- Low production because of bad monsoon
- Why onion and potato is brought under the purview of the Essential Commodities Act and stock limit is imposed on them?
- expectation of a poor monsoon and consequent fall in harvests
- to prevent Traders and middleman from hoarding it
- fuelling inflationary expectations in foodgrains and vegetables
- To generate more revenue
ANSWERS
- (b)
- (b)
- (a)
- (d)
- (d)
- (a)
- (b)
- (b)
- (c)
- (b)