UPSC CDS 2 Exam – 04 Sep 2022 (English) (Answer Key)

COMPREHENSION

Directions : In this section you have three short passages. After each passage, you will find some term based on the passage. Read the passage carefully and answer the items based on it.

Passage – I

China’s government announced on April 19 that it had signed a landmark security pact with the Solomon Islands, evoking concern from Australia and the U.S. The agreement is the first of its kind that China has agreed with any country, and underlines its ambitions to play a security role in the Pacific. The final version has not been made public. It will pave the way for China to deploy its security forces there. The Solomon Islands can request police and military personnel “to assist in maintaining social order”, while China can make ship visits and use its ports for logistics. This will give China’s vessels a strategic foothold in the Pacific, in a region close to Australia and Guam, where the U.S. has a naval base. Both countries unsurprisingly expressed concern, with Washington, even dispatching a senior official to the Solomon Islands, who will take up the pact as well as plans to reopen the U.S. Embassy there.

The significance of the pact extends beyond the immediate regional security concerns in the Pacific. The Solomon Islands government said the agreement does not imply China will build a base there. The pact does, however, relate to a second key pillar of China’s avowed “peaceful rise” doctrine, which was, as popularised by “Panchsheel” or the “five principles of peaceful coexistence” — the “non-interference” in the internal affairs of other countries. The deployment of security forces in a foreign country certainly does not square with that idea. China has already begun to do so elsewhere, albeit on a limited scale. China’s past commitments on military bases and non-interference were intended to show the world Beijing would not seek to become a global “hegemon”, its favoured term to describe the U.S.

21. China’s objective of signing a security pact with Solomon Islands is
(a) to contribute in ensuring security in the Pacific.
(b) to extend its territory.
(c) to develop Solomon Islands.
(d) to provide financial aid in enhancing security measures in the Pacific.

22. The Pact symbolises China’s doctrine of
(a) advancing financial support to countries.
(b) deployment of security forces wherever needed.
(c) advancement of defence technology.
(d) principles of peaceful coexistence.

23. Which one of the following is implied by ‘Beijing would not seek to become a global hegemon’?
(a) Beijing would aspire to become a strong ruler.
(b) Beijing is ambitious of becoming a Superpower
(c) Beijing is not aspiring to have control over the world.
(d) Beijing will play an important role in world politics.

24. What does ‘square with that idea’ imply in the passage ?
(a) Having multiple ideas
(b) Not in agreement with the idea
(c) Imposing personal views on others
(d) Agreeing with the multiple views

25. What does ‘strategic foothold’ imply in the passage?
(a) Valid entry
(b) Planned access
(c) Legitimate passage
(d) Sanctioned routes

Passage – II

Among the major objectives of the Glasgow · Summit was to frame the foundation of an international carbon trading system listed in the Paris Agreement to achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2050. It would enable nations to transfer credits to each other and offset their emission targets. Critics of the trading system, and there are many, say it would give leeway to developed countries and companies that are highly polluting to stave off making deeper cuts in their low emissions by buying credits from poorer countries at exploitative prices. There are also major differences over whether the new trading system will recognize historical emissions permitted under earlier protocols. Others want rules that permit double credits for the nation funding a particular carbon reducing project, such as the regeneration of forests to act as a carbon sink, and for the country implementing it. A third issue is whether a share of the revenue from such a bilateral trading agreement will go toward the UN’s Adaptation Fund. There have also been concerns about the integrity of the accounting system for such credits.

26. What is ‘international carbon trading system? here?
(a) Counting carbon emissions by poor countries
(b) A system of counting carbons every year
(c) The exchange of carbon credits between nations
(d) Counting how developed countries evade accountability

27. What is the third issue being mentioned in the context of ‘share of the revenue’?
(a) The revenue may not be shared with UN’s Adaptation Fund.
(b) Developed countries would take the revenue from bilateral trading agreements.
(c) Poor countries will have to shoulder the major responsibilities.
(d) Accounting system will be in the hands of developed countries.

28. ‘… forests to act as a carbon sink’ means
(a) Forests reduce carbon emission.
(b) Depletion of forest cover adds to carbon emission.
(c) Forests cannot reduce carbon emission.
(d) Forests can improve the environment.

29. What is the concern about the integrity of the accounting system ?
(a) Developed countries and companies would not be adhering to the credit system.
(b) Developed countries and companies would be adhering to the credit system.
(c) Poor countries would not be adhering to the credit system on carbon emission.
(d) Poor countries would be adhering to the credit system on carbon emission.

30. Which of the following words is nearer to the meaning of the word ‘protocol’ in the text ?
(a) final truth
(b) school of thought
(c) formal ways of doing something
(d) meeting the target of 100%

Passage – III

The RBI expects inflation at 6.7 percent in 2022 – 23. Recent government data also suggests that inflation has . become more broad-based. Excluding the volatile components such as food and fuel, çore retail inflation was around 7 percent in April, with almost all subgroups in the index witnessing elevated inflation. And considering the inflation in the pipeline — the wholesale price index continues to be in double digits — price pressures are unlikely to dissipate in the immediate term. According to analysts, while manufacturing firms have been passing on the rise in input costs, it remains incomplete in the case of the services sector. However, as demand firms up, the pass through is likely to gather traction. This combination of factors suggests that inflation may not fall dramatically as and when commodity prices · fall — prices may prove to be a tad sticky on the downside. The RBI’s revised quarterly forecasts for inflation also seem to suggest so – inflation has now been projected at 7.5 percent in the first quarter, and 7.4 percent in the second quarter, trending downwards thereafter to 6.2 percent in the third quarter, and 5.8 percent in the fourth quarter.

Implicit in these quarterly inflation forecasts is also the acknowledgment that inflation will likely exceed the upper threshold of the central bank’s inflation targeting framework for three consecutive quarters. Considering the risks that the ‘unanchoring of inflation and inflation expectations pose to macroeconomic stability, and the country’s growth prospects, the central bank must look beyond its quotidian responsibilities and continue to focus on maintaining price stability, attaching primacy to inflation management.

31. What are the volatile components of inflation ?
(a) All subgroups in the index
(b) Components such as food and fuel
(c) Wholesale price index
(d) Inflation in the pipeliner

32. Why are prices unlikely to abate in the short term ?
(a) Because of inflation in the pipeline
(b) Because prices once up never come back down
(c) Because international price situation is volatile.
(d) Because of pressure from subgroups:

33. In what context are the words ‘pass through’ used in the passage ?
(a) That services sector will increase prices as demand picks up
(b) That manufacturing sector is bearing the burden of input costs
(c) That the economy is passing through price pressures clay
(d) That inflation will pass through the services sector

34. Explain the meaning of the word ‘quotidian’ as used in the passage.
(a) Existing
(b) Primary
(c) Main
(d) Day-to-day

35. Choose the most appropriate option that describes the meaning of the term ‘unanchoring’ as used in the passage.
(a) Stability of inflation that will be securely anchored
(b) The rising anchor will free inflation
(c) The disjoint between inflation and its expectations
(d) Runaway inflation that is out of control

SYNONYMS

Directions : Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words/group of words. Select the option that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

36. He is considered the harbinger.
(a) regressive messenger
(b) advance messenger.
(c) overlooking messenger
(d) ancestor

37. The vista of the villages is
(a) landscape
(b) location
(c) feature
(d) vitality

38. Her act was considered as most lamentable.
(a) appreciable
(b) acceptable
(c) permissible
(d) deplorable

39. The leader’s endurance paid and he won the elections.
(a) patience
(b) success
(c) enigma
(d) captivity

40. We are planning a jaunt for a while during the winter.
(a) deliberation
(b) intersection
(c) expedition
(d) association