DPM 57

A to E
A. Words along with their meaning, Pronunciation and usage

Vagary /ˈveɪɡ(ə)ri/

[Noun] an unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behaviour.

Usage – The vagaries of weather affects many tourists.

Origin – late-16th century (also as a verb in the sense ‘roam’): from Latin vagari ‘wander’.

Vantage /ˈvɑːntɪdʒ/

[Noun] a place or position affording a good view of something.

Usage – The army secured a good vantage point on the hill.

Origin – Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French, shortening of Old French avantage
‘advantage’.

Vaunt /vɔːnt/

[Verb] 1) boast about or praise (something), especially excessively.

[Noun] 2) (Archaic) a boast.

Usage 1) – He was initially vaunted by the people for his leadership.

Origin – late Middle English: the noun a shortening of obsolete avaunt ‘boasting, a boast’; the
verb (originally in the sense ‘use boastful language’) from Old French vanter, from late Latin
vantare, based on Latin vanus ‘vain, empty’.
Veneer /vɪˈnɪə/

[Noun] 1) a thin decorative covering of fine wood applied to a coarser wood or other material.

2) a layer of wood used to make plywood.

3) an attractive appearance that cover or disguises someone or something’s true

nature or feelings.

4) (Dentistry) a crown in which the restoration is placed over the prepared surface of a
natural crown.

[Verb] 5) cover (something) with a decorative layer of fine wood.

6) cover or disguise (someone or something’s true nature) with an attractive

appearance.

Usage 1) – The fine-grained veneer of the furniture was very attractive.

Usage 2) – Her veneer of composure cracked a little under the intense scrutiny.

Usage 6) – He exuded an air of toughness, lightly veneered by the impeccably tailored suit.

Origin – early-18th century (earlier as fineer ): from German furni(e)ren, from Old French fournir
‘furnish’.

Verve /vəːv/

[Noun] vigour and spirit or enthusiasm.

Usage – The students performed with verve and joy.

Origin – late-17th century (denoting special talent in writing): from French, ‘vigour’, earlier ‘form
of expression’, from Latin verba ‘words’.

Vie /vʌɪ/

[Verb] compete eagerly with someone in order to do or achieve something.

Usage – Many athletes were vying for a place in the national team.
Origin – mid-16th century: probably a shortening of obsolete envy, via Old French from Latin
invitare ‘challenge’.

Vale of years

[Idiom] the declining years of life.

Usage – He did not leave his parents during their vale of years.

Vicious circle

[Noun] a sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements intensify and
aggravate each other, leading inexorably to a worsening of the situation.

Usage – Many people are trapped in the vicious circle of debt.

Vive la différence

[French] long live the difference. Specifically, the difference between the sexes.

Usage – Many men try to do their share of the housework but when all’s said and done, vive la
difference!

Vox populi

[Latin] popular opinion or sentiment. Literally “voce of the people”.

Usage – The government should take the vox populi into consideration.
B. RC Passage (with Link)

Article 1: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/donald-trump-greenland-denmark-
explained-6375593/

This article analyses the audacious proposal made recently by the US to purchase the
autonomous island of Greenland from Denmark. The plan—akin to a large real estate deal—is
being packaged by the US as ‘financial aid’ to Denmark. If the US were to pull off the deal, it
would make Donald Trump the third ever US president to add land to the country’s territory. The
very idea is seen by the Danes as ‘extremely provocative’ interference by the US, and has
sparked widespread outrage in the country.

Article 2: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/04/george-washington-beat-
smallpox-epidemic-with-controversial-inoculations/

The article takes us back in time and describes how a small pox epidemic had threatened to
disrupt the American colonists’ revolution against Britain. The highly contagious disease could
have wiped out the Continental Army, were it not for George Washington’s embrace of science-
based medical treatments. Despite strong opposition, Washington was able to push through
scientific remedies—including immediately isolating people suspected of infection and limiting
outside contact—to ensure that the public health crisis did not affect the vast majority of
American colonists.

Article 3:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200615092753.htm

Is there anyone out there? This is an age-old question that researchers have now shed new
light on with a study that calculates there could be more than 30 intelligent civilizations
throughout our Galaxy. This is an enormous advance over previous estimates which spanned
from zero to billions.
Article 4: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200615140846.htm

Light exerts a certain amount of pressure onto a body: sun sails could thus power space probes
in the future. However, when light particles (photons) hit an individual molecule and knock out
an electron, the molecule flies toward the light source. Atomic physicists have now observed
this for the first time, confirming a 90 year-old theory.

Article 5:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200609190725.htm

A new article provides a new explanation for two recent strange events that occurred in
Antarctica -- high-energy neutrinos appearing to come up out of the Earth on their own accord
and head skyward.
C. RC Passage (with Questions)

Directions for Question 1 to 4: The passage given below is accompanied by a set of four
questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

Colonialism began as a descriptive term and subsequently assumed a pejorative connotation. In

recent times, most studies […] have tended it with imperialism to such a degree as to blur the
lines of distinction between the two. Some people have argued that neo-colonialism is a form
of imperialism ,but this is a specious argument because each has a distinct and separate
existence.

It is necessary to discuss imperialism in the context of colonialism and to make the differences
clear. For example, it is possible to be imperialistic without having colonies, but it is not possible
to have colonies without being an empire. Thus, in the case of the Soviet Union, which
exercised rigid controls over the economies of its small neighbours and forcefully absorbed
within its structure Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, the Soviets practiced imperialism but not
colonialism. If Stalin had succeeded in holding Manchuria under his control at the end of World
War II, the Soviet Union would also have become a colonial power.

The United States, however, must be judged a colonial power because it holds American
Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, the last formerly held as part of the strategic
Trust Territory of the Pacific. Some of the islands of the trust area were not inclined to move
toward independence and sought instead territorial status, while one large area, Palau, sought
first a compact of free association with the United States and in 1994 became completely
independent.

A state possessing territories not incorporated within its borders, the native inhabitants of
which are not granted the full rights or privileges of citizenship of the possessing state ,is a
colonial power. There is, however , a difference between colonizing an area and colonialism per
se. For example ,in the American experience ,colonialism did not exist while the United States
was annexing areas on the continent of North America, for the areas being colonized were
recognized as territories destined to be incorporated into the United States as an integral part of
the nation.

While there were numerous efforts by various presidents and secretaries of the state to make
the United States a colonial power in the nineteenth century, none succeeded in permanently
adding territory not destined for statehood until the United states formally annexed the Midway
Islands in the Pacific Ocean on 28 August 1867.This was not ,however ,a true colonial
venture ,because the American purpose was to provide a way station and fueling stop en route
to the Far East. The United States made no effort to develop the islands economically or
politically or to populate them with colonists. Therefore ,another definition of colonialism is that
there must be a conscious effort on the part of the possessing power to develop or exploit the
area in the interest of the possessor and to provide some form of government or control through
colonial administrative machinery . This does not mean that the colonial power must
necessarily neglect or abuse the interests of the native inhabitants of the territory taken as a
colony, although more often than not such neglect and abuse does occur. It does mean,
however, that the colonial nation has the power to impose its rule over the area and to assert
its economic pre-eminence without resistance from the inhabitants of the area.

Q1. According to the passage, which of the following can be inferred about the soviet union?

A- The people of Manchuria had the full rights and privileges of citizenship of the soviet union.

B- The Soviet Union incorporated the territory of Manchuria within its border without lending it
full rights post world war II.

C- The Soviet Union was neither a colonial power nor an empire.

D- The Soviet Union didn’t control, and neither developed not exploited any territories outside its
borders for economic self-interest.
Q 2. According to the passage, which of the following can be inferred about the status of Guam
vis-à-vis the United States?

A- Guam is held by the United States illegally.

B- Native inhabitants of Guam do not have the rights of privileges of the US citizenship.

C- The American government does not, directly or indirectly, interfere or benefit from the
administration or economic affairs of Guam.

D- Guam has complete territorial autonomy.

Q 3. All of the following can be understood from the passage EXCEPT that

A- territories in the continent of North America annexed by the United States cannot be called
colonies.

B- territories in the continent of North America were not exploited by the United States for its
economic gain.

C- inhabitants of the territories in North America that were annexed by the United States have
the same rights or privileges as those of a US citizen.

D- the United States lies entirely within the continents of North America.

Q 4. Soviet Union could not have been accused of colonialism despite absorbing Latvia,
Lithuania and Estonia because

A- Soviet Union incorporated them within its own borders.

B- the three territories were already part of the empire.

C- Soviet Union didn’t annex them for economic gains.

D- inhabitants of the three territories weren’t given citizenship of the Soviet Union.
D. Quantitative Aptitude

1 1 1 1
Q.1 f(x) = (22 − 1) (32 − 1) (42 − 1) . . . . . . . . . . . (𝑥 2 − 1) for all x greater than 4. If

x is odd, f(x2) equals to.

(A) f(x)[f(x)+1] (B) 2f(x)[f(x)+1] (C) 2f(x)[f(x)-1] +1 (D) f(x)[f(x)-1] +1

Q.2 How many 3-digit numbers in base 10 are three digit numbers in base 8 but not in base 7?
(A) 147 (B) 169 (C) 153 (D) 177

Q.3 Car X started from town M at 6 a. m. and went towards town N. Car Y started from M at 7 a.
m. in the same direction as X. It overtook X after covering 40% of the distance MN. Both cars
then continued travelling towards N. On reaching N, Y turned back and met X after covering
12% of the distance NM. Find the time taken by car Y to cover the distance MN.
(A) 5 hours (B) 7.5 hours (C) 4.5 hours (D) 6 hours

Q.4 In the following isosceles triangle ABC, it is known that AB=AC and DE and DF are
perpendiculars on side AB and AC respectively. The sum of the length of DE and DF is half the
length of AB. Find the magnitude of angle FDE (in degree). It is known that angle A is an acute
angle.

(A) 30 (B) 150 (C) 120 (D) 60

Direction for Q.5 and Q.6: Six circular plots of land, with equal radius of 350 m are situated as
shown below. The points of contact of the circles are A, B, C, D, E and F and ABCDEF is a
regular hexagon.

Q.5 Krishna walks along the outer periphery of the circular plots without coming inside the
hexagonal area. Approximately how much distance does he travel before coming back to the
starting point?
(A) 5700m (B) 6400m (C) 7700m (D) 8800m

Q.6 What is the approximate area of the circular segment inside the hexagon?
(A) 224425 sq.m. (B) 288760 sq.m. (C) 378670 sq.m. (D) 451745 sq.m.

Q.7 There are 15 non parallel, non-concurrent straight lines. These straight lines are drawn in a
plane. If intersections of these straight lines are joined together then find the number of straight
lines that can be formed.
(A) 4095 (B) 2150 (C) 5460 (D) 1365

Q.8 The last 2 digits of a 3 digit number are equal. The number equals the sum of thrice the
product of its digits and ten times the sum of its digits. How many possible values does the
number have?
(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 0 (D) 3
Q.9 Vessels P and Q were completely filled with milk and water respectively. Each of these
vessels has a capacity of 3 litres. Vessel R has a capacity of 7 litres. The contents of P and Q
were completely transferred to R. Then one fifth of the mixture in R was replaced with milk. This
process is repeated twice. The milk concentration in R is finally___.
(A) 68.8% (B) 80.6% (C) 64.6% (D) 74.4%

6 10 14 58
Q.10 S = 4 + 36
+ 144
+ ………………+ 44100
. The value of S is
448 300 510 337
(A) (B) (C) (D)
625 196 256 169
E. DILR – 1 Set

Directions for questions 1 to 4:

A group of 6 persons is to be selected from Q, R, S, T, U, V,W, X, Y and Z on the following

conditions.

(1) If Z is selected then neither W nor T is selected.

(2) If Q is selected then X must be selected.
(3) T is selected if and only if U is selected.
(4) If W is selected then R must be selected.
(5) V is selected if and only if U is selected.

Q.1 In how many ways the group can be selected?

(A) 6 (B) 16 (C) 7 (D) None of these

Q.2 If T is not selected, in how many ways can the group be selected?
(A) 2 (B) 1 (C) 3 (D) 0

Q.3 If X is not selected, then in how many ways can the group be selected?
(A) 2 (B) 1 (C) 3 (D) 5

Q.4 Which of the following statements is/are true?

(i) If Z is selected, the group cannot be formed.
(ii) If Z is not selected, U should always be selected.

(A) only (i) (B) only (ii) (C) only (i) and (ii) (D) neither (i) nor (ii)