DIRECTIONS (Q 1-8) : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
The Prime Minister’s recent trip to Nigeria, the first bilateral prime ministerial visit to Africa since Jawaharlal Nehur’s 45 years ago, recalls a long neglected Indian obligation. “It is up to Asia to help Africa to the best of her ability,” Nehru told the Bandung Conference in 1955, “because we are sister continents. “The Prime Minister’s proposed strategic partnership with African nations might at last make good that 52-year old promise and also, perhaps, challenge China’s expedient diplomacy. In the intervening years, the West’s sanctimonious boycott of many African regimes – after nearly a century of extreme colonial exploitation – left the continent in the grip of oppressive rulers looking for new political sponsors, arms-sellers and trading partners. Not only was it an abdication of the developed world’s responsibility to the world’s least developed region, sanctions actually compounded the sufferings of poorer Africans. The Darfur killings continue and there is no mellowing of Robert Mugabe’s repression in Zimbabwe.
Abandoned by the West Africa looked elsewhere. Beijing filled the vacuum by eagerly embracing dangerous and unsavoury regimes in its search for oil and other minerals. China demonstrated its influence by playing host to 48 out of 53 African leaders a year ago in a jamboree that was historic as well as historical. Historic because China has succeeded in becoming the pre-eminent outside power in Africa and its second biggest trading partner. Historical because modern Chinese diplomacy draws on the Middle kingdom’s ancient formula; the tribute system. It was how the son of Heaven brought those nations whom the Celestial Empire called “barbarians’ into his imperial trading and , through it, cultural and political system.
Contemporary China’s economic penetration of Africa also heralds a new era of cultural and political ties though the Chinese foreign ministry repeatedly assure the world that “our cooperation is not designed to be against or preclude any third party.” This is untrue in a world of finite resources. Once the Chinese are established in a country, no one else gets a foothold. Myanmar, where India failed to obtain the desired gas concessions, is a prime example. Aware that the hunt for energy is a zero-sum game, China’s leadership courts African leaders with regular visits and substantial grants. After decades of neglect – Vajpayee’s Africa visit over a decade ago was to attend a Commonwealth Summit– India will have to move cautiously but quickly if it is to break China’s monopoly. Along with investing in Africa’s human capital, China has outlined a strategic investment plan to build three to five trade economic cooperation zones in Africa by 2009 to boost trade, which is expected to tap $40 billion this year. That could double to $30 billion by 2010 on the back of an insatiable demand for natural resources to feed China’s booming economy.
1. What was Jawaharlal Nehru’s consideration for helping African nations?
a) The people in the continent were extremely backward
b) The Bandung Conference was held in African Continent
c) African Continent is emotionally related to Asian Continent
d) Nehru had promised the British rulers to help Africa after independence
e) The West had exploited African people
2. The example of Myanmar given by the author proves
a) that when China patronizes a country it does not allow other nations to enter
b) India’s foresight to feed its growing hunger for energy
c) Myanmar’s political acumen to have symbiosis with China
d) that a country’s political wisdom does not necessarily establish economic stability
e) None of these
3. Which of the following is the author’s suggestion to India to break the Chinese monopoly?
a) Move away cautiously but quickly from the African nations
b) Arrange P. M.’s regular visits to African countries
c) Outline a strategic plan of in-vest-ment in the African countries
d) Plan for an increased economic help to African countries
e) None of these
4. From the contents of the passage, it can be inferred that the author’s views are
a) in favour of India gaining an edge over China
b) against India’s entering into a competition with China
c) in favour of not making any in-vest-ment in African countries
d) appreciate of oppressive and barbaric African rulers
e) None of these
5. The author considers the claims of the Chinese Foreign Ministry regarding third party as
a) just and worthy of trust
b) true but slightly exaggerated
c) too exorbitant to be true
d) an underestimate of the quality and quantity of their help
e) None of these
6. Which of the following best explains the term “ Middle kingdom’s ancient formula”?
a) Rendering free hand for political, cultural & commercial upliftment
b) Influencing the underdeveloped countries through apparently patronizing policy
c) Referring the underdeveloped folks as barbarians and mistreating them
d) Becoming pre-eminent outside power and thus ruling over them
e) None of these
7. Which of the following was/were the reason(s) for the backwardness of African Nations?
(1) Mistreatment by the alien rulers
(2) Tyrannical leaders governing the gullible masses
(3) Exploitation and neglect by Western countries
a) (1) and (2) only
b) (2) and (3) only
c) (1) and (3) only
d) None of these
e) All the three
8. China’s substantial grants to African countries are an act of
a) China’s modern policy of rendering social service on humanitarian considerations
b) stepping up its campaign of universal brotherhood among nations
c) rendering selfless service to certain underdeveloped countries to beat the western countries.
d) calculated selfish motive to fulfill its energy needs
e) None of these
DIRECTIONS (Q 9 -11) : Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word given in bold as used in the passage.
9. CONTEMPORARY
a) Fashionable
b) Modern
c) Current
d) Existing
e) Old
10. BOOMING
a) striving
b) sounding
c) failing
d) thriving
e) degrading
11. PRECLUDE
a) disqualify
b) permit
c) prevent
d) pre-empt
e) include
DIRECTIONS (Q 12 – 13) : Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word given in bold as used in the passage.
12. SANCTIMONIOUS
a) permissive
b) incongruent
c) poetic
d) holy
e) scrupulous
13. ABDICATION
a) abandonment
b) obligation
c) instigation
d) addiction
e) spiritualization
