Comprehension
The technological trajectory traversed in communications and transport from pigeon mail and pony expressto e-mail and videoconferencing is almost as great as the intellectual space between Noah's Ark and the biotechnological revolution in the preservation and improvement of the species. Dreams are multi-hued today and soar beyond the hitherto accepted bounds of human endeavor.
The first bimolecular motors with tiny metal propellers to reach inside our cells and probe their secrets have been built and pilot-tested and scalpels fitted with probes that can instantly reveal whether cells are cancerous may soon help surgeons operating on tumours to detect cancer at the earliest stages, perhaps even replacing biopsies. That Einstein ousted Gandhi as Time's Man of the Century clearly reflects the Zeitgeist. As Stephen Hawking writes, The world has changed far more in the last 100 years than in any other century in history. The reason is not political or economic, but technological - technologies that flowed directly from advances in basic science.
The reflection of the Zeitgeist, even as it stands witness to the enormity of man's reach, is also a warning: that when man's reach exceeds his grasp, it is time to pause and ponder over priorities. From time to time, a natural disaster might push us back to oil lamps and cooking by wood fire but a baby born a whole hundred hours after the mother was trapped under heavy rubble will also establish the sovereignty of other forces. Baby buying on the Internet illustrates the lowest human motivations at work, but harnessing its reach to attract global aid for earthquake victims reflects higher human impulsions.
Question: 1

By using the phrase technological trajectory traversed by man the writer means

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Man has progressed stupendously
  • Man has become a slave of technology
  • Man has no regressive progression
  • Man has enlightened revolutionary minds
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The correct answer is option (A):
Man has progressed stupendously

The phrase "technological trajectory traversed by man" refers to the path or course of development that humanity has taken in terms of technological advancement. "Trajectory" implies a forward movement, a progression. "Traversed" means to have moved across or through. Therefore, the writer is conveying that man has made significant progress in technology.

Let's break down why the other options are less suitable:

* "Man has become a slave of technology" - While technology can have negative impacts, the phrase itself doesn't inherently suggest enslavement. It focuses on the advancement itself.
* "Man has no regressive progression" - The phrase doesn't explicitly mention regression. While technological progress can have setbacks, the core meaning is about the overall direction of movement.
* "Man has enlightened revolutionary minds" - While technological advancement can lead to revolutionary thinking, the phrase emphasizes the *journey* of technological development itself, not just the intellectual consequences.

Thus, the most accurate interpretation is that the phrase describes the extent of human progress in technology.
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Question: 2

Why does the writer compare Noah’s Ark and biotechnological revolution to technological trajectory traversed by man?

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • He does so to substantiate his account
  • He does so to beguile the reader
  • He does so because he feels that these developments should be brought to light
  • He does so because it has been a revolutionizing progression
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The correct answer is option (D):
He does so because it has been a revolutionizing progression

The writer is likely comparing Noah's Ark and the biotechnological revolution to the technological trajectory of mankind to highlight the significant impact and transformative nature of both. The key word here is "revolutionizing." Both represent paradigm shifts, moments of profound change that alter our relationship with the world, our capabilities, and potentially, our future. Noah's Ark, in the context of the story, represents a solution to survival and a new beginning. Biotechnology, in the context of the writer's argument, likely offers similar prospects, albeit through scientific advancements.

The other options are less accurate:

* "He does so to substantiate his account" is a general possibility, but doesn't explain *why* these specific examples are used. The comparison itself gives more meaning.
* "He does so to beguile the reader" suggests manipulation, which is not necessarily the primary purpose of such a comparison. The intent is likely more educational or thought-provoking.
* "He does so because he feels that these developments should be brought to light" is true, but misses the core purpose of the comparison. It's not just about awareness; it's about drawing parallels in their impact and significance.

Therefore, the most accurate answer is the one that best captures the essence of the comparison, which is the revolutionary progression and the transformative change that both represent.
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Question: 3

The phrase ‘dreams are multi-hued today’ implies

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • They are of various colors
  • They have greater scope of materialization
  • They have limited forms
  • They are eagerly sought after
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The correct answer is option (A):
They are of various colors

The phrase "dreams are multi-hued today" uses the word "hued" which directly relates to colors. "Multi-" signifies "many" or "multiple." Therefore, "multi-hued" means having many colors. The phrase metaphorically suggests that the dreams are diverse and varied in nature, just as things can be diverse in color. So, the correct answer is "They are of various colors." The other options do not align with the meaning derived from the imagery of colors.
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Question: 4

The purpose of metal propellers is to

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Reach inside malignant tumors
  • Reach inside our cells
  • Reach inside our tissues
  • Reach inside the carcass
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The correct answer is option (B):
Reach inside our cells

The correct answer is "Reach inside our cells" because metal propellers are a type of medical device, and they are used in nanotechnology and targeted drug delivery. In this context, "reach inside our cells" refers to the ability of these propellers to navigate and interact with the cellular environment, delivering medication or performing diagnostic functions. The other options are incorrect because they describe areas that these medical devices cannot reach or are unrelated to the function of metal propellers.
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Question: 5

Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

Updated On: Mar 23, 2026
  • Advancements have been a result of tremendous human endeavor
  • Natural disasters propel us to work harder
  • Dreams are not only multifarious but often soar beyond our reach
  • The world is believed to have changed a great deal over the past 100 years
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The correct answer is option (B):
Natural disasters propel us to work harder

To correctly answer this question, we need to analyze the provided options and compare them to the information that would be present in the passage (even though the passage itself isn't provided). Since we only have the options, we need to consider what statements are generally true about how humans respond to challenges and how the world progresses.

The question asks for the statement that is NOT true. Let's break down each option:

* "Advancements have been a result of tremendous human endeavor": This is generally true. Progress in science, technology, art, and society typically comes from hard work, research, and innovation - human endeavor.

* "Natural disasters propel us to work harder": This statement is likely not true, or at least not the *primary* driver of advancement. While natural disasters can stimulate problem-solving (e.g., developing better building codes after earthquakes), they are primarily destructive and represent setbacks. The implication that they are a consistent motivator for human progress isn't necessarily a good summary.

* "Dreams are not only multifarious but often soar beyond our reach": This statement speaks about the nature of human aspirations. The world of human dreams is vast and varied, going into areas we cannot easily achieve.

* "The world is believed to have changed a great deal over the past 100 years": This is a historically accurate statement. The 20th and early 21st centuries have witnessed significant changes in technology, culture, and global politics.

Therefore, because natural disasters, while causing hardship, are not the main driver of advancements, the statement "Natural disasters propel us to work harder" is the most likely to be false and is the correct answer.
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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension

Questions Asked in IBSAT exam

Although cynics may like to see the government’s policy for women in terms of the party’s internal power struggles, it will nevertheless be churlish to deny that it represents a pioneering effort aimed at bringing about sweeping social reforms. In its language, scope and strategies, the policy document displays a degree of understanding of women’s needs that is uncommon in government pronouncements. This is due in large part to the participatory process that marked its formulation, seeking the active involvement right from the start of women’s groups, academic institutions and non-government organizations with grass roots experience.
The result is not just a lofty declaration of principles but a blueprint for a practical programme of action. The policy delineates a series of concrete measures to accord women a decision-making role in the political domain and greater control over their economic status. Of especially far-reaching impact are the devolution of control of economic infrastructure to women, notably at the gram panchayat level, and the amendments proposed in the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 to give women coparcenary rights.
 An enlightened aspect of the policy is its recognition that actual change in the status of women cannot be brought about by the mere enactment of socially progressive legislation. Accordingly, it focuses on reorienting development programmes and sensitizing administrations to address specific situations as, for instance, the growing number of households headed by women, which is a consequence of rural-urban migration. The proposal to create an equal-opportunity police force and give women greater control of police stations is an acknowledgement of the biases and callousness displayed by the generally all-male lawenforcement authorities in cases of dowry and domestic violence. While the mere enunciation of such a policy has the salutary effect of sensitizing the administration as a whole, it does not make the task of its implementation any easier. 
This is because the changes it envisages in the political and economic status of women strike at the root of power structures in society and the basis of man woman relationships. There is also the danger that reservation for women in public life, while necessary for their greater visibility, could lapse into tokenism or become a tool in the hands of vote seeking politicians. Much will depend on the dissemination of the policy and the ability of elected representatives and government agencies to reorder their priorities.
  • IBSAT
  • Reading Comprehension
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Generally, people experience stress in their day-to-day lives, but more than thirty million Americans suffer from something more intense than that. Anxiety disorders are the second-most-common mental health problem in the country, and they can be paralyzing. Sometimes, day-to-day stress and anxiety are hard to tell apart, but the easiest way to distinguish them is that stress is brought on by actual events, and then dissipates, whereas anxiety is a more pervasive worry, that often attaches itself to specific areas of your life, like your relationship, job or health, says psychologist Terry Mooney.
This anxiety does not dissipate, and in fact, it can increase to the level where it begins to change your behavior. That’s when it’s characterized as an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can keep you safe, helping you recognize danger, and cope with it, says Mooney. But if you begin to see danger lurking around every corner, or worry over and over again about the same events, then you might be dealing with something more substantial, like an anxiety disorder. 
People with anxiety disorders often begin to avoid activities or circumstances that make them anxious, said John Forsyth, associate professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany and director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Programme at the university. People may stop driving, or stop going to parties. They may stop travelling or even avoid leaving the house. It’s this curtailing of activities that causes the suffering, Forsyth said, making you feel that ‘life is shrinking around you.’
 Anxiety disorders come in a variety of forms and manifest themselves in different ways. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by ongoing worry about everyday tasks, even when there is no clear reason to worry. People with social anxiety disorder experience intense worry over social interactions, and often feel judged by people or worry that they will embarrass themselves. Post-traumatic stress disorder, which is characterized by people re-living a frightening event over and over again, is also considered an anxiety disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is when people take on obsessive rituals that help them maintain the illusion of control. Often repetitive in nature, obsessive compulsive rituals can include cleaning, checking and rechecking something, counting or endlessly reviewing conversations in their mind. Treatment is available for anxiety disorders. People can use a variety of approaches, including therapy, medication and exercise.
  • IBSAT
  • Reading Comprehension
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I am the family face; flesh perishes. I live on, projecting trait and trace through time to times anon, and leaping from place to place over oblivion.
So wrote Thomas Hardy in his poem, Heredity, describing direct descent of life from one generation to the next. Indeed, the poem reflects the DNA in our genome. Dr.Drew Endy of MIT quoted this when he described how people at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) bypass nature’s constraint of direct descent. Scientists there have used chemistry and biochemistry to produce the first synthetic genome in the laboratory. They chemically synthesized many fragments of the DNA, encoding the 582,970-units-long genome of a bacterium called Mycoplasma genitalium. Next, they assembled these fragments in perfect order to generate the genome of the bacterium.
The DNA sequence of the synthetic one was confirmed to be identical to the natural one. While the DNA pieces were synthesized chemically, the stitching together was done using the biochemical machinery of a host cell. About 100 pieces of the genome, each 5000-7000 units long in DNA sequence, were first joined to produce 25 sub-assemblies, each about 24000 base pairs long. These were then introduced into the bacterium E. coli to produce sufficient DNA for the next steps. Next, they repeated the procedure to generate large fragments comprising l/4th of the whole genome of M.genitalium.
Now, they used the clever trick of exploiting the process called homologous recombination. This is a basic essential process in every cell, which physically rearranges the two strands of DN The JCVI researchers inserted the synthesized DNA fragments into yeast and utilized its homologous recombination ability to generate the whole 580,000 long genome of M.genitalium in one step. 
This is clearly a landmark work that leads into the brave new world of synthesizing life itself in the laboratory. It was hardly 200 years ago when Friedrich Wohler synthesized urea, an organic molecule, in the chemical laboratory, thus throwing out the notion of ‘vital forces’ involved in the components of living organisms. What is the next step, making life itself in the lab, bypassing nature? With single cell organisms like M.genitalium, it might not be far away. It is now possible in the lab to do so, by inserting the genome into a ‘host’ cell and asking the latter to make the bacterium of your choice. If only we find a way to insert the bacterial genome into this proto-cell, and somehow trigger it to make the bacterium itself! We would have chemically created life in the la This is not a pipedream; JCVI scientists are already on the job, and my bet is they will do it within a few years. 
This surely raises ethical questions, a matter that JCVI is keenly aware of and is already engaged in with ethicists. Even their present work on M.genitalium was done with prior approval of ethical experts. But then, today it is M.genitalium, tomorrow it could be a more advanced, multi-cellular organism, and that could flummox even the ethicist. Assisted reproduction, which is the other side of the coin and truly a recently initiated technology, has become ethically and morally acceptable. Cloning of Dolly, the sheep, has not raised any outrage, but cloning a human certainly does.
  • IBSAT
  • Reading Comprehension
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