Recent studies in US settings have found that a key
factor determining the quality of supervisor—
subordinate ties is relational demography, the degree to which individuals (in this case, supervisors and subordinates) are similar in their demographic
attributes, e.g., gender, race, and age . Several studies have suggested that supervisor—subordinate gender similarity is positively associated with Supervisor— subordinate exchange relationships. Other investigations have linked multiple kinds of demographic similarity to supervisors’ response towards subordinates (i.e. liking of subordinates). Because all of these studies involved US samples, the degree to which such effects occur in Mexico has yet to be determined. Thus, the objective of the present study is to examine associations between relational
demography and the quality of relationships in both
US and Mexican supervisor- -subordinate pairs, or
‘vertical dyads’. Relationship quality is the extent to
which there is trust, respect, liking, and mutual
influence between two or more individuals. In the
following sections, we integrate literature on
demography, social psychology, and national culture to develop a set of hypotheses about demographic
similarity and supervisor-subordinate relationship
quality in the United States and Mexico. We then
conduct a preliminary test of those hypotheses using
field data from vertical dyads at manufacturing plants
in the two countries. The theory and predictions in this section pertain to three kinds of demographic
similarity: gender, race, and age.
Q. No. 1:
The statement “The study would compare the demographical characteristics of supervisors and their corresponding subordinates and would comeup with hypotheses regarding which characteristicsare most similar in ‘vertical dyads’ in US and Mexico.”, falls in which of the following categories?
A :
Direct Inference from the passage.
B :
Cannot be inferred
C :
A direct outcome of the study
D :
An important objective of the study in the passage.
Answer: B The statement is not an objective of the study as it leaves out ‘relational demography’ and its influence on the relationship quality of the ‘vertical dyads’. ‘Merely coming out with demographic similarities is not the objective of the study. So the statement is talking about an objective which does not correspond to any objective –primary or even secondary outlined in the passage. None of A,C or D are correct to represent the statement. Option B becomes correct to represent the statement.
Q. No. 2:
Which of the following would not be a concern of the study in the passage?
A :
Gender similarity of ‘vertical dyads’.
B :
Conflict in relationships in various ‘vertical dyads’ in Mexico.
C :
Patriotic feelings arising from similar national culture in ‘vertical dyads’.
Answer: D Gender similarity, conflict in relationships, national culture influence on relationships, and superior-subordinate exchange relationships are elements that have been mentioned or can be inferred from the passage as relevant things for the study. Options A, B and C represent demographic characteristics which would be studied in the course of ascertaining their influence on relationship quality of the dyads.
For any cogent action against a potential or a festering problem, the rudimentary requirement for decision makers is to be convinced that there is a problem, and then define its import. This simple prerequisite, nevertheless, eludes India’s decision makers. It is mainly because of our hypocritical propensities.Admittedly, certain amount of hypocrisy is inevitable for the purposes of governance and nation-building, but when stretched beyond credulity, it becomes selfdefeating. India has unfortunately fallen into this selfcreated trap. On most of the panel discussions on television that I have been invited to, the panelists have a set of opinion on camera and another set of opinions off camera.
Q. No. 1:
Which one of the following statements, if true, most strongly suggests the idea given in the last sentence of the passage?
A :
In their bid to be politically correct, people in the panel discussions, ignore the obvious unwittingly
B :
In their bid to be politically correct, people in the panel discussions, ignore the obvious unknowingly
C :
People in the panel discussions, usually reckon on their propensity to manipulate situations and public opinion in their favor.
D :
People in the panel discussions, have learnt the art of double speak-off the record and on the record.
Answer: D To say that people in the panel discussions, ignore the obvious ‘unwittingly’ or ‘unknowingly’- is incorrect, as the passage states that they do this purposefully and intentionally. This negates options A and B. People in the panel discussions, have learnt the art of double speak-off the record and on the record, deliberately. Option C is negated as it is a bit farfetched in accusing the people in the panel discussions to be manipulative for their own good or for attaining privilege. This may strengthen the view expressed by the speaker but cannot be substantiated by the facts given in the passage.
Q. No. 2:
Which of the following purports to explain the belief on which the speaker’s opinion towards India’s governance and nation-building is based?
A :
Hypocrisy in governance lowers national prestige and gives rise to cynical and selfserving polity.
B :
Hypocrisy in governance generates clash amongst state institutions and deepens class, caste and regional divides.
C :
Hypocrisy in governance perpetuates corruption; negatively impacts on national character; and finally restrains the process of nation building.
D :
When stretched beyond credulity, hypocrisy in governance prevents sound decision making and eats into the theme of better governance and nation building.
Answer: D The passage posits that festering a potential problem continues to elude the decision makers because of their own inclination to be hypocrites. We can assume that this propensity for hypocrisy fails their powers of reasoning (— it fails sound decision making). The passage advocates that to avoid India’s falling into a self-created trap, India’s decision makers and governing bodies should assay their ability to face situations squarely before taking actions or making decisions. Or else, this widely adopted unrestrained hypocrisy and deceit which are today used for governance will tomorrow eat into the entire governing system as well as the process of nation-building. This validates option D and annuls all other options which are either half-baked or inappropriate
Like a lot of credit-card-carrying Americans, Paul
Antico has had his wallet hit hard in recent months. His Bank of America credit card went from a fixed interest rate to a variable one that changes from one billing cycle to the next. Citibank has raised his other card’s interest rate from 5.99 percent to 14.99 percent since late May, even though Antico pays on time, and his reward points have become harder and harder to redeem. “These are back-stabbing things,” says the 37-year-old Massachusetts resident and technology analyst. A recent report done by the Safe Credit Cards Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts found that over the past four months, credit-card companies have routinely tacked on new fees, altered account terms, and jacked up interest rates, sometimes to as high as 30 percent. The industry says such hikes are necessary because it is assuming greater risk by extending credit in bad times.
That may be the case, but President Obama’s new credit-card legislation, which passed in May and takes effect in February 2010, is supposed to stop creditcard companies from unfairly increasing rates or fees, targeting consumers under the age of 21, and hiding behind contracts filled with hard-to-understand legal language. Tim Mikulski of Washington, D.C., recently transferred the balance of his old credit card to a new one with a zero percent interest rate and, for those who have good credit, there’s always the option of switching cards or negotiating rates. A recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts showed that credit unions are now offering interest rates that are 20 percent lower than those of bank-issued cards. Still, credit union cards might not be for everyone. Rewards cardholders may prefer the more generous rebates of major bank card issuers, while those with large
balances and high interest rates might benefit from a
credit union-issued credit card.
Q. No. 1:
Which of the following can be logically assumed from the information given in the passage? 1). Credit union credit cardholders are less likely to see wild changes to their credit card accounts. 2). If you’re not careful, you’ll get socked with unexpected fees and soaring rates when you transfer your balance. 3). Your credit card company may use your late auto loan payment to justify a rate increase.
Answer: A Read the lines, “A recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts showed that credit unions are now offering interest rates that are 20 percent lower than those of bank-issued cards. ...... might benefit from a credit union-issued credit card.” These suggestions mentioned in the passage lead to the assumption mentioned in (i), making option A valid. (ii) talks about consequences of not being careful while doing a balance transfer- however, such consequences cannot be assumed on the basis of information given in the passage. Please see that the passage nowhere discusses ‘auto loan payment’ and this weakens statement (iii).
Q. No. 2:
The author in the passage is primarily aiming at:
A :
highlighting the fact that American credit card holders need protection.
B :
specifying the fact that Americans need a healthy flow of credit in their economy.
C :
considering carefully and at length if getting a Credit Union Credit card can resolve the credit crisis.
D :
foregrounding why Card companies are jacking up rates and observing what solutions are available to cope with the same.
Answer: D The passage does not only focus on reformative or suggestive ideas to protect American economy and credit card holders. Hence, options A and B are easily negated. The passage also does not aim at answering if one should get a credit union credit card. Hence, option C is negated. For sure, the answer is D which encompasses the gist of the passage as well as the author’s primary aim.
Q. No. 3:
As per the passage, which of the following can be suggested to combat the situation discussed? 1). If you have a strong credit score, you are advised to cut your spending and switch to credit cards which you use from month to month rather than canceling all credit cards outright. 2). If you haven’t been able to negotiate a lower interest rate on your bank card you may enjoy a fee-free, or low-cost, balance transfer to a credit union card. 3). If your credit is less stellar, you are advised to switch to a credit union that usually offers more reasonable rates and fees on their credit cards than banks.
Answer: C Statement (1) is partly true, as the passage no where suggests to cut one’s expenditure. Statement (2) can be negated as there is no information given about a balance transfer to a credit union card. Statement (3) can be inferred from the last lines of second paragraph. This qualifies option C as the correct answer.
Q. No. 4:
Which of the following underlines the main reason for the rising interest rates?
A :
There’s a direct correlation between the strength of the economy and the credit-card interest rates.
B :
Growing big and quickly is what has left banks [free] to charge such high penalties and interests.
C :
Credit card companies often boost rates for reasons other than delinquency; the so-called universal default provision lets them change terms at any time based on customers’ usage of other lines of credit.
D :
In a credit crunch, lenders are wary of risk, and their ability to insure themselves against loss either disappears or rapidly increases in cost.
Answer: D Option A is more like a factor or an inference drawn from the passage. Just to identify or mention a direct correlation between the strength of the economy and the credit-card interest rates, does not supply the needed reasoning. Option B presents a far-fetched assumption which cannot be substantiated from the data given in the passage. Option C is too broad and nebulous answer. The answer to this question lies in inferring the line, “The industry says such hikes are necessary because it is assuming greater risk by extending credit in bad times.” This clearly hints toward a period of economic difficulty when it is difficult to borrow money from banks, i.e. – a credit squeeze/ crunch. Now that risk is being recognized and re-priced, banks are wary about buying new debt whose risk is essentially opaque. Hence, the interest rates are rising because of customers’ rising risk profiles and the generalized risk in the economy.
In The Racial Contract, Charles Mills argues that
contemporary structures of white domination in the
West operate by means of an epistemology of
ignorance for white people. White people suffer from
cognitive dysfunctions such that they cannot
understand the racially (and racistly) structured world in which they live and, indeed, helped create. For Mills, while no person of any race is self-transparent, becoming a white person entails a particularly extreme form of self-opacity regarding issues of race that corresponds with an egregious misunderstanding of the world. Because of the racialized moral psychology created by the racial contract, white people are, ironically, often unable to see race and racism. I begin with Mills because, although it does not make use of psychoanalysis, his work suggests both how and why psychoanalytic theory can be of help to critical race theory’s project of examining race for the purpose of challenging racism and white privilege. While the white cognitive dysfunction described by Mills sometimes operates preconsciously, his concept of the epistemology of ignorance also points to the vast pools of human thought inaccessible to consciousness, and thus unconscious. This refers not to a mere gap or empty space; rather, it is something that is actively, dynamically produced, and which stubbornly maintains its existence. This means that as unconscious, racism’s effectiveness is found in its ability to perpetuate itself as something invisible and unknowable. As Kalpana Seshadri-Crooks writes, ‘It is precisely this unconscious resiliency of race that invites psychoanalytic exploration.’ A critical race theory that omits the unconscious operations of race and racism touches on only the tip of the iceberg that is white privilege. This is not to say that white privilege is only psychical. But the importance of the economic, political, geographical, and other aspects of white privilege should not lead us to overlook the
psychological impact that race and racism have on
people of all races.
Q. No. 1:
The statement “ White people need to be educated about their ignorance and their unconscious ideas about racism” falls in which of the following categories?
Answer: D The primary purpose of the passage seems to advocate the need for exploring the psychoanalytic or unconscious factors leading to perpetuation of racism. The passage nowhere advocates ‘educating white people’. So option A is incorrect. Mills does not advocate any such measure. Hence option B is incorrect. Option C would be far-fetched as the outcome of the passage would be ‘psychoanalytic exploration’ and not ‘reforming people’.
Q. No. 2:
The inference, ‘White people are to a large extent unaware about their role in the creation of racism around themselves’ is:
Answer: A The statement can be inferred from the passage. Refer to the lines “White people suffer from cognitive dysfunctions such that they cannot understand the racially (and racistly) structured world in which they live and, indeed, helped create.” Hence option A is correct which makes the other options incorrect. The inference is not self-contradictory. The inference means that white people are ignorant to a large extent. Something self contradictory would be “ White people create Racism and at the same time don’t create it “.
Q. No. 3:
What relation does Mills’ views hold for those of Kalpana Sheshadri?
Answer: B It is on the basis of Mills’ views that Kalpana advocates psychoanalytic exploration. Mills views point to the ‘unconscious’ factor responsible for racism. Though Mills has a hypothesis – this does not indicate the relation to Kalpana’s views. Hence option A would not be correct. Option C is incorrect. There is no clear-cut evidence in the passage. Only Mills views are given. Option D is not correct since Mill’s views are a basis and not an assumption for Kalpana’s views.
Below is an extract from ‘Hamlet Essay’ which
features Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous critique
based on his legendary and influential Shakespeare
notes and lectures.
I believe the character of Hamlet may be traced to
Shakspeare’s deep and accurate science in mental
philosophy. Indeed, that this character must have some connection with the common fundamental laws of our nature may be assumed from the fact, that Hamlet has been the darling of every country in which the literature of England has been fostered. In order to understand him, it is essential that we should reflect on the constitution of our own minds. Man is distinguished from the brute animals in proportion as thought prevails over sense: but in the healthy processes of the mind, a balance is constantly maintained between the impressions from outward objects and the inward operations of the intellect;—for if there be an overbalance, in the contemplative faculty, man thereby becomes the creature of mere meditation, and loses his natural power of action. Shakspeare attempted to depict this rift between our attention to the objects and
our inward operations of the intellect. One of
Shakspeare’s modes of creating characters (in
Hamlet) illustrates this. He conceived any one
intellectual or moral faculty in morbid excess, and then to placed himself, Shakspeare, thus mutilated or
diseased, under given circumstances.
In Hamlet the balance is disturbed: his thoughts, and
the images of his fancy, are far more vivid than his
actual perceptions, and his very perceptions, instantly passing through the medium of his contemplations, acquire, as they pass, a form and a colour not naturally their own. This character Shakspeare places in circumstances, under which it is obliged to act on the spur of the moment:—Hamlet is brave and fearless of death; but he vacillates from sensibility, and procrastinates from thought, and loses the power of action in the energy of resolve. The effect of this overbalance of the imaginative power is beautifully illustrated in the everlasting broodings and superfluous activities of Hamlet’s mind, which, unseated from its healthy relation, is constantly occupied with the world within, and abstracted from the world without,— giving substance to shadows, and throwing a mist over all
common-place actualities.
Shakespeare’s (3.1) soliloquy spoken by
Hamlet,“...............To be, or not to be: that is the
question: ................Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer ................The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune ................Or to take arms against a sea of troubles..”has permeated the entire cultural fabric of Western civilization. This soliloquy which is at the heart of Hamlet, carries the essence of the play. It is a visual clue of what Shakespeare wished to illustrate.
Q. No. 1:
Which of the following inferences can be derived about the character ‘Hamlet’ on basis of the passage?
A :
Hamlet is an avenger, a man of radical contradictions — he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He has not a semblance of truth to his story.
B :
Hamlet is brave but full of faults: Hamlet is self-suspicious as he has no firm belief either in himself or in anything else as he becomes disillusioned in the labyrinth of love.
C :
Hamlet is a common character who is fearless but when met with trying situations, is unable to confront with resolution as he becomes disillusioned in the labyrinth of thoughts.
D :
Hamlet is a common figure like us, his selfreproach reaches an apex, which makes him vacillate from sensibility.
Answer: C It can be inferred from the first paragraph, that although he is brave, Hamlet grapples with the most familiar and yet the deepest thoughts of human nature. Refer to lines, “Indeed, that this character must have some connection with the common fundamental laws of our nature ..” The last three lines of second paragraph, “ ... obliged to act on the spur of the moment:—Hamlet is brave and fearless of death; but he vacillates from sensibility, and procrastinates from thought, and loses the power of action ..”, evidence that Hamlet gets gripped in the perplexity of intricate circumstances and loses himself in the labyrinths of thought. Option A is too extreme and far-fetched to be chosen. B is vague and inappropriate to be inferred from the passage. Option D is partially true but it talks about ‘Hamlet’s self-reproach’ which is nowhere discussed in the passage
Q. No. 2:
The author in the passage seems to believe that Shakespeare in his play ‘Hamlet’exemplifies: 1). The moral significance of a due balance between immortal interests of man and unconnected reality,—an equilibrium between the overt intelligence and deceptive appearances. 2). The significance of a due balance between our attention to the objects of our senses, and our meditation on the workings of our minds,—an equilibrium between the real and the imaginary worlds. 3). The moral necessity of a due balance between elevation of mind and exaltation of our ideals as well as conduct
Answer: B Being vague, statements (1) and (3) are out of context. Read the opening lines of the passage, “I believe the character of Hamlet may be traced to Shakspeare’s deep and accurate science in mental philosophy.” The author explains that Shakspeare’s deep and accurate science in mental philosophy is obvious in how he portrayed ‘Hamlet’— the main character of his play. Read the lines, “Shakspeare attempted to depict this rift between our attention to the objects and our inward operations of the intellect. One of Shakspeare’s modes of creating characters (in Hamlet) illustrates this.” Shakespeare created internal conflict within Hamlet himself. It can be postulated from the passage that the author believes that in his play Shakespeare exemplifies the significance of a due balance between the impressions from outward objects (the real- the actual perceptions) and the inward operations of the intellect (the unreal- the imagined). This qualifies only option B to be the correct answer.
Q. No. 3:
It can be inferred from the passage that: 1).The effect of the overbalance of the imaginative power results in shallow and stupid arrogance which is potentially dangerous. 2).The sense of sublimity arises, not from the sight of an outward object, but from the beholder’s reflection upon it;—not from the sensuous impression, but from the imaginative reflex. 3).The effect of the overbalance of the imaginative power results in aversion to reality;— which is nothing but self-delusion.
Answer: C It can be evidenced from the passage that the result of the imbalance is that the images of one’s fancy become far more vivid than one’s actual perceptions and one loses one’s practicality and natural power of action. There occurs a proportionate aversion or negligence to reality; self-delusion (when one allows oneself to believe something that is not true). But the passage nowhere implies that the result is development of shallow and stupid arrogance. This approves option C but negates options A and D. Inference (2) cannot be determined from the passage; it rather seems like a continuation of the second paragraph.
A couple of years ago I met a nonplussed father
whose eight-year-old daughter refused to allow him to eat mayonnaise because of the orangutans. As he was struggling to make the connection, I explained how orangutan habitats in Sumatra and Borneo were being clear-felled at an incredible rate for conversion to oil palm plantations. I wonder if his now-10-year-old is on a permanent protest rota between the kitchen and the bathroom, refusing to let her poor dad chew gum, use shampoo or make toast. Because just as palm-oil monocultures have swept across Southeast Asia, charged with the catastrophic destruction of wildlife, forest habitats and pollution, the results are ubiquitous in our shopping basket. An investigation last year found that palm oil – often obliquely labelled as “vegetable oil” – was found in 40% of best-selling groceries.
Q. No. 1:
Which of the following is an inference from the paragraph ? 1). The human desire to protect the habitat is largely dormant due to support for commercialization rather than lack of awareness. 2). The demand for certain products and proliferation of specific monocultures can result in huge destruction of biodiversity and habitat. 3). Even protests which make people refrain from using certain products would have no effect on the destruction of wildlife and habitat as we are concerned only with the products in our shopping basket.
Answer: B 1 cannot be inferred from the paragraph as lack of awareness also seems to be a reason for ‘unrestricted destruction to the habitat’. This is subtly hinted in the paragraph through the example of the girl and the father. (3) also is a farfetched inference which reads too much into the future with limited support from the paragraph. We cannot make a judgement that protests would have no effect as the paragraph does not talk about the protests that have taken place sufficiently. (2) can be clearly inferred from the paragraph.
Q. No. 2:
Which of the following ideas would be logically in line with the theme in the paragraph ?
A :
It is inevitable that the planet’s biodiversity would be sacrificed in the wake of the popularity of palm oil.
B :
If you attach more importance to the planet’s biodiversity than the creaminess of a shampoo, go palm-oil free.
C :
Children have a better and deeper understanding than adults regarding the danger to biodiversity .
D :
It is absolutely unacceptable to sacrifice biodiversity for human products like palm oil.
Answer: B The paragraph theme is about destruction of biodiversity caused by proliferation of palm oil plantations and also about protests against this. Option A makes a very definite conclusion about the future of the planet’s biodiversity. We cannot make any definite prediction about the future, based on the paragraph. Option C makes a generalized conclusion about children, based on one example in the paragraph. So option C cannot be sanctioned. Option D goes against products like palm oil, whereas the paragraph is just illustrating a trend and not biased towards any side. Hence option D is a biased opinion.Option B is in line with the paragraph as the paragraph is talking about what is happening- protest in the form of refraining from certain products and destruction to biodiversity due to palm oil plantations and human demand. So the option is with the individual as to which side he should take.