INFOSYS VERBAL ABILITY MODEL PAPER

Directions for Questions 1 - 5: Choose the word that comes closest in the meaning to the word
given.

1. HARMONY

A. Concord B. Corpulent C. Circumspect D. Obsolete

2. UNWARY

A. Heedless B. Fearless C. Vigilant D. Tired

3. MECHANICAL

A. Perfunctory B. Unusual C. New D. Infrequent

4. FALLIBILITY

A. Defective B. Drop C. Amicable D. Proximity

5. OSTENTATIOUS

A. Mundane B. Munificence C. Pompous D. Outrageous

Directions for Questions 6 - 10: Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate words.

6. Peter’s musical tastes are certainly -------; he has recordings ranging from classical piano
performances to rock concerts, jazz and even Chinese opera.

A. Outdated B. Eclectic C. Melodious D. Jarring

7. The organization of Charlie’s study of Asian American literature is ----------: he begins with early
immigrant writings and ends with contemporary writers.

A. Haphazard B. Moderated C. Isolated D. Chronological

8. Sheena is a venomous and ________ speaker, unlike Sheela who is benevolent and soft-spoken.

A. Lovely B. Friendly C. Intimidating D. Sociable

A. Notorious B. Flavoring C. Remedial D. Inferior

10. Recently, we have noticed a great unevenness in her works; there are moments of the greatest
____ in the midst of great ______.

A. Lucidity, enlightenment B. Triteness, usualness C. Obscurity, ambivalence

D. Insight, Banality

Directions for Questions 11 - 15: Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical
error in it. The error if any will be in one part of the sentence, the letter of that part will be the
answer.

11. Angered over the delay in giving compensation, (A) / factory workers shouted (B) / slogans
against the President (C) / when he reaches the office.(D)

12. Volunteers of an NGO (A) / interacted with school students (B) / to spread awareness about (C) /
environment related issues. (D)

13. The phenomena currently under investigation (A) / by the renowned scientist concerns (B) / the
interactions of (C) / laser light with biological materials. (D)

14. It is a more difficult (A) / task to learn to type than mastering (B) / a simple (C) / word processing
program. (D)

15. Merely (A) / speeches made from all sorts (B) / of public platforms cannot bring (C) / about an
economic revolution. (D)

Directions for Questions 16 - 25: The following passages are followed by questions. Based on the
content in the passage, choose the best answer choice for each question.

The decline of the news media’s role as a public trust has affected its obligations to civil society.
Journalists and their supporters from many countries share a strong conviction that market
pressures are undermining the quality of Journalism; specifically, as news organizations preserve
high profit levels by reducing news gathering resources and neglecting Journalism in the public
interest, the fundamental role of the press to inform and empower citizens is endangered. A free
and independent press is essential to human liberty. No people can remain sovereign without a
vigorous press that reports the news, examines critical issues and encourages a robust exchange of
ideas. In recognition of the vital role of the press in society, many countries extend it special legal
protections under constitutions or legislatively enacted statutes. These protections are unique, for
they safeguard print, broadcast and online media organizations against government interference
and censorship. Where this special status has been accorded, the press, news organizations have
been held to a high standard of public service and public trust. Overtime, this ideal has become a
bedrock of Journalism, an enduring tradition by which a free press has been a powerful force for
progress and informed citizen participation in society.

Historically, threats to press freedoms have been political in nature. At the start of the 21st century,
however, a new kind of threat emerges that, if continued, will endanger the freedoms guaranteed to
the press and put at risk the sovereignty of the citizens. The nature of the press as a commercial
enterprise has changed significantly. The emergence of media conglomerates and intense market
competition are creating new organizational priorities in which profit growth is replacing public
service as the principal mission. Sustaining profit growth often requires reducing the resources for
news gathering, thereby diminishing the role of the news media as a public trust. Business priorities
are encouraging the blending of news and entertainment as a strategy to build audiences and
ratings. This trend, most noticeable worldwide in television, has led to the reduction in serious news
coverage and may be responsible for a decline of public confidence in this medium as an essential
source of information. Finally, a shrinking commitment to both domestic and international news
means that news organizations are missing opportunities to connect people and ideas globally at the
very time technology has made such connections increasingly possible. The international group of
Journalists and supporters of press freedom calls on the leaders of news organizations worldwide to
recognize the need for a wiser balance between Business goals and public-service responsibilities,
and to reaffirm their commitment to Journalism and the role of a free press in sustaining human
liberty.

We recognize that news organizations function in a competitive, multimedia environment, and that
financial strength is essential for Journalists excellence and independence. However, an unbalanced
emphasis on profits and financial growth weakens the foundation of Journalism as a public trust. We
are convinced that the growing imbalance in the priority given to the quality of Journalism and profit
growth ultimately impairs citizens’ ability to participate fully in their communities. We recognize that
neglecting the public interest erodes public support for legal guarantees of the freedom of the press
to report the news.

16. It can be inferred from the passage that

A. democracy can continue even if freedom of press is endangered.

B. freedom of press will maintain the sovereignty of people

C. till date, freedom of press has never been questioned.

D. freedom of press puts at risk the sovereignty of the citizens

17. What is the special status that has been allowed to press?
A. High standard of public service and public trust.

B. Informing and empowering citizens.

C. Informed citizen participation in journalism.

D. Legal protection against censorship.

18. The new kind of threat to the freedom of press is

A. reduction of resources.

B. diminished role of media as a public trust.

C. Commercialized organizational priorities.

D. Lack of technical expertise.

19. The author’s attitude towards the influence of market presence on free journalism is that

A. it may have some faults, but it has an overall good intension.

B. A formerly enduring tradition of free press has been taken over by priorities for profit growth.

C. Of an objective and disinterested writer.

D. He has accepted the change and is trying to present it in a favorable light.

20. It can be inferred from the passage that the obligations of press to civil societies are all the
following EXCEPT:

1. Inform and empower citizens.

2. Report the news and examine it.

3. Entertain the people.

4. Link people globally.

A. 1, 2, 3 B. 2, 3, 4 C. None of these-1, 2, 3, 4 D. 1,2,3,4

The spread of library facilities is vital for the education of the masses and dissemination of ideas
and information. In this context, the decision of the Haryana Government to open about 75 public
libraries at the native places of the Kargil heroes of the state, is quite commendable and worth
emulating. As India largely lives in its (5, 79, 148) villages, the facility is most needed and welcome
there. Several efforts in this direction are being made, the most glaring being the contribution of
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Foundation, Calcutta. It has several schemes to help and enrich public libraries;
it provides the states three matching and six non- matching grants towards books and infrastructure.
University/college libraries are entitled to UGC grants. In states like Himachal Pradesh, the senior
secondary school libraries have also been converted into public libraries, in order to get the grant.
 Although the opening of more and more libraries is a setup in the right direction, the problem is
that, in most regions, the quality of library service is not up to the mark. The basic reason is the lack
of reading habit; the world of books does not seem to attract or interest us. The public, in general, is
not greatly interested in reading. Now even our teachers/scholars are not fascinated towards books
and are not proud to have a personal library like Mr. Darcy in pride and prejudice. In an interview
conducted for school heads in the state, around 100 teachers were asked a simple question: what
would be your first ten preferences to spend the arrears you would get as a consequence of revision
of your pay-scales? None of the teachers mentioned books/journals as one of the possible items.

In one of the prestigious universities in the country, a survey report revealed that not even five
percent of the teachers take books from the library. Once somebody anxiously asked the librarian of
an educational institute: “What are the new books received in the library?” the librarian gently
quipped, “have you read the old ones?” everybody complains about persistent reduction in grants
and financial sanctions. Paucity of funds and repeated cuts in grants is the general refrain of many.
One feels that books have become very expensive. Enhanced grants should be made available. But
the million-dollar question is: when many are not keen to take advantage of the existing holding,
why should more money be pumped into the system? The common experience is that library
facilities are often asked for, insisted upon, but rarely made use of. It is not just a chance that even
three percent of the research done in India is not recognized abroad. Also numerous cases of
pseudo-scholarship and plagiarism are coming to light. Once, by way of experiment, the principal of
a post-graduate college kept the library open throughout the day for over a month and found that
only a few readers came to study books. There were those who visited to borrow books, but did not
read, and at times not even cared to return them. Books pertaining to syllabi generally remained
with the academic faculty for years together. Cases of tearing/destroying pages from books and
stealing them from the library are on the increase all over the country. One is remained of the
scholar’s advice to his friend: “Don’t lend books, nobody returns them.” Then, pointing to books in
his own rack, he politely said’ “All these books have been lent to me by some people.” Oscar Wilde
aptly feels that good literature is generally unread, journalism unreadable.

Most librarians complain of heavy loss of books and naturally, they are reluctant to issue/circulate
them. Some institutions have been even done away with the open-shelf system after such bitter
experiences. Library services in many regions are in deplorable conditions. It is the use of existing
facilities that matters most. Public libraries, in most states, are managed through the Library
committees under the chairmanship of district collectors or deputy commissioners, who often have
no time for or interest in these institutions. In one district, located in the biggest district of the state,
having 22.70 percent population of the province, even toilet facilities are not available. In several
states, librarians are just matriculate. In one Library located in the tribal belt, a peon is in charge of a
Library. In senior secondary schools, they are not included among the” functional staff”. The posts
are thus kept vacant for years together. They are included among the “vacation staff” in colleges.
Hence, their libraries remain closed for over four or five months in a year. There is no annual stock
checking or updating. The timings for public libraries are usually the same as that of the general
office time. Naturally, not many will be able to make us of the facility.

Over the years, electronic media has assumed great importance, giving immense boost to the
print media. A large number of books and magazines are coming out every year. There were as many
as 3,740 newspapers in India in 1993, the number rose to 4,093 in 1994. But our libraries are unable
to subscribe too many of them since the financial sanctions are barely nominal.

Libraries often have a deserted look mainly because no attention is paid towards maintenance.
Senior secondary schools often lack adequate Library facilities, and in the rural areas these are
particularly conspicuous by their absence. These Libraries often appear to be just “godowns” with
reading material, making it difficult to fish out the required book. Librarians and heads of institutes
often grumble about their own difficulties ---- lack of staff, inconvenient timings, shooting prices of
books / journals, book-thefts, damage caused due to silver fish, ants, rats, and so on. Several
institutions experimented with “textbook” and “reference” sections in the library, with the help of
the grants from the UGC and other agencies.

However, in most cases the innovation did not work well at the grassroots level. The common
tendency among the members / readers is not to return good or rare books ----they choose to call
them lost and pay the price, at old rates. Numerous measures adopted to check this proved futile. It
is also essential to review and revise the procedures of the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Foundation Grants
Award. At present, the state education department, usually on the condition of 25 percent rebate,
invites samples and selects books through subject/language committees. As and when the selected
books are received, payments are made directly by the foundation.

The process is quite long and cumbersome, and payments are made very late. As a result a large
number of publishers do not choose to apply under the scheme. We should revise the scheme in the
light of past experience and make it attractive and meaningful. We should also arrange regular
orientation courses for Librarians and frame comprehensive Library Regulations in each state.

21. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. discuss the importance of books kept in the libraries.

B. discuss the spread of library facilities in India.

C. discuss the reluctance of reading on the part of the public.

D. discuss the neglect of libraries by people and authorities.

22. It can be inferred from the passage that,

A. though people are interested in improving their knowledge, they are unable to do so because of
lack of proper maintenance of libraries.

B. though the libraries are maintained properly, people are not attracted to or interested in the
world of books.

C. though it is a well-known fact that libraries are essential for the education of the masses, the
quality of library service is still poor.

D. though the people and Library authorities are interested in improving the libraries, there is
inadequate financial support for the same.

23. It is ironical that

1. The well-educated or qualified people do not use libraries or read books.

2. The uneducated or poorly qualified people are incharge of libraries.

A. 1 and 2 B. 2 and 3 C. none of these-1, 2, 3 D. 1, 2, 3

24. The author feels that

A. Only lack of enthusiasm on the part of the readers to use libraries result in poor maintenance of
libraries.

B. Only lack of proper maintenance of libraries kills the interest in the people to read.

C. Only lack of proper and quality library service leads to people avoiding the visit to libraries.

D. Lack of enthusiasm, lack of proper quality service and poor maintenance interplay with each other
in a vicious circle.

25. Why was the open-shelf system totally removed from libraries?

A. Because of cases of tearing or destroying pages.

B. Because of reasonable library service conditions.

C. Because of the lack of functional staff in all public libraries.

D. Because of stealing of books from library.

Directions for Questions 26 - 30: In each of the questions below, four different ways of writing a
sentence are indicated. Choose the best way of writing the sentence. (Concise and grammatically
correct)

26.

1. To generate income, magazine publishers must decide whether to increase the subscription price
or to sell advertising.

2. To generate income, magazine publishers must decide whether to increase the subscription price
or if they should sell advertising.

3. To generate income, magazine publishers must decide whether to increase the subscription price
or sell advertising.

4. To generate income, magazine publishers must decide whether to increase the subscription price
or sold advertising.

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

27.

1. If I were you, I would do it at once

3. If I am you, I would do it at once

4. If I would be you, I would do it at once

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

28.

1. No sooner I heard the shot when I rushed to the spot.

2. No sooner I heard the shot than I rushed to the spot.

3. No sooner did I hear the shot when I rushed to the spot.

4. No sooner did I hear the shot than I rushed to the spot.

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

29.

1. My parents told me that in France they sometimes do not wear bathing suits on the beach.

2. My parents told me that in France some people do not wear bathing suits on the beach.

3. My parents told me that some French people do not wear bathing suits on the beach.

4. My parents told me that in France there are some who do not wear bathing suits on the beach.

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

30.

1. Although everyone was forewarned about the upcoming exam, yet only three students out of the
entire class passed it.

2. Although everyone was forewarned about the upcoming exam, only three students out of the
entire class passed it.

3. Although everyone was forewarned about the upcoming exam, only three students, which was
out of the entire class passed it.

4. Although everyone was forewarned about the upcoming exam, but only three students out of the
entire class passed it.

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

Directions for 31- 35: Study the following information carefully and answer the questions:
31. Statement: The Government has decided to instruct the banks to open new branches in such a
way that there is one branch of any of the banks in every village of population 1000 and above or a
cluster of villages with population less than 1000 to provide banking services to all the citizens.

Which of the following will weaken the step taken by the Government?

1. The private sector banks in India have stepped up their branch expansion activities in rural India.

2. Many Government -owned banks have surplus manpower in its urban branches

3. All the banks, including those in private sector, will follow the Government directive.

4. Large number of branches of many Government -owned banks in the rural areas are making huge
losses every year due to lack of adequate business activities.

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D.4

32. Effect: Majority of the employees of the ailing organization opted for voluntary retirement
scheme and left the organization with all their retirement benefits within a fortnight of launching the
scheme. What of the following can be a probable cause of the above effect?

1. The company has been making huge losses for the past five years and is unable to pay salary to its
employees in time.

2. The management of the company made huge personal gains through unlawful activities

3. One of the competitors of the company went bankrupt last year

4. The company owns large tracts of land in the state which will fetch huge sum to its owners

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

33. It has been suggested that long-term prisoners, on release from jail, be given a reasonable state
pension to reduce the likelihood of their resorting to crime. Most people instinctively reject the
suggestion as they feel it would be like rewarding criminal activity.

The supporters of the prisoners’ pension scheme have criticized those who reject this possibility, by
claiming that for the critics......

Which of the following is the most logical completion of the sentence above?

A. emotion is more important than justice

B. punishment for criminals is more important than crime prevention

C. crime prevention is not an important issue

D. money has too high a value

34. In the past, consumers would rarely walk into an ice cream store and order low-fat ice cream.
But that isn't the case today. An increasing health consciousness combined with a much bigger
selection of tasty low-fat foods in all categories has made low-fat ice cream a very profitable item for
ice cream store owners.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. low-fat ice cream produces more revenue than other low-fat foods.

B. ice cream store owners no longer think that low-fat ice cream is an unpopular item.

C. low-fat ice cream is more popular than other kinds of ice cream.

D. consumers are fickle and it is impossible to please them

35. Statement: "Buy pure and natural Ghee of VM Company." - An advertisement in a newspaper.

Assumptions:

1. Artificial Ghee can be prepared.

2. People do not mind paying more for pure and natural Ghee.

3. No other company supplies pure ghee.

A. Only 1 is implicit

B. Only 1 and 2 are implicit

C. Only 1 and 3 are implicit

D. 1, 2, 3 implicit

PLEASE ADD 5 QUESTIONS ON JUMBLED SENTENCES