CASE-BASED PASSAGES

PASSAGE 1
Read the passage given below.
The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. A vast majority of cases are
asymptomatic or mild and self-managed, and hence the actual numbers of dengue cases are underreported or often
misdiagnosed. One estimate indicates 390 million dengue virus infections per year (95% credible interval 284 –528 million),
of which 96 million (67–136 million) manifest clinically (with any severity of disease). The number of dengue cases reported
to WHO increased over 8 fold over the last two decades.
This alarming increase in case numbers is partly explained by a change in national practices to record and report dengue to
the Ministries of Health, and to the WHO. But it also represents government recognition of the burden, and therefore the
pertinence to report dengue disease. Before 1970, only 9 countries had experienced severe dengue epidemics. The disease
is now endemic in more than 100 countries in the WHO regions of Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South -
East Asia and the Western Pacific, The America, South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions are the most seriously
affected, with Asia representing ~70% of the global burden of disease. In 2020, dengue continues to affect several
countries, with reports of increases in the numbers of cases in Bangladesh, Brazil, Cook Islands, Ecuador, India, Indonesia,
Maldives, Mauritania, Mayotte (Fr), Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Yemen.
The largest number of dengue cases ever reported globally was in 2019. All regions were affected, and dengue
transmission was recorded in Afghanistan for the first time. The first dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia® (CYD-TDV) developed by
Sanofi Pasteur was licensed in December 2015 and has now been approved by regulatory authorities in ~20 countries. In
November 2017, the results of an additional analysis to retrospectively determine serostatus at the time of vaccination
were released.
As described in the WHO position paper on the Dengvaxia vaccine (September 2018) the dengue vaccine CYD-TDV has
been shown in clinical trials to be efficacious and safe in persons who have had a previous dengue virus infection. However,
it carries an increased risk of severe dengue in those who experience their first natural dengue infection after vaccination.
For countries considering vaccination as part of their dengue control programme, pre-vaccination screening is the
recommended strategy.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage attempt the questions that follow. (1x10=10)
1. In the line, ‗and therefore the pertinence to report dengue disease‘ , the word pertinence doe s not mean a.
Importance b. Ignorance c. Relevance d. Appropriateness
2. According to the WHO report, around 70% of the dengue cases from around the world,
a. Affect people in Asia b. Misdiagnosed in Asia c. Do not occur in Asia d. Remain untreated in Asia
3. The actual number of dengue cases are more than the figures in the reports because:
a. There has been a misprint b. Cases reported late
c. Cases are under-reported d. Cases constantly increase
4. Choose the option that is correct about the rise in the number of dengue cases
a. Rise in dengue is due to rise in tourism b. Dengue is being tested and reported in vast numbers
c. Dengue is a communicable disease d. Dengue spread is uncontrollable
5. According to this WHO report which year recorded the maximum number of Dengue cases?
a. 2017 b. 2015 c. 2020 d. 2019
6. Which statement is not true about the dengue vaccine as stated in the report?
a. Dengue vaccine works effectively on people who have been infected before
b. Dengue vaccine works effectively on people who haven‘t been infected before
c. Dengue vaccine must be administered to people in the countries where it is an endemic
d. Dengue vaccine has been in clinical trials but the results are not as expected
7. What does the word ‗endemic‘ refer to?
a. Disease regularly found in people of a certain area
b. Disease irregularly found in people of a certain area
c. Disease regularly found in people any where
d. Disease irregularly found in people any where
8. The number of cases of Dengue reported to WHO
a. Decreased 8 times in the last ten years
b. Decreased 10 times in the last twenty years
c. Increased 10 times in the last eight years
d. Increased 8 times in the last twenty years
9. What is the above report informing us about? Choose the most appropriate response
a. Spread of dengue and its effects around the world
b. Spread of dengue and its under-reportage
c. Spread of Dengue and how it affects Asia
d. Spread of Dengue and directions on the use of vaccine
10. Where do we need to administer the dengue vaccine?
a. In country where dengue is wide-spread
b. In country where dengue may spread
c. In country where dengue spread is limited
d. In country where dengue spread originated
 PASSAGE 2
Read the passage given below.
1. A youngster quit Face book in December after spending over three years on the social networking site. With that one
act, he bid a silent adieu to more than 300 contacts that he had added to his account during the period. Like almost
everyone from his ―friends‘ circle,‖ the 20–year–old was a regular on the service; visiting it every day to post photos and
status updates. But last week, a new feature on Face book called Timeline forced him to reconsider the pros and cons of
being on the networking site.
2. ‗Everyone has some skeletons in their closet and I am just not comfortable with Face book digging up and displaying all
the facets of my life on a bulletin board,‘ says this youngster who joined the network in July 2007 while he was in Class 11.
3. Face book, you see, had compressed the time he spent on the site and arranged it in chronological order. And while he
initially liked the new, neatly organised scrapbook–like feature, he wasn‘t happy to reveal posts from the past, those that,
until recently, were hidden under layers and layers of recent updates. Just clicking on a date on the timeline could
transport his friends back in time and enable them to view every embarrassing comment, link or photo he had posted on
his profile.
4. ―I think it‘s a recipe for disaster,‖ he says. ―In 2007, I had some wall posts, which seemed appropriate at the time, but
now after a lapse of four years, I have moved on and don‘t want them to be openly displayed for all to see.‖
5. And he is not alone. Many users, worried about how Face book activity could possibly affect their offline lives, are
choosing to commit ‗Face book suicide‘. While some have privacy concerns, others feel that the site that was meant to
bring them closer to their friends actually does the opposite – it reduces their friendship to something superficial.
6. ―Poking and liking are not enough to keep a friendship going,‖ says a business analyst. Having quit Face book three
years ago, she prefers meeting her ‗real‘ friends face–to–face, instead of reading their trite posts online.
7. ―On Face book, people hype everyday issues including what they ate and where they went on a daily basis,‖ says this
analyst who continues to use Twitter.
8. Similarly, an engineering student, quit Face book last December four years after joining it. One fine day, he exported all
the data from his account into a little zip file and hit the delete button.
9. ―I realised that when it came to my friends who really mattered, I could actually keep in touch with them over the
phone or by meeting them in real life,‖ he wrote on his blog.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions that follow. (1x10=10)
1. The feature of Face book where one can see the posts, the embarrassing comments and thoughts,
photos and links that a person has put on his profile in the past is:
a) create story b) face book live c) timeline d) messenger
2. According to the passage, the social media:
a) can cause more harm than good. b) Is just a waste of time. c) connects one to real life.
d) provides opportunity to meet people face to face.
3. The feature ‗Timeline‘ on Face book according to passage, forces the youngster to reconsider:
a) meeting friends face to face. b) increasing use of social media. c) saving time on social media.
d) the advantages and disadvantages of being on Face book
4. Many people are getting out of Face book as they feel:
(a) addicted to it. (b) that their face book activity could affect their real life
(c) they should join Instagram, Whatsapp or Twitter. (d) poking and liking is not enough
5. The meaning of the word ‗share‘ in Para 3 is:
(a) liked (b) timeline (c) hidden (d) reveal
6. Which of the following is OPPOSITE in meaning to the word ‗retained‘ as used in the passage?
(a) exported (b) delete (c) account (d) quit
7. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE in the context of the passage?
(a) People love being poked and liked on Face book.
(b) People visit social media everyday to post photos and for status updates.
(c) No one prefers meeting ‗real‘ friends face–to–face, instead of reading their trite posts
online.
(d) Few think that social media reduces their friendship to something superficial.
8. The phrase ―Face book suicide‖ refers to get someone:
(a) Poking and liking (b) quitting face book as it could affect their real life.
(c) clicking on a date on the timeline (d) using Twitter
9. Which of the following statements is TRUE in the context of the passage?
(a) Time spent on social media is better than meeting face‐to‐face.
(b) Social media use could increase the time teens spend together in person.
(c) Stalking, personal attacks, and misuse of information are some of the threats faced by
the users of social media. (d) Face book activity does not affect real life.
10. Select the option that makes the correct use of ―trite‖, as used in the passage, to fill in the blank space. (a) At that
moment, his words sounded _______ to me.
(b) It was either a __________ or an excellent copy.
(c) Her ___________ powers give life and colour to her paintings.
(d) A little __________ air might clear some of the cobwebs.
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