PREPARATORY QUESTIONS

READING COMPREHENSION

PREPARATORY PAPER-17

Direction (Qs.1 to 10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.  Certain words are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Smiling a lot is a valued trait:  people, who often smile sincerely radiate likeability, connect easily with others and are appreciated more.  By smiling, you make a positive impression that will assist in making contacts and reaching your goals.  Moreover, smiling makes you feel good.   However, not all smiles are created equal, and it is not a good idea to smile in every situation.  Let’s face it, smiling is not always as easy as it looks, which might be why we often indulge in it so sparingly.  When all is said and done, it takes a bit of practice to turn smiling into a habit.  Management is serious business!  However, most managers are aware of the positive effect a well meant smile can have on others.  In most situations your smile will contribute to your success.  On the other hand, there are moments when you’d better not smile:  Imagine that you are receiving some bad-news, or you’re in the middle of a difficult negotiation.

In addition, not all smiles are created equal:  When someone smiles, we think of pleasure and happiness first, but that interpretation is not always correct.  Imagine, for example, that you stumble on the street and almost knock into someone.  Are you happy?  No! but the chances are high that you will smile at the other person, and that the other person will immediately answer with a smile.  The meaning of the smile here is more by way of an apology.  Finding the right balance between showing a happy or serious facial expression is an art in itself.  We want to come across as relaxed and friendly,  but be taken seriously at the same time.  However, if we contemplate this for too long, a frown will soon appear on our faces.  In the end, with a smile, you will achieve the most and you will feel most happy with it.  Nevertheless smiling isn’t always that easy; sometimes a lot of courage is needed to do it.  Especially in situations where when it’s preferable to smile, we tend to clench our jaws and look too tense.

Many job applicants miss out on a promising career because they were too tense to conjure a spontaneous smile on their faces. Many lovers miss out on their life partner because they didn’t dare smile during the first meeting.  And many managers have possibly lost the deal of their dreams, because they couldn’t smile spontaneously.  A well-meant smile is almost something you cannot do too much of.  Most people respond positively to this friendly gesture.  And if they do not do that, it probably says more about their own fear of smiling.  That said, smiling at someone who does not smile back can evoke a feeling of discomfort and shame.  We naturally fear losing face.  That’s why we perhaps do not always dare to smile.

Question No : 1

According to the passage, smiling is beneficial in many ways. How?

(1) Smiling can bring happiness in everyone’s life.

(2) Smiling can relieve us from stress.

(3) Smiling assists us in making contacts and thus helps to reach our goals.

(4) It can make us free from all the obstructions covering our path towards our target.

(5) All of these

Question No : 2

What does the author mean by the statement “smiling is not always as easy as it looks”?

(1) It needs a lot of practice to perfect the art of smiling.

(2) All smiles are not equal and our indulgence in it depends upon the nature of the situation.

(3) It is very difficult to make smiling as a habit.

(4) Smiling at wrong time can bring a lot of problems sometimes and can cause unhappiness.

(5) All are correct

Question No : 3

What is the appropriate theme of the passage?

(1) All smiles are not equal

(2) Smiling is not an easy task

(3) Always keep smiling

(4) Exercise with a pleasant smile

(5) Smile: Merits and Demerits

Question No : 4

Who all get affected by not smiling at the appropriate time according to the passage?

(1) A labour

(2) Business manager

(3) A job applicant

(4) Both (2) and (3)

(5) All are correct

Question No : 5

What is the reason behind the fact that we do not always dare to smile?

I. As it needs lot of courage to smile

II. As if a person does not smile back it can make us uncomfortable.

III. Because we are afraid to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.

(1) Only (I)                                 

(2) Only (II)                            

(3) Both (I) and (II)

(4) Both (II) and (III)              

(5) All are correct

Question No : 6

Which of the following cannot be inferred from the passage?

(1) When it is preferred to smile, we look tensed.

(2) We want to be taken seriously, relaxed and friendly at the same time

(3) It is an art to find the right balance between showing a happy or serious facial expression

(4) Chances are high when other person smiles reverting your smile

(5) All are correct

Direction (Qs.7 & 8): Choose the word/ group of words which is most SIMILAR in meaning to the word/group of words given in bold as used in passage.

Question No : 7

Sparingly

(1) Satiate       

(2) Aversion   

(3) Meagerly   

(4) Exacerbate

(5) Antipathy

Question No : 8

Stumble

(1) Falter         

(2) extort        

(3) solicit        

(4) condone    

(5) fretful

Direction (Qs.9 & 10): Choose the word/group of words which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word/group of words given in bold as used in passage.

Question No : 9

Evoke

(1) compel       

(2) sneer         

(3) scrupulous

(4) quell          

(5) confide

Question No : 10

Frown

(1) accredit      (2) rife (3) summon    (4) munificient            (5) grin