What development is imperative for the Chinese economy to reach the critical mass for next level of development?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

As the dragon country preens in the spotlight brought about by its fiscal policies that have catapulted it to the centre stage in global economics, additional proof of its newly founded ascendancy has been brought about by its superseding of Japan to officially become world’s second largest economy. What is causing heartburn to many jingoistic analysts and economists from other nations of the world stage is the knowledge that a large part of this leap in rankings has been brought about by the burgeoning exports that have brought along with them a huge hoard of precious foreign currency. It is indeed a marvel how the President, Hu Jin Tao is managing to keep such an impassive front when anyone else in his shoes would have been grinning like a Cheshire cat that has just polished off a huge bowl of cream. Perhaps he is just one of those unexpressive characters or maybe he is waiting to polish off the last few wrinkles on the fiscal face before breaking into a joyful jig. An indication of the latter came recently when the state media, in a statement released to the world media, stressed upon the need of, and the increasing focus of the ruling junta on more equitable distribution of wealth which would endeavor to include farmers and workers into the explosive growth story.

As of now, the unofficial figures state that the cream of the Chinese society makes approximately seventy times more money on year on year basis than the populace at the bottom of the pyramid. Althou gh official numbers contest these findings, they also do not paint a propitious scenario. The Premier, in his call to action, has been exhorting political and economic restructuring with the balance of the power shifting its centre of gravity ever so slightly in favor of the masses but his viewpoint is not finding many backers in the government and the bureaucracy because these two sections of the society, apart from the various large industrial manufacturing units, have benefited the most from the current polices. In spite of the strident objections, a few steps towards the process of deregulating the economy have come through a subtle and tacit approval of the worker’s strikes in the People’s Republic. Idealistically speaking, the workers own everything according to the party doctrine which precludes the need for them to ever resort to a tool-down strike but ground realities are rather different. However, recent incidents of workers going on strikes for pressing their demands for better salaries have not been met by disapproval from the authorities and the workers have been, by and large, been successful in negotiating better pays and working conditions. The current model of growth is based upon the model of export blitzkrieg which, although has been yielding trailblazing results, has had a major Achilles heel in not being able to stimulate domestic consumption and one can safely presume that the fact has not escaped the attention of the politburo. While the author does not profess to possess any knowledge of the politburo members’ academic qualifications, there is little reason to believe that they are babes in the woods when it comes to fiscal foresight. In the event of a global economic meltdown, what will keep any economy ticking over is a robust domestic demand which can keep the smoke billowing out from the industrial chimneys.

In stating that 'the human mind knows everything' about every thing in the universe - past, present and future, the author intends to

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage:

Déjà vu is linked to extraordinary temporal lobe activity but there is more to it than that, including a couple of very interesting theories involving past life experiences and an empirical theory which propounds that the human mind knows everything about everything in the universe - past, present and future. Setting aside medical research which suggests that déjà vu is experienced often just before epilepsy attack, for the simple reason that not everyone who has such an experience suffers from epilepsy, the other two paranormal theories offer a lot of food for thought because they go beyond the realm of surface knowledge and delve into the unknown, uncharted and controversial realms of knowledge. Of all the knowledge that we have now, a vast majority was considered heresy and fantasy before it was established with suitable proof. It is important to try and understand these streams of relatively unexplored and nascent fountainheads of alternative knowledge as conventional dogmas alone cannot hope to provide all the answers to the plethora of unanswered mysteries of the world. One possible explanation for the experiences could be the past life theory, juxtaposing which with déjà vu would suggest the linkage of experiences in previous births with a sensation of having been there before in the present birth but a basic but serious flaw in this theory comes from statistical data which suggests that experiences of déjà vu peak in adolescence and taper off rapidly thereafter. As a starting point however, the theory is not so bad as science is nothing but the art of unraveling a badly jumbled up ball of yarn by pulling, tugging every individual strand and all available ends to try and determine the connection between them. Once a connection or knot is revealed, the next step involves getting one ball of yarn through that tunnel and then repeating that step maybe hundreds of times till a pattern begins to emerge.

According to the author, which of the following is not one of the possible explanations for the feeling of déjà vu?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage:

Déjà vu is linked to extraordinary temporal lobe activity but there is more to it than that, including a couple of very interesting theories involving past life experiences and an empirical theory which propounds that the human mind knows everything about everything in the universe - past, present and future. Setting aside medical research which suggests that déjà vu is experienced often just before epilepsy attack, for the simple reason that not everyone who has such an experience suffers from epilepsy, the other two paranormal theories offer a lot of food for thought because they go beyond the realm of surface knowledge and delve into the unknown, uncharted and controversial realms of knowledge. Of all the knowledge that we have now, a vast majority was considered heresy and fantasy before it was established with suitable proof. It is important to try and understand these streams of relatively unexplored and nascent fountainheads of alternative knowledge as conventional dogmas alone cannot hope to provide all the answers to the plethora of unanswered mysteries of the world. One possible explanation for the experiences could be the past life theory, juxtaposing which with déjà vu would suggest the linkage of experiences in previous births with a sensation of having been there before in the present birth but a basic but serious flaw in this theory comes from statistical data which suggests that experiences of déjà vu peak in adolescence and taper off rapidly thereafter. As a starting point however, the theory is not so bad as science is nothing but the art of unraveling a badly jumbled up ball of yarn by pulling, tugging every individual strand and all available ends to try and determine the connection between them. Once a connection or knot is revealed, the next step involves getting one ball of yarn through that tunnel and then repeating that step maybe hundreds of times till a pattern begins to emerge.

Why does the author say, 'Although official numbers contest these findings, they also do not paint a propitious scenario'?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

As the dragon country preens in the spotlight brought about by its fiscal policies that have catapulted it to the centre stage in global economics, additional proof of its newly founded ascendancy has been brought about by its superseding of Japan to officially become world’s second largest economy. What is causing heartburn to many jingoistic analysts and economists from other nations of the world stage is the knowledge that a large part of this leap in rankings has been brought about by the burgeoning exports that have brought along with them a huge hoard of precious foreign currency. It is indeed a marvel how the President, Hu Jin Tao is managing to keep such an impassive front when anyone else in his shoes would have been grinning like a Cheshire cat that has just polished off a huge bowl of cream. Perhaps he is just one of those unexpressive characters or maybe he is waiting to polish off the last few wrinkles on the fiscal face before breaking into a joyful jig. An indication of the latter came recently when the state media, in a statement released to the world media, stressed upon the need of, and the increasing focus of the ruling junta on more equitable distribution of wealth which would endeavor to include farmers and workers into the explosive growth story.

As of now, the unofficial figures state that the cream of the Chinese society makes approximately seventy times more money on year on year basis than the populace at the bottom of the pyramid. Althou gh official numbers contest these findings, they also do not paint a propitious scenario. The Premier, in his call to action, has been exhorting political and economic restructuring with the balance of the power shifting its centre of gravity ever so slightly in favor of the masses but his viewpoint is not finding many backers in the government and the bureaucracy because these two sections of the society, apart from the various large industrial manufacturing units, have benefited the most from the current polices. In spite of the strident objections, a few steps towards the process of deregulating the economy have come through a subtle and tacit approval of the worker’s strikes in the People’s Republic. Idealistically speaking, the workers own everything according to the party doctrine which precludes the need for them to ever resort to a tool-down strike but ground realities are rather different. However, recent incidents of workers going on strikes for pressing their demands for better salaries have not been met by disapproval from the authorities and the workers have been, by and large, been successful in negotiating better pays and working conditions. The current model of growth is based upon the model of export blitzkrieg which, although has been yielding trailblazing results, has had a major Achilles heel in not being able to stimulate domestic consumption and one can safely presume that the fact has not escaped the attention of the politburo. While the author does not profess to possess any knowledge of the politburo members’ academic qualifications, there is little reason to believe that they are babes in the woods when it comes to fiscal foresight. In the event of a global economic meltdown, what will keep any economy ticking over is a robust domestic demand which can keep the smoke billowing out from the industrial chimneys.

Why are the “categories "true and false" so inadequate” in the case of philosophy?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

Metaphysical principles are less easily verified from experience than physical hypotheses, but also less easily refuted. Systems of philosophy, therefore, are not so dependent on our progressive knowledge of facts as the theories of natural science, and change less quickly; notwithstanding their mutual conflicts, and in spite of the talk about discarded standpoints, they possess in a measure the permanence of classical works of art, they retain for all time a certain relative validity. The thought of Plato, of Aristotle, and of the heroes of modern philosophy is ever proving anew its fructifying power. Nowhere do we find such instructive errors as in the sphere of philosophy; nowhere is the new so essentially a completion and development of the old, even though it deem itself the whole and assume a hostile attitude toward its predecessors; nowhere is the inquiry so much more important than the final result; nowhere the categories "true and false" so inadequate. The spirit of the time and the spirit of the people, the individuality of the thinker, disposition, will, fancy--all these exert a far stronger influence on the development of philosophy, both by way of promotion and by way of hindrance, than in any other department of thought. If a system gives classical expression to the thought of an epoch,’ a nation, or a great personality; if it seeks to attack the world-riddle from a new direction, or brings us nearer its solution by important original conceptions, by a subtler or a simpler comprehension of the problem, by a wider outlook or a deeper insight; it has accomplished more than it could have done by bringing forward a number of indisputably correct principles.

Which of the following represents best the key point of argument of the passage?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

Metaphysical principles are less easily verified from experience than physical hypotheses, but also less easily refuted. Systems of philosophy, therefore, are not so dependent on our progressive knowledge of facts as the theories of natural science, and change less quickly; notwithstanding their mutual conflicts, and in spite of the talk about discarded standpoints, they possess in a measure the permanence of classical works of art, they retain for all time a certain relative validity. The thought of Plato, of Aristotle, and of the heroes of modern philosophy is ever proving anew its fructifying power. Nowhere do we find such instructive errors as in the sphere of philosophy; nowhere is the new so essentially a completion and development of the old, even though it deem itself the whole and assume a hostile attitude toward its predecessors; nowhere is the inquiry so much more important than the final result; nowhere the categories "true and false" so inadequate. The spirit of the time and the spirit of the people, the individuality of the thinker, disposition, will, fancy--all these exert a far stronger influence on the development of philosophy, both by way of promotion and by way of hindrance, than in any other department of thought. If a system gives classical expression to the thought of an epoch,’ a nation, or a great personality; if it seeks to attack the world-riddle from a new direction, or brings us nearer its solution by important original conceptions, by a subtler or a simpler comprehension of the problem, by a wider outlook or a deeper insight; it has accomplished more than it could have done by bringing forward a number of indisputably correct principles.

Why is the thought of Plato and Aristotle “proving anew its fructifying power”?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

Metaphysical principles are less easily verified from experience than physical hypotheses, but also less easily refuted. Systems of philosophy, therefore, are not so dependent on our progressive knowledge of facts as the theories of natural science, and change less quickly; notwithstanding their mutual conflicts, and in spite of the talk about discarded standpoints, they possess in a measure the permanence of classical works of art, they retain for all time a certain relative validity. The thought of Plato, of Aristotle, and of the heroes of modern philosophy is ever proving anew its fructifying power. Nowhere do we find such instructive errors as in the sphere of philosophy; nowhere is the new so essentially a completion and development of the old, even though it deem itself the whole and assume a hostile attitude toward its predecessors; nowhere is the inquiry so much more important than the final result; nowhere the categories "true and false" so inadequate. The spirit of the time and the spirit of the people, the individuality of the thinker, disposition, will, fancy--all these exert a far stronger influence on the development of philosophy, both by way of promotion and by way of hindrance, than in any other department of thought. If a system gives classical expression to the thought of an epoch,’ a nation, or a great personality; if it seeks to attack the world-riddle from a new direction, or brings us nearer its solution by important original conceptions, by a subtler or a simpler comprehension of the problem, by a wider outlook or a deeper insight; it has accomplished more than it could have done by bringing forward a number of indisputably correct principles.

According to the passage, which of the following is a tenet of Eastern philosophy?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

While the East has always been more favourable towards the pre-ordained destiny model of life, West has embraced the ‘actions ordain destiny’ model of thinking.

While the general direction of life has been attributed by the East to a preordained destiny intricately conjoined with actions of the past lives and subsequent Karma accrued, the deliberate actions of this life are often geared towards accrual of a better karma, which in turn will help in the afterlife and rebirth and the cycle is endless till a spirit evolves so much that it becomes a part of the ‘Supreme Soul’ thereby attaining Moksha. In a manner of speaking, the life that is being lived today is directly linked to the previous life and will impact the lives to come. As we pass this marker, there seems to be a certain confluence of the two divergent philosophies in that the concept of an accession to heaven or a descent into hell is dictated by the actions of this life.

A book on a case study by a leading psychiatrist from U.S.A. has set the cat among the legions of spiritualists and philosophers. The learned doctor, who used hypnotic therapy to treat the symptoms of a present day disease of his patient claims to have found proof of the cycle of births and rebirths. Initially a skeptic, the psychiatric was amazed when the patient took him onto journeys into her past lives ranging from the stone ages to the middle ages to just centuries ago. Supposedly, during the therapy of the aforesaid patient, not only did the doctor find proof of reincarnation, but also found a common, invisible thread that binds the spirits that are close in this birth into other past lives as well. Working on the theory of probabilities, it is also well nigh conceivable that what is true for the past will remain steadfast for the future also. According to the doctor, or rather his inference of the past life events of his patient, every birth that we take is to help us spiritually evolve to the next level of consciousness. As long as we remain trapped by the same thoughts and beliefs, our forward journey into the next level is impossible. A spirit chooses its time of rebirth and death, even the sex, circumstances and the family that it will reincarnate withm but the learning has to be taken to the next level before it can proceed to the next level of consciousness.

Maybe, the cycle of birth and death in itself is a manifestation of hell and heaven with evolving spirits moving up to the next level of consciousness and progressively closer to a final communion with the Holy Spirit, while the spirits which are tied down by the petty events and emotions of the present are sentenced to hell by the virtue of having to go through similarly painful experiences till the time they learn to break free. The intervening period between death and the next rebirth is perhaps a period of silent introspection while suspended in a state of flux.

Which of the following generalisations is the author most likely to agree with?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

While the East has always been more favourable towards the pre-ordained destiny model of life, West has embraced the ‘actions ordain destiny’ model of thinking.

While the general direction of life has been attributed by the East to a preordained destiny intricately conjoined with actions of the past lives and subsequent Karma accrued, the deliberate actions of this life are often geared towards accrual of a better karma, which in turn will help in the afterlife and rebirth and the cycle is endless till a spirit evolves so much that it becomes a part of the ‘Supreme Soul’ thereby attaining Moksha. In a manner of speaking, the life that is being lived today is directly linked to the previous life and will impact the lives to come. As we pass this marker, there seems to be a certain confluence of the two divergent philosophies in that the concept of an accession to heaven or a descent into hell is dictated by the actions of this life.

A book on a case study by a leading psychiatrist from U.S.A. has set the cat among the legions of spiritualists and philosophers. The learned doctor, who used hypnotic therapy to treat the symptoms of a present day disease of his patient claims to have found proof of the cycle of births and rebirths. Initially a skeptic, the psychiatric was amazed when the patient took him onto journeys into her past lives ranging from the stone ages to the middle ages to just centuries ago. Supposedly, during the therapy of the aforesaid patient, not only did the doctor find proof of reincarnation, but also found a common, invisible thread that binds the spirits that are close in this birth into other past lives as well. Working on the theory of probabilities, it is also well nigh conceivable that what is true for the past will remain steadfast for the future also. According to the doctor, or rather his inference of the past life events of his patient, every birth that we take is to help us spiritually evolve to the next level of consciousness. As long as we remain trapped by the same thoughts and beliefs, our forward journey into the next level is impossible. A spirit chooses its time of rebirth and death, even the sex, circumstances and the family that it will reincarnate withm but the learning has to be taken to the next level before it can proceed to the next level of consciousness.

Maybe, the cycle of birth and death in itself is a manifestation of hell and heaven with evolving spirits moving up to the next level of consciousness and progressively closer to a final communion with the Holy Spirit, while the spirits which are tied down by the petty events and emotions of the present are sentenced to hell by the virtue of having to go through similarly painful experiences till the time they learn to break free. The intervening period between death and the next rebirth is perhaps a period of silent introspection while suspended in a state of flux.

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

Directions: Answer the question based on the following passage.

While the East has always been more favourable towards the pre-ordained destiny model of life, West has embraced the ‘actions ordain destiny’ model of thinking.

While the general direction of life has been attributed by the East to a preordained destiny intricately conjoined with actions of the past lives and subsequent Karma accrued, the deliberate actions of this life are often geared towards accrual of a better karma, which in turn will help in the afterlife and rebirth and the cycle is endless till a spirit evolves so much that it becomes a part of the ‘Supreme Soul’ thereby attaining Moksha. In a manner of speaking, the life that is being lived today is directly linked to the previous life and will impact the lives to come. As we pass this marker, there seems to be a certain confluence of the two divergent philosophies in that the concept of an accession to heaven or a descent into hell is dictated by the actions of this life.

A book on a case study by a leading psychiatrist from U.S.A. has set the cat among the legions of spiritualists and philosophers. The learned doctor, who used hypnotic therapy to treat the symptoms of a present day disease of his patient claims to have found proof of the cycle of births and rebirths. Initially a skeptic, the psychiatric was amazed when the patient took him onto journeys into her past lives ranging from the stone ages to the middle ages to just centuries ago. Supposedly, during the therapy of the aforesaid patient, not only did the doctor find proof of reincarnation, but also found a common, invisible thread that binds the spirits that are close in this birth into other past lives as well. Working on the theory of probabilities, it is also well nigh conceivable that what is true for the past will remain steadfast for the future also. According to the doctor, or rather his inference of the past life events of his patient, every birth that we take is to help us spiritually evolve to the next level of consciousness. As long as we remain trapped by the same thoughts and beliefs, our forward journey into the next level is impossible. A spirit chooses its time of rebirth and death, even the sex, circumstances and the family that it will reincarnate withm but the learning has to be taken to the next level before it can proceed to the next level of consciousness.

Maybe, the cycle of birth and death in itself is a manifestation of hell and heaven with evolving spirits moving up to the next level of consciousness and progressively closer to a final communion with the Holy Spirit, while the spirits which are tied down by the petty events and emotions of the present are sentenced to hell by the virtue of having to go through similarly painful experiences till the time they learn to break free. The intervening period between death and the next rebirth is perhaps a period of silent introspection while suspended in a state of flux.