The two Summits has discussed global economic crisis besides ways to enhance cooperation among the member countries of the two groupings. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Brazil on a two day visit in April 2010 during which he attended the Brazil—Russia—India—China (BRIC) and India—Brazil— South Africa (IBSA) Summits and held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The Prime Minister reached from Washington on the second leg of his eight nation tour. At the 2nd BRIC Summit, Iran’s nuclear issue and the controversy surrounding it also discussed under the grouping’s format by Singh, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Brazilian President Lula da Silva. Thiswas the first time that Iran has been part of focussed agenda of the grouping.

BRIC is a significant grouping comprising two of the world’s leading energy producers Russia and China and top energy consumers India and China, which officials say forms the basis for natural synergy.

In the BRIC format, Foreign Ministers of the four countries have met regularly on the sidelines of international conferences, including the UNGeneral Assembly.

The BRIC countries, representing 40 per cent of the global population, are among the largest and fastest growing economies with rich human and material resources. They represent the future of the global economic landscape.

With a similarity of views on several issues like climate change and reform of global institutions, including theUN, the four countries have been fine tuning their collective approaches to these issues. In the IBSA format too, India, Brazil and South Africa, the three fastest growing economies of three continents, have evolved common and coordinated approaches to the challenges like global economic crisis and climate change besides pushing efforts to enhance cooperation among themselves.

After the IBSA Summit, India, Brazil and South Africa signd two trilateralMoUs. These are in the areas of solar energy and science and technology. An MoU in the field of sport is also likely to be inked. “These groupings reflect the growing role of emerging economies in shaping the global economic order,” the Prime Minister had said in a statement.

He said the IBSA process has come of age as it today encompasses a wide range of activities which supplement the excellent bilateral relations that India enjoys with each of these countries.  “Our coordination onimportant international issues has expanded, and our trilateral cooperation is beginning to bear fruit in many sectors,” the Prime Minister had said.

Directions (Q. 01-10): Read the given par graphs carefully and answer the questions which follow each of these.

Directions (Q. 01-02): We are living in the midst of a great chemical experiment, and some serious consequences are becoming apparent to scientists. More than two billion pounds of chemicals are spewed into the air each year which are brewing a disastrous stew. The greatest consequences of the atmosphere crisis may be global warming and the ozone depletion. The Earth appears to be warming due to greenhouse effect. Scientists estimate that average temperature could climb about 2 degrees Celsius in 20 years. Global warming is the predicted result of the greenhouse effect, created by the greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methance, in the atmosphere. This change in the global climate would have disastrous results, including drought, coastal flooding and increased species extinction. Also, the scientists have discovered a hole in the ozone layer. The ozone layer is the only protection for life on Earth against deadly ulatraviolet radiation from the sun. Once the ozone layer is completely destroyed, all life on Earth will cease exist, killed by the deadly readiation. The planet will become a barren rock deviod of all life. And when this happens the process for industrialistion would have to take the blame which has resulted in increased use of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and diesel.

01. Which of the following can be inferred from the given passage ?
(A The use of all chemical products should be immediately stopped.
(B) Scientists will have a hard time to esitmate the rate of change of temperature in the years to come due to enormous changes in environment.
(C) The environmental disaster in the future will happen as a result of increased usage of fossil fuels.
(a) Only A
(b) Only C
(c) Both A and C
(d) Both B and C
(e) None of these

02. Which of the following best explains the usage of the phrase ‘brewing a disastrous stew’?
(a) The continuous rise in Earth’s temperature has proved to be very dangerous.
(b) Lack of efforts to curb the greenhouse effects would degrade the environment in the near future.
(c) The harmful ultraviolet readiations are slowly destroying the life on Earth.
(d) The fraternity of scientists has been opposing the process of industrialistion.
(e) The increased discharge of chemicals in the air is resulting in a atmosphere crisis.

Directions (Q. 03-04): Fashion has become one of the largest fads among the youth. The amount of time wastage and expenditure on fashion is very large. What bothers, however, is the fact that fashion is here to stay despite countles arguments against it. What is required, therefore, is that strong efforts should be made in order to displace the excessive craze of fashion from the minds of today’s youth.

03. Which of the following statements finds the least support by the argument made by the author in the given paragraph ?
(a) Youngsters should be motivated to do constructive business rather than wasting time on fashion.
(b) The world of fashion being glamorous and glittery attracts people towards itself.
(c) Following the latest fashion increases the self-efficacy people, thus increasing their overall mental abilites.
(d) Many universities have implemented a dresscode to put a check on the increasing fad amongst the youth which was affecting their grades.
(e) None of these

04. Which of the following can be inferred from the given paragraph ?
(a) The author has made strong efforts to wipe-out fashion from the minds of youth.
(b) Steps need to be taken in order to control the growing fad of fashion amongst the youth.
(c) The author is upest with the shift of fashion from the traditional ethnic wear to western outifts.
(d) Fashion world is responsible for lack of creativity among the youth.
(e) None of these.

Directions (Q. 05-06): The government cannot afford compartmentalise education. It has to be emphasised that country which does not have a good university education will never be listed as an independent country and will neve be able to progress. Only countries prepared to tolerate a secondrate and subjugate status in the world would neglect higher education. If India has had any position in the comity of nations than many of its Asian counterparts. This clear emphasis on higher education, however, does not imply that is should be supported and developed at the cost of primary and secondary education.

05. Which of the following best explains the main idea of the paragraph ?
(a) The government has made a wrong move in compartmentalising education.
(b) To highlight the superiority of India in higher education as compared to the rest the world
(c) To emphasise more on primary education rather than higher education
(d) Higher education is important for the growth of country.
(e) None of these.