Comprehension For SBI PO set – 5
Comprehension set – 5
After the “Liberal” a new catch-phrase is being coined: ‘A New Health Order’. Talking about setting it up is the theme of the WHO-sponsored international conference on primary health and medical care, currently being held at Milan in Italy. While much has been said and written on establishing “new order”, little has actually been done. Will the conference at Milan too swear by the “new health order”, go home and then forget about it, while the present medical and healthcare set-up in poor countries further entrenches itself? This does not have to be the fate of the radical resolutions that will undoubtedly be passed at Milan. Unlike creating a new world economic or information order, establishing a new health set-up is essentially a matter for individual countries to accomplish. No conflict of international interests is involved. But this advantage is, at least until it begins to take concrete shape, only theoretical. The million-dollar question is whether individual third-world governments are able and willing to muster the will, the resources, the administrative and other infrastructure to carry out what it is entirely within their power to attain and implement. The dimensions of the problem are known and the solutions broadly agreed on. The present medical and health-care system is urban-base, closely geared to drugs, hospitals and expensively trained apathetic doctors. The bulk of the population in poor countries, who live in rural areas, are left untouched by all this and must rely on traditional healers. The answer is to turn out medical/health personnel sufficiently, but not expensively, trained to handle routine complaints and to get villagers to pay adequate attention to cleanliness, hygienic sanitation, garbage disposal and other elementary but crucial matters. More complicated ailments can be referred to properly equipped centres in district towns, cities and metropolises. Traditional healers, whom villagers trust, can be among these intermediate personnel. Some third-world countries, including India, have launched or are preparing elaborate schemes of this nature. But the experience is not quite happy. There is resistance from the medical establishment which sees them as little more than licensed quackery but is to prepared either to offer condensed medical courses such as the former licentiate course available in this country and unwisely scrapped. There is the question of how much importance to give to indigenous system of medicine. And there is the difficult matter of striking the right balance between preventive healthcare and curative medical attention. These are complex issues and the Milan conference would perhaps be more fruitful if it were to discuss such specific subjects.
1. The author is doubtful whether….
(a) an individual country can set up a a new health order.
(b) the Milan conference would pass radical resolutions.
(c) under-developed countries have the capacity to organize their resources
(d) traditional healers could be trained as intermediate health personnel.
(e) the problem has been understood at all.
2. The author has reservations about the utility of the Milan Conference because…
(a) it is expected only to discuss but not decide upon anything.
(b) earlier conferences had failed to reach any decisions.
(c) the medical profession is opposed to a new health order.
(d) while “new orders” are talked and written about, not much is actually done.
(e) None of these
3. The contents of the passage indicate that the author is opposed to…
(a) traditional healers.
(b) licentiate practitioners.
(c) allopathic system of medicines.
(d) hospitals.
(e) None of these
4. It can be inferred from the contents of the passage that the author’s approach is …
(a) sarcastic
(b) constructive
(c) indifferent
(d)fault-finding
(e) hostile
5. The author thinks that the solution to the problem of medical/health care lies in ….
(a) opening hospitals is rural areas.
(b) conducting inexpensive medical courses.
(c) improving the economic condition of the masses.
(d) expediting the setting up of a new health order.
(e) making cheap drugs available.
6. To make the conference really useful, the author suggests…
(a) resolving the international conflicts involved.
(b) that it should address itself to specific issues.
(c) it should give importance to indigenous system of medicine.
(d) that it should not pass radical resolutions.
(e) None of these
7. What does the author suggest for the cure of the cases involving complications?
(a) Treating such cases at well-equipped hospitals in district places
(b) Training such victims in preliminary hygiene
(c) Training semi-skilled doctors to treat such cases
(d) Issuing licences to semi-skilled doctors to treat such cases
(e) None of these
8. The medical establishment seems to be reluctant to trust the…
(a) allopathic medical practitioners.
(b) traditional healers.
(c) urban-based medical practitioners.
(d) expensively trained allopathic doctors.
(e) None of these
9. For a new health order, the author recommends all of the following EXCEPT
(a) motivating villagers to pay attention to cleanliness
(b) setting up well equipped centres in district towns
(c) discontinuing the present expensive medical courses
(d) training traditional healers to function as medical health personnel
(e) striking a balance between preventive healthcare and curative medical attention
Directions (Q. 10-12): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
10. LAUNCHED
(a) participated
(b) accomplished
(c) elevated
(d) planned
(e) started
11. MUSTER
(a) enlist
(b) summon
(c) manifest
(d) extend
(e) enrich
12. ENTRENCH
(a) being deteriorating
(b) surround completely
(c) establish firmly
(d) enclose carefully
(e) finish radically
Directions (Q. 13-15): Choose the word which is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
13. CONDENSED
(a) concentrated
(b) envigoured
(c) expanded
(d) lengthened
(e) inexplicable
14. CRUCIAL
(a) trivial
(b) critical
(c) significant
(d) marvellous
(e) conspicuous
15. RESISTANCE
(a) opposition
(b) agreement
(c) repulsion
(d) acceptance
(e) compliance
Answer key:
PASSAGE 1
1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (e) 4. (b) 5. (b) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (b) 9. (c) 10. (e) 11. (a) 12. (c) 13. (d) 14. (a) 15. (d)
