Mixed English Questions for Mains Exam — Set 323

Directions(1-5): Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

The Centre would like us to believe that the Smart Cities Mission will transform urban life in the agglomerations that enter the elite club. With the latest inclusions, there are 90 cities in the list, each of which proposes to turn ‘smart’, utilizing core funding from the Centre and other resources. By all accounts, the provision of basic services in urban India has been worsening, and this is clearly reflected in the winning city proposals: 81 of the selected plans seek funds for affordable housing, new schools and hospitals, and redesign of roads. This is at best a partial list, and there are many more aspects to achieving inclusivity. There is a high-visibility campaign around the Smart
Cities Mission, but there is little evidence to suggest that State and local governments have either the fine-grained data or the capability to analyze them in order to understand the evolving needs of their communities. The Centre has apparently decided to skirt such a fundamental problem by adopting a ‘managed urbanization’ approach in the chosen cities, with the powers of municipal councils delegated to a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), under the Companies Act, that will act in its own wisdom. Given that this is the model adopted by the two-year-old Mission, the Centre must present a status report on what the SPVs have achieved so far.
Any serious attempt at improving the quality of life in cities would depend on how governments approach data. It would be smart, for instance, to use sensors to estimate the flow of vehicles and pedestrians, and create smartphone applications for the public to report on a variety of parameters. Making such data open would enable citizens’ groups to themselves come up with analyses to help city administrators make decisions, boost transparency and make officials accountable. There are several international examples now, such as the Array of Things sensors being installed on Chicago streets, which let people download the raw data on air quality, transport, pedestrian movement and standing water. Although India’s Smart Cities Mission has identified more than 20 priority areas, interventions by the respective agencies are weak. Access to special funding should make it mandatory for all public transport providers — city bus corporations, Metro Rail and suburban trains — to provide real-time passenger information in the form of open data, an inexpensive global standard that raises both access and efficiency through smartphone applications. Making street-level waste management data public would lead to a heat map of the worst sites, compelling managers to solve the problem. Clearly, there is a lot of low-hanging fruit on the road to smartness, and a nimble policy approach can tap this quickly. More importantly, the ideology that guides the plan should recognize that the vibrant life of cities depends on variety and enabling environments, rather than a mere technology-led vision. Pollution-free commons, walkability and easy mobility, with a base of reliable civic services, is the smart way to go.

1. What model is adopted by the Smart Cities Mission?
   Carrying out a high visibility campaign around the Smart cities mission
   Availability of fine grained data to the local governments
   Making the local and State governments capable of analyzing the data for understanding the needs of the society
   adopting managed urbanization approach
   None of these
   Option D
   It is stated in the passage that “by adopting a ‘managed urbanization’ approach in the chosen cities, with the powers of municipal councils delegated to a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), under the Companies Act, that will act in its own wisdom. Given that this is the model adopted by the two-year-old Mission, the Centre must present a status report on what the SPVs have achieved so far.”
   
    



2. What kind of data does the author definitely wants to be made open to public?
   Flow of vehicles and pedestrians
   Raw data on standing water
   Real time passenger information to be provided by public transport systems
   Only A and C
   None of these
   Option D
   A and C are evident from the passage, whereas 2, is an already existing example of a similar sensing system in Chicago.
   
    



3. What among the following is not a function of Array of Things sensors?
   Providing data on air quality
   Providing data on transport
   Providing data on pedestrian movement
   None of the above
   All of the above
   Option D
   It's stated in the passage ‘Array of Things sensors being installed on Chicago streets, which let people download the raw data on air quality, transport, pedestrian movement and standing water.’
   
    



4. Find the word from the given options which has its meaning most similar to the word 'skirt' as used in the passage.
   Sarong
   Border
   Liability
   Obtain
   None of these
   Option B
   to skirt means to border/corner
   
    



5. Find the word from the given options which has its meaning most opposite to the word 'agglomerations' as used in the passage.
   Accumulation
   Breakthrough
   Diffusion
   Cluster
   None of these
   Option C
   Diffusion means to spread randomly whereas agglomerations means collection/accumulation.
   
    


Directions(6-10): In the following question, a sentence / a part of sentence is given in brackets. Below are given alternatives to that bracketed part which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is required, choose "No Improvement" option.


6. The potential of India’s district hospital system to dramatically (expansion accessing for quality) secondary and tertiary health care has never really been realised.
   expansion access for quality
   expand accessing to quality
   expand access to quality
   expanding access in quality
   None of these
   Option C
   The potential of India’s district hospital system to dramatically expand access to quality secondary and tertiary health care has never really been realised.
   
    



7. The majority of patients today (using of facilities) created mostly by for-profit urban hospitals.
   using the facilities
   use the facilities
   use of facilities
   using in the facility
   None of these
   Option B
   The majority of patients today use the facilities created mostly by for-profit urban hospitals.
   
    



8. Contracting out services of the virtual unregulation and largely commercial private system is fraught with risks.
   in a virtual unregulation
   of virtually unregulate
   in a virtually unregulated
   for a virtual unregulated
   None of these
   Option C
   Contracting out services in a virtually unregulated and largely commercial private system is fraught with risks.
   
    



9. In consonance (in the goal of provide) health for all under the National Health Policy, care should be universal, and free at the point of delivery.
   in the goal to provide
   with the goal to provide
   in a goal to providing
   with a goal for provide
   None of these
   Option B
   In consonance with the goal to provide health for all under the National Health Policy, care should be universal, and free at the point of delivery.
   
    



10. A market-driven (approaching for provide) district hospital beds for only those with the means would defeat the objective.
    approaching to providing
    approaching for providing
    approach to provide
    approach of provide
    None of these
    Option C
    A market-driven approach to provide district hospital beds for only those with the means would defeat the objective.