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1.All of the following serve as evidence for the character of Aladdin being based on Hanna Diyab EXCEPT:

1.Diyab’s cosmopolitanism and cross-cultural experience.

2.Diyab’s humble origins and class struggles, as recounted in his travelogue.

3.Diyab’s description of the wealth of Versailles in his travelogue.

4.Diyab’s narration of the original story to Galland.

2.The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following explanations for the origins of the story of Aladdin?

1.Galland derived the story of Aladdin from Diyab’s travelogue in which he recounts his fascination with the wealth of Versailles.

2.The story of Aladdin has its origins in an undiscovered, incomplete manuscript of a medieval Arabic collection of stories.

3.Basing it on his own life experiences, Diyab transmitted the story of Aladdin to Galland who included it in Arabian Nights.

4.Galland received the story of Aladdin from Diyab who, in turn, found it in an incomplete medieval manuscript.

3.Which of the following, if true, would invalidate the inversion that the phrase “flips the script” refers to?

1.Diyab’s travelogue described the affluence of the French city of Bordeaux, instead of Versailles.

2.The French fairy tales of the eighteenth century did not have rags-to-riches plot lines like that of the tale of Aladdin.

3.The description of opulence in Hanna Diyab’s and Antoine Galland’s narratives bore no resemblance to each other.

4.Galland acknowledged in the published translations of Arabian Nights that he heard the story of Aladdin from Diyab.

4.Which of the following is the primary reason for why storytellers are still fascinated by the story of Aladdin?

1.The traveller's experience that inspired the tale of Aladdin resonates even today.

2.The tale of Aladdin documents the history of Europe and Middle East.

3.The archetype of the rags-to-riches story of Aladdin makes it popular even today.

4.The story of Aladdin is evidence of the eighteenth century French Orientalist.

5.Which of the following does not contribute to the passage’s claim about the authorship of Aladdin?

1.The narrative sensibility of Diyab’s travelogue.

2.The depiction of the affluence of Versailles in Diyab’s travelogue.

3.Galland’s acknowledgment of Diyab in his diary.

4.The story-line of many French fairy tales of the 18th century.

6.All of the following, IF TRUE, would weaken the author’s claims EXCEPT:

1.product options increased market competition, bringing down the prices of commodities, which, in turn, increased purchasing power of the poor.

2.the annual sales growth of companies with fewer product options were higher than that of companies which curated their products for target consumers.

3.the annual sale of companies that hired lifestyle influencers on Instagram for marketing their products were 40% less than those that did not.

4.the empowerment felt by purchasers in buying a commodity were directly proportional to the number of options they could choose from.

7.Which one of the following best sums up the overall purpose of the examples of Casper and Glossier in the passage?

1.They are increasing the purchasing power of poor Americans.

2.They are exceptions to a dominant trend in consumer markets.

3.They are facilitating a uniform distribution of commodities in the market.

4.They might transform into what they were exceptions to.

8.A new food brand plans to launch a series of products in the American market. Which of the following product plans is most likely to be supported by the author of the passage?

1.A range of 10 products priced between $5 and $10.

2.A range of 25 products priced between $10 and $25.

3.A range of 25 products priced between $5 and $10.

4.A range of 10 products priced between $10 and $25.

9.Based on the passage, all of the following can be inferred about consumer behaviour EXCEPT that:

1.too many options have made it difficult for consumers to trust products.

2.consumers are susceptible to marketing images that they see on social media.

3.having too many product options can be overwhelming for consumers.

4.consumers tend to prefer products by start-ups over those by established companies.

10.In the last sentence of paragraph 3, “slightly warmer air” and “at a slightly colder temperature” refer to ______ AND ______ respectively:

1.the air inside penguins’ bodies kept warm because of metabolism of food AND the fall in temperature of the body air after it transfers some heat to the plumage.

2.the cold Antarctic air which becomes warmer because of the heat radiated out from penguins’ bodies AND the fall in temperature of the surrounding air after thermal convection.

3.the air trapped in the plumage which is warmer than the Antarctic air AND the fall in temperature of the trapped plumage air after it radiates out some heat.

4.the cold Antarctic air whose temperature is higher than that of the plumage AND the fall in temperature of the Antarctic air after it has transmitted some heat to the plumage

11.Which of the following best explains the purpose of the word “paradoxically” as used by the author?

1.Keeping their body colder helps penguins keep their plumage warmer.

2.Keeping a part of their body colder helps penguins keep their bodies warmer.

3.Heat gain through radiation happens despite the heat loss through convection.

4.Heat loss through radiation happens despite the heat gain through convection.

12.All of the following, if true, would negate the findings of the study reported in the passage EXCEPT:

1.the penguins’ plumage were made of a material that did not allow any heat transfer through convection or radiation.

2.the average air temperature recorded during the month of June 2008 in the area of study were –10 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.the temperature of the plumage on the penguins’ heads, chests and backs were found to be 1.84, 7.24 and 9.76 degrees Fahrenheit respectively.

4.the average temperature of the feet of penguins in the month of June 2008 were found to be 2.76 degrees Fahrenheit.

13.Which of the following can be responsible for Emperor Penguins losing body heat?

1.Food metabolism.

2.Reproduction process.

3.Plumage.

4.Thermal convection.

14.The author says that folk “may often appear a cosy, fossilised form” because:

1.of its nostalgic association with a pre-industrial past.

2.it has been arrogated for various political and cultural purposes.

3.folk is a sonic “shabby chic” with an antique veneer.

4.the notion of folk has led to several debates and disagreements.

15.All of the following are causes for plurality and diversity within the British folk tradition EXCEPT:

1.the fluidity of folk forms owing to their history of oral mode of transmission.

2.paradoxically, folk forms are both popular and unpopular.

3.that British folk forms can be traced to the remote past of the country.

4.that British folk continues to have traces of pagan influence from the dark ages.

16.At a conference on folk forms, the author of the passage is least likely to agree with which one of the following views?

1.The power of folk resides in its contradictory ability to influence and be influenced by the present while remaining rooted in the past.

2.Folk forms, despite their archaic origins, remain intellectually relevant in contemporary times.

3.Folk forms, in their ability to constantly adapt to the changing world, exhibit an unusual poise and homogeneity with each change.

4.The plurality and democratising impulse of folk forms emanate from the improvisation that its practitioners bring to it.

17.The primary purpose of the reference to William Morris and his floral prints is to show:

1.the pervasive influence of folk on contemporary art, culture, and fashion.

2.that what is once regarded as radical in folk, can later be seen as conformist.

3.that what was once derided as genteel is now considered revolutionary.

4.that despite its archaic origins, folk continues to remain a popular tradition.

18.Which of the following statements about folk revivalism of the 1940s and 1960s cannot be inferred from the passage?

1.Freedom and rebellion were popular themes during the second wave of folk revivalism.

2.Electrification of music would not have happened without the influence of rock music.

3.Even though it led to folk-rock’s golden age, it wasn’t entirely free from critique.

4.It reinforced Cecil Sharp’s observation about folk’s constant transformation.

19.The word “topophobia” in the passage is used:

to represent a feeling of dread towards particular spaces and places.

as a metaphor expressing the failure of the homeland to accommodate non-citizens.

to signify the fear of studying the complex discipline of topography.

to signify feelings of fear or anxiety towards topophilic people.

20.In the last paragraph, the author uses the example of “Residents of upscale residential developments” to illustrate the:

1.introduction of nationalist projects by such elites to produce a sense of dread or topophobia.

2.manner in which environments are designed to minimise the social exclusion of their clientele.

3.sensitive response to race and class problems in upscale residential developments.

4.social exclusivism practised by such residents in order to enforce a sense of racial or class superiority.

21.Which one of the following best captures the meaning of the statement, “Topophilia is difficult to design for and impossible to quantify . . .”?

1.Philosopher-architects are uniquely suited to develop topophilic design.

2.People’s responses to their environment are usually subjective and so cannot be rendered in design.

3.Architects have to objectively quantify spaces and hence cannot be topophilic.

4.The deep anomie of modern urbanisation led to new urbanism’s intricate sense of place.

22.Which one of the following comes closest in meaning to the author’s understanding of topophilia?

1.The French are not overly patriotic, but they will refuse to use English as far as possible, even when they know it well.

2.The tendency of many cultures to represent their land as “motherland” or “fatherland” may be seen as an expression of their topophilia.

3.Scientists have found that most creatures, including humans, are either born with or cultivate a strong sense of topography.

4.Nomadic societies are known to have the least affinity for the lands through which they traverse because they tend to be topophobic.

23.Which of the following statements, if true, could be seen as not contradicting the arguments in the passage?

1.Generally speaking, in a given culture, the ties of the people to their environment vary little in significance or intensity.

2.Patriotism, usually seen as a positive feeling, is presented by the author as a darker form of topophilia.

3.New Urbanism succeeded in those designs where architects collaborated with their clients.

4.The most important, even fundamental, response to our environment is our tactile and olfactory response.

24.Vance Packard’s The Hidden Persuaders alerted the public to the psychoanalytical techniques used by the advertising industry. Its premise was that advertising agencies were using depth interviews to identify hidden consumer motivations, which were then used to entice consumers to buy goods. Critics and reporters often wrongly assumed that Packard was writing mainly about subliminal advertising. Packard never mentioned the word subliminal, however, and devoted very little space to discussions of “subthreshold” effects. Instead, his views largely aligned with the notion that individuals do not always have access to their conscious thoughts and can be persuaded by supraliminal messages without their knowledge

1.Packard argued that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ understands the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the subliminal level, on the subconscious level of the awareness of the people targeted.

2.Packard held that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ understands the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the supraliminal level, though the people targeted have no awareness of being persuaded.

3.Packard held that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ builds on peoples’ conscious thoughts and awareness, by understanding the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the subliminal level.

4.Packard argued that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ works at the supraliminal level, wherein the people targeted are aware of being persuaded, after understanding the hidden motivations of consumers and works.

25.A distinguishing feature of language is our ability to refer to absent things, known as displaced reference. A speaker can bring distant referents to mind in the absence of any obvious stimuli. Thoughts, not limited to the here and now, can pop into our heads for unfathomable reasons. This ability to think about distant things necessarily precedes the ability to talk about them. Thought precedes meaningful referential communication. A prerequisite for the emergence of human-like meaningful symbols is that the mental categories they relate to can be invoked even in the absence of immediate stimuli.

1.Thoughts precede all speech acts and these thoughts pop up in our heads even in the absence of any stimulus.

2.The ability to think about objects not present in our environment precedes the development of human communication.

3.Thoughts are essential to communication and only humans have the ability to think about objects not present in their surroundings.

4.Displaced reference is particular to humans and thoughts pop into our heads for no real reason.

26.Physics is a pure science that seeks to understand the behavior of matter without regard to whether it will afford any practical benefit. Engineering is the correlative applied science in which physical theories are put to some specific use, such as building a bridge or a nuclear reactor. Engineers obviously rely heavily on the discoveries of physicists, but an engineer's knowledge of the world is not the same as the physicist's knowledge. In fact, an engineer's know-how will often depend on physical theories that, from the point of view of pure physics, are false. There are some reasons for this. First, theories that are false in the purest and strictest sense are still sometimes very good approximations to the true ones, and often have the added virtue of being much easier to work with. Second, sometimes the true theories apply only under highly idealized conditions which can only be created under controlled experimental situations. The engineer finds that in the real world, theories rejected by physicists yield more accurate predictions than the ones that they accept.

1.The unique task of the engineer is to identify, understand, and interpret the design constraints to produce a successful result.

2.The relationship between pure and applied science is strictly linear, with the pure science directing applied science, and never the other way round.

3.Though engineering draws heavily from pure science, it contributes to knowledge, by incorporating the constraints and conditions in the real world.

4.Engineering and physics fundamentally differ on matters like building a bridge or a nuclear reactor.

27.According to the passage, colonial powers located their capitals:

1.to showcase their power and prestige.

2.where they had the densest populations.

3.based on political expediency.

4.to promote their trading interests.

28.The “dilemma” mentioned in the passage refers to:

1.keeping government agencies in the largest city with good infrastructure or moving them to a remote area with few amenities.

2.concentrating on decongesting large cities or focusing on boosting employment in relatively larger cities.

3.encouraging private enterprises to relocate to smaller towns or not incentivising them in order to keep government costs in those towns low.

4.relocating government agencies to boost growth in remote areas with poor amenities or to relatively larger cities with good amenities.

29.People who support decentralising central government functions are LEAST likely to cite which of the following reasons for their view?

1.More independence could be enjoyed by regulatory bodies located away from political centres.

2.Policy makers may benefit from fresh thinking in a new environment.

3.It reduces expenses as infrastructure costs and salaries are lower in smaller cities.

4.It could weaken the nexus between bureaucrats and media in the capital.

30.The “long pedigree” of the aim to shift civil servants to improve their living standards implies that this move:

1.is not a new idea and has been tried in the past.

2.has become common practice in several countries worldwide.

3.is supported by politicians and the ruling elites.

4.takes a long time to achieve its intended outcomes.

31.According to the author, relocating government agencies has not always been a success for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

1.a rise in pollution levels and congestion in the new locations.

2.the difficulty of attracting talented, well-skilled people in more remote areas.

3.increased avenues of corruption away from the capital city.

4.high staff losses, as people may not be prepared to move to smaller towns.

32.Based on his views mentioned in the passage, one could best characterise Dr. Watrall as being:

1.opposed to the use of digital technology in archaeological and cultural sites in developing countries.

2.dismissive of laypeople’s access to specialist images of archaeological and cultural sites.

3.uneasy about the marketing of archaeological images for commercial use by firms such as Google and CyArk.

4.critical about the links between a non-profit and a commercial tech platform for distributing archaeological images.

33.By “digital colonialism”, critics of the CyArk–Google project are referring to the fact that:

1.CyArk and Google have been scanning images without copyright permission from host countries.

2.the scanning process can damage delicate frescos and statues at the sites.

3.countries where the scanned sites are located do not own the scan copyrights.

4.CyArk and Google have not shared the details of digitisation with the host countries.

34.Which of the following, if true, would most strongly invalidate Dr. Watrall’s objections?

1.Google takes down advertisements on its website hosting CyArk’s scanned images

2.There is a ban on CyArk scanning archeological sites located in other countries.

3.CyArk does not own the copyright on scanned images of archaeological sites.

4.CyArk uploads its scanned images of archaeological sites onto museum websites only.

35.In Dr. Thompson’s view, CyArk owning the copyright of its digital scans of archaeological sites is akin to:

1.tourists uploading photos of monuments onto social media.

2.the seizing of ancient Egyptian artefacts by a Western museum.

3.the illegal downloading of content from the internet.

4.digital platforms capturing users’ data for market research.

36.Of the following arguments, which one is LEAST likely to be used by the companies that digitally scan cultural sites?

1.It enables people who cannot physically visit these sites to experience them.

2.It helps preserve precious images in case the sites are damaged or destroyed.

3.It allows a large corporation to project itself as a protector of culture.

4.It provides images free of cost to all users.

37.Which one of the following statements would undermine the author’s stand regarding the greenness of cities?

1.The compactness of big cities in the West increases the incidence of violent crime.

2.Sorting through rubbish contributes to the rapid spread of diseases in the slums.

3.The high density of cities leads to an increase in carbon dioxide and global warming.

4.Over the last decade the cost of utilities has been increasing for city dwellers.

38.According to the passage, squatter cities are environment-friendly for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

1.their transportation is energy efficient.

2.they recycle material.

3.they sort out garbage.

4.their streets are kept clean.

39.We can infer that Calthorpe’s statement “still jars” with most people because most people:

1.regard cities as places of disease and crime.

2.do not consider cities to be eco-friendly places.

3.do not regard cities as good places to live in.

4.consider cities to be very crowded and polluted.

40.In the context of the passage, the author refers to Manaus in order to:

1.explain how urban areas help the environment.

2.describe the infrastructure efficiencies of living in a city.

3.explain where cities source their labour for factories.

4.promote cities as employment hubs for people.

41.From the passage it can be inferred that cities are good places to live in for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that they:

1.offer employment opportunities.

2.help prevent destruction of the environment.

3.contribute to the cultural transformation of residents.

4.have suburban areas as well as office areas.

42.Which of the following can be inferred from the author’s claim, “Which way is Oriental?”

1.Learning another language can mitigate cultural hierarchies and barriers.

2.Globalisation has mitigated cultural hierarchies and barriers.

3.Goodwill alone mitigates cultural hierarchies and barriers.

4.Orientalism is a discourse of the past, from colonial times, rarely visible today.

43.A French ethnographer decides to study the culture of a Nigerian tribe. Which of the following is most likely to be the view of the author of the passage?

1.The author would encourage the ethnographer, but ask him/her to first learn the language of the Nigerian tribe s/he wishes to study.

2.The author would encourage the ethnographer, but ask him/her to be mindful of his/her racial and gender identity in the process.

3.The author would discourage the ethnographer from conducting the study as Nigerian ethnographers can better understand the tribe.

4.The author would encourage the ethnographer and recommend him/her to hire a good translator for the purpose of holding interviews.

44.The author’s critics would argue that:

1.Empathy can overcome identity politics.

2.Language is insufficient to bridge cultural barriers.

3.Linguistic politics can be erased.

4.Orientalism cannot be practiced by Egyptians.

45.According to the passage, which of the following is not responsible for language’s ability to change us?

The ups and downs involved in the course of learning a language.

Language’s intrinsic connection to our notions of self and identity.

Language’s ability to mediate the impact of identity markers one is born with.

The twists and turns in the evolution of language over time.

46.All of the following statements about British colonialism can be inferred from the first paragraph, EXCEPT that it:

1.was at least partly an outcome of Enlightenment rationalism.

2.faced resistance from existing structural forms of Indian modernity.

3.was at least partly shaped by the project of European modernity.

4.allowed the treatment of colonies as experimental sites.

47.All of the following statements, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:

1.the introduction of capitalism in India was not through the transformation of feudalism, as happened in Europe.

2.modernity was imposed upon India by the British and, therefore, led to underdevelopment.

3.throughout the history of colonial conquest, natives have often been experimented on by the colonisers.

4.the change in British colonial policy was induced by resistance to modernity in Indian society.

48.“Consequently, the colonial state could not settle simply for eminence at the cost of its marginality; it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society.” Which of the following best captures the sense of this statement?

1.The colonial state’s eminence was unsettled by its marginal position; therefore, it developed Indian society by modernising it.

2.The colonial enterprise was a costly one; so to justify the cost it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society.

3.The colonial state felt marginalised from Indian society because of its own modernity; therefore, it sought to address that marginalisation by bringing its modernity to change Indian society.

4.The cost of the colonial state’s eminence was not settled; therefore, it took the initiative of introducing modernity into Indian society.

49.Which one of the following 5-word sequences best captures the flow of the arguments in the passage?

Military power—arrogance—laboratory—modernity—capitalism.

Colonial policy—Enlightenment—external modernity—subjection—underdevelopment.

Colonial policy—arrogant rationality—resistance—independence—development.

Military power—colonialism—restructuring—feudalism—capitalism.

50.Which of the following observations is a valid conclusion to draw from the author’s statement that “the logical structure of endogenous change does not apply here. Here transformation agendas attack as an external force”?

1.The endogenous logic of colonialism can only bring change if it attacks and transforms external forces.

2.Indian society is not endogamous; it is more accurately characterised as aggressively exogamous.

3.Colonised societies cannot be changed through logic; they need to be transformed with external force.

4.The transformation of Indian society did not happen organically, but was forced by colonial agendas.

51.Language is an autapomorphy found only in our lineage, and not shared with other branches of our group such as primates. We also have no definitive evidence that any species other than Homo sapiens ever had language. However, it must be noted straightaway that ‘language’ is not a monolithic entity, but rather a complex bundle of traits that must have evolved over a significant time frame.... Moreover, language crucially draws on aspects of cognition that are long established in the primate lineage, such as memory: the language faculty as a whole comprises more than just the uniquely linguistic features.

1.Language, a derived trait found only in humans, has evolved over time and involves memory.

2.Language is a distinctively human feature as there is no evidence of the existence of language in any other species.

3.Language evolved with linguistic features building on features of cognition such as memory.

4.Language is not a single, uniform entity but the end result of a long and complex process of linguistic evolution.

52.Social movement organizations often struggle to mobilize supporters from allied movements in their efforts to achieve critical mass. Organizations with hybrid identities—those whose organizational identities span the boundaries of two or more social movements, issues, or identities—are vital to mobilizing these constituencies. Studies of the post-9/11 U.S. antiwar movement show that individuals with past involvement in non-anti-war movements are more likely to join hybrid organizations than are individuals without involvement in non-anti-war movements. In addition, they show that organizations with hybrid identities occupy relatively more central positions in inter-organizational contact networks within the antiwar movement and thus recruit significantly more participants in demonstrations than do nonhybrid organizations.

1.Post 9/11 studies show that people who are involved in non anti-war movements are likely to join hybrid organizations.

2.Hybrid organizations attract individuals that are deeply involved in anti-war movements.

3.Movements that work towards social change often find it difficult to mobilize a critical mass of supporters.

4.Organizations with hybrid identities are able to mobilize individuals with different points of view.

53.Privacy-challenged office workers may find it hard to believe, but open-plan offices and cubicles were invented by architects and designers who thought that to break down the social walls that divide people, you had to break down the real walls, too. Modernist architects saw walls and rooms as downright fascist. The spaciousness and flexibility of an open plan would liberate homeowners and office dwellers from the confines of boxes. But companies took up their idea less out of a democratic ideology than a desire to pack in as many workers as they could. The typical open-plan office of the first half of the 20th century was a white-collar assembly line. Cubicles were interior designers’ attempt to put some soul back in.

1.Wall-free office spaces did not quite work out as desired and therefore cubicles came into being.

2.Wall-free office spaces did not quite work out the way their utopian inventors intended, as they became tools for exploitation of labor.

3.Wall-free office spaces could have worked out the way their utopian inventors intended had companies cared for workers' satisfaction.

4.Wall-free office spaces did not quite work out as companies don’t believe in democratic ideology.

54.Which of the following interventions would the author most strongly support:

1.recycling all plastic debris in the seabed.

2.having all consumers change their plastic consumption habits.

3.completely banning all single-use plastic bags.

4.passing regulations targeted at producers that generate plastic products.

55.The author lists all of the following as negative effects of the use of plastics EXCEPT the:

1.slow pace of degradation or non-degradation of plastics in the environment.

2.air pollution caused during the process of recycling plastics.

3.poisonous chemicals released into the water and food we consume.

4.adverse impacts on the digestive systems of animals exposed to plastic.

56.In the first paragraph, the author uses “lie” to refer to the:

1.blame assigned to consumersfor indiscriminate use of plastics.

2.understatement of the enormity of the plastics pollution problem

3.fact that people do not know they have been lied to.

4.understatement of the effects of recycling plastics.

57.In the second paragraph, the phrase “what hammering a nail is to halting a falling skyscraper” means:

1.relying on emerging technologies to mitigate the ill-effects of plastic pollution.

2.encouraging the responsible production of plastics by firms.

3.focusing on consumer behaviour to tackle the problem of plastics pollution.

4.focusing on single-use plastic bags to reduce the plastics footprint.

58.It can be inferred that the author considers the Keep America Beautiful organisation:

a "greenwash" because it was a benevolent attempt to improve public recycling habits.

a sham as it diverted attention away from the role of corporates in plastics pollution.

an important step in sensitising producers to the need to tackle plastics pollution.

an innovative example of a collaborative corporate social responsibility initiative.

Human-Elephant Conflict “Everybody pretty much agrees that the relationship between elephants and people has dramatically changed,” [says psychologist Gay] Bradshaw. “Where for centuries humans and elephants lived in relatively peaceful coexistence, there is now hostility and violence. Now, I use the term ‘violence’ because of the intentionality associated with it, both in the aggression of humans and, at times, the recently observed behavior of elephants.” Typically, elephant researchers have cited, as a cause of aggression, the high levels of testosterone in newly matured male elephants or the competition for land and resources between elephants and humans. But, Bradshaw and several colleagues argue that today’s elephant populations are suffering from a form of chronic stress, a kind of species-wide trauma. Decades of poaching and culling and habitat loss, they claim, have so disrupted the intricate web of familial and societal relations by which young elephants have traditionally been raised in the wild, and by which established elephant herds are governed, that what we are now witnessing is nothing less than a precipitous collapse of elephant culture. Elephants, when left to their own devices, are profoundly social creatures. young elephants are raised within an extended, multi-tiered network of doting female caregivers that includes the birth mother, grandmothers, aunts and friends. These relations are maintained over a life span as long as 70 years. Studies of established herds have shown that young elephants stay within 15 feet of their mothers for nearly all of their first eight years of life, after which young females are socialized into the matriarchal network, while young males go off for a time into an all-male social group before coming back into the fold as mature adults. This fabric of elephant society, Bradshaw and her colleagues [demonstrate], ha[s] effectively been frayed by years of habitat loss and poaching, along with systematic culling by government agencies to control elephant numbers and translocations of herds to different habitats. As a result of such social upheaval, calves are now being born to and raised by ever younger and inexperienced mothers. Young orphaned elephants, meanwhile, that have witnessed the death of a parent at the hands of poachers are coming of age in the absence of the support system that defines traditional elephant life. “The loss of elephant elders,” [says] Bradshaw "and the traumatic experience of witnessing the massacres of their family, impairs normal brain and behavior development in young elephants.” What Bradshaw and her colleagues describe would seem to be an extreme form of anthropocentric conjecture if the evidence that they’ve compiled from various elephant researchers weren’t so compelling. The elephants of decimated herds, especially orphans who’ve watched the death of their parents and elders from poaching and culling, exhibit behavior typically associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related disorders in humans: abnormal startle response, unpredictable asocial behavior, inattentive mothering and hyper-aggression. [According to Bradshaw], “Elephants are suffering and behaving in the same ways that we recognize in ourselves as a result of violence. Except perhaps for a few specific features, brain organization and early development of elephants and humans are extremely similar.”

59.Which of the following statements best expresses the overall argument of this passage?

1.Elephants, like the humans they are in conflict with, are profoundly social creatures.

2.The relationship between elephants and humans has changed from one of coexistence to one of hostility

3.Recent elephant behaviour could be understood as a form of species-wide trauma-related response.

4.The brain organisation and early development of Aelephants and humans are extremely similar

60.In the first paragraph, Bradshaw uses the term "violence" to describe the recent change in the human-elephant relationship because, according to him:

1.Both humans and elephants have killed members of each other's species.

2.There is a purposefulness in human and elephant aggression towards each other.

3.Human-elephant interactions have changed their character over time.

4.Elephant herds and their habitat have been systematically destroyed by humans.

61.The passage makes all of the following claims EXCEPT

1.Elephant mothers are evolving newer ways of rearing their calves to adapt to emerging threats.

2.The elephant response to deeply disturbing experiences is similar to that of humans.

3.Elephants establish e[tended and enduring familial relationships as do humans.

4.Human actions such as poaching and culling have created stressful conditions for elephant communities.

62.Which of the following measures is Bradshaw most likely to support to address the problem of elephant aggression?

1.The development of treatment programmes for elephants drawing on insights gained from treating post-traumatic stress disorder in humans.

2.Funding of more studies to better understand the impact of testosterone on male elephant aggression.

3.Studying the impact of isolating elephant calves on their early brain development, behaviour and aggression.

4Increased funding for research into the similarity of humans and other animals drawing on insights gained from human-elephant similarities.

63.In paragraph 4, the phrase, “The fabric of elephant society . . . has(s) effectively been frayed by . . .” is:

1.an exaggeration aimed at bolstering Bradshaw's claims.

2.an accurate description of the condition of elephant herds today.

3.an ode to the fragility of elephant society today.

4.a metaphor for the effect of human activity on elephant communities.

India and the World War The Indian government has announced an international competition to design a National War Memorial in New Delhi, to honour all of the Indian soldiers who served in the various wars and counter-insurgency campaigns from 1947 onwards. The terms of the competition also specified that the new structure would be built adjacent to the India Gate – a memorial to the Indian soldiers who died in the First World War. Between the old imperialist memorial and the proposed nationalist one, India’s contribution to the Second World War is airbrushed out of existence. The Indian government’s conception of the war memorial was not merely absentminded. Rather, it accurately reflected the fact that both academic history and popular memory have yet to come to terms with India’s Second World War, which continues to be seen as little more than mood music in the drama of India’s advance towards independence and partition in 1947. Further, the political trajectory of the postwar subcontinent has militated against popular remembrance of the war. With partition and the onset of the India-Pakistan rivalry, both of the new nations needed fresh stories for self-legitimisation rather than focusing on shared wartime experiences. However, the Second World War played a crucial role in both the independence and partition of India. The Indian army recruited, trained and deployed some 2.5 million men, almost 90,000 of which were killed and many more injured. Even at the time, it was recognised as the largest volunteer force in the war. India’s material and financial contribution to the war was equally significant. India emerged as a major military-industrial and logistical base for Allied operations in south-east Asia and the Middle East. This led the United States to take considerable interest in the country’s future, and ensured that this was no longer the preserve of the British government. Other wartime developments pointed in the direction of India’s independence. In a stunning reversal of its long-standing financial relationship with Britain, India finished the war as one of the largest creditors to the imperial power. Such extraordinary mobilization for war was achieved at great human cost, with the Bengal famine the most extreme manifestation of widespread wartime deprivation. The costs on India’s home front must be counted in millions of lives. Indians signed up to serve on the war and home fronts for a variety of reasons. Many were convinced that their contribution would open the doors to India’s freedom. The political and social churn triggered by the war was evident in the massive waves of popular protest and unrest that washed over rural and urban India in the aftermath of the conflict. This turmoil was crucial in persuading the Attlee government to rid itself of the incubus of ruling India. Seventy years on, it is time that India engaged with the complex legacies of the Second World War. Bringing the war into the ambit of the new national memorial would be a fitting – if not overdue – recognition that this was India’s War.

64.In the first paragraph, the author laments the fact that

1.the new war memorial will be built right next to India Gate.

2.there is no recognition of the Indian soldiers who served in the Second World War.

3.funds will be wasted on another war memorial when we already have the India Gate memorial.

4.India lost thousands of human lives during the Second World War

65.The author lists all of the following as outcomes of the Second World War EXCEPT:

1.US recognition of India's strategic location and role in the war.

2.Large-scale deaths in Bengal as a result of deprivation and famine.

3.Independence of the subcontinent and its partition into two countries.

4.The large financial debt India owed to Britain after the war.

66.The phrase “mood music” is used in the second paragraph to indicate that the Second World War is viewed as:

1.Setting the stage for the emergence of the India–Pakistan rivalry in the subcontinent.

2.a backdrop to the subsequent independence and partition of the region.

3.a part of the narrative on the ill-effects of colonial rule on India.

4.a tragic period in terms of loss of lives and national wealth.

67.The author suggests that a major reason why India has not so far acknowledged its role in the Second World War is that it:

1.wants to forget the human and financial toll of the War on the country

2.has been focused on building an independent, non-colonial political identity.

3.views the War as a predominantly Allied effort, with India playing only a supporting role.

4.blames the War for leading to the momentous partition of the country.

68.The author claims that omitting mention of Indians who served in the Second World War from the new National War Memorial is:

1.a reflection of misplaced priorities of the post-independence Indian governments

2.a reflection of the academic and popular view of India’s role in the War.

3.appropriate as their names can always be included in the India Gate memorial.

4.is something which can be rectified in future by constructing a separate memorial.

Economists have spent most of the 20th century ignoring psychology, positive or otherwise. But today there is a great deal of emphasis on how happiness can shape global economies, or — on a smaller scale — successful business practice. This is driven, in part, by a trend in "measuring" positive emotions, mostly so they can be optimized. Neuroscientists, for example, claim to be able to locate specific emotions, such as happiness or disappointment, in particular areas of the brain. Wearable technologies, such as Spire, offer data-driven advice on how to reduce stress. We are no longer just dealing with "happiness" in a philosophical or romantic sense — it has become something that can be monitored and measured, including by our behavior, use of social media and bodily indicators such as pulse rate and facial expressions. There is nothing automatically sinister about this trend. But it is disquieting that the businesses and experts driving the quantification of happiness claim to have our best interests at heart, often concealing their own agendas in the process. In the workplace, happy workers are viewed as a "win-win." Work becomes more pleasant, and employees, more productive. But this is now being pursued through the use of performance-evaluating wearable technology, such as Humanyze or Virgin Pulse, both of which monitor physical signs of stress and activity toward the goal of increasing productivity. Cities such as Dubai, which has pledged to become the "happiest city in the world," dream up ever-more elaborate and intrusive ways of collecting data on well-being — to the point where there is now talk of using CCTV cameras to monitor facial expressions in public spaces. New ways of detecting emotions are hitting the market all the time: One company, Beyond Verbal, aims to calculate moods conveyed in a phone conversation, potentially without the knowledge of at least one of the participants. And Facebook [has] demonstrated that it could influence our emotions through tweaking our news feeds — opening the door to ever-more targeted manipulation in advertising and influence. As the science grows more sophisticated and technologies become more intimate with our thoughts and bodies, a clear trend is emerging. Where happiness indicators were once used as a basis to reform society, challenging the obsession with money that G.D.P. measurement entrenches, they are increasingly used as a basis to transform or discipline individuals. Happiness becomes a personal project, that each of us must now work on, like going to the gym. Since the 1970s, depression has come to be viewed as a cognitive or neurological defect in the individual, and never a consequence of circumstances. All of this simply escalates the sense of responsibility each of us feels for our own feelings, and with it, the sense of failure when things go badly. A society that deliberately removed certain sources of misery, such as precarious and exploitative employment, may well be a happier one. But we won't get there by making this single, often fleeting emotion, the over-arching goal.

69.According to the author, wearable technologies and social media are contributing most to:

1.happiness as a “personal project”.

2.depression as a thing of the past.

3.disciplining individualsto be happy.

4.making individuals aware of stress in their lives.

70.The author’s view would be undermined by which of the following research findings?

1.There is a definitive move towards the adoption of wearable technology that taps into emotions.

2.Stakeholders globally are moving away from collecting data on the well-being of individuals.

3.A proliferation of gyms that are collecting data on customer well-being.

4.Individuals worldwide are utilising technologies to monitor and increase their wellbeing.

71.According to the author, Dubai:

1.is on its way to becoming one of the world’s happiest cities.

2.collaborates with Facebook to selectively influence its inhabitants’ moods.

3.develops sophisticated technologies to monitor its inhabitants’ states of mind.

4.incentivises companies that prioritise worker welfare.

72.In the author's opinion, the shift in thinking in the 1970s:

1.was a welcome change from the earlier view that depression could be cured by changing circumstances.

2.introduced greater stress into people’s lives as they were expected to be responsible for their own happiness.

3.put people in touch with their own feelings rather than depending on psychologists.

4.reflected the emergence of neuroscience as the authority on human emotions.

73.From the passage we can infer that the author would like economists to:

1.incorporate psychological findings into their research cautiously

2.correlate measurements of happiness with economic indicators

3.measure the effectiveness of Facebook and social media advertising

4.work closely with neuroscientists to understand human behaviour.

When researchers at Emory University in Atlanta trained mice to fear the smell of almonds (by pairing it with electric shocks), they found, to their consternation, that both the children and grandchildren of these mice were spontaneously afraid of the same smell. That is not supposed to happen. Generations of schoolchildren have been taught that the inheritance of acquired characteristics is impossible. A mouse should not be born with something its parents have learned during their lifetimes, any more than a mouse that loses its tail in an accident should give birth to tailless mice. Modern evolutionary biology dates back to a synthesis that emerged around the 1940s60s, which married Charles Darwin’s mechanism of natural selection with Gregor Mendel’s discoveries of how genes are inherited. The traditional, and still dominant, view is that adaptations – from the human brain to the peacock’s tail – are fully and satisfactorily explained by natural selection (and subsequent inheritance). Yet [new evidence] from genomics, epigenetics and developmental biology [indicates] that evolution is more complex than we once assumed. In his book On Human Nature (1978), the evolutionary biologist Edward O Wilson claimed that human culture is held on a genetic leash. The metaphor [needs revision]. Imagine a dogwalker (the genes) struggling to retain control of a brawny mastiff (human culture). The pair’s trajectory (the pathway of evolution) reflects the outcome of the struggle. Now imagine the same dog-walker struggling with multiple dogs, on leashes of varied lengths, with each dog tugging in different directions. All these tugs represent the influence of developmental factors, including epigenetics, antibodies and hormones passed on by parents, as well as the ecological legacies and culture they bequeath. The received wisdom is that parental experiences can’t affect the characters of their offspring. Except they do. The way that genes are expressed to produce an organism’s phenotype– the actual characteristics it ends up with – is affected by chemicals that attach to them. Everything from diet to air pollution to parental behaviour can influence the addition or removal of these chemical marks, which switches genes on or off. Usually these so-called ‘epigenetic’ attachments are removed during the production of sperm and eggs cells, but it turns out that some escape the resetting process and are passed on to the next generation, along with the genes. This is known as ‘epigenetic inheritance’, and more and more studies are confirming that it really happens. Let’s return to the almond-fearing mice. The inheritance of an epigenetic mark transmitted in the sperm is what led the mice’s offspring to acquire an inherited fear. Epigenetics is only part of the story. Through culture and society, [humans and other animals] inherit knowledge and skills acquired by [their] parents. All this complexity points to an evolutionary process in which genomes (over hundreds to thousands of generations), epigenetic modifications and inherited cultural factors (over several, perhaps tens or hundreds of generations), and parental effects (over single-generation timespans) collectively informb how organisms adapt. These extra-genetic kinds of inheritance give organisms the flexibility to make rapid adjustments to environmental challenges, dragging genetic change in their wake – much like a rowdy pack of dogs.

74.The passage uses the metaphor of a dog walker to argue that evolutionary adaptation is most comprehensively understood as being determined by:

genetic, epigenetic, developmental factors, and ecological legacies.

socio-cultural, genetic, epigenetic, and genomic legacies.

ecological, hormonal, extra genetic and genetic legacies.

extra genetic, genetic, epigenetic and genomic legacies.

75.Which of the following options best describes the author's argument?

1.Darwin’s theory of natural selection cannot fully explain evolution.

2.Mendel’s theory of inheritance is unfairly underestimated in explaining evolution.

3.Darwin’s and Mendel’s theories together best explain evolution.

4.Wilson’s theory of evolution is scientifically superior to either Darwin’s or Mendel’s.

76.The Emory University experiment with mice points to the inheritance of:

1.acquired characteristics

2.psychological markers

3.personality traits

4.acquired parental fears

77.Which of the following, if found to be true, would negate the main message of the passage?

1.A study indicating the primacy of ecological impact on human adaptation.

2.A study highlighting the criticality of epigenetic inheritance to evolution.

3.A study affirming the sole influence of natural selection and inheritance on evolution.

4.A study affirming the influence of socio-cultural markers on evolutionary processes.

78.If the underlying principle is to be satisfied in such a way that the journey between any two cities can be performed using only direct (non-stop) flights, then the minimum number of direct flights to be scheduled is:

180

135

79.If all the cars follow the police order, what is the difference in travel time (in minutes) between a car which takes the route A-N-B and a car that takes the route A-M-B?

0.1

0.2

0.9

80.A new one-way road is built from M to N. Each car now has three possible routes to travel from A to B: A-M-B, A-N-B and A-M-N-B. On the road from M to N, one car takes 7 minutes and each additional car increases the travel time per car by 1 minute. Assume that any car taking the A-M-N-B route travels the A-M portion at the same time as other cars taking the A-M-B route, and the N-B portion at the same time as other cars taking the A-N-B route. If all the cars follow the police order, what is the minimum travel time (in minutes) from A to B? (Assume that the police department would never order all the cars to take the same route.)

29.9

81.What best can be concluded about the number of candidates sitting for the separate test for BIE who were at or above the 90th percentile overall in CET?

3 or 10

7 or 10

82.If the number of candidates who are at or above the 90th percentile overall and also are at or above the 80th percentile in P in CET, is more than 100, how many candidates had to sit for the separate test for BIE?

299

310

321

330

83.In a follow up survey of the same kids two years later, it was found that all the kids were now in school. Of the kids who were not in school earlier, in one region, 25% were in G now, whereas the rest were enrolled in P; in the second region, all such kids were in G now; while in the third region, 50% of such kids had now joined G while the rest had joined P. As a result, in all three regions put together, 50% of the kids who were earlier out of school had joined G. It was also seen that no surveyed kid had changed schools. What number of the surveyed kids now were in G in W?

6000

5250

6750

6300

84.In a follow up survey of the same kids two years later, it was found that all the kids were now in school. Of the kids who were not in school earlier, in one region, 25% were in G now, whereas the rest were enrolled in P; in the second region, all such kids were in G now; while in the third region, 50% of such kids had now joined G while the rest had joined P. As a result, in all three regions put together, 50% of the kids who were earlier out of school had joined G. It was also seen that no surveyed kid had changed schools. What percentage of the surveyed kids in S, whose mothers had dropped out before completing primary education, were in G now?

94.7%

89.5%

93.4%

Cannot be determined

Understanding where you are in the world is a basic survival skill, which is why we, like most species come hard-wired with specialized brain areas to create cognitive maps of our surroundings. Where humans are unique, though, with the possible exception of honeybees, is that we try to communicate this understanding the world with others. We have along history of doing this by drawing maps – the earliest version yet discovered were scrawled on cave walls 14,000 years ago. Human cultures have been drawing them on stone tablets, papyrus, paper and now computer screens ever since. Given such a long history of human map-making, it perhaps surprising that is only within the last few hundred years that north has been consistently considered to be at the top. In fact, for much of human history, north almost never appeared at the top, according to Jerry Brotton, a map historian... “North was rarely put at the top for the simple fact that north is where darkness comes from,” he says. “West is also very unlikely o be put at the top because west is where the sun disappears.” Confusingly, early Chinese maps seem to buck this trend. But, Brotton, says, even though they did have compasses at the time, that isn’t the reason that they placed north at the top. Early Chinese compasses were actually oriented to point south, which was considered to be more desirable than deepest darkest north. But in Chinese maps, the emperor, who lived in the north of the country was always put at the top of the map, with everyone else, his loyal subjects, looking up towards him. “In Chinese culture the Emperor looks south because it’s where the winds come from, it’s a good direction. North is not very good but you are in a position of the subjection to the emperor, so you look up to him,” says Brotton. Given that each culture has a very different idea of who, or what, they should look upto it’s perhaps not surprising that there is very little consistency in which way early maps pointed. In ancient Egyptian times the top of the world was east, the position of sunrise. Early Islamic maps favoured south at the top because most of the early Muslim cultures were north of Mecca, so they imagined looking up (south) towards it Christian maps from the same era (called Mappa Mundi) put east at the top, towards the Garden of Eden and with Jerusalem in the centre. So when did everyone get together and decide that north was the top? It’s tempting to put it down to European explorers like Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Megellan who were navigating by the North Star. But Brotton argues that these early explorers didn’t think of the world like that at all. “When Columbus describes the world it is in accordance with east being at the top,” he says “Columbus says he is going towards paradise, so his mentality is from a medieval mappa mundi.” We’ve got to remember, adds Brotton, that at the time, “no one knows what they are doing and where they are going.”

85.Which one of the following best describes what the passage is trying to do?

It questions on explanation about how maps are designed.

It corrects a misconception about the way maps are designed.

It critiques a methodology used to create maps.

It explores some myths about maps.

86.Early maps did NOT put north at the top for all the following reasons EXCEPT

North was the source of darkness

South was favoured by some emperors

East and south were more important for religious reasons for some civilisations

East was considered by some civilisations to be a more positive direction

87.According to the passage, early Chinese maps placed north at the top because

the Chinese invented the compass and were aware of magnetic north.

they wanted to show respect to the emperor.

the Chinese emperor appreciated the winds from the south.

north was considered the most desirable direction.

88.It can be inferred from the passage that European explorers like Columbus and Megellan

set the precedent for north-up maps.

navigated by the compass.

used an eastward orientation for religious reasons.

navigated with the help of early maps.

89.Which one of the following about the northern orientation of modern maps is asserted in the passage

The biggest contributory factor was the understanding of magnetic north

The biggest contributory factor was the role of European explorers

The biggest contributory factor was the influence of Christian maps

The biggest contributory factor is not stated in the passage

90.The role of natural phenomena in influencing map-making conventions is seen most clearly in

early Egyptian maps

early Islamic maps

early Chinese maps

early Christian maps

I used a smartphone GPS to find my way through the cobblestoned maze of Geneva's Old Town, in search of a handmade machine that changed the world more than any other invention. Near a 13th-century cathedral in this Swiss city on the shores of a lovely lake, I found what I was looking for: a Gutenberg printing press. "This was the Internet of its day — at least as influential as the iPhone," said Gabriel de Montmollin, the director of the Museum of the Reformation, toying with the replica of Johann Gutenberg's great invention. [Before the invention of the printing press] it used to take four monks...up to a year to produce a single book. With the advance in movable type in 15th-century Europe, one press could crank out 3,000 pages a day. Before long, average people could travel to places that used to be unknown to them — with maps! Medical information passed more freely and quickly, diminishing the sway of quacks...The printing press offered the prospect that tyrants would never be able to kill a book or suppress an idea. Gutenberg's brainchild broke the monopoly that clerics had on scripture. And later, stirred by pamphlets from a version of that same press, the American colonies rose up against a king and gave birth to a nation. So, a question in the summer of this 10th anniversary of the iPhone: has the device that is perhaps the most revolutionary of all time given us a single magnificent idea? Nearly every advancement of the written word through new technology has also advanced humankind. Sure, you can say the iPhone changed everything. By putting the world's recorded knowledge in the palm of a hand, it revolutionized work, dining, travel and socializing. It made us more narcissistic — here's more of me doing cool stuff! — and it unleashed an army of awful trolls. We no longer have the patience to sit through a baseball game without that reach to the pocket. And one more casualty of Apple selling more than a billion phones in a decade's time: daydreaming has become a lost art. For all of that, I'm still waiting to see if the iPhone can do what the printing press did for religion and democracy...the Geneva museum makes a strong case that the printing press opened more minds than anything else...it's hard to imagine the French or American revolutions without those enlightened voices in print... Not long after Steve Jobs introduced his iPhone, he said the bound book was probably headed for history's attic. Not so fast. After a period of rapid growth in e-books, something closer to the medium for Chaucer's volumes has made a great comeback. The hope of the iPhone, and the Internet in general, was that it would free people in closed societies. But the failure of the Arab Spring, and the continued suppression of ideas in North Korea, China and Iran, has not borne that out... The iPhone is still young. It has certainly been "one of the most important, world-changing and successful products in history, “ as Apple CEO. Tim Cook said. But I'm not sure if the world changed for the better with the iPhone — as it did with the printing press — or merely, changed.

91.The printing press has been likened to the Internet for which one of the following reasons?

It enabled rapid access to new information and the sharing of new ideas

It represented new and revolutionary technology compared to the past

It encouraged reading among people by giving them access to thousands of books

It gave people access to pamphlets and literature in several languages

92.According to the passage, the invention of the printing press did all of the following EXCEPT

Promoted the spread of enlightened political views across countries.

Gave people direct access to authentic medical information and religious texts.

Shortened the time taken to produce books and pamphlets.

Enabled people to perform various tasks simultaneously.

93.Steve Jobs predicted which one'of the following with the introduction of the iPhone?

People would switch from reading on the Internet to reading on their iPhones.

People would lose interest in historical and traditional classics.

Reading printed books would become a thing of the past.

The production of e-books would eventually fall.

94."I'm still waiting to see if the iPhone can do what the printing press did for religion and democracy." The author uses which one of the following to indicate his uncertainty?

The rise of religious groups in many parts of the world.

The expansion in trolling and narcissism among users of the Internet.

The continued suppression of free speech in closed societies.

The decline in reading habits among those who use the device.

95.The author attributes the French and American revolutions to the invention of the printing press because

maps enabled large numbers of Europeans to travel and settle in the American continent.

the rapid spread of information exposed people to new ideas on freedom and democracy.

it encouraged religious freedom among the people by destroying the monopoly of religious leaders on the scriptures.

it made available revolutionary strategies and opinions to the people.

96.The main conclusion of the passage is that the new technology has

some advantages, but these are outweighed by its disadvantages.

so far not proved as successful as the printing press in opening people's minds.

been disappointing because it has changed society too rapidly.

been more wasteful than the printing press because people spend more time daydreaming or surfing.

This year alone, more than 8,600 stores could close, according to industry estimates, many of them the brand -name anchor outlets that real estate developers once stumbled over themselves to court. Already there have been 5,300 retail closings this year... Sears Holdings—which owns Kmart—said in March that there's "substantial doubt" it can stay in business altogether, and will close 300 stores this year. So far this year, nine national retail chains have filed for bankruptcy. Local jobs are a major casualty of what analysts are calling, with only a hint of hyperbole, the retail apocalypse. Since 2002, department stores have lost 448,000 jobs, a 25% decline, while the number of store closures this year is on pace to surpass the worst depths of the Great Recession. The growth of online retailers, meanwhile, has failed to offset those losses, with the ecommerce sector adding just 178,000 jobs over the past 15 years. Some of those jobs can be found in the massive distribution centers Amazon has opened across the country, often not too far from malls the company helped shutter. But those are workplaces, not gathering places. The mall is both. And in the 61 years since the first enclosed one opened in suburban Minneapolis, the shopping mall has been where a huge swath of middle-class America went for far more than shopping. It was the home of first jobs and blind dates, the place for family photos and ear piercings, where goths and grandmothers could somehow walk through the same doors and find something they all liked. Sure, the food was lousy for you and the oceans of parking lots encouraged car-heavy development, something now scorned by contemporary planners. But for better or worse, the mall has been America's public square for the last 60 years. So what happens when it disappears? Think of your mall. Or think of the one you went to as a kid. Think of the perfume clouds in the department stores. The fountains splashing below the skylights. The cinnamon wafting from the food court. As far back as ancient Greece, societies have congregated around a central marketplace. In medieval Europe, they were outside cathedrals. For half of the 20th century and almost 20 years into the new one, much of America has found their agora on the terrazzo between Orange Julius and Sbarro, Waldenbooks and the Gap, Sunglass Hut and Hot Topic. That mall was an ecosystem unto itself, a combination of community and commercialism peddling everything you needed and everything you didn't: Magic Eye posters, wind catchers. Air Jordans.... A growing number of Americans, however, don't see the need to go to any Macy's at all. Our digital lives are frictionless and ruthlessly efficient, with retail and romance available at a click. Malls were designed for leisure, abundance, ambling. You parked and planned to spend some time. Today, much of that time has been given over to busier lives and second jobs and apps that let you swipe right instead of haunt the food court. ' Malls, says Harvard business professor Leonard Schlesinger, "were built for patterns of social interaction that increasingly don't exist."

97.The central idea of this passage is that:

the closure of mails has affected the economic and social life of middle-class America.

the advantages of malls outweigh their disadvantages.

malls used to perform a social function that has been lost.

malls are closing down because people have found alternate ways to shop.

98.Why does the author say in paragraph 2, 'the massive distribution centers Amazon has opened across the country, often not too far from malls the company helped shutter'?

To highlight the irony of the situation.

To indicate that mails and distribution centres are located in the same area.

To show that Amazon is helping certain brands go online.

To indicate that the shopping habits of the American middle class have changed.

99.In paragraph 1, the phrase "real estate developers once stumbled over themselves to court" suggests that they

took brand-name anchor outlets to court.

no longer pursue brand-name hanger outlets.

malls are closing down because people have found alternate ways to shop.

collaborated with one another to get brand-name anchor outlets.

100.The author calls the mall an ecosystem unto itself because

people of all ages and from all walks of life went there.

people could shop as well as eat in one place.

it was a commercial space as well as a gathering place.

it sold things that were needed as well as those that were not.

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