20 questions in the pattern of MAH MBA CET, NMAT and SNAP. Each question is marked with the exams it suits. Answer it, then open the step-by-step solution.
For decades, the story of urban India was the story of its big cities. Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru drew millions of people in search of jobs, and their populations swelled far beyond what their roads and water supply could handle.
In the last ten years, however, a quieter change has taken place. Many smaller towns have begun to grow faster than the metros. Better roads and cheap mobile internet have made it possible for businesses to serve customers far from the big cities. A software firm can now run a support centre in Nashik or Indore at a fraction of the rent it would pay in Bengaluru.
Young people, too, are choosing to stay closer to home. Living costs are lower, commutes are shorter, and family support is nearby. Yet small towns face their own problems. Few of them have planned for growth, and many lack good hospitals and colleges. If these gaps are not filled, the young people who have stayed may leave after all.
Questions 1–5 are based on this passage.
What is the main idea of the passage?
The passage describes the growth of small towns and ends by warning that missing facilities could reverse it.
According to the passage, which factor has helped businesses work from smaller towns?
The second paragraph names better roads and cheap mobile internet.
Why does the author mention Nashik and Indore?
They illustrate how a firm can run a centre in a smaller town at a fraction of the rent.
Which of the following is NOT given as a reason for young people staying in small towns?
Lower costs, shorter commutes and family support are mentioned; higher salaries are not.
What does the author suggest could happen if small towns do not improve their facilities?
The last sentence says the young people who have stayed may leave after all.
Most of us are taught to fear failure. At school, a wrong answer costs marks; at work, a failed project can cost a promotion. It is no surprise, then, that many people avoid anything they might not succeed at.
Yet some of the most successful organisations treat failure as a source of learning. They encourage teams to run small, cheap experiments, knowing that most will fail. Each failure shows what does not work and narrows the search for what does. The key is that the experiments are small: a failure that costs a little teaches as much as one that costs a lot.
This does not mean that failure should be celebrated for its own sake. Repeating the same mistake teaches nothing. What matters is asking honestly why something failed and changing course. People who learn this habit early are often less afraid to try new things, and that willingness to try is what eventually leads to success.
Questions 6–10 are based on this passage.
Which statement best expresses the author's view?
The passage values small failures followed by honest learning.
Why, according to the passage, do many people avoid risky tasks?
The first paragraph links fear of failure to lost marks and promotions.
What does the author say about the size of experiments?
'A failure that costs a little teaches as much as one that costs a lot.'
According to the passage, which of these teaches nothing?
The third paragraph says repeating the same mistake teaches nothing.
The word 'narrows', as used in the passage, is closest in meaning to:
Each failure narrows the search: it reduces the range of possibilities left.
Clothes have never been cheaper. Large retailers now launch new designs every few weeks, and shoppers buy more garments than ever before, often wearing them only a few times. This model, known as fast fashion, has made style affordable to millions.
The low prices, however, hide real costs. Producing a single cotton shirt can use thousands of litres of water, and synthetic fabrics shed tiny fibres when washed. Much of the clothing thrown away ends up in landfills, where it can take years to break down. Workers in some factories also work long hours for low pay.
Some companies have started collecting used clothes for recycling, and a growing number of buyers now choose second-hand or longer-lasting garments. Whether these efforts can match the scale of the problem is still unclear, but they show that habits can change when people understand what lies behind a price tag.
Questions 11–15 are based on this passage.
What is the passage mainly about?
It explains fast fashion, its hidden costs and early responses.
Which of the following is mentioned as an environmental cost of fast fashion?
The second paragraph mentions synthetic fibres shed when washed.
What does the author mean by 'what lies behind a price tag'?
The phrase refers to the hidden costs described in the passage.
What is the author's attitude towards the efforts to change buying habits?
The author says it is unclear whether they will be enough, but they show habits can change.
According to the passage, why do shoppers buy more clothes now?
Frequent launches and affordable prices are described in the first paragraph.
Adults often believe that learning a new language is something only children can do well. It is true that young children pick up pronunciation more easily. But adults have advantages of their own: they understand grammar rules faster, can use dictionaries and apps, and can link new words to ideas they already know.
The biggest obstacle for adults is usually not ability but time and confidence. Many give up after a few weeks because progress feels slow, or because they are embarrassed to make mistakes in front of others. Teachers say that speaking early, even badly, is one of the best ways to improve.
Short daily practice also works better than long sessions once a week. Ten minutes a day keeps new words fresh in memory, while a single long session is mostly forgotten by the next week. With steady effort, most adults can hold simple conversations within a few months.
Questions 16–20 are based on this passage.
What is the central claim of the passage?
The passage argues that adults have advantages and mainly need time, practice and confidence.
Which advantage of adults is mentioned in the passage?
The first paragraph lists faster grasp of grammar among adults' advantages.
According to the passage, what is the biggest obstacle for adult learners?
'The biggest obstacle for adults is usually not ability but time and confidence.'
Why does the author prefer short daily practice?
Ten minutes a day keeps new words fresh; a weekly session is mostly forgotten.
What advice do teachers give, according to the passage?
Teachers say speaking early, even badly, is one of the best ways to improve.
These are original practice questions written by Target Campus in the pattern and difficulty of MAH MBA CET, NMAT, SNAP and other MBA entrance tests. They are not previous-year papers.
Preparing for MAH CET, SNAP or NMAT? Courses, live classes and mocks by Dr. Kiran Derle at Target Campus.
Explore courses ↗