Read the passage and answer the items that follow:
There is perhaps another reason why the British and the French are genuinely keen on seeing the Security Council reformed right now. Currently, everyone is only speaking of expanding the permanent membership of the Council, not replacing the existing permanent members. If reform is delayed by another decade, there is a real risk that the position of London and Paris will not be so secure then; the clamour for replacing them with one permanent European Union seat could mount, and could prove irresistible.
So far, the other three permanent members have been somewhat more lukewarm about reform. Russia is officially pledged to support it, and has explicitly backed the claims of Germany, Japan and India to new permanent seats, but it is a matter for debate as to how enthusiastic Moscow really is. Its permanent seat on the Council was the one asset that, even during the symbolic years of the 1990s, allowed Russia to ‘punch above its weight’ in international affairs. Few Russians really want to see that position of privilege diluted by having to be shared with several new countries.
China is even more sceptical. China shares Moscow’s reluctance to see its stature diminished, but this is all the more true since it now sees itself, quite justifiably, as having no peer in the world other than the United States, whose economy it is on course to overtake within the next two decades.
Question 1
According to the passage, why are Britain and France interested in Security Council reform?
(A) It will increase their influence in world politics.
(B) Immediate reform would ensure that arch-enemy Germany does not get a permanent seat.
(C) They fear that eventually, the world will insist their two seats be replaced by a single EU seat.
(D) They want to counter the rising power of China in the Security Council.
Question 2
The meaning of the phrase “punch above its weight” in context of the above passage is closest to:
(A) To exercise influence in order to suppress others.
(B) To achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected.
(C) A reference to power or might while dealing with opponents.
(D) To take unnecessary action just because one can.
Question 3
China’s skepticism to allow for reform in the Security Council arises from the fact that:
(A) It might not necessarily help China’s in its mission of overtaking the US economy.
(B) It might give international clout to China’s competitors, like India and Japan.
(C) It wants Moscow to support the reform first.
(D) None of these
Question 4
The word ‘clamour’ in the passage above can be most suitably replaced by:
(A) Outcry
(B) Dissent
(C) Convulsion
(D) Challenge
Question 5
Is there an indication as to what the attitude of the United States is towards the notion of Security Council reforms?
(A) The United States is aggressively pushing for the reforms.
(B) It appears to be tepid and uninterested.
(C) It has rejected outright the notion of reforms.
(D) No indication can be seen from this passage.
SOLUTIONS TO DAILY CSAT MISSION # 69
1. (A) 2. (B) 3. (D) 4. (D) 5. (D)
Explanations
First of all, since all the men work on separate floors and all the women also work on separate floors, it means there has to be one man and woman on each of the three floors. Draw a table outlining the floors versus the sex of the people:
Put P under Man on the first floor (it is given in the question). Now, since S also works on the first floor, S has to be a woman. Put S under Woman and on the first floor.
Now, Q is a woman who is not on the second floor. Since she is also not the woman on the first floor, she is the woman on the third floor. Put her under Woman and on the third floor, and also add her department (which is known from the question). The table now looks like:
Since the women all have different departments and S cannot be in Personnel (according to the question) or in Administration (because Q is the woman in Administration), so S is in Accounts. Attach this information to her.
M works on the third floor as per the question. So, M is the man on the third floor. Add this to the table. Also, it is given that S and M work in the same department. So, M works in Accounts. Attach this information to M.
Now, all the three men work in the same department. Attach this information also to the table. The table now looks like:
On the women’s side, since every woman has a different department, the second floor woman has to be in Personnel. But N and S work in the same department, so N is in Accounts. Thus, N is not the woman on the second floor but rather the man on the second floor. Which leaves T as the woman on second floor and in Personnel. The finished table is:
1. 2. 3. 4. No explanations needed.
5. If either of Q or T are promoted, then a department will fall vacant, and nobody will be there to do that work. So, S has to be promoted because her work can be done by the men in Accounts, and no department will be adversely affected.
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