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The rapid loss of frozen Arctic soil, known as permafrost, that contains more carbon dioxide than has ever been released by humans, is one of the most alarming causes of global warming that the world will face in coming years. Some scientific studies indicate that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as other parts of the planet and could lose all its ice by 2030.

While the Arctic may seem remote and thereby be given negligible consideration in its rising environmental concerns, the truth is that the overall rate of global warming – right from changing climates and rising sea levels to disruption of wildlife habitats and coastal villages – is affected by the heating of the Arctic.

Studies from Woods Hole Research Center (“WHRC”) attribute the cause of this environmental disaster to the fate of the permafrost underlying the Arctic. Permafrost, part of the Earth’s bedrock that is most vulnerable to warming, forms in climates where the mean air temperate is lower than the freezing point of water.

Permafrost comprises 25 per cent of the land in the Northern Hemisphere. It consists of rock, soil, sediments and ice that binds all the components together. While permafrost is defined as ground that has remained frozen for two or more consecutive years, in most areas' permafrost has been frozen for thousands of years.

Susan Natalie, an associate scientist at WHRC, found that permafrost holds an estimated 1,500 billion tonnes of carbon. This is almost double the carbon that is currently in the atmosphere. Apart from carbon, permafrost also stores large amounts of methane. When permafrost thaws upon heating up of the region, it releases vast amounts of this carbon and methane back into the atmosphere.

In other words, rising temperatures result in permafrost – that is primarily a storage room for carbon and methane – becoming the cause of these gases being emitted back into the atmosphere. Thawing of permafrost is a reality. If it persists, it could result in pervasive global warming. Some scientists find it difficult to determine the relative proportion of carbon emission that might result from permafrost thawing because such a phenomenon has never occurred in human history.

Studies conducted by Nature Climate Change estimate that carbon loss from permafrost regions could increase by 41 per cent if greenhouse gas emissions by humans continue at their current pace. Another study conducted by WHRC in 2017 estimates that if global temperatures rise by 1.5°C, thawing of permafrost could release 68 to 508 gigatons of carbon. Needless to say, these figures indicate catastrophic impacts on climate change from melting of permafrost.

Scientists are concerned that melting of permafrost would result in an “irreversible cycle wherein permafrost releases carbon into the atmosphere; this accelerates the heating up of the earth, which then triggers more permafrost thaw, only for the cycle to repeat itself endlessly. Resultantly, it is perceivable that no human action or inaction will be able to halt this irreversible cycle.

However, significant reduction in emission of greenhouses gases could certainly slow down the rate at which this cycle sets out to destroy the planet. Several problems have arisen upon melting of the permafrost ice. Dormant microbes that have been trapped under the frozen ground for thousands of years have now revived and infected humans with life-threatening diseases.

Scientists believe that bacteria and viruses that have been frozen under permafrost for millions of years can revive when it melts. The possibility of diseases such as Spanish flu, smallpox or the plague, that have been eradicated, could possibly revive upon melting of the permafrost. The world is already dealing with one of the world’s worst pandemics. Thawing of permafrost would only make matters worse.

Which of the following statements, if true, could be seen as not contradicting the arguments in the passage?

The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question. 
Indian contemporary Art in the break of 21st century is as varied as it had never been before. At its background, it has richness of various art forms used as medium of expression by civilizations since ages. From the elitist business houses and royal families, fine art has now entered the drawing rooms of the middle-class buyers and from domestic market it is now traveling offshore to fetch immense, often astronomical prices. To categorize Indian Fine Art, we can have many criteria. One criterion which is often used by the Art Schools is the criterion of the medium. In this criterion the artists are classified as Oil painters, Acrylic painters, water colourists, terracotta sculptors, installations artists, etc. But this is not a very good criterion as many artists in the 21st century do not use any single medium but experiment with many media simultaneously. Again the very distinction between paintings, assemblages, installations, collages and sculptures is getting blurred with each passing day. Another way of classifying Indian Art is categorize the art works in terms of the region of the artist’s origin. This is a very popular criterion and schools have been named after important centres of Art like Santiniketan, Baroda, Calcutta, Bombay, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai and Trivandrum. However, many artists move from one place to another and do not attach themselves with any particular school of art. 
A more difficult approach is to understand Artists and their Art in terms of the inspirations they draw from. Art in India had always been influenced by everyday life and has been an integral part of Indian life and excavations of Art objects from historical places have shown that Indian art had reached very high degrees of sophistication at various times in Indian History. Many of the artists in 21st century India use these historical styles in their art. Similarly, there are artists who draw their inspiration from the rich Folk traditions of India. 
India had always been closely connected with other countries. Influence of these various cultures can be seen in the art of various times. Even today the trend continues as Indian artists remain connected to the trends outside and openly adapt to the emerging European and Oriental styles.
Again while contemporary artists in India take inspiration from various sources and styles, Indian Art still remains its distinct Indianness. Newer styles never seen before are also emerging in the Indian scene; forms and styles which actually can not be categorized into any specific existing genre.

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

Direction for questions: The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

The rapid loss of frozen Arctic soil, known as permafrost, that contains more carbon dioxide than has ever been released by humans, is one of the most alarming causes of global warming that the world will face in coming years. Some scientific studies indicate that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as other parts of the planet and could lose all its ice by 2030.

While the Arctic may seem remote and thereby be given negligible consideration in its rising environmental concerns, the truth is that the overall rate of global warming – right from changing climates and rising sea levels to disruption of wildlife habitats and coastal villages – is affected by the heating of the Arctic.

Studies from Woods Hole Research Center (“WHRC”) attribute the cause of this environmental disaster to the fate of the permafrost underlying the Arctic. Permafrost, part of the Earth’s bedrock that is most vulnerable to warming, forms in climates where the mean air temperate is lower than the freezing point of water.

Permafrost comprises 25 per cent of the land in the Northern Hemisphere. It consists of rock, soil, sediments and ice that binds all the components together. While permafrost is defined as ground that has remained frozen for two or more consecutive years, in most areas' permafrost has been frozen for thousands of years.

Susan Natalie, an associate scientist at WHRC, found that permafrost holds an estimated 1,500 billion tonnes of carbon. This is almost double the carbon that is currently in the atmosphere. Apart from carbon, permafrost also stores large amounts of methane. When permafrost thaws upon heating up of the region, it releases vast amounts of this carbon and methane back into the atmosphere.

In other words, rising temperatures result in permafrost – that is primarily a storage room for carbon and methane – becoming the cause of these gases being emitted back into the atmosphere. Thawing of permafrost is a reality. If it persists, it could result in pervasive global warming. Some scientists find it difficult to determine the relative proportion of carbon emission that might result from permafrost thawing because such a phenomenon has never occurred in human history.

Studies conducted by Nature Climate Change estimate that carbon loss from permafrost regions could increase by 41 per cent if greenhouse gas emissions by humans continue at their current pace. Another study conducted by WHRC in 2017 estimates that if global temperatures rise by 1.5°C, thawing of permafrost could release 68 to 508 gigatons of carbon. Needless to say, these figures indicate catastrophic impacts on climate change from melting of permafrost.

Scientists are concerned that melting of permafrost would result in an “irreversible cycle wherein permafrost releases carbon into the atmosphere; this accelerates the heating up of the earth, which then triggers more permafrost thaw, only for the cycle to repeat itself endlessly. Resultantly, it is perceivable that no human action or inaction will be able to halt this irreversible cycle.

However, significant reduction in emission of greenhouses gases could certainly slow down the rate at which this cycle sets out to destroy the planet. Several problems have arisen upon melting of the permafrost ice. Dormant microbes that have been trapped under the frozen ground for thousands of years have now revived and infected humans with life-threatening diseases.

Scientists believe that bacteria and viruses that have been frozen under permafrost for millions of years can revive when it melts. The possibility of diseases such as Spanish flu, smallpox or the plague, that have been eradicated, could possibly revive upon melting of the permafrost. The world is already dealing with one of the world’s worst pandemics. Thawing of permafrost would only make matters worse.

Based on the passage, all of the following are the effects of heating of the Arctic EXCEPT

The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question. 
Indian contemporary Art in the break of 21st century is as varied as it had never been before. At its background, it has richness of various art forms used as medium of expression by civilizations since ages. From the elitist business houses and royal families, fine art has now entered the drawing rooms of the middle-class buyers and from domestic market it is now traveling offshore to fetch immense, often astronomical prices. To categorize Indian Fine Art, we can have many criteria. One criterion which is often used by the Art Schools is the criterion of the medium. In this criterion the artists are classified as Oil painters, Acrylic painters, water colourists, terracotta sculptors, installations artists, etc. But this is not a very good criterion as many artists in the 21st century do not use any single medium but experiment with many media simultaneously. Again the very distinction between paintings, assemblages, installations, collages and sculptures is getting blurred with each passing day. Another way of classifying Indian Art is categorize the art works in terms of the region of the artist’s origin. This is a very popular criterion and schools have been named after important centres of Art like Santiniketan, Baroda, Calcutta, Bombay, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai and Trivandrum. However, many artists move from one place to another and do not attach themselves with any particular school of art. 
A more difficult approach is to understand Artists and their Art in terms of the inspirations they draw from. Art in India had always been influenced by everyday life and has been an integral part of Indian life and excavations of Art objects from historical places have shown that Indian art had reached very high degrees of sophistication at various times in Indian History. Many of the artists in 21st century India use these historical styles in their art. Similarly, there are artists who draw their inspiration from the rich Folk traditions of India. 
India had always been closely connected with other countries. Influence of these various cultures can be seen in the art of various times. Even today the trend continues as Indian artists remain connected to the trends outside and openly adapt to the emerging European and Oriental styles.
Again while contemporary artists in India take inspiration from various sources and styles, Indian Art still remains its distinct Indianness. Newer styles never seen before are also emerging in the Indian scene; forms and styles which actually can not be categorized into any specific existing genre.

Which of the following is true about Indian art;

Karl Marx was a German philosopher, economist, historian and journalist who is best known for his work as a radical political theorist and socialist revolutionary. In collaboration with fellow theorist and benefactor Friedrich Engels, Marx published "The Communist Manifesto" in 1848, which became the basis for communism. His writings remain widely studied but also controversial, and they have influenced revolutionary movements and political regimes across the decades, particularly during the 20th century. 

Marx is best known for authoring "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital."  The former originally called "The Manifesto of the Communist Party," was co-written with Engels and published as a pamphlet in 1848. One of the principal statements of European socialist and communist ideology, the manifesto described Marx's conception of history in terms of class struggle, from medieval feudalism to 19th-century capitalism. In the document, Marx predicted that communists would overthrow the bourgeoisie and accomplish the "abolition of private property," before raising "the proletariat to the position of ruling class."

The "Manifesto of the Communist Party" is now considered one of the most significant political works in history and contains famous lines such as: "A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism," and, "The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite!"

Between 1867 and 1883, Marx published "Das Kapital," a huge, three-volume analysis of the economic and social failings of capitalism. Focusing on economic arguments, "Das Kapital" argued that capitalism was ultimately doomed because it could not endlessly sustain profits.

The writings of Karl Marx were considered ______.

Karl Marx was a German philosopher, economist, historian and journalist who is best known for his work as a radical political theorist and socialist revolutionary. In collaboration with fellow theorist and benefactor Friedrich Engels, Marx published "The Communist Manifesto" in 1848, which became the basis for communism. His writings remain widely studied but also controversial, and they have influenced revolutionary movements and political regimes across the decades, particularly during the 20th century. 

Marx is best known for authoring "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital."  The former originally called "The Manifesto of the Communist Party," was co-written with Engels and published as a pamphlet in 1848. One of the principal statements of European socialist and communist ideology, the manifesto described Marx's conception of history in terms of class struggle, from medieval feudalism to 19th-century capitalism. In the document, Marx predicted that communists would overthrow the bourgeoisie and accomplish the "abolition of private property," before raising "the proletariat to the position of ruling class."

The "Manifesto of the Communist Party" is now considered one of the most significant political works in history and contains famous lines such as: "A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism," and, "The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite!"

Between 1867 and 1883, Marx published "Das Kapital," a huge, three-volume analysis of the economic and social failings of capitalism. Focusing on economic arguments, "Das Kapital" argued that capitalism was ultimately doomed because it could not endlessly sustain profits.

According to the given passage, which of the following statements is correct?

I. Karl Marx was a journalist.

II. Friedrich Engels co-authored “The Communist Manifesto" with Karl Marx.

III.  Karl Marx published “Das Kapital” between 1867 and 1883.

The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

Indian contemporary Art in the break of 21st century is as varied as it had never been before. At its background, it has richness of various art forms used as medium of expression by civilizations since ages. From the elitist business houses and royal families, fine art has now entered the drawing rooms of the middle-class buyers and from domestic market it is now traveling offshore to fetch immense, often astronomical prices. To categorize Indian Fine Art, we can have many criteria. One criterion which is often used by the Art Schools is the criterion of the medium. In this criterion the artists are classified as Oil painters, Acrylic painters, water colourists, terracotta sculptors, installations artists, etc. But this is not a very good criterion as many artists in the 21st century do not use any single medium but experiment with many media simultaneously. Again the very distinction between paintings, assemblages, installations, collages and sculptures is getting blurred with each passing day. Another way of classifying Indian Art is categorize the art works in terms of the region of the artist’s origin. This is a very popular criterion and schools have been named after important centres of Art like Santiniketan, Baroda, Calcutta, Bombay, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai and Trivandrum. However, many artists move from one place to another and do not attach themselves with any particular school of art.

A more difficult approach is to understand Artists and their Art in terms of the inspirations they draw from. Art in India had always been influenced by everyday life and has been an integral part of Indian life and excavations of Art objects from historical places have shown that Indian art had reached very high degrees of sophistication at various times in Indian History. Many of the artists in 21st century India use these historical styles in their art. Similarly, there are artists who draw their inspiration from the rich Folk traditions of India.

India had always been closely connected with other countries. Influence of these various cultures can be seen in the art of various times. Even today the trend continues as Indian artists remain connected to the trends outside and openly adapt to the emerging European and Oriental styles.

Again while contemporary artists in India take inspiration from various sources and styles, Indian Art still remains its distinct Indianness. Newer styles never seen before are also emerging in the Indian scene; forms and styles which actually can not be categorized into any specific existing genre.

The passage is primarily about

Direction for questions: The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

Karl Marx was a German philosopher, economist, historian and journalist who is best known for his work as a radical political theorist and socialist revolutionary. In collaboration with fellow theorist and benefactor Friedrich Engels, Marx published "The Communist Manifesto" in 1848, which became the basis for communism. His writings remain widely studied but also controversial, and they have influenced revolutionary movements and political regimes across the decades, particularly during the 20th century. 

Marx is best known for authoring "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital."  The former originally called "The Manifesto of the Communist Party," was co-written with Engels and published as a pamphlet in 1848. One of the principal statements of European socialist and communist ideology, the manifesto described Marx's conception of history in terms of class struggle, from medieval feudalism to 19th-century capitalism. In the document, Marx predicted that communists would overthrow the bourgeoisie and accomplish the "abolition of private property," before raising "the proletariat to the position of ruling class."

The "Manifesto of the Communist Party" is now considered one of the most significant political works in history and contains famous lines such as: "A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism," and, "The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite!"

Between 1867 and 1883, Marx published "Das Kapital," a huge, three-volume analysis of the economic and social failings of capitalism. Focusing on economic arguments, "Das Kapital" argued that capitalism was ultimately doomed because it could not endlessly sustain profits.

The given passage discusses which aspect of Karl Marx’s life?

The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
India as a country has been bestowed with several nomenclatures. Right from unity in diversity to birthplace of Hinduism and Sanskrit, the land has always been admired and revered for its rich cultural legacy and variety that it offers. India is a story, a legend, folklore and an anecdote in itself. It needs no introduction, no specific mention. It has continued to thrive for centuries and there are bright chances of it being the next super power. The country has always nourished numerous cultures, traditions and religions. All the major religions thrive in India and none of them have ever felt insecure or unprotected. That’s the beauty of the land.
Go to any part of rich India and you will find numerous temple and shrines and all of them contain their own unique stories. We have always believed in beautiful and fascinating description of Indian Gods and Goddesses. Many stories have been told and retold in different fashions about how particular God originated in a particular place. All the descriptions of deities are believable and they convey just one message of Good winning over the evil. Gods in Indian religion have always fought monsters and even taken human forms to conquer evils in convincing manner. Right from north India to southern and western states, everywhere one can find plenty of amazing tales about our religion and sustenance over the centuries. The essence remains the same, the versions differ.
Indian mythology has always been popular among masses. Its effect can be seen from different religious functions and tales told to the kids by their grandma. The virtues have always been exemplified by the conduct of the Gods. Many present day symbols have been born from our mythology and religious beliefs. For example, Om or Swastika or Trishul etc have always been revered. Religious beliefs are in tune with our traditional way of living and we as staunch believers still believe in following the rules and customs. When you hear of stories about our mythological characters like Ram, Sita, Hanuman, Ravana, Ganesha, Krishna and Bhima etc you get to know about what the essence of India is made of. These characters are now being used in animation movies that will be further helpful in making new generation aware of India’s famous religions and mythology. Religion and mythology is no less than precious treasure that must be respected and preserved. India is a story in itself. There have been civilizations and archaeological facts that are constantly being researched about the birth place of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Though many times there are fake inventions, there seems a lot of history in the shrines and temples in India. Each depiction of God and villains seems appropriate with the truth winning over the evil. Each time and place has the new emergence of a Hindu God who takes care of the three worlds and slays the evil. A swastika or an Om is a revered sign and mentioned as prosperity. There are many symbols like the Trishul or the Trident which is not displayed everywhere as it is considered aggressive. It is customary to smear ash or sandalwood powder in the forehead as it cools the mind. These are beliefs turned to tradition and most of us follow the rules and codes. The latest generation is quite inquisitive about facts yet totally appreciates the quests of Lord Rama, the slaying of the ten headed Ravana, the piousness of Sita and the loyalty of Hanuman. Animation flicks are being created showing characters like Gathotkach the son of Bhima, Hanuman and Ganesha. Though these are kid specials, this would be the best way to teach them about Gods and religion. Dashavatar is a wonderful combination of story and the magnanimous nature of Lord Vishnu. Each avatar or creation has a set nature and character. It is mind blowing to see the story narration and is well received by the all of us. Our art and culture have direct relation with the mythology. The Shravan month is a holy time where people get religiously and maintain fasting. This is also the time for the beginning of all festivals. Magic or splendour is what we see at the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in India. The Durga Puja is another feat. South traditions relate to Lord Muruga( Karthik) or Lord Ayyappa. The shrine of Vaishnodevi in Jammu involves climbing a steep mountain of 14 kilometers bent and the mission seems accomplished once we see the holy pind. People hold allegiance and complete belief in miracles when life challenges them. Mythology is the treasure of Indian religion and must be given to our progeny.

Why the symbol of the Trishul or the Trident is not displayed everywhere?