Application Sheet-2020 : Critical Reasoning Passages-5

Critical Reasoning – 12 Page 1

Critical ReasoningApplication Sheet-2020 : Critical Reasoning Passages-5

12

Number of Questions : 20 CEX-SUP-8937/20

Directions for questions 1 to 20: Each set ofquestions in this section is based on the reasoningand arguments set out in the preceding passage.Please answer each question on the basis of whatis stated or implied in the corresponding passage.Do not rely on any information or facts other thanthe ones supplied to you. In some instances, morethan one option may be the answer to the question;in such a case, please choose the option that mostaccurately and comprehensively answers thequestion.

Passage – 1

Over a hundred people have succumbed to themystery virus that originated in China's Wuhanprovince and it has been confirmed in at least 10other countries. The Chinese authorities haveacknowledged that the virus has affected 4,500people. But modeling by researchers at ImperialCollege London suggests that 70,000 to 100,000people could be affected. The WHO, which last weekdesisted from describing the situation as a publichealth emergency, has asked countries in SoutheastAsia to remain vigilant. The outbreak has evokedmemories of the SARS epidemic of 2002-2003, whichkilled nearly 800 and affected more than 8,000 peopleworldwide. It was also ascribed to a coronavirus andmanifested similar symptoms - fever, cough andshortness of breath. Antibiotics do not work againstsuch viral pneumonia and there are no vaccinesagainst them. However, there are reassuringdifferences between the situation in 2002-3 and theone today. For one, China's response to the current

outbreak is markedly different from the way it dealtwith SARS. In contrast to its secretive ways 17 yearsago, Beijing informed the WHO, shared the virus'sgene sequence with the world, imposed travelrestrictions and quarantined 50 million people.Moreover, experts suggest that the currentcoronavirus outbreak is not as virulent as the one in2002-3 - it has a mortality rate of less than 3 percentas compared to SARS's death rate of nearly 10percent. But we are still looking at preliminary data,and scientists are likely to know the exact magnitudeof the problem in the coming weeks.

1. Which of the following strengthens theauthor's argument?(1) Chinese authorities are not revealing the

real pictures of the virus outbreak due tointernational backlash.

(2) Chinese authorities do not have thetechnology to predict the number of peopleaffected by the virus outbreak.

(a) 1 only (b) 2 only(c) Both of the above (d) None of the above

2. Which of the following is the most logical andrational inference that can be made from theabove passage?(1) In a globalized world, the chances of the

flu spreading fast are high.(2) Flu vaccines should be developed as soon

as possible.


Critical Reasoning – 12Page 2

3. Which of the following statements weakensthe author's argument in the passage?(1) WHO advises against the application of

any travel or trade restrictions on Chinabased on the information currentlyavailable. It does not recommend thattravelers take any specific measureseither.

(2) Sharing the virus's gene data will helpother countries to quickly identify the virus,provide care, and also develop specificdiagnostic kits, drugs and even vaccines.


4. Which of the following is/are the most logicalassumption made by the author?(1) It is more difficult for vulnerable members

of the population, that is, the elderly orthose with existing respiratory or immuneproblems, to protect themselves againstthe spread of CoronaVirus.

(2) India has issued a travel advisory askingcitizens to follow certain precautionarymeasures while visiting China.


5. Which of the following is the most appropriateconclusion?(1) Shutting down entire cities goes beyond

the normal practice of quarantininginfected people and might backfire

(2) One sensible step is to develop the fluvaccine, which will reduce the burden onhealth services if the outbreak turns intoa wider epidemic.


Passage – 2

The government has kicked off the disinvestmentprocess for Air India for the second time. It has issueda preliminary information memorandum for interestto sell its stake in Air India, Air India Express and AirIndia-SATS. But this time, the government seemsto have taken care to address some of thecontentious issues which had dampened investorinterest in the past. As the airline has been incurringhuge losses, there is simply no rationale forcontinuing to pump in money into a loss-makingentity operating in a hyper-competitive sector whereconsumers are well-served by the private sector.The government has sweetened the deal on severalcounts. First, unlike last time when it offered tooffload only 76 percent of its stake in the airline, thegovernment will offload its entire stake. Second, thegovernment has lowered the net worth criteria forpotential bidders from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 3,500crore. Some have argued that investors may find itdifficult to buy the entire airline. Thus, a more prudentapproach would be to split its various businessessuch as international and domestic operations, itsground services arm, and the airport servicescompany, and sell them separately. With the demiseof Jet Airways, this revised structure should beattractive to investors. The repeated delays in thegovernment's stake sale in Air India, underline theneed to have a better strategy for the disinvestmentprogram. So far, the approach has been to view it asa means for shoring up the Centre's revenue towardsthe end of each financial year. Instead, the Centrecould draw up a list of companies for disinvestmentand release an advance calendar. This would provideclarity and help potential investors.

6. What is the author's assumption when hementions the demise of Jet airways?(1) It was Air India's competitor in the airline

segment.(2) Demise of Jet Airways has created

lucrative conditions for disinvestment.



7. Which of the following is an appropriateinference according to the passage?(1) Air India is a loss-making enterprise.(2) Selling Air India's stake is important for

government finances.(3) Air India cannot be revived by the

government.

(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only (d) All of the above

8. Which of the following statements weakensthe arguments made by the author in thepassage?(1) One sincerely hopes that the

disinvestment exercise this time isthought of wisely, pursued withdetermination, and is successful becauseit is linked to the prospect of transformingAir India into a robust carrier that we allcan justifiably be proud of once again.

(2) In view of the current macroeconomicparameters, the government would notonly reinitiate the process of strategicdisinvestment of Air India but should offermore government enterprises for strategicparticipation by the private sector.


9. Which of the following can be a possiblereason for the government selling the entirestake of AirIndia instead of a 76% stake.(1) This is likely to increase revenue that may

help in government finances.(2) This is likely to encourage prospective

bidders as it implies having full operationalfreedom to run the carrier.


10. Which of the following statements strengthenthe author's argument?(1) The government should infuse more money

into AirIndia to revive its leading positionand then sell it to gain maximum profit.

(2) The government should revive Air India byinduction of professional managementwith effective leadership, a sound financialpackage that does not come with politicalinterference in its day-to-day operations.

(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both of the above(d) None of the above

Passage – 3

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left theEuropean Union. It was a sad moment for us, forEuropean citizens - and, indeed, for many Britishcitizens. Nevertheless, we have always respectedthe sovereign decision of 52% of the Britishelectorate, and we now look forward to starting anew chapter in our relations. A structured exit, onFebruary 1 turned out to be historic but alsoundramatic. This is largely thanks to the WithdrawalAgreement that we negotiated with the U.K., whichenabled us to secure "an orderly Brexit". Under thisagreement, the EU and the U.K. agreed on atransition period, until the end of 2020 at least, duringwhich the U.K. will continue to participate in theEU's Customs Union and in the Single Market.During this period, the U.K. will also continue toabide by the international agreements of the EU.So, with the transition period in place, there is adegree of continuity. By leaving the Union, the U.K.automatically, mechanically, legally, leaves hundredsof international agreements concluded by or onbehalf of the Union. We now have to build a newpartnership between the EU and the U.K., setting


out our terms and ambitions for achieving the closestpossible partnership with a country that will remainour ally, our partner and our friend. We want to gowell beyond trade and keep working together onsecurity and defence, among other areas. In a worldof big challenges and change, of turmoil andtransition, we must consult each other andcooperate, bilaterally and in key regional and globalfora, such as the United Nations, the World TradeOrganization, the North Atlantic Treaty Organizationor the G20.

11. With reference to the passage, which of thefollowing is the most correct, logical andrational inference?(1) Brexit deal minimizes disruption for EU

citizens, businesses, publicadministrations, as well as theinternational partners.

(2) With the transition period in place, thereis a degree of continuity.


12. Which of the following is the most logical andrational assumption made in the passage?(1) The U.K. has experiences and assets that

are best used as part of a common effort.(2) Brexit will make the U.K weaker and its

relationship with the EU will furtherdeteriorate.


13. Which of the following contradicts the author'sarguments?(1) E.U is a steadfast defender of rules-based

multilateralism, working with its partnersto make the world more secure and fair.

(2) U.K should sever all its ties with the E.Ubecause the majority of the voters votedfor Brexit.


14. Which of the following strengthens theauthor's argument?(1) The U.K has to renegotiate agreements

on trade, aviation, fisheries or civil nuclearcooperation.

(2) The U.K needs to reestablish i tsrelationships with the rest of the world asan independent nation.


15. Which of the following is the most logical andrational conclusion that can be drawn fromthe passage?(a) The more the U.K. is able to work in

lockstep with the EU and together withpartners around the world, the greater itschances of addressing these challengeseffectively.

(b) It is perhaps a cliché, but the basic truthis that today's global challenges - fromclimate change to cybercrime, terrorismor inequality - require collective responses.

(c) EU partners can be sure that they willstay true to an ambitious, outward-lookingagenda - be it on trade and investment,on cl imate action and digital, onconnectivity, on security and counter-terrorism, on human rights anddemocracy, or on defence and foreignpolicy.

(d) E.U will continue to l ive up to thecommitments. It will continue to stand bythe agreements that link them to theirinternational partners and will continue todevelop multi lateral cooperationframeworks around the world.


Passage – 4

As the Centre pushes to attach medical colleges toexisting district hospitals in the public-privatepartnership (PPP) model to address the shortage ofdoctors in the country, those states that fully allowthe facilities of the hospital to the medical collegeand provide land at a concession would be eligiblefor viability gap funding. First proposed by NITI Aayog,it argues that it is practically not possible for Centraland State governments to bridge the gaps in medicaleducation, necessitating the formation of a PPPmodel, "combining the strengths of both sectors".This would augment the number of medical seatsavailable and moderate the costs of medicaleducation. But allowing private parties to "operateand maintain the district hospital and providehealthcare services" could seriously dent publichealth services. A working draft of the concessionaireagreement indicates that the private firm "candemand, collect and appropriate hospital chargesfrom patients". There is understandable oppositionto the scheme in States such as Tamil Nadu thathave a robust public health-care system, and amedical college in nearly every district. Whilecreating quality medical professionals for the countryshould definitely be on any government's to-do list,destabilising people's access to affordable publichealth services, will be disastrous. This instantsituation calls for pause as health fits square in theState's welfare role. The government must ensuremore resources are available to provide free, qualityhealth care to all, if it does stay on its path of givingthe private sector some control over district hospitals.

16. Which of the following is a logical assumptionmade in the passage?(1) Finances and resources of both centre

and states are limited.(2) Viability Gap Funding is essential for

construction of medical colleges.


17. Which of the following contradicts the author'sargument in the passage?(1) NITI Aayog has not given sufficient

attention to the role of the district hospitalas the pivot of primary health care in everyState.

(2) It is problematic that the NITI Aayogcondones the establishment of processesthat ensure that all patients end up payingbecause this will create a new categoryof have-nots.


18. Which of the following strengthens theauthor's argument in the above passage ?(1) States are naturally loath to turn over a

key unit in their health-care network, whichis running reasonably efficiently, to theprivate sector motivated by profit ratherthan public interest.

(2) Viability gap funding is provided to PPPmodels only in certain cases where it isunder the government's welfare role.


19. Which of the following weakens the author'sargument?(a) The state has to play a welfare role but

the health sector cannot constitute sucha role because the ultimately monetaryburden will affect the financial health,consequently affecting the state'streasury, which is financed by taxpayersmoney.


(b) Viability gap funding can encourage stategovernments to improve their health carefacilities in the respective states and thusimproving essential health indicatorsimportant for human development.

(c) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is agood model upon which beneficialassociation between Public Institutionsand Private institutions can be forged.

(d) None of the above.

20. Which of the following is the most correct,rational and logical conclusion of thepassage?(a) The government must consider raising

health-care spending beyond the usualunder 2% of GDP.

(b) If the government does stay on its path ofgiving the private sector some control overdistrict hospitals, it will be a small actthat will lead to much larger, more serious,and less desirable consequences.

(c) Medical education should be in the handsof the State government. Similarly,medical care too. Such a proposal iscertainly not a good idea.

(d) The government should not compromiseon the interest of patients while handingover district government hospitals toprivate medical col leges throughpublic-private partnership (PPP) model.


Critical Reasoning – 12Application Sheet-2020 : Critical Reasoning Passages-5

Answers and Explanations

CEX-SUP-8937/20

1 a 2 c 3 a 4 d 5 b 6 a 7 a 8 d 9 c 10 d

11 c 12 d 13 b 14 c 15 a 16 a 17 d 18 a 19 a 20 b

1. a As the author states that "The Chinese authoritieshave acknowledged that the virus has affected 4,500people. But modeling by researchers at Imperial CollegeLondon suggests that 70,000 to 100,000 people couldbe affected." Hence Chinese authorities are notdepicting true pictures, but no reason has been givenin the passage for this. Thus, only (1) is true.

2. c Statement (1) is correct because the author states,"Beijing informed the WHO, shared the virus's genesequence with the world, imposed travel restrictionsand quarantined 50 million people" and statement (2)is the next plausible step.

3. a In the passage the author states "The WHO, whichlast week desisted from describing the situation as apublic health emergency, has asked countries inSoutheast Asia to remain vigilant". Thus, it is clear thatthough the WHO was initially calm about the virus, butit subsequently become concerned. Hence, statement(1) weakens the author's argument. The author alsostates "shared the virus's gene sequence with theworld", thus, (2) supports the author's argument.

4. d As none of the statements can be derived from thearguments of the author, hence both are incorrect.

5. b As statement (1) is not related to any of the lines in thepassage it cannot be a conclusion, whereas statement(2) can be the next logical step that can be taken asthe author states "Antibiotics do not work against suchviral pneumonia and there are no vaccines againstthem". Hence only (2) is correct.

6. a Statement (2) is explicit in the passage. Therefore,although it's true, it is not an assumption whereasstatement (1) is an assumption because if Jet Airwaysis considered as a competitor of Air India, its demisewould have created conducive situations fordisinvestment.

7. a (1) is correct as the author mentions "As the airlinehas been incurring huge losses, there is simply norationale for continuing to pump in money into a

loss-making entity". (2) is also correct as the authormentions "So far, the approach has been to view it asa means for shoring up the Centre's revenue towardsthe end of each financial year". But (3) cannot bederived with certainty from any of the statements madeby the author in the passage.

8. d Both of the statements support the author's argumentmade in the passage. (1) talks about a scenario postdisinvestment, in which Air India is revived and weare once again proud of it. Statement (2) supportsgovernment disinvestment in Air India and furtheradvises the government to allow more privateparticipation.

9. c As both of the statements are logical and follow thequestion's statement, hence both could be a possiblereason for selling the entire stake of Air India, by thegovernment.

10. d Both statements provide perspectives opposite to theauthor's argument in the passage, " As the airline hasbeen incurring huge losses, there is simply no rationalefor continuing to pump in money into a loss-makingentity operating in a hyper-competitive sector whereconsumers are well-served by the private sector."This clearly depicts that the government should sellAir India.

11. c As the author states "Withdrawal Agreement that wenegotiated with the U.K., which enabled us to secure"an orderly Brexit", hence (1) is the correct inference.Also, the author states "During this period, the U.K.will also continue to abide by the internationalagreements of the EU", hence (2) is also a correctinference.

12. d (1) seems to be a correct statement in itself and couldbe a logical inference as author states "We want to gowell beyond trade and keep working together onsecurity and defence" but is not an assumption.(2) cannot be confirmed from any of the author'sstatements.


13. b Although statement (1) cannot be verified from theabove passage, it doesn't contradict the author'sarguments. Whereas (2) states that EU and UK shouldcease all ties with each other, whereas the authorstates that EU and UK should partner on variousissues, hence (2) contradicts the author's arguments.

14. c As the author states that "By leaving the Union, theU.K. automatically, mechanically, legally, leaveshundreds of international agreements concluded byor on behalf of the Union" hence both (1) and (2) arein support of the author statement.

15. a As statement (a) is in line with the passage and talksabout post-Brexit partnership of U.K and E.U, it iscorrect. (b) is a transitional statement, (c) is incompletein itself and (d) states the motto or mission of the EUand cannot be considered as a conclusion.

16. a As the author states "It argues that it is practically notpossible for Central and State governments to bridgethe gaps in medical education, necessitating theformation of a PPP model" hence (1) is correct.Statement (2) in itself may be correct but is not anassumption in the passage.

17. d Both statements can be derived from the passage.Statement (1) can be derived from "But allowing privateparties to "operate and maintain the district hospitaland provide healthcare services" could seriously dentpublic health services." and Statement (2) can bederived from" A working draft of the concessionaireagreement indicates that the private firm "can demand,collect and appropriate hospital charges from patients".Thus, none contradicts the author in the passage.

18. a As the author s tates "There is understandableopposition to the scheme in States such as Tamil Naduthat have a robust public health-care system, and amedical college in nearly every dis tric t."Hence statement (1) supports the author becausestates in which medical facilities are already good arereluctant to give such units to private players. (2) isnot correct as there has been no link-up of PPP andgovernment welfare roles.

19. a The author states " health fits square in the State'swelfare role". Hence, he means that health is animportant constituent in the state's welfare role.Thus (a) weakens the author's argument. But both (b)and (c ) are in support of the author's argument as hestates "It argues that it is practically not possible forCentral and State governments to bridge the gaps inmedical education, necessitating the formation of aPPP model, "combining the strengths of both sectors".

20. b (b) talks about the consequences of the stepmentioned in the passage and is in line with the author'sargument that linking district hospitals with medicalcolleges under PPP can bring domination of privatesector in the health sector. Thus, (b) is correct.(c) talks about medical education and gives a meresuggestion which may represent the author's argumentbut is not a conclusion. (d) is just a suggestion to thegovernment.

Documents

Application Sheet-2020 : Critical Reasoning Passages-5