D.1-10): In the following passage there are words highlighted, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, four words are suggested marked as (a), (b), (c) and (d) out of which only one word fits in. If the given word itself is appropriate mark your answer as (e).

F) Elections give us journalists a chance to go out and talk to ordinary people. We expect them, especially the poor, to tell us everything — where they are from, how much they earn, whether they are married, if not why not, whether they have children, how many, why so many, why no children, what are their dreams and who they will vote for. We take it for (1) opted that questions we would refuse to answer if a stranger asked us should be honestly addressed by those poorer than us. Sometimes we get the truth, sometimes we do not. But the process of (2) abandonment is always humbling. You realise you possess so much yet know so little compared to people who own nothing but possess such an enormous treasure of wisdom. Mumbai’s other half — or more than half — are the poor who live, or rather survive, on its pavements, swamps, the seaside, along railway tracks, water pipelines and on every bit of (3) barren The middle class, who would rather live in a city without poor people, hate the urban poor. They make our cities dirty, they breed, they fight, they are preventing the city from becoming truly global, say these “building-wallahs“. Plus, complain these well-heeled “citizens”, because the poor can vote, politicians (4) ignore and (5) mulch them knowing that it is their vote that decides who is elected. This is unfair, they argue. “Disenfranchise them.” This is the new cry of some middle class people in Mumbai. The poor living in slums are “illegal” in that they are (6) touching on land not meant for that purpose. So deny them the vote. This, they believe, will solve the problem of slums because politicians will pay no attention to the poor if they cannot vote and therefore will ensure that they are removed. Made to (7) materialize into thin air. Half the people who hold up more than half the city with their labour should be asked to make way — for roads, shopping malls, cinemas, apartment blocks for people who are “legal”, who can pay for these facilities. Incredible as it might seem, one set of Indian citizens is actually (8) arguing that another should not be allowed to vote for no fault of theirs except that they have no place to live and are poor. And irrespective of the fact that every citizen of India is (9) eligible to vote. The people our middle classes would like to disenfranchise have names, histories and are probably more (10) ignored to a democratic system than people who can take their shelter for granted.

1)

a) received

b) granted

c) accepted

d) requested

e) No correction required.

2)

a) engagement

b) contemporary

c) truce

d) concord

e) No correction required.

3)

a) vacant

b) occupy

c) desert

d) active

e) No correction required.

4)

a) threat

b) adorn

c) pamper

d) affront

e) No correction required.

5)

a) cultivate

b) cover

c) moulded

d) configure

e) No correction required.

6)

a) squatting

b) sedentary

c) inactive

d) digging

e) No correction required.

7)

a) descend

b) vanish

c) appear

d) emerge

e) No correction required.

8)

a) acknowledging

b) praising

c) developing

d) increasing

e) No correction required.

9)

a) entitled

b) lagged

c) versed

d) right

e) No correction required.

10)

a) committed

b) spirited

c) honoured

d) devoted

e) No correction required.

Answer Key:

1) b 2) a 3) a 4) c 5) a 6) a 7) b 8) e 9) a 10) a.