Editorials & Articles

Reasons for Welfare and Social

Protection
The core elements of welfare states play important roles, and can be
justified on multiple grounds
Directions: A passage has been given in which, [A] has some underlined
jumbled words, [B1-B2] have an erroneous part [C] has a underlined phrase
to replace. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions
accordingly.
Governments develop welfare policies and provide social protection for good reason.
As the political theorist Robert Goodin emphasized in his book Reasons for Welfare,
a central motivation is the need to protect the most vulnerable members of society
from exploitation at the hands of the powerful. A society that makes no provision to
meet at least the basic needs of the most vulnerable fails to attain even a minimal
level of decency - on which the legitimacy of state power depends. Public provision of
welfare and social protection can also be justified on other grounds; systems of public
education and healthcare can both promote equality of opportunity and contribute
to an economy’s productivity, while public support for childcare provision can address
gender inequality and increase workforce participation among parents of young
children. [A]In short, public (1)social policies are about both (2)providing (more or less
minimal) requirements of (3)welfare justice, and (4)meeting foundations for
economic prosperity. As far back as the earliest welfare state, modern Germany
unified in the 19th century under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, welfare provision
was seen as a prerequisite for social stability and a social order that retains the
adherence of all of its members.
The diversity of justifications for welfare and social protection policies was reflected
2022 World Bank report. It emphasized three different specific kinds: resilience,
equity, and opportunity. [B1] As the global experience with COVID-19 have made(a)/
abundantly clear, welfare and social protection systems(b)/ have a crucial role to play
when societies are(c)/ faced with daunting external shocks, whatever their source(d)/
No error(e). [C] In terms of equity and opportunity, such policies can work in a number
of ways - by markedly improving the position of the very poorest in society, by
addressing related forms of social exclusion, by enabling greater social mobility across
generations, and also by reducing the often-entrenched inequalities that exist when

Complete course on English (youtube) 1

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmrfuXtxLLHN5R1JprKmvacY_7RftGxXy
 Editorials & Articles
it comes to sex or race. [B2] But as the leading theorists of the welfare state Nicholas
Barr and John Hills(a)/has pointed out, it would be a mistake to see(b)/ the function
of welfare systems as predominantly(c)/ about redistribution among disparate
groups(d)/ No Error(e). Instead, such policies actually create a way for different
members of a society to ensure well-being throughout a lifetime, and in effect to
redistribute resources in an efficient way from their years of prime economic activity
towards the beginning and later years of their lives.

Practice Questions
Q1. Which of the following is the author most likely to agree with?
A. Ensuring well-being of people throughout lifetime in a way to distribute
resources from their years of prime economic activity towards the beginning
and later years of their lives.
B. A society that makes provision to meet at least the basic needs of the most
vulnerable fails to attain even a minimal level of decency
C. No motivation can help to protect the most vulnerable members of society
from exploitation at the hands of the powerful.
D. It would be soundness to see the function of welfare systems as predominantly
about redistribution among disparate groups.
E. Both A & C

Q2. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

1. Legitimacy of state power depends on society.
2. Reasons for welfare is written by Otto Van Bismirck.
3. In Germany, welfare provisions were seen as a prerequisite for social stability
and a social order in 19th century.

A. Only 1
B. Only 2
C. Both 2 & 3
D. Both 1 &4
E. None of these.

Complete course on English (youtube) 2

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmrfuXtxLLHN5R1JprKmvacY_7RftGxXy
 Editorials & Articles
Q3. Replace the highlighted words to make the sentence meaningfully right.
[A]In short, public (1)social policies are about both (2)providing (more or less
minimal) requirements of (3)welfare justice, and (4)meeting foundations for
economic prosperity.
A. 1>>2
B. 2>>4
C. 3>>1
D. 1>>3 & 4>>2
E. 2>>1 & 3>>4

Q4. There are two sentences [B1] & [B2] given identify the erroneous parts & mark
the answer accordingly.
[1]. As the global experience with COVID-19 have made(a)/ abundantly clear,
welfare and social protection systems(b)/ have a crucial role to play when societies
are(c)/ faced with daunting external shocks, whatever their source(d)/ No error(e).
[2]. As the leading theorists of the welfare state Nicholas Barr and John Hills(a)/ has
pointed out, it would be a mistake to see(b)/ the function of welfare systems as
predominantly(c)/ about redistribution among disparate groups(d)/ No Error(e).

A. 1-A 2-C
B. 1-B 2-B
C. 1-C 2-D
D. 1-A 2-B
E. 1-D 2-E

Complete course on English (youtube) 3

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmrfuXtxLLHN5R1JprKmvacY_7RftGxXy
 Editorials & Articles
Q5. According to passage, what can increase workforce participation among
parents of young children?
1. Public provision of mind care and health protection.
2. Public support for childcare provision.
3. Public provision for social justice & stability.

A. Only 3
B. Only 1
C. Both 1 & 2
D. Both 2 & 3
E. Only 2

Q6. Read the given sentence & choose the correct pair which can replace the
highlighted phrase.
[C]. In terms of equity and opportunity, such policies can work in a number of ways
by markedly improving the position of the very poorest in society.
1. In a good deal of ways
2. In many respects
3. In a great deal of ways

A. Only 2
B. Both 1 & 2
C. Both 2 & 3
D. Only 3
E. All of these.

Complete course on English (youtube) 4

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmrfuXtxLLHN5R1JprKmvacY_7RftGxXy
 Editorials & Articles
Q7. Choose the synonym of the ‘Vulnerability’ from the given options.
A. Immunity
B. Susceptibility
C. Invincible
D. Omnipotent
E. Impregnable

Q8. Read the given sentence & choose the correct idiom according to the context
of the sentence.
As far back as the earliest welfare state, modern Germany unified in the 19th
century under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, welfare provision was seen as a
prerequisite for social stability and a social order that retains the adherence of all of
its members.

A. Get hitched.
B. Call to arms.
C. All square.
D. Bull in the china shop.
E. A second bite at cherry.

Complete course on English (youtube) 5

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmrfuXtxLLHN5R1JprKmvacY_7RftGxXy
 Editorials & Articles
Answers:
Q1. A Q2. B Q3. D Q4. D Q5. E Q6. A Q7. B Q8. C

Complete course on English (youtube) 6

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmrfuXtxLLHN5R1JprKmvacY_7RftGxXy