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Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
Dabbawala
A dabbawala is a person in Mumbai, whose job is carrying and delivering freshly made food from home in lunch boxes to office workers. They are formally known as MTBSA (Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association), but most people refer to them as the dabbawalas. The dabbawalas originated when India was under the British rule. Since many British people who came to India did not like the local food, a service was set up to bring lunch to their offices straight from their homes.
Today, businessmen in modern Mumbai use this service and have become the main customers of the dabbawalas. By delivering to each employee his tiffin or lunch, the dabbawalas solve the problem for an estimated 200,000 people. They charge between 150 to 300 per dabba per month, depending on the location and collection time.
They are an incredible team. They have a record of no strikes against management. They are always on time, even through the rainiest days on the planet. Their creativity and ingenuity have kept them alive. When telephones services were at a premium in India, the dabbawalas encouraged housewives to use their system to communicate with their spouses by placing little chits inside their boxes. The husbands enjoyed the chits as much as the food. Thus, the dabbawalas were able to “think outside the box” and broaden their capabilities given in a very limited infrastructure. Dabbawalas have also embraced technology. On March 25, 2006, the dabbawalas went online with www.mydabbawala.com. The dabbawalas have become icons of hard work and dedication. In fact, the 5,000 strong workforce (there are a handful of women) is so well known that Prince Charles paid them a visit during his recent trip to India. Several academic institutions regularly invite the dabbawala’s representatives for discussion, and to complement and enhance their academic content.
Q. The working of dabbawalas is a __________ in management and organization.
  • a)
    Limited
  • b)
    Dedication
  • c)
    Lesson
  • d)
    None of the above
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

Radha Patel answered


Unpacking the Management and Organization of Dabbawalas

Unique Lesson in Management:
The working of dabbawalas is a unique lesson in management and organization. They have developed a highly efficient system that involves meticulous planning, coordination, and execution.

Dedication and Hard Work:
Dabbawalas are known for their dedication and hard work. They work tirelessly to ensure that lunch boxes are delivered accurately and on time, overcoming various challenges such as Mumbai's congested streets and unpredictable weather.

Innovative Solutions:
The dabbawalas have shown remarkable creativity and ingenuity in solving problems. For example, they utilized a simple communication system using chits in lunch boxes when telephones were scarce, showcasing their ability to think outside the box.

Embracing Technology:
Despite their traditional methods, dabbawalas have also embraced technology by going online with a website. This shows their willingness to adapt and integrate new tools to enhance their service.

Recognition and Reputation:
The dabbawalas have gained international recognition for their exceptional work ethic and efficiency. Their reputation has led to interactions with prestigious figures like Prince Charles and invitations from academic institutions for discussions on their unique organizational model.

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
The phases of the Moon last approximately one month so it was easy for ancient people to measure that length of time. However, every society needs a length of time shorter than a month but longer than a day so the week was invented.
Sunday is, obviously named after the Sun and Monday is named after the Moon. Saturday is named after Saturn. The other days of the week are named after Germanic gods. Tuesday is named after Tiw, the god of war. Wednesday is named after Woden, the chief god. Thursday is named after Thor, the god of thunder and Friday is named after the Goddess Frigg.
In 45 BC Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar with 12 months. He also added a leap year.
The Romans celebrated New Year on 1 March so the name September is derived from Latin words meaning seventh month. October was the 8th month, November was the 9th month and December was the 10th month. In England, New Year was not in January until 1752. January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. February may be named after the Roman festival of Februa. March is named after Mars the god of war. June is named after the goddess Juno and July is named after Julius Caesar. August is named after Augustus Caesar. The origin of the names of the other months is not certain. April is believed to be derived from the Latin word aperire, which means to open because buds opened at that time. May may be named after the Goddess Maia.
In 1582, Pope Gregory 13th introduced a new calendar. The calendar went forward 10 days and century years (like 1800) would no longer be leap years unless they were divisible by four. Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752 but in Russia, it was not adopted until after the revolution of 1917.
In the early years of Christianity there was a dispute over the date of Easter. In 325, the Nicean Council decided it should be on the first Sunday after the full moon after the Spring Equinox. That is why the date of Easter changes each year. Christmas is, of course, Jesus’ birthday. However, it is very unlikely Jesus was really born on 25 December! In ancient times most pagans held some kind of mid-winter festival. Instead of abolishing the old pagan festivals the Church took them over and ‘Christianized’ them. In 354 AD 25 December was fixed as the birthday of Christ.
At the end of the 5th century a monk named Dionysius the Short introduced a new way of calculating dates. Previously dates were calculated from the foundation of Rome. Dates were now calculated from before the birth of Jesus (BC) or before Christ and in the year of Our Lord (AD or anno Domini). However, Dionysius miscalculated and Jesus was actually born in at least 4 BC.
Before the Reformation people would often record the date by writing Saint so-and-so’s day rather than writing the day of the month. Many saints days were days of rest and our word holiday is derived from holy day.
In an agricultural society life was dominated by the seasons. The old word for Spring was Lenten (related to our word lengthen because the days lengthen at that time). Later it came to mean the days before Easter and it was shortened to Lent. The word Spring was first used for this season in the 16th century.
Q. The Gregorian calendar
  • a)
    Came into being in 1583.
  • b)
    Was introduced by Pope Gregory the 12th.
  • c)
    Didn’t count century years as leap years unless they were divisible by four.
  • d)
    Was adopted by Russia before the Russian revolution.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

Isha Nair answered
Explanation:
Gregorian Calendar:
- The Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.
- It aimed to correct the inaccuracies of the Julian calendar.
Key Features:
- The calendar went forward by 10 days to align with the solar year more accurately.
- Century years (like 1800) would no longer be leap years unless they were divisible by four.
Adoption:
- Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752.
- Russia, on the other hand, did not adopt it until after the revolution of 1917.
Impact:
- The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar used today.
- It has become the standard calendar for most of the world for civil purposes.

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
The phases of the Moon last approximately one month so it was easy for ancient people to measure that length of time. However, every society needs a length of time shorter than a month but longer than a day so the week was invented.
Sunday is, obviously named after the Sun and Monday is named after the Moon. Saturday is named after Saturn. The other days of the week are named after Germanic gods. Tuesday is named after Tiw, the god of war. Wednesday is named after Woden, the chief god. Thursday is named after Thor, the god of thunder and Friday is named after the Goddess Frigg.
In 45 BC Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar with 12 months. He also added a leap year.
The Romans celebrated New Year on 1 March so the name September is derived from Latin words meaning seventh month. October was the 8th month, November was the 9th month and December was the 10th month. In England, New Year was not in January until 1752. January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. February may be named after the Roman festival of Februa. March is named after Mars the god of war. June is named after the goddess Juno and July is named after Julius Caesar. August is named after Augustus Caesar. The origin of the names of the other months is not certain. April is believed to be derived from the Latin word aperire, which means to open because buds opened at that time. May may be named after the Goddess Maia.
In 1582, Pope Gregory 13th introduced a new calendar. The calendar went forward 10 days and century years (like 1800) would no longer be leap years unless they were divisible by four. Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752 but in Russia, it was not adopted until after the revolution of 1917.
In the early years of Christianity there was a dispute over the date of Easter. In 325, the Nicean Council decided it should be on the first Sunday after the full moon after the Spring Equinox. That is why the date of Easter changes each year. Christmas is, of course, Jesus’ birthday. However, it is very unlikely Jesus was really born on 25 December! In ancient times most pagans held some kind of mid-winter festival. Instead of abolishing the old pagan festivals the Church took them over and ‘Christianized’ them. In 354 AD 25 December was fixed as the birthday of Christ.
At the end of the 5th century a monk named Dionysius the Short introduced a new way of calculating dates. Previously dates were calculated from the foundation of Rome. Dates were now calculated from before the birth of Jesus (BC) or before Christ and in the year of Our Lord (AD or anno Domini). However, Dionysius miscalculated and Jesus was actually born in at least 4 BC.
Before the Reformation people would often record the date by writing Saint so-and-so’s day rather than writing the day of the month. Many saints days were days of rest and our word holiday is derived from holy day.
In an agricultural society life was dominated by the seasons. The old word for Spring was Lenten (related to our word lengthen because the days lengthen at that time). Later it came to mean the days before Easter and it was shortened to Lent. The word Spring was first used for this season in the 16th century.
Q. Which of the following is not true ?
  • a)
    Days are named after the Germanic gods.
  • b)
    Jesus was not really born on 25 December.
  • c)
    ‘Holiday’ means a day of rest because it was derived from the combination of the word ‘holy’ and the fact that people referred to saint days to record days and most of the saint days were days of rest.
  • d)
    all of the above
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Radha Patel answered

Days are named after the Germanic gods
One true statement from the passage is that the days of the week are named after Germanic gods, such as Tiw, Woden, Thor, and Frigg.

Jesus was not really born on 25 December
Another true statement from the passage is that it is very unlikely Jesus was actually born on 25 December, as this date was fixed as the birthday of Christ in 354 AD.

'Holiday' means a day of rest because it was derived from the combination of the word 'holy' and the fact that people referred to saint days to record days and most of the saint days were days of rest
The statement is also true as the word 'holiday' is derived from 'holy day', and in the past, people would often refer to saint days to record dates, and many saint days were days of rest.

All of the above
Therefore, the statement that all of the above are not true is incorrect as all the mentioned statements are true based on the information provided in the passage.

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
Clean and Adequate Water
Life cannot be imagined without water, but clean and adequate water is still not accessible to most of the people in India. India receives 90 percent of the water from major or medium rivers. It has 14 major rivers each having catchment area of 20,000 sq. km and above; while there are 44 medium rivers with a coastline between 2000-20,000 sq. kms. Then there are 53 small rivers each with catchment area of 2000 sq. kms.
According to the 2011 census, annual per capita water availability in the country decreased to 1545 cubic meters from 1816 cubic meters as per the 2001 census. At present, this situation is even more worrisome. Scientists believe that by 2050 there will be a 30 percent decrease in the availability of water per person. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the availability of 200 litres of water per person per day in urban areas. On the contrary, 140 litres of water is supplied per person per day in the country.
Water resources in India are predominantly dependent on the monsoon. India receives an average rainfall of 4000 BCM (Billion Cubic Meter) every year from the rain, but most of it is vapourized and goes down the drains. Statistics show that a dearth of storage procedure, lack of adequate infrastructure, inappropriate water management have created a situation where only 18-20% of the water is actually used. The remainder just gets wasted, aggravating the problem of ground water depletion.
Our country’s economy primarily rests on agriculture. Agriculture contributes 40 percent to the GDP of the country, and accounts for 60 percent of the total export revenues. Also, 60 percent of the related work. One of the major reasons for water crisis in the country is that as the area of irrigated land has increased, the level of groundwater has declined.
Currently, India has a gross irrigated crop area of 82.6 million hectares (215.6 million acres), which is the largest in the world. As the population increases, the water storage capacity of ponds decreases. In fact, wells and ponds go dry after the water decreases at the ground level.
Q. What aggravates the problem of ground water depletion?
  • a)
    Wastage of rain water
  • b)
    Increase in population
  • c)
    Both (1) and (2)
  • d)
    Inappropriate water management
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

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