CDS Exam (I)- 2020 - English Defence Question Paper

PASSAGE (Next 5 Questions)
When we pick up a newspaper, a book, or an article, we come to our task with certain preconceptions and predispositions. We expect to find a specific piece of information or be presented with an argument or an analysis of something, say, the likelihood of recession in the next six months or the reasons why children can't read. We probably know a little about the book or article we are reading even before we start. There was, after all, some reason why we chose to read one piece of writing rather than another.
Our expectations and predispositions may, however, blind us to what the article and its author is actually saying. If, for example, we are used to disagreeing with the author, we may see only what we expect to see and not what is actually there. Day after day in our routine pattern of life we expose ourselves to the same newspaper, the same magazine, even books by authors with the same perspectives. In order to reflect on our reading habits and improve our skills we need to break out of this routine, step back and look at what we are doing when we read.

According to the author, which one of the following statements is not true?

PASSAGE (Next 5 Questions)
How wonderful is the living world! The wide range of the living types is amazing. The extraordinary habitats in which we find living organisms, be it cold mountains, deciduous forests, oceans, fresh water lakes, deserts or hot springs, leave us speechless. The beauty of a galloping horse, or a migrating bird, the valley of flowers or the attacking shark evokes awe and a deep sense of wonder. The ecological conflict and cooperation among members of a population and among populations of a community or even a molecular traffic inside a cell make us deeply reflect on - what indeed is life? This question has two implicit questions within it. The first is a technical one and seeks answer to what living is as opposed to the non-living, and the second is the philosophical one, and seeks answer to what the purpose of life is.
What is living? When we try to define 'living', we conventionally look for distinctive characteristics exhibited by living organisms. Growth, reproduction, ability to sense environment and mount a suitable response come to our mind immediately as unique features of living organisms. One can add a few more features like metabolism, ability to self-replicate, self-organize, interact and emergence to this list.

Why are the living types amazing?

Why does the author say, 'ecological conflict and cooperation'?

Our expectations and predispositions may, however, blind us because

Which of the following statements is true of the passage?

One of the ways to improve our reading habits is to

Distinctive characteristics exhibited by organisms indicate that

Which quality does the author here advocate, to be a good reader?

Which word in the passage means 'unique'?

Which word in the passage means 'viewpoints'?