English II · End Term · May 2026 · FN

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

The word “idled” means:

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

Which literary device is used in “A little silver is a good key”?

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

Choose a substitute for the word “affected” as used in the passage.

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

What effect does the repetition of “I am come” create?

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

What does the phrase “elaborate patience " mean?

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

Which word would completely change the meaning if substituted for “ajar” in the sentence given below? “This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar.”

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

Why does the author describe the gateman’s mole and long hair in detail?

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

Choose an antonym for “threshold”:

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

Why does the gateman loudly shout, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom”?

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** This time, since it was after high noon, the gates were ajar and the keeper of the gate idled upon the threshold, picking his teeth with a bamboo sliver after his meal. He was a tall fellow with a large mole upon his left cheek, and from the mole hung three long black hairs which had never been cut. When Wang Lung appeared, he shouted roughly, thinking from the basket that he had come to sell something. “Now then, what?” With great difficulty, Wang Lung replied, “I am Wang Lung, the farmer.” “Well, and Wang Lung, the farmer, what?” retorted the gateman, who was polite to none except the rich friends of his master and mistress. “I am come—I am come—” faltered Wang Lung. “That I see,” said the gateman with elaborate patience, twisting the long hairs of his mole. “There is a woman,” said Wang Lung, his voice sinking helplessly to a whisper. In the sunshine, his face was wet. The gateman gave a great laugh. “So you are he!” he roared. “I was told to expect a bridegroom today. But I did not recognise you with a basket on your arm.” “It is only a few meats,” said Wang Lung apologetically, waiting for the gateman to lead him within. But the gateman did not move.  At last, Wang Lung said with anxiety, “Shall I go alone?” The gateman affected a start of horror. “The Old Lord would kill you!” Then, seeing that Wang Lung was too innocent, he said, “A little silver is a good key.” Wang Lung perceived at last that the man wanted money of him. “I am a poor man,” he said pleadingly. “Let me see what you have in your girdle,” said the gateman. And he grinned when Wang Lung, in his simplicity, actually put his basket upon the stones and, lifting his robe, took out the small bag from his girdle and shook into his left hand what money was left after his purchases. There was one silver piece and fourteen copper pence. “I will take the silver,” said the gateman coolly, and before Wang Lung could protest, the man had the silver in his sleeve and was striding through the gate, bawling loudly, “The bridegroom, the bridegroom!” Wang Lung, in spite of anger at what had just happened and horror at this loud announcing of his coming, could do nothing but follow, and this he did, picking up his basket and looking neither to the right nor left. Afterwards, although it was the first time he had ever been in a great family’s house, he could remember nothing. With his face burning and his head bowed, he walked through court after court, hearing that voice roaring ahead of him, hearing tinkles of laughter on every side. Source: The Good Earth – Pearl S Buck

Which word is closest to “bawling”?

**Read the speech segment given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate discourse** **markers. Observe the tone and the punctuation of the passage and choose only the most** **fitting answer for every blank.** Jemima Puddle-Duck set out to find a nesting place far away from the farm because she wanted to hatch her own eggs. She found a clearing in the woods, where she encountered a certain foxy gentleman. Mr. Fox: Madam, have you lost your way? Jemima: Oh, no, no! [i] _______, though it’s most civil of you to ask, I am trying to find a really convenient dry nesting place so that I may hatch my eggs myself. Mr. Fox: Is that so? [ii] _______, the farmyard… Jemima: Yes, one would think that would be the very place. Mr. Fox: But no? Jemima: One cannot call one’s eggs one’s own. That infuriating hen! She truly believes that she is the only one with the patience to hatch a clutch of eggs! Well, really! Mr. Fox: Oh, [iii] _______? How interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl. [Licking his lips] I would teach her to mind her own business. But as for the nest, there is no difficulty. I have a sack full of feathers in my woodshed. Jemima: Oh, but…oh, too kind, but I couldn’t put you to the trouble…the inconvenience… Mr. Fox: Oh no, Madam, you will be in nobody’s way. You may sit there for as long as you like [leads her to the woodshed]. Jemima [to herself]: [iv] _______! I have never seen so many feathers in one place. They must be sufficient for filling at least two quilts. Very comfortable, though, and perfect for making my nest. So warm, so dry! Mr. Fox [when he sees Jemima exiting the woodshed after laying her egg]: Oh, must you go? Surely… Jemima: No, no, no, I have imposed on your hospitality quite far enough, and already, the others will be wondering what has kept me from the yard so late. But, I shall return to lay more eggs tomorrow. Mr. Fox: Yes, yes, of course. Yes, more eggs, [v] _______, dear lady! Transcribed and adapted from: The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck - Thom Goddard Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.

Fill in the blank [i] with the most fitting discourse marker among the options given below.

**Read the speech segment given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate discourse** **markers. Observe the tone and the punctuation of the passage and choose only the most** **fitting answer for every blank.** Jemima Puddle-Duck set out to find a nesting place far away from the farm because she wanted to hatch her own eggs. She found a clearing in the woods, where she encountered a certain foxy gentleman. Mr. Fox: Madam, have you lost your way? Jemima: Oh, no, no! [i] _______, though it’s most civil of you to ask, I am trying to find a really convenient dry nesting place so that I may hatch my eggs myself. Mr. Fox: Is that so? [ii] _______, the farmyard… Jemima: Yes, one would think that would be the very place. Mr. Fox: But no? Jemima: One cannot call one’s eggs one’s own. That infuriating hen! She truly believes that she is the only one with the patience to hatch a clutch of eggs! Well, really! Mr. Fox: Oh, [iii] _______? How interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl. [Licking his lips] I would teach her to mind her own business. But as for the nest, there is no difficulty. I have a sack full of feathers in my woodshed. Jemima: Oh, but…oh, too kind, but I couldn’t put you to the trouble…the inconvenience… Mr. Fox: Oh no, Madam, you will be in nobody’s way. You may sit there for as long as you like [leads her to the woodshed]. Jemima [to herself]: [iv] _______! I have never seen so many feathers in one place. They must be sufficient for filling at least two quilts. Very comfortable, though, and perfect for making my nest. So warm, so dry! Mr. Fox [when he sees Jemima exiting the woodshed after laying her egg]: Oh, must you go? Surely… Jemima: No, no, no, I have imposed on your hospitality quite far enough, and already, the others will be wondering what has kept me from the yard so late. But, I shall return to lay more eggs tomorrow. Mr. Fox: Yes, yes, of course. Yes, more eggs, [v] _______, dear lady! Transcribed and adapted from: The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck - Thom Goddard Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.

Fill in the blank [ii] with the most fitting discourse marker among the options given below.

**Read the speech segment given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate discourse** **markers. Observe the tone and the punctuation of the passage and choose only the most** **fitting answer for every blank.** Jemima Puddle-Duck set out to find a nesting place far away from the farm because she wanted to hatch her own eggs. She found a clearing in the woods, where she encountered a certain foxy gentleman. Mr. Fox: Madam, have you lost your way? Jemima: Oh, no, no! [i] _______, though it’s most civil of you to ask, I am trying to find a really convenient dry nesting place so that I may hatch my eggs myself. Mr. Fox: Is that so? [ii] _______, the farmyard… Jemima: Yes, one would think that would be the very place. Mr. Fox: But no? Jemima: One cannot call one’s eggs one’s own. That infuriating hen! She truly believes that she is the only one with the patience to hatch a clutch of eggs! Well, really! Mr. Fox: Oh, [iii] _______? How interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl. [Licking his lips] I would teach her to mind her own business. But as for the nest, there is no difficulty. I have a sack full of feathers in my woodshed. Jemima: Oh, but…oh, too kind, but I couldn’t put you to the trouble…the inconvenience… Mr. Fox: Oh no, Madam, you will be in nobody’s way. You may sit there for as long as you like [leads her to the woodshed]. Jemima [to herself]: [iv] _______! I have never seen so many feathers in one place. They must be sufficient for filling at least two quilts. Very comfortable, though, and perfect for making my nest. So warm, so dry! Mr. Fox [when he sees Jemima exiting the woodshed after laying her egg]: Oh, must you go? Surely… Jemima: No, no, no, I have imposed on your hospitality quite far enough, and already, the others will be wondering what has kept me from the yard so late. But, I shall return to lay more eggs tomorrow. Mr. Fox: Yes, yes, of course. Yes, more eggs, [v] _______, dear lady! Transcribed and adapted from: The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck - Thom Goddard Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.

Fill in the blank [iii] with the most fitting discourse marker among the options given below.

**Read the speech segment given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate discourse** **markers. Observe the tone and the punctuation of the passage and choose only the most** **fitting answer for every blank.** Jemima Puddle-Duck set out to find a nesting place far away from the farm because she wanted to hatch her own eggs. She found a clearing in the woods, where she encountered a certain foxy gentleman. Mr. Fox: Madam, have you lost your way? Jemima: Oh, no, no! [i] _______, though it’s most civil of you to ask, I am trying to find a really convenient dry nesting place so that I may hatch my eggs myself. Mr. Fox: Is that so? [ii] _______, the farmyard… Jemima: Yes, one would think that would be the very place. Mr. Fox: But no? Jemima: One cannot call one’s eggs one’s own. That infuriating hen! She truly believes that she is the only one with the patience to hatch a clutch of eggs! Well, really! Mr. Fox: Oh, [iii] _______? How interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl. [Licking his lips] I would teach her to mind her own business. But as for the nest, there is no difficulty. I have a sack full of feathers in my woodshed. Jemima: Oh, but…oh, too kind, but I couldn’t put you to the trouble…the inconvenience… Mr. Fox: Oh no, Madam, you will be in nobody’s way. You may sit there for as long as you like [leads her to the woodshed]. Jemima [to herself]: [iv] _______! I have never seen so many feathers in one place. They must be sufficient for filling at least two quilts. Very comfortable, though, and perfect for making my nest. So warm, so dry! Mr. Fox [when he sees Jemima exiting the woodshed after laying her egg]: Oh, must you go? Surely… Jemima: No, no, no, I have imposed on your hospitality quite far enough, and already, the others will be wondering what has kept me from the yard so late. But, I shall return to lay more eggs tomorrow. Mr. Fox: Yes, yes, of course. Yes, more eggs, [v] _______, dear lady! Transcribed and adapted from: The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck - Thom Goddard Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.

Fill in the blank [iv] with the most fitting discourse marker among the options given below.

**Read the speech segment given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate discourse** **markers. Observe the tone and the punctuation of the passage and choose only the most** **fitting answer for every blank.** Jemima Puddle-Duck set out to find a nesting place far away from the farm because she wanted to hatch her own eggs. She found a clearing in the woods, where she encountered a certain foxy gentleman. Mr. Fox: Madam, have you lost your way? Jemima: Oh, no, no! [i] _______, though it’s most civil of you to ask, I am trying to find a really convenient dry nesting place so that I may hatch my eggs myself. Mr. Fox: Is that so? [ii] _______, the farmyard… Jemima: Yes, one would think that would be the very place. Mr. Fox: But no? Jemima: One cannot call one’s eggs one’s own. That infuriating hen! She truly believes that she is the only one with the patience to hatch a clutch of eggs! Well, really! Mr. Fox: Oh, [iii] _______? How interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl. [Licking his lips] I would teach her to mind her own business. But as for the nest, there is no difficulty. I have a sack full of feathers in my woodshed. Jemima: Oh, but…oh, too kind, but I couldn’t put you to the trouble…the inconvenience… Mr. Fox: Oh no, Madam, you will be in nobody’s way. You may sit there for as long as you like [leads her to the woodshed]. Jemima [to herself]: [iv] _______! I have never seen so many feathers in one place. They must be sufficient for filling at least two quilts. Very comfortable, though, and perfect for making my nest. So warm, so dry! Mr. Fox [when he sees Jemima exiting the woodshed after laying her egg]: Oh, must you go? Surely… Jemima: No, no, no, I have imposed on your hospitality quite far enough, and already, the others will be wondering what has kept me from the yard so late. But, I shall return to lay more eggs tomorrow. Mr. Fox: Yes, yes, of course. Yes, more eggs, [v] _______, dear lady! Transcribed and adapted from: The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck - Thom Goddard Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.

Fill in the blank [v] with the most fitting discourse marker among the options given below.

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** After a month’s gap, the import of personal computers from China, including laptops and tablets, surged [1] _____ to $276 million in December. This occurred when total imports of such items contracted by 0.8 percent, according to the latest data from the commerce department.  The same month witnessed a decline in the import of personal computers from countries/regions like Singapore and Hong Kong, which saw a decrease of [2] _____. These marginal players accounted for [3] _____ worth of shipments to India in December.  China’s share in total shipments of these items to India [4] _____ in December. It was 76.4 percent for the April-December period of FY24. In November, when the government’s online monitoring system for the import of electronic hardware items became operational, imports from China contracted by 14 percent, while the [5] _____.  Last year, on the third of August, the central government announced plans to categorise products in the information technology hardware segment, such as laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers, under the “restricted” level.  This announcement led to a surge in the import of laptops and tablets in September (by 41.8 percent) and October (by 29.7 percent), amid fears of licensing requirements. However, after the industry expressed serious concerns over the decision– which was originally aimed at reducing import dependence on China and ensuring a trusted supply chain– the government deferred the implementation until November 1.  In a further step-down, the government announced that it would not restrict the import of such electronic products from any territory, while also introducing a new contactless import authorisation system. Excerpted from: Mishra, Ranjan Asit. “PC Imports from China up over 11%.” *Business Standard*, Mumbai, 29 Feb 2024, p. 1.

After a month’s gap, the import of personal computers from China, including laptops and tablets, surged _____ to $276 million in December.

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** After a month’s gap, the import of personal computers from China, including laptops and tablets, surged [1] _____ to $276 million in December. This occurred when total imports of such items contracted by 0.8 percent, according to the latest data from the commerce department.  The same month witnessed a decline in the import of personal computers from countries/regions like Singapore and Hong Kong, which saw a decrease of [2] _____. These marginal players accounted for [3] _____ worth of shipments to India in December.  China’s share in total shipments of these items to India [4] _____ in December. It was 76.4 percent for the April-December period of FY24. In November, when the government’s online monitoring system for the import of electronic hardware items became operational, imports from China contracted by 14 percent, while the [5] _____.  Last year, on the third of August, the central government announced plans to categorise products in the information technology hardware segment, such as laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers, under the “restricted” level.  This announcement led to a surge in the import of laptops and tablets in September (by 41.8 percent) and October (by 29.7 percent), amid fears of licensing requirements. However, after the industry expressed serious concerns over the decision– which was originally aimed at reducing import dependence on China and ensuring a trusted supply chain– the government deferred the implementation until November 1.  In a further step-down, the government announced that it would not restrict the import of such electronic products from any territory, while also introducing a new contactless import authorisation system. Excerpted from: Mishra, Ranjan Asit. “PC Imports from China up over 11%.” *Business Standard*, Mumbai, 29 Feb 2024, p. 1.

The same month witnessed a decline in the import of personal computers from countries/regions like Singapore and Hong Kong, which saw a decrease of _____.

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** After a month’s gap, the import of personal computers from China, including laptops and tablets, surged [1] _____ to $276 million in December. This occurred when total imports of such items contracted by 0.8 percent, according to the latest data from the commerce department.  The same month witnessed a decline in the import of personal computers from countries/regions like Singapore and Hong Kong, which saw a decrease of [2] _____. These marginal players accounted for [3] _____ worth of shipments to India in December.  China’s share in total shipments of these items to India [4] _____ in December. It was 76.4 percent for the April-December period of FY24. In November, when the government’s online monitoring system for the import of electronic hardware items became operational, imports from China contracted by 14 percent, while the [5] _____.  Last year, on the third of August, the central government announced plans to categorise products in the information technology hardware segment, such as laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers, under the “restricted” level.  This announcement led to a surge in the import of laptops and tablets in September (by 41.8 percent) and October (by 29.7 percent), amid fears of licensing requirements. However, after the industry expressed serious concerns over the decision– which was originally aimed at reducing import dependence on China and ensuring a trusted supply chain– the government deferred the implementation until November 1.  In a further step-down, the government announced that it would not restrict the import of such electronic products from any territory, while also introducing a new contactless import authorisation system. Excerpted from: Mishra, Ranjan Asit. “PC Imports from China up over 11%.” *Business Standard*, Mumbai, 29 Feb 2024, p. 1.

These marginal players accounted for _____ worth of shipments to India in December.

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** After a month’s gap, the import of personal computers from China, including laptops and tablets, surged [1] _____ to $276 million in December. This occurred when total imports of such items contracted by 0.8 percent, according to the latest data from the commerce department.  The same month witnessed a decline in the import of personal computers from countries/regions like Singapore and Hong Kong, which saw a decrease of [2] _____. These marginal players accounted for [3] _____ worth of shipments to India in December.  China’s share in total shipments of these items to India [4] _____ in December. It was 76.4 percent for the April-December period of FY24. In November, when the government’s online monitoring system for the import of electronic hardware items became operational, imports from China contracted by 14 percent, while the [5] _____.  Last year, on the third of August, the central government announced plans to categorise products in the information technology hardware segment, such as laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers, under the “restricted” level.  This announcement led to a surge in the import of laptops and tablets in September (by 41.8 percent) and October (by 29.7 percent), amid fears of licensing requirements. However, after the industry expressed serious concerns over the decision– which was originally aimed at reducing import dependence on China and ensuring a trusted supply chain– the government deferred the implementation until November 1.  In a further step-down, the government announced that it would not restrict the import of such electronic products from any territory, while also introducing a new contactless import authorisation system. Excerpted from: Mishra, Ranjan Asit. “PC Imports from China up over 11%.” *Business Standard*, Mumbai, 29 Feb 2024, p. 1.

China’s share in total shipments of these items to India _____ in December.

**Read the following passage and answer the given subquestions.** After a month’s gap, the import of personal computers from China, including laptops and tablets, surged [1] _____ to $276 million in December. This occurred when total imports of such items contracted by 0.8 percent, according to the latest data from the commerce department.  The same month witnessed a decline in the import of personal computers from countries/regions like Singapore and Hong Kong, which saw a decrease of [2] _____. These marginal players accounted for [3] _____ worth of shipments to India in December.  China’s share in total shipments of these items to India [4] _____ in December. It was 76.4 percent for the April-December period of FY24. In November, when the government’s online monitoring system for the import of electronic hardware items became operational, imports from China contracted by 14 percent, while the [5] _____.  Last year, on the third of August, the central government announced plans to categorise products in the information technology hardware segment, such as laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers, under the “restricted” level.  This announcement led to a surge in the import of laptops and tablets in September (by 41.8 percent) and October (by 29.7 percent), amid fears of licensing requirements. However, after the industry expressed serious concerns over the decision– which was originally aimed at reducing import dependence on China and ensuring a trusted supply chain– the government deferred the implementation until November 1.  In a further step-down, the government announced that it would not restrict the import of such electronic products from any territory, while also introducing a new contactless import authorisation system. Excerpted from: Mishra, Ranjan Asit. “PC Imports from China up over 11%.” *Business Standard*, Mumbai, 29 Feb 2024, p. 1.

In November, when the government’s online monitoring system for the import of electronic hardware items became operational, imports from China contracted by 14 percent, while the _____.

**Read the following resume overview and answer the given subquestions.** Priya Raman Bengaluru | 9876543210 | priyaraman@gmail.com   Graduated from Christ University in 2023 with a Master's degree in English Literature. I am a hardworking and passionate individual with excellent communication skills. Worked on educational research projects related to multilingual classrooms. Skilled in content writing, editing, and public speaking.

Which sentence in the overview should ideally be avoided?

**Read the following resume overview and answer the given subquestions.** Priya Raman Bengaluru | 9876543210 | priyaraman@gmail.com   Graduated from Christ University in 2023 with a Master's degree in English Literature. I am a hardworking and passionate individual with excellent communication skills. Worked on educational research projects related to multilingual classrooms. Skilled in content writing, editing, and public speaking.

Why do you think the selected sentence is inappropriate in a resume?

**Read the following resume overview and answer the given subquestions.** Priya Raman Bengaluru | 9876543210 | priyaraman@gmail.com   Graduated from Christ University in 2023 with a Master's degree in English Literature. I am a hardworking and passionate individual with excellent communication skills. Worked on educational research projects related to multilingual classrooms. Skilled in content writing, editing, and public speaking.

Based on what you have learned in your course lectures, which detail is presented here correctly?

**Read the following resume overview and answer the given subquestions.** Priya Raman Bengaluru | 9876543210 | priyaraman@gmail.com   Graduated from Christ University in 2023 with a Master's degree in English Literature. I am a hardworking and passionate individual with excellent communication skills. Worked on educational research projects related to multilingual classrooms. Skilled in content writing, editing, and public speaking.

Which section best demonstrates Priya's area of expertise?

**Read the following resume overview and answer the given subquestions.** Priya Raman Bengaluru | 9876543210 | priyaraman@gmail.com   Graduated from Christ University in 2023 with a Master's degree in English Literature. I am a hardworking and passionate individual with excellent communication skills. Worked on educational research projects related to multilingual classrooms. Skilled in content writing, editing, and public speaking.

Which improvement would make the overview more precise?

**Read the following email and answer the given subquestions.** From: X@mailbox.com To: madhura@kollipress.com Subject: __________________________ Dear Madhura, I hope this mail finds you well. I am writing to request permission for the reprint of Thiruchengode Tales, a cherished work that holds immense cultural and religious significance in our community. As we aim to revive interest in our local literary heritage, we believe featuring this classic in our upcoming publication catalogue will contribute significantly. We assure you that we will adhere to any conditions or guidelines regarding licensing and credits set forth by your publication. Your favorable response to this request would greatly enhance our efforts to preserve and promote this local literary treasure. Thank you for considering our proposal, and _____________ for obtaining the reprint permission. Best regards, X

Choose the appropriate Subject

**Read the following email and answer the given subquestions.** From: X@mailbox.com To: madhura@kollipress.com Subject: __________________________ Dear Madhura, I hope this mail finds you well. I am writing to request permission for the reprint of Thiruchengode Tales, a cherished work that holds immense cultural and religious significance in our community. As we aim to revive interest in our local literary heritage, we believe featuring this classic in our upcoming publication catalogue will contribute significantly. We assure you that we will adhere to any conditions or guidelines regarding licensing and credits set forth by your publication. Your favorable response to this request would greatly enhance our efforts to preserve and promote this local literary treasure. Thank you for considering our proposal, and _____________ for obtaining the reprint permission. Best regards, X

In case Madhura responded in the negative to the request, choose an appropriate response for a reply mail. Keep in mind that the reprint is important to you and will constitute a significant part of your upcoming catalogue.

**Read the following email and answer the given subquestions.** From: X@mailbox.com To: madhura@kollipress.com Subject: __________________________ Dear Madhura, I hope this mail finds you well. I am writing to request permission for the reprint of Thiruchengode Tales, a cherished work that holds immense cultural and religious significance in our community. As we aim to revive interest in our local literary heritage, we believe featuring this classic in our upcoming publication catalogue will contribute significantly. We assure you that we will adhere to any conditions or guidelines regarding licensing and credits set forth by your publication. Your favorable response to this request would greatly enhance our efforts to preserve and promote this local literary treasure. Thank you for considering our proposal, and _____________ for obtaining the reprint permission. Best regards, X

Choose the appropriate option to fill the blank in the closing line of the mail.

**Read the following email and answer the given subquestions.** From: X@mailbox.com To: madhura@kollipress.com Subject: __________________________ Dear Madhura, I hope this mail finds you well. I am writing to request permission for the reprint of Thiruchengode Tales, a cherished work that holds immense cultural and religious significance in our community. As we aim to revive interest in our local literary heritage, we believe featuring this classic in our upcoming publication catalogue will contribute significantly. We assure you that we will adhere to any conditions or guidelines regarding licensing and credits set forth by your publication. Your favorable response to this request would greatly enhance our efforts to preserve and promote this local literary treasure. Thank you for considering our proposal, and _____________ for obtaining the reprint permission. Best regards, X

What does the sender assure the recipient about in the email?

**Read the following email and answer the given subquestions.** From: X@mailbox.com To: madhura@kollipress.com Subject: __________________________ Dear Madhura, I hope this mail finds you well. I am writing to request permission for the reprint of Thiruchengode Tales, a cherished work that holds immense cultural and religious significance in our community. As we aim to revive interest in our local literary heritage, we believe featuring this classic in our upcoming publication catalogue will contribute significantly. We assure you that we will adhere to any conditions or guidelines regarding licensing and credits set forth by your publication. Your favorable response to this request would greatly enhance our efforts to preserve and promote this local literary treasure. Thank you for considering our proposal, and _____________ for obtaining the reprint permission. Best regards, X

Choose the appropriate details to be mentioned in the signature of the mail.

Answer the given subquestions :

**Identify the implied meaning of the sentence below: (Note that the word with stress is** **marked in bold).** “We **heard** John talking.”

Answer the given subquestions :

**Identify the implied meaning of the sentence below: (Note that the word with stress is** **marked in bold).** I thought you were a **medical** doctor.

Answer the given subquestions:

Choose the appropriate option: “He spent ___ of his money on luxurious products.”

Answer the given subquestions:

Choose the appropriate option: “As ____ as three shooting stars may be spotted this week.”

**Analyse the following set of statements.** Statement 1: The teacher scolded the students. Statement 2: The students were scolded by the teacher Based on the above Statements, answer the given subquestions.

In Statement 1, “the students” is the ___

**Analyse the following set of statements.** Statement 1: The teacher scolded the students. Statement 2: The students were scolded by the teacher Based on the above Statements, answer the given subquestions.

In Statement 2, “by the teacher” is the ____

Answer the given subquestions

**The scope of the focus adverb in the following sentence is limited to:** “Only one person lived in that large house.”

Answer the given subquestions

**The scope of the focus adverb in the following sentence is limited to:** “Knowing Mrs. Todd to be a widow, who had little beside this slender business and the income from one hungry lodger to maintain her, one’s energies and even interest were quickly bestowed.”

**Answer the given subquestions based on the sentence below:** "The displayed ornaments glittered in the dazzling lights."

The verb in this sentence is:

**Answer the given subquestions based on the sentence below:** "The displayed ornaments glittered in the dazzling lights."

In the main data, there are ___ verb/s and ___ participle/s.

Answer the given subquestions.

**Identify the correct reported form for the following.** "I will come to the party," she said.

Answer the given subquestions.

**Identify the correct reported form for the following.** "I have finally finished my assignment," he announced.

**“Go big or go home” is an example of oxymoron. This statement is:**

**“Get busy living or get busy dying.” What is the figure of speech used here?**

**Consider the following sentences.** Sentence 1 - “That was oddly specific.” Sentence 2- “I do not like that specific flavour.” The word “specific” is:

**Consider the following sentence.** “Where Tinker Creek flows under the sycamore log bridge to the tear-shaped island, it is slow and shallow, and fringed thinly in cattail marsh.” “Sycamore”, “log” and “cattail” are examples of:

**Choose the appropriate option:** “One of the many advantages of our new office was that it had ____ of space.”

**“The auditorium was quite large.” The implied meaning here is:**

**Identify the type of sentence.** “Get out of the arena.”

**Identify the tense:** “We have been waiting for two hours at the counter.”

**Consider the following sentences and choose the option that correctly identifies the adverbs** **of degree in the given sentences.** Sentence 1- Your watch is five minutes too fast. Sentence 2- Do not crowd your work so closely together. Sentence 3- These mangoes are almost ripe. Sentence 4 - You are altogether mistaken.

**Identify the conjunctive adverb in the following sentence.** “He’s rather uncommunicative; still, everyone seems to like him.”

**Identify the type of sentence for the following sentence:** "She will go to the park if it stops raining."

**Find the subordinate clause in the sentence.** “John, who graduated last year, won the outstanding alumni award.”

**In the sentence, what is the object of the verb “eat”?** "Harita likes to eat confectionery."

**Identify the adverbial clause in the sentence below.** “I watched the sunset, amazed by the vibrant colors that painted the sky, as the waves gently crashed against the shore.”

**Which of the following sentences is complex?**

**The clause _____ is used as a subordinate clause in the sentence.** “India, which is crowded with 1.4 billion people, is also a stronghold for wildlife.”

**Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and** **choose only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.** "Though black pepper berries are fully viable, they are not generally used for raising plantations as seedlings _____ not be genetically uniform." Hint: To make a rational and conclusive assumption about a future outcome

**Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and** **choose only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.** “Wordsworth _____ have contributed more poems, but the real star of the collection was Coleridge's first version of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Hint: To show that the speaker acknowledges the possibility of something but does not concede that it is relevant to the discussion at hand

**Which of the following statements about the given sentence is true?** “She cannot eat that much.” Statement 1 - The negation forces a separation of tense from the main verb Statement 2 - The negation does not force a separation of tense from the main verb

**Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and** **choose only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.** “_____ you be willing to step into a machine, be dematerialized, and then recomposed thousands of miles away?” Context: To ask a polite and formal question about an imagined scenario with focus on intent and willingness

**Fill in the blank with the correct modal verb.** “Being a parent _____ be extremely challenging.” (denoting a general possibility).

**Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and** **choose only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.** Shall we do the roll call? It _____ take more than a few minutes. Hint: To indicate a requirement in terms of what is most probably the case

**Which of these sentences has a that-clause embedded as the object of the verb in the matrix** **predicate?**

**Reduction of a word to one of its parts is called:**

**Which of the following is an example of middle clipping?**

**The reported speech of this sentence uses:** “Did you come by car?”

**Which sentence uses a countable noun?**

**Which of the following options cannot be used to fill in this blank?** "There isn't much ___ left."

**Answer True or False** A: Malcolm delivered the packets B: The packets were delivered by Malcolm The object in A is the agent of action in B

**Choose the odd one out from the following based on negative elements.**

**“Running helped him to win the medal." Running here is called ___**

**What type of conditionals are the following?** “If it rains, I will stay indoors.”

**Choose the most appropriate implied meaning from the following:** “He studied for the exam, but failed.”

**Select the odd one out :**

**Choose the most appropriate option:** “He switched on the presentation ___ the students could note down relevant portions.”

**Identify the number of prefixes in the following sentence.** “We watched Midnight in Paris for the umpteenth time when I went to her home for the festival.”

**Select the odd one out:**

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

Which of the following sequences most accurately reflects the overall structure of the passage?

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

Which of the following accurately captures the cause–effect logic used in the passage?

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

If the passage were reduced to a single disagreement, which would it be?

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

Which sentence in the passage performs the role of a turning point from background to critique?

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

Why does the author refer to the Bhore Committee?

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

**Match the following sentence to their structural role:** “UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health…”

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

**Match the following sentence to their structural role:** “Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure.”

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

**Match the following sentence to their structural role:** “In practice, recent reforms…have undermined the primary care approach.”

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

**Match the following sentence to their structural role:** “It is imperative for India to take this path…”

**Read the following article titled “Not Just Insurance, Indians Need Universal Healthcare”,** **published in The Indian Express. Answer the given subquestions.** December 12 was Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. This year’s theme was “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!’’ This draws attention to a growing frustration with the rising financial burden of healthcare. In observing UHC Day, it is important to distinguish between universal health coverage and universal healthcare. The latter goes beyond coverage for illness alone and encompasses equitable access to comprehensive primary healthcare — preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative. UHC is grounded in the universal human right to health, articulated in several international covenants and reinforced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Alma-Ata Declaration, 1978. However, the WHO’s 2010 World Health Report emphasised financial reform and risk protection as a pathway to UHC. The subsequent UN resolution on UHC reaffirmed this agenda, and later, UHC was included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, recent reforms in many countries, including India, have undermined the primary care approach and privileged financial protection through public health insurance. These schemes focus on covering costs for hospitalisation and often define packages for different disease conditions. Evidence suggests that patients often have to incur out-of-pocket expenditure. Such expenditure is due to services that are not covered or inadequately covered by packages, or due to abuse of coverage provision by service providers. Conversely, when public health insurance schemes are designed within a well-financed public health system, with robust primary and secondary care working as gatekeepers, the outcomes seem to be better. Several East Asian countries adopted UHC through an insurance approach, but have also strengthened primary and secondary care over time. An ageing population and chronic diseases have necessitated such changes. Countries like China and South Korea have near- universal insurance coverage, but the cost to the exchequer has been very high. Nearly a decade ago, China decided to contain costs and invest in strengthening primary and secondary care, focusing on prevention, early detection and follow-up care. Efforts were made to invest in human resources and comprehensive population outreach programmes. A commitment to public spending is an important aspect of strengthening primary and secondary levels of care. East Asian and several Southeast Asian countries have robust public systems with a private presence in provisioning. A strong public sector seems to act as a bulwark to regulate the private sector in terms of quality and cost. Even in these countries, the private sector’s power to influence policy is an unresolved issue. India has a legacy of being committed to universal healthcare as articulated by the Bhore Committee just before Independence. In fact, the committee opined that public insurance schemes must not be introduced until a robust primary healthcare system is in place. Despite this, chronic underfinancing of primary healthcare has resulted in weak public sector provisioning, contributing to increased reliance on the private sector. National Sample Survey data show growing reliance of the poor on increasingly expensive privately provided healthcare — an important contributor to household indebtedness. Despite initiatives such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM, now NHM), systemic weaknesses remain. Some states sought to address inequity in access and the rising cost of care through public health insurance programmes. In 2008, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana insurance scheme was launched and subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. With these initiatives, the focus on universal health coverage came to stay. The Covid pandemic drew attention to inequities in access to health insurance schemes and the need to shift from universal health coverage to universal healthcare in many countries. Given multiple health challenges, it is imperative for India to take this path with increased public investment in comprehensive primary healthcare and social determinants of health.

Which paragraph most effectively anticipates and absorbs a counter argument without explicitly stating it?