Directions for(Q1. to Q10.) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Ever since France began expelling the Roma migrants, Europe has had to confront once again its unspoken antipathy towards ethnic minorities. The Roma or Romani peoples – who number somewhere between 4 and 10 million, now live mainly in eastern Europe. The Romas are seen as “different” because of their refusal to be “settled” in any one place and most of all because of their refusal to be assimilated into European society. This has tested European
society which takes pride in its professed tolerance and even respect for diversity but has occasionally shown streaks of racism. According to current scholarship, the Romas, who were earlier derogatorily referred to as “gypsies”, originally migrated from north-west India in the 11th century. The Romas have always been discriminated against – because their skin colour is different, because they have always lived akin to nomads (in “caravans”),
because they are associated with crime and most importantly because even in the 21st century they are insistent on retaining their distinctive nonmainstream lifestyle. The discrimination against the Romas reached its “final solution” when somewhere between 2,50,000 and 1.5 million Romas were exterminated as part of a Nazi genocide during the 1930s. While the mass extermination of the Jews of Europe has been recorded and acknowledged, the equally shameful secret of Europe is the genocide of the Romas. But this to date has not been fully acknowledged in the same measure and is as dark an event as the other one in European history. Indeed, if the Romas are now found mainly in central and eastern Europe, it is because those who lived in western Europe were subjected to mass murder by the Nazis, not without silent support from the local population.
It is France’s decision to evict the 2,000+ Roma migrants back to Romania that has attracted attention, but other countries in west Europe have not behaved differently. Denmark, Sweden and Germany have all implemented eviction policies targeted at the Romas. Italy had earlier come down on the Romas.
The justification in all cases is that the Romas, who have recently migrated from central and eastern Europe – mainly from Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania – after the expansion of the European Union and consequent removal of immigration controls, come with very low education, negligible skills and live socially, economically and geographically apart in their new countries of residence. This, it is claimed, pushes them to beggary and petty crime. France, for instance, blames the Government of Romania for not assimilating the Romas, which leaves them
unprepared for a “settled and productive life” in their new homes. The link between the Romas and crime is, of course, not proven anywhere and if the Romas are indeed pushed to petty crime, the hostility of local societies towards them cannot be any less of a contributory factor.
There is always an immediate cynical reason for the targeting of the Romas. French president Nicolas Sarkozy is known to embrace symbolic actions whenever he needs to boost his popularity among his natural base of right wing conservatives. For the blighted Romas, it is Sarkozy in France who has picked on them. Two years ago it was Silvio Berlusconi of Italy who went after them.
The Romas suffer from very high rates of poverty even in their home countries (where discrimination is just as prevalent), levels of education are extremely low and the most common occupation seems to be low-level recycling of scrap. These distinctive features of the Romas make them easily typecast as the unwelcome “other”. Of course that the poorest among them turn to begging on the streets of the cities of some of the richest countries of the world offends the fine west European sensibilities.
It is easy to say that education will lead to lower poverty and that education will also lead to the creation of a settled middle-class of Romas which would, in turn, lead to assimilation with mainstream European society. But “civilised” Europe is expected to respect difference and afford those who do not wish to be integrated with the larger “other” the same rights as the mainstream.
Q1. What is the most appropriate title for the passage?
1. Europe and the Romas
2. The poor Romas
3. Discrimination against the Romas
4. A tryst with the Romas
5. The unheard cries of the teeming millions
Ever since France began expelling the Roma migrants, Europe has had to confront once again its unspoken antipathy towards ethnic minorities. The Roma or Romani peoples – who number somewhere between 4 and 10 million, now live mainly in eastern Europe. The Romas are seen as “different” because of their refusal to be “settled” in any one place and most of all because of their refusal to be assimilated into European society. This has tested European
society which takes pride in its professed tolerance and even respect for diversity but has occasionally shown streaks of racism. According to current scholarship, the Romas, who were earlier derogatorily referred to as “gypsies”, originally migrated from north-west India in the 11th century. The Romas have always been discriminated against – because their skin colour is different, because they have always lived akin to nomads (in “caravans”),
because they are associated with crime and most importantly because even in the 21st century they are insistent on retaining their distinctive nonmainstream lifestyle. The discrimination against the Romas reached its “final solution” when somewhere between 2,50,000 and 1.5 million Romas were exterminated as part of a Nazi genocide during the 1930s. While the mass extermination of the Jews of Europe has been recorded and acknowledged, the equally shameful secret of Europe is the genocide of the Romas. But this to date has not been fully acknowledged in the same measure and is as dark an event as the other one in European history. Indeed, if the Romas are now found mainly in central and eastern Europe, it is because those who lived in western Europe were subjected to mass murder by the Nazis, not without silent support from the local population.
It is France’s decision to evict the 2,000+ Roma migrants back to Romania that has attracted attention, but other countries in west Europe have not behaved differently. Denmark, Sweden and Germany have all implemented eviction policies targeted at the Romas. Italy had earlier come down on the Romas.
The justification in all cases is that the Romas, who have recently migrated from central and eastern Europe – mainly from Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania – after the expansion of the European Union and consequent removal of immigration controls, come with very low education, negligible skills and live socially, economically and geographically apart in their new countries of residence. This, it is claimed, pushes them to beggary and petty crime. France, for instance, blames the Government of Romania for not assimilating the Romas, which leaves them
unprepared for a “settled and productive life” in their new homes. The link between the Romas and crime is, of course, not proven anywhere and if the Romas are indeed pushed to petty crime, the hostility of local societies towards them cannot be any less of a contributory factor.
There is always an immediate cynical reason for the targeting of the Romas. French president Nicolas Sarkozy is known to embrace symbolic actions whenever he needs to boost his popularity among his natural base of right wing conservatives. For the blighted Romas, it is Sarkozy in France who has picked on them. Two years ago it was Silvio Berlusconi of Italy who went after them.
The Romas suffer from very high rates of poverty even in their home countries (where discrimination is just as prevalent), levels of education are extremely low and the most common occupation seems to be low-level recycling of scrap. These distinctive features of the Romas make them easily typecast as the unwelcome “other”. Of course that the poorest among them turn to begging on the streets of the cities of some of the richest countries of the world offends the fine west European sensibilities.
It is easy to say that education will lead to lower poverty and that education will also lead to the creation of a settled middle-class of Romas which would, in turn, lead to assimilation with mainstream European society. But “civilised” Europe is expected to respect difference and afford those who do not wish to be integrated with the larger “other” the same rights as the mainstream.
Q1. What is the most appropriate title for the passage?
1. Europe and the Romas
2. The poor Romas
3. Discrimination against the Romas
4. A tryst with the Romas
5. The unheard cries of the teeming millions
Q2. The author is most likely to agree with which of the following?
A. Romas, being poor and illiterate, deserve to be prejudiced.
B. The government of Romania should be
blamed for not assimilating the Romas.
1. Both A and B
2. Only A
3. Only B
4. Either A or B
5. None of these
A. Romas, being poor and illiterate, deserve to be prejudiced.
B. The government of Romania should be
blamed for not assimilating the Romas.
1. Both A and B
2. Only A
3. Only B
4. Either A or B
5. None of these
Q3. What cannot be inferred from the given passage?
1.Romas had an Indian origin.
2. Romas of western Europe were exterminated.
3. Nicolas Sarkozy has a feeling of empathy towards the Romas.
4. The link between the Romas and crime has not been proven.
5. Education can improve the condition of the Romas.
1.Romas had an Indian origin.
2. Romas of western Europe were exterminated.
3. Nicolas Sarkozy has a feeling of empathy towards the Romas.
4. The link between the Romas and crime has not been proven.
5. Education can improve the condition of the Romas.
Q4. What is the main theme of the passage?
1. The discrimination against the Romas is the result of European prejudice.
2. The Romas are illiterate and beg on the streets of the cities of some of the richest countries of the world.
3. Europe is responsible for the current plight of the Romas.
4. Romas have always been targeted for cynical reasons.
5. Romas have always been discriminated against – because their skin colour is different and they have lived akin to nomads.
1. The discrimination against the Romas is the result of European prejudice.
2. The Romas are illiterate and beg on the streets of the cities of some of the richest countries of the world.
3. Europe is responsible for the current plight of the Romas.
4. Romas have always been targeted for cynical reasons.
5. Romas have always been discriminated against – because their skin colour is different and they have lived akin to nomads.
Q5. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
1. Europe has been apathetic towards the “other”.
2. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, is cynical.
3. Romas are considered at par with the other people in their home countries.
4. Romas are involved in many heinous crimes.
5. None of the above
1. Europe has been apathetic towards the “other”.
2. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, is cynical.
3. Romas are considered at par with the other people in their home countries.
4. Romas are involved in many heinous crimes.
5. None of the above
Q6. What can be inferred from the words “the discrimination against the Romas reached its final solution”?
1. Discrimination ceased to exist due to the death of the oppressed.
2. Discrimination became perennial.
3. Discrimination entered a vicious phase.
4. Discrimination ceased to exist due to the death of the discriminator.
5. The problem was solved.
1. Discrimination ceased to exist due to the death of the oppressed.
2. Discrimination became perennial.
3. Discrimination entered a vicious phase.
4. Discrimination ceased to exist due to the death of the discriminator.
5. The problem was solved.
Q7. Which of the following was the most similar in meaning to the word ‘evict’ as used in the passage?
1. Abolish
2. Execute
3. Oust
4. Kill
5. Bribe
1. Abolish
2. Execute
3. Oust
4. Kill
5. Bribe
Q8. Which of the following is the most similar in meaning to the word ‘hostility’ as used in the passage?
1. Animosity
2. Generosity
3. Parity
4. Disparity
5. Clarity
1. Animosity
2. Generosity
3. Parity
4. Disparity
5. Clarity
Q9. Which of the following is the farthest in meaning to the word ‘cynical’ as used in the passage?
1. Sardonic
2. Mocking
3. Hopeful
4. Suspicious
5. Skeptical
1. Sardonic
2. Mocking
3. Hopeful
4. Suspicious
5. Skeptical
Q10. Which of the following is the farthest in meaning to the word ‘typecast’ as used in the passage?
1. Allot
2. Assign
3. Classify
4. Disorganize
5. Identify
1. Allot
2. Assign
3. Classify
4. Disorganize
5. Identify
Answers:
Q1 – 3)
The passage deals with the discrimination against the Romas. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
The passage deals with the discrimination against the Romas. Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
Q2 – 5)
The author supports the Romas and wants Europe to give them respect. So, A is negated. B is also not something that the author is likely to agree with. It is France (and not the author) that blames the government of Romania for not assimilating the Romas.
The author supports the Romas and wants Europe to give them respect. So, A is negated. B is also not something that the author is likely to agree with. It is France (and not the author) that blames the government of Romania for not assimilating the Romas.
Q3 – 3)
The fourth paragraph of the passage clearly states that Nicholas Sarzoky has always picked on the Romas, Clearly, he does not have a feeling of empathy towards the Romas. Thus, option (3) is the answer. Option (1) can be inferred from the fifth sentence of the first paragraph. It says that the Romas originally migrated from north-west India in the 11th century. Option (2) can be inferred from the second paragraph which says that France and other Western European countries exterminated Roma migrants. Option (4), link between the Romas and crime has not been proven, has clearly been stated in the last sentence of the third paragraph. Option (5) can be inferred from the fifth paragraph of the passage that lists low levels of education as one the reasons that make Romas unwelcomed. This means that education can improve their condition.
The fourth paragraph of the passage clearly states that Nicholas Sarzoky has always picked on the Romas, Clearly, he does not have a feeling of empathy towards the Romas. Thus, option (3) is the answer. Option (1) can be inferred from the fifth sentence of the first paragraph. It says that the Romas originally migrated from north-west India in the 11th century. Option (2) can be inferred from the second paragraph which says that France and other Western European countries exterminated Roma migrants. Option (4), link between the Romas and crime has not been proven, has clearly been stated in the last sentence of the third paragraph. Option (5) can be inferred from the fifth paragraph of the passage that lists low levels of education as one the reasons that make Romas unwelcomed. This means that education can improve their condition.
Q4 – 1)
Option (1) aptly describes the main theme of the passage. All the other options are pieces of information that have been stated in the passage.
Option (1) aptly describes the main theme of the passage. All the other options are pieces of information that have been stated in the passage.
Q5 – 5)
None of the statements is supported by the information given in the passage.
None of the statements is supported by the information given in the passage.
Q6 – 1)
Option (1) can be inferred from the statement. The first paragraph says that a huge number of Romas were exterminated as a part of a Nazi genocide and this shameful act was not recorded.
Option (1) can be inferred from the statement. The first paragraph says that a huge number of Romas were exterminated as a part of a Nazi genocide and this shameful act was not recorded.
Q7 – 3)
The correct word, which will be most similar to ‘evict’, is oust. It means to cause or force (someone or something) to leave.
The correct word, which will be most similar to ‘evict’, is oust. It means to cause or force (someone or something) to leave.
Q8 – 1)
‘Hostility‘ means animosity.
‘Hostility‘ means animosity.
Q9 – 3)
The antonym of ‘cynical‘ is hopeful.
The antonym of ‘cynical‘ is hopeful.
Q10 – 4)
The antonym of ‘typecast‘ is dis organize.
The antonym of ‘typecast‘ is dis organize.
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