Reading Comprehension - December 2012

Passage: 

 

The popular view of towns and cities in developing countries and of urbanization process is that despite the benefits and comforts it brings, the emergence of such cities connotesenvironmental degradation, generation of slums and squatters, urban poverty, unemployment, crimes, lawlessness, traffic chaos etc. But what is the reality ? Given the unprecedental increase in urban population over the last 50 years from 300 million in 1950 to 2 billion in 2000 in developing countries, the wonder really is how well the world has coped, and not how badly.
           In general, the urban quality of life has improved in terms of availability of water and sanitation, power, health and education, communication and transport. By way of illustration, a large number of urban residents have been provided with improved water in urban areas in Asia’s largest countries such as China, India, Indonesia and Philippines. Despite that, the access to improved water in terms of percentage of total urban population seems to have declined 
during the last decade of 20th century, though in absolute numbers, millions of additional urbanites, have been provided improved services. These countries have made significant progress in the provision of sanitation services too, together, providing for an additional population of more than 293 million citizens within a decade (1990-2000). These improvements must be viewed against the backdrop of rapidly increasing urban population, fiscal crunch and strained human resources and efficient and quality-oriented public management.
1:  

The popular view about the process of urbanization in developing countries is 

A. Positive
B. Negative
C. Neutral
D. Unspecified
 
 

Option: B

Explanation :

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2:  

The average annual increase in the number of urbanites in developing countries, from 1950 to 2000 A.D. was close to

A. 30 million
B. 40 million
C. 50 million
D. 60 million
 
 

Option: A

Explanation :

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3:  

The reality of urbanization is reflected in 

A. How well the situation has been managed.
B. How badly the situation has gone out of control.
C. How fast has been the tempo of urbanization.
D. How fast the environment has degraded.
 
 

Option: A

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4:  
Which one of the following is not considered as an indicator of urban quality of life ?
 
A. Tempo of urbanization
B. Provision of basic services
C. Access to social amenities
D. All the above
 
 

Option: A

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5:   The author in this passage has tried to focus on
A. Extension of Knowledge
B. Generation of Environmental Consciousness
C. Analytical Reasoning
D. Descriptive Statement
 
 

Option: C

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