Reading Comprehension for IBPS PO/Clerk/SO/SEBI/Canara Bank 2018

Reading Comprehension for SBI PO/Clerk/IBPS RRBs 2018 : 29 June

Reading Comprehension is just about careful reading of passage and questions given. Thus Reading Comprehension plays a vital role in getting the best score in English Section, one needs to deal it with proper strategy and accuracy. Right now, the questions asked in this section are very lengthy and time-consuming but a good practice of this section can get you the maximum marks in the examination. Here is a set of some Questions to improve your speed and practice.

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” This existential question has perplexed philosophers since time began, and annoyed the rest of us since school began. And just when most of us dismissed metaphysical debate as a colossal waste of time — along with colonoscopy and the new Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jab Tak Hai Jaan — British scientists came up with the definitive answer: The chick­en came first.

Their keen scientific minds aided by a lot of research funds have identi­fied a protein found only in chicken’s ovaries that is vital for egg formation. The protein speeds up the develop­ment of the egg’s hard shell, which pro­tects the chick growing inside. This means the egg can exist only if it is cre­ated inside a chicken. This brings me to the other conun­drum that has befuddled humans for generations: does winter air make viruses hyperactive, or does the cold weather make immunity sluggish, mak­ing us susceptible to infection?

Contradicting the belief that flu spreads because the cold makes the immune system weak, virologists have established that you cannot catch flu just by sitting out in the cold. Flu viruses spread differently from cold viruses. While cold viruses spread mainly through direct contact, such as when a person touches a contam­inated surface with residue of cold viruses, or when an infected person shakes hands. In contrast, flu virus­es are transmitted through air, in the form of aerosol droplets of coughs and sneezes.

Winter conditions make the flu virus more stable as cold, dry air pulls the moisture out of infected droplets released through coughs and sneezes. This allows the virus to linger in the air much longer, making it more like­ly for someone to breathe them in. When the air is more humid, these droplets pick up water, get bigger, and fall to the ground, where they can’t cause infection.

Winter air also dries out the nasal mucosa, which makes the nasal pas­sage and airways crack and allows virus to enter the body more easily.

Add to this the winter cold leading to people spending more time indoors coughing and sneezing on each other and the chances of you getting infect­ed rise rapidly, with flu season peak­ing from November through March. The proximity argument holds best among children, who have at least six to seven bouts of flu in a year, largely because they have suspect hygiene and share germs with each other gen­erously.

More than the weather, what low­ers immunity is the lack of sleep, an erratic diet, smoking and alcohol. Seasonal fluctuations also depend on vitamin deficiencies, such as reduced levels of sunlight—with heavy smog compounding shorter daylight hours — causing the body to produce less vitamin D, which increases suscepti­bility to the flu.

Flu symptoms are unpleasant — fever, cough, sneezing, headache, aching muscles and tiredness — but not life-threatening. However, flu weak­ens the immune system, making the body vulnerable to more serious infec­tions, such as pneumonia. Because the flu is caused by a virus and not bac­teria, antibiotics cannot be used to treat them. Like the common cold, flu can be treated only by bed rest, drink­ing fluids, and taking over-the-count­er medicines to ease symptoms of fever and pain till the virus runs its course in five days to a week.

The best defence is avoiding direct contact with infected people, coughing or sneezing in a tissue or fabric instead of your hand, and washing hands fre­quently to avoid infection from con­taminated surfaces, such as doorknobs and keyboards. People with compro­mised immunity — pregnant women, people recovering from a surgery or an illness, and people over 65 years — should consider getting vaccinated as they are the most vulnerable to flu com­plications, such as pneumonia. That done, you are all set to embrace the cold without fear of the flu.

1. In a reply to a perplexing question ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ which of the following arguments has/have been placed to justify that the chicken came first?

• 1) Researchers have identified a protein found only in chicken’s ovaries that is vital for egg formation.
• 2) This protein is responsible for the development of egg’s protective hard shell.
• 3) The hard shell formed inside a chicken protects the chick growing inside.
• 4) The formation of hard shell inside the chicken establishes that there must have been a chicken for the purpose.
• 5) All the above

2. In the context of the passage, find the correct statement.

• 1) For the spread of flu viruses, humid air is more favourable than cold, dry air.
• 2) In humid region people are more likely to be infected with cold viruses.
• 3) In winter flu viruses easily enter our body through the cracks in nasal passage.
• 4) In winter, people prefer to stay indoors and this reduces their chances of getting infected by flu viruses.
• 5) All the above are correct

3. Why do children often get infected by flu? Select the most suitable answer.

• 1) Children have weak immune system.
• 2) Children most of the time remain in physical contact with someone else and thus receive the germ very easily.
• 3) Children avoid taking a bath in winter, which makes them more susceptible to cold viruses.
• 4) Children have to get up early in the morning for their schools, which makes them bad sufferer of cold.
• 5) All the above

4. Find the correct statement regarding flu.

• 1) Symptoms of flu are fever, cough, sneezing, headache, aching muscles and tiredness.
• 2) A flu patient can be cured by giving appropriate antibiotics.
• 3) Flu weakens our respiratory system.
• 4) Pneumonia is as dangerous as flu because both of them are caused by viruses.
• 5) All the above

5. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

(A) A common perception that flu spreads in cold because of weakening of immune system during cold has been proved wrong by the virologists.

(B) Flu viruses are transmitted through exhaled air in the form of small water droplets.

(C) When you shake hands with a person having cold virus there is a strong possibility of you getting infected with the cold virus.

• 1) Only (A) and (B)            
• 2) Only (B) and (C)
• 3) Only (A) and (C)            
• 4) Only (B)
• 5) All (A), (B) and (C)

6. Which of the following is/are incorrect in the context of the given passage?

(A) It is an established fact that due to flu our immune system becomes weaker.

(B) Researchers have found that cold viruses become very active in winter.

(C) Cold viruses spread mainly through direct contact.

• 1) Only (A) and (C)            
• 2) Only (B) and (C)
• 3) Only (C)                           
• 4) Only (A) and (B)
• 5) All (A), (B) and (C)

7. Which of the following is the reason of lower immunity?

• 1) Reduced hours of sound sleep
• 2) Smoking habits and alcoholism
• 3) Deficiency of vitamin D
• 4) Shorter day light hours and heavy smog
• 5) All the above

8. Who among the following is the most likely to get infected by flu viruses? Give your answer in the context of the passage.

• 1) People living in humid regions such as hill stations
• 2) People living in dense forests
• 3) People living in close proximity of hospital
• 4) Pregnant women, people over 65 years
• 5) Doctors who are busy with treatment of the flu patients

9. What suggestions have been made to avoid flu?

(A) Using a piece of cloth on nose or mouth just before sneezing or coughing

(B) Frequent washing of hands to avoid getting infected from contaminated surface

(C) Avoid association with infected people

• 1) Only (A) and (B)            
• 2) All (A), (B) and (C)
• 3) Only (B) and (C)            
• 4) Only (A) and (C)
• 5) None of these

Answers:

• 1. 5
• 2. 3
• 3. 2
• 4. 1
• 5. 5
• 6. 4
• 7. 5
• 8. 4
• 9. 2